The Washington times., 1914-08-12
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Photoplay Department in
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'Cabirid" Emphasizes
Careful NJ amer
Foreign Films
Are Made

One of the complaints that has
heretofore been made against the
production of moving picture
dramas, with some reason, Is that
the productions have all seemed to
have been made in such great haste.
Il appeared to many enthusiastic
spectators that the directors and ac-
tors were too anxious To get the
work of their hands to take much
trouble with it. This is the one
chief trouble D. W. Griffith found
when he came into the film work
and it is largely due to his efforts
that the trouble has been eliminated.
The chief difference between the
American and European films has
always been that more care seemed
TO be used in the production of the
foreign plays than the American.
The idea was that the producers
were endeavoring to put out as
many films as possible rather than
as good films as possible. In his
early Biograph productions Griffith
began the emphasis of quality over
quantity and truthfulness over wild
and rabid action. The Griffith films
stood out so clearly that the desire
to Initiate them spread throughout
the moving picture world with the
result that nowadays a hastily made
picture is the exception in this coun-
try.
1t is probable that the climax of
deliberate preparation and prodac-
ton 81 the European sort has been
reached in "Cabiria,'' the wonder
full film story by Garbiel dan
nunzio which the italia Company
Is producing in various parts of the
country, and will soon produce here
at The Strand. This film required
Two years in the making. And just
to show what extremes can be
reached in such things. although
most of theJ men characters have
long hair and boards, there is not a
wig or Set of false whiskers in the
entire show. The actors let their
nair and whiskers grow to the length
desired for the picture,
''Cabiria' is said to be the great
est picture that has yet been made,
when massive productions are con-
stdered. The story tells something
Of the period of the war between
Carthage and Rome and the chief
figures are Sophonisba, daughter OF
and Massinissa, King of Numidia
The settings are reported to be VOL
derful in their construction and OF an
unusually massive character, the
scenes of the exterior and interior
of the Temple of Moloch being par
dCularly impressive. All OF the big
parts in the play were placed in the
hands Of stars of the italian stage,
with the single exception of the part
Of the Nubian giant who becomes
the great figure. This man is really
q giant IN statue and was selected
for the part solely on account of his
enormous strength and his big mus
cular figure.
The leading woman's part was
given to Signora Italia Manzini, who
was for years one OF the most popu-
lar stars of the italian theatrical
world. Signora Manzini is reported
TO be a beautiful woman of the pure
italian type She has been under
the direction of the Italian managers
for two years past and has played
come important parts in their pro-
auctions.
There have been several inquiries
made during the past week regard
ing the motion picture advertise
ment contest which Is now regular
feature of The Sunday Times and
the conditions of which do not seem
TO be thoroughly understood. As The
Times received more than a thou
sand answers last week and con-
siderably more than that this week.
Il is deemed advisable to announce
that answers received after l o'clock
on Monday afternoon will not be
considered. The announcement of
the winners is made Tuesday. It
has required the services Of two
people to handle the mail that has
resulted from this contest Con-
testants are advised that ii would
be well to mark the time their
answers We're made on the paper
with the answers. The Times. OF
course, registers the time OF receipt
Of every one of them.
There have also been received
several letters regarding the spell
ing of the word "airdome" as It ap-
pears in the advertising, and many
people have thought this word one
Of those with the missing letter.
There is such a word as ''airdrome.
II was used to describe Prof. Lang
ley's first flying machine. But air
dome" has become the accepted
form Of designating open-elr mov-
ing picture places. This word, there
fore, is not misspelled. @. d.