Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-17

Henry McLemore. love the BIZ
jou because it is a double feature
movie. 1t offers the biggest mon
eys worth since Manhattan was
sold for $24. For very small adj
mission fee a man can come close
to spending vacation at the Bijou.
1t opens early in the morning and
by the time fellow has seen all
Of it's attractions he needs shave
and square meal. There is no
such a thing as stranger at the
Bijou. It's patrons are thrown to-
gether for so long time that by
the time they depart they know one
another as we'll as brothers.
1t was surprise and disap-
pointment to me when, on arriving
at the Bijou today, I discovered that
it had abandoned double features
and was limiting it's show to single
picture, a newsreel, cartoon and
travelogue. The girl behind the
ticket window explained that the
change in policy was due to the re-
quest Of Mr.. Lowell Mellett, chief
of the Office Of War Information
Bureau of Motion Pictures.
"Mr. Mellett," the girl said, has
asked that double features be elimi-
mated. He feels that for Americans
to sit three, four and even more
hours in movie house binders the
war effort. So we are cooperating
I bought my ticket, anyway. but
as was walking home after a fleet
ing two hours in the movies.
could not help but wonder If Mr..
Mellett had not made a mistake in
attacking the double feature.
The double-feature program has
many advantages. For one thing,
1t guarantees that one of the two
pictures will be good. This is be-
cause one of the pictures on the
double bill is so awful that the
other Is sure to stand out as a mas
terpiece. The No. feature, or
companion piece, is always dreadful.
Nine times out of 10 it deals with
one Of these subjects:
l. A mad doctor. who, dissatisfied
with his contract at MGM, has dis
covered a liquid that will reduce
the human race to bunch of blith-
ering idiots. A major portion of
the scenes in the picture show the
mad doctor working with his test
tubes in cobwebbed laboratory.
2. The inner workings of cattle
rustlers, and how they are foiled In
moving a herd of blooded Ionghorns
through a canyon by the two-fsted,
two-gun efforts of an honest cow
boy and his lady love. There is al
ways much guitar playing in these
pictures, and songs that tell how
cowboys like to be buried in the
desert alongside their horse and
favorite musical instrument.
3. Backstage of q Broadway
musical, with cast that couldn't
dance its way off hot stove.
4. The workings of interna tional
spies, and how they are finally
trapped by an Irish 7atfoot a
woman reporter and a good-natured
drunk who turns out to be an FBI
man with a taste for gin.
5. A picture in which there is .
long shot of papers rolling off the
presses, leaves being torn violently
on calendar to show the passing
OF time, police cars careening down
a dim street with all sirens going
1ull blast and a comic maid who
Jumps every time a window is closed
or a door is shut.
Americans will miss these ntc.
lures.
And If Mr.. Mellett is successful
IN eliminating double features. he
Will undoubtedly move toward thu
elimination OF the half a hundred
other cinema knickknacks that
make up the program.
I don't believe I could get along
without my travelogues. THEY'RE
like dope. After a man has seen
a certain number OF techntcolor
studies OF many of the dullest cite,
In the world, he needs them.
Wouldn't you miss those breathless
shots OF native dances, old ladies
stringing beads, medieval bread
making and professions of donkeys
winding their way up and down
mountains?
Could you suddenly give I'D those
travelogues which show the mar
rage rites Of a country you can't
spell, how the natives weave their
own costumes and those bloodshot
snaps OF sunsets and sunrises? No.
any more than you could give up
that voice OF the travelogue mar
rator.
And how the American movie-
going public would regret the loss
OF the Disney ~imitators, with their
animated creatures whose colors are
too bright, whose voices are too
sharp and who are downright
boring
No, Mr.. Mellett, leave the movies
alone. To 60 into a movie at 7:30
and get out at midnight, all worn
out, and with the eyes and head
hurting, Is as much a part Of Amer.
lean life as stuf1ing ballot boxes.
distributed By McNausht Syndicate, Inc,