Show f r r t Tx fP 4 r r l 1 rf 1 t JI 7 f r r rv r I 1 t v v r p rh lr 11 j ir is isa I a r ft J r T Q IJ rJ t to Q Wi Ie i r rF F it New Iv II Jl I lV wf i lf V How Dow the Movie Actor Lost His Life When D Annunzio Annunzio's s Son Tried to to Stage the Roman Arena Arenas Arena's 5 Cruelties as They Were in inthe inthe inthe the Days ys of Nero stalked into the arena nr SE HE lions THE ILone IL one after another They were A tawny monsters with shaggy them heads Even C Cesar Caesar sar turned toward his weary face and placed the emerald to his las eye to see better The greeted them with ap- ap applause ap applause counted them on The crowd to torote tune time at the same theIr fingers eager which the lions would rota lote the impression make on the Christians o who kneeling m inthe the cent center again gain repeated the words Tor For Christ For rOT Christ though hungry did not But the lions hasten toward the victims The red had dazzled them 50 gleam on the arena Some that they half baU closed their eyes stretched theIr then yellow bodies lazily and yawned others opened their jaws I their terri terri- terrible terrible terri terrible Y the Ox spectators Yas as to it-to to show ble teeth f But Bat soon the tha odor of ot blood Mood and the bodies torn torn-boIDes a number of winch which still lay layon layon on the arena arena areas appealed to them They became became- Te restless restless- less their manes rose then their I I nostrils drew in the air lr r with th aOne a snort short I sodden sudden dash d sh on onI 0 One On of them made a I the body of a woman vroman with a torn face hying with his forepaws on the body he heI with his blood coagulated I licked the 2 rough tongue Another approached a Christian holding in his arms anns a chIld skin sewed up m in a fawns fawn's The child shivered and wept convulsively convulsively neck who who embracing his fathers father's neck wIShing to prolong the infants infant's Me life if only for a moment endeavored to tear hand it over overto overto It t away so that he might to those kneeling 1 further farther onI on The noise and aud movement mo excited the I hon He emitted a short sharp roar I k led killed the child with one blow of Gf his paw I caught the fathers father's head between hIS laws aws and crushed it in to the twinkling of an eye I II I I This was the signal for all the other lions to fall fan upon the Christians Some Somer j r women could not restrain cries enes of ter- ter terror ter terror 4 rot The cries were drowned in m the ap- ap apI applause applause ap This soon ceased The desIre I else eloe to see overcame everything r I IThen Then began terrible scenes Heads dISappeared entirely in III the lions hone laws Jaws i I Breasts were opened by one blow of t the e paw Hearts Heart and lungs were dragged I out The crunching of bones was heard rd I under the fangs of the lions hons who seiz selz- seiz- seiz seizing seizing ing lUg the victims by the sides or back ran around with mad leaps as though in search of hiding places wherein to de- de I them undisturbed Other lions hons fought together Rearing I on their hind leg clasped one another I WIth their paws like wrestlers filling the amphItheater with thunderous roars Some of the audience stood up others other left their scats seats to reach the lower parts ot of the rows for a closer view Many were crowded to death It seemed as though the excited spectators would end by throwing themselves into the arena lions hons tearing the Chris Chris- Christians Christians to loin join Oln the in I Ito At times unearthly noises were heard at others applause j then came roaring and rumbling the gnashing of teeth the i howling ho of the dogs And at att ati t i Intervals only the groaning of the mar mar- martyrs martyrs martyrs could be heard beard Cesar Caesar C sar holding the emerald to his eye renewed his attention as- as assumed assumed as assumed an expression of disgust and con con- contempt contempt con contempt tempt Chilo had already been een borne out of the circus Fresh victims were drIven into the pit Pram From the upper tier ber of seats the tho Apostle Peter Peter- looted looked on No one saw him for all had their beads heads turned to- to toward toward to toward ward the arena He rose to his bis feet feet and as jonc before us in the vineyard of Cornel Cornelius blessed for death and the the minted hunted fugitives so now ho he blessed with the the- the sign SIgn atthe or of the cross those who the clutches of the WIld beasts blessed their blood their torture their theU dead bodies bodie changed into shapeless lumps their tools lying flying upward from the soaked blood sand Some of the martyrs martyn raised their eyes to him Their faces up WIth witha a as ight of the SIgn of the cross ross high above them diem But t t tt t ft t t ts t w 4 i g tA A V n it c a aca t ca cab caye b s ye w Ls 4 r x r h S f w h roil n X 8 f y 1 2 ll y r n Y K pF It z rt s ie st 4 a art NG t i r of f y iw la laA lar r t sro 4 w A wr Sk Ski Skie i x St A 3 S z S 4 Y Pit r a w i t tr ta 1 1 t D M Y w b f Y YaY aY Y rf a 5 dam r 1 Y d a lt ky i ia a t t r td jM jMj j 3 ey v rot tie s r 0 s c 4 r r tc e N t Jr 1 t rt 3 le l 1 v 3 f t A k ue c tt wino vs v's r l li lr c p t a i o Z 2 AJ a a et i x a r 3 d F A r tt E R ro e M t l l Vr ti i 4 3 f r i i x 1 6 M Pa Paa a s ai i t M 2 q 92 b t ta a 3 A a t r 8 na p ai rt w tY Ste a r ck 2 1 MS Y T b 4 2 lJ p it r a a atY 7 aa b bi 3 r l i 3 0 i n r s Y siw Asa a rz 1 1 d 4 w Sv a o ri a aale a ale aa r G 2 s ro c t tC r C I n ro Peters Peter's heart was torn tom as be he cried out 0 Lord thy will be done For thy glory for the testimony of the truth troth these my sheep are perish perish- perishing ing ing Thou hast commanded command d yme me to feed them For this reason reason I give them to thee Yea t Yea To Count them 0 o 0 Lord Lard Take them heal their s theIr wounds assuage their 0 pain pam let their recompense nse be f far greater than their tar tar- tor- tor W tore Rr r rAnd And he be blessed one after s another group after group r WIth loving compa compassion as of a father surrendering his own children into the hands of Christ i I This Thih is the vivid word pie pic- PIC t tore ture given by Henr k Sien Sien- y-kiewicz y kiewicz in m his novel Quo tl Vadis of the way Chris Chris- t trans hans were torn tom to pieces by J ti lions hons and other wild lId beasts inthe in the Roman arena arna to make a holiday holiday spectacle for bloodthirsty blood- blood thirsty thirsty Nero and his subjects It was this dreadful scene which ended m in a shocking tragedy in m Rome a few days ago when dAnnunzio son on of the famous It Italian han author under under- undertook undertook undertook took to reproduce it for the films wItha with a realism that had never been attempted before 1 Through an unfortunate accident the replica of Neros Nero's Circus Maximus whIch dAnnunzio and hI his partner tlc the Princess Galles Galle bad had built at great groat expense e ac- ac actually actually ac actually was drenched with human blood blood- blood the blood of Augusto an elderly actor who was as attacked by infuriated lions hons and torn to pieces just t as its the Christian martyrs were centuries ago Young dAnnunzio and the Princess had achieved a greater reality than they ever intended or expected and one that ha has brought against them the charge of manslaughter All AU was ready for the filming of ofa what hat a was to have been th the most thrilling scene in this new movie version 0 opt Quo the Vadis-the Vadis the one in which the wild beasts sink their teeth and claws into the flesh of the martyrs and shake and tear them into lifelessness as a cat does a mouse moose In one corner of the great arena stood the actors and actresses who ho were cast for the pen perilous lOlls roles of the doomed ChrIstians They looked nervous and ill illat at ease as they discussed in lD whIspers the task that lay before them and their i chances of getting through it unharmed The ominous roars that filed the aU air were wert not calculated to allay their nerv nerv- nervousness nervousness nervousness These came canto from the cages sunk below the floor of the arena arena where keepers were goading the twenty seven twenty lions hons into a proper fury for for- their part in inthe inthe inthe the afternoons afternoon's realism There were twenty seven of these beasts all aU guaranteed by the menagerie which had supplied them to be as vigor vigor- vigorous one ous specimens as could be found anywhere any anywhere where in m the jungles jangles Weeks had been spent Pent in training their keepers how to handle them with the least lea danger to human life We P y w a rt 4 k k v Cyrs s J f w i 4 f Cyr tit ci x DAr g Y- Y t p pf v l o A 1 it Sj J v f 4 k if JJr x ot 4 i tt t t v t t 04 1 Vi Vl tv 1 q J jJ il A r p t 4 J v f J 4 f hi 1 vi c l L 41 1 f alit r 0 t v v H g A t f t X t Lr 4 rt t i f it i- i it t r d ii r rd d h t d tar p 3 i f l a 1 f 1 4 t rf r t n 1 i l Sap x t v k 1 1 1 f ry t g k t W t f t r r p dA dAY Y fw f x h ir hir y 4 is 7 If 1 i t r rJ 1 J J h i Jf Y i- i t t 1 q t 1 a 4 t 1 1111 t t- t tx J x I s P Pf f f f y r Jt JI t t x R J I a 4 40 0 t K n t lr l 4 Y lf i B d gt Jf r lc l tf 1 Y 1 I t 3 Ruins of w h I OJ 7 the historic z N Colosseum in Rome where many early Christians were devoured by wild beasts In the imperial box that rose roe majestically cally above the surrounding tiers of seats the counterparts of imperial al Nero and the favorites of his court lolled luxuriously in III their flowing Ing robes Black slaves hovered about them serving re- re refreshments refreshments re refreshments and waving great fans above theIr heads In the other scats seats that circled the arena sat the hundreds ot or men and v women omen extras tras who ho represented the humbler ela classes ses of ancient Rome All were dressed in ln costumes winch which hIstorical historical historical cal experts had pronounced precisely like those worn in Neros Nero's day August was one of the these e ex tras tram At a previous reb rehearsal his act act- actIng acting act acting ing of the role of an excited spectator had impressed dAnnunzio so favorably that no tie had been ordered to take a place in the very front row where he could lean out over the arena and gJ gibe e the camera a good view of hun him The other extras in this part of the arena had been ordered to take theIr cues from iTom to to shout and leap to their feet and wave their arms just as ashe ashe asbe he did when hen the lions hons sprang into the arena Of course the elderly actor was much pleased with this recognition of hIs ability It would he thought make male hIm sure of regular employment He would be b almost as prominent in the film as the martyred and Christians Christians and without any of the tho unpleasant risk they facto facca It seemed incredible l that one of the lions could climb the imitation mutation stonework and reach him where he sat Bat a good five twenty five feet above the arena Up through the opening in the ground that led to the lions cages appeared Do Through a big he shouted his final instructions ordered all the hundreds of players to strike their poses for Cor the big scene bent far over the railing the of tense eagerness for the bloody sIght that was to come His eyes ees were bulging h his s lips and hands twitching in ID nervous anticipation of what Emperor Nero had bad provided for his enjoyment He was throwing his every energy Into what he intended to be the greatest per per- performance per per- performance performance of hl his life A A v whistle blew The roaring of the lIOns drew drev nearer neuer One by one the great beasts emerged from the hole in the the 1 ground and advanced to the center of the arena sniffing the air all ely and seeming a little dazed by their unexpected unexpected ported freedom fr Again a whistle blew th blew th signal Igual for forthe forthe the spectators spectator to leap to their feet in a anew anew anew new and nd greater outburst outburst of enthusIasm ledall led all the rest rest waving his arms and shouting in an apparent frenzy of excItement The noise stirred the lions hons to actIvIty and they began to move mena ln rv v to- to toward toward to toward ward the to martyrs-to-be who were w wring wringing rIDgIng ring ring- ringing ing their hands bands kneeling in prayer and exchanging their theU la last t tear tearful ul farewells at the further side of the arena All this was exactly as dAnnunzio in hIS de desire ire for thrilling realism had hoped and expected it would be The unexpected happened when hen a huge lioness honess turned aside from the c course couise in se her mates were taking and advanced toward to the place where here was behaving as ashe ashe he thought an excited Roman would 1 J L Geromes Gerome's well known painting of the lions on Christian victims in the arena while wicked Emperor Nero f x and thousands of Roman citizens look on 1 s lioness had been s r joined by her mate and t together they were tearing ti tift ft r T their victim to shreds The 1 taste of blood made the d p 1 3 beasts more dangerous than r a r rp ever Revolvers had to be used and the lions wounded m mb b 3 q R Y NAY J Arse several 9 94 braes before they a could be subdued and driven 4 a JS c back to their cages f Long before that t yr h ts wr Augusto was wasti ti tib's bs b's dead The rY ante he had hoped to tomake make the greatest of Yn ts pR yai his life had proved his 1 bro a I tn last He had loom torn pieces and partly devoured by the lions rr d v r rA A lust as the Christian Christiani Christiana a i F Fp p A Ar r 4 martyrs were in the x A ti n days of cruel Nero 4 sz r s r aS isar x fi The police rr r sr 1 sA x ti that had re o ov v dl S t t ri pt rno license to use t tY tz VM w r lions or other wild it i beasts as he did in wear ref ba l lz z Yes YesA i q A J what was to have l i been only a make make- maket r rl r 4 t the thes s believe tragedy ez ty They charged him x x and the Princess f a ro sloe x Y 7 Galles and a third a 4 ro l a as s director with man man- cf fx slaughter but the a l three managed to escape from Rome before they could be f fl arrested v vt 5 t Noe This is the second t tw tragedy to mark w the filming of Quo Vadis in Rome d dAnnunzio Annunzio the producer of the ill fated when th the years novel egos was Quo Vadis Vadi film rehearsing a love scene from being made into a aone one of his famous fathers plays movie for the first Before DeCore anybody what the lioness was about she leap leaped d toward the arena wall and hung bung for a second wIth her claws sunk in the woodwork about halfway up Another bound carried her herto herto herto to the ra railing mg With a third she was IS upon the unfortunate who had been too engrossed in his acting to heed the shouts of warning that had been hurled at him With savage snarls marls the lioness honess sink her teeth and claws into him crunching hIs bones and mutilating his body in the most horrible fashion At the first plunge of the murderous lioness toward the tiers bers of se seals seats ts the weeping and wailing Christians proud Nero and his courtiers and the hundreds of men and v women omen who represented theRoman the theRoman Roman toman populace had fled from the arena d Annunzio and In a w wild d panic Only two o of the lion keepers had the coinage age to remain and do v I hat the they could for fort t poor Before they could reach him the at- at time a section of seats scats in the arena collapsed ed and two of the young women extras were killed lolled Many thousands of dollars already have been expended on this latest Quo QuoVadis Vadis film and if the Roman author authorities authorities 1 t ties es refuse refuse to to permit young dAnnunzio to complete it the promoters w will l suffer a heavy Ios loss was employing a larger number of lions hons and the beasts are arc saId to t have been more untamed than had hade |