The house was well filled at eight o’clock. Probably a finer audience had never before attended a motion picture show. Those who disdained the cheaper grade of entertainments lost all consciousness of being out of place. There was a flutter of interest and curiosity. The beauty of the place had appealed to their artistic sense.
There was a hush of expectancy as Ben Jolly, at the organ, started a grand rolling patriotic tune. The outer curtain rolled up.
At once a picture flashed upon the screen—it was that of the old flag of the colonies. It came so suddenly, so keenly outlined, so rich in coloring, that it startled the audience. It was no study in still life; the wind waved its silken folds, the silver stars glowed and glittered. There was a hum of pleased delight. The beautiful flag faded away, and there showed on the screen: “A Tabloid of Home History.”
It was not so much the well delineated but familiar scenes presented that caught the audience. The flag view had stirred them up, and the views of familiar scenes emphasized their patriotic ardor.
“Sixteen feet of film to the second,” Frank told Mr. Strapp, but the Westerner was too engrossed in viewing the screen to heed him. At the “Boston Tea Party” there was vigorous hand-clapping. “The Battle of Bunker Hill” caused a renewal of the enthusiasm. Half a dozen Revolutionary battle and skirmish scenes followed, then the waving flag again dissolved and the crowd “broke loose,” as Pep put it.
“Say, it’s acted just like an appetizer—short and sharp,” spoke Pep, moving to Frank’s side, a-quiver with delight.
“That friend of yours, Bohm, was certainly a happy thought,” remarked Frank.
“I hope the heavy stuff is going to make as good an impression,” observed Mr. Strapp.
“Oh, it’s sure to strike these wise heads right,” assured Pep.
“Is This the Kind of Fish That Swallowed Jonah?” was flashed across the screen, and a great monster was depicted occupying the entire length of a freight car. Against it was a placard giving a few facts, such as: “Five harpoons and one hundred and fifty-one bullets used to subdue the monster,” “five days required to finally kill it,” “towed one hundred and twelve miles by a tug, weight thirty thousand pounds, length forty-five feet, circumference twenty-three feet nine inches, diameter eight feet three inches, mouth thirty-eight inches wide, forty-three inches deep, several thousand teeth, tail ten feet from tip to tip, hide three inches thick.”