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“OVER THE TOP”
• •
With Guy Empy and 7,500 soldiers from Camp Wheeler
Including Cos. B. of the WINDER GUARD
See our Boys in Action “Going Over the Top”
The Strand Theater
Monday, August 18th
S
Here is your chance to get into the fight yourself
“OVER THE TOP.”
Sergeant Empey, probably the best known soldier of all the
millions who have fought in the trenches of France to stem the
tide of (Herman barbarism, appears as the of “Over the Top,” and
he is said to enact vividly tin* stirring experiences met by the
French and British who held the lines against the Boche in the
tirst mad months of the war.
“Over the Top," the tirst authentic reproduction of the
drama and tragedy that is the war, has been hailed as one of the
greatest photoplays in the history of motion pictures, and is
ranked as the foremost of all tin* super-productions of the screen
because of the personality of the star and the importance of the
play as a contribution to the historical phase of the war and its
relation to the war work of tin* United States. Because, a regu
lar army training camp was used in making the trench scenes
and American regulars were employed in the mimic battles, the
play has received semi-official recognition from the War Depart
ment, and it thus takes a place in the great machinery of the
Government scheme of training the National Army and the peo
ple to a realization of the task that lies before the United States.
Albert E. Smith, president of the Vitagraph Company of Ameri
ca, is credited with having scored one of the greatest accomplish
ments in the history of ntotion pictures in bringing Sergeant
Empey and “Over the Top” to the screen. The little American,
who is a native of Ogden, Utah, was one of tin* first Americans
to risk his life in the defense of civilization when the (Hermans
made their assault on the freedom of mankind, lb* joined tin*
First Royal Fusiliers of London, one of the contingents that
made up “Kitchener's Army,” and served eighteen months in
tlie front line trenches as infantryman, machine gunner and
ombber, and was wounded seven times in battle.
He was invalided to America and just as soon as his physi
cal condition permitted. In* launched into patriotic work over
here. lie sold more than a million dollars of Liberty Bonds,
aided the Red Cross and soldiers’ smoke funds, and was a potent
factor in recruiting tin* Regular U. S. Army to war strength af
ter we had entered the contlict. He wrote “Over the Top” at the
behest of friends who wVre convinced his story had value as a
patriotic document, and he took the lecture platform on the same
basis. Overnight almost, this plain soldier with a plain story of
the war became an international figure. He was in demand all
over the country and he spoke to hundreds of thousands of
people.
As usual with individuals suddenly become famous, Empey
was sought after by theatrical managers for a vaudeville tour
and and no less than four big motion picture companies made
glittering propositions to him. But to all of these offers Empey
turned a cold shoulder. He refused to consider himself a hero
and he refused to capitalize the suffering and hardship that is
the portion of tin* millions of “Tommies" and “pilius" who make*
up the human wall that is saving humanity from the ravages
of the Ilun horde. However, Albert E. Smith succeeded where
Admission Adults 25c. Children 10c. Every child must have a ticket
THE WINDER NEWS, WINDER. GA. THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1919.
all the others had failed, and Empey consented to appear in the
Vdigraph production only when convinced that a motion picture
playing up the high lights of “Over the Top” would “show Amer
icans just what we are up against over there.”
Manager Love of the Strand Theater, considers “Over the
Top” the most important motion picture that he has ever shown
to his patrons. He says that while there is a strong patriotic
appeal in it, there is also a most thrilling drama in which the ro
mance and humanmorous sidelights of the great struggle are
brought into strong relief. He says the picture was more than
three months in the making and that more than 7,500 United
States soldiers including Company B, Winder Guard, were used
in the battle scens. These scenes, made under the personal di
rection of Sergeant Empey, are said to show with great sharp
ness conditions as they actually existed in France and as they
were met by the American legions.
“Over the Top” is the one story of life in the trenches that
has touched every responsive soul in America.
Since the book was published, 250 copies have been sold dur
ing every business hour, every day—or better than 4 copies
every minute. In all, more than 3,000,000 people have read it.
More than 25,000,000 people have read Empey’s articles in the
great newspapers of the country. Many thousands have been
fortunate enough to crowd their way into the limited capacity
of the great halls where Empey has lectured.
Now the whole loyal citizenship of the nation can see the
“Fighting Sergeant” in action, can “go over the top” with him
on the Hun Hunts. The marvel of motion picture photography
brings to life before your very eyes the pulsing, breathing pages
of “the most widely read book” of the twentieth century.
(Ho “Over The Top” With Empey!
WHAT NEWSPAPERS SAY OF “OVER THE TOP”
SPRINGFIELD (MASS.) UNION—“ ‘Over the Top' is one
<ff the big books of tin* war; the more so because it is written
with so little self-consciousness. It catches at tirst hand the
uirit that Kipling in ‘Soldiers’ Three' got at second."
BOOKS AND AUTHORS—“Empey has written history as
well as helped make it. His book is the next thing to actually
serving in France, for getting an idea of the war."
GRAND RAPIDS PRESS —“Here is the most vivid story of
the great war that has been written up to the present time.
The volume is crowded with vivid experiences.”
i
CAST
Garry Owen Arthur Guy Empey
Helen Lloyd Lois Meredith
Albert Lloyd James W. Morrison
Friederich von Emden Arthur Donaldson
Mrs. Wagner Julia Swayne Gordon
Mrs. Margaret McNeal Mary Maurice
Madam Arnot Betty Blythe
Sonia Nellie Anderson
Thomas Waldron William Calhoun
Geoffery Blake William H. Stuckv