Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

September 30, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 2051 " Fall of a Nation " Booked for Showing in Russia In First Week of November the Dixon Spectacle Will Appear in Petrograd — This Will Be Followed by the Distribution of Ten Prints Through the Empire THE first of the season's great spectacular films to be shown within the European war zone will be " The Fall of a Nation." Thomas Dixon has arranged for a showing of his American war picture at Petrograd, Russia, the first week in November. This, will be quickly followed up by the distribution of ten prints throughout the Empire, so that before the Russian " little Christmas " (which falls twelve days later than our own big Christmas) the soldiers in the Czar's armies will be viewing it in the towns and cities adjacent to the fighting line. The production, in the custody of an American traveler to Russia, left New York on the Norwegian-America liner Bergensfjord September 18. The circuitous and formerly extremely dangerous route is via Kirkwall, Orkney Island ; Bergen and Christiania, Norway; thence around the Gulf of Bothnia by rail to Karungi, and finally the two-day rail journey through Finland into Petrograd. Since the lull in the submarine campaign this route has offered reasonable security to passengers and goods, taking up about fifteen or sixteen days in the trip from New York to Petrograd. Fast work was done by the National Drama Corporation in providing Russian titles for the story as well as publicity specially suited to the Russian requirements. The war has caused a great interest in things American throughout the land of monetary and military supplies looms large. American banking houses are opening branches over there, and most large steel and rail-making firms have established permanent representatives. Closer industrial relation means also an awakening as to transatlantic art and literature. The Russian for the first time is anxious to learn the American angle towards world problems, and works like " The Fall of a Nation " will tell him. Another production of the Dixon spectacle is booked for early shipment to Australia. Probably the manager in charge of this will be Jordan Dixon, the playwright's son, who has been in charge of the Dixon studios and laboratory at Los Angeles now being used by William Fox. With the Spanish production which opened for a tryout in a Buenos Aires suburban theatre on September 15; the Portuguese production which goes on in Rio de Janeiro about the same time; new productions now preparing for France and Italy, and the fifty prints released by the Greater Vitagraph (V-L-S-E) throughout the United States and Canada, " The Fall of a Nation " will probably have a larger world-circulation than any other serious drama of its time. The obvious reason for the extraordinary demand is the nature of the subjectmatter. " The Fall of a Nation " appeals equally to all nationalities, since the tragedy of national ruin and wreckage is the the White Czar. America as a source of universal spectre erected by the world war. HUMMING BIRDS, EAGLES AND TURTLES SHOWN IN METRO TRAVELOG The current weekly release of the Metro Travelog, which is of an educational nature has been endorsed by some of New York's foremost educators, including several members of the Board of Education, who saw the feature at a private presentation. William L. Finley, State Biologist of Oregon, who is engaged in photographing some studies of nature, prepared two of the subjects in the feature. One of these is called, " Humming Birds at the Bird Life as Shown in Metro Travelogs Pumps " showing how these interesting little birds feed their young by pumping their food into them. Professor Finley has also succeeded in obtaining many other little touches that are delightful to look upon. Young eagles are photographed in their home in a tall yellow pine tree on a mountain side, while the mother eagle hovers around. Two cameras were used to obtain these pictures, and one is on the ground where views of the cameraman in the tree top can be seen. One of the eagles is shown where the bird resented the intrusion, which nearlj' resulted in the cameraman falling a hundred feet on the rooks. Another interesting subject is "' The Great American Green Turtle." The turtle is shown in his habitat around Key West, and his journey from the sea to the soup tureen. N. J. BAUMER IS ELECTED VICE-PRESl DENT ROTHACKER FILM MANUFACTURING COMPANY On Wednesday, September 13, at a special meeting of the board of directors of the Rothacker Film Manufacturing Company, N. J. Baumer was elected vicepresident. Mr. Baumer, for a great many years, has been president and director of Matzene studios, which are the largest and foremost in pprtrait work in America. Under Mr, Baumer's personal direction during the past seven years, over one hundred thousand negatives were made of celebrities including practically all men of national American reputation, thirty-two of the English nobility of London, and all of the stars and settings of the Chicago Grand Opera Company of which he is appointed the official photographer. The Pathescope projecting machine was N. J. Baumer first marketed in the Central West by Mr. Baumer, who organized, owned and directed the Pathescope Company of Chicago. While Mr. Baumer retains the presidency of Matzenes he has disposed of his Pathescope holdings to the new Pathe scope Central Corporation, and will devote his entire efforts, time and attention to his official duties with the Rothacker Film Manufacturing Company. Mr. Baumer is a recognized authority on studio lighting and artistic illumination, and has reason to assume that his efforts in the Rothacker Film Manufacturing Company's new studio will surpass his best eft'orts in portrait work which made Matzenes the undisputed leaders in still photography. •'IDLE WIVES" TO FOLLOW "IS ANY GIRL SAFE?" "Is Any Girl Safe?" closed its engagement at the Maxine Elliott theatre Saturday night. It is followed by another production called " Idle Wives," adapted from the novel of the same name by James Oppenheim. The picture was produced under the direction of the Smalleys. Lois Weber is the unfortunate wife who has nothing to do, and the husband is played by Phillips Smalley. Mary McLaren also has an important part. The picture is put out by the AntiVice Motion Picture Company. SAN DIEGO EXHIBITOR WEDS special to Motion Pictube News. San Diego, Sept. 16. Grant Austin Bush, manager of the Broadway and Superba theatres, was. married recently in Los Angeles to Esther Laurentine Mugan, formerly of Chicago, who has been an associate editor of the Santa Fe Magazine.