AT THE PICTURES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 897, 17 August 1910, Page 9

AT THE PICTURES.

PLEASURE AND PROFITPERHAPS. So much have all our picture shoiVß become a part of the general scheme of our nightly amusements that ono almost wonders how we ever did without them. Not only in the city are they a constant entertainment, but in ever so many small towns in tho country, where theatrical companies seldom venture, they aro a muoh-looked-f of ward-to joy to tho small,boy and girl,.and their elders as well. In these small places, where life is so bounded by its iniihodiat« surroundings, and the things of .the outer world are more like faint shadows, the gleams they give of life in other countries, of tho occupations fqlloKtjd thorn, of the researches and explorations that are being pursued,:to say nothing of tile miyisitcd-spots of New Zealand-that are brought before their eyes, aro beyond all incasuro appreciated by them: They may never go there, arid.il is tlio next best thing seeing them this.way. , . , Who would have thought'that, the old magic lantern of so many years agu, unreliable and full of; tricks ;and- protests, would , have evolved into tho nioving-piclure show of to-day, that is almost life-like in its'presentment.,.of things? ; Kings' and qucensj- 5 ' all tho great: ones .of the earth, celebrated .Bcie'ritists at work in their laboratories, famous actresses living' their partsbefore biie'a cyus,. so' .that words are not necessary, and magnificent /world pageants, alharo liiaclo .visible;,'and, remote though wo are from the great countries of the. w.orld, and'.all that is ddno in them, we feel'that something of it all is brought home to us—that we"are not altogether aliens.. • . ( There are times when ono cannot Im bothered with anything that rerjuiiL-a' sdstained attention or activity, and 'yet distraction of some kind is both restful and desirable. It is tlnui that ih' answer to the query "Shall we go to the pictures?" one .acquiesces with pleasure and goes.. Instead of seeing tho world inirrored; in a looking-glass, like tho Lady.'of Siialrjtt, one" sees it thrown- upon canvas, perhaps with not such lifeJike fidelity, but then, there were limitations to - what she saw, iis it was only >n an area bounded by what passed, through, her glass. .The,.kinematograph ventures upon all things; —Almost as much plcasure-is-givctrby" the interest of the audience around as by the pictures themselves. "Of . u Saturday night" whole families- venture 'outj v father,"mother,-and' r all. the'small fry down to tho two-year-old baby, who crows and..calls out in:'great glee bvei some of the. more startling visions that come before' the audience. Often tho mother, weary after the endless .tasku of household work with small;childrenabout, and but one pair of hands to do it all, sits back in her seat and smiles -tiredly, but happily, while her husband divides.his attentions betw:(in his enjoyment of the pictures and ] tho baby, struggling.excitedly .in his arms and choking over the things *he gives it to eat..- Sometimes there are whole rows of perambulators waiting outside-r----it is Saturday night, and this is often tho one night in th« .'week for their, amusement. . '.-

Tho serial pictures that tell a sustained story of love, villainy, and troubles galore excite violent partisanship, and all sorts' of comments and explanations are told, while most 'uncoinplimcntary.,remarks.are'madd of the appearance" of the wrong-doer.' "Just watch his ugly face!" or else, "Oh, servo him right. He was a bud lot!", while, they laugh ecstatically "over the discomfiture.of the ridiculous lover. Sometimes an argument is started over tho. •understanding of the story, and, being without words,, such; a thing., easily happens.. Then.there are appeals to friends, and every point of what has is brought forward to conlutfc'the obstinate unbeliever.': Undoubtedly'the horrors that 'are'-sonic-times placed before them are rather trying, as audible sighs of relief when all is over show; but in spite of it all a kfce/i rk'iiso ot' hiiinour n> thoyth, and. anything that ie too wildly improbable, and falls short of the pathos it is meant to express, creates great,amusement. : . 4 ' The programmes submitted'are usually .most catholic, in their numbers, so that everybody, surely, must see something that they are especially interested in. While there are many people who do not care for the mysterious and wonderful "illusion" scenes, there are many who .do, and so on with every kind shown. There is no doubt but that tho picture entertainment has come to stay, and will'probably become/more.and more, of an educative as well as of a pleasurable value to numbers of people. Nor will it stay at its present stage of development, judging by all the signs.