American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1924)

July, 1924 AMERICAN CINEM ATOGR APHER Twenty-five George Meehan, A. S. C, is filming a Jim Parrott comedy at the Fox studios. * * * W. S. Smith, Jr., is in charge of the cinematography on the ten-reel Vitagraph feature, "Captain Blood," based <J1\ a story of the Spanish Main in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. J. Warren Kerrigan and Jean Paige lead the cast. For two months prior to the beginning of filming the latter part of May, Smith was engaged in intensely interesting research work to obtain data on arms, costumes, etc. August 30th is scheduled to be the finish date. * * * Al Gillcs, A. S. C, has finished the filming of "The Female," a Sam Wood production starring Betty Comp son for Paramount. * * * Stephen S. Norton, A. S. C, has completed the photographing of the first of a series of intricate comedy dramas filmed at Universal City, Jack Dawn directing. The cinematography in the Dawn vehicle was of the most intricate nature, calling for much stop work and trick stuff. Norton finished his big task without a single re-take, however. * * * William Marshall, A. S. C, is shooting Richard Talmadge in a Carlos production, James Home directing. The feature is a melo-drama with a great deal of whirlwind action so that Billy has plenty of thrills from start to finish. * * * Dan Clark, A. S. C, has completed camera work on "The Love Bandit," Tom Mix's latest feature for Fox. Esther Ralson led the support and Jack Conway directed. * * * John Arnold, A. S. C, has finished filming the first production made under the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer merger — "Free Love," with an all-star cast directed by Hobart Henley. Ernest Haller, A. S. C, is photographing "Empty Hearts," a six-reel feature for B. Verschleiser Productions. The cast includes John Bowers, Clara Bow and Charlie Murray, Al Santell directing. * * * John S. Stumar, A. S. C, has finished the cinematography on "Wine," a Universal society drama, directed by Louis Gasnier, with Clara Bow, Myrtle Steadman, Huntley Gordon, Robert Agnew, Walter Long and Forrest Stanley in the cast. Stumar has already begun work on "Tornado," another Universal production, directed by King Baggott and starring House Peters. * * * H. Lyman Broening, A. S. C, has left for Klamath Falls, Oregon, to join the Mai Saint Clair company which is doing a Rin-tin-tin dog feature for Warner Bros. Henry Cronjager, A. S. C, is photographing Bebe Daniels and Richard Dix in a Paramount production being made in New York City. Exteriors were filmed at Nassau. * * * Tony Gaudio, A. S. C, is filming the latest Norma Talmadge feature which Sidney Olcott is directing. Henry Sharp, A. S. C, has finished filming "Tiger Thompson," a Hunt Stromberg production starring Harry Carey and directed by Reaves Eason. * * * Jackson J. Rose, A. S. C, has finished filming the Universal production, "The Measure of a Man," directed by Arthur Rosson and starring William Desmond. Many beautiful scenes were made at Big Bear Lake. Mary McAlister, who played the lead in this production, was photographed by Rose when she was playing baby parts as "Baby McAlister" at the old Essanay company in the pioneer days. Rose must have made 50 pictures with the child whom he was afterwards to photograph as a leading lady. The role in "The Measure of a Man" was one of the first in which she played as lead. Judging the future by the past, Rose believes that Miss McAlister is one of the coming stars. * * # Karl Brown, A. S. C, has returned from a location trip to Vancouver, B. C, for scenes for the forthcoming James Cruze production for Paramount. Due to the ingenuity of John Arnold, A. S. C, KFI, a Los Angeles broadcasting station, one of the largest and most powerful on the Pacific Coast, is being shown in important scenes of "The Beauty Prize," one of Viola Dana's last Metro starring pictures, an adaptation of a story by Nina Wilcox Putnam. It is the first time a real broadcasting studio has been used in a screen production, it is said. The station is located on the top floor of a downtown building. Director Lloyd Ingraham had first planned to have a reproduction of the station made on one of the stages at the Metro Studio. Then he consulted with John Arnold, the cinematographer, and together they visited KFI for the purpose of surveying the possibilities of filming the scenes there. Arnold decided that studio lights and other electrical equipment could be set up at KFI. The result was that Miss Dana, Pat O'Malley, who was the leading male role opposite her, and other players, as well as technical members of the production unit visited the broadcasting station late one night after the regular program had been delivered. Three nights were devoted to the making of the radio scenes, all with A. F. Kales of KFI acting as technical advisor. The result of the trouble and inconvenience to which the director subjected his company and himself was technical perfection in a matter with which more than half the nation is expertly familiar.