Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-09
Fanatical Turks Attempt to
Kill From Manager to
Cross" Performers.

There are two reasons Why no
other production similar in theme to
"From the Manager to the Cross Will
ever be produced in authentic loca-
lions in the Holy Land and In Egypt.
The first is the intense hatred of the
Mohammedan natives towards the
Christians. The second, the stagger-
ing outlay such production re-
quires."
The speaker was Robert G. Nignola,
the Kalem artist whose wonderful
portrayal of Judas" excited so much
comment when From the Manager to
the Cross" was shown to the minis
ters of Newark, Monday afternoon, at
the Newark Theatre.
Mr. Vignola, who Is now one Of the
Kalem producing directors. assisted in
directing the production of this great
film. Hence he is well qualified to
| tell of the tremendous difficulties un-
der which the little company of play
ers labored.
There were forty of US in all, :" said
Mr.. Nignola. This number included
the artisans and architects as well as
the players. And our residence in the
Holy Land was by no means a period
Of bliss.
"You see, the natives of Moham-
medan faith are filled with a violent
hatred Of everything Christian. At
first they regarded our work with a
sort of good-natured contempt. TO
their minds, all Christians are more or
less fools and, hence, objects of pity.
But when they discovered that we
were working on u picture of our
Saviour, all their hatred, all their
prejudice, came to the fore.
Perhaps | had better go back 10
the beginning. When the Ealem
company decided to make a motion
Picture story of the life Of Jesus, it
was determined to produce every
scene in locations which prominent
authorities regard as authentic.
I'VE received the hearty support Of
the White House. In fact che then
secretary of state, Philander .. Knox,
gave us letters of introduction to lie
| American consuls at Constant'nople,
| Jerusalem and Egypt, requesting that
we be aided in our work. The Turk
| ish ambassador TO this country also
| helped by giving US letters TO the
proper authorities. These came in
/ handy when we needed tho protection
of soldiers 10 keep the MJhammedan
fanatics at proper distapce.
1.-THE man to portray the character
of the Saviour causel many disturbed
| hours, The Kalam company searched
for months before they found a man
whose mode of life ana whose appear .
ance would enable him to give the
proper portrayal. This man was r..
Henderson Bland, an English poet.
IF ever a man lived the part he
/ portrayed it was Mr.. Bll11. Deeply
religious. thorough 5tudent uf the
| Bible, lie entered the spirit of his
| role so wonderfully that he was held
In awe by every member Of the conf
pany. The Christian natives If The
! Ir,I- rI,f, gg-fsstaI Ia oil
upon him with the most pr, found
reverence.
Each member of the company"
| continued Mr.. Vignola, was chosen
| for his or her sympathy with the
sacred roles to be portrayed. Long
| before the first pictures We're taken
| every member had thoroughly famil-
| iarized himself or herself with the
roles they were to portray. Not only
We're the Scriptures and such other
documentary authorities as might
| furnish the most adequate informa-
| tion regarding the various charac-
tiers to be portrayed studied, but con-
situations were had from time to
| time by members of the company,
| individually and collectively, with
Biblical experts and students of
Scriptural times.
THE countenance of the lady who
portrayed the Virgin Mary bears
striking resemblance to the familiar
pictures of the Madonna. There We're
but two other women i'm the cast
apart from. the native supernumerar-
les. They all had to endure many
hardships in their travels throughout
the Holy Land. Perhaps the most
arduous experience was the journey
from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee,
a distance of 246 miles, from an alti-
tude of $500 feet at Jerusalem to $50
feet below the surface of the Med
iterranean at Tiberius. For the most