SAD SIDE OF CINEMATOGRAPHS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 229, 2 November 1909, Page 2

SAD SIDE OF CINEMATOGRAPHS

In order to procure accurate representations of "dramas in real life" by cinematograph, it is sometimes neccesaiy for the operator to run considerable risk—risk which more than once has ended in a fatal accident.

One sueli tragedy occurred near Croydon in April two years ago. The picture wanted had to represent the action of f. Irave am! intelligent dog bringing aid to his master, a ganger, who had been hft unconscious across tile metals by some train wreckers, whom he had interrupted as they were placing sleepers on the line.

The scene chosen for the enactment of the tableau was a quiet siding outside Stoat's Nest Station, and all went well until the engine came along. Then, owing to a misunderstanding, the driver did not pull up in time. The unfortunate representing the ganger was caught by a Hying sleeper and suffered such injuries that he died a few hours later. One day, in June last, the steamboat pier at liellevuc, near Paris, was the scene of a really horrible tragedy of a similar type. In one of the scenes enacted before the lens of the cinematograph camera, a suicide is supposed to liing himself into the river and drown. The actor chosen to play the part was a well-known acrobat named Otreps. At the appointed moment he jumped far out into the Seine, and struggled and shouted in so tensely realistic n manner that tiie crowd, who were looking on. clapped their hands and cheered. Presently he sank, but as this was part of the "business," 110 one was surprised. Seconds grew to minutes, 'Otreps did not reappear. There were shouts for ft boat. Ken pulled out, hut there was no sign of the poor fellow. It was not unt'l an hour later that his dead body was recovered.

He had been seized by cramp, and shouts for assistance had been taken for clever acting. It was another French film company which accepted for reproduction a scenario called ''The Lover's Revenge." in which a runaway horse flings itself over a precipice, and some employees of the company were instructed to'obtain such a picture. Will it be believed that these ruffians actually brought an old blind horse, and harnessing it to a light cart, flogged the animal until, in its pain and terror, it dashed away and actually Tung itself over a cliff three hundred feet high on to the rocks below?

The blackguards were arrested and fined twelve shillings each, this by French Idw being' the maximum penalty for the offence of cruelty to animals. Speaking of animals, Mr. F. Mart'n Duncan, the well-known naturalist, has had many adventures whilst taking living pictures of wild animals. Once he nad erected "nis cinematograph appar--Ins in a tiger's cage at Carl Hngenbek's great zoo at Hamburg, when one of the tigers lost its temper, gave n furious growl, and went clap nt him. Fortunately. the camera was in the ivnv. This the brute knocked down ,md seized, crunching it to pieces between its long, sharp fangs, Uatnrally, Mr. Duncan lost no time in eseapin? from the cng>. Other naturalists who have risked their lives to secure a photogranh of a charging wild beast are Mr. Echvnrd Preble and Mr. Ernest Thompson fieton, who recently iouriicved to the Crcat Slave Lake. The party siahted a mnsl; IX. a big. shaggy brute, with wicked red PVOS.

"Now." said Air. Preble to-Al>. Seton. "If you'll touch the button. T'll do tile r»st. Tto stepped forward, ride in hail', .Mid Ml', Set on followed with the enmern. The moment the music ox saw him, down lie came.

Tlio nlucVy men waited till he \vn= ■vitliin fifty yards. Then the eamcra heAI twenty yards Mr. i mile s rifle spoke.

The fierce lirnlte crashed dead at Mr ■etnn s very feet..