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Sidney Olcott, le premier oeil | ||||||
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2024,
June 16
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When J.P. McGowan
Claims Paternity of "From the Manger to the Cross" While researching the conditions under which "From the Manger to the Cross" was released throughout the United States, I came across an article in the Birmingham Post Herald, a daily newspaper from the largest city in the state of Alabama (population 132,000 in 1910), wedged between Georgia to the east, Tennessee to the north and the Mississippi to the west. A five-column headline catches my eyes: "FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF CHRIST TO SPOTS MADE SACRED BY THE PRESENCE OF THE SAVIOR", accompanied by three stills from the Kalem film. The cap reads, "J.P. McGowan, director for the Kalem company, now in Birmingham, tells of the production of a film depicting the life of Christ in the places where the Savior lived and was crucified - he describes the land and the natives as they are today."  In fact, the big news is J.P. McGowan's presence in Birmingham. The actor, a member of the O'Kalems and El Kalems - in short, Sidney Olcott's fellow traveler - has been appointed director, following the resignation of his mentor. With the blessing of the local Chamber of Commerce, he is to shoot films here and hopes to turn "the Magic City", Birmingham's nickname, into a new cinema centre, like Jacksonville (Florida), Kalem's winter base. Lubin is already in the spotlight. It's only natural that the newspaper should ask him about his career and plans. What's surprising is the content of the interview. Quote:  "My boy, there is representing each
business of profession, no matter how small or how
large, a ladder, to the top rung of which we continually
strain our eyes and bend every energy towards obtaining
a foothold. Possibly when we find ourselves safely
ensconced in that coveted position the ever-changing
conditions of time have added to the ladder and there
are other rungs above. And so we go on and up: always
trying to grasp the elusive bird of success."In 1911 I imagined my Irish productions had placed my company of O'Kalems on the top rung, and if public opinion is any criterion of success, we were surely established. But later in Upper Egypt, when the idea was advanced of producing the Life of Christ in its entirely a few rungs were added to the ladder. I believe we mounted the additional rungs by producing a remarkable film -- the most remarkable film ever made, according to the most competent critics. 'From the Manger to the Cross', 5000 feet of film portraying the life of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, in the actual scenes where he lived 2000 years ago at a cost of approximately $130,000 in six months' time, is the proudest achievement of my life."  And that's it! We learn in this article that the Kalem's Irish films are due to J.P. McGowan... Better still, he's also responsible for "From the Manger to the Cross". "My proudest achievement", he says. And the Australian gives details of the shoot. The tribute due to the work of painter James Tissot: "Therein lies the key to our success. Nothing I've done has ever fascinated me so much, and with Tissot's work as a foundation, his motto as my own, and the pristine fields of Egypt and Palestine at our fingertips, breathing the very air of spiritual romanticism, we felt our work was really well underway." The first scene shot near the pyramids of Giza; having to travel to England to hire 10 more actors. In passing, he doesn't even mention Robert Henderson Bland, the on-screen Christ. All he mentions is Gene Gauntier in the role of the Virgin Mary... Not a word about Sidney Olcott! And McGowan concludes: "I was delighted with the dignity and reverent manner in which the various parts were played, and as we visited the various locations and realized that the scenes depicted were real, as we walked on the very ground trodden by our Savior, time seemed to turn back the clock and we lost ourselves in the history of 2,000 years ago." What on earth has bitten J. P. McGowan to appropriate Sidney Olcott's work in this way? The man who gave him his start. Let's rule out a hoax from the outset. The article is not an invention of the Birmingham journalist. It's easy to imagine the reactions it would have provoked. What's more, this lengthy article is packed with anecdotes and authentic details about the making of the film.  Is McGowan acting on his own initiative, or is he on official business? The commercial exploitation of "From the Manger to the Cross" is indeed peculiar. Sidney Olcott, the film's producer, director and actor, Gene Gauntier, its lead actress and screenwriter, Jack J. Clark, lead actor and Allen Farnham, the troupe's artistic director... All these essential elements resigned before the film was even released. It's true that Olcott and company are present in the auditorium of Wanamaker Stores, 770 Broadway, for the film's premiere. But after that, they're no longer there to promote it. As a result, Kalem is going to anonymize "From the Manger to the Cross". It has no credits. Only once are the names Olcott and Gauntier associated with the film. In Kalem Kalendar, the company's fortnightly magazine for theater owners. Dated October 1, 1912, the article on page 8 reports on the El Kalems' return to New York. It describes in detail and in glowing terms the role of each: director, actors, cinematographer, art director and the feats they accomplished, notably in the Holy Land. After that, it's radio silence. Kalem Kalendar does mention the career of this Life of Christ, without ever associating it with a name. Did Kalem ask McGowan to take on the role of El Kalems' boss? Or did the Australian go nuts? I don't know. On the other hand, I couldn't find a similar article in any other state's newspaper. The Australian's comments obviously didn't cross Alabama's borders. They were probably so improbable that they weren't picked up. After all, any journalist with any knowledge of cinema knew that the boss of the O'Kalems and El Kalems was Sidney Olcott and no one else. Richard F. Lussier of the Birmingham Post Herald probably didn't know. next Related areticles Olcott
Uses James Tissot's Bible As a Storyboard |
Archives In Ireland Sidney Olcott gets some color The Humming Bird released in
Finland and Brazil but not in France
Olcott : "I can be reached at Hollywood
Athletic Club" Stan Laurel parodies Rudolph Valentino in Monsieur Don't Care A sequence of Monsieur Beaucaire in the biopic Valentino (1951) "The Paymaster" the first role of Gene Gauntier at the movies Sidney Olcott working in the studio sets Behind « Singing in the Rain », «Monsieur Beaucaire » Sidney Olcott directs cartoons In Los Angeles, Gene Gauntier meets her old Kalem friends Films directed by Sidney Olcott still extant Two Olcott among the fifty favorite movies of DW Griffith In Hollywood, Sidney Olcott is the king of the move Anthony Slide writes a new chapter on the O'Kalems Malcolm Lowry, Robert Desnos and Sidney Olcott In the set of Monsieur Beaucaire, speak French please ! The Death certificate of Gene Gauntier in Cuernavaca Dead in Mexico, Gene Gauntier is buried in Sweden "Egypt as it Was in the Time of Moses" on YouTube Olcott shoots " The Amateur Gentleman " in a lawyer house A picture of Valentine Grant, girl On RTE Radio, Tony Tracy tells the story of The O'Kalems In the Archives of RTE, the epic of the O'Kalems Robert Vignola tells the circumstances of Olcott's death On the trail of Olcott in Egypt and Palestine Henderson-Bland, Olcott's Christ
is not who one thinks Philly, le domestique d'Olcott disparaît en Egypte. Assassiné ? Finally, Sidney Olcott's grave is in Toronto ! I saw its still Gene Gauntier is the stepsister of one of the richest men Happy Birthday, Miss Valentine Grant In Olcott's Building, the
Heiress of a Newfound Oild Tycoon Strangled |
| ©2009 Michel Derrien | |
