Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-02-19
MOVING PICTURES TALK.
Latest Achievement, of Thomas A..
Edison.


Latest Achievement of Thomas A.
Edison.
Thomas A. Edison sat back in his chair
and chuckied one afternoon recently as
there passed upon a screen In the theatre
OF his la boratory at West Orange, n. j., a
procession of human beings and animals
that sang and talked and shouted and
played upon musical instruments and
barked and made various other noises that
moving pictures never before have fur
nished. II Was a moment OF triumph--the
result OF four years OF effort to give to the
world what probably was the only de-
velopment possible in the movies, to re-
produce sound spontaneously with action.
THAT'S little raw yet" laughed Mr..
Edison, "but you just give us chance
and well show you. We're green at
working these things yet" There may
have been something raw" to the trained
eyes of Thomas A. Edison, but to other
spectators 1t seemed that success bad been
achieved.
When the time for the show to start
came there was a short delay. The "old
man., as everybody in the big factory
calls Mr.. Edison, couldn't be found.
Finally be was found, and his right hand
man and chief-engineer, NJ. r.. Hutchin-
son, gave the word TO start. For the first
few seconds it looked just like regular
s'moviesn. A large man in evening dress
strobe down flight of stairs and to the
front OF lsvishly furnished setting.
When he reached the front of the "stage"
things began to happen.
First the big man thrust out one arm
in customary attitude ana thep-and even
the spectators who had known what was
to come were surprised--he began to talk.
"Lsdies and gentlemen he began,
and there followed an introduction to the
first exhibition of talking moving pictures
real taking movies that has ever
been seen. The speech was delivered in
carefully modulated tones, with articu-
iation of the clearest, each action eoincid-
ing exactly with each expression. 1t was
so lifelike and natural that gasps of sur
prise and wonderment could be heard
from different parts of the darkened
room.i
In the course OF his talk the speaking
picture took up a plate and dashed it 10
the floor. 1t few into pieces with a crash,
noise in bouncing up and back. After
that the picture blew a horn and whistle,
and then a man came on and played the
piano. A girl Appeared and played sway
Down Upon the Swannse River on the
violin, and another girl sang some OF the
old songs, while the pianist and the vio-
linist accompanied her.
They went away - you could bear their
footsteps as they walked up the stairs -
and another man appeared with two collie
dogs, whose loud barks were as natural as
life. 1t was hard to realize that these
were not living beings in flesh and blood
until the lights came on and broke the
illusion.
That was one complete reel, and it. had
taken just six minutes to show - two min
utes longer than the ordinarily monograph
disk revolves. Four additional sketches"
were exhibited, and in each the illusion
was maintained. Two Of these Mr.
Edison hadn't seen himself before, and he
laughed heartily as an Irish politician in
one Of them delivered an impassioned
political Grafton which his daughter,
standing behind, read to him out of a
newspaper. The most startling man.
Hesitation OF the synchrony OF sound and
action came when brick was sent crash
ing through window above the speakers
head. You could plainly hear the tinkIe
OF each piece OF glass as it fell.
Men have been working upon the
proposition of moving pictures that
would talk for long, long time. Mr..