OCR Text |
Show H BEFORE HOLLYWOOD, H Wonder whatever became of those H two French gendarmes, the b.g tall cop H and the little short cop in gorgeous H uniforms, who were the star screen H comedians In the early days of the Hi movies. H Audiences forgot the film's dizzying! H flicker and crude photography, when I H the gendarmes came gesticulating ! H' along the sidewalk. H We were held in tense suspense, H knowing tb.pt the endless chase people I H soon would bowl over the dignified H cop and trample them underfoot. H Usually, just before tbo crash, the H film broke. It took Ave minutes for H repairs, the audience restlessly and H1 impatiently turning in ihelr seats to Hj tcowl at the film operator's coop Photography was crude. But the I 1 shows were clean. The two gendarmes H faded out. Essanay brought out Char H He Chaplin. Fatty Arbuckle and Ma B bel Normand worked together for Key H Fatty and Mabel starred In "down on the farm" comedies Mabel was the fsrmrrs daughter. Fatty, the hired man. Their Chief stage prop was an old apple tree In the orchard Good old days' Ho you remember the first movie houses in Ihe old homo town? People shook their heads when shoe-string plungers threw caution to the winds .lid opened "nickelodeons" in small store rooms. A phonograph horn stuck nut over the sidewalk and rarrred "Dedetya," "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree " and "When the Whip poor will Sings Marguerite'" out oer the public square. There were rumors about town, that the manager of the leading "nlckolo deon" cleaned up as much as $100 a week We tried to pump the town banker. But he Wouldn't tell, just chuckled. The movns got better and we wondered won-dered what their future would be. Well, the future i;i here and we have found out The nickleodcon has be come a palace. The stars make more i ban President Harding They roll in luxury, which breeds decay After all, though, the Hollywood intrigues in-trigues and debauches ore merely boils that have broken out from the foul Jazz blood 'hat races through present day life. There's lalk of moving the picture, industry away from Hollywood That wouldn't change things much. The buzzard man and the wayward girl are the same everywhere, regardless of geojrraphy just as a gentlemans a gentleman, drunk or sober. |