Too Real For The Islanders

From Our Own Correspondent

South Pacific Base, Aug. 18

AN experienced cinema operator in the U.S. Army in this area—a Califor nian ranch-owner who was once an assistant-director in Hollywood returns to this base with a good story.

He was one day showing a movie to an open-air audience of native Melanesians and colonial French at a tiny and isolated river settlement. The movie had been running for some time, with the audience thoroughly absorbed, though they could not understand much English, when the moment arrived for a great trans-con tmental passenger train, wheels rattling, whistle blowing and fairly eating up the miles, to round the bend and make straight for those sitting in the front rows.

The result was startling. With yells of terror, the souatting natives sprang up rushed to the wings, to get away from monster It was the first train they had seen; also, their first movie.

Some of the French in the audience had seen a few silent films, but this wa« their first talkie. They showed great curiosity as to where the sound came from, and in the interval searched behind the screen. The operator tried to explain to them the secrets of the sound track, in his rather halting French, but they shook their heads in wonder.

Another movie operator, on a Polynesian island two or three thousand miles awav, reporting th° showing of the same film. *avs that the train scene caused just thp same consternation. But, even greater alarm was caused when MGM’s famous

lion opened his mouth to roar. This was the sismal for the audience to dash for the protection of the nearby coconut grove.