MOVING PICTURES 



3992 



MOWAT 



lantern used is a carbon arc light which gives 

 a very intense flame. This flame is further in- 

 tensified by being focused to a pin point by 

 means of two lenses, so that a very clear, sharp 

 image will be cast on the screen. If, for any 

 reason, the film stops moving this light would 

 set it afire. To avoid this danger all projecting 

 machines now have a metal gate between the 

 light and the film which closes automatically 

 whenever the film stops, cutting off the light. 

 In addition, the operator and machine are 

 placed in a metal fireproof booth, so the audi- 

 ence will not be imperiled in case of fire. 



Fireproof film was being generally adopted 

 to avoid all danger from fire, but it was a 

 European invention and the War of the Na- 

 tions cut off the entire supply. Experimenting 

 is now being done in a number of laboratories 

 in an attempt to discover the formula for this 

 film, but up to 1917 no one had succeeded. 

 All projecting machines in theaters are operated 

 by electricity. There are a number of smaller, 

 hand-power machines on the market, but their 

 use is greatly restricted because it is impossible 

 to generate a powerful light in such a machine. 

 Some use of these hand-power machines has 

 been made in schools, but the pictures thrown 

 on the screen are not clear. 



The Censorship. Moving pictures differ from 

 any other form of amusement in that they are 

 presented to audiences composed of people of 

 all classes and all ages. Because children began 

 attending these theaters in such large numbers, 

 the question immediately arose as to whether 

 or not the sort of pictures presented were an 

 influence for good. The People's Institute of 

 New York reached the decision that much was 

 being presented in pictures which was directly 

 harmful to the public. It was with the children 

 in mind that the National Board of Censorship 

 was founded in 1909. This is a voluntary and 

 unofficial group composed of intelligent, highly- 

 educated men and women of unimpeachable 

 moral character, none of whom is engaged in 

 or has any connection with the moving picture 

 business. This board views about ninety-five 

 per cent of all the films produced in the United 

 States and suggests any changes that they deem 

 advisable. The work of the board is supple- 

 mented by local hoards in most of the large 

 cities. Every film which is exhibited in any 

 large city, even though it has been passed on 

 by the National Board, is viewed again by a 

 local board or a state board, before it can be 

 exhibited. There has been much dissatisfaction 

 with moving-picture censorship. 



Some of the best books on the subject of mov- 

 ing pictures are The Cinematograph Book, a Com- 

 plete Practical Guide to the Taking and Project- 

 ing of Cinematograph Pictures, edited by Bernard 

 E. Jones ; Practical Cinematography and its Ap- 

 plications, by Frederick A. Talbot ; The Handbook 

 of Kincmatography, by Colin N. Bennet ; The 

 Theater of Science, by Robert Grau ; Making the 

 Movies, by Ernest A. Dench ; and The Art of 

 Moving Pictures, one of the best books for gen- 

 eral reading, by Vachel Lindsay. Perhaps the 

 most interesting material, however, will be found 

 in the flies of the popular magazines, especially 

 the moving-picture publications. 



MOWAT, mo' at, SIR OLIVER (1820-1903), a 

 Canadian statesman and jurist, who enjoyed 

 the distinction of acting as premier of Ontario 

 for twenty-four consecutive years, a longer pe- 

 riod than any other premier, in the history of 

 Canada or the British Empire, has ever held 

 office. Mowat became premier in 1872, and re- 

 tained the office until 1896. His administration 

 was chiefly noteworthy for frequent disagree- 

 ments between the provincial and Dominion 

 governments, in practically all of which the On- 

 tario government was sustained when the ques- 

 tions were carried to the courts. 



Sir Oliver was born at Kingston, Ont., where 

 he received his education and studied law in 

 the office of Sir John A. Macdonald. In 1841 

 he was called to the bar, and for a number of 

 years practiced his profession at Kingston. 

 Elected to the Canadian assembly in 1857, he 

 immediately took a prominent place because of 

 his high standing at the bar. In 1858 he joined 

 the Brown-Dorion Cabinet as provincial secre- 

 tary, and in 1863-1864 was Postmaster-General 

 in the Macdonald-Dorion Cabinet. The move- 

 ment for Confederation had in him one of its 

 strongest supporters, but in 1864, when it was 

 just getting under way, he retired temporarily 

 from political life. For eight years, 1864-1872, 

 he was a judge of the court of chancery for 

 Ontario. 



This service on the bench did not prevent 

 his reentrance into politics in 1872, when he 

 succeeded Edward Blake as leader of the Lib- 

 eral party and premier of Ontario. During his 

 premiership many important questions affect- 

 ing the relation of the province to the Domin- 

 ion were settled, and many times almost en- 

 tirely through his own ability and initiative. 

 When the Liberals were returned to power in 

 1896, Mowat was summoned to the Dominion 

 Senate and was given the place of Minister of 

 Justice in the Laurier Ministry. He resigned 

 in the next year, and from then until his death 

 was lieutenant-governor of Ontario. 



