Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1916-09-15
BIRTH OF A NATION
AT THE GRAND THEATRE,

David w. Griffith's most extra
ordinary achievement with his new
pho;o-spectacie, the Birth Of . Ma
non soming TO the Grand theatre
September -, %, %. is that of maxi
Ils history live. He has touched the
nigh peaks of american history-the
introduction Of slavery the war OF
secession, the surrender at App,-
nEatox' the death of Lincoln the mis-
e'les of reconstruction. and the re
sforation of the SCUM to its own.
these things, it woull have seemed
year ago, We're bevond the motion
picture camera. Tuv mastec prr-
Queer had the faith of an enthus asst
Within 1900 feet of celluloid film
he has successfully combined A
thrilling, plausible and dignifiel pre-
sentiment of nationa! hpgrowth with
real and human love story based
cE Thomas Dixons book-romance.
The Clansman." AS it appears 10
the newspaper and magazine critics.
MIR. Griffith has not only surpassed
the art OF the indoor theatre, but
ne has also developed new art
form far superior to the old-style
history or historical novel. The best
| Characterization of it so far is that
OF very eminent public man who
has called it History by lightning.
Mr. Griffith employed $4,000 in
taking these historical pictures. The
battle scenes were actual duplicates
of several of the Civil war conflicts,
and so were the facsimiles of inn
portant events. We see Lincoln
among his councillors issuing the
call for volunteers, Grant and Lee
shaking hands at Appomatox, the
shot that John Wilkes Booth fired,
the Freedmen's Bureau, the carpet
| baggers' excuses, and the famous
rides of the Ku Klux. The realism
! is almost uncanny. Often the old
war shouts are heard in the audi.
ences from the lips of veterans who
m Omentarily forgot that it is only
picture. 1t is hard to keep ones
feet from dancing to the we'll
beloved tunes of the martial music
Scenes in the latter half of the pic
lures are so skilfully managed that
often the applause is practically con
tinuous for half to three quarters
of an hour.
"Cabria" and Quo Vadis' marked
great steps forward in the screen
drama. The Birth of a Nation
points a still more wonderful devel-
opment, the old dramatic form hav-
ing been thrown away and the epic
or historical form substituted. The
old reproach against the "ten-cent
movie is forever removed.
1t is curious sight now in New
York to see dozens of spectators
asking three or four dollars for
seat for moving pictures, whilst in
side at the boX-office the public
gladly pays the regular scale of
prices at a fashionable metropolitan
theatre.
The labor involved in this newest
sort of picture-m aking is enormous.
There are 5000 separate and indi-
vidually posed scenes involving
about 100000 interesting details.
The musical score is as complex and
elaborate as that of any grand opera.
| Although not a word is spoken on
the stage, the musical and mechan-
ical effects employ a hundred flesh
and-blood helpers nightly. In brief,
the magnitude of the stupendous
finn dwarfs the average stage play
into insignificance.
Theatrical producers and observ-
ers are wondering what will be the
next evolution of the art. Will the
cinema replace the textbook in the
public schools? Will the Walter
Scots and the w. NJ. Thackerys of
the future do pictures instead of
novels? viii the historian be re-
placed by the camera man, and the
still-life painter by one who, like
Griffith, can turn out hundreds of
Rembrandt, Carrot and Turner-like
scenes in an evenings entertain
ment?
Some of these queries seem daring
now. even grotesque. Yet, in view
of what is happening aroud us, it
is hard to say, impossible-to set
any limits to the future achieve
ments of the motion picture.