The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-08
MOVING PICTURE TRICKS.
How the Biograph Is Made to Show
 Seemingly Impossible Things.

The biograph having deplcted most things in the world. of fact has now found new realms to conquer in fiction says the Lnodon Daily Mail.
 It has become juggler, or, as it might prefer to call itself, an "illusionist," and the uncanny feats it performs will soon mt it's more human competitors to shame.
 It commences its performance by snow ing on the white screen two men seated at a small table. They seem to be carry ing on an excited conversation, but after some discussion agree to make wager on the cause of the dispute. Then each takes from his waistcoat pocket tiny doll. dressed like a boxer ready for a champion match The dolls are placed on the table. immediately "come to life" and commence sparring in the most scl- entifc manner. The two Gullivers ap- plaud the lliputian pugilists as they fight vigorously in space that might be covered with dinner plate, and when at last a five-grain glove inf1icts the .'knock-out'' blow on a head that IS smaller than an early green pea the con- queror and the conquered are picked up and ignominiously replaced in the waist coat pockets of their owners.
 This clever effect the manager of the biograph company explained, is obtained by superimposing. two films which are exposed separately. First the two men seated at the table act their part of the performance in front of the camera. and then another blograph photograph is taken of a boxing match, and the two rolls of films are then skllfully placed to- gether. The difference in the size of the boxers and the onlookers is accounted for by the fact that the latter are placed much nearer to the camera than the former.
 But even more startling illusions than this can be produced. For instance, the biograph throws upon the screen a pic- ture of a headless man standing by a huge egg. from which one might expect a healthy young roc to emerge. The de- capitated man cracks the egg with a maIlet and discloses his missing head in- side.
 The face smiles recognition, and allows the hands to take few hundred ordi- nary size eggs from It's mouth for no particular reason except to show that 1t is capable of further miracles. Then it looks longingly toward the neck and shoulders from which it has been exiled and is finally lifted into it's place. The complete man then bows to the audience and disappears It spells good illusion to describe too fully it's inner mysteries but 1t may be hinted that this effect is obtained by the judicious use of black velvet curtains. Black velvet, in fact, is the material from which the modern bi- ograph magician shapes his invisible cloaks," and the garment is quite as eff fective as the~o the Prince in Ander- sons fairy tale wore when he set out to discover the wicked dongs of the witch.
 "The Prisoners Dream" is the name of another piece of biographi juggling. The prisoner Is shown in his cell asleep. On the forbidding stone wall mistly outlined figures appear. Gradually they become more and more sharply defined. though the wall can still be seen through the substanceiess forms. One of the figures is recognized as that of the sleeping prisoner, the other is a girl.
 There is a quarrel the flash of a weap- on, and the girl falls Imply to the