Amateur Movie Makers (Dec 1926-Dec 1927)

REELING A RESORT A Fashionable Summer Colony Routs Boredom With Amateur Movies WE call ourselves the InFamous Players. The other resorters in the White Mountains of New Hampshire call us the "Sugar Hill Gang," because our "studio" is the famous Sunset Hill House at Sugar Hill, New Hampshire. For two summers our production company, recruited from the guests of this inn, have treked over these beautiful New England hills at the beck and call of our director, who in less exalted moments is also my husband, Count Armand de Montagny. I am only the cameraman. And although we may lay claim to the distinction of being the first amateur movie club in the White Mountains, I am afraid that we have now "corrupted" the entire countryside. The guests of the other beautiful summer hotels which dot this summer paradise have seen what fun we were having and are following suit with organizations of their own. The whir of cine-cameras was heard in those hills more frequently last summer than the whir of the native wildfowl. Not the least of our achievements has been the routing of the bridge players, the complete demoralization of the rocking-chair chorus, and we have made heavy inroads among the inveterate golfers. Following the film has proven the most exciting diversion of them all, and the deadly boredom which is a frequent characteristic of many summer hostelries is conspicuously lacking at Sugar Hill. By Countess Armand de Montagny Our first production in the summer of 1926 was titled "The Boob," but this was far surpassed by our second, filmed during the summer just past, and which was released just before the close of the ceason, as "Take the Heir," a full length feature photoplay. Nor could our "world premiers" suffer for lack of a news-reel, so each season we have also produced, in odd moments, "Tell Tale Topics," based on the news of the colony, famous personalities, and the other features of the complete news-reel. Five principles and fifteen regular extras, with mobs as needed, were recruited from the guests of the hotel. A cosmopolitan cast they made, hailing from Maine to Memphis, Tennessee. And over them all Count de Montagny ruled with an iron hand, for an iron hand is needed, indeed, to keep together a care-free happy crowd of summer coloniets. But the rule of the In-Famous Players was soon firmly established. If a member of the cast neglected histronic duties for the bridge table or the links — the part was assigned to an other from the eager waiting list. A few convincing examples and not even a winning streak at the card table could keep one of the players from his post, when the hour arrived or Camera. Our last production, "Take the Heir," is probably not a great contribution to the new art of the cinema. It wasn't intended to be. It was planned to provide a film vehicle for a lot of fun, both in its making and in its later showings. It concerns the woes of two very rich young things, a boy and a girl, who are pursued by scores of admirers with marital intent. Strangers to each other, they each decide to escape the unwelcome attentions by masquerading in the habiliments of the opposite sex. So Algy Millionbucks becomes Miss Polly Primrose, and Gloria Gotrocks becomes Mr. Topnotch. However, the usual meddlesome friend, who has a wager with Algy that he will marry a debutante in spite of his aversion for them, complicates the situation by whispering to the girls at the resort where the impersonators are staying, that there is a rich young man among them. He also tells the boys that a wealthy heiress has arrived. Needless, to say, the situation becomes hilarious when the members of their own sex begin to make violent love to each of them. Finally, in desperation, Gloria snatches off her man's wig and confides in Polly (Algy in disguise) that she is a woman after all, and {Continued on page 60) STARS OF THE "INFAMOUS PLAYERS" In Ta\t the Heir TkllTaue Topics or July hms Sum* Hull NM Paoouoto mt ,"m Mtamou* Puwam Center: Countess de Montagny at the camera Below: Titles from the resort News Reel Eighteen