Reel Life (1916-1917)

The Weekly — Reel Life — See America First — Tours Around the World A Trip Thru Historic Virginia ", See America First" takes the spectator through Virginia. 4 tr T ISTORIC VIRGINIA” is the I — I title of “See America First” "*■ No. 72, released by Gau¬ mont through Mutual January 24. It is devoted to Williamsburg, Hamp¬ ton, Old Point Comfort and Norfolk. These places and the surrounding ter¬ ritory are rich in American history, for in this vicinity the cavaliers made their first settlements of the colony named in honor of England’s virgin queen. At Williamsburg are pictures of the old “powder horn” built in 1714, the court house, and Bruton Parish Church, the Court Church of Colonial Virginia. The present building, erected in 1710, is claimed to be the oldest Episcopal church in continuous use in America. There is a good pic¬ ture of William and Mary college, founded in 1693, as well as of the Moore house, the dwelling on the James river in which were drawn the terms of surrender of Lord Corn¬ wallis. There are also pictures of the spot near by where the British sur¬ rendered October 19, 1781, and the Peace Monument erected one hun¬ dred years later by Congress to com¬ memorate the event. At Hampton is pictured St. John’s Church, the oldest but one in America, where services have been held con¬ tinuously since 1628. At Hampton Roads the stretch of water where the battle between the Monitor and Merrimat was fought is shown, as well as the beautiful resort hotel at Old Point Comfort. There are comprehensive views of Norfolk, and pictures of the light¬ houses at Cape Henry. On the same reel is an animated cartoon by Harry Palmer called “Ab¬ sent Minded Willie.” # * * HAVING made the release of the final chapters of its sensational photo-novel, “The Vampires,” the Gaumont Company has only four single-reels to offer as its contribu¬ tion through Mutual for the week of January 21. However, a great many exhibitors are only beginning to get “The Vampires” as there has been such a demand for it that the Mutual Film Corporation has been unable to supply the demand with the prints sent from Paris. The first single-reel of the week is “Reel Life” No. 38, the Mutual Maga¬ zine in Film. This contains pictures of “Oranges in California, “The Air,” “The Hydro-ski,” “Automatic Apple Graders,” and “How to Re¬ move Shattered Glass.” January 23 brings to the screen the Gaumont “Tours Around the World” No. 12. The pictures take spectators on a trip from Bordeaux, France, down the Gironde river to Pauillac. Although Bordeaux is the fourth port of France it is situated 60 miles in¬ land. There are also pictures of the Monastery of St. Thessalonica in Greece, and of the Gorges of the Nive river in the French Pyrenees. “See America First” No. 72, which has on the same reel an animated cartoon by Harry Palmer, is released January 24. It shows places in “His¬ toric Virginia,” picturing Williams¬ burg, Hampton, Norfolk, Hampton Roads, and the site of the surrender of Cornwallis. The Gaumont Kartoon Komic is entitled “Absent Minded Willie.” The fourth single-reel of the week is the Mutual Weekly which is manu¬ factured at the Gaumont Laboratories. * * * EUGENE CASTLE, Pacific coast cameraman for the Gaumont Company, has returned to San Francisco after a visit to Southern California in the interest of “Reel Life,” the Mutual Magazine in Film, and “See America First.” Bordeaux and St. Thessalonica Scenes in war-ridden countries of France and Greece in "Tours" THE war has turned the thoughts of the world in admiration toward France, the one nation that did not seek war yet has sustained its awful shock so heroically. It is certain that the close of the war will see a general exodus of sight-seeing Americans to the sister republic. With this in mind the Gaumont Company has filmed fcr American spectators some of the sights which will be seen on a tour of France, aside from pictures of devastation in the war zone. The first series of pictures in Gaumont’s “Tours Around the World” No. 12, released through Mutual January 23, shows Bordeaux, France, and sights along the river down to Pauillac, near the coast, noted for its wines. Although the fourth port of France, Bordeaux is situated 60 miles inland on the Gironde river. A beautiful picture is of the Place des Quinconces, one of the city’s principal promenades. Another is the monument in honor of the Girondists. The city’s import¬ ance depending upon the sea, there is a comprehensive view of the quays. The Monastery of St. Thessalonica, located just outside Salonika — now in the hands of the allies — is typical of monastery life in that part of Greece which recently was redeemed from Turkish rule. The pictures show in detail the manner of living of the men who have turned their backs on man the better to glorify God in the mountain country. The monasteries derive their income principally from the raising of olives and the breeding of pigs. Annual Rose Carnival Shown Mutual Weekly No. 107 also pictures many events of interest Mutual weekly no. 107 contains many subjects of in¬ terest. Amongst the more im¬ portant of these subjects are the an¬ nual rose carnival and midwinter floral pageant at Pasadena, California; the “N-I,” new submarine is christened at Seattle, Washington, by Mrs. Guy E. Davis; the Wanola, a schooner, is stranded near the Boston light at Hull, Mass.; Harry K. Thaw, about to be arrested on serious charge, at¬ tempts suicide; world’s greatest kelp harvester, plaything of the seas, and the first one of it’s type to ever be wrecked at San Diego, Cal.; old de¬ partment store in New York city burns causing shop girls to flee for their lives and the inauguration of Governor J. M. Cox of Ohio. Other interesting events in the Weekly are the San Franciscans en¬ joying winter sports in the snows of the Sierras at Truckee, Cal.; oranges being harvested at Chuluota, Florida; Harvard hockey squad in action; oriental “tink,” Korean sorceress al¬ leged to possess occult powers, pre¬ sented to National Museum at Wash¬ ington, D. C. ; crack 23rd New York regiment arrives in Brooklyn; 2nd field New York artillery arrives in New York City; New York policemen on three weeks diet test; Evening Bul¬ letin’s sixth annual running classic won by Oliver Millard in San Fran¬ cisco, Cal.; speed test for coast guards¬ men held at San Francisco, Cal.; busi¬ ness men and society of New Orleans welcome 1917 racing season. The Air and Hydro-Skis Amongst subjects of interest in Gau¬ mont’s "Reel Life” THE stir created in scientific cir¬ cles when air was first liquefied has not yet subsided, and even the layman has been able to appre¬ ciate some of the wonderful things which can be done with liquid air. The Gaumont Company has caught some of these for the screen in its highly entertaining and instructive picture called “The Air.” A goldfish swimming in a bowl is dropped into a liquid air bath and immediately removed so hard that it is broken with a hammer as if made of marble. The same process is repeated with the blossoms of flowering plants. Other experiments with air show how one can be asphyxiated with his own breath, how nitrogen is a diluent of the oxygen in the air, and how a substance burns in pure oxygen. The pictures are in “Reel Life” No. 38, January 21. Another entertaining subject on the same reel visualizes the orange in¬ dustry in California. There is a view of a 6.000-acre orange grove, and then follow pictures of the processes of picking and handling. It may come as a surprise to some that the oranges are given a bath and disin¬ fected before they are sorted. The next picture is interesting foi all who enjoy water sports. It is a series of views of a hydro-ski. This is apparently two baby canoes braced together, the occupant of the queer water craft standing with a foot in each as if in big shoes. In reality he is standing upon treadles which work a wheel placed between the two canoes at the stern. The contrivance is guided with a paddle. How apples are automatically graded for the market is a picture on this reel which shows the care taken in packing them according to size. The machine is complicated in mechanism, but the process is under¬ stood at a glance. On the same reel is a short pic¬ ture in the series “Things Not Gen¬ erally Known.” It shows how shat¬ tered glass is removed from the floor with wet absorbent cotton. LOS ANGELES, CAL., the home of so many producing com¬ panies, has long been regarded as the city in which competition is the keenest between producers to get their film on the screen. It is there¬ fore a matter of gratification to the Gaumont Company and the Mutual Film Corporation to announce that the Mutual Weekly has a seven days’ run at Clune’s Broadway Theater, the finest motion picture house in Los Angeles. It is used from Sunday to Saturday, inclusive, to be succeeded by the next issue. * * * THE Gaumont Company will give some idea of the territory coveted by Italy and promised that country by the Allies in case of final success, Dalmatia. The pictures will show the rocky coast of that land to the east of the Adriatic sea. They will be a section of “Tours Around the World” No. 14, released February 6. * ■ * * LOS ANGELES, CAL., is to be pictured in Gaumont’s “See America First,” No. 75, re¬ leased February 14. Among other California cities recently pictured in this series are Pasadena and San Diego. There was also a picture of a trip up Mount Lowe. REEL LIFE — Page Seven