News of the Week March 27, 1915 -- March 27, 2015

The 27-March-1915 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels.

"Secretary of the Navy Daniels breaking ground for memorial chapel in National cemetery at Arlington, Virginia.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe News."  Josephus Daniels was Secretary of the Navy during the entire Woodrow Wilson administration. 

"English troops wearing winter uniforms in France.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly."  The winter of 1914-1915 was very severe. 

"German sea raider reaches Newport News.  Copyright 1915 Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  Prinz Eitel Friedrich, a passenger liner, was used as a very successful German commerce raider, sinking 11 ships.  Unable to continue because of low coal supplies and worn engines, she sailed into Newport News on 11-March-1915 and was interned. 

"Wreck of a Boston and Maine train at Claremont, New Hampshire.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe News."  A Boston and Maine passenger train hit a washed out section of track and derailed on 26-February-1915. 

"Canadian troops marching through streets of Montreal.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly." Canadian troops were an important part of the British Imperial forces on the Western Front. 

"Clearing ground for Chicago's new Union station.  Copyright 1915 Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  Chicago Union Station didn't open until 1925.  It is still used today. 

The Lark of the Month -- October 5, 2014

Photoplay, January, 1928

A brakeman on a train tried to stop Bessie Love from entering the Ladies' Lounge on a sleeping car, thinking she was a  boy because of her bobbed hair and her slender figure.  Since the story mentions going through a desert, I doubt the train was Southern Pacific's overnight Lark between San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

The Hazards of Helen -- May 10, 2014

Happy National Train Day, everyone.  In honor of the day, here is an ad from the 05-December-1914 Moving Picture World for The Hazards of Helen, starring Helen Holmes.  The 119 episode Kalem series was not a movie serial, but a series of films about the adventures of Helen, a plucky lady who did more rescuing than getting rescued.  Most of the episodes took place around railroads.  Helen was often a station agent or a telegrapher. 

Helen Holmes and her husband, director JP McGowan, did the first 26 episodes, except for number 18, where Anna Q Nilsson took over when Helen got sick.  After Holmes and McGowan left, Elsie McLeod took over for episodes 27-49.  Then Rose Gibson changed her name to Helen and took over for the rest of the series. 

Episode 13, "Escape on the Fast Freight" is available on YouTube:

Today is also the 150th birthday of French film industry pioneer Léon Gaumont.  The Gaumont Film Company is one of the oldest in the world.