Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-18
Hundreds of Islanders Took
Part in New Annette Kel-
Ierman Production.
SWAMPS WERE DRAINED
AND WHOLE CITIES BUILT
Al Part of the Plot Actress Makes
Eighty-Foot Dive From
Tower Into Pool.

returned from a holiday trip to Jamai-
can yesterday described to reporter
for The Star some striking scenes ano
incidents witnessed by him In connec-
ton with the making of what Is known
as the greatest motion picture spec
tacle so far Produced play written
around Annette kellerman-scenes
from which are reproduced TO-DAY III
the Planogravure Section of The Star
The story of the making Of the pic
ture is as dramatic, as thrlillns anu
as interesting in Its way, according u
these scenes and incidents. as the mo.
ton picture will probably be found 10
be when it is shown in the picture the
aters of the country. Descrlplhs 'ne
Jamaica to the motion picture people
for the occasion. and quoting the Gov
ernor of Jamaica as saving that the Sc
lection of the island for the purpoee
Of making the big spectacle .n9e hsS we
happened to the island, this WasMns
ton traveller. who lived in the miost
of the spectacle-makfng ana the peo-
pie concerned in 1t for some time, eA
pressed himself yesterday as deeply
Immersed with the scale of grandeur
on which the plans were carried oui
and the infinite attention to detaii
which proved to be necessary. One OF
the most striking things ABOUT tne
said. was the useful employment and
training given to thousanos OIL haei'e
Jamaicans-
Changes in the Old Fort.
.I was pleased" he said. ito have had
th. opportunity to witness the making
of this motion picture spectacle. Hav-
ing been to Jamaica before. in COM
mon with other travellers I was .famii-
far with the appearance from tne SEQ
of old Fort Augusta. ruins OF a span
fish (afterward English) stronghold on
an island near Kingston, the capltaL
"But as we neared Kingston on my last
trip | did not recognize the old fort. 80
much had 1t been changed by the motion
picture people in their preparations 10,
making 1t the base OF the prlncipai
scenes in the Annette kehermah spec
tacle.
'This old fort. abandoned by the au-
thorities long ago because Of bad health
conditions. had been for years surrounded
by a miasmic and malarial swamp. ana
the molten picture people had GRAINED
this swamp with canals-an improvement
of a permanent value. Of which the peo-
pie OF the country are today the benz.
icaries, as the governor Of the island
told me.
Practically Built City.
1T was astonishing to see how the
vpectacle producers took possession Of the
country. to turn out this play with the as
sistance Of the government. The resi-
dence of a leading landowner was rented
rs a home for Annette Kellerman. and
most every activity around the capital
,anne into play. in some form or other. to
in he
rourts, etc, were established, and at
old Fort Augusta they rebuilt and re-
paired the old bastions with brickwork
and with false work of stucco and can
vas. to createe an oriental city. with 2
great palace. slave market OF large
proportions. domes and minarets every
where rearing their heads to the sky.
Dozens Of streets were created. such as
The Street Of the jewelers., The Street
OF the Vegetable Sellers etc. with orien-
tai names.
They created an enormous studio for
the making of indoor scenes and across
the island from Kingston. at Roaring River
falls. village for colony OF gnomes was
OF children lived. These falls. which are
among the most beautiful in the world.
had been surrounded by a thick under
brush. and a close view Of the falls was
sometimes difficult to obtain. The motion
picture people cleared this away. bridged
with countless small structures. and
otherwise improved the surroundings OF
the falls.
Employment for Many Jamaicans.
But the most striking thing to me
about the whole production was the man.
ner in which the mere making Of the
spectacle in Jamaica put ginger into the
natives. Money was put in their pockets
too because hundreds and hundreds Of
them who did not earn wages as actors
IN the big scenes. in which thousands
were used. earned money by the making
OF costumes or as laborers or lworkmer
IN the building operations. and. best Of
that will be Of permanent value to them
Inc production of the spectacle in ia
maica was Of the greatest educationa
oensnt. ] should say. TO the natives"
picture producer is understood to have
spent hundreds of thousands Of dollar.
on the spectacle. no name for which has
yer been announced 1t is generally
more money than any motion picture
spectacle yet produced. Herbert Brenor
was the master director in charge Of
making the films. for. which clever
OF photographing the scenes began iT
august. 1915. and ended In May. Sever
photographers were engaged in the work
ana in the end the film city was destroyed
as one OF the big climaxes Of the spec
.acle More than hundred actors ant
actresses Of the American stage went t.
Jamaica to take part. the thousa nds OF
Supernomeraries engaged as soldiers
xiTIs OF the harem. street sellers, singers
etc, being native Jamaicans
The Story of the Play.
In brief the story Of the play Is thai
Katherine. Roman child. has a canar,
which she idolizes. She releases the un
happy bird to join a sparrow ing fire.
TN nearby wood. but one day the spar
row falls victim TO a barn dog. and tn,
canary. mourning for the sparrow, file,
out to sea and dies on the waves. Litti.
Katherine dies of grief A flock Of mer
maids rise on a palm-fringed beach, fol-
morning play, and when they go back into
The sea they carry with them a baby
mermaid with the face Of an angel who
IS supposed to be Little Katherine. who
mas died OF grief over the loss Of her bird
The sparrow that died is transformed
by fairy queen into youth. and tn,
canary is made by a wave Of the fairy.
wand into beautiful young woman
She is borne shoreward then by tn,
mermaids. riding on a beautiful shell
Tne fairy again waves her wand, ans
then into the picture comes a garden IL
an oriental kingdom. Then come.
episodes with the sultan of the king
dom. In which his harem take part Tn,
pictures show the loss of the sultan
four-year -old son at sea, the anger an,
melancholy of the sultan. who is after
ward known as The Mad Sultan: tn,
appearance of Dragona. witch. VIII,