The Film Daily (1919)

EVENING WORLD JUlv5?3ro P THE NEW YORK HBRAUO JULY 3 •" Lost Battalion" Picture Shown at the RitZ'Carlton At the Ritz Carlton last niglit a. motion picture entitled "Tlie Lost Battalfon." in wlilcli the sarvlvors of that famous detachment of the American forces In France pogetl for a feature reproduction of th^ir great exploit In the Argonne Forest, was shown before a distingulslied audience assembled on invitation of Major General Robert Alexander, compianding the Seventy-seventh Division. The film Xvas made under itie direction of Edward A. MacManus with the co-op eraOoiv of General Alexander and Lieu tenant. Colonel Charles W. Whittlesey.! commander of •'Tho Lost Battalion," for) thft purpose of periieuating in activel j pictorial form tho participation by thel 1 United States ' troops in the great war-; j forming one of the most vivid chapters! In the history of the conflict. I Cliarles Loguo has written a scenario, with touches of comedy, w liicli servea as a pi-cface to the pictorial prtsentallon of the actual exploit of Companies .\, C. D. V, t! and H of the 30811) Infantry and Company K of the SMth Infantry in the historic '•packet" ill the Arsonne'Forey. The com-' eUy characteVs. including a. I5ower>" soldier t)py wlio enlisted with a charge of theft hanging o\'er him and a Chinese, appear frequentl>' to relieve the grimness of tho parts of the film showing the tragic scenes in the Argonnfe. In duplicating the chief incidents of that six days of tragic trial in "Th^ Pocltet." a piece of rougli country near (New Yorlw closely suggeisting the topography of the .\rgoniie, was selected as the stage and there I-ieutenant Colonel Whittlesey. Major McMurtry, Sergeant CIpegllo, Prl\'ate Munson and Captain William J. Cullen, who ore aome of the heroes of the Argonne who have received the Distlngulflhed Service Croae. and Major McKln!iey. who commanded the relief, are pictured re-enacting the scenes of the fight during six terrible days of last Octobe-r. The survivors of the battalion entered Into the repetition of the fight with a fervor and familiarity of detail that gave the simulation of the batti* a reality that was almost shocklne: at time's yian Ami, the famous Argonne carrier pigeon which was decorated by General 1 Pershing, (jas a section of the film to Itself. It was this pigeon that flew from Lieutenant Colon1 vVhiitiesey's beleas.ured band to the headquarters of General Alexfinder, tilling of the plight of the battalion. The pigeon lost an eye and"^ leg in the flight and will haye choice picUlinga during the remainder of Its life. m BunALi" SEE THEMSELVES Col. Whittlesey of "Go to Hell" Fame Sees Himself in Action. Officers and men of "Th« Lost Battalion" of tho 77tai Division — ^that polyglot anny tliat swept on through iha Argonne Forest and bit deep into tbe famotis Hindcnburg line — dressed in mtiftl, safe and sane in the jobs to Wilcli they returned In civil lite, sanr themselves a«nLn In khaki, faces Srtm and sweat lined, standing ofT the Oermaa horde In "Tbe Pocket," the objective of Lieut. CoL Charles W. Whittlesey, last night. The origin of the famous answer from Col. Whittlesey to the German de<mand for stin-ender was shown vividly. Col. Whittlesey, Major George C. McMurtry and Privates Cepaglio and Munson were in a funkhole when the German officer^ message reached them. There It was that the Colonel d«cided to ten the German to "Go to hell," after -smiling grimly Into each other's faces," as the scenario writer descril)es it, "because, after enduring days of tb« most inhuman warfare. It II was almost funny!" Lieut. Arthur McKeofb of the stafi of the "battalion" saw l<fmself in ihe movies at the Rltz. So also did I^ieuL Augustos Kaiser, bora in Germany, a student of Heidelberg, yet a corking fine ofHcer in the 77th. Lieut. Kaiser ! is an artist and prepared the arcistic titles for the film, but & A. MacManus. w'ho produced tbe feature, explained that the art title films would not be ready until the picture was shown in the city theatres. • The effort at photographing htstorj with the original characters has been undertaken with serious thought. There Is happily aibsent any of the usual apparent cxitfoitation recourses. The result is a sincere and interestine story of the Lost Battalion's days in the Argonne and its relief. Burton King directed the making of the fllin. THE MORNING TELEORAPH JULY 3: (< LOST BATTALION" SEEN ON SCREEN Lieut.-Col.Whittlesey and Others of the Famous Conunand See Themselves in Film AT THE RITZ ■ CARLTOBf picture Ranlui High a« an Entertainment Notable PInyers Alao FIffDre in Cnroldln^ Story. .V distinguished gathering saw th« story of the "Lost BattaHion' retold on the motion picture screen, at the BitzCailton last night. The picture, pr^ seated by Edward A. MacManus, is o«e of tbe first film romances of the exploits of the war. Officers and men of the famous battalion played their oriti°*l roles, and tlie original official dociunents are used as subtitles. The showing last night" was attended by guests of Major General Robert Alexander, commander of the Seventy-serenth Division. The picture had a particular and personal interest for many in tbe audience. It deals «iclu»iTeIy with the record of heroism of New York's own troops. Lieutenant Colonei Whittlesley, whose answer "Go to hell" has become one of the historic sayings of the war, saw himself and his comrades immortalized on the screen. As a film entertainment, the pictur* ranks unusually high. The scenario vpa prepared by Charles A. Logue from the trup storie."! of the men of the Lost Battalion. The direction is credited to Burton King, who has given the picture rrmarkabln human interest as well as patriotic fire. To see the story of the Ixist Batalion is like viewing "The Birth of a Nation" with its original cast ot Civil War heroes. Edward A. MacManus THE 2 WEST 47 '"ST. PROVING GROUND NEW YORK CITY