Motion Picture Story Magazine (Aug 1912-Jan 1913)

162 THE MOTION PICTURE STORY MAGAZINE P. W. S,, Oakland. — The reason that a Photoplay stays so long in a studio is a double one. In the first place, the average editor also does the press work, and cannot give his whole time to reading, and in the second, a script that looks as tho it might work out all right goes from the editor to some director. If he likes it, usually, the owner, or some deputy, wants to see it before a check goes out. all of which takes time. George Horace Lorrimer once said it was as easy to keep up to date as to be always four weeks behind, but he never worked for a studio. And just make a mental note that the longer a story sticks, up to three months, the better its chance of acceptance. M. B., New York. — We do not believe that the Vitagraph's "Jean" has ever taken any prizes. As a general thing, a champion is not good for much else, and trained dogs are too high-strung to show to advantage in the ring, and too valuable to be subjected to the strain, with the possible consequences. Steeling. — Miss Ethel Grandin was the leading woman in Bison's "The Deserter." James Cooiey was the wife-seeker in Reliance's "Wanted a Wife." E. C. H., St. Louis. — In Essanay's "Mr. Tibb's Cinderella" John Steppling was Mr. Tibbs and Dwight Mead the store manager. Tcm Santschi and Miss Phyllis Gordon had the leads in Selig's "The Lake of Dreams." Do not blame us that you have not seen either Maurice Costello or G. M. Anderson for several weeks. We are in-no-cent. Get after the manager of the show you patronize and he will pass it on to his exchange, where the trouble seems to lie. Both are appearing regularly. Mr. Morrison appears in four releases the first two weeks of September. We think that's all that can be expected of any photoplayer. Send your Photoplay to the manufacturers by mail, enclosing a stamped and addressed envelope to provide for its return, should it not be accepted. If it comes back, send it somewhere else, until the list of likely buyers is exhausted. Send us a stamped and addressed envelope for a list of buying companies. R. C. K. — Photoplay fans will throw up their hands in horror at your question. The leading lady of the Victor is Miss Florence Lawrence. Two or three months ago we answered the Essanay question, but just this once we will repeat. Mabel in "Western Hearts" is Miss Margaret Loveridge. J. L. A., Wanamie. — Miss Agnes Hollister is with the rest of the O'Kalems in Ireland. Cant promise that picture. See the March issue for a group picture. F. L. M., Flint. — Romaine Fielding has the title role in Lubin's "Ingrate." Look above you and you'll find that there are two men who "always" play the sheriff in Western Essanays, not counting the star. R. W. T., Chicago. — Miss Gladys Field is with Kalem ; Miss Loveridge with Bison, and Miss Bracken with Melies. You have probably seen the chat with Miss Leah Baird in the September issue. Theoretically, Licensed films are retired after they have been in use six months, but actually, they may remain in use much longer, since the rule merely requires the return of an equal amount of film, not that particular reel. The exact date of the origin of Motion Pictures is not determinable. There were Edison Kinetoscopes in 1892, but Mr. Edison had the idea long before that, and pictures in motion really date back into that misty past when the Zoetrope was invented. Interested Reader. — Charles Sutton was Napoleon in Edison's "A Prisoner of War," if that is what you mean by Napoleon at St. Helena. The soldiers in Photoplays may be stage "supers," hired from some agent, or they may be militia men, or men in the regular army off duty. Patience and a knowledge of natural history are the chief qualifications of the camera men who take pictures of animals and birds. In photographing birds it is customary to build a blind near the nest, and two or three days may be spent in getting a short length. In seme cases weeks have been wasted before the operator obtained just what he wanted. Nests of seagulls, which build in cliffs, are sometimes obtained by dropping down over the cliff in a bo' sun's chair at no small risk. In animal pictures, a blind may be built near some water-hole. Nocturnal animals are tracked and driven out by beaters. Flossie C. P. — Miss Joyce appears in three or four Kalems a month. When we chat Miss White we do not think the chatter will ask her if she is married. Such information must be volunteered. Maude, Chicago. — To save yourself from your threatened insanity, look up the answer to "At Cripple Creek" in the last issue, and "Jimmie" the issue before. We have Biograph stories and not Biograph casts, because the company is willing to let us use the stories, and unwilling to let us use the casts. K. T., Chicago. — Miss Viola Alberti was the mother in Thanhouser's "Why Tom Signed the Pledge." The other name has been given. J. J. S. — "The Tourists" is a Biograph. Read the notice at top of this department. C. H., Coshocton. — Do not send poetry and questions on the same sheet of paper. In American's "The Reward of Valor" the leads were Miss Pauline Bush, Warren J. Kerrigan and Marshall Nielan. C. L., Nashville. — William Garwood was the banker in Thanhouser's "Treasure Trove." He has been in a number of recent releases that your theater may not have shown. If an actor lost his position every time some one fails to see him for a couple of weeks, they all would be looking for new places.