Screenland (Nov 1929-Apr 1930)

f o r o v e mb e r 1 9 2 9 9 screen entertainment. The pioneer director, who is already working out the pre liminaries of huge production with his staff, has not as yet started actual camera and microphone activity as a vast amount of research and other work will be necessary before he starts filming what he is ambitious to make the crowning achieve ment of his long and notable career. Motion picture studios, cities within themselves, require police and fire protection the same as other communities. At the First National Studios, in Burbank, Calif., a police force and fire department of sufficient size to protect an ordinary city of 25,000 people, are maintained. The members of the police force, while under control of the studio, are all sworn members of the Burbank police department.. They work in three shifts daily, a captain or lieutenant being in charge of each shift. The police department provides gatemen. patrolmen, traffic officers and watchmen. A regular day and night patrol guards every part of the seventy-five acre studio. The department is under the direction of Chief of Police Lou Holtzsendorff , for He's her little gum-drop! Joe Abced, two and a half year old Eskimo boy, supports Lenore Ulric in her first talkie, "Frozen Justice." Two sky birds! Jimmy Granger, stunt flyer, tells Ruth Elder how he piloted his plane into this embarrassing position for "The Sky Hawk." Ruth just married Walter Camp Jr., movie magnate. merly a star football player of Columbia, and who has had extensive experience on police departments in various cities. The fire department is directed by Chief A. M. Rounder, for many years an officer in the Indianapolis, Ind., fire department. The most modern equipment is provided, and the department, including volunteers from the studio staff, totals two hundred men, each well trained in his own task in case of fire. The biggest part of Rounder's work is in fire prevention. He keeps men on all sets where there is danger of fire, and checks carefully all sources of fire hazard. Only one serious fire has occurred since Chief Rounder has been on the job, and this was confined to one building, which was saved. With the use of Technicolor, which requires more than twice the lights used in black and white pictures, the fire danger on stages has greatly increased. Rounder was instrumental in having .a new system of ventilation installed in the First National Studio which will prevent any serious danger of fire or spontaneous combustion from the terrific heat generated by the Technicolor lights. With its efficient police and fire departments, the First National Studio has about everything that an incorporated municipality boasts, except a city government, mayor and councilmen. Do you like them fat or thin? This is the paramount question in Hollywood today. The Mayo Brothers have refused credit for the famous 18-day diet, but nevertheless, the film colony is trying it. Here is what well-known stars have to say: "The starvation shape is a product of this decade," according to Monte Brice. "Flesh was never so spurned before. I am on the diet because of over weight, but for pretty girls to starve themselves into skinniness for a fad, is a serious matter." "I persuaded my 220 pound cook to go on a diet with me," says Mrs. James Gleason. "Her food was irresistible. The only chance for me, was to convince Marguerite that a dark figure should be willowy, as well as a white one. It works fine." Louise Fazenda refuses to diet. "I like to cook too well to diet," she says. "My roles call for plump old ladies more frequently than svelt girls, anyway. Now is my time to laugh at the beauties who kidded me in my Mack Sennett days." Robert Armstrong went on, just to be sociable. A friend in New York and Bob agreed to the diet, and they exchange telegrams twice a week to check up. Morgan Farley says no one should have to diet. "Pride should keep one thin. No one can be at his best mentally, if over weight. Starve if need be, but keep thin," says the New York actor. Mary Eaton never had to diet as she was reared by a careful mother who always watched the proper balancing of foods. "We never had a chance to eat improper food," says the musical comedy star. "We keep thin without thinking about it — thanks to Mother." Lawrence Tibbett, baritone of the Metropolitan Opera Company, will make his screen debut in "The Rogue's Song." Hark, hark!