The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-05-29
BIRTH OF NATION IN
DAWSON TOMORROW
THRILLING SPECTACLE WILL BE
PRESENTED AT THREE PER-
FORMANCES, MAY 3O-3I.

d. w. Griffith's mighty spectacle,
''The Birth of a Nation" will begin
its engagement at the new theatre to-
morrow night at 8 o'clock. There
will be two performances Thursday
at s and 3 p. m.
Nothing like this wonderful attrac-
ton has ever been seen upon the
local boards. 1t will be given here
exactly as it is being presented in
New York city, where The big drama
has broken every record in the stage
history of the first city in the coun-
try. In addition the piece has piled
up record engagements in Chicago.
Boston, San Francisco and Los An
geles.
1t covers a wide range of American
history and touches only the high
est points of interest in the great
events that led up to and terminal
ed the Civil war. The force that
slavery played in producing this crisis
IS traced from it's inception to it's
abolition. While the basic theme is
historical in it's foundation its intent
is the fundamental one of true dra-
ma. The forces which make for
these results have been marshalled
upon a larger scale than was ever
dreamed of before. Where directors
of vast spectacles have dealt with
hundreds in the past Griffith EMPLOYS
thousands. Eighteen thousand peo
pie fill his stage which has a vast
territory for it's background. Three
thousand horses pass before your
view in wild dashes over miles of
country roadway. The decisive bat
ties of the Civil war are reproduc-
ed in faithful detail, and you see
these conflicts fought again lust as
they were Waged so years ago. Cities
were built up only to be destroyed
to lend force and verify to the dra-
matte narrative. One enormous bat
tlefield is shown stretching over an
area of 10 square miles, and upon
these plains and trenches 10000
soldiers clash in mimic warfare that
IS as real as if you were an eyewit-
ness of the actual occurrence. Hold
ing the great effects in tether is
story as tender and true as love and
romance can be pictured There are
tears and smiles, noble sacrifices and
heroic deeds of personal valor. Youth
full dreams of loves fruition are rent
asunder by the demons of war; home
ties snap before the call to arms,
and suffering such as connot be i'm
agined is depicted in the crude man
ner that history is made when men
surrender reason to passion and en-
n 81
ence.
You see the war start after being
| shown the causes which precipitat-
ed it. You see the great generals
of the contending sections playing
their desperate game of human
pawns, moved into field of slaughter.
Then comes the agreement for peace
and Lincoln sets about his superhu
man task of healing the wounds by
the application of that great love
which made him the towering figure
Of his age. A fanatics bullet stills
/ the heart which beat so evenly for all
! humanity. The South is thrown back
| into a worse fate than war. Their
lands are Overrun by hungry horde
OF vengeful politicians and grafters.
| The poor negro is cajoled into a false
understanding of liberty, and in his
ignorance is led into excuses by
these scalawags of fortune. Out of it
comes the ghostly CARRIED crusaders
of terrible era to once more set
things Alright and return the lands
and liberties to peace to their right
full owners, and over the lands Mis-
erere sounds the chorus of brotherly
love in an categorical dream which
visions of reunion of the divided sec
tons and the welding of that nation
al spirit which has made this nation
so great after its baptism of its own
| blood.
A wonderful score. of operate
reaches accompanies the narrative. 1t
is all done upon a most stupendous
scale. No detail has been overlooked
The drama is outlined and told in the
most graphic form that has vet been
devised by the brain of man for such
purpose. No wonder this work is
epoch-making. 1t has set up new
standards which it will be difficult to
lar, ,lD1 f,Nr.