THE MAN WHO MADE “DAWN.”

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1928, Page 4

THE MAN WHO MADE “DAWN.”

•'Hy Iris Barry). Though the men wlio make films are usually less interesting to the public than arc the men and women who am pear in them, at the moment the name of Herbert Wilcox, who made the NurSe Cavell film which the German Government'does not wish us to see. is on everyone's lips. A slight, dark young man, cleanshaven, witii the bluest of Irish eyes, Mr Wilcox was born in Cork in 1892, educated at Brighton, and not long; before the war was sent abroad for his health. His own humorous version of the se(|Uel is that, returning to England in August 191-1, and lielieveing he had only a few months to live, he determined to enjoy the life that remained to him. With some 'young companions, on August 4 he joined the crowds assembled before Buckingham Palace. What happened between that and the next morning lie will never know, hut when he awoke lie was informed" that he had joined the Army. After a year in the ranks he was gazetted to the Buffs and transferred to the Flying Corps. In the in-

tervals of flying in France —with one bad crash—he acted as flying instructor to the first American flying squadron that came over. He boxed for the Flying Corps at 9st 41b.

The war over, he went into the film-renting business in Feeds. On meeting Mr Graham Cutts, then managing a cinema in Newcastle, Mr Wilcox suggested that they should produce a film together. Neither of them knew anything about film making, hut their joint effort “The Wonderful Story,” produced for loss than .£2.099, was an artistic, though not a signal commercial, success.

Mr Wi Icox was tile first British director to bring an American screen star to ibis country," when Mac Marsh appeared in “Flames of Passion.” His

“Chu C’hin Chow,” made in Berlin, was the first Anglo-German production after tho war. “Southern Love,” made in Vienna, was the first film to lie trade shown at the Albert Hall. Then came “The Only Way,” followed by the engagement of Miss Dorothy Gish to play in “Nell Gwyn.” Held up half-way through for lack of money, which, however, was forthcoming eventually, this picture cost £22,000, and has, it is stated, played to date to over £IOO.OOO. It was the first British film to bo shown on Broadway after the war. The three films, “London,” “Tiptoes,” and “Madame Pompadour,” which he made for the company that built the new studios at Elstree, and in which he was the first man to work, were followed by “Mumsee. with Miss Pauline Frederick. It was the fact that Mr Wilcox had Miss Frederick on contract, but lacked a suitable story for her, that first gave him the idea of making the Nurse Cavell film, which he felt would give an actress he much adninbs n role of which she would be - worthy, plans had been hiade, Miss

Frederick had to return to America. That Miss Thorndike consented to interpret the heroic role of Nurse Cavell, that the picture was produced last autumn, and what happened to it at the British Film Censor’s office after Sir Austen Chamberlain had intervened in the matter arc facts known by everyone.