Shanghai's roll of early residents was reduced once more on Feb, 6 evening, when Mr. America Enrico Laura passed away in a local hospital following an illness of over three months. Mr, Laura, born in Naples 88 years ago, come to Shanghai rst '37 years age and pioneered here in the firn exhibiting and producing business, Two years ago he left for Manil where, "unt "November, he Setively Interested. in un distebue tion dri thet month he was taken Sd, tate, December, was trans= ferred toa oesl hospital where he thea on Saturday evening. Mrs, Laura died in 1999, and' he tv survived by Gly one close relative here, MMe. Ao Seat, 2 nephew.
The deceased was a pioneer cinema producer of Shanghai. He encountered Faurmountable ostactes in 1008 when red to rie from one-eel pictures tea-culture and. picturesque street Scones jo a real story fin, with Chiese neiers, entitled "The Curse Opium," He found that the "actor ftelsed on lokdng straight into the Camere, dropping. out of character, "generally committing. all the frimes of the, beginner. -3e_could for persuade Chinese women to. od, Mes Laura followed ancient. Cole hose custom and dressed up boys {ake the feminine parts. After a fou months struggle, he gave in, admitting That he was several years too cal), He commited "The Curse of Opium calivion, but kept pars ofthe negative at which ho later' used to Tu te old days, he made more than and" pictures. He. had. been. trained aly at the Cines Company, and trade one~ unsusceesful attempt 35 Sears ago to sart fins in Snanghal, For te alvaye believed Gray In the fature of chacmas in the Orient. The fest eineratogroph in Shanghal_ wat arted by Mr Laura in a tea house. njstorgat documents now, und include Many of his old ims are interesting
the funeral of the. Empress Dowager In°peking and the fest atemptat fviaton in China, when Mr. Mone YVallon ow from the Kiangwan Race Course to the Shanghai Race Course, Crashed there and, was killed. He Sko photographed the Chan Seo, Ho Gareen on the day he met Dr. Sun Yatesen, and ook pictures of the Ziting of the queues when everyone Shanghai underwent the operation. He ghotogrophed "incidents of the Nantlog War, the ceremonies of the fay. the Masios brought the Shrine {o'Shonghal, and a special picture of the test tram. "This last was done Propaganda," by request of the Tramway Company, and. went a long way fo renee. the timid. Chinese who fetused to ride cly the "devil=
Mr. Laura had complete monopoly of the cinema business in those days, 25 years ago, and managed to hold hhis own against the Pathe people when they began. He was a very early exponent of colour films and Jonce stated that he thought China was he best country in the world for cinema, especial after the colour processes had been so improved. He tised to employ two tones, sepia and green, by means of a chemical process,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.