Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-09
Film Actors Perform Amid
Horde Threatening Death

part it was made on donkeys, but at
times it was necessary TO travel many
weary miles on foot. The moving
picture camera and other apparatus
We're transported on camels.
During all that terrible journey
over the rough, stony roads, infested
by Bedouin bandits, the company
was protected by an armed guard
provided by the Turkish government.
In the course of this journey it was
frequently necessary for the male
members of the company to carry the
LADIES over the rougher places.
Il have mentioned the fact that the
fanatical natives caused US trouble
at times. AS a rule, they were per
fectly willing to cooperate in the
making of the pictures, but ever 50
often they rebelled and, but for the
influence of the Turkish officials.
serious trouble might have resulted.
An incident of this nature occurred
just outside the walls of the Holy
City. The smoldering resentment
suddenly burst into flame when the
natives saw that the Christian work
ers were apparently without their
customary guard of Turkish soldiers.
Setting upon our director, they beat
him to the ground at the same time
attacking the rest of the party.
AT this moment our guards
emerged from the walls of Jerusalem.
Taking in the situation they dashed
TO our rescue. More than one native
slept poorly that night as the result
of the tattoo played upon their skulls
by our guards This was about the
worst experience of it's kind that we
experienced.
During our journey into the in
terror of the country, we frequently
marveled at the slight change in the
dress and customs Of the people that
have occurred in all these centuries.
The long loose robe of the peasant,
made from striped cloth; the sash
worn around the waist; the abba, or
loose coat that comes over IL, made
from a cloth very similar to burlap;
the sheepskin coat of the shepherd,
the turban bound round the head
with q filet; the peculiar shoes or
sandals-all these are practically
identical today with those worn two
thousand years ago by the men and
women who witnessed or took part in
the greatest drama in the history of
the world.
so. too. the one-handed, rough
wooden plough; the rude yoke that
binds the two native oxen together;
the goad which the peasant uses to
drive them with-all are of the same
pattern as at the time of Christ. The
same primitive method is followed in
making the 'goolah,' or earthenWsre
Jar. in which the women carry water,
and which Mary in prom the Man
ger to the Cross" is seen filling at
the we'll And this well, by the way
is the very well to which the child
Jesus Went so often with His mother
The women of Nazareth today come
here for their water. and the dresses
they wear have hardly changed in
any detail.
ut is not only the dress that re
mains the same-the life behind it,
the attitudes, the gestures. the move
ments-all are thousands of years
old.
$50 you see, where the customs and
manners of a people have remained
unchanged during the centuries, it is
possible to recreate ancient scenes
without great difficulty while the
chances Of preserving historical ac-
curacy are greatly enhanced. We
found it comparatively easy to obtain
all the local color we required. Moth
ing of Importance has changed to
such a degree that it could not be re-
produced with remarkable fidelity to
detail and accuracy.
THE wonderful scenes showing
Jesus and His disciples in the Garden
of Gethsemane, such as The Agony
and The Betrayal. were actually
photographed in that sacred place
The Franciscan monks own the Gar
den of Gethsemane, where they grow
olives. The kindly fathers did all in
their power to assist the producers in
making these scenes authentic, and
pointed out those spots where the
original incidents were supposed t.
nave taken place.
THE COST" repeated Mr.. Vignola,
in response to the question "All in
sll. From the Manager to the Cross
required an outlay of 100000 As !
have already mentioned. this is one Of
the reasons why a similar picture
may never be produced in authentic
locations