When the movies were young (1925)

222 When the Movies were Young In the picture world, especially abroad, big things were now happening. "Quo Vadis," a great spectacle, splendidly acted, had been produced in Italy by the Societa Italiana Cines, in three acts of four reels. It came to America and had a run in a Broadway theatre. From France, this same time, April, 191 3, the steamer La Touraine arrived in America bringing "Les Miserables" in four sections and twelve reels. "The Miracle," which Morris Gest presented in the year of 1924 in the Century Theatre, New York, as a pantomime, had been filmed by Joseph Mencher and was shown at the Park Theatre, New York, in February, 19 13. It was a "filmed pantomime" (not a moving picture drama), based on the Wordless Mystery Play which, under the direction of Max Reinhardt, had had a wonderful run at the Olympic, London. A reviewer said of it: What was seen and heard last night only went to emphasize that the moving picture under certain conditions, conditions like those that prevailed last night, may be capable of providing entertainment to be taken seriously by audiences which have never seen the inside of an electric theatre. Eugene Sue's "Wandering Jew" came over, the work of the Roma Film Company. In our own country, Helen Gardner in her own productions was appearing as Cleopatra and like characters. The Vitagraph started on a trip around the world with Clara Kimball Young to do a picture in each country visited, but that rather fell by the wayside ; Miss Young, however, had somewhat contented herself with having charming "still" photos taken in costume in each country on their