“Christopher Columbus, otherwise Christoforo Colombo, the celebrated discoverer of America, was born of poor but honest parents in the Italian city of Genoa.  His mother, Teresa Colombo, seems to have been a woman of great piety and intelligence.  Of his father, Bartolomeo Colombo, nothing is recorded.  From his earliest youth the boy Christopher developed a passion for mathematics, astronomy, geodesy, and the other sciences of the day...”

But, no,—­stop!  I am going too fast.  The reader will get it better if we turn it into pictures bit by bit as we go on.  Let the reader therefore imagine himself seated before the curtain in the lighted theatre.  All ready?  Very good.  Let the music begin—­Star Spangled Banner, please—­flip off the lights.  Now then.

Discovery of America
authorized
by the board of censors of
new York state

There we are.  That gives the child the correct historical background right away.  Now what goes on next?  Let me see.  Ah, yes, of course.  We throw an announcement on the screen, thus.

Christopher Columbus..  Mr. Quinn

Here the face of Mr. Quinn (in a bowler hat) is thrown on the screen and fades out again.

We follow him up with

Spirit of America..  Miss E. Dickenson

Now, we are ready to begin in earnest.  Let us make the scenario together.  First idea to be expressed: 

“Christopher Columbus was the son of poor but honest parents.”

This might seem difficult to a beginner, but to those of us who frequent the movies it is nothing.  The reel spins and we see—­a narrow room—­(it is always narrow in the movies)—­to indicate straitened circumstances—­cardboard furniture—­high chairs with carved backs—­two cardboard beams across the ceiling (all this means the Middle Ages)—­a long dinner table—­all the little Columbuses seated at it—­Teresa Colombo cutting bread at one end of it—­gives a slice to each, one slice (that means poverty in the movies)—­Teresa rolls her eyes up—­all the little children put their hands together and say grace (this registers honesty).  The thing is done.  Let us turn back to the history book and see what is to be put in next.

“...The father of Christopher, Bartolomeo Colombo, was a man of no especial talent of whom nothing is recorded.”

That’s easy.  First we announce him on the screen: 

Bartolomeo Colombo..  Mr. Henderson