The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-11-04
MARVELLOUS PICTURE COMING.
Gem to Show Bushman-Bay1e Pro-
duction of Romeo and Juliet

The epoch-making screen pruc-
ton of "Romeo and Juliet" with
Francis X. Bushman as "Romeo" and
beautiful Beverly Bayne as Juliet"
will be presented to the local public
by the Gem Theatre next Wednesday,
Nov. s, with the fullest confidence as
to it's reception. Over three months
were consumed in the actual work of
photography, and the cost of produc-
ton amounted to upwards OF $780,
10000. Not even in the lavish stage
productions made by such wizards of
stagecraft as Sir Henry Irving and
Richard Mansfield has such magnifi-
cence been dreamed of, much less
attempted. The costumes alone cost
$4,000, and the reproduction of the
market-place of medieval Verona,
with it's eighteen buildings, meant an
outlay of $4,000 more.
Shakespeare's matchless story of
love and tragedy scarcely needs to be
refreshed in the minds of the public,
since the tale has always been a IA
vorite one. Romeo and Juliet, who
&all in love with each other at their
fist glance, are members Of the two
great noble families of Verona, the
Montagues ard Capulets, who have
for years been at enmity with each
other. That their meetings and their
marriage must be in secret is re-
sponsible for Juliet's being urged by
her parents to marry Count Paris, and
for her taking potion that feigns
death by the advice of Friar Laurence,
so that Romeo may claim her un-
harmed in the tomb. But the letter,
telling Romeo Of the plan, miscarries.
He supposes her really dead, and af-
ter he has killed himself beside her,
she wakens and, pressing his dagger
to her heart, follows his spirit in
death.
Full advantage has been taken of
the fact that Romeo and Juliet be-
longed to noble and wealthy families.
The appointments of the two house
holds are superb, the furnishings mag
niticent beyond any in the history of
the stage. Scenes of pomp and cere-
mony are shown, both civic did
religious ceremonies and professions
being included. These are all psovid-
ed for in Shakespeare text, but the
limitations of the dramatic stage have
heretofore made it impossible to pre-
sent them. The Bushman and Bayne
production of "Romeo and Juliet"
shows the great play as Shakespeare
would have written it if motion pNA
lures had been invented in his time. Y
Fidelity to the greatest DRAMA
poet of all the ages has been ca1
to the last degree. Every memb1 4
the cast was obliged to learnA lie
words of the play and repeat I'm,
with the proper action, be the
camera. II word was sFgotten,
the camera was stopped, and the
work done over again. The original
scenario was made from Shakes
peare's "Romeo and Juliet" the
greatest love story ever written, by
John Arthur, and this was modified
~ Rudolph De Cordova, and the final
work done by John w. Noble, whose
nasterly handling of the eight-act
lrama establishes him for all time in
he front rank of directors. The
.enius of Mr.. Bushman and Miss
3ayne has never been so we'll exem-
lifted as in the roles of the immortal
overs. The Bushman and Bayne
'rodQction of Romeo and Juliet"
rings the soul of Shakespeare to the
carts of the people.