International photographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

Fourteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1934 Around the World on Location B\ Robert W. Miller ATHER an uninteresting title for a very interesting trip, but after all, that's the way one feels about these jaunts when he gets back to the home soil again. To go back a few months, six of us left Hollywood for Vancouver, where we took the "Empress of Japan" for the Orient. Our party consisted of Chester Bennett, well known in Hollywood film circles; Mrs. Nell Emerold Beattie, English authoress ; Ward Wing, Hollywood director ; liis wife, Mrs. Lorie Bara Wing; our old friend and ace of good fellows, Paul Perry, in charge of photography, and only a few sleepy faces peering out of shaded windows, the latter wondering, no doubt, what those crazy Americans were trying to do when anyone with good sense was taking a siesta. Personally I have a great regard for the French custom and admit that even 3 :00 o'clock was a little early to start out. I am wondering what would happen if something like that were tried in Hollywood. After about three and one-half weeks of shooting, in the city, on the river and in the jungles, we completed our thirty thousand feet of background and were ready to Left to Right — The King of Cambodia goes for a stroll. <The palanquin bearers do the strolling.) Center — The Perry-Miller party at the main gate of Angkor Wat, the famous ruined city. Right — The King of Cambodia takes his royal elephants for a run around the palace \ rounds. sound, etc., and "yours truly" as his assistant, second and still man. After a delightful trip we readied Hong Kong last January, where we found it necessary to wait ten days for a French ship to take us to Saigon, our destination. Arriving at Saigon, we were again forced to wait for some few days while the French officials satisfied themselves that we only intended to make motion pictures. Our reason for going to Saigon and French Indo China was to obtain background shots for the picture, "Indo China," which is being produced by Metro-GoldwynMaver. Here we shot some thirty thousand feet of negative, covering some of the most interesting subjects I have ever been privileged to work on. We were very fortunate in arriving there shortly before Chinese NewYear. The country is peopled not only by Chinese, but by Anamites, Cambodians and Tamals, the first two closely related to the Chinese people. For three days before the Chinese New Year the native markets are crowded with all nationalities. It was in such a setting as this that we made our opening shots for the M-G-M picture. Saigon, itself, is a city of some two hundred thousand, of which around forty thousand are French, the rest being Chinese and native. At the time we reached there only eight other Americans were in the city. Ideal weather conditions prevailed all the time we were there, and while we always had the heat of the tropics, it was much drier than Manila, Panama and other Southern countries. One quaint custom the French have was brought, rather forcibly, to our attention the first day we started to shoot. Our guide and interpreter, Monsieur Jack Nodo, informed us that we would have to stop shooting at 1 1 :30 a.m., as it was time for lunch. When we asked him what time he would be ready to start in the afternoon, he informed us that he would be back at our hotel at 3 :00 o'clock. Not wishing to lose quite so much time in the middle of the day we tried starting out without our interpreter around 1 :30, but found the streets deserted, stores closed unlimber our color camera. Our intentions were to make several shorts in this vicinity, using the bipack process. We used a Bell & Howell camera, fitted with Fearless movement, and of this combination I cannot speak too highly, as we had absolutely no trouble of any kind. As we were preparing to leave Saigon for the interior Ave had the pleasant surprise of meeting Duke Green and Thad Brooks, of Technicolor, who are working with the Marquis de la Falaise on a jungle picture. Arriving in Phnom Penh Cambodia, we were very fortunate in being in time for the King's birthday party. While Cambodia is under the protection of the French the King still holds court and is highly thought of by all his subjects. One morning when Paul and I were setting up our cameras we found ourselves more or less hampered by the eager crowd of natives. The Cambodians are very polite, but like all children, very inquisitive. One chap in purple pajamas was a little more persistent in getting closer to my camera than the others. I finally found it necessary to escort him some little distance away and in good old American slang told him to "STAY PUT." A few minutes later I was tapped on the shoulder by an official looking somebody and informed that the gentleman in purple pajamas was none other than the king himself. When I could get up nerve enough to look his way I found him grinning at me and snapping my picture with a small hand camera that he carried. Learning that he was an enthusiastic amateur photographer, I felt that all had been forgiven in the interest of art. One of the interesting events of the birthday party was the feeding of fifty-one Bonzas, or yellow robed Buddhist priests. There are many Buddhist temples in Cambodia, and literally thousands of the male population of Cambodia take up the priesthood for at least part of their lives. In a few months' time the King's eldest son is to enter the priesthood for a period of a year. It is customary for a certain number of these Bonzas to receive food from the King's table. The number is determined by the number of years the King has lived. (Turn to Paf/c 20) Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.