Pictures and the Picturegoer (April - September 1915)

PICTURES AND THE PICTUREGOLK 432 1915 Turner Films " Pictures made for You." PRE-EMINENCE. The search for happiness is the one pre-eminent thing in life. We seek it for ourselves, for others. Others do the same. The secret of happiness is knowledge of self and understanding' of others. Choice forecasts result. ' People go to the Cinema Theatre to be entertained — interested — made happy ; to be made aware of the roads leading to, happiness. ';The study of mankind is man." As long as WC realise this and provide plays made for yoil — which are also about yoil, because the} deal truthfully Avith the interesting problems of life — so long shall our productions continue to be pre-eminent. THE YOUNG PiCTUREGOER DI kEAK GlRXS 'and Boys — Here is a true story. 1 heard it by the side of the silvery pea, where I li;i\r been try . . ins? to make holiday during t lie last few days. I met a friend whom I had not seen for si' in c months. His neighbour I knew was a notorious drunkard, the terror of his wife a good woman and their little daughter, and a great nuisance to my Eriend. The last time 1 saw ham he had told ine of his intention to try and tret this neighbour out of the neighbourhood as his noisy, drunken habits were becoming unbearable. Howls your undesirable .Mr. Blank?"' I asked; "did you get rid of him : ' ■ No.*' he replied, "and I'm not likelj to try. Thanks to moving pictures.he is iimw the most delightful neighbour that one could wish to nave." " Why, how on garth is That?" 1 replied, in astonishment. And t lit11 he told me hew the little daughter (sb. it? onl\ eight of age) had one night persuaded her daddy to go to the picture-theatre. He went -il was his tirst visit -and saw a film which told the-story of a drunken father who came home one day to tind his little girl dangerously ill in bed. His wife was long since dead, and, leaving the child in charge of her younger brother, the father went off to fetch the doctor. But lie was already in drink, and. meeting one of his" pals." he stayed to take more drink, completely forget t ing his sick daughter and the errand he had set out upon. "When he "did arrive home. several hour; later, and in a state of intoxication, ho discovered that his little, daughter had passed away. The.terriblo truth took a little time to reach hidrink-soddened senses, and then the wretched man broke down and wept. It's a sad story for a film, von will say, but it's just the sort which teaches a powerful lesson, and it went to the heart and mind of my friend's neigh" hour as all else had never done. Mi. Blank went home a changed man.. He kibsed his wife and daughter, and, swearing never to touch drink again, promised to take them to the pictures regularly. " And. so far as I can judge." added my i'riend. " lie ha kept his word." * * *5 Talking of friends, f was recently at the house of another one w ho -how ed me a large album' containing the cutest little pictures I have ever seen. The] were pictures of picture-stars, but so ingeniously arranged and designed that <>nl> the faces of the players were familiar to me. And this was thetri meut given them. He had taken 1 cards of film favourite-, such as we from this office, and cut out the heads of the artistes. F01 these heads he had mad" his own backgrounds, drawing mid painting bodies and surroundings suit each artiste. Then on to each body he had pasted the "cut out "—the real photograph of the head, and the result was the most astonishingly beautiful pictures. The scenes were so novel and fascinating that il occurred to 1 lain the idea to you. and make this pretty pastime the subject Off a competition. NOVEL SCENES IN PICTURE-LAND. 1 therefore invite you to take a post' card of a picture artiste, cut out tic head, paste it on a card, and draw in the body, with surroundings or not as you piease: Think of the infinite variety pictures you can make. To start with, the head can belong to a man, a woman, ov a child. Jt may have a hat on. or you can draw a hat or leave it without a hat. With your pencil, pen. or paints you can give it a short frock or smart gown . 1 Up-to-date -nit of clothes. You can put your player in the country, or in a room or street or cinema, or on the stage or a horse, or in a boat or motor-car. or bathing or paddling or fishing. Fou can put it into a picture-frame and hang it on to a wall. You car. make it reading a hook or eating a meal, or gardening or posing before a camera. All you need to start with i a postcard of a player. For the cleverest Novel Scenes I will award two beautiful postcard-albums, and the.