Motion picture studio directory and trade annual (Oct 1916)

ktober 21, 1916 STUDIO DIRECTORY 173 MR. ALVIN WYCKOFF, director of photography at the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company, was the first photographer engaged by that organization, coming to the studio from the Selig Company where he filmed the " Count of Monte Cristo " and other notable productions. From the time of the founding of the Lasky Company Mr. Wyckoff has been photographer for Cecil B. De Mille, director-general, and has photographed every production made by him. As the size of the studio increased, Mr. Wyckoff gradually assumed charge of the entire photographic department. When the building of the new $150,000.00 laboratory was contemplated, the plans were all made by Cecil B. De Mille and Mr. Wyckoff. Mr. Wyckoff personally supervised the erection of the plant and the installation of the machinery. He is also the inventor of numerous appliances to aid motion picture photography, as well as a number of inventions used in connection with the laboratory, one of the latest being a film polishing device which has a capacity of more than a hundred per cent over any other polisher on the market. It is due to Mr. Wyckoff's supervision that the excellence of the Lasky photography is known throughout the motion picture world. There is not a production bearing C. B. De Mille's name that does not also bear that of Alvin Wyckoff as the photographer. Even when that strenuous director was working on two productions at the same time Mr. Wyckoff took care of the photography of both of them, working sixteen and eighteen hours a day. A few of the productions which he has photographed for the Lasky Company recently are " The Trail of the Lonesome Pine," " Carmen,' " Maria Rosa," " Temptation," and " The Dream Girl," and was in charge of the corps of camera men filming the twelve reel version of the story of the life of Joan of Arc, in which Geraldine Farrar plays the stellar role. Mr. Wyckoff is an authority on all photographic discussions at the Lasky studio and Mr. De Mille relies absolutely upon his judgment. In senority, Percy Hilburn is next in line to Alvin Wyckoff in the photographic department at the Jesse L. Lasky studio. Mr. Hilburn came to the Lasky studio after years of experience with the Vitagraph Company and at once established himself as a Lasky photographer in the production of " The Goose Girl." Since that time he has photographed many excellent productions for director George H. Melford, among them being " To Have and To Hold," " Tennessee's Pardner," " The House of the Golden Windows," " The Gutter Magdalene," " The Selfish Woman," " Puppet Crown " and others. Charles G. Rosher is one of the oldest members of the Lasky staff of photographers. He has devoted his entire career to a close study of photography both from a technical and artistic standpoint. His early experience was gained in Europe where he made a study of photo-chemistry under Howard Farmer. Later he entered the employ of the renowned Court photographers, Messrs. Speaight, Ltd., London. His first motion picture experience was with the Nestor Company, at the oldest independent studio in California. Prior to joining the Lasky Company Mr. Rosher gained a varied experience in many parts of the world in the employ of the following companies: Gene Gautier Irish Feature Plays, Pathe, the Victory Company, and the Mutual Film Corporation in Mexico with General Villa, where he photographed the battle of Ojinaga. When William C. De Mille, the noted dramatist, was induced to act as a Lasky company director, Rosher was selected as his photographer and has since photographed all of Mr. De Mille's productions, including "The Sowers," "The Blacklist," "The Clown," "Anton, the Terrible," "The Heir to the Hoorah," and others. Albert C. Palm, superintendent of the Lasky laboratories, has been in charge of that branch of the company's work directly under Alvin Wyckoff for some time. Prior to the building of the new laboratory, Palm was directly responsible for all the company's negatives. Since the new laboratory has been built, and all the prints are made at the Lasky plant, Palm has been the direct head of a large staff of employees in all departments. 1 m m IB iiiiiniiiiM Be sure to mention " MOTION PICTURE NEWS " when writing to advertisers