Amateur Movie Makers (Dec 1926-Dec 1927)

WHEN Old New York Was YOUNGER By Roy W. Winton THIRTY Years From Now Every Amateur Can Have As Fascinating A Record Of The Development Of His Own City As This New York Picture. The Possibilities Of The Plan Are Absorbing, And If Widely Followed, Will Result In The Creation By Amateurs Of An Invaluable Film History Of The United States. V " ^HERE'S box-office in them histories" has been turned from a prophetic hazard into a reality by the Jean A. Le Roy film "When Old New York Was Younger" which was shown during July at the Hippodrome in New York City. This film, which can be variously described as a study in comparative history, an ethnological document in action, a record of American architectural kaleidoscopics and a commentary, at once cynical and sentimental, on the speed with which the world moves has been placed on a vaudeville circuit for partial national distribution. "When Old New York Was Younger" is discussed in this month's Amateur Movie Makers not because of its technical suggestions to amateurs but because it is probably the first definite effort to make use of the motion picture as a medium of carefully planned and soundly executed historical comparison. It is short and occupies only twelve minutes of the vaudeville bill on which it appears. A series of New York scenes recorded with the motion picture camera in the years from 1896 to 1898 are paralleled with equivalent scenes taken from identically the same places in 1927. In one instance the return of Spanish American War soldiers in 1898 is shown and we see them marching through New York streets in the snow. This is contrasted with a similar march of World War veterans in 1918. The street corner scenes are striking records of the rapid change in the locale and the social manners of modern American life in the short space of thirty-one years. Of these, the emergence of the New York Public Library from the basin of the old Croton Reservoir, is the most dramatic. Of technical interest are the following facts. The thirty-year old prints show some grain. Raw film has been greatly improved since the pioneer days. The light in the modern films is vastly better. Otherwise there is surprisingly little difference. No closeups are shown and that contrast is not patent. The old films were taken at a 44 revolution speed, while the modern ones were filmed at about 16. The same camera man filmed both the old and the modern scenes. A French camera was used for both. The action of both cameras was a snail and claw. The later camera was equipped with more mechanical aids but varied little in principle from the earlier one. The lenses were practically identical. The Le Roy film is intelligently conceived. Practically all of the early films were of very short length because the motion picture, thirty years ago, was used only for brief entertainment. So, the modern shots are of equivalent length. No effort has been made to produce any artificial contrast. A fine historical fidelity informs Mr. Le Roy's work. The dramatic effect is produced by the stark record and not by hokum of any kind. The Le Roy film has been enthusiastically received by audiences. One could hear a continual flow of excited comment while the scenes were shown. Vaudeville audiences are what producers often term "hardboiled." Their reaction to this film indicates that the much-discussed educational use of motion pictures can satisfy box-office demands if they are produced honestly and simply. Jean A. Le Roy, the producer, is a pioneer in cinematography. His early activities as inventor, producer and exhibitor rank him among the great names in the history of the world's most rapidly developed recreational medium. His return to the producing field leads us to hope that his amazing library of historical films will be made further available to the country and that "When Old New York Was Younger" is the prelude to other film studies of comparative historical and ethnological periods. ENTERTAINING IP inH ' FILML iMQNSTRATION *| PYOUR DEALER < Forty-one