Camera! (April 1919-April 1920)

CAMERA I "The Digest of the Motion Picture Iniustry" Page 5even CHIT, CHAT AND CHATTER OF INTEREST BY HARRY BURNS Walter Fredericks, manager of the Rlafk Swain Comedies Company, out at the Big U studios, says that his organization will remain here and that ihe rest of the Frohman interests will move to the old Lubin studio in Pheladelphia, where they will produce their I'ictures. J. P. McGowan has returned to Los Angeles with his stars, Eddie Polo and Peggy Ada+r (Arrup), coming from across the seas, where they toured the old country and made pictures for the Pniversal Corp. Bcb Hill is directing Cleo Madison and Babe Sedgwick in a serial on the Universal ranch, with Bob Kortmann doing the villain in the play. Our old side partner Fred Haymer is the assistant director and helps Mr. Kortmann in his villany throughout the serial, which is now in the sixth episode. James Farley is playing Rat Beaton in the Kathleen O'Connor-Jack Perrin serial. Al Fi'son just completed an important part with the Maurice Tourneur Co. in the Treasure Island production now in the making out at the Goldwyn studios. Chas. Forge has been cast in the Rube Miller comedy out at the U, where the latter is directing Chris Rupp in one-reel subjects. Hugh McClung is working with the Lynn Reynolds Co. at the tTniversal, after having produced a number of his own pictures down at Balboa studios. Erich Von Strohiem is keeping Eddie Sowders hot-footing it in his present production; he photographed some scenes at Balboa the other day, where he used 1-50 people, then filmed a crowd in the Yille de Paris stores the following day. Colleen More and Earl Rodney arc the latest team to be directed in tworeel Christie Comedies. Their initial efforts comes under the heading of a cotume play, with special settings. Jack Conway is directing an all-star cast at the Robert Brunton studios in "Desert Wheat," a Zane Grey story. Among those prominent in the cast are Roy Stewart, Marc Bobbins, Frank Brownlee, Fred Starr and Nelson McDowell, a leading lady from the East, who is well known, rounds out the lineup. IVIary Pickford and her company have a trip to Pleasanton in their present picture, which means that the troupe will be away from the Brunton lot for about ten days while Vorking on the story. C. H. Christie, I'm told, took some tests along to New York City of some of the artists" who tried out for the leading characters in "Bringing Up Father" to show William Randolph Hearst and George McManus what their ideas will look like on the scieeii when filmed, and decide upon the making or these features on the Christie lot. Lucille Ward has been cast for an excellent part in the Ethel ('layton Co. at the Morosco studio. Vera Steadman is appearing opposite Bobby Vernon in his present one-reel comedy in the making at AI Christie's studio. Bobby, 'tis rumored, will soon move up a peg into the tworeel Christie Specials. Billy Bevlns has signed a contract with the Mack Sennett interests, as has also Pat and Fanny Kelly, which means that the trio must be well liked by the big chief of the Edendale fun factory. Alice Howell is in Chicago making throe pictures for an Eastern corporation, and it is rumored that she will cast her lot with a Texas organization which are right now rounding out their business affairs to make the Lone Star State a motion picture center, producing features, comedies and Western stories. Hughey Mack slipped over to the Brentwood studio for one picture while waiting for the powers that be to pass judgment on one of the pictures that he made under Mai St. Clair's direction for the Capital Film Co. Hank Mann is spending his vacation in San Francisco, while his manager, M. R. Schlank, is making final arrangements in New York City for his new contract in which he will appear in a series of twenty-six tworeel comedies. Hank received a »/ire that everything is arranged and get ready to start. Al Jennings is once more at work at the Capital Film Co. studios, after a brief rest in between pictures. The further that he goes into the cinema land the better he likes it, so we ought to hear a great deal about Al and his doings hereabouts. Gordon Mullen is doing his fourth picture for the Thos. H. Ince interests. Three were with Chas. Ray, and the fourth an all-star production. He is doing the villain in the play. Mary Miles Minter will come to the Southland just about the time that Ethel Clayton finishes her present picture in the making at Morosco studio, and will start a story under the direction of William Desmond Taylor, who is at present handling her directorial affairs in the East. Lois Lee, an Eastern girl, is making her initial appearance in the present Ethel Clayton pictures, playing the part of the extravagant wife. Scott Dunlap is directing Madeline Traverse in her present narrative, which is a sea story, and calls for a trip to 'Frisco and Catalina in order the film the boat and water scenes needed for the story. George Schniderman is the man behind the camera, photographing the action. Frank Beal will direct Albert Ray and Elinoir Fair in their next picture. He just finished a story with Madeline Traverse. Marshall Neilan is going to do a big Indian feature for his next story, and has sent a scout to Montana to line up locations. Col. William Selig is going to produce some pictures in San Antonio. Texas, building a studio there, and going to it with all that is in him to re establish tlie Selig Features as ol ypro. He is expected to go to the Lon< Star State most any day to complete all details. Texas Guinan has several her connections with the Frohman Amusement Co. and can be expected to announce her new affliation within the next ten days. Jimmy Gleason, former local favorite at Morosco's, is a member of the "A Prince There Was" Company, booked for the Mason Opera House. Harry Williams is sticking close to Roscoe Arbuckle these days at Culver City, where he is giving the chubby comedian some inside pointers on gags and situations. Frank Griffin several his connections with the Fox-Sunshine interests and, packing his bag and baggage, hurried to the big city, where he has a deal uending with some New York guns in the comedy field. Harry Rattenberry is once more back at Christie's and is in stock. We caught him the other day make up for "Brutus." which he is doing in "When Rome Fell." Craig Hutchinson is con)pleting his fifth picture with George Ovey as the star in Gaiety Comedies. .Jimmy Clemens is the ruling hand of the company, with Skyball Moreno his right hand man. William Beaudine has been enjoying a two-weeks' vacation in San Francisco and will get right back on the job at Christie's upon his return from the North. Paddy McGuire is joining the Christie-lot activities. He is to be featured in a one-reel comedy, with a wellknown director doing the shouting of orders through the megaphone. Jack Henderson is nearing the end of his six-months' engagement with the Christie studio, playing character parts. He has been cast in the story now being directed by Al Christie. Barney (Chick) Magill is turning the crank for f)irector Craig Hutchinson on the Christie lot. Ruth King is playing "The Countess" in the Von Strohiem story, while Jack Mathews is doing the grouchy old "Coimt." Jimmie O'Shea has gone and done it. He's bought a Buick car. He is Rollin Sturgeon's right hand bower in th^ direction of Tsura Aoki (Mrs. Sessue Hayakawa). Leo White is working at the Universal, playing one of his favorite parts. Sidney Payne finished with Dusty l<"arnum at midnight the other evening and at :! o'clock in the morning started in the William Dowlan Co. at the Universal, wliich is some record. Al Latham has been handed over to Rube Miller as his cameraman to film the Chris Rupp comedies that lie has been engaged to direct. Chas. Doherty has cast his lot witli the Henry Lehrman Comedii^s. working with Lloyd Hamilton under the direction of Jack White, who is being aided by Norman Taroug. Len Powers no more than got through at the Fox studio and he landed a position with the Vitagraph Corp. as cameraman. Syd Chaplin and his funniakers are working at the Jasper studios with Johnny Meighan as the assistant director. Frank Keenan shot some scenes in the Florence, Arizona, state prison in his last picture, which brought into camera view lineup of criminals that has made history down that way. Harry Schenck made all the arrangements for the Keenen Co. and handled things in general during the fiilming of the scenes. Eddie Laemmie writes from Bangkok, Siam, that he arrived there safely and is going on a tiger and leopard hunt in the jungles for eight days, which is very interesting to yours truly but not so inviting. Jimmy Parrott is working with Sid Smith and Madge Kirby in what are known as Holly Comedies, under the direction of Robert Kerr. Their initial story is called, "Never Scold a Husband," and will be released on the Bull's lOye program. Tom Kennedy is still drawing down a fat salary at the Fox-Sunshine studio for acting like a villain. George Allen was hurt the other day while working in a scene for the William Duncan Co. Neal Hart is producing two-reel Western stories for the Capital Film Co., and it is said he will soon join the five-reel class. Al Knight is preparing a story and reaching out for some of our leading lights ol' cinemaland to produce a si.'ireel feature story at the Capital Film Co. studios. Jane Talent has just finished a picture with Neal Hart, and will soon h(^ c'ast i»i a feature pioduction. Beatrice Dominquez is once nu)re working at the Big U.. Glen Cavender is playing the part of o motcu'man at the Fox-Sunshine studios in a street car picture. EQUITY ELECTION Thui'sday evening the Photoplayers lOquity Association held its annual m(>eting for the election of oflicers. Those who were i)resent maintain that the meeting was far more tense than aliiy held heretofore. Since Camera's recent suggestion for a new policy for the Equity, various cliques have conspired to install the ideas set forth. Also many picture i)layers of very high standing, and even stars, have expressed their intention of becomiTig senior members of the Equity if the new plan was assumed. As a result of these forces an amendment to the constitution drawn along the lines oi' Camera's suggestion has been adopted. The new oflicers of the association are as follows: Major McGuire. president; Clyde McCoy, vice president; Charles Mack, secretary; Pearl Elmore, treasurer. New board of directors: Ouy Eakins. Jack McCready, Fred Haymer. Jess Fontney, M. J. Donovan, L. S. McKee, Raymond Cannon and Jack Hassett. ASSISTANT DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION By Harry Burns What are the duties of an assistant director? Does it call for much inside knowledge of the motion picture game? or can a fellow who used to be a stage director or producer take such a position and be successful? Quite a bit of territory to ask anybody to cover in a brief conversation. For a starter, the assistant director of today must be a sort of "jack-of-alltrades," capable of handling people, know customs of countries, knowing the value of the camera, which calls for inside knowledge of the photographic values of colors, settings, wardrobe, locations and makeups. In other words, take every worry off of a director's mind outside of the actual direction of a picture. Any theatrical experience will help one in motion picture work, because the silent stage, and knowing how th(! actions of your characters will look upon the screen you have to make your actors and actresses govern themselves accordingly. So if one will just balance up their stage doings with the way the director of a screen production "puts his scene over," you will see plainly that there is a little bit of everything injected into the play, tricks of the old trade and angles of the new type of amusement. The fellow who used to work beside a motion picture direc^tor and be termed his assistant, was only a sort of an errand boy. a script bearer, the one who used to be blamed for anything that went wrong. But today he has outlived some of those cognomens that wf>re tacked on to him; he is exjjected to know the story, situation, scene and people equally as well as the director, and acts as a sort of co-director. He is a sort of a walking encyclopaedia, a real helping hand, and the director's right-hand bowei-. who is respected and looked to for everything pertaining to the making of the picture, and held responsible for everything that everybody else does from the director on down the line.