Les Phono Bio Tableaux de Walter Gibbons (The Victoria Rooms, 10->10 juin 1901)

Au Victoria Rooms, Walter Gibbons donne ses phono-bio-tableaux en juin :

"THE WORLD ILLUSTRATED."
PHONO BIO TABLEAUX AT THE VICTORIA ROOMS.
In spite of counter attractions and the decline indoor amusements at this time of the year, curiosity naturally took an expectant audience the unique entertainment by the Royal Animated Picture Company, introducing Walter Gibbons’s phono bio-tableaux, at the Victoria Rooms on Monday night; and it is only fair to add that what they saw more than realised their anticipations. The pictures are remarkably large and steady, and they are also more numerous and varied than any that have hitherto been seen here. The series representing the recent great cremonials, the Queen’s Funeral and the King’s opening of Parliament, are exceptionally fine, the points of vantage having been well-chosen, and the films obtained being long and inclusive of the representation of many interesting and dramatic incidents connected with the events depicted. Even those who have seen some views of the Queen’s funeral should not miss the opportunity seeing these pictures, which are entirely fresh to Cheltenham. The scenes at Cowes and Windsor are quite as good as the London pictures, and some excellent portraits of the various notabilities have been caught as they walked or rode by. One of the most impressive of the tableaux is the bearing of the coffin up the steps of St. George’s Chapel. The majority of the war pictures are fresh to this locality and profoundly interesting; while the dramatic and trick pictures are cleverly managed and either amusing, exciting, or terrifying, as the case may be. The representations of recent events include the arrival of Sir Alfred Milner, the trial and wreck of Shamrock II., the recent Derby, and others of an almost equally up-to-date character. The biograph has also been at work in China, and additional spice is given to the Chinese series by realistic dramatic representation of a Chinese Boxer attack a mission station. A great impression was created by the phono bio-tableaux, which, being translated, means the simultaneous reproduction of a scene on the screen with that of the sounds which occurred at the time, the latter being perfectly timed, so that the sound suits the action and the action the sound, and produced by a powerful phonograph. By this means the audience on Monday night saw and heard Miss Vesta Tilley singing "The Midnight Sun” and Mr. Alec Hurley singing and conducting his eccentric following in ’ The Lambeth Walk.” Another novelty is the presentation of local animated views, including a motor car ride up the Promenade. A good film of the arrival of the Volunteers is promised for to-night and the rest of the week. We can confidently recommend the entertainment to those who wish to see the latest development of animated photography. During the evening Mr. Wensley Russell, the lecturer, gives clever imitation of violoncello playing with his teeth and lips.

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Gloucestershire Echo, Gloucester, mardi 11 juin 1901, p. 1.