Motography (Apr-Dec 1911)

268 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. VI, No. 6. Arabian Customs. — Gaumont. A very interestingseries of pictures, showing the people at various occupations, such as fig cultivation, preparing couscous, the national dish, selling jasmine bouquets, and shipping live stock to Europe. (366 feet.) Harbor of Marseilles, France. — Eclipse. A serie . of views showing the great harbor with its many ships and various points of interest, including the Prison of Monte Cristo. (215 feet.) Eskimos in Labrador. — Edison. Showing the intimate life of this race, of whom so little is really known. Their skill in driving dog teams and in handling the "kyjak," or native canoe, is well shown. The family at dinner is not an especially attractive sight, but the family seems to enjoy it. Finally a woman, in full dress costume, is shown. (300 feet.) Life in the U. S. Army. — Edison. A young man is attracted by the army posters and decides to enlist. He goes before the recruiting officer who gives him a preliminary examination, including reading and writing, and sends him on to the recruiting depot. Here, in company with a number of others, he undergoes a severe physical examination, then begins the making of a soldier. An army man's life is not all work, for amusements and athletic contests are provided. The film shows some of them. A target practice of the coast artillery corps closes the film. (1000 feet.) Industries of the South and West. — Selig. In this picture we are shown some of the interesting features of the Southwest's remarkable growth. Among other things we are shown the prune industry, the Roosevelt Dam, both in course of construction and after completion, the Watsonville Apple Fair, the Santa Rosa Flower Festival. (1000 feet.) A Day With a Circus. — Selig. Picturing intimate and unusual scenes incident to the daily routine of a big circus. (400 feet.) Views of Lake Como. — Powers. We are taken on a boat ride over this famous Italian lake, which is so noted for its beauties and scenic wonders. The Making of an Aeroplane. — Lux. The interest which the science of aviation has aroused has given the Lux Company an opportunity to produce a most interesting subject on the making of an aeroplane, giving in a concise manner the details of the work. A good opening view of the huge workshops is followed by pictures of the cutting, counting, and the covering of the "ribs." The process of regulating and improving the various parts of the machine, the finding of a defect, testing the motor, are all shown, while the concluding views are of the aeroplane soaring higher and higher in the clouds. (420 feet.) Portuguese Centaurs. — Eclair. The cavalry shown in this film reminds one of Italian cavalry except that they seem to surpass them in dash. They ride down steep inclines, stone stairways and mountain crags with the ease of antelopes. One admires both horse and rider for agility and gracefulness. (600 feet.) Saas Grund, a Village in the Alps. — Lux. A charming Alpine scene of good quality. (295 feet.) High Scotland. — Great Northern. In this film we are taken to the very heart of Scotland. Views of Montserrat, Italy. — Powers. A glimpse of some Italian landscape taken from a railroad that winds up the mountain slope. The views are good. National Guardsmen and Regulars at Ft. Riley. — Champion. The first and second regiments of the Kansas militia are noted throughout the West not only for their marksmanship but for their fine appearance as well. Their evolutions are carried out with a dash that is marvelous. Several companies of regulars also participated in the maneuvers. (950 feet.) Manners and Traditions of Piedmont.— Eclair. Glimpses of mountain life are shown, together with a typical village street with its odd types of buildings. A military fete is also shown which is apparently a great event, as all the people for miles around have attended. (660 feet.) The Paper Making Industry. — Solax. A process which so few people know anything about is here shown very clearly. The picture also shows in a picturesque way how Glens Falls has been harnessed for its water power. Winter in Switzerland. — Great Northern. This picture was taken from a road that has been blasted along the side of the mountain and passed through most impressive scenery. The snow covered peaks form a wonderful background. Bacteria in Picture Theaters City Bacteriologist Frederick M. Meader of Syracuse, N. Y., is preparing some glass slides, culture media and magnifying glasses, to be placed in several of the local theaters and moving picture houses, the slides having been so treated as to receive the impression of the atmosphere. When developed in the proper media these slides will show the number of bacteriological colonies in a cubic centimeter of the air breathed by the theater goers. Whether they are many or few, the slides will tell the story, and both Dr. Meader and the Commissioner of Public Safety are anxious that the facts should be made public upon "the completion of the investigation. They feel that an incalculable service can be done to people who attend places of amusement by letting them know the kind of air they are breathing. "In this way," said the Commissioner, "we are in a position to obtain good ventilation in all local playhouses. When people are sure that they are breathing foul air they will demand good air, won't they? And experience has taught me that when people demand anything strongly enough they get it. The proprietors of the theaters are going to have better ventilation when they see from the slides that the people know that they are being poisoned by impurities in the atmosphere. And we won't have to force the issue, either." A novel enterprise to uplift the standard of amusements in Hyde Park, Mass., and bring profit financially, has been inaugurated by the First Congregational church. The church society has rented its old building to be used as a motion picture house and has appointed a committee to act as censors of the films shown.