Close Up (Jul-Nov 1927)

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CLOSE UP A film was recently made in England on which the company, who were sponsoring it, had determined to spare no reasonable expense. An enormoiis set (that is enormous for conservative and timid Britishers) was erected on a big open field. It rained for weeks before the production. The field became sodden and transport almost impossible. The plasterers were held up, the carpenters found it impossible to continue work. Then on the very day that the publicity man had seen fi.t to give to the paper a glowing panegyric on the wonders of this particular set, and the suitabiHty of the Enghsh climate in spite of persistant calumnious statements (oh irony of everything ! ) a hurricane blew. The ground was rotten, the supports could not hold, and the most important and substantial building collapsed. It was Httle short of a miracle that no men were killed, for the building was surmounted by massive plaster work. By the time the set was finished overhead expenses had mounted alarmingly. As the producer and some of the artists were imder contract the company had been particularly anxious not to keep them idle. So a great deal of the money, instead of going into the production, had been dissipated in overtime for the labourers ; who could not, however wilhng, have given of their best for such tiring long hours. A Httle foresight and the work might have been started earlier ; certainly the same money could have kept the contract artists out of work for months. But now for the climax. When the shooting began it was found that the pictures were flat. The set had been built the wrong way round ! 19