All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

340 All About Inventions a theatre was lying dormant and forgotten. It was rented, refurbished, given a glittering and brightly illuminated front, and lo ! it blossomed out as a picture palace, the admission to which might be gained for the same nimble coin which would give one accom- modation in the suffocating small converted shop. Naturally the comfort of a theatre made a greater appeal than the less pretentious and uncomfortable extemporised building a few yards away, especially as no heavier demand was made upon the pocket. The public flocked to the new centre, which soon enjoyed a. new lease of prosperity. Other theatres and music-halls which were either closed or only being run at a loss went over from their designed business to the “ movies,” while even chapels which were languishing for congregations were bought up and their mission in civilisation radically changed. Flushed with the success thus obtained, it was maintained by the more perspicacious adventurers that the “ pictures ” would safely and easily sup- port buildings designed and built specially for the purpose. A wild scramble for the acquisition of attractive sites ensued. The existing buildings were torn down, and upon their ashes rose stately struc- tures, invariably boasting ornate facades, and with their interiors scientifically set out so that everyone within could see the screen under the most favour- able and comfortable—even luxurious—conditions. In the United States, where the boom reached its most frenzied heights, some of these theatres have cost as much as a quarter of a million sterling to build and to equip. Nothing but the movies are to be seen, and the establishments return handsome profits,