100 years ago: Audience reacts with fury to ‘pro-German’ war flick

A committee of Tonasket vigilantes, enraged over what they believed to be a pro-German propaganda film, seized the movie reels and turned the exhibitor over to local authorities.

It all began when Frank Kelly, an “itinerant exhibitor,” rented the Tonasket movie theater to present “The World at War.”

A large audience showed up, expecting to see “an American, or at least impartial version of the war story.” During the opening reels, the film seemed to be “strongly biased in Germany’s favor.”

The crowed grew restless, and then disgusted. They protested to Kelly, who promised that “succeeding reels would show the Allied side and balance up the program.”

“He did not keep his promise,” wrote the Tonasket correspondent.

At the end of the show, the riled-up crowd demanded Kelly turn over the reels, which were given to the county council of defense.

Kelly was hauled before the justice court, where he entered a plea of guilty on a charge of “attempting to provoke an assault,” which was apparently part of a plea deal to avoid a charge of showing “objectionable films.”

From the diet beat: Edward Reinhart, a local lumberjack, was accustomed to eating a pound and half of beef, a pound and a half of potatoes, an entire loaf of bread, half a pie and many other calorie-laden goodies every single day.

His weight shot up to 173 pounds and he was suffering from rheumatism and bad eyesight.

So he came to Dr. Aubrey T. Dodson of Spokane, who put him on a crash diet. Actually, he ordered Reinhart to fast entirely.

After 30 days of fasting, the lumberjack was down to 136 pounds and his eyesight was better. He said the worst part was keeping his mind occupied. He spent his time walking and reading at the library.

He added he planned to break his fast soon.