Reel and Slide (Mar-Dec 1918)

h an REEL and SLIDE 25 essiosn" A Poelh Wh© "Writes'' m PktMr( mders and Beauties, and Now Also on the Moving Picture Screen further from the poor as the frontiers forks of man have not ab.vays (or even )ie art of the cinema why should nature ki\ and elementary photo drama long kept itijtaore worthy possibilities being snuffed tl;j there was no serious mission for the aD^liew mode of expression is inherently die:^ene those who are able and willing to e 5 cinematography in' the hands of the esikks a new language, though his theme icKpL Has Done cptjures has made a commercial as well as ;. jid this success is due to two reasons : 'PSjl his dime or quarter at the ticket winil liji sublime, and secondly, because the m a!} [e is a practical one and makes no de••ary values and calls for no fine tmder The public knows ijij'^right, Elmendorf, C. L. Chester and ftli notable group, because his film poems eolfrs do, upon occasion, portray the vmbaujfe of men. Bruce would use the verse usihe camera. Being a practical man, he ;es::i|n. Unconsciously, perhaps, he is foltF:'!ich philosopher, who declared that the nd 'preciated by the masses. t,A,&t is it? Those who admire and are ieu";ften secure no such similar emotion in Ion) I read books or gaze upon fine pictures, tlies:r. Bruce has perhaps gone further in : to {tract and hold his miscellaneovxs atidiouWare to go. And he has been a success. JAfiut Bruce Ser^ on the screen undoubtedly would like toibie cinema. Let us examine the purely ertaljigs in the beginning, since the public mdiiji of the screen and make the advance are dustry is giiided largely by the choice ater managers in New York City. In :bduction can get exhibition in any one producer's success as to the balance of sPhese houses cater to a miscellaneous ey pay fabulous sums for "first run" f any one of them has made more than lie Bruce scenics are periodically feahese houses and are considered strong: irthy :al r| lies f encouragement morally has, in the |)gnition. The biggest theaters in the ;ause there is a definite public demand lid his work one must study his films. ■■tiftij He is a hardy, husky "outdoor man," inaie^s, a man who has faith in the ultimate aan'ho has the courage of his convictions. 'jshi'l and acute sttffering to secure many Bruce at work among the mountaih snows. pictures he projects on the screen. f"'" He must be an expert photographer, Indian and mountain guide, artist, mountain climber, geographer, naturalist, athlete and one absolutely without personal fear. He is an opportunist and yet somewhat of a dreamer. Bruce spends most of his time in the wilds, only coming reluctantly into civilization when it comes time to process and edit his films. He produces about 20 to 25 pictures a year and personally supervises every step of their preparation for the screen. Bruce has gained most of his fame through his moving pictures of the great Northwest, where he loves to roam, seeking the most striking results of nature's handiwork, accompanied by his Great Dane, the famous "Hound of the Hills." It is conceivable that this most alluring departure in the miction picture art may be carried on even beyond this point. There may be really great cinematograph "descriptions" of nature's wonders which may fairly rank with the work of world famous poets, capable of stirring the emotions of the masses in a manner exceeding the ability of the written word and the paint brysh, Mr. Bruce has just returned from his annual visit from the Pacific Coast. Mr. Bruce carried with him baggage checks for twenty new one-reelers and a tale of a recent trying experience in the Cascade Mountains, which delayed his coming about a fortnight. "An October snowstorm," said the explorer, "pretty nearly put us all out 0;f business at the finish of our most successful season. It caught us on the slope of Glacier Park, about 6,000 feet elevation, twenty-five miles north of the Great Northern tunnel, and marooned us there for a week by heavy drifts that it was impossible to cross. We ran very short of rations, both men and horses, and but for a lucky thaw we would have been up there yet. Fortunately we succeeded in saving most of our equipment, together with the pictures that we had been making of the Cascade Mountains." A taste of their quality has already been seen in "Tales of the Tall Timber" and "A Wee Bit Odd." Some of the most interesting "takes" were in the Yellowstone and Jackson's Hole regions of the Rockies, the remainder being principally in California, Oregon and Washington. Another daily worker in the Educational's film room is Director George D. Wright of the New Mexican Topicals, which he is rapidly getting ready for early exhibition. Projection of sample footage shows that it is packed with live news, the acti:al political and economic situation in Mexico being crisply presented with especially striking views of the rulers of the cotmtry, the extent of the German propaganda, and the guarding of the Tampico old fields. Robert C. Bruce has behind him an organization worthy of his talent, courage and ability. He is associated with a group of film men with imagination and faith in the better traits of those who patronize the cinema. In this he is fortunate, since the average film magnate extends no such consideration to his patronage, electing to give them the salacious rather than the uplifting production. Bruce's works have stood the test of public criticism in a field of activity where human kind is inclined to make its likes and dislikes apparent by remaining away. The Bruce Scenics are "pullers."