CINEMATOGRAPH BATTLE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14759, 1 September 1913, Page 7

CINEMATOGRAPH BATTLE.

I "IVANHOE" PERFORMERS FIGHT I IN EARNEST. SEVERAL CASUALTIES. ("Times"-Sydney "Sun" Special Cable.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Received August 31st, 7.25 p.m.) LONDON. August 30. Five thousand persons are employed in acting "Ivanhoo" near Chepstow Castle for a cinematograph company. During a battle scene many.of these engaged lost their heads and fought in earnest. There were a number of casualties. , A London newspaper man sat on the ' battlements of Chepstow Castle recently and watched Ivanhoo and Robin Hood storm tho stronghold and daro tho swords and maces of Reginald Front do Bosuf and Brian de Bois Guiibort. When tho mail-dhd men-at-arnis and the bowmen in Lincoln green had fought their way through tho gato and gained tho courtyard, a perspiring gentleman with a megaphone ordered them back again, and asked in bitter tones if the corpses would •bo good enough to lie still on the next occasion. An historic drama was being "staged" for a firm of film manufacturers and a picture had been spoiled because somo bare-legged attackers, stricken by arrows from tho ramparts above, had irolied down into a bod of stingmgnettlos at tho edgo of tho moat. But the scene was realistic enough, and tho old castlo rang to such sounds as had not echoed within its walls for several centuries. Tho Tower of London echoed to the clash of armed men in the early hours of the morning, one day early in July, but never a head was broken. Saxon i and Norman fought in the moat and up by. the gates, and the sentries of tho King beheld tho battle, and two men with cinematograph machines turned the cameras on tho fights gallantly fought by the * Tva.nlioe" company, late of the Lyceum Theatre. When the series of encounters that began at sis o'clock ended threo hours Inter, Saxons and Normans crowded pell-mell into the waiting motoromnibuses that brought thero to the Tower, and back they were carried to the Lyceum Theatre to doff their arms and armour before sitting down, on the stage, to breakfast. Hardly a man of them knew that he was supposed to have fought at the Castle of Torquilstone, and with a good meal under each belt and a feo for tho fighting done, all were well content to let it bo-