Came the dawn : memories of a film pioneer (1951)

dependent upon daylight for our photography; also we had never heard of anyone using a covered studio for film work — probably no one ever had. All we wanted was a bit of floor for * actors' to walk on and some scenery flats to set up against a suitable support to give the appearance of a room, kitchen or drawing or what-not. =^§CL-1/< 400*+ ^ ^t^^e^a^v^-^j^i^l^s The possession of a stage brought many other difficulties with it. Scenery had to be made and painted. I am no artist but I remembered my childhood's nursery efforts and so the job fell to me. As the little vertical gas-engine soon blew itself to bits, a more orthodox horizontal one was installed in the kitchen and so freed the scullery for scene-painting purposes. It is on record that we had our meals in the kitchen beside the gas-engine and that the smell of the size from the scullery formed a welcome addition to our meals and saved us the cost of cheese. Up to this time, and indeed for some while afterwards, no thought of employing professional actors had ever entered our heads. The mere idea of films was abhorred by all stage people and it is doubtful whether any would have come to Walton if we had asked them. So we played all the parts ourselves and anyone who wasn't acting turned the handle of the camera. 52