Motion Picture News (Oct 1913 - Jan 1914)

i8 THE MOTION PICTURE NEWS ture actor than be one. Though I'm mighty glad I've seen him at his work. He's a corker. The following article was printed in the San Francisco Examiner the day after the scenes London describes were produced: "In the taking of the motion pictures of Jack London's most famous novel, "The Sea Wolf," on San Francisco Bay, yesterday, Hobart Bosworth, the producer, hired the ferryboat Sausalito, and employed a troupe of sixty-two players, thirtyfive of whom were given the special job of doing the dives and jumps overboard in the collision scenes. "Considering the fact that they had to repeat their stunts over and over again, and to fall violently to the decks at least half a score of times in struggling heaps, the players certainly earned the thousands of dollars which the first day's reproduction cost. "The three main characters of the story-drama were: Larsen, the SeaWolf, played by Hobart Bosworth; Humphrey Van Weyden, played by Herbert Rawlinson, and Maud Brewster, played by Viola Barry, the daughter of J. Stitt Wilson, former Socialist Mayor of Berkeley. Show Van Weyden's Adventures "Humphrey Van Weyden, in London's story, is a very anemic superintellectualized literary artist, who in a collision between two ferryboats in San Francisco Bay is hurled into the icy water and swept seaward through the Golden Gate with the tide until he is picked up by Wolf Larsen, the dominating, red-blooded, modern Vik ing, and carried away on his ship, the Ghost, to wild adventures in the lonely ocean wilds, from which he returns a man in body as well as in soul and mind, and winner of the love of Maud Brewster. "The pictures taken yesterday were those showing the first part of Van Weyden's adventures. The other scenes will be taken near San Pedro on a specially constructed ship which will be wrecked in the end. More than $40,000 will be spent in making the films, which include an introductory set of pictures showing Jack London himself writing, or riding full tilt on his Glen Ellen ranch, or otherwise engaged in his diurnal routine in Sonoma county. "According to Bosworth's statements, London will reap a fortune from the production of his stories in moving picture form." VITAGRAPH AIDS SAFETY CRUSADE THE value of making accident education attractive is attracting the notice of persons all over this country through the accident prevention campaign being conducted by the many electric railways for the benefit of all who must use the streets and roads of cities and towns in their daily work. One of the most interesting features of this campaign is the portrayal in motion pictures of the dangers and resultant accidents from carelessness. In connection with the Brooklyn Rapid Transit System's children safety crusade, the Vitagraph Company of America is producing a series of feature films on this subject, one of which, "The Price of Thoughtlessness," has been shown. An article appearing in the November issue of the Electric Railway Journal tells in a very graphic manner how this great crusade is being carried on. It says: "The accident prevention campaign which is now being conducted by the many electric railways is undoubtedly reaching a larger portion of the public with excellent results, but few companies have as yet succeeded in arousing the hearty interest of the children. The average child is very unwilling to receive instruction unless that instruction is presented in an attractive form. "The experience of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit System's children's safety crusade, to which reference was made in the October 25th issue of this journal, has proved that the permanent interest of school children can be maintained by the use of attractive lecture material, presented through the medium of trained speakers. The material consists of car models, original colored cards showing almost every kind of accident possible on the streets, and finally a series of motion pictures (by the Vitagraph Company of America). "The Vitagraph Company of America is doing a big work for humanity in aiding in this general safety crusade. A more realistic and telling medium for the presentation of this vitally important subject could not be found than the motion picture screen." LATEST NEWS FROM CHICAGO ALDERMEN who were appointed on the committee to confer with Dr. Young on the advisability of amending the ventilation ordinance as it now stands, made a personal investigation of some twenty theatres on Monday night, November 10. It is said that they found the conditions to be so good in these theatres that they often expressed themselves in the superlative in speaking words of praise. They saw no reason why the ordinance should be as drastic as it now stands, and it is thought that in all probability they will recommend it to call for 800 cubic feet of air per hour per person. In their conference with Dr. Young he would not listen to any change being made in the ordinance. It is for this reason they took it upon themselves to personally investigate some of the theatres. Walter Scates a Daddy Now Walter Scates, manager of the General Film Co. branch of Boston, wires in that a nine-pound baby girl was born on November 9. Mr. Scates for a number of years was manager of the General Film Co. Dearborn avenue branch in Chicago. Air. Scates did not give us any further particulars, such as the young lady's views on suffrage or the Mexican situation. The Edison film, "Why Girls Leave Home," has become very popular in and about Chicago. Ben Beadell, local representative for Edison, claims this is the most popular film at the present time. Mr. Skelton, of the Edison Company, spent a few days in Chicago last week. Mr. Skelton is associated with the phonograph department of the Edison enterprises.