Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

XXVIII BETTER THEATRES SECTION OE January 3, 1925 THE Geometric Safety Reel USED AS STANDARD by the Largest Producers The Double Edge Prevents Cutting of Film— ^Cutting Operator's Fingers The Rolled Edge Doubles the Strength The Geometric Stamping Co. 221 E. 131st St., Cleveland, Ohio Decorative and Theatre Lighting Told by Bragdon (Continued from page VI) denly and the curtain descended in darkiiess. Now, Mr. Operti, who played the hrst witch, is of the greyhound type, an expert jumper and dancer, and at the end of one scene one night the lights happened to flash out just at the moment when from the top of a rock he had taken a leap upward in the air. This gave the illusion that he never again descended, since he was not seen to descend, giving point to Banquo’s lines, The^^ air hath bubbles as the water hath.” Thereafter the leap was the cue for putting out the lights and we were able to repeat this admirable effect night after night. Rostand’s play, Cyrano de Bergerac, though it is founded upon the life of an actual man, and introduces historic characters, is nevertheless sheer romance and fantasy. Poetry, gallantry, wit, courage, love, moonlight, beauty — they are all in this play. It is the kind of a story anyone might tell himself while daydreaming, the sort of thing one would like to have happen to himself. The lighting therefore should be as “glamorous as possible, not hard and bright and literal, clipping the wings of the imagination, but soft and glowing. To achieve this end we painted the scenery all very dark, a purple violet, and kept the light off of it as much as possible, also the light was kept off of the sides and top of the stage, to eliminate in some degree the illusion of a picture frame. Wherever a stairway or a stage or a balcony was required it appeared, but when it was no longer wanted, it retreated into the background as it were. The lighting for this production was done ^ almost entirely with soft-edged spot-lights, equipped with hinged shields by means of which the light was directed upon the actors and off of the scenery producing the effect described. I believe, with Mr. Bassett Jones, that the lighting should favor the actor in every possible way, for he is necessarily the center of attention and immediate and direct interpreter of the play. Mr. Jones recommends keeping the same quality of light on the face of the actor, while varying the quantity. I have found, as he has found, that a combination of blue and amber which exactly neutralize one another is a most satisfactory acting light. The lighting for the scenery and cyclorama may be whatevei one pleases, and here color may be introduced ad libitum. Footlights, which are a survival of the days of candles and lamps, should be used not at all, or sparingly — they are the worst possible light, on account of their nearness and their location. They should be employed only so far as is necessary to “kill” the dark shadow in the socket of the eye caused by overhead lighting. Side lighting is excellent, but the source of light is usually too near. Lighting from the auditorium overcomes many difficulties. As before stated The Miracle was lighted entirely in this way. In Cyrano top, side, and front lighting were all used, separately or together, bathing the acting area in soft, warm light, “tapering off,” so to speak, toward the top and sides of the stage, to eliminate the hard rectangle of the proscenium as much as possible.