The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-06-23

One of the most interesting let
tiers 1 have received in months on
this subject was written by Earl
Mckee, we'll known in cport and
publicity circles Of this city for
years.
This letter is so interesting that
I am giving it to you in full:
I have been nightly interested in your
attitude toward ,hokum in your COM
and in your talks over the radio.
The word came into use perhaps twenty
years ago, theatrical critics eagerly. seiz-
RENE, condemnation for whatever they did
not like in theatrical presentations. dra-
matte vaudeville or what not.
Whenever a vaudeville act resorted to
waving the stars and stripes for the
IHaI1 rofs Whsns1eT monoiogist touch
it was hokum In other words when per-
formers appealed TO his hearers patrio;
S% to oh he The nu he oy sdvb h
public heroes by dragging in their names
to ,Ig. get handclapnit was all h9kum. =,
himself Or fq s the but apRa vase f0
flag that was being greeted it was mother
who was being honored. or it was a tri-
butte to the popular hero mentioned.
Later. these fellows lambasted the pro-
hibition law, and folks applauded heartily
not because they considered the actor
clever. but because they hated the law and
took this opportunity of showing their
hatred. The oldtime mellodramas reeked
with this sort of stuff.
Of the audience when, in BARLEY Camp
bells White Slave" the sadly harrassed
heroine delivered that classic of all time
Rags are royal raiment when worn for
virtue sake" perfect example of real
/ fail to find the word "hokum" in my
he of ad4 iAY,e
have It. I do find word that may have
been the source of the word ''hokum. -
T ThS word is hOkus almost always used
words
hocus-To impose upon. to cheat. to
h9cus pocus-A tuggler's trick. trickery
used by fonJurers To cheat;
of such expressions as: great hokum. +"
delicious hokum," entertaining hokum."
able It G9a 0 and TGS IS o gB e nssd IS
:, Ana IN glad "6okum" is getting a
time of it, in the field of politics, and
many of the grand old fossils who de
pended on hokum alone to keep their place
I am convinced that, without hoikum.
the majority of stage plays and movies
W would .s be stale fiat and decidedly qn-
III
its value, and this value depends wholly
on its use.
Laugh if you want to- but I believe the
use. And our old friend, Will SHAKESPEARE.
was not averse to stirring in a generous
u Ann in Eoh 2beg gave s IS Rs proper ms
Be- Stowe pioneered in hokum when
either of these manuscripts Of its plati9
tudes (hokum), and what have you? Not
a darn thing. not even plot worth a
Yours for bigger and better hokum.
EARL MKEE.
George Arliss masquerades as a
fisherman in THE Working Man.
which opens today at the Circle.
Warner Baxter, ELISA Landi and
Victor Jory have the three leading
roles in Il Loved You Wednesday. :"
This is the new picture on view at
the Apollo.
One of the most discussed books
of recent years, Il Cover the Water
Front" has been made in a movie
and is now on view at the Palace.
The late Ernest Terrence plays his
last role in this movie. ...se
Emergency Call" on the screen
and Al BelaSco as the headliner on
the stage, makes up the new show
at the Lyric.
y Other theaters today offer: "Hu-
mainly" and "Red-Haired Alibi,"
at the Mecca, Circus Queen Muir
der" at the Belmont, Officer 49,"
at the Talbot, and, burlesque at the
Colonial.