| Main Performers | Mr Ernest Meads - speaker |
| Set List | Address (Mr Ernest Meads),
Film Screening - 'From the Manger to the Cross', dir. Sidney Olcott (1912, 71mins) |
| Performance Notes | This film screening was one of the very first Blockbuster movie screenings at the Royal Albert Hall.
This silent film accompanied by organ music depicted the life of Jesus Christ. It attracted thousands of intrigued viewers, HM Queen Amelia, HRH Princess Henry of Battenberg, and the Duke and Duchess of Wellington, and plenty of controversy.
"The Albert Hall will witness what is probably the most ambitious experiment that has yet been made in cinematography the presentation of a series of pictures depicting the life of our Lord. Every effort will be made to present the pictures under reverent conditions, and the devotional character of the occasion will be intensified by the singing of carols to the accompaniment of the great organ of the Albert Hall."
(23 December 1912, The Times)
"The vast building was dimly lighted, the great screen on to which the picture was thrown was draped with purple hangings, and from the organ their wailed or pealed immortal excerpts of prayer or joy from Bach and Mendelssohn with the solemnity of opening voluntaries.
THE STORY FROM THE GOSPELS.
A short introductory address, in well-chosen words, delivered by Mr Ernest Meads, described the earnestness and reverence with which the pictures had been made in the Holy Land, and claimed that even as painting, music, and poetry had given its very best to the scared story, so might this 'newest art, that of the cinematograph.' offer its own tribute were completely turned off, and the series began to unfold themselves. Prefacing each episode - needing sometimes three or four scenes - the text to be illustrated and its source were thrown on the screen."
(The Daily Telegraph, 26 December 1912)
This was one of the first Hollywood blockbusters to be filmed outside of the States, in Palestine, where Canadian director Sidney Olcott cast young British actor and poet Robert Henderson-Bland in the lead role, propelling him from obscurity to worldwide fame.
British actor Henderson-Bland became probably the worlds first method actor by immersing himself entirely in what he thought it would be like to be Jesus Christ. In Palestine, Bland worked hard to banish, all alien thoughts and vagrant moods
It meant a surrender of soul, a submerging or personality, as to make normal life seem strange to me and my immediate memories alien.
Bland wanted to stay true to character until the very end so when it came to filming the final crucifixion scene, Bland wore a real crown of thorns pushed down onto his head and insisted on carrying the cross which was fifteen feet long. So realistic was this scene that as he passed a nearby convent one of the nuns fainted and the Mother Superior rushed out with a glass of wine to quench his thirst, although this ruined the filming!
Finally, they tied him with to the cross and pulled it up into position, while the watching nuns wept openly. Bland describes the awful pain and how every bone in his body seemed to start through my skin and he nearly lost consciousness. Afterwards, Bland stated that I feel that I shall never be able to pick up my life where I dropped it on the Hill of the Worlds Redemption. I do not believe that any man ever had such an awe-inspiring experience.
Although the sensitive religious subject matter had been approved by members of the clergy before release, and nearly all reviews of the film were positive both for its cinematic qualities and its artistic excellence, opponents including The Daily Mail declared Is nothing sacred to the film maker?. In USA guidance to cinema owners was to offer advance screening to ministers and church workers; prepare the room with incense; accompany the film with organ music and also use the words reverent and reverence in publicity literature.
The film's London premiere was on 12 Oct 1912 at the Queen's Hall, Langham Place, after which it received praise from the Dean of St Paul's and Cardinal Bourne, Catholic Prelate of England. The film ran at the Queen's Hall for eight weeks before being screening at the Royal Albert Hall.
The controversy surrounding the film led to the creation of the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC), an organisation which the film trade itself created to forestall official censorship.
"The audience at the Albert Hall yesterday afternoon was but a small one, when "From Manger to Cross", the cinematograph film dealing with the life of Our Lord, was shown there for the first time. Now that the film is before the public it is needless to revive the old controversy whether or not it was advisable to present so sacred a subject on the cinematograph. All who see the pictures, whatever their opinion as to their desirability, will agree that the work has been carried out with the utmost reverence and with every effort to avoid offending the susceptibilities as any one.
All the pictures were obtained in the Holy Land, and the actors received the greatest consideration from the Governor of Jerusalem and from the clergy of all denominations there. The film id divided into five sections - the birth of Christ, the childhood, the ministry, the last week of the life of Christ, and the crucifixion. In the last named section some editing is needed, for the horror of the crucifixion depicted with undue realism. We are glad to note that the audience is asked to refrain from applause, and this request was loyally observed yesterday. The music which accompanies the film has been carefully selected, and is at all times in harmony with the sacred story which is being unfolded."
(The Times, 25 December 1912) |