Motography (Apr-Dec 1911)

276 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. VI, No. 6. person, not only because it helps others, but also because some day it may help that very person. In this connection it might be well to recall "The Red Cross Seal" of last year. In this photoplay we were shown a girl of the tenement district bravely struggling for existence by painting designs upon baskets and lamp shades, and into whose life had crept a longing for a brighter future in the field of art. She visited an art school and learned to her great disappointment that her poor earnings were far too meager to allow her to realize her great ambition. Her sad face attracted the attention of a young man of wealth and set him to thinking. He decided to learn at first hand just how the other half lives, so donning old clothes he secured a room in the cheap apartments where the girl resided, and a new world opened before his eyes — a world of poverty and want and suffering. Keeping his identity concealed, he watched the girl bravely struggling for existence — saw her striving to win the prize for the Red Cross stamp design for Christmas time. He saw her happiness when she learned that she had won, and tha<the long desired art lessons were within her grasp. He saw also how she gave up her prize money — her whole future — to cure a neighbor's son who, had the awful White Plague. And then the young man saw that he was in love with her, and that he had fallen in love with the noblest, most self-sacrificing girl in the world. Until the closing scene of the drama, she did not even suspect that her great sacrifice had won for her a true love, a bright future, great wealth, and a life of happiness. Both of these films were produced with the full cooperation of the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, which conducts such an aggressive campaign at Christmas time to influence the sale of Red Cross Seals. The Association feels that last year's Red Cross film was instrumental in selling thousands of these stamps. This year "The Awakening of John Bond" is expected to arouse even more interest in the work of the Association. The King of Australian Picture Men Like an Arabian Nights' tale reads the story of the success that has come to J. D. Williams, the moving picture king of Australia, who is touring America and Europe. Three years ago, Mr. Williams, who is an American, was a salesman for a film concern. His business took him from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts of the United States and along the western coast up into British Columbia. It was while in the latter territory that Mr. Williams first heard of the "wonders of Australia." A home-sick Australian told him of the country's possibilities and after verifying most of the facts by consulting reference books, Mr. Williams started for Australia and embarked in the amusement business in Sydney. Within one year he became one' of the largest exhibitors in the world. Today the Greater J. D. Williams Amusement Co., Ltd., owns four large picture houses in Sydney and has laid plans for the establishment of a string of houses throughout Australia. It also operates a huge film exchange. Prompted by gratitude toward the country which give him his vast fortune, Mr. Williams now is endeavoring to people it with Americans and Englishmen and has set aside a portion of his wealth to tell these two races of Australia's possibilities. "The foreign nations," said he, "seem to realize the great future in store for Australia, and are sending great numbers there. It is the fear that these foreigners will gain too strong a foothold there that prompts me to devote a part of my fortune to tell Americans and Englishmen of Australia's wonders. We welcome with open arms all who come to Australia, and I consider it a sacred duty on my part to send as many white men to that country as I possibly can." "I have organized a 'Twenty-Million Club' in Sydney. Australia now has over 4,000,000. As its name implies, the object of this club is to increase the population to 20,000,000 within as short a time as possible. I have now the assured support of a thousand business men in Australia and more are dropping into line daily. "The possibilities in Australia are practically unlimited. All lines of business present more than an average chance for big returns. The living is far cheaper than in this country and the climate is far superior. In fact, Australia is in every respect an ideal spot in which to live and work." State Provides Pictures for Deaf Students Saturday evening of each week is "moving picture" time for the 450 students of the Texas School for the Deaf, familiarly known as the Deaf and Dumb Asylum. To all these deaf mutes the motion drama is as real as if the actors were really there, rather than on a canvas screen. The action is real, taken from real life, and the deaf mutes have the advantage of the person with normal senses in this particular : They are able to read the lips of the shadow actors, and thus derive the same benefit as the average person does from a stage performance— that is, if the actors speak the lines that should be spoken. All these things are taken into consideration in selecting the films which the children are shown, according to the superintendent. He says the students are also taught history with pictures, as far as suitable historicl subjects are woven into motion plays. An incident occurred not long ago which illustrates to a nicety just what advantage the deaf mute or anyone who reads lips has over the average person at the motion picture show. The film being shown illustrated western ranch life. The scene showed the dying moments of a mining prospector, who was exhausted from starvation. However, his comrades, one of them his sweetheart, found him before the end came, and were holding him in their arms. He was supposed to be telling them with his last breaths the location of his rich claim. His eyes were rolling and on his face was a truly ashen hue and his breath came in gasps. It was, indeed, a pathetic scene to the uninitiated, but not to the deaf mutes — they read his lips. As the man was writhing in the last agonies, with the thread of life about to snap, the smaller children began to titter and giggle. The older students took it up. until by the time the screen actor was pronounced dead by his comrades and the cowboys took their hats off there was a suppressed laughter running the rounds of the room. Some of the officials asked the reason why — laughter at a death scene — and one boy explained :■ — "The fellow kept repeating that he couldn't die properly unless they held his head a little higher and got from between him and the camera." Louisiana is another state that will have its picture taken in an endeavor to secure new settlers. i >