Show Music IN Is Scarce in Paris Parris I Dances Held Out of Place Movies r Cheerfully I Writers Interrupt Hand Holding o of f Po and M Maid in inThis n French Cinema Palace celebrated and ThIs Is I. the tho nInth of a number of a articles by the Randolph Chester worlds words or of Get RIch QuIck Wallingford rd George orIgInator tell the tho story o 0 f France today exas exclusIvely ex- ex to who went to Europe greatest reporter and other m members ember of the Newspaper Enterprise o as asfor s. for He The Is accompanied Telegram by his wife and collaborator LillIan a Chester TheIr artIcles are beIng published x In x no other sr r newspaper vrr In thIs city except Tho e Telegram Chester Chesler and Lillian Chester By George e Randolph AND LILLIAN CHEST CHESTER R. R COD Copyright 1918 by the Newspaper aper enterprise Association ARTS March tarch 2 There was a a. P PARtS PARIS sudden noise overhead which startled us as much muchas have as a n. bomb could doua Wo We looked at each other stupidly and then with comprehension compro- compro hension henson and delight Now w wo wol l knew ew what hat We wo had been wissing wiss- wiss ing all this time now wo we knew the cause causo of or our vague unrest now we wo knew what was the matter matter matter mat mat- ter with the tho luncheon and tea and dinner places with places with every every- thing Music that Music that is tho the lack lackor of or it Somebody up there had opened a piano and was wildly hammering hammering hammering ham ham- mering away at little snatches of or o c everything v o 0 r y t thing h ing from Chopin to ragtime Work It became suddenly impossible For we a great discO Cl ery We e had been as serious about the war as the war itself which was the same thing as trying trying trying try try- ing to be as big as the Infinite Of or course we all know that tho the war is no Joke A man who find real humor in this in international in- in insanity could probably probably probably ably have havo the time of or his life in ina ina ina a morgue But there is a well kno known fable of or the tho frog which knod tried tried to to swell himself up to be as big a as the ox he wished to fight and remembering remembering his highly scattered ed fate wo we ceased for the tho time b being Ing to try to attain in ro- ro at least the dimensions dimensions dimen dimen- or of the cloud which hangs over Europe and civilization and started out to find amusement not placid rigid stiff stift amusement amusement amusement amuse amuse- ment like dining out or a symphony symphony sym sym- phony phon concert or a n. lecture but real live amusement such as regular regular regular reg reg- ular restI restless ss Americans know The movies The Tho sign Orchestra Orchestra Or chestra Cinema with its insidious insidious insidious ious J promise romise in the name of oC quenching the fever which burned in our veins settled the question a It was much more moro like Uke home than anything All AU dark In there and an usher with an nn inadequate flashlight to guide your stumbling footsteps and a lve orchestra orchestra orchestra or or- chestra sawing away at the latest musical comedy hits bits from tram Broadway Piccadilly and the boulevards boule The same ineffable essence of air which has never felt sunlight and the same big woman with the fat knees who makes no moro more room for you to pass when she stands up than wh when n she's Fhe's h R sitting We Ve finally found our places places- sets in a dink dinky little nen for four which they called caned a logo loge In tho the dense blackness a stirring and a stumbling Somehow madame had been inserted into one of the two front seats by a Frenchman t who in his politeness nobly upheld upheld upheld up up- held tho the traditions of his race and monsieur finding himself in two feet of or unoccupied space took toole a chance and sat success success- fully Only for a n. moment how how- ever Out of or the darkness there thero came tho the voice of or tho the fourth oc occupant occupant occupant oc- oc of the tho loge logo a a. lad lady she was whispering rapidly and she sho was vas whispering to us but while we wo have a very fair article of or war It French we discovered that was of positively no use uso in the uio dark rho Tho French which Is spoken to us needs a face raco to mako make it understandable So monsieur with great grent shame shamo confessed that he lIe knew only American Oh very well Monsieur spoke Ameri- Ameri caine Great relief in the voice of or the tho lady and she said politely politely po per po- po Will Vill you sit 7 DOWN IN FRONTA FRONT A blue funk seized upon monsieur's monsieur's mon mon- intellect as he lie explained with equal politeness that while it might not bo apparent in the darkness he lie was sitting pitting Pained silence for an instant and a slight trace of or distress in inthe tho the voice olce of the tho lad lady as she sho inquired in inquired in- in more or less plaintively Will Vill you sit down Monsieur who is anxious to have his countrymen men well re reputed reputed re- re p ted for politeness and accommodation accommodation felt his ears purpling and amI his tongue thickening as he lie explained most patiently in two languages or 01 at least a language and a half halt that he was not only silting sitting but also down He began to have ha doubts about his physical structure he lie be began began began be- be gan to feel that his estimate of his own sitting height must aha have havo been at t fault he lie began to to feel as tall as a a. house from tie the chair up particularly when the lady now DOW with much distress and much requested Kindness sir Will Vill you please i i sit down clown At this uncomfortable point In th theme i o dings monsieur feelIng feelIng feel- feel I Ing irig li like o a brute leaned forward to madame and asked What on earth does sho she want I am I down and I am not sitting on a a. hat or anything As Asa a compromise he arose In order to sit freshly and at each fresh request he did it again until he felt like a Jumping Jack At this chaos raged In that logo loge for the French rench gentleman and the held an animated animated animated ani ani- mated conference ce while monsieur and madame agitatedly discussed the tho impossible point at issue Some half minute of or this it seemed an eternity while whilo the sorely tried audience was saying Sh Sim Sh Sim Sh when madame happened to catch one intelligible ble word in all tho the rapid fire speech and that word was ic Oh Oh ici icis sho she repeated eager eager- ly It means hero here Oui id let vigorously repeated the French lady and gentleman and they thoy both stood up Monsieur stood up Madame stood up Whereupon the tho French lady and gentleman politely but firmly Inserted monsieur Into the tho front scat seat by the tho side of or madame whilo while they happily took the two rear seats scats and the tho audience hooted Then the heaven sent lights were turned on and our pleasant companions a very nice and his girl explained in most satisfactory pantomime that they wished to sit side sIdeby by side so they might hold hands and that we now sitting also sido side by side mi might ht have tho the same l privilege Tho The wild thought flashed across monsieur's monsieur mind that since he ho and madame were ere the tho late comers they would feel it their duty and pleasure to take tako the rear roar seats scats but hut any attempt at another shift would have brought on a riot from the surrounding surrounding surrounding sur- sur sur sur- rounding sufferers so It was was al allowed allowed al- al lowed to go at that with everybody everybody every every- body contented THEN THE MOVIES And those movies mo The Tho first treat to unreel before our astonished eyes was a Com- Com edy Two of our best known and justly justly Just just- ly Infamous acrobatic screen comedians comedIans com com- Indulged In a n marl mad knockabout knockabout knock knock- about which had no head nor nor tall n s to plot or or even incident which left tho the Intellect and the reason insulted Tho four of u us when tho the lights went up p and ande wo we could see to talk taUe expressed our unanimous condemnation condom condom- nation of or that picture we protesting protesting pro pro- testing that it II was not representatively American and the they protesting protestIng protest- protest Ing that they believed It although w wo e could see sec from a 1 certain glisten In tho the ce eyes that hc ho he thought he ho had It on us J JAh JAh Ah Aim but watt wait Tho next picture was was v a n French one where hero we knew immediately tho heroines heroine's appalling virtue by the fact that she was to totally totally to- to tally uninteresting and that all tho the dramatics would go to tho the wicked young oung woman In ithe the beautiful gowns who in ht her deathbed re repentance repentance ro- ro would bo ho over ever so much more sympathetic than anybody who had over ever been good For five long reels that Inane merr round merry o of oC temptation and fall and repentance and temptation and ancI fall and ana repentance dragged Its Its Its' weary ear way with nine nino sobbing v points to tho the reel but before it it was over o our eyes having become used to the tho gloom we wa turned tri triumphantly triumphantly tri trl- and saw in our shifting gaze baz that wo had it on him hint Wo 0 are arc happy happ to be he ablo to report report re- re port to the anxiously waiting American n public that tho the movies InFranco in inFranco inFranco Franco are aro Just as gha ghastly as tho the average at nt home although h like at home they are aro not all bad had But the tile music It was a treat to such starved souls as ours It was good music anc and they weren't stingy with it the they seesawed seesawed seesawed see see- sawed right along and shifted the- the well known al and popular l 1 In Instantaneously to fit the varying phases hase of ot the picture even cn playing Tho The Death I of Asa tor for the tho I final scene of ot tho time repentant young oung woman when thank heavens sho died at last Tho movies have havo their place If It Itou you ou never thought it before you rOll would If It you ou could look at tho the faces face of ot those as they filed tiled out humming There Thero were wore lots lota of or them Como come to enjoy t tho e mu music lc and antl tho the movies and tho the darkness and tho hand holding v PRETTY GOOD SHOW Wo We 0 found ourselves humming too fragments fra m of f long lon forgotten aids airs s as we wc swung along along- tho the boulc- boulc vaid ald and our footsteps were lighter and our hearts were lighter mid find for fOI a t little time timo we forgot that there thero was a war n. n as did the tho on 1 leave l a Moro More music Wo W q must have havo moro more music What should it be heavy be-heavy heavy opera welterweight or featherweight which last is better known as musical musical mu- mu comedy Guess and you'll guess rightly If Ir you can put yourself in tho the position of oC those who have sometimes liked music with their meals A kind French Trench gentleman who runs a theatre theatre theatre the the- atre ticket a agency ency told us about a n. revue which had a a. Broadway chorus chorus chorus cho cho- rus and we shall like him always The Tito show was all right But listen At tho the close of or the tho first act they Introduced a regular genuine gen imported imported imported im im- im- im ported Jazz band known here as asa asa asa a Wo Vo sometimes used to sniff a little at that music back homo home wo used sometimes to think It waslow WAS W WASlow low and common and all that but hut goodness gracious It was like a sight of oC the tho Statue of oC Liberty and the tho tall buildings along the tho Battery Battery Bat Bat- tery and the Broadway trenches and ml nil fill th the other dear delight lI ht of or home That jazz band played again from a balcony out In tho the hi big bib promenade t foyer yer all through the long intermission played lick lick- split ety-split thump thump whang bang the tho triangles and tho the bells and tho the bl big bass drum rum and some sarno saxophones for the tho well known moan and everything NO DANCING Of or course there thero can he be no dancing dancing dancing dan dan- cing in a country where there is s so much sorrow but never ne have we seen anything so lift up and antI exhilarate ex exhilarate ex- ex a c concourse of or totally mixed people a as did that wonder wonder- ful that marvelous mar that miraculous miraculous lous Jazz band There were wre people of ot all nationalities nationalities nationalities nation nation- and nil all classes but whether the they were Fero ero I English Amei Americans leans or 01 French or Just assorted the effect was va as tho the same Eye Kyo sparkled Into eye en and gleeful gleeful gleeful glee glee- ful smile answered gleeful smile shoulders swayed and feet ot irresistibly irre re lifted in time to the tho music despite tho time slow blow shuffle compelled by the packed crowd But nut the most Joyous faces tace wo saw were those of ot ft a group of ot queer looking polls with the tho lower corners corners corners cor cor- ners of oC their overcoats pinned back hack and rig big lg wrinkled boots hoot and beards growing almost an any place They stood and had hall a general air of oC elderly negligence ence which was striking to sag sa tho the tholf I lf least ast for soldiers but the tho most moat striking thing was tho the jo joyous OU I gleam In their eyes eyes eyes' We re asked an American officer about them a doctor who has seen seena ecna a lot of ot service He lIo laughed Oh the they dont don't care much about the finer points of or drill and dress cIres parade The They cant can't do anything but just fight Their entire regiment regiment regi resl- ment was decorated decorate l They're getting getting getting get get- ting their first layoff In two years ears They're from Verdun Wo 0 took another look a good long IonS hard earnest look Those fellows had been strong enough to togo togo too go o through two years of ot concentrated concentrated concentrated concen concen- Hades they had been tenacious tenacious tenacious ten ten- enough to live li through conditions conditions con con- which four years fars a ago o would lia have ve boon been cn declared impossible ble hIe the they had been reckless enough h to expose t Themselves to fatality so often that the tho imminence of or death must have ha seemed the normal condition condition con con- the they were simple hearted pearled enough after all that to reap tho the keenest of enjoyment out ont of a Jazz band an and l as we watched witched tim lh f we knew th tha th such men men- men men-men WI that elasticity of oC spirit which the secret of or the ever renew spirit of or Franc France can n hold anotLe 1 |