Mammoth Race Production Finally Released Much Heralded “Birth of a Race” Photoplay Makes Debut Sunday, December 1st at Chicago’s Most Fashionable Theater, the Black stone. (Special to The Monitor.) CHICAGO, ILL.—After more than one year of troublesome times, “The Birth of a Race” made its in itial bow for public favor Sunday eve ning, December 1, at the famous Blackstone theater, the home of Chi cago’s elite. In this most fashionable theater in the most cosmopolitan city of the na tion, was released what is destined to be either one of those epoch-mak ing photodramatic productions of the “Griffith class;” or one of the most colossal tragedies in the history of the screen. More than a year ago the idea was conceived by a group of some of the best known white and Colored friends of the race to promote a mammoth photoplay entitled “The Birth of a Race” as an answer to D. W. Girf fith’s great picture of Thomas Dixon’s story of Reconstruction Days. With this idea in mind a corporation was organized under the laws of Delaware with a capital Stock of $1,000,000 di vided into 100,000 shares, par value $10. Headquarters were established in Chicago and Edwin L. Barker, for merly of the Barker-Swan Film Serv ice, was elected president. The fi nancing of the proposition was en »*♦ «W**% ♦% ♦% ♦% ♦% • trusted to the stock brokerage firm of Giles P. Corey & Co., of Chicago, as fiscal agents. Very elaborate literature was cir culated including a prospectus which gave as its argument “Organized for the production and exhibition of the master photoplay ‘The Birth of a Race’—an entertaining motion picture of racial understanding. The true story of the Negro—his life in Africa, his transportation to America, his en slavement, his freedom, his achieve ments, together with his past, pres ent and future relations to his white neighbor and to the world in which both live and labor.” Among its list of officers and prominent persons “interested and assisting” appear the names of some of the most noted men in the nation, viz: Julius Rosenwald, J. C. Napier, Bishop I. B. Scott, Mrs. Booker T. Washington, Wm. H. Taft, Wm. D. Jclks, etc. The Selig Poly scope Co. of Chicago was named as the producers. A national stock selling campaign was inaugurated with alluring in I vestment ads in leading w'hite Sunday daily papers worded in part as fol lows: “If the ‘Birth of a Race’ returns as much as ‘The Birth of a Nation’ every $100 you invest will return $1,000. If as much as ‘Traffic in Souls’ every $100 will give you $3,000. Every $1,000, $30,000. Write for full details, etc.” Stock salesmen also scoured the country, selling indiscrim inately to both whites and blacks; with the result that prior to March 16, 1918, 7,000 stockholders had invested approximately $140,000, the entire amount of which was spent in pro duction work in Tampa, Fla., alone, with only one-half of the production completed. It was" then estimated that it would take $450,000 more. Seemingly the indorsements of Ex President Taft, Julius Rosenwald and other prominent men was secured as to the theme of the picture, but not in commendation of the stock project. January 1, 1918, the blue sky law of the state of Illinois went into effect and under this law Giles P. Corey was arrested and fined $1,000 for vio lation of the law, plead guilty and paid the fine. About this time “The Billboard” came out with an expose of the methods of the promotion of the corporation, which resulted in a repudiation of the use of the names of M -. Taft and Mr. r.oseow-ald in the stock selling campaign. About this time the Selig Co. dropped out, and arrangements were made with the Frohman Amusement Co. of New York to complete the production. This firm started work in Tampa, Florida, and filmed the wonderful pro log of biblical events in episodical form including scenes of the Christ period; the Noah period and Creation. This part alone cost $140,000 and is considered by critics to be excellent pictorial work, considerable credit for which is to be given Geo. Frederick Wheeler, formerly of Triangle Film Co., who in association with John W’. Noble, did the direction and research work. For reasons not given to the public the Frohman Amusement Co. quit pro duction work in the middle of its con tract. An attempt was made to con tinue the production work through in dependent filming by various parties. Owing to war conditions a change in the plans was made and certain phases concerning the advancement of the Negro were dropped out. The ♦>♦>♦>♦>♦>♦>♦!♦****♦!•* second part was converted into a modern war drama, very different in treatment and effect and according to critics “melodramatic in the ex treme and full of inconsistiencies.” Here after months of trouble, the production was finally made ready at the Rothdaker Film plant in Chicago and released to the public at $1.50 per admission in Chicago’s finest theater, which was leased for one month at $6,000. Its change in treatment has j so converted it into a war propaganda film that the original idea of moulding public sentiment into contra-distinc tion to that of the Griffith produc tions has been entirely lost. Critics differ as to the merits of the production. Genevieve Harris in the Chicago Evening Post writes: “The result is a truly great photo play.” .... “The Birth of a ! Race” is a picture worth seeing. It i is a long picture, but there is little j of it that you want to sacrifice. It is | a fine piece of photodramatic pro duction, a clean, sincere and beauti ^ ful picture drama.” The New York “Variety” Chicago correspondent has a different idea and writes: “The most grotesque cinema chimera in the history of the picture business had its debut and in all probability its de mise.” .... “As long as the stockholders patronize the film busi ness will be done. After the stock holders have seen the picture its day will be done. That is, unless by some amazing freak of public taste and press manipulation, it should get over.” The Chicago “Billboard” writes, “The picture is perhaps the worst conglomeration of mixed purposes and attempts ever thrown together.” It is to be regretted that such a fine conceived idea should have reach- , ed such a ignoble end. Financied by public subscriptions and philanthropi es! bequests and produced without thought of financial profits would have enabled the undertaking to have exerted its beneficial influence through successful promotion of bet ter understanding, sympathetic and helpful relationship between the north and south, white and black as j to deserve the highest commendation ' of the entire world. ■ ■ ■ — -. RED CROSS ROLL CALL --1 - Colored Citizens Respond Generously, Although Difficult to Separate Their Subscriptions From the Gen eral Total. Omaha has again gone “over the ' top” in the Christmas drive for mem berships in the Red Cross. The num ber enrolled is 85,000. A great show- j ’ ing. The purpose of the drive this j year was not so much the raising of j money, as the securing of members emphasizing the united strength of the people back of the movement. j The Colored citizens again, as always, ' did their share. A conservative esti mate would place the number of our memberships at about 2,000. It is, j however, difficult to separate our sub- 1 scriptions from the general total, be cause the great majority gave to the general solicitors instead of through : the special committee as was done last year. The whole city was dis- j tricted and combed by energetic can- 1 vassers, so that none was permitted to j escape. Then, too, many gave where they are employed. The district in which Mrs. Dan Desdunes and her j lieutenants, Mesdames A. G. Edwards, \ H. J. Pinkett, S. B. Canty, Roy Robin son and T. Wheeler worked reported ; over 1,100 members secured by the women workers alone. Of this num- ' ber Mrs. Desdunes committee reported ; 130 or about one-ninth of the total. ! This illustrates how the people j I worked. The Colored employees of i I the Cudahy Packing company through j Mrs. Mary Cage reported over 300 members. — | FREMONT, NEBRASKA, NEWS By C. Herndon A Tindsley has recovered from a | lecent attack of influenza and has ; i etu'-ned to his duties at the station. Mr. and Mrs. John Berry are the | parents of a fine baby girl. The two children of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Brannon have been having quite a serious time with an infection of the | throat. James Thomas, who has been sta- j tioned at Fort Logan H. Root doing ! clerical work, has been promoted to ! the 17th receiving battalion 67th Com pany ■ at Camp Pike. Mr. and Mrs. A1 Williams welcomed a bouncing baby boy. The graded department of St. John’s A. M. E. Sunday school is preparing to give an Xmas program Xmas night to which everyone is welcome. Mr. W. M. Durgin is suffering from an attack of influenza. At last rep *ts Lieutenant C. R. Brannon, who is a member of the 92d division, 368th infantry, was expecting to be returned home soon, but later reports give the information that the order has been cancelled which we suppose means longer service abroad. Subscribers are asked to please bring in their subscriptions to The Monitor office, 304 Crounse block. Smoke John Raskin 6c Cigar. Big gest and Best.—Adv. HONOR THE MEMORY OF WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON The National Association for the Ad vancement of Colored People Holds Enthusiastic Meeting. By Walter J. Singleton Special to The Monitor, Omaha, Neb. ASHINGTON, D. C.—The Dis trict of Columbia branch of the National Association for the Ad vancement of Colored People cele brated the one hundred and thirteenth anniversary of the birth of William Lloyd Garrison at the Metropolitan A. M. E. church, on the evening of December 11, in the presence of a very large and enthusiastic audience. The general topic deemed appropri ate for discussion in connection both with the times and the special oc casion was, “What Is the Negro to Get Out of the War?” The speak ers were Roscoe C. Bruce, assistanf superintendent of schools; James Weldon Johnson, organizer for the N. A. A. C. P., and J. S. Shillady, secretary of the N. A. A. C. P. Mr. Archibald H. Grimke presided at the meeting, and following his usual prac tice, made quite extended remarks. At the conclusion of Mr. Grimke’s remarks a statement of principles was read to the meeting, which at the close of the speeches, on motion of Mr. L. M. Hershaw, was adopted by the assemblage. This statement expressed gratitude for the life and labors of William Lloyd Garrison; called attention to the war just closed and to the de clared purpose for which the United States entered it, namely, “to make the world safe for democracy;” it called attention to the principles enunciated at the birth of the na tion in the Declaration of Independ ence, and to the subsequent incor poration of those principles in the constitution of the United States; it enumerated lynching, inadequate school advantages, denial of the bal lot, and segregation in travel and in working conditions as evils re quiring redress and correction. Mr. Bruce’s speech was prepared w-ith great care and delivered with the clearness of enunciation and ex cellence of elocution which make him always a pleasing speaker. He dealt very largely with the educational phases of reconstruction after the war, and in addition insisted that a reconstruction on democratic prin ciples should embrace the repeal of all laws recognizing distinction of race, even to laws forbidding inter marriage of the races; not that Col t ored men advocate or desire to marry women of the race designated as white, for most emphatically they do not. But such laws are an insult to any self-respecting human being. No man worthy of any sort of respect wants to be catalogued in the statute books as not eligible to marry any human being, even though in his own thought he might not desire to do so. Mr. Johnson set forth most ef fectively the work of the N. A. A. C. P. It was his first appearance in Washington as a public speaker, and he created a most favorable impres sion. Mr. Shillady was received with tumultuous applause, and made a plea / for the replenishing of the lynching fund, by means of which the N. A. A. C. P. conducts investigations of lynchings. He said the only appre ciably effect that President Wilson’s pronouncement against lynching had had, was to suppress publication of their occurrence. THE N. \. A. C. P. HOLDS INTERESTING MEETING Earnest Discussion Anent Delegate to Peace Conference—Bishop Scott Expected as Speaker Next Sunday. The local branch of the N. A. A. C. P. held another interesting meeting last Sunday afternoon at St. John’s A. M. E. church. Owing to a mis understanding as to dates Bishop Scott did not arrive in the city for Sunday, but is expected next Sunday. A lively discussion on the subject, “Resolved, That an American Negro Should Be Present at the Peace Con ference,” occupied the session. Those * ' participating in the discussion were: Messrs. Thomas Reese, M. F. Single ton, W. H. Ransom, George Scott, A. Rayford, the Rev. W. C. Williams, Mrs. Moss, Mrs. Peebles and Mrs. Rayford. The position taken by the affirmative was that our people be cause; of their unique position should have representation. The negative maintained that as American citizens we are represented by the American representatives and that international questions not domestic differences are to 1)0 settled at the peace table. Our problem is to demand our rights from the government to which we belong. The forum will meet next Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock and it is ex pected that Bishop Scott who is sched uled to be in the city will deliver an address. The public is invited. The Omaha branch of the N. A. A. C. P. has a membership now of 110. It 'y ought to be 500. 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