Reel Life (1916-1917)

The Weekly — Reel Life — See America First — Tours Around the World U. S. Tractor No. 1, at Presidio, Texas. A moving school room for section gangs. Front Mutual Weekly No. 106 feCHOOL CAR The Making of Kid Gloves Together with other subjects of interest in "R eel L i f e.” NO doubt every person who has ever drawn on a pair of fine kid gloves has wondered by what manufacturing processes the well-fitting hand covering has been made. The Gaumont Company sent a cameraman through one of the finest Frelfch factories, and what his lens caught has been introduced into "Reel Life” No. 37, released through Mutual January. 14. The gambling kid in the meadow is first shown, and the last picture is miladi as she draws on her elegant sixteen-gloves preparatory to going out for the evening. In between lies a remark¬ able revelation in pictures. First is shown the selection of the skins, the scraping, the tinting, the scraping and the smoothing on revolving stones. Then come the cutting of the pat¬ tern, the sewing, the attaching of the buttons and the embroidering. Another section shows how pickles are prepared for market in one of America’s biggest plants. Every¬ thing is shown from the picking of the cucumbers to the labeling of the jars. The picture is a worthy com¬ panion to the previous set, “The Great American Dish” — pork and beans. Both models and graphic drawings have _ been employed in the section of this reel showing how to preserve the teeth. There are pictures of the proper way to brush the teeth, as well as cross-sections of a tooth which show how decay makes its insidious attack. The pictures close with a pledge for school children which is calculated to have them cleanse their teeth twice daily. How fish are protected in irrigat¬ ing ditches is an interesting subject on this reel. Ordinary gates where the water flows out upon the land permit the fish to pass also, and they die. The new waterwheel gate that cleanses itself and prevents the pass¬ age of fish is pictured. * * * * EE AMERICA FIRST” No. 71, released January 17, takes the spectator for a trip up Mt. Lowe, the popu¬ lar peak that lies twenty miles from Los Angeles, Cal. On the same reel is a Gaumont Kartoon Komic, animated for the screen by Harry Palmer. It is called “Mr. Common Peepul Investigates.” The fourth Gaumont single-reel of the week is The Mutual Weekly. As this. is not made up until the day it is issued, no advance notice of its contents is to be had. Gibraltar, Tunis and Paris Many beautiful spots visited in “Tours Around World.” Gibraltar has for so long been a synonym of strength that a picture of this British fortification at the western entrance to the Mediterranean will be a wel¬ come sight to spectators of Gaumont’s “Tours Around the World,” released through Mutual January 16. There is also a picture of the Straights, as well as of the Spanish sea-port of Algeciras, six miles west of Gibraltar. It was at Algeciras that there was a European confer¬ ence to discuss the Agadir incident which Germany almost succeeded in making a cause for war several years before the great conflict. Typical scenes in the French Pro¬ tectorate of Tunis are also shown in this issue. These include street scenes, mosques, fountains, Arabian women, and “kif” smokers. Olives are raised in large quantities along the sea-coast, and there is an op¬ portunity to contrast these groves with those of California shown in Gaumont’s “Reel Life” No. 35. The Bois de Boulogne is the largest park in Paris. Upon this reel are shown the Avenue Bois de Boulogne, leading to the park, as seen from the Arch of Triumph, and the Dauphine Entrance to the park. * * * 4 trpHE TERRIBLE WEDji DING,” what one reviewer . calls “a whirlwind of hairraising feats,” is the final episode of the Gaumont-Mutual photo-novel, “The Vampires.” It reaches the screen January 18, the big feature of the Gaumont program of the week of January 14. This chapter marks the end of the organized band known as the arch criminals of Paris. Their capture, which brings about the death of many of them, is most exciting. The first single-reel release of the week is “Reel Life,” No. 37. This issue of the Mutual Magazine in film has pictures of the Kid Glove Indus¬ try, Producing Pickles, Care of the Teeth, and Irrigating Fish Wheels, showing how fish are kept in the irrigation ditches of the far west. “Tours Around the World” No. 11 reaches the screen January 16. It has pictures “From Gibraltar to Al¬ geciras,” “In Tunisia,” and of the Bois de Boulonge,” Paris’ largest park. The pictures of Gibraltar are particularly timely since this is the gate to the Mediterranean held by the British. At Algeciras was held the European council that grew out of the Agadir incident. Up Mt-Lowe California Popular trip made in Gaumont’s "See America First” No. pi A POPULAR trip made by many who visit Los Angeles, Cal., is the climb up Mt. Lowe, situ¬ ated twenty miles from the city. Its summit is reached by first taking an incline cable railway, an electric rail¬ way, and then transferring to the back of a burro. Pictures of the trip are shown in Gaumont’s “See Amer¬ ica First” No. 71, released through Mutual January 17. The mountain top is 6,100 feet above sea-level, and from it a wonderful view of the coastal plain, the city, the ocean — and, to the east — the mountains is obtained. The incline railway runs from Rubio Canyon to Echo, over the steepest part of the mountain, with a maximum grade of 68 per cent. At Echo, 2,200 feet above sea-level, the . electric railway is taken for Alpine, the terminus. The railway is four miles long, and has 127 curves and 18 bridges. The longest stretch of straight track is only 225 feet. On the journey an impressive grove of wild olives is passed, as well as the site of the 3,000,000 candle-power searchlight that flashes over the val¬ ley every night. Qn thV same reel is an animaUtl. arawing itr the Gaumont Kartoon Komic series by Harry Palmer. Its title, “Mr. Common Peepul Investi¬ gates, more than hints at the hu¬ morous search by the consumer for the reasons for the present high cost of living. These animated cartoons are highly popular in all classes of houses, contributing largely to the success of this, split-reel. Exhibitors who give special matinees find this reel exceptionally valuable. It com¬ bines the educational value required by those who watch over amusements for children with innocent entertain¬ ment of a humorous nature. * * * THE GAUMONT COMPANY has been receiving so many com¬ plimentary notices upon the suc¬ cess of. its four weekly single-reels that it is only natural inquiry should be made to bring to light the rea¬ sons for the high level of excellence maintained. Upon developing the Greater Mutual Program, to the Gaumont Company was allotted spe¬ cialization in the field of single-reels. This was a wise move on the part of Mutual, since Gaumont was pe¬ culiarly well adapted for the work. It had in its American, English and French libraries approximately five thousand subjects suitable for use in single-reels. Placing of Steel Bridge Many other events of importance in Mutual Weekly No. 106. tfXyftfTUAL WEEKLY” No. lyl 106 contains many events of importance and interest. Chief amongst these are, placing of a new million dollar steel bridge weighing 11,200,000 pounds at Omaha, Neb. ; the arrival of Thomas W. Lawson of “frenzied finance” fame at Washington, D. C., to discuss al¬ leged “Teaks” in peace negotiations, the testing of the world’s greatest aero motor, developing 300 horse¬ power at Springfield, Mass., and the beating of contract speed of the new Destroyer, developing 32 knots an hour off the coast of Maine. Other events shown in the latest “Weekly” are the opening of the Franklin Park toboggan at Dorches¬ ter, Mass. ; society folk opening Waldorf Ice Parlor in New York City; celebrating the Mardi Grai of the north in Philadelphia, Pa. ; moving school room, which follows railroad section gang at Los An¬ geles, Cal.; Terre Haute, Indiana, buys its own coal mine and will supply common people with coal at cost price; fumigation of building at Galveston, Texas, causes fire; the King of Greece receives General Sara^il at Athens^ Greece; eight army men fly to Philadelphia from Hemp¬ stead, .N. Y., making the flight of 165 miles in 97 minutes; scenes of the army service corps and their army work shop at London, England ; workers in ammunition factories of Marseilles, France, build their own barracks ; the Russian pope at Paris, France, blesses the ambulance do¬ nated by Russian citizens of Paris ; oldest bell in the world, cast in Spain, A. D., 1247, arrives at Oak¬ land, California, in time to ring in 1917; oldest converted church, land¬ mark burns in New York City, and U. S. Tractor Company No. 1 in action at Presidio, Texas. * » • THE problem of selection and also of making new pictures was met by Gaumont through a thorough system of reports from Mutual Branch Managers. These men are in daily touch with exhibitors. There are, of course, other sources from which come reports on exhibitors, but the sentiment of the entire country is gauged primarily through the Branch Managers. These reports are sifted, analysed and discussed at staff meet¬ ings of the Gaumont editors, and such changes of policy made as seen to be required. In this fashion the Gaumont single-reels are kept up-tothe-minute. REEL LIFE — Page Five