The Washington times., 1916-04-11
French Scientist and Motion.
Picture Maghate Calls This
Country Lucky.
FRANCE STILL MAKES FILM
After the War'Producers Hope
to Make Greater Progress
Than Ever Before.

Leon Gaumont, the French scien-
list and motion picture expert, who
is regarded IN much the same way
in Eurone that Edison Is In this
country, declares that the European
war was made for Americal
Gaumont Is making a brief visit to
the United States for the purpose Of
looking over the motion picture field
here. The activities of his com
pany have beer transferred to the
United States temporarily az a Part
of the Mutual Corporation, and he
came here hoping that he would be
able to make his way about the
studios without attracting undue at
tention. He was found by a news
paper man, however, who knew
something about Gaumont's career,
and was questioned about the Euro
pean situation.
The French scientist came into be-
ing as power In motion pictures in
France in much the same way as
Edison became a power In, the pic
ture industry here. His investiga-
tions In the chemistry OF light had
led to certain experiments with
photography. which. step by step. led
him into the origination or invSn-
ton Of motion picture apparatus. His
interest In the pictures even now Is
more Of scientific than Industrial
or artistic.
To Make Talking Pictures.
Gaumont Is a young man. but he
owns a considerable number of SEu-
ropean patents controlling motion
picture making. A firm bearing his
name has been making motion pic
lures almost since the art was dis
covered. He Is at present engaged
In perfecting a system OF talking
pictures.
In this connection he delivered
unique lecture on the subject before
the French Institute of Science some
years ago. He projected picture
of himself on a screen behind the
rostrum and with his talking appar-
atus made the picture deliver the
lecture on the development of talk
ing pictures!
He has been much amused since
coming to the United States to find
himself wholly identified with mo-
ton pictures, although in France
that is one Of the least Of his
Please consider me merged into
the trademark 'Gaumont. he told
an interviewer for the Moving Pic
ture World. with a smile. THE man
who is called Gaumont doesn't mat
s ter at all. We are still producing in
France, but OF course we have been
very much handicapped by the war.
You lucky Americans do not know.
you cannot form a conception of
what this war means to Europe. and
especially to France. I often say
this war was made for America.
An International Institution.
II believe. in spite OF assertions to
the contrary. that the screen is
strictly an International institution.
Your market in the early days has
been surfeited with foreign films.
with the inevitable reaction. be-
lIeve slowly but surely the pendu-
lum Is swinging back. Variety Is an
indispensable factor in every amuse-
ment, but I'm no field OF amusement
is Il needed more imperatively than
in the nation picture world.
You Americans" he said. with
begin to realize that France means
more than the Moulin Rouge.
France has come out of the ordeal
of war stronger than ever, with her
national youth renewed and quietly
but unshakably confident OF ultimate
victory. The end may be far Off.
when you ask me to venture
more than, useless guess. I must
refer You to the great seeress. Nine.
de Thebes; che alone frows Njust
when the end will come. Whenever
II will come II will see a great re-
vival OF our industry in France.
Before the end. however, It Is quite
possible that YOU here In America
may yet wake up to the terrible
dangers which this war imports to
civilization and to humanity"