Views and Film Index (1908)

VIEWS AND FILMS INDEX. LATEST FILMS OF ALL MAKERS, We receive the following synopsis of scenes for Edison’s new film A SCULPTOR’S WELSH RABBIT DREAM.” A Sculptor’s studio. The sculptor cooking a Welsh Rabbit. A' gas col¬ lector arrives and demands payment of his bill. Unable to obtain the same, the gas is turned off. An army officer calls and demands the delivery of three life size busts which he had ordered some time previous. The sculptor, having no light with which to work, is in despair. He lights a candle. Going to a cur¬ tained alcove, he reveals his masterpiece “The Lady of Marble.” Bidding the figure good night, he goes to a couch and sleeps. Arising from the couch, he takes one of his small busts and leaves. An antique art\ store. The sculptor tries to sell the bust. He finally suc¬ ceeds in exchanging it for an old brass lamp. The sculptor returns to his studio and proceeds to clean the lamp, when in a cloud of smoke “The Genii of the Lamp” appears ready to grant any wishes of the sculptor. He asks for light. It is given. He next wishes his masterpiece brought to life and The Lady of Marble” steps down from her pedestal. He looks for the genii but he has disappeared. It occurs to him to have the genii make the three busts for him and rubs the lamp. He appears. In amazement he sees the clay slowly mould itself into shape. First Washing¬ ton, then Lincoln, then Roosevelt, all complete. The genii again disappears. The sculptor after the remarkable work has been done makes love to “The Lady of Marble.” In her efforts to escape him she upsets the lamp and the genii appears and forces her back to her pedestal. The sculptor on seeing his masterpiece returned to its inanimate form, collapses on the steps before it. The scene is changed and the sculptor falls off his couch and awakening, re¬ alizes it was all a dream. He vows never again to eat a “Welsh Rabbit.” injured, and apparently sorry for her escapade. A novel kind of film is a new one by Gaumont, called “THE LIFE OF A COMIC SONG,” which displays the making of a comic song, and the various stages of its existence, from the time when it is at the zenith of its popularity until it finally reaches the street organ stage. The first scene, the making of the song, gives one the idea of how the inspiration reaches the composer. Scenes two, three and four, show us how the song takes on, a brilliant young artiste in all the hey-day of her youth and freshness, on the boards of a leading music hall (the stage, scenery, foot¬ lights, orchestra and hall interior show¬ ing gallery, pit, stalls and boxes, is ex¬ tremely good staging). The song is received with applause, and the artiste is the recipient of the usual shower of bouquets. The following scenes show to what an extent the song has taken on. Going home after the theatre, tram¬ loads, train-loads, and cab-loads of the late audience go mad over the song. Even sombre lawyers and bank clerks leave their duties to jig and dance to the tune. In school and college, schol¬ ars, teachers, and professors, are be¬ witched by the swing of the giddy air, and forsake lessons and studies at the sound of the irresistibly fascinating music. Next we are shown, five years after, the interior of a fifthrate concert room. The girl who was once the “star” of the music hall stage now appears to perform before a doubtful audience. She brings on the old song of five years ago, but even this audience rises in protest, and she is forced to make an ignominious exit. The final scene shows the last of the old song— it is ground out by an old blind organ grinder in the street to the discomfort of the pas¬ sers-by. Taking off his coat, the man sets about cleaning boots while his wife prepares luncheon. The poor wretch half smoth¬ ers himself in blacking, and wiping his face despairingly, leaves black finger marks all round his brows. The meal nearly ready, he is ordered to get up the beer. Going down the cellar, he does incalculable damage in the dark, but finally he draws the drink successfully. In the dining room the tired pair sit down to their meal, which proves not a very happy one. The poor man, after tasting two or three dishes, abandons the food altogether, and his wife weeps at her failures. They both go to an¬ swer a knock at the street door, and on seeing their late servant with two men on the step ready to take her box, they seize her and drag her inside. The ,wife embraces the servant and implores her to come back at her own price, while her husband clears the men out. The joyful man, as soon as his wife has secured the girl, takes his turn at wel¬ coming her, kissing her vigorously. play of culinary ignorance he has th ■ concoction smoking pretty well. Sud denly he finds himself about to sneezs and raising his hands to his face h explodes so violently that his arr strikes the pan and the entire con tents fall upon the floor. But he goe to bed, and after a hard scuffle wit the sheets manages to fall asleep. I the morning he is unable to find hi tie and begins to upset things in nervous search for his neckwea After throwing out everything in th; room he goes to another and pulls oi and smashes all the drawers in a bi ieau. Frenzied, he turns to a ware robe and is knocking things about i wild disorder when the whole outf falls on his head. As he is flounde ing in the wreckage his wife and h< mother enter, and while the old lad faints he falls on his knees, beggir for relief. “A MONT BLANC TRAGEDY” is a new Urban-Eclipse film. The fi#st scene introduces us to a drawing room, where a young husband announces his intention of going mountain climbing with some friends. His wife expresses a desire to accompany him, but is re¬ fused permission and in pique decides to make an excursion of her own. We next see the husband’s party successfully accomplish the climb. At the top of Mount Blanc they look through the tel¬ escope at parties still ascending. Among these they to their surprise see one in¬ cluding the young wife and this party they follow through the varying stages of the ascent, a pretty series of views showing the party, roped together for safety, climbing among the snow-cov¬ ered boulders and crossing crevasses. At a steep slope unfortunately the rope breaks, and to the horror of the watch¬ ers at the telescope the wife is seen to fall over a cliff. A rescue party is quick¬ ly organized and brings her in, badly “COULDN’T DO WITHOUT MARY JANE,” is a new Rossi film in which a servant is discovered by her mistress saying good-bye to a soldier in the hall, and her husband kicks the intruder out. His wife, turning sharply on the girl, gives her immediate notice. An angry scene follows between mis¬ tress and maid, finally ending by the lady paying the servant off and turning her into the street, telling her to call for her box later. Without a servant the two decide for the present to do their own cleaning, etc., and husband and wife, putting on aprons, start at once dusting out the rooms. Their ef¬ forts are somewhat clumsy, and break¬ age after breakage takes place before they have half finished their work. They next go out to fetch in a few articles for dinner. The purchasing is successfully carried out by the good lady, but her poor husband, who has to carry everything, becomes over-burdened and tired before he reaches home. A number of the goods are entirely lost owing to the careless way they are car¬ ried, and as soon as the pair reach home they gladly drop them on the floor. “JERUSALEM” is the title of one of Pathe’s new films. The first view of this interesting part of the world shows the city of Jaffa, where the Turkish soldiers are seen marching through the streets; this is followed by a view of David’s Tower and the Gate of Damascus. The next is the Mount of Olives, and afterward the Garden of Gethsemane. The Wall of Lamentations, where the devout are seen offering prayer, is next; a pretty and business-like street of the city, Via Dolorosa, is followed by photo¬ graphs of a number of unfortunate, hideous-looking lepers. Then follow in succession several religious pro¬ cessions, the Latin Patriarchate, the consulate’s arrival at the church of St. Anne’s, French pilgrims, and pic¬ tures of women and children from Bethlehem. The film ends with a view showing Solomon’s Temple and also a panoramic view of Jerusalem. “TROUBLES OF A GRASS WI¬ DOWER,” by Pathe Freres. Having had a quarrel with his wife, a young husband is left alone at home, his bet¬ ter half having “gone back to mother.” He chides himself into the belief that he can manage the house himself, and the manner in which he begins to clear the dishes away from the table does not discourage him. He uses a pair of gloves to wash them, but it does not work quickly enough, and he turns the hose on the whole business. When he has finally cleaned every¬ thing he drops the tray and all the dishes are smashed. He next attempts to prepare the dinner and goes out marketing. His difficulties in this ac¬ complishment are many, but he finally reaches home. He finds plucking feathers undesirable work, so he cuts them off with a pair of shears; he places the whole chicken in the pan, throws in a sliced unpeeled potato and spills some wine in for gravy. After a few more additions to his dis Another Pathe film is entitk “CUSTOM OFFICERS MYST FIED.” Trying to dodge the pa; ment of the toll which peasants mu pay when entering the city wi goods, an old couple are seen succes fully carrying through one scheme 1 which they smuggle rabbits throug The old woman stuffs the animal in her clothes at the back so that it i sembles a hunch and her husbai makes himself a tremendous paun by stuffing a rabbit into his shirt fro: In this manner they elude the vij lance of the officers. Then folio another trick which they demonstra They pull their dog into town, 1 the animal seems reluctant to go. there is no duty on dogs they are lowed to pass before the officers, they place the struggling dog in a b As soon as the couple have turned 1 corner they liberate the canine, and heads back for home. The officers i to stop it as it goes through the gat and the pursuing couple follow it. stead of chasing the dog they home and place a pig in the bag, that when they pass the gates, the ficers, thinking that they have cau, their dog, do not interfere with th< and they make their way to the lage inn, where they dispose of tl smuggled pig. “PLAYING AT CHESS” is als Pathe film. An old gentleman v his pretty wife and a male friend out for a walk. They reach a < and they seat themselves at a ta The husband invites his friend t game of chess, and the latter cepts^JBut^s^sooi^as^thej^re^ Wag Down Ea 1,000 Feet (KALEM America’s Greatest Ru Drama in Motion Pictu Ready Saturday When writing advertisers, kindly mention Views and Films Index.