Picture Play Magazine (Jul - Dec 1929)

Tke Stroll er b, made exhaustive experiments in the art of protective coloration. Reed, pestered by story applicants, turned iii desperation to natural methods of obliteration. In the snow of the high Sierras he was so successful in practice that rabbits frequently collided with him, thinking he was merely a patch of snow. Tn the sun and dust of San Fernando Valley, Reed wanders about looking like a patch of sun and dust. He has been taking lessons from a Yogi fakir. Now he can throw a rope into the air, climb up it and disappear, to become visible later in a locked projection room. "That's a good story." said a playwright. "Yes," said the scenarist, "but it should have a theme song." "Correct," said the producer. "Let's get John Brown to write it. He's good at that sort of stuff, (let him." Three weeks later the musical director reported that the man couldn't be found. The producer insisted that he wanted to sign up the songster. Finally an office boy, who delivers the mail on the lot, overheard the discussion and timidly interrupted. "You looking for John Brown, sir? Maybe I can help you." "Well?" "He's in office No. 17. He's been under contract to us for six months, sir." Those who write about society in this town have spoken of opening nights. So I will, too. Without using lots of periods to take up space and prove I'm of the impressionistic school. I'm not of any school. The etiquette of first nights is weird. It involves many delicate social problems, when between acts one is uncertain as to conduct. One must never be seen standing alone. Little groups must instantly form like ants around a lump of sugar. Everybody in a given group talks and nobody listens. All are eying other groups more distinguished in personnel, appraising their chances of butting in. One must be seen with the best possible group. Don't ask me why. By an actor's conduct you can gauge his financial and contractual standing — whether he is out of a job, secure in a contract, or hoping that his option will be renewed. 1 — Out of a job — talk loudly, buzz from group to group, wave to everybody you ever heard of and shake hands with all directors, supervisors, and producers who will condescend to recognize you. 2 — Secure in contract — be very upstage, talk only to others who are under contract, be democratic and cheerful toward all producers, you may be let out some day. 3 — Contract up for renewal — contrive to be near your producer's group, but yet with a "distinguished" group, if you can manage to have another producer in your group your contract is safe, look very bored with it all. Spies She was unable to produce an egg large enough to accommodate a likeness of the huge director. Ibe trouble is that Will won't stick to his written dialogue. He insists upon ad libbing with impairment to the thread of the story. So after every scene the huddle is called, the new attack is laid out, the buck is passed, and Will tackles the wrong words again. The person who wrote Lee Tracy's snappy, vaudeville monologue scene for "Big Time" comes under the heading of the city's greatest optimist. The theater was filled with extras for the audience, as Tracy was about to go through his paces in the act that gets him into the big time. "Now the audience has to laugh at the right spots," said the director. "Let's rehearse." "Rehearse!" scoffed the author. "Let's shoot it the first time and get their natural laughs. That'll be much better. Let 'em hear the patter cold, and it'll bowl 'em over." So they did. Grim, deadly silence greeted all the quips. It wasn't a put-up job. The extras were surprised, too. 'flic director then put up a big electric light and turned it on every time the audience was supposed to laugh. He turned it off as a signal for the hilarity to subside. When you bear this act on the screen you'll be expected to laugh. After the fiasco, the director looked for the author to make a few comments, but the sketch artist had thrown a mental fog about himself and had drifted out the ventilator. A supervisor, notorious for his weakness when approached by salesmen, bought six graves last week. Since be has only two relatives alive. Hollywood speculation seems to indicate that this is an informal way of announcing his intention to marry. hover about sound stages listening for copyrighted tunes. is no longer The huddle system confined to football. The director calls, "Signals." The gag man, scenario writer, dialogue writer, assistant director and script girl rush together, whisper hurriedly, and then shift back to the camera line where Will Rogers is working. A couple of little things that drifted in off the road this week from small towns. In one town the theater owner wanted his house equipped for talkie-. So a producer put in the apparatus and gets half the l forever for having done it. the owner of the building sets thirty per cent for rental, and from the other twenty |>er cent comes the film rental — for the producer — with the remainder as profit and salary for the manaj Also the town where the I her. the general . ner. the Continued on papo 110