The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1914-01-23
KING BAGGOT SCORES
GREATEST SUCCESS IN
"ABSINTHE" MONDAY
Universal Four Reel Feature
Film at Gem Theatre
Next Monday.

Much has been justly said of the
marvellous historical play, Ivan
hoe" based upon Sir Walter SCOTS
famous novel, produced by the Inn
Company during their sojourn in the
British Isles. AS a spectacular pa
geant this play has unparalleled
merits. On its release it establish
ed a record of sales in the British
Isles and brought unlimited credit
to the Universal Film Manufacture
ing Company. However, it was
only one of the many pictures pro
duced under the masterful hand of
Director Brenon while in Europe.
Others are to be exploited. Among
them 'Absinthe," perhaps one of the
most striking pictures of the lot.
Unlike its predecessor, "Ivanhoe, y
it is play surrounding two charac-
tiers wholly, that of the Absinthe
fiend, enacted by King Baggot, and
his unfaithful wife played by Leah
Baird. Without a question it is the
greatest role that Mr.. Baggot has
appeared in up to date, and Miss
Baird is disclosed as an emotional
actress or the highest type.
The story is tragic in theme, mark
ing the awful and inevitable conse-
quences that follow the cultivation
of the absinthe habit. The drink alb
sinthe to France bears almost the
same relation as opium does to the
Chinese nation. 1t is used by the
high and low in France and might
almost be called the national drink.
Used mildly it acts in the same way
that Whiskey does, but when used to
excess it takes a grip upon the vic
tim that is more difficult to loosen
than perhaps any other drug, not ex-
cepting morphine and opium. Amer
lea, RELOCATING it to the same class
as these latter drugs, has legislated
against it's importation. Other ma
tions have followed in it's wake, and
at the present time France is con
templating drastic laws fOrbidding
it's manufacture and sale.
Herbert BrenOn is the director of
the picture. In an accidental way
he was brought into contact VITA
some of the terrible victims of this
drug and had the opportunity of OBJ
serving some of it's awful tragedies !,
and it was this that suggested the
play which is about to be released.
Many of the scenes for the picture
were taken along the Champs Ely
sees, the River Seine, and in Mont
Matre, the Tenderloin of Paris.
To better acquaint himself with
the habits of an absinthe fiend and
to secure the proper environment, Mr..
Baggot went down into the Tender
loin district of Paris and lived for a
week. His studies brought results
of a remarkable nature. For the
first time in any motion picture the
exact methods used by an absinthe
fiend to prepare his drink and his
conduct afterward will be shown by
him. While the drug has no hold
upon the American people, the real
istic portrayal should act as moral
lesson to all and any against the use
of alcohol and drugs in general.
All of the scenes were taken in
and about Paris. To take some Of
them, those that form one of the big
climaXes of the third reel, the Com
uany made an excursion to the Bots
de Boulogne, one of the nation
most beautiful parks. King Baggot,
as the artist, Jean, Dumas is seen
lashing his horse into a gallop, anX-
ious to get to place in the woods
where he can strangle the woman
who has betrayed him. In the TAX
ing of the scene Mr.. Baggot was
wounded by Miss Baird, who struck
him a blow while resisting an attack
of the supposed absinthe fiend. The
emotional strain upon Miss Baird
was terrific and she put herself so
completely into the part that she
tainted twice during the taking. Mr..
Baggot sustained a badly lacerated
lip and the loss of a tooth.
The Universal Company feels con-
fident that this production is going
to create a sensation equal in its way
to that of "Ivanhoe. D." Aside from
the superb character studies of Mr..
Baggot and Miss Baird, it has an en-
crossing, pathetic story, coherent in
every detail; it is swift in climatic
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