WARFARE IN MOVING PICTURES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2705, 26 February 1916, Page 6

WARFARE IN MOVING PICTURES

OFFICIAL CINEMA-PHOTOS AT THE BATTLE FRONT. In order to give the people at home an idea of what life at tlie front'is really like, a cinematograph record of some of tho British Army's adventures in France'and Flanders is being taken, with tho express approval of the Army Council. The 'result bids fail' to be a series of the most vivid ivar pictures that have yet been obtained. Tho first film was released on January 17 by Messrs. Gaumont, who, with Messrs. Jury, are the official cinematographcrs of tho Army for the time being. It will be about 500 ft. long, and will, therefore, take ten minutes to show. Four more films of the same length will be released subsequently at intervals of a week, making 2500 ft. in all, or enough for nearly an hour's entertainment if exhibited consecutively. All the profits 011 the sale or hiro of the films will go to funds for the soldiers. The two skilled operators sent to the front have been having a fairly warm time in tlio trenches, for it has been necessary that they should get to tho closest possible quarters with bursting shells and fighting men. _ Filming a battery of 9.2 British howitzers in "action was one of their most thrilling experiences, but in a few days they got so used to being ill the firing line that tlicy took 110 more notice of the German "strafing" than tho Tommies themselves. _ ' Some fine pictures were obtained of the air service, of machine-guns at work, and of tho Canadian and Indian contingents. There will also bo plenty of cheery scenes from tho "homo life" of the lads in their dug-outs. The great beauty of the series, especially from the point of view of the blase picturehouse patron, will be that all'the films will carry tho War Office guarantee of genuineness. "Faking," and even posing, have been strictly forbidden.