American cinematographer (July 1930)

Miniature Golf F ROM all over the country comes a protracted and dismal wail from theatre owners anent the craze of the "Tom Thumb or miniature golf courses that have been springing up throughout the land. They declare that these courses have been cutting deeply into the theatre receipts. The producers should bend their ears to this cry. If they do not, they may be sorry, for there is no doubt but that the courses are keeping many patrons from the cinema houses. The chief reason is very evident. It is because these courses are at- tractively laid out and lighted. They furnish excellent amuse- ment for city folk who have been cramped up all day in stuffy offices. They furnish a certain amount of wholesome out-door exercise, too. But, above all, they furnish entertainment. Pic- tures of late, generally speaking, have not been so good in the matter of entertainment, and producers had better take stock and turn out better entertainment. The great public goes where it is entertained. If pictures are made sufficiently entertaining the little golf courses will not hurt them. After all, it is up to the producers to furnish pictures so good that nothing will keep the public away. The Doldrums W E ARE again in the midst of that season which seems to affect business and keep it at a rather low ebb. The thought occurs that perhaps the business men themselves are to blame for this annual condition. Most of us sit back and bewail the fact that everyone is away on vacations and business is bad. Why not make this the season of the year when we put on a determined drive for business? As a rule business does not come in the door and say, “Please, may I have your attention”. You usually have to go after it. So, why not go after it just a bit harder during the dull season? Increase the advertising, pep up the salesmen, go after the business, and when the Autumn season with its increased trade arrives you will be in full stride. Recognition I T IS gratifying to note the increasing attention that is being given the matter of cinematography on the part of the motion picture critics throughout the entire country. Critics, as a rule, have devoted practically all of their space to the work of the director and the players for so many years that forgetting the photography and the cameraman became more or less of a habit. However, of late the critics have begun to give credit to the men whose genius with the lights and the camera often saves a mediocre picture from failure, and we are glad to see this recognition. Only recently the picture reviewer in “Life” while declar- ing that the “Song of the Flame” was not so great in his opin- ion, had admirable photography by Frank Good, A.S.C. and Lee Garmes, and was the most pleasing thing about the picture. Critics praised the photography of Sol Polito in “The Isle of Lost Ships.” Critics universally praised Hal Mohr’s photography in “Broadway.” Dan Clark’s photog- raphy in “The Lone Star Ranger” received as much mention as the picture itself. This is as it should be. The cameramen are artists. They have placed American pictures at the top of the world from the point of beauty. Why shouldn’t they receive their just praise when they do an unusually excellent piece of work? As It Should Be J UST as we were going to press with this issue of the American Cinematographer we received word that Daniel Bryan Clark, former President of the American Society of Cinematographers, and still a member of the Society’s Board of Governors, and one of Hollywood’s finest cameramen, has been made a Director by the Fox company with whom he has been connected for the past twelve years. So, we take this opportunity of combining a news story and editorial comment. Mr. Clark starts his first picture as a Di- rector on September first, according to the present schedule, and we very confidently predict that his first picture will be an excellent one, for Mr. Clark is one of the most experienced cinematographers in the profession, has photographed every conceivable kind of picture, has splendid conception of story values and has the ability to secure cooperation from everyone about him. We congratulate Mr. Clark, and wish him the greatest of success. He has worked hard for his opportunity and deserves the success that will come his way. This writer has long been championing the cause of the cameraman and in his small way has been advocating the idea of finding our new directors in the cameramen's ranks. For some strange reason producers for years, with few exceptions, have not seemed to realize that in the ranks of the cameramen are men who can be of untold value to the picture makers if given the opportunity. We all know that for years good cameramen have been as much responsible as anyone else for the success of many pictures. This writer has frequently seen cameramen absolutely makes a success of new and inexperienced directors on their first directorial assignment. That is, when the new director has had the wisdom to turn to his old and experienced cameraman and frankly tell him that he needs help because of his inexperience. Many directors in Hollywood today frankly admit that their cameraman is their principal staff on which they learn. So, why not give these men the opportunity to direct instead of going out into other fields and dragging in men who frequently have never been inside a studio? To be a successful cameraman one must be a real artist. To be a successful director one must also be an artist; at least have an artistic sense. A cameraman with years of experience has worked with countless directors; has absorbed the valuable methods of these men. He has been able through the years to see the mistakes of directors and profit by them. He has been able to see the little tricks of the trade that help make successful pictures. He has been through he mill. He has acquired a sense of story values that can be obtained nowhere quite so well. And—add to that the fact that he KNOWS photography, which, after all, is just about the most important element in making pictures, and what more could you demand of a directorial prospect. A few cameramen in the past have been given the opportunity to direct. And they have MADE GOOD! Irvin Willat, Clarence Badger, Phil Rosen, Bert Glennon, Roy Pomeroy, Victor Fleming—just a few of them. And none of them have “flopped”! And now—Dan Clark. Let us hope that the producers will continue. We predict that the picture business will profit if more of these cameramen are given their chance. In the rubber industry they select men who know rubber for promotion. Why not apply the same idea in picture making! Congratulations! O NE of the most attractive special numbers that has come to this desk in many a moon was the Convention number of the International Photographer, the magazine of the Hollywood Local 659, edited by Mr. Silas Snyder. The Union and Mr. Snyder are to congratulated upon this issue which not only was a magazine of unusual beauty and attractiveness, but contained a wealth of informative material. Mr. Kershner O N THE opposite page Mr. Glenn Kershner this month gives us a cartoon that is deserving of special mention. He has seen the Cinematographic Annual as it has been compiled. He knows that in the technical field of the motion picture this book dwarfs anything yet published, and he has given us a pretty fair idea of its greatness in his cartoon. 16