Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-23
lust Between
Ourselves
BY Philip H. Love

/ Television is advancing much
more rapidly than the movies or
radio ever did. Your father or
grandfather will tell you that those
other mediums of entertainment
were many years in reaching the
degree of excellence that televislon
already has attained.
The first movies were, of course,
considerably before my time, but
the ones l recall seeing as a boy
were extremely crude in compare
son with today's television pro-
grams. And radio, in its early days,
was even cruder.
If ever you have chance to see
an old movie, one made before
1925, say, don't pass it up. Even
the most serious one will seem
comical now, but at the time 1t was
first shown it probably was thought
rather wonderful.
The first movie theater I have
any recollection of attending was
remodeled grocery store. 1t was
open only on Friday and Saturday
nights, and it was always crowded.
The protector frequently broke
down and the audience would
whistle, yell and stamp until 1t was
repaired.
open air" movies, the grand
parents of today's "drive-in" the
aters, were popular in summer, and
nearly every neighborhood had one.
The only trouble with them was
that when rain stopped the snow
YOU didn't get your nickel back.
Romantic movies were unpopular
with the boys, who sneerlngly
dubbed them "mushieS." There
was always an exciting serial run
ming, however, and we wouldn't
have missed an installment-"epl-
sode" it was .called-for anything.
Pearl White, Francis Ford, Ruth
Roland, Houdini and a muscular
character named Eddie Coulan, or
something similar, were our faVorlte
serialists.
Cowboy movies-"wild vests" we
called them-also were popular.
William S. Hart, Bronco Billy, Will
liam Carey, Hoot Gibson and Tom
Mix were the top stars.
:, Every program included a feature
attraction" either mushle or
western; a serial and a comedy
!. Among the favorite comedy stars
were John Bunny, Flora Finch, Ford
Sterling, Fatty Arbuckle, Ben Tur-
pin, Charlie Chaplin and Harold
Lloyd.
Other names that probably linger
in your folks memories are Mary
Pickford, Mary Miles Minter, Mabel
Normand, Bessie Barriscale, Mae
Marsh, Blanche Sweet, Theda Bara,
Mae Murray, Shirley Mason, Viola
Dana, Clara Bow, Bebe Daniels,
i. Marion Davies, Pola Negri, Robert
Leonard, Wallace Reid, Thomas
Meighan, William Farnum, Dustin
Farnum, Francis x. Bushman,
Richard Barthelmess, Charles Ray,
' Ben Lyon, Lewis Stone, Lionel
BARRYMORE and Fredric March.
Probably the last three are the only
ones that mean anytnlIle W you'
; X II
Radio began to attract widespread
attention in the early 1920s Home
made crystal receiving sets, with
headphones, were the last word Tor
a while; then came factory-built
models with funnel-shaped loud
speakers. Although electricity was
available, all the early sets were
powered by batteries.
While radio was still in its in
fancy sound movies came along Al
Jolson starred in the first one, The
Jazz Singer" and almost overnight
the whole field of entertainment was
changed.
Sound movies and radio together
not only killed the silent drama
they also helped to bring about the
death of vaudeville. Now televislon
is threatening to do the same thing
to the movies and radio-and, with
at least touch of irony, Is revivlng
vaudeville as one of its weapons.