New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-07
IN THE MOTION PICTURE WORLD
Film Manufacturers Use Elaborate Seen.
cry for Spectacular Effects-European
Makers Take More Time and Excel.

seldom satisfactory, because OF the DIFF.
| ficulty OF constructing a convincing model
uf train.
Various other events lend themselves
easily TO taking. but for the most par,
little of IL is done now.
The burning OF the Roman navy by the
beam OF light from Archimedes's mirrors
in "Cabitia" is an example OF an extreme
form OF carefully arranged feature scene
in which real things are used. In the
first place, all the vessels appearing in the
picture had to be specially built from de
signs made after careful study OF TING
existing sources OF information on SHY
construction in the third century r {
The wall before which they appeared va
supposed 10 be the seward defences OF the
ancient city Of syria use, and had TO h,
arranged for the occasion. ON top Of II
was the great frame representing tn.
ancient mathematician's device for con.
, Centratins the rays OF the sun.
In order 10 represent the beam OF light
cast by the reflector a searchlght had
to be arranged in the foreground. so that
its beam would rest on the frameworA
on top of the wall and also APPARENT,
touch the various ships. AS the burning
ray would naturally taper down TO al
most a point an ordinary searchlieht beam
thrown from Just in front OF the camera
was of the right shape, but TO make 1t
appear to leap from ship to ship and TO
stand out in the picture was a great ac-
complishment. There are few American
camera men who would have tried II and
fewer still Who would have succeeded
The situation was still further complicated
by the fact that each vessel had TO burst
into sudden fame as soon as the light
passed across IT, Easily inhammable ma
terials and electricity helped in this.
QUO vadis," The Last Days OF Pom
pei" and "Cabiria" all offer remarkable
examples of the construction OF special
buildings for use in the picture. The
weird temple OF Moloch in the last named
picture IL one OF the most startling. as
well as huge structures ever built for
such a purpose. and while not built OF
such lasting material is probably
greater edihce than the actual temple It
represents. The palace Of Sophonisba Is
another startling setting. The tunoa-
mental feature of all such settings Is
size. Many American directors ruin what
might be good scenes by cramping them
The foreign makers have realized the
splendid effects that can be obtained from
size alone. and they have made constant
use of this knowledge. which has only
Just reached our studios.
There are other sorts of spectacular
scenes which require no special construc-
ton OF scenery, but which often cause
those who act in them considerable dis
comfort, one of these instances occurred
in making the beautiful pictures Of Han
nlbal crossing the Alps in "Cabria
Gabrielle dAnnunzio insisted that every
thing should he as much like the original
passage as possible. SO the army OF
"supsrs" were all dressed in the rather
scanty costumes affected by the Cartha-
ginians. Thus CARRIED they had TO Chamber
up mountain passes and across snow
fields in the Swiss Alps. OF course they
Cid not have 10 actually cross the range,
but IL il certain that while they were AZ
work they we're Just as cold and un-
? comfortable as the men in the army Of
the great general of the Punlc wars II
is reported that the elephants did not
relish the proceedings very much.
The production OF such picture ~
"Cabira" has been made possible soel
by the realization that To put spectacular
effects on the screen spectacular events
must take place before the camera.