The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-02-23
WHAT BECAME OF
PROPOSED MOVIE
OF LOST COLONY
Film Proved A Failure And
Now Contributors Are
Asked for Suggestions

of $4,000 was contributed by
citizens and business interests in
Dare County and Northeast North
Carolina to make a movie of
scenes from the Lost Colony, and
points of interest in Dare County.
The object was to get this film
circulated throughout the state
and nation to advertise Dare
county and the Lost Colony with
the objective of attracting more
patronage. Starting with the orr
ginal plan advanced by Kay Kyser
to simply boost the Los Colony,
the idea developed into a more
elaborate plan for a travelogue.
Somebody from New York came
down and made a picture, but
when it was finally delivered Sc
veral months later, it was consid-
cred so unsatisfactory that it was
thought best by those who knew,
not to send it out. There had been
advanced to the producer some
$1,000 on the job, and the COM
mittee later paid $350.24 to a man
to take it around the state and
give preliminary showings.
The result has been that no ben
efits in the way of advertising
came last year from the film, nor
was any effort made for retake
last summer while the show was
on. During the months since then,
many people have asked this
newspaper to tell them what hap
pened to the project.
The following information from
a letter written by w. D. Carmi-
chael to William M. Hardy, Cen
eral Manager of The Lost Colony
presents the situation, and invites
the donors of the funds to come
forward with their opinion as
what is best to do with the re-
manning funds:
Gas of today, there are $780,
$3.50 in the fund. This means
that $350.24 were spent last year
for the man who was hired brief
ly to take the film around the
State.
GAS you will recall when the
prints of the film finally arrived
it was decided that so little "im-
agineering" had gone into the
making of the film and so much
of the photograph was washed
out" and uninteresting, that the
showings of the film made the
Lost Colony seem m ew h
washed up
various conversations have
been had with the people who
made the film, Jonathan Daniels
Kay Kyser, Guy Lennon, Paul
Green, Sam Selden, John Park
er, and in fact, just about every
body who has seen the film, in
Guiding the people on the Island
They all feel that it should be
made over; but, to date, no ar
engagements have been made to dc
this.
81 suggest Mr.. Sharpe appoint
a small committee, consisting OF
Mr.. Lennon, at least one other
person from the Island, and Mr.
Kay Kyser, to confer with the
makers of the first film and de-
termine what can be done about
it. My own feeling is that the
story of the Lost Colony should
be told by photographing scenes
around the chapel with the bap-
tismal scene photographed "real-
istically" inside the chapel itself
rather than having it a picture OF
scene from the pageant. Similar
ly, scenes of fighting between the
'Colonists and the Indians would
be much more effective if done in
the nearby woods rather than as
a picture of the play.
"For some reason, even in Hol-
.lywood, no one has yet succeeded
in photographing action designed
for the confines of the theatre
proscenium and made it very dra-
matically effective as moving
picture. believe that this is the
basic defect of the shots of the
pageant in the present film.
ain summary, it seems to me
that what we are trying to do is
to stimulate the imagination and
interest of the people to the ex-
tent that they will make a trip
to Roanoke Island to solve the
mystery of the Lost Colony and
enjoy the vacation features of the
locality. Frankly, l don't think
that our present film beckons
anybody to Manteo.
There are two alternatives to
the above suggestion:
First, of course, is that set
Element be made with the produc-
ers of the present film and the
remaining money be returned to
the contributors on a pro-rata
basis, or
"Second, that this money be
turned over to the Treasurer of
1.-THE Lost Colony to be used as a
revolving fund to finance the pro-
tduction itself.
1T seems to me that the decis-