WAR AND THE CINEMA MEN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2298, 31 October 1914, Page 8

WAR AND THE CINEMA MEN

! POOR PROSPECTS FOR THE ; "MOVIES" ■ 1 "You may liko to hear what are the 1 chances for photography or cinemato- ■ graphy during this war," remarks Evan ■ Strong in "The Bioscope" of August ; 20. "1 would answer, having been in ■ tho mill, none at all, at any rate, not I at present. For days it was death to ■ venture in the streets of Brussels with 1 a camera. It is better now, but still, • the man alone must be wary. Tho au--1 thorities put tho bann on photography, • tho mob made it impossible To try and take a picture was to risk death. The camera was the badge of a spy, and the mob would tear a suspect limb from limb df the guards did not arrest • him first. If the former was hazard- • ous the latter was decidedly unpleasant. To bo taken as a spy meant to be tried . by court-martial with the possibility . of a bullet within twenty-four hours. "A friend of mine was arrested twelve times in one day—and he had left his apparatus at home 1 When ho asked for a permit to take pictures the authorities told him they would not expose him to the risk even with a guard of soldiers. The spy fever has simmered down somewhat now that about a hundred spies havo been 6hot in Brussels. The photographers have their permits from the gendarmerie, hut they are not allowed out of the town. There is no chance of going to the front, but perhaps, later, when the Germans are driven back and the mists roll away from the general disposition of tho troops they will get an opportunity to move. That is tho hope', out the einematographor hardly snares it. He is told'that the British military authorities are against cineniatographors going to the front, and I know it is not only the Belgians who are raising obstacles, the.French also have put up tho bar. If the war develops as we hope it will, no doubt, this strict resorve will be slackened u little. Perhaps we shall be allowed to follow in the rear of the successful armies, hut pictures cf fighting, I imagine, are out of tho question. "While I was there a squadof' German prisoners were brought in. Just outside tho station a huge exultant crowd was gathered, enthusiastic and interested, but still retaining a moiety of native politeness, and some commiseration for the unfortunates. There was no hostile demonstration, .hut a man who brought out a camera and endeavoured to snap a picture wa6 roughly handled and had his apparatus smashed to atoms before the police could interfere. The difficulties of the cinomatographer, naturally, are infinitely, worse than thoso'of the ordinary'still-picture He has, for such times, a cumbersome apparatus to trail about.with, and this impedes his action, for he cannot 6ot it-up, toko Mb picture, and hustle it away before tho crowd become aware of his intentions. What his difficulties will be when he gets up country, if he gets away from Brussels) at.all, are impossible to guess."