ICELAND AS A FILM RESORT

Dunstan Times, Issue 3144, 20 November 1922, Page 8

ICELAND AS A FILM RESORT

(By G. A. Atkinson.) Even Mr Henry Victor, who looks like a young Greek godi, has to scratch for a living with the rest of us. This necessity recently took Henry on as film expedition to Iceland, where he nearly bad! his beauty spoilt. It 'was originally the fault of Sir Half Caine, who carelessly placed the setting of "The Prodigal Son" in Iceland. As British film producers bavo a passion for correct local temporary base of operations had to be established at Reykjavik, where the sun is anything but prodigal. "Iceland," said Henry thoughtfully, "has the makings of a fine country if any one knew how to reassemble it. What is primarily needed is some method of utilising the heat of the volcanoes to melt the glaciers. Tlie lava, problem would stiff remain. What can one do with a- wilderness of lava where no vegetation grows, not even a- blade of glass? Iceland is not wholly without trees. Wo counted several. It is one of the local amusements. If you asked an Icelander to point out some special object- of national interest he would probably take you to see a tree." The leading man's impression of Iceland is confirmed by Mr A. E. Coleby, producer of this new Stoll film. "Iceland," said Mr Coleby, alluding to the country's volcanic foundation, "is hell. I say this with full' ecclesiastical authority. At Reykjavik we fell in with a bishop, from whom, we concealed our admiration for his diocese while complimenting him on his zeal and fortitude'. He gently waved the honor aside." "Don't you live in Iceland?" asked Mr Coleby. The bishop paused for a considered reply. "If I were told that T had to live in Iceland." be said with quiet emphasis, "I should go straight into my gun-room and shoot myself. My home, by choice, is in the north of Scotland, and I simply go to Iceland for the salmon fishing.'' . "He said, 'By choice,'" reiterated Mr Coleby. "That will give you a clear-cut cameo impression of Iceland.'' On one expedition in search of "back-grounds" the party were caught by a blizzard at the bead of a. glacier, and bad to remain in their tent for three days and nights. There were occasional lulls, during which they obtained the scenes required. "Night," by the way, is a term of small significance during the northern summer season. "Icelanders," said Mr Victor, are extremely hospitable folk with picturesque national costumes that look well in film settings. Most of the inhabitants who were not positively bedridden will bo seen in The Prodigal Son ' "One finds the English classics in almost everv home, and even the ordinary folk seem able to talk literary English interlUded with quotations from Dickens and Shakespeare. In the little farmhouses, father sits, down and reads aloud extracts from English authors, while tlie girls and mother sew, and the boys fashion wooden toys and lea-ther-work." It was a Jules Verne hero, chimed in Mr Colebv, "who made himself comfortable in Iceland by going into the crater of a volcano. Personally, I wore two sets of underclothes, a woollen jersey, an ordinary waistcoat, a thick sports coat, and a military fur-lined ovorocat. These precautions did not save me from getting wet to the skin on glaciers." Iceland seems to lack some of tlie attractions that make the Riviera popular. ___^