MACBETH ON THE FILM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1904, 12 November 1913, Page 5

MACBETH ON THE FILM.

THE FINAL SCENE TAKEN. I'MACDUFF AT THE WHEEL OF THE I MOTOR-CAR. Tho _ "filming" of "Macbeth,' 1 begun at Heidelberg recently, was completed at Sir Hubert von Herkoincr's house- at Busliey at the end of September. Only ono scene was required to make tho perfect, film. It was the letter reading in the first act, and Sir Hubert von Ber-komes-'s treasure of a liouse (called Lnlulaund) provided an ideal background i'or it. Ihe house is built like a mediaeval castle—an antique and monumental (iermfiii .sciiloss, which will stand as a lasting memorial to the- 'generations of Herkomers who prepared tho decorative stene, wood, and metal work for an edifice which is a combination of dwellinghouse aiicl temple of decorative art. To "Luhilaund," with all its rugged solidarity of aspect, Lady Macbeth and Macduff—all in costunio —repaired for the letter sc«ie. Macduff as a Chauffeur. They, drove to the Herkomer schloss in a motor-car, with the .rugged Mactlufr at the wheel—a delifcious mixture of aiicient and modern which surprised Bushey out of its Sunday aorning serenity. The three principals were Sir. Arthur Bourchier as Macboth, Miss Violet Vanburgh as Lady Macbeth, and Mr. Heatkcrjoy as Macduff. Th-ey were principals at the recent "filming" in Heidelberg, and hn.vo already spent- a fortnight in 1-ui.tied castles and cinema studious making "Macbeth" for the million. "Lululaund" provided these Shakespearean picture artists with an infinite variety of backgrounds. Sir Hubert pointed them out—bits of Roman Gothic and even American Architecture admirably suited as settings, and requiring no scenery. It was so much of a cinema paradise that one yjsitor, in all innocence, asked whether it was built l'or kinematograph work. A Shack tor Sir Poor Sir Hubert, whoso family have for 20 years devoted themselves to tho creat-ion of their unique home, nearly jumped out of his skin in astonishment at the question. The background finally chosen for playing tho scene was Sir Hubert's kitchen entrance. "Lululaund" is uniformly magnificent in respect of on' trances. The kitchen door is a work of architectural beauty. It has a wide, sweeping Rom,an arch mid two imposing recessed flights of stone steps—ono leading to tho kitchen and tho other to the pantry. "Beautiful," cried Mr. Boiirchier when lie saw it~"tietter than Hcidel-

berg." Bo Lady Macbeth mounted the steps under tho Roman archway, and started right away rehearsing tho letter-read-ing scene. Miss Violet Vanbmgh played it with astonishing power. Simplicity. It was Shakespeare tiiwfrr ideally simple conditions—no scenery but the kitchen door of the rugged' scliloss, and Lady Macbeth gowned only in a simple flowing robe. Macduff crossed the , film only for a moment. He mounted the stone steps to the right and disappeared. "He han gone into my larder," commented Sir Hubert von Herkomer uneasily.

Sir. Boureliier being satisfied with the rehearsal, the machines were set going to record the scene. Thoy rattled and clattered, like a factory--consumed hundreds of : feet of film, and seemed to give Ladv Macbeth just the required inspiration for a groat performance. The machine operators were proof against being lost iji admiration, for when Macbeth clasped. Lady Macbeth in his arms—a tender ombrnce which would liavfi'ltfoiight down a Shakespearean audience—the voice of the operator sang out: "Can't see anything of Mr, ISotirehter's face."

And what good would a film of "Macbeth" be without Maebet-li's face?