International photographer (Feb-Dec 1929)

August, 1929 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-nine J-follywoocP s Jnrst Qolor Qamera BO-SXgQES Top, first motion picture studio still department, "photograph gallery" and laboratory in California, located at Alimitos and Sixth Streets, Long Beach, Calif.; later a part of the old Balboa Studio plant. (2) Erique Vallejo, builder of first color camera in Hollywood. (3) Street in Clune's "Ramona," lighted entirely by the old-style incandescent lamps. The first set in Hollywood to use 100 per cent incandescents. When the history of color cinematography is written it will record that the first color motion ca.'.i^va was built in Los Angeles and that the first color pictures (scenics) were shot here, the builder of the camera and the officiating cinematographer being Bro. Enrique Vallejo, one of our Hollywood pioneers in cinematography and an artist in his line. Senor Vallejo is of Spanish descent and a scion of that Vallejo family widely known and honored both in California and Spain. It is this background that has made him so valuable as an advisor to producers in the making of pictures having a Spanjsh flavor in locale, language or costuming. Senor Vallejo began pioneering with his camera away back in 1904 when he shot his first picture for the screen in the form of scenics, at the time being in the employ of the Lumiere Co. of France. His first big picture, and in fact, the first fourteen-reel picture to be shot was William Clune's "Ramona." This also was the first feature length picture to be lighted with incandescent lamps and the accompanying illustration is the reproduction of a still of the "Main Street" in "Ramona," which was lighted by incandescents exclusively. This picture Senor Vallejo shot with a Lumiere camera, a fabrication with four 200-foot magazines inside the box. It was in 1912 that Vallejo went in for color and for this work he built his special camera which he called a "Leograph" and with it made history by shooting the first scenics in color on the West Coast. The shots were made near Sawtell and were first run in Clune's theatre on Main and Spring Streets, Los Angeles under direction of Lloyd Brown, manager for Clune and widely known throughout the industry as an expert in lighting. Senor Vallejo shot the first commercial talking pictures, by the De Forest Process, in Mexico City, and was the first cameraman in Hollywood to use incandescent lamps for all interiors in a feature length picture. This was at Brunton Studios, the picture being "The U. P. Trail," produced by B. B. Hampton. Walter Strong, head electrician at that studio, rigged up the lights. The picture was a success and the photography and lighting were enthusiastically approved. Phone GLadstone 4151 ROLLQ1DOOD STATE T3A11K The only bank in the Industrial District of Hollywood under State supervision Santa Monica Boulevard at Highland Avenue