Moving Picture World (Jul 1917)

July 28, 1917 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 663 Origin of "Stingaree" Australian Believes Author Hornung Was Inspired By Famous Kelly Gang of Bushrangers. THERE'S no doubt in my mind that Hornung, the author of Stingaree, the Australian bushranger, was inspired by the famous Kelly gang," declared Frank Boyd of Melbourne, in commenting on the series to a Kalem official Mr. Boyd, who is financially interested In Australian gold mines, saw an episode of "Stingaree" at a New York theater and, having but a short stay in this country, he called at the Kalem office, where several episodes as yet unreleased were run for him. "It is not likely that you know the Kelly gang as well as we do," continued Mr. Boyd. "They were the most famous outlaws in all the bushranger-infested country. Their operations took place in Victoria, largely in the Strathbogie ranges, and today there is a large tract in that section known as the 'Kelly Country.' "These men were not blood-thirsty bandits. In fact, many of them were as gallant as your Stingaree. The leaders were Dan and Ned Kelly, brothers, ably, assisted by John Byrnes and Steve Hart. Their first lawless act was 'cattle duffing' — the Australian for misbranding. Cattle owners, however, did not regard the offense as seriously as did your early Westerners who hung rustlers. In this case they called the mounted police, who sent an officer named Fitzpatrick to break up the gang. When Fitzpatrick tried to arrest Dan Kelly, Ned Kelly appeared and in a fit of anger shot the trooper in the wrist. This headstrong act started a feud between the troopers and the Kelly gang. Then the Kelly men became fugitives, with a price on their heads — just as you have pictured Stingaree and Howie. ''It is a well-known fact," continued Mr. Boyd, "that the Kelly brothers •were unusually chivalrous. Frequently they aided the woman in distress and they were continually suppressing their men who would take unfair advantage of defenseless station keepers (ranchmen) and travelers. "No doubt Mr. Hornung, who created Raffles and Stingaree, heard many tales of the Kellys' adventures when he was in Australia, and spun his romances from these incidents, for the Kellys were types entirely different from the vicious Morgan, the lone bandit of "Victoria, and the Ben Hall and Gardner gangs of bushrangers in New South Wales." Mr. B.oyd, who was raised on an Australian ranch and later became a prospector, has traveled extensively over his native country. He was particularly interested in the second episode of Stingaree, "The Jackeroo," which led him to call on Kalem. "I knew the jackeroo type well in my early days," he remarked. "The jackeroo is similar to your American tenderfoot. Usually he was a foppish, irresponsible young fellow, pensioned off by a wealthy father in England, and at our station the hands were not lacking new pranks to play upon the newcomer." Mr. Boyd, who is en route to London, having traveled across the United States, is an ardent picture fan, and is one of Melbourne's "first nighters" when American theatrical productions come to his city. UNUSUAL EVENTS IN LATEST ANIMATED WEEKLY Several topics of unusual news and pictorial effect are covered in the 80th issue of the Universal Animated Weekly, which has recently doubled its circulation among first-run exhibitors. One of the most striking scenes shows the recent elevated railway wreck in Brooklyn in which twenty-nine people were injured, while forty more miraculously escaped. The camerareporter of the Animated Weekly happened to be near at hand when the accident occurred, and succeeded In getting a picture of one of the cars falling to the street. A series of remarkable views taken at an American Aviation Camp shows one of our new scout aeroplanes in action. This is the smallest and fastest air-motor that has yet been made. It is shown rising from the ground with a start of less than fifty yards, and is then followed through various fighting tactics by the Universal cameraman who made his pictures from an accompanying machine. The captions explaining the work of this latest of Uncle Sam's "speed eagles" are clearcut and packed with patriotic ginger. Scenes incident to the reopening of Minneapolis as a commercial deep water port are also worthy of mention. These show the arrival of the U. S. S. Dandelion at the city wharves, which have just been cleared for traffic with New Orleans after a period of fifty years. SELZNICK HAS CLEVER TRAILER. Lewis J. Selznick has just adopted a new idea for advertising his productions. It is in the form of a film, distributed free to exhibitors playing Selznick-Pictures, and the series, the first of which has just been sent out to the Selznick exchanges, is called "Little Journeys to Selznick Pictures Studios." This novelty is a unique elaboration of the "trailer," which has come into use extensively of late. Instead of merely flashing a few scenes, to stimulate curiosity in a coming production, the Little Journeys show the pictures being made, the director, personal glimpses of stars, and other little touches of studio life. QUAINT ISLANDS PICTURED IN GAUMONT'S "TOURS" NO. 39. Give us "something different" is always the cry of the motion picture spectator. At times the exhibitor is in despair, not knowing how he is to gratify this insatiate demand. It is here that Gaumont single-reels come to the rescue. They are edited with the one Idea of giving always "something diffrent" and "something interesting." Take, for example, Gaumont's "Tours Around the World" No. 39, the current Scene from "Gaumont Tours 39." issue. It has three highly entertaining subjects, pictures if places that have been practically little more than names to the American people. Yet the curiosity to know these places is pleasurably aroused the minute the names are flashed upon the screen. It is this ability to arouse and hold pleasurable interest that makes these Gaumont pictures so valuable. The pictures in "Tours" No. 39 are of Marken, an island in the Zuider Zee; Majorca, a Spanish island of the Mediterranean, and La Grande Chartreuse, where for centuries the celebrated liqueur was made. These European places have other customs, other scenery, and other peoples than our own, and upon the screen they prove just the bright spots that exhibitors often need to rescue their programs from dullness. Exhibitors can count upon Gaumont pictures always giving their patrons what they want. They bear repetition, and as those who see them are their best advertisers, it is always well torun a Gaumont single-reel more than one day. TRIANGLE EXTENDS STUDIOS. The Triangle Film Corporation has purchased sixteen acres adjoining its plant at Culver City, California, for the purpose of making improvements that will more than double the producing capacity of the studio. Also there have been made additions to the playing force, new directors, performers and cameramen. According to announcements extensive building operations are planned, and it is reported that Triangle, within a year, will have centered all of its Western activities at the suburb of Los Angeles. The present Culver City plant comprises eleven acres. It contains seven great concrete and glab3 stages, a property building filled with $200,000 worth of furniture and other properties; film factory, planing mill and carpenter shop, wardrobe building, administration building and miscellaneous structures valued at more than $3,000,000, not to mention the 1,800-acre ranch at Hartville. which is used for exterior location work and "Western" productions. With similar improvements erected upon the recently-purchased sixteen acres ample accommodations will be provided for more than one hundred companies. The capacity of the present Triangle plant is fifty companies, and the factory can. produce 50,000 feet of film dally. PREPARING SEPTEMBER L-KO'S. General Director J. G. Blystone, of L-Ko Comedies, is finishing a group of comedies for' release through Universal exchanges on the program of comedies directed by Dick Smith, Vin Moore and Noel Smith for September circulation. Each of these directors has turned a subject back to Mr. Blystone to be edited and finally approved for release. "From Ranch to Riches" has been completed by Vin Moore, with Myrtle Sterling, Kathleen Emerson and Al Forbes leading the merriment. "The Prop's Revenge" Is a theater comedy, depicting the revenge of the property man, who sets out to make life miserable for Gladys Varden, Walter Stevens and Harry Griffith. Nol Smith directed this one. "Street Cars and Carbuncles" is a Dick Smith release, featuring Bob McKenzle. Eva Novak, Chester Ryckman and Eddie Barry. The August L-Ko's have already been announced.