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. Come out and join.
-^
v
♦♦♦ & (n* (D* d> <n» <n» <ij? ♦♦♦
A I I I ip
❖ :»:
| The Call of Economy |
I Saturday, December 28 l
I DOLLAR DAY !
*♦* Get your dollars ready. Change your twos, fives and tens into ones. It will greatly ,J,
*% facilitate matters and save you time. We have tried to provide quantities of articles for
all, but cannot promise these big bargains for more than one day. New merchandise spe- *♦«
cially priced for this big bargain day w'ill be remembered for many months to come. We
always sell dependable merchandise at lowest prices.
*♦* We wish all of our customers a Happy and Prosperous New' Year. V
1 PHILIP’S DEPARTMENT STORE |
♦♦♦ - -
♦♦♦ 4935-37-39 South 24th, South Side. THE GOV- V
V WE NEED . ERNMENT V
♦% MORE The Fastest Growing Store in Omaha. SAYS DO *•*
V ROOM. “WATCH US GROW.” NOT BUILD Y
♦> - - V
v
1 I
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We have moved our office Down Town
Right Into Heart of Business District ||
We Wish You a
Happy N ew Year
Thomas Kilpatrick & Co.
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Telephone Webster 880 f J
