The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-08-20
under fire OF
GERMAN GUNS FOR
NEARLY 4 HOURS
Experiences of Mrs. Gish
and Daughters Who Ap-
pear in Hearts Of
the World"

Under actual fire in the British and
French trenches at intervals cover |
Ing a period of more than eighteen
months, was the nerve-racktng exper
lenee Of Lillian and Dorothy GIsh,
noted motion picture stars, who with
their mother accompanied David Wark
Griffith to the very front line trench
es of France to secure the import
ant scenes for Hearts of the World"
the new Griffith masterpiece to be
seen at Polls, eight days commencing
Sept, Is,
The Gish family, with Robert Har-
ron, Josehpine Crowesb Kate Bruce,
MaSter Ben Alexander (six years of
age), Robert Anderson, George Faw-
cett George A. Siegmann and others
who appear in "Hearts of the World"
were under bombardment on three Sc
parate occasions, and in one instance
! the attack lasted for four hours, 1t
ls Interesting also to learn that Mr..
Griffith was the first American to
enter the front line trenches, This
was of course before the United
States entered the world-war.
For eighteen long months these
players were with Mr.. Griffith, and
their stories OF suffering are by all
odds the most interesting ever told by
players for the motion picture camera.
AS result of their experience, the
two G4sh girls were for a long time
almost nervous wrecks, while their
mother suffered from hysteria for
many weeks after her return to the
United States,
And yet the very surprise of the
Griffith production Is the fact that 1t
Is not, in any sense, a war picture To
the contrary, Mr.. Griffith himself
describes his work rs "a love story Of
the war" It is further stated that
for more than forty minutes after the
story begins, one sees only a picture
Of peaceful, happy country life, such
as one might have found in small
French village before the war broke
out, The war that comes after mere
ly Is used as a background for the
drama, Yet while the picture is not
propaganda in any sense of the word
It is a terrific arraignment of the Ger
mans that its principal appeal is said
to be something sublime, and it
arouses the most intense feeling of
sympathy for the unfortunate victims
of the millstones of war who were
crushed between the opposing armies.
In producing Hearts of the
World Mr.. Griffith has cleverly in
terwoven stirring battle scenes into a
number Of the incidents in which the
Gish girls and their brave little moth
er are the principal players. Many
Of the most beautiful scenes were Sc
cured by Lillian and Dorothy Gish on
the very battle1elds where but a few
hours before men had fought and
died.
Now that the Gish family and the
other players are back in the United
States and resting in their comfort
able home in California, they laugh
ingly tell of how Lillian lost fifteen
pounds as the result of her expert
ences near the firing line, and how
Mrs. Gish was just thirty pounds light
er when she stepped from the gang
plank and planted her foot once more
on American soil. Miss Dorothy Gish
odd not lose any weight, but 1t is said
by those who accompanied her that
the young lady invariably went into
Mysteries the moment the first CUR
was fired and continued crying unit
the bombardment was over. Under
the circumstances no one will blame
Dorothy for being hysterical, for Ger.
tainly there is no greater instance OF
personal bravery than to think OF
these two young girls, accompanied BY
their mother, going into the very
danger zone to enact for the screer
this great drama of love.