THE BIRTH OF A NATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 4405, 24 November 1916, Page 6

THE BIRTH OF A NATION.

One of the most stupendous picture productions ever made is acknowledged to be "The Birth of. a Nation," which will be presented in the Opera House bv J. C. Williamson, Ltd., for a. short season, commencing to-morrow afternoon. It is claimed, with some show of reason, to be the biggest and most important picture-film _ ever ■screened. It ha s further claims t° fame in its fascination as a romantic love storv. and the brilliant materialisation of stirring events which have occurred in our times, and which have made history of a great and far-reach-ing nature. It is founded on the story of "The Clansman,” which is as neaiiv the literal truth as a novel can record, and proabbly much more reliable than the "history” of threefourths' of the nations of the civilised world "The Birth of a Nation” begins and ends in the early ’sixties of last century, and all the events save the love fictions, are vyell within the memory of men now living. I'he Civil War in America furnishes the many mo vino- battle scenes with which the first part of this extraordinary pic-ture-show is punctured. These scenes lead up to the defeat of the feouth the surrender of Lee. and the emancipation of the negroes followed witu alarming rapidity by the assassination of President Lincoln by the actoi, Wilkes Booth. The second portion of "The Birth of a Nation” is no less thrilling and exciting, for it deals with the running amok of the emancipated negroes of the South, and the drastic; steps taken by the formation of the Ku Klux Klan, which took the law into its own hands and dealt out justice and punishment, illegally, no doubt, but justifiably suppressing tic mad license of the intoxicated neoroes and eventually bringing about "The Birth of a Nation” m the restoration of sane legislation, aiM tiie real Union of the. Northern and southern states of America. D 1 W Griffith, the producer of 'J oe Birth of a Nation,” now running .simultaneously in Sydney and Melbourne, spent months in securing the tvpes of artists he required for tw great, picture spectacle. Mr Griffith visited many cities, and inspected manv stage and picture people before he made his selection. Every character was filled by a particular type of artist, best suited to represent that character. It is recorded that a n ell known theatrical manager, in Ne* York, said to Mr Gnffitn:. "Mel . I am surprised to see that you picked so-and-so for that part” (rneptioning a certain role). "He is positively the worst actor I have ever had. M li> • lie is so stiff that he doesn’t even know what to do with his hands. J niu is the verv reason I engaged him, retorted Mr Griffith. “I wanted a stiff, unnatural actor for a stilt tvpe of a part. The man you mention nts it like a Move.” The plans for the entire season aie now open at [Ferguson’s. -