The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-01-14
Blackall Sees Movies
 Mere Frankenstein
Old Gags Still Worked 20 Years After - Need of Day
 Is Great American Comedy

State Senator John c. Diaokall of Hartford, former local newspap- 0rnaan, delivered an address before members of Better Films club Hartford, on ",Tho Movies After Twenty Years" Ills remarks which formed a brief review of popular movie themes wero In part as fol- lows;
 It may bo presumption for ono not q critic, not c moving picture theator owner, never N visitor to Hollywood and unacqualntod with moving picture actors to tnlk on "The Movies After Twenty Years," but probably tho viewpoint of ono who enjoys tho thoator and tries to like the movies may be of Interest as,A contribution to tho passing show.
 Tho movies began generally as the last act of u nino net vaudeville show. Tho general theme was to have the william steal Il coat ana vest from Q tailor.shop, and as he runs down tho street ho Is ehasod by an officer who promptly knocks oVee n window cleaners ladder pre-. cIpitating the window cleaner Into a pail of wateg. Thls gag celebrated It's twentieth birthday during the current season and does not yet show It's age. The chase progresses and the William then falls Into a bnsket of clothes some woman 10 hanging in her backyard and this situation Is still funny. The ,pur. suit goes on until ono of tho officers stops into e cement sidewalk freshly laid and leaves his shoes. The chill dren always enJoy this. Finally the victim falls off bridge md IS swept down the stream In the final fnde.out.
 Twenty years after tho movies are still using tho theme with vari- ati0ns. Then the producers exteng. cd their field and took Il little girl with eurls from "The Littlest' RebepV land preeipitatod her. Into tho great revival of the American Victorian cru and Mary Piekford still has her pictures ip the paper. With Mary on the screen poverty ended In riches, evil was punished, united and virtue was rewarded. Then the movement was toward tho spectacular and "rhe Birth Of Il Nation portrayed tho grandloso theme of U civil war and a reunited country, and Lillian Gish winding her arms around her hero, return. ing to the farm, made tho audience Cry and tho manager at tho box office rejoice. Later Robert Mantell dressed up Macbeth in tho silent drama and there was Q run of the classic tragedy. Of a sudden Theda Bara and Geraldine Farrar each playing Carmen arrived In Hartford in eeliulold. tho ono on Main street, tho other on Asylum street and the natives won't to be shocked but wero disappointed.
 As the years went by, tho themes hocame . little more insidious and the producers decided the Amerj- can people wero more interested tn the racy adventures of life than in adhering to the classic outlines of the Greek tragedies or of the Trench comedy. Coincldental with this development, came an unex- pected growth in moving picture literature by way of magazines and propaganda that might be referred 10, as a racket if that word has, been admitted to the dictionaries. Onc looks In vain for the influence of Hawthorne or of William Dom Jiowells or of Washington Irving on the silver screen. One finds q tendency not only toward realism hut toward q stark realism that thnt leaves an unpleasant taste.
 Tn the whole scramble the needs. of the younger generation. and par- ticularly of the children. for proper entertainment have Been overlook cd. The moving picture producers are afraid of censorship, not know