Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-30
REVOLUTION MENACED
RUSSIAN PHOTOPLAYS
Impresario of Slavic Art Dramas
Underwent Hazardous En-
perienceS Abroad

The Russian art films have arrived in
this country under the guidance of Nathan
;. kaplau. an American citizen long resi-
dent i'm France and Russia. 81 the standard
works of Tolstoy. Turgcnicm. Dustocvsky.
pushkiu, GoEeL Ostrovsky Andreef and
other prominent Slav authors will he seen
here In their picturized form for the first
time outside Of Russia. where the filmed
versions Of their novels aud dramas have
shared the popularity Of the books and
stage plays
At the same time the screen acting Of
leading Russian artists of the national the
atres in Moscow and Petrograd will be ex.
hbited In these productions. including the
enorts OF Mines. G2ONskaia. Cholodnaia. ca
ralli, Germanova, Liseuka, Balasheva. Oure.
Nina. Tatiana PavUva and Karabana
among the women stars and !. /. MO2Jhuk-
hin Nitold PolOuski, y. v. Pauun Rimski
H. \ Backsheef and A. A. Cheruvinoff
among the women. These comprise many Of
the names that have placed the Russian
theatre In the forefront Of the art progress
ot the last quarter-century. The services
of the players for screen work were OBJ
tanned by special permission Of the then
Ear and the pictures were shown at
lsHlSh"N" StIo before being exhibited to the
public.
I.UU
Journey from Petrograd to New York. via
siberia Japan and the Pacific, the twenty
trunks OF pictures escaped. as by "A miracle
destruction at the hands Of the Russian rev
olutionaries, at that time actively hostile
to whatever bore the seal of the Car.
MIR Naplan, accompanied by his wife and
with the precious negatives in his per
sonaI charge, got QUE of Petrograd on the
second Tuesday OF the revolution Ma
chine guns worked by the police were
stll firing from the tops Of buildings. and
soldiers workingmcn and students occu-
pied the streets in wild disorder He sue
coeded IN obtaining an escort Of twenty
revolutionary soldiers who were personally
friendly to him Three times was the kan
Ian party fired upon the police on it's
way from the residential district to the
railroad station, part of which was dis
covered 10 be in flames,
Some Of the soldiers natives of Siberia,
offered to escort tile travellers part of their
way on the Trans-Sbcrian Railroad train
de luxe. The kaplans were the only pas
seueers, as the terror of the revolution had
absolutely stopped passenger business
Even the baggage car had to be specially
procured, guarded by soldiers and in
spected by Mr.. kapan at every stopping
place to see that its contents were not
taken. At NladivOstok the newly con-
stituted authorities at first refused to let
the pictures out Of the country.
They broke open all the seals that the
Cars officials had placed upon the goods
saw 10 it that nothing hostile to New
Russia was contained therein and finally
permitted the export
Douglas Fairbanks's press agent,
former Philadelphia, writes 30 a friend in
this city: Virtually finished with our
second picture. Wild and Woolly,' which
promises To be knockout II is absolutely
the fastest Fairbanks picture yet. You
eau appreciate this when I tell you that
the fellow who assemblies our films worked
twelve hours on the last reel"