Category Archives: Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar (1913) 2

Famous Players Films, Julius Caesar, Straight adaptation, , , ,

Julius Caesar (1913), dir. unknown/Famous Players Films

No IMDb entry

Cast:
Julius Caesar: William Faversham
Portia: Julie Opp

“Of Interest to the Trade: Will Faversham Sign Contract?” Motography 10, no. 12 (Dec. 13. 1913):445. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/motography10elec#page/444/mode/2up/

William Faversham, now appearing on the Pacific Coast in “Julius Caesar,” is the latest of the world’s great actors to be approached by a moving picture concern with a rich offer for his services before the moving picture camera. Thomas H. Ince, managing director and vice president of the New York Motion Picture Corporation, has been negotiating for the last two weeks
with the actor to consent to appear in six photoplays, one of which shall be a presentation of Julius Caesar. According to Mr. Faversham’s manager, $50,000 was the offer made the star to appear in these plays.

Mr. Ince is prepared to erect a mammoth representation of a Roman Forum and Capitol on the Plateau near the Santa Monica studio for the big scenes in the Shakespearian drama and to provide mobs of upwards of one thousand supernumeraries for the crowd scenes. The contract Mr. Ince has offered Mr. Faversham calls for his return to Los Angeles at the conclusion of his present tour. It is understood that the deal will hang fire until Mr. Faversham’s present engagement is closed.

Advertisement: Variety 29, no. 1 (Dec. 6, 1912 ):183. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/variety29-1912-12#page/n259/mode/2up/

Advertisement: Moving Picture World 14, no. 12 (Dec. 21, 1912 ):1217. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/movinwor14chal#page/n1221/mode/2up/

“Famous Players Films,” Variety 21, no. 8 (Jan. 24, 1913):8. (excerpt) URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/variety29-1913-01#page/n127/mode/2up/

The Zukor Company plans elaborate film displays of Blanche Bates, who will likely follow Miss Barrymore’s picture, Henry E. Dixey, Sir Herbert Beerbohm-Tree, William Faversham and Julie Opp in “Julius Caesar,” Mrs. Minnie Maddern Fiske, Weber & Fields and others.

 

Julius Caesar (1913) 1

Edison Kinetophone, Julius Caesar, Straight adaptation, , , ,

Julius Caesar (1913), dir. Allen Ramsey/Edison Kinetophone

Cast:
Brutus: Antony Andre

Listing: Variety, no. 1 (March 7, 1913):30. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/variety30-1913-03#page/n29/mode/2up/

Listing: Variety 30, no. 1 (March 7, 1913):34. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/variety30-1913-03#page/n33/mode/2up/

“Orpheum,” Variety 30, no. 3 (March 21, 1913):27. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/variety30-1913-03#page/n109/mode/2up/

Listing: Variety 30, no. 4 (March 28, 1913):32. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/variety30-1913-03#page/n155/mode/2up/

“Washington, D. C.,”  Moving Picture News 7. no. 16 (April 19, 1913):29 (excerpt) URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/movingpicturenew07unse#page/n573/mode/2up/

The initial appearance of the Edison talking pictures in the capital of the nation marked an epoch in filmdom here. They are booked as a feature at Chase’s Theatre, Washington’s newest and handsomest playhouse, the home of polite vaudeville. With a seating capacity of 2,000, this theatre held a record of 10,000 patrons during the first three days of the advent of the talking pictures, and a goodly part of the audience of each show of one hour and a half remained for two performances to fully appreciate the new sensation of the latest Edison invention. They are wonderful and seem almost unreal on first hearing. The sound production with motion is fascinating and has already gripped the photoplay fan. The talking pictures shown for the first week at Chase’s were “A Descriptive Lecture” and “The Edison Minstrels.” The next offerings were “The Quarrel Scene” from Julius Caesar and ”The Temptation of Faust,” which were even more wonderful.

It means progress to the moving picture industry when a grand theatre like Chase’s turns to exclusive motion pictures for its summer season with a general admission of 10 cents from 1 o’clock to 11. Each show includes several kinemacolors, two talking pictures and several black and white reels, with a change of bill daily except with the kinetophones.

“Actors’ Free Services Asked for ‘Talkers’,” Variety 21, no. 13 (Feb. 28, 1913):7. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/variety29-1913-02#page/n129/mode/2up/

New Edison Talking Pictures Seeking Vaudeville Acts Without Compensation. Acts Refusing Through Danger of Having Time Cancelled Where Picture Previously Appears, or Want Big Money for Sacrifice. “Talkers” This Week Fall Down.

The vaudeville actor is resenting what is called an imposition attempted by John J. Murdock, of the Edison Talking Picture affair, through Murdock taking advantage of his position in the United Booking Offices in asking acts to speak and pose before the camera for nothing.

A danger to the vaudeville act of appearing before the camera and phonograph is the talking picture of themselves may be shown ahead of their appearance in cities booked through the U. B. O., when their time in those towns may be canceled, the pictures making themselves a return date. This the actor has thought of, also the lack of compensation promised. The value of an act posing for a talking picture is placed at $1,000. Exceptional cases of big headliners are quoted at from $3,000 to $5,000. These are the amounts paid by the Cameraphone, when that talking picture device had vaudeville acts to pose for it.

The Cameraphone was not successful, through not having a name as prominent as Thomas A. Edison’s identified with it. The Edison talker is the same as the Cameraphone, although the former is better synchronized. Hammerstein’s tried the Cameraphone, closing it at the first performance. This week the Edison talker has the “Quarrel Scene” from “Julius Caesar” and Truly Shattuck in her songs. Reports say the talking pictures flopped all over this week, where they were shown for the second time, either became the audiences were satisfied with one look last week or because of the subjects.

It is noticeable no vaudeville house booked by the U. B. O., is allowed to plate the talkers to close the show. This is probably for trade purposes, the promoters fearing the audience
would walk out on them the same as any ordinary black and white moving picture subject.

Applications for the use of the Edison talkers were so light this week at the United Booking Offices, it was reported a cut in the list of prices is being considered, in order to obtain a
wider area for the display, and to make a real showing with the Talkers in the financial department. It is also said Murdock has about concluded to waive the condition an exhibitor must contract for the picture over 13 weeks. This is what has stopped a great many managers from taking on the Talkers, they calculating that two or three weeks at the very most would wear out the usefulness of the device at the box office, leaving them with a large and unnecessary expense for the remaining ten weeks, that would eat up the profits of the extra patronage drawn at the commencement of the run.

The Talker is also said to be short of subjects, those on hand not being up to the “Caesar” scene, which has been generally condemned. F. F. Proctor expects the Talker will fizzle out very shortly, when the “novelty” will have worn out–in a very few days now. Then he will substitute Kinemacolor at the Fifth Avenue. The Truly Shattuck talking picture did not look good enough this week at the Fifth Avenue, and it became necessary to substitute the “Announcement” used last week, reinforced by the forum scene from “Julius Caesar.”

The talking picture people have exacted a three months’ contract with the Proctor theatres, but did not live up to their agreement, which was to deliver them last December. They exact a fee of $900 for installing the plant in addition to the cost of the weekly service.

“Fifth Avenue,” Variety 21, no. 13 (Feb. 28, 1913):21. (excerpt) URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/variety29-1913-02#page/n143/mode/2up/

The feature of the bill remained the Edison Talkers in pictures. An almost capacity house will probably be claimed for credit to the talkers, but it was rather the 12-acts that drew,
and if signs count for anything, the Edwards turn brought in most of the people, who waited intact for it until 11 o’clock, the slow show winding up at 11.20.

Hardly any applause greeted the talkers. Edison’s name when mentioned in the same opening speech as last week’s picture had, received a few handclaps, but the second half of the film (quarrel scene from “Julius Caesar”) passed through without noise. A whirring behind the sheet indicated a phonographic apparatus of some kind in close proximity to the screen, but not well placed, as the voices were distinctly off-side to the two figures. This talker is not different from others that have been shown (in private) as far as the general effect goes. Toward the finish of the Aim, the voices became guttural. They were always obviously mechanical. The house could not enthuse over any “novelty” that did not become apparent. After seeing the talkers the first time they amount to no more than the usual picture portion a vaudeville program always has. At the very best the Edison Talker is but an imperfect illusion of no extraordinary value to the stage.

“Correspondence: Chicago,” Variety 21, no. 13 (Feb. 28, 1913):27. (excerpt) URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/variety29-1913-02#page/n149/mode/2up/
The Talking Pictures, with a scene from “Julius Caesar” and Truly Shattuck doing her vaudevlllo act, did not convince the audience the pictures will in any way interfere with the plain black and whites. A few weeks with the novelty worn off will make the pictures simply an item on the bill.

Julius Caesar (1909)

Italia, Julius Caesar, Straight adaptation, , , ,

Julius Caesar (1909), dir. Giovanni Pastrone/Italia

IMDb link

YouTube video

Cast:
Giulio Cesare: Giovanni Pastrone
Luigi Mele

Advertisement, Moving Picture World 5, no. 21 (Nov. 20, 1909 ):724-5 URL: http://archive.org/stream/moviewor05chal#page/724/mode/2up

“Stories of the Films,” Moving Picture World 5, no. 21 (Nov. 20, 1909):737.
The story shows Julius Caesar, who, after returning from his victories, is offered a crown, which he refuses to accept. Cassius, Casca and other Romans of great standing in the state are jealous of the success of Caesar and turn to Brutus, who second to Caesar is the most influential citizen in Rome, and use him as a tool by playing upon his conceit. They praise him, and make him an accomplice in the work they have planned; namely, to assassinate Caesar, While they are engaged in asking a favor, which Caesar refuses, the conspirators rush up and stab him.

“Comments on the Week’s Films,” Moving Picture World 5, no. 23 (Dec. 4, 1909):800. URL: http://archive.org/stream/moviewor05chal#page/800/mode/2up

Julius Caesar” (Itala).– Perhaps this picture is, in some ways, as good as anything this firm has done. The dramatic possibilities in this historic scene, the assassination of Caesar,
are great, and perhaps will never be wholly exhausted. It is a touch of the romance of history that appeals very strongly to the imagination, and naturally has its effect upon the reproduction of the story, no matter what medium is employed. The Caesar here is reasonably dignified, and the conspirators perform their parts with reasonable fidelity to the ordinary interpretation of the story. It doesn’t seem that the company rises quite to the possible dramatic heights, and it does so well that one wishes it had done better. But however these slight shortcomings may arouse a desire to see some of the work a little better done, one may thoroughly enjoy the film and see again the murder of the great statesman and soldier re-enacted with sufficient fidelity to make it seem real. The picture as a whole is to be commended, and for such an ambitious attempt holds its quality well from beginning to end.

Julius Caesar (1908)

Julius Caesar, Straight adaptation, VItagraph, , , , , , , ,

Julius Caesar (1908), dir. William V. (“Billy”) Ranous/Vitagraph

IMDb link

YouTube video

Cast:
Julius Caesar: Charles Kent
First Citizen: William Shea
Gaius Cassius: William V. Ranous
Calpurnia: Florence Lawrence
Marcus Brutus: Earle Williams
Maurice Costello
Paul Panzer

W. Stephen Bush, “Julius Caesar,” Moving Picture World 3, no. 23 (Dec. 5, 1908):446-7.
URL: http://archive.org/stream/movingor03chal#page/n453/mode/2up

To render “Julius Caesar” into moving pictures, following in the main the outlines of the Shakespeare play, was a grave and difficult problem. In such a case, especially, a critic has need to be lenient, and it would be perfectly absurd to apply the highest standard of criticism. I am inclined to hold that on the whole the problem has been fairly well solved, and it is surely better that the lovers of the moving picture have a faulty or imperfect rendering than no rendering at all. “Julius Caesar” is not up to the standard of “Antony and Cleopatra,” Richard III,” “Macbeth” and “Othello.” Of course, none of these plays without a lecture are more than a bewildering mass of moving figures to the majority of patrons of electric theaters, but none stands more emphatically in need of a good lecture than “Julius Caesar.” The adapted has done clever work, the acting of Cassius is superb, that of Antony and Brutus good, but of “Caesar” only fair. The scene showing the assassination is excellent, the scene in the forum likewise, and is an exact representation of the famous painting by Gerome. The get-up of Mark Antony is burlesque: he looks far too old and resembles a waited in a French restaurant far more than the dashing Roman. It would be well for all makers of films to bear in mind that American audiences have a finely developed sense of humor, and there were some broad smiles at the thought of this Mark Antony winning the race at the Lupercal; either the rest of the runners had leaden shoes of the contest was not honestly run. A far more serious fault will be come apparent to those that have seen “Antony and Cleopatra” by the same maker. In the latter play Antony is history and in Shakespeare is older than is the lifeline of the great Julius, speaking of Octavius as a “boy” and referring to his own “grizzly head.” The film maker makes Antony in “Antony and Cleopatra” a dashing soldier in the heyday of early manhood. This might have been excused on the plea of poetic license, but to show the same man in a much earlier period in his life (in “Julius Caesar”) looking like 45, is unpardonable. If you want to shoot high it is always well to aim high. The constant offering of swords by Brutus and Cassius to their retainer with a request to be killed is out of place in the film and not a bit necessary and poorly done at that. When Brutus starts in to do the Roman hari-kari by proxy, people who have just seen Cassius do the same thing either get tired or begin to laugh. The ending is poor, dramatically and every other way; the “funeral pyre” had a fatal resemblance to a Rhode Island clambake.

“Comments on Film Subjects,” Moving Picture World 3, no. 23 (Dec. 5, 1908 ):448. URL: http://archive.org/stream/movingor03chal#page/n455/mode/2up

“Julius Caesar.” A historical film of some interest. The action is weak, Caesar especially, but the staging seems to be as nearly correct as possible. It is, however, marred in some instances by weak photography and an attempt to tone the film some color other than black and white. It would have been much better if it had been left black and white. From the first scene to the death of Brutus the film is watched with eagerness, proving beyond question that almost any audience can be interested in this class of films. The Vitagraph Company are aiming high, and that alone is commendable.

“Stories of the Films,” Moving Picture World 3, no. 23 (Dec. 5, 1908 ):462. URL: http://archive.org/stream/movingor03chal#page/n469/mode/2up

VITAGRAPH COMPANY.
JULIUS CAESAR: An Historical Tragedy–An elaborate production of Shakespeare’s admirable play.
Scene 1. Street in Rome. Casca and Trebonius upbraid the citizens for praising Caesar.
Scene 2. The Forum. A soothsayer bids Caesar “beware of the ides of March.”
Scene 3. Mark Antony wins the race and “thrice he offers Caesar a crown.”
Scene 4. Cassins tempts Brutus to join the conspiracy against Caesar.
Scene 5. Brutus’ garden. Meeting of the conspirators.
Scene 6. Caesar’s palace. Calpurnia tells Caesar of her dream and begs him not to go to the senate. The conspirators enter, laugh at his fears, urge and get his consent to go.
Scene 7. Street near Capitol. The soothsayer a era in warns Caesar.
Scene 8. The Capitol. The assassination of Caesar.
Scene 9. The Forum. Brutus addresses the mob. Antony enters with Caesar’s body.
Scene 10. Brutus’ camp near Sardis. Cassius upbraids Brutus.
Scene 11. Brutus’ tent–quarrel–Caesar’s ghost.
Scene 12. Plains of Phillipi. Armies of Mark Antony and Octavius Caesar and Bruins and Cassius.
Scene 13. The baffle. “Caesar, thou art revenged even with the sword that killeth thee.”
Scene 14. Brutus slays himself. “Caesar, now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a
will.”
Scene 15. Brutus’ funeral pyre. “This was the noblest Roman of them all.”
Length, 9S0 feet.

“December Films,” The Nickelodeon (Jan. 1909): 31. URL: http://archive.org/stream/nickelodeon12elec#page/n5/mode/2up/

Vitagraph Company: “Julius Caesar”–An historical tragedy of the time of Julius Caesar, in fifteen gorgeous scenes.

Brutus (1911)

Cines, Julius Caesar, Straight adaptation, , , , ,

Brutus (1911), dir. Enrico Guazzoni/Cines

IMDb link

Cast:
Brutus: Amleto Novelli

Advertisement, Moving Picture News 5, no. 1 (Jan. 6, 1912):3. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/movingpicturenew05unse#page/n9/mode/2up

“Kleine to Release Cines Pictures,” Moving Picture World 11, no. 1 (Jan. 6, 1912):26. (excerpt) URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/movingpicturewor11newy#page/26/mode/2up
Our first Cines release will be made January 20, 1912. The subject is ‘Brutus.’ the film being an adaptation from Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar.’ I am willing to stake the reputation of the Cines product upon this subject, which is very beautifully staged and superbly acted. It includes the death of Caesar. Mark Antony’s speech, the flight of Brutus and his fellow conspirators from Rome, the appearance of Caesar’s ghost to Brutus, his death upon the battle field, and the Battle of Philippi.

Advertisement: Moving Picture World 11, no. 2 (Jan. 13, 1912): 101. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/movingpicturewor11newy#page/100/mode/2up/

McQuade, James S., “Brutus,” Moving Picture World 11, no. 3 (Jan. 20, 1912): 193. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/movingpicturewor11newy#page/192/mode/2up/

Kleine’s First Cines Release–Extraordinary One-Reel Picture Based on Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.”
Georg Kleine is to be congratulated on the happy selection made when he chose “Brutus” for his first release of the Cines product. This great one-reel subject will bear the strictest criticism with credit to the makers and with pleasure to anyone who, while ready to praise its beauties, is on the lookout to discover any marring defects.

“Brutus” is based on the “Julius Caesar” of Shakespeare, and the scenes in the film enable one to follow clearly the march of events that led to the assassination of “the foremost man of all this world” and the death of the two arch conspirators, Brutus and Cassius.

It will be well to remember, in order to appreciate fully the staging of the drama and the costuming of the characters, that Caesar was murdered in the Ides (isth) of March, 44 B. C. It will be well to remember also that Brutus supported Pompey against Caesar at the battle of Pharsalia, notwithstanding the fact that Pompey had treacherously murdered his father, and that Caesar pardoned him after winning the battle, and appointed him governor of Cisalpine Gaul; also that he proved both modern and just in his government, and that he was an earnest student and wrote treatises on philosophy and some poetry. After being thus honored and trusted he became one of the foremost in the assassination of Caesar, being influenced by Caius Cassius, of whom Shakespeare makes Caesar say: “Cassius is a lean man. He doth not sleep o’ nights. He will bear watching.” This same Cassius was also treated generously by Caesar. Like Brutus [ image: The Conspirators Await Caesar.] he fought under Pompey at Pharsalia, but was afterwards appointed to a position of trust by “the great dictator.”

After the killing of Caesar, the conspirators were forced to flee for their lives from Rome, owing to the great speech of Mark Anthony before the populace. Brutus seized the province of Macedonia and held it against Mark Anthony. He was joined by Cassius, but, at the battle of Philippi, he was defeated by Anthony, and, rather than become a prisoner, he fell on his own sword (42 B. C). The division under Cassius suffered defeat in the battle and he commanded his freedman to slay him.

The opening scene in the Cines film shows Cassius and other conspirators in a room awaiting the arrival of Brutus. The setting of this scene and the posing and acting are highly artistic. When Brutus arrives he is shown to a seat at a large table, with Cassius immediately to his left, as one views the picture from the audience. The conspirators, seated, listen to Cassius, who speaks with vehemence. Suddenly he rises and confronts Brutus, and, drawing his dagger, makes a downward thrust through the air to illustrate the spoken words that mean death to Caesar.

Brutus, with a look of horror on his face, expostulates, but is gradually led to embrace the decision of the others. The impersonation of Brutus in this scene, and throughout the
film, shows great histrionic merit and a fine conception of the character. Cassius also is strongly sustained, and the grouping and acting of the conspirators show patient rehearsal and a careful aiming at realistic effects.

Next, we are in a room in Caesar’s home, where we see his wife, Calphurnia, vainly endeavoring to keep him from going to the senate on this particular day. She thinks her pleadings have succeeded, when a messenger from the senate appears and Caesar goes to his doom. This scene affords a pleasant glimpse of the love prevailing in Caesar’s domestic life, and gives us a close view of the furniture and tapestries used in the first homes of imperial Rome at that period.

The killing of Caesar in the senate chamber follows. Intently one watches the proceedings leading up to the tragedy. [image: Calphurnia Pleads with Caesar.] To the left of the picture, as viewed from the audience, stands Cassius, a few feet behind Caesar. We watch his lips curl in a cruel smile as a senator makes a motion, and a parchment scroll is handed the ‘First Consul. Caesar glances at it and throws it on the floor with imperious gesture. As he does so Cassius snatches the robe from his shoulders. Caesar springs up and faces Cassius. He immediately receives several downward dagger thrusts from the senators behind him. As he turns toward them, Cassius drives another home, and so it is until that sacred body receives the knives of all. Brutus is the last to inflict a wound; but he does it from the front, and the look that Caesar gives him–of reproach and surprise–shows that no other bolt from Jove can hurt either body or soul. Then Caesar covers his face with his garment and sinks to the floor. Not one vestige [image: “Et tu, Brute!”] of shrinking is shown by him throughout the ordeal, not a trace of fear, on face or in action. The actor who took the character of Caesar merits much praise for preserving so thoroughly the dignity of the part.

The funeral of Caesar in the Cines film is a most imposing spectacle. The site chosen by the producer is most probably on the very spot overlooking which Mark Anthony made his moving speech to the populace of Rome. In the picture the rostrum occupied by Anthony’s impersonator has a commanding view of the surroundings, and looks down on the altar on which is placed the catafalque which bears the mortal remains of Caesar. In the midst of the speech we witness the excitement of the assembled multitude, stirred by the fierce desire for revenge on the murderers. As the torches are applied to Caesar’s brief resting place and his remains are being consumed, Anthony stirs the minds of all to immediate action, and we see them rush off to the homes of those responsible for the deed.

We view the flight of Brutus, who obstinately refuses to move and is determined to meet the mob and take the consequences, until his wife and friends finally urge and drag him to safety.

We next visit the camps of the two armies before the battle of Philippi, and we see Brutus in his tent engrossed in studying the plans of battle. Influenced by some unseen [image: “Behold, Great Caesar’s Ghost.”] power, he looks up, and beholds the ghost of the murdered Caesar, who speaks to him the familiar words, “We shall meet at Philippi,” and then vanishes. His guilty soul cowers at the sight and fearful forebodings of the morrow seize him.

The battle of Philippi that follows is a really remarkable massing and engaging of a multitude of soldiers in close action. It is a thrilling sight, full of the incidents of a hand-to-hand combat. Then the flight of Brutus, his discovery of Cassius dead on the field, and his own ignominious death. The photography is in keeping with the other high merits of the production.

It will be wise to have a lecture on this film prepared and delivered by a competent man, as its educational value will be greatly increased thereby.

“Brutus” will be released Saturday, Jan. 20.

“Licensed Film Stories: Brutus,” Moving Picture World 11, no. 4 (Jan. 27, 1912):324. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/movingpicturewor11newy#page/324/mode/2up/

BRUTUS (Jan. 20).–Believing that Caesar is becoming too powerful in the state, Brutus and others conspire to take his life. The next day, when all are assembled in the senate chamber, the conspirators accomplish their fatal purpose. Mark Antony, a friend of Caesar, swears to avenge the murder and at the funeral delivers an impassioned speech which arouses the Roman people do great fury. Brutus is forced to flee from Rome, but soon collects his followers, to oppose the forces of Antony. The two armies meet at the battle of Philippi in which Brutus is defeated and is forced again to seek safety in flight. When at the point of being overtaken, he hurls himself upon the sword of a friend and thus died “the noblest Roman of them all.”

“Comments on the Films,” Moving Picture World 11, no. 5 (Feb. 3, 1912):393. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/movingpicturewor11newy#page/392/mode/2up/

Brutus (Cines), January 20.–This sumptuously produced picture of Shakespear’s “Julius Caesar,” was reviewed on page 193 of the Moving Picture World for January 20, 1912. It needs no further comment.

“The Censoring of Moving Pictures,” Moving Picture News 5, no. 4 (Jan. 27, 1912):5 (excerpt). URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/movingpicturenew05unse#page/n157/mode/2up/

We would join issue with some of the censoring adopted by this board, for instance, from the film “Julius Caesar,” there were eliminated the scene of the killing of Caesar; from “Brutus” the stabbing of Brutus was taken out. Now, as these are historical plays and are exhibited or characterized in every theater in the land and thousands of school children are instructed in these teachings and also seeing the exhibition of these plays, we cannot for the life of us understand why it is immoral in a moving picture film, and not in a legally organized theater for the legitimate drama. We would wish for the New York Board of Censorship the same power that the Chicago board has, but until it is under the supervision of the City Council with power to act, and a proper ordinance is passed, we fear that very little improvement will be made in some of the films now on the market and preparing to be placed on the market.

Advertisement: Motography 7, no. 1 (Jan. 27, 1912): inside front cover. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/motography78elec#page/n15/mode/2up/

“Kleine to Release Cines,” Motography 7, no. 1 (Jan. 27, 1912): 34. (excerpt) URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/motography78elec#page/n49/mode/2up/

Our first Cines release will be made January 20, 1912, subject Brutus, the film being an adaptation from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. It includes the death of Caesar, Mark Antony’s speech, the flight of Brutus and his fellow conspirators from Rome, the appearance of Caesar’s ghost to Brutus, the battle of Philippi, and the death of Brutus.

Advertisement: Variety 25, no. 6 (Jan. 13, 1912 ):31. URL: http://www.archive.org/stream/variety25-1912-01#page/n69/mode/2up/