A Wonderful Motion Picture

“There are thousands of them in America.” my neighbor said. “Wonderful motion picture I call it.”

1923 Walther League Messenger

The following article is taken from the May 1923 issue of the Walther League Messenger, Volume 31, page 435.

“I saw a wonderful motion picture last night,” said my neighbor as we met on our way down town.

“Tell me about it.” I said. “Wonderful motion pictures are very few, in spite of advertisements.”

“A man and a woman were sitting together in a plainly but comfortably furnished sitting-room. They were husband and wife in middle age. From their looks it was very evident that they were still lovers.

“A boy and a girl were also in the room, each reading. While they were sitting there a handsome old lady came in. At once the boy and girl arose and remained standing until the old lady was seated. As the picture unfolded it told the story of the grandmother.

“Out in the dining room a splendid looking young woman could be seen setting a table. She went in and out from the kitchen doing her work until the meal was ready. Then she came to the sitting room doorway and called the others.

“As they came in a young man entered, coming from a library room. He drew back a chair and helped the grandmother to be seated.

“After the meal was over the entire family helped ‘do up the work’ in the absence of any servant in the house. The handsome young woman and her big brother did most of it.

“After the dishes had been washed and the dining room set to rights, the entire family went into the sitting room and remained there the entire evening, reading, studying, and visiting together over the events of the day.

“At the close of the evening before ten o'clock the father read a passage from the Bible and offered a short prayer of thanks. Then everyone sang a song of rejoicing, the mother at the piano, kissed one another good night and retired.

I stopped on the sidewalk and viewed my neighbor with astonishment.

“And you mean to tell me that you saw all that in a moving picture house?”

“No. I saw it last night in an American home, where I was a visitor.”

“There isn't any such place.” I said.

“There are thousands of them in America.” my neighbor said. “Wonderful motion picture I call it.”

“But not in the movies,” I said.

“And that may be one reason why people think there is no American home," said my neighbor.

The Christian Herald