Picture Play Magazine (Sep 1921 - Feb 1922)

Back to Pioneer Days 73 sion Road, on the highway to Pasadena. With the mushroomhke growth of the Edendale studio events broke thick and fast in the SeHg career. He was the leading and busiest figure in the amusement world. He was the hrst motion-picture producer to make business trips to Europe each year. His activities as early as 1909 were tremendous. In that year he really had four studios and several companies— all going strong. "Wherever did you get the novel idea of using wild animals in dramatic pictures?" I asked Colonel Selig. "Teddy Roosevelt indirectly gave me the idea," was his startling reply. "When I heard that the president upon his retirement as head of the nation planned a hunting trip to Africa, I immediately went to Washington and sought an audience at the White House. We had a long conference in which I stated my hope of filming the great adventure. Mr. Roosevelt was delighted, and so was his son, Kermit. But subsequently the deal fell through, and I returned to Chicago greatly disappointed. "But by this time I was thoroughly imbued with the wild-animal idea. I chanced to meet Al Ringling on the street. He told me of an itinerant showman named Big Otto, who then had a small menagerie in Milwaukee. The next day I went to Milwaukee and engaged the outfit to come to Chicago. We immediately proceeded to try our luck persuading wild animals to become actors at the home studio. To my intense gratification these pictures proved an instantaneous success. "Meanwhile a 'White City' had failed at Jacksonville, Florida. I acquired the site, erected a small studio, and sent a company there under the direction of the veteran Otis Turner. Charles Clary was the leading man, but I wanted a girl who could be made famous in thrilling melodramatic stories of adventure in the wilds of strange lands. She had to be an actress who possessed daring as well as ability and beauty. Francis Boggs wired me that he had discovered a new actress at the Edendale studio who was just the girl. Til never forget the first time I laid eyes on the golden-haired girl who was to become the greatest actress and star of my pictures, who was to become famous the world over. Williams." A most unusual honor was conferred upon a motionpicture producer at Rome in 1912, when Pope Pius X conferred the medal of industry upon William N. Selig for his elaborate production of the discovery of America by Columbus. Reproductions of the three caravels — the Nina, Pinta, For his film reproduction of the discovery of America Colonel Selig was given the ■ medal of industry by the pope. and Santa Maria — had been made by the government of Spain and presented to the United States at the Chicago exposition. After the fair they were kept at Jackson Park. Seeing these tiny ships lying at anchor gave Colonel Selig the idea for the picture. Fie secured permission to use the caravels, and transported them for miles out on Lake Michigan to get a true setting. The production of "The Coming of Columbus" was in three reels and required three hundred and eighty-five ])eople. This was considered a stupendous imdertaking in those days. Charles Clary took the role of Columbus. So gratifying was this early experience that Colonel Selig perceived the permanency and value of the educational field. It was the interest in the higher mission of motion pictures that had induced him to send Professor Frederick Starr, of the L^niversity of Chicago, on scientific motionpicture expeditions as early as 1904, and thereafter each year to such far-ofif lands as Africa, China. Japan, India, and our island possessions ; it was this same worthv spirit that led him to send Doctor E. B. MacDowell to the Holy Land, Africa, and India ; and Emmett O'Neill to the Amazon and through South America. Continued on page 100 Hobart Bosivorth as he appeared in on. early Selig productions. Her name was Kathlyn of the