The Moving Picture Weekly (1916-1917)

THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY 13 FIRE STARTS TOO SOON IfBilUICK thinking on the part of the [[gjl director and quick action on the part of the cameraman saved a scene in the Butterfly Picture, "The Plow Woman," in which Mary MacLaren is featured, and saved at the same time a great many dollars for the Universal. The picture is an adaptation of the novel by Eleanor Gates, and the scene is laid in frontier days, during the Indian fighting. A saloon was to be burned to the ground as the result of a quarrel between the hero and some half-breeds. The wooden structure was built especially for the occasion, and soaked with kerosene, so that it should flare up quickly when the time came. The director was in the midst of a final rehearsal of the action, when some one noticed that the fire had not waited for the signal "Camera!" but had started on its own hook. In a few moments the oil soaked walls were a blazing mass, while great clouds of smoke rolled over the scene, choking the actors, who began to rush away in all directions. Two cameras had been placed in position to film the incident, and the director, seizing his megaphone, yelled to the attendant genii to start grinding. Then he dashed into the smoke with his assistant to direct the very realistic flight of the company, and the result of the accident was a far better picture than had been planned in the first place. The picture is full of picturesque and exciting incident. The period is the early '70's, and the quaint costumes of the women, the feathered dresses of the Indians, the uniforms of the soldiers, and the care which has been taken to keep the historical atmosphere correct, add much to its value. 'Tires of Rebellion" Filmed in Factory District mHE early scenes of the Bluebird Photoplay, "Fires of Rebellion," are laid in a factory town in New England, and in order to secure the proper atmosphere, Ida May Park, who wrote and produced the picture, took her company into the factory district of Los Angeles, where a lot of mob scenes were made. Dorothy Phillips is featured in the picture as a girl of the factory who rebels against the drab life of her mother and older sister, and seeks a way out in the city. The whole company, with the little star and the leading players, Lon Chaney and William Stowell, were taken to the scene of action in big automobiles, and the unloading of so many cars filled with players, the setting up of the two cameras, and the preparations for the filming of scenes, attracted a great deal of attention. In order to have a ready-made crowd, Miss Park had chosen the noon hour, and in a short time several hundred hands had gathered to watch the filming of the picture. Miss Park addressed them, asking if they would mind working in the picture, and there was not one dissenting voice. She then explained what she wanted, and the cameras got into action. An exciting fight between Stowell, as the foreman, and Edward Brady, as a disaffected worker, was filmed in a ring formed by Scene from "The Ploiv Woman," coming Butterfly Picture. real factory hands, every one of whom proved himself a real actor. Miss Park was delighted with the results obtained, and thanked the crowds for their participation, which had lent great realism to her production. It is a foregone conclusion that when "Fires of Rebellion" is shown in that neighborhood, there will be recordbreaking audiences in the theatre. The only trouble was, as the director declared, that she had probably kindled the fire of ambition to become screen stars in a number of young girls' hearts. ILLINOIS, NOT WISCONSIN. Scene from the coming Bluebird Photoplay, "Fires of Rebellion," with Dorothy Phillips. JN the May 26th issue of the Moving Picture Weekly, the Bluebird Photoplay's advertisement of "Hell Morgan's Girl" contained a letter from the Madison Theatre. Unfortunately this theatre was set down in Madison, Wis., instead of Madison, 111., as was the intention of the builders of the theatre, and Mr. Cote was doubtless the most surprised man in the world when he discovered that the moving Picture Weekly had without his consent transported this theatre bodily from the State of Illinois into Wisconsin. We hereby apologize for this error, and trust that neither State has been grievously offended.