The Nenana daily news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1918-1921, 1918-08-27
BIGGEST HIT IN
MOVIE PICTURES
At COLISEUM
Picture of Surprising Educational
Value Will Be Shown to
Nenana Audience.

David W. Griffith's most extra
ordinary achievement with his new
photo-spectacle, 1.-THE Birth of a |
Nation" coming to the Coliseum on
August goth, 30th and Sept. End, |
has touched the high peaks of
American history-the introduction
of Slavery, the War of Secession,
the surrender at Appomattox, the
death of Lincoln, the miseries of re-
construction, and the restoration
of the South to its own. These
things, it would have seemed, a
year ago, were beyond the motion
picture camera. The master pro-
Queer had the faith of an enthusiast.
Within 10000 feet of celluloid film
he has successfully combined a
thrilling, plausible and dignified
presentment of national upgrowth
with real and human love story
based on Thomas Dixons book
romance, "The Clansman." As it
appears to the newspaper and mag
azine critic, Mr.. Griffith has not
only surpassed the art of the Sin
door" theater, but he has also de-
veloped a new art-form far superior
to the old-style history or historical
novel. The best characterization of
1t so far is that of very eminent
public man who has called it His
tory by Lightning"
Mr.. Griffith employed $4,000
people in taking these historical pic
lures. The battle scenes were ac-
tual duplicates of several of the
Civil War conflicts, and so were
the facsimiles of important events.
We see Lincoln among his coun-
sellers issuing the call for volun-
teers.; Grant and Lee shaking hands
at Appomattox;t the shot that John
/ Wilkes Booth fired; the Freedman's
Bureau; the carpet-baggers' ex-
cesses; and the famous rides of
the Ku Klux. The realism is most
uncanny. Often the old war shouts
are heard in the audiences from the
lips of veterans who momentarilv
forget that it is only a picture. 1t
Is hard to keep ones feet from
dancing to the well-beloved tunes
OF the martial music. Scenes in
the latter half of the pictures are
so sklllfully managed that often the
applause is practically continuous for
nall to three-quarters of an hour
The peace at Appomattox. and tho
south Carolina Legislature of 1870.
are exact facsimiles of the ORIGINALS
altogether, it is the first time in
art-production that history in the
large has been presented in living
pictures. To do this, MANY times
the amount of the time, energy and
expense usually devoted to amusa-
ment enterprises had to he usaa
Eighteen thousand people and 5000
norses appear in the picture. which
cost approximately 100000 to pro-
duce.
VI equal Importance to the scenas
is the music that interprets +bon,
IL consists of an elaborate musical
score arranged after Griffitb,s sro
sestions OF the musical motives for
the leading characters. Now erave
no" gay now sounding the loud
diapason of war, again sweetlv bar
n0nizing loves signs and rhapsodies.
anon bringing back old plantation
Heiooies or the crash of riot, the
welcome ku Klux Khan that fall co
gratefully on the ear of the South
I'm whites sorely oppressed by the
servants in the Masters Hall"
us Tits the changing scenes of the
story like a flowing, beautiful gar
ment' The synchronizing of this
music to the film, best of all en-
Titled the producer to his well-earned
laurel OF having created new art: