International photographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

"It was in fact a cameraman assistant who helped Edison bring motion to the picture, William Kennedy Laurie Dickson." Terry Ramsaye. THE CAM Vol. I. MONTHLY NEWS OF PRODUCTIC COLUMBIA CLIPS By Bob Tobey "BLIND DATE," directed by ROY NEILL— Al Siegler is Master of Cinemonies on this one, with Jack Young as his operative cameraman and Al Keller and Walter Lackey assisting. Irving Lippman and his Dark Hazard cop the stills, Homer Plannette. V. E., is the gaffer, (V. E., my fledgelings, stands for Very Excellent) ; Buddy Coleman is Chief Heckler, otherwise called assistant director; Jack Wrenn nurses the props; Glenn Rominger garners the sound waves, and Jimmy Lloyd supplies the beef. Not the butcher, just the grip. The cast boasts of (casts, my good people, ALWAYS boast. It is called PUBLICITY.) As I said, the cast boasts of Ann Sothern, who can do a little special boasting because of her meteoric rise, Neil Hamilton, Paul Kelly, Joan Gale and Mickey Rooney. At least I believe it's Joan Gale. The three sisters, Joan, June and Jean confuse me. Ennihoo, Joan is a cute little breeze — a Gale after my own heart, if you'll pardon my sudden departure. Fun was had the very first day. There was a pancake eating sequence that delighted little Mickey Rooney's heart. He, with others of the cast, were supposed to consume large stacks of delectable wheat cakes smothered in butter and syrup. (Pardon me while I gulp a bit.) It needed no directorial genius to get Mickey to put his whole soul into the scene. But the sequence took a day to complete and an entire day spent consuming pancakes is enough for any glutton. The final scenes were misery for the cast and the very next day they all organized to form an Anti-Pancake Society. "TAKE THE WITNESS," directed by LAM BERT HILLYER. Joe August is Presiding Judge on this picture, but he's not on the bench. Dave Ragan is the pan and tilt expert, while Marcel Grand and Jack Andersen keep the key of the picture in C sharp. (In focus, you muggs — they're assistants.) I've patted Bill F'-'-er on *'ip VaoV so much I'll just say he's the still man this time; Jimmy Punter pours the juice in the proper spots (make mine about so-o-o tall, thank you); Eddie Blaisdell, the gentleman grip, directs the nailswatting; Eddie Bernds gets away from Frank Capra long enough to snare the syllables; Wilbur Mack is assistant director and George Rhein keeps his eagle eye on the props. The picture is a Jack Holt starring vehicle, with Jean Arthur, Shirley Grey, Sara Padden, and Nat Pendleton. Looks now as if the picture will run way over schedule — perhaps I'd better explain. Jack Holt just finished working on "Black Moon" and the African voodooism is still in his blood. Right in the midst of dramatic legal denunciations he breaks out into the weird "OOMBA-oomba, OOMBA-oomba, OOMBA-oomba," native chant, to the utter consternation of all concerned. Yessir, that mammv-palaver gets in one's blood. "WHOM THE GODS DESTROY," directed by WALTER LANG, finishes as I write. Looks as if the whole crew is going to take a vacation. They deserve it — they have been working for months without a rest. Brownie, officially known as F. M. Browne, is hot-footing it for the races at Indianapolis. His only time off in months. Brownie's going to make a fireman's holiday of it and take a camera along, "just in case." Ben Kline is also going to take a trip, but he won't announce the destination — probably afraid the studio will wire him to come back to work. Jack Russell, who got himself ensnared in those nasty old matrimonial meshes not many moons ago, will seize the opportunity for his first honeymoon and gallop off on a camping trip. Heigh-ho, love in a tent! I hope the pine needles don't point the wrong wav. They'll probably all come back so weary they'll have to go right to work to get some rest from their vacations — an old idea, but only too true. Fred Dawson is the only sensible member of the camera quartet — he's going to take it easy and stay right here and work. R-K-0 STUDIOS SUCCESS NOTE: Frenlich keeps up the good zvork! Your little keyhole-peeker is happy to note that Henry Freulich is justifying the break Columbia has given him. Henry photographed two "Minute Mysteries" (not at all the same as 1 Two-Minute Mystery) with Lambert Hillver during the past month. He also handled the peepsight on a two-reel comedy featuring Steelies former Hooges ... I mean Hoolies steamy codgers . . . er. former Holv Stogies . . . well, ennihoo, they're the three mugs that knock you in the aisles what with their poking each other's eves out. sbnping of faces, tearing of shirts, and other odd little prar,1's. At present Henrv is Chief Cinematogranher for Jules White, who is megaphoning as well as su "BACHELOR BAIT." Producer. Lou Black; authors, Victor and Edward Halpin; screenplay, Glenn Tryon; director, George Stevens; first cameraman, Dave Abel; operative cameraman, Harry Wild; stills, Fred Hendrickson; recording engineer, Clem Portman; film editor, James Marley. Cast: Stuart Erwin, Rochelle Hudson, Pert Kelton, Skeets Gallagher. "HAT, COAT AND GLOVE." Producer, Kenneth Macgowan; author, Wilhelm Speyer; screenplay, Francis Faragoh ; director, Worthington Minor; first cameraman, Roy Hunt; operative cameraman, Eddie Pyle; stills, John Miehle; recording engineer, George Ellis; film editor, Ralph Dietrich. Cast: John Barrymore, Barbara Robbins, John Beal. Sara Haden. "WE'RE RICH AGAIN." Producer, Glendon Allvine; author, Alden Nash; screenplay, Ray Harris; first cameraman, Nick Musuraca; operative cameraman, Frank Redman; stills, Alex. Kahle and Oliver Sigurdson; recording engineer, John L. Cass; film editor, George Crone. Cast: Marion Nixon, Billie Burke, Edna May Oliver, Grant Mitchell, Buster Crabbe, Joan Marsh, Reginald Denny, Gloria Shea. "AFTERWARDS." Producer, Cliff Reid; screenplay, William Hackett; director, James Cruze; first cameraman, Harold Wenstrom; operative cameraman, Jos. Biroc; stills, Gaston Longet; recording engineer, P. J. Faulkner; film editor, Billy Hamilton. Cast: Zasu Pitts, Slim Summerville, Ralph Morgan, Bruce Cabot, William Gacton, Huntley Gordon. "FAMILY MAN." Producer, Myles Connolly; author, Salisbury Field; screenplay, Sidney Buchanan and Harry Hervey; director, John Robertson; first cameraman, Teddy Tetzlaff; operative cameraman, Russell Metty; stills, Fred Hendrickson; recording engineer, John Tribby; film editor, William Hamilton. Cast: Richard Dix, Bruce Cabot, Barbara Kent. Erin O'Brien Moore, Edith Fellows, Leonard Carey, Dorothy Wilson, Shirley Grey. "DOWN TO THEIR LAST YACHT." Authors, Herbert Fields and Lou Brock; screenplay, Marion Dix and Lynn Starling; first cameraman, Eddie Cronjager; operative cameraman, Al Wetzel; stills, Alex. Kahle; recording engineer, Hugh McDowell; film editor, Arthur Roberts and George Marsh. Cast: Sidney Fox. Mary Boland, Sidney Black mer, Polly Moran, Sterling Holloway, Ned Sparks, Irene Franklin. pervising the comedy, "PAY DIRT." In this engaging little comedy George Sidney and Charlie Murray get on the trail of some gold; and Eastman makes a pretty penny too, in case you're interested. Fred Kaifer makes an appearance on the lot as operative cameraman on this picture. Freddie says this makes 13 days he's worked this year and he doesn't know whether to buy a yacht or take a trip around the world. Jim Goss and Roy Babbitt keep the scenery in focus — all that the actors don't eat up, anyhow. Howard Robertson is among the crew — he says that, as long as this is only a two-reeler, he won't hold out for being called Chief Illuminating Engineer, but will answer to the title of gaffer. George Cooper is the mixer. Tommy Flood is assistant director, and Al Becker is head grip. That conscientious gentleman who starts 'em and stops 'em at Columbia (and don't be thinking about a motorman ; I'm referring to the head of the Camera Department, Emil Oster) has been appointed by Sam Briskin to be Columbia's representative to the Silent Camera Subcommittee of the Research Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A splendid choice it was, too. When Emil gets all that new bridgework done I'll take his picture for you. Joe Walker would have had a clean record of a month of leisure, if he hadn't had to show up for some retakes on the Grace Moore picture, "ONE NIGHT OF LOVE." I suspect Joe of angling for another electric clock! Of course George Kelley assisted Joe, Vic Scheurich was second cameraman and Eddie Kearns was his assistant. The press having named the best dresi present the best dressed crew. This photogr h of wires, split screens or perambulators. Reading from right to left: H. JOHN HI photographer and interrogator, (how many?):C of "spots", and gaffer. HAL WALKER (seat ). tor (what's holding us up?); MILTON KRAHI of the latent image on film; ADOLPH FREUL H hunter, best boy and electrician; IRVING (V upper of the camera. On the extreme left is Adolph Menjou | pictures, but to me he is the BEST PAID ma n MISCELLANEOUS Phil Tannura asks the CAMERAGRAM to :■ tend thanks to all those good Hollywood folk o helped to make his stay in the Film Capital o immensely pleasant and profitable. He is has iing back to London to take up his work \ li Gaumont British. Dan Clark, the man who made Tom Mix cp-j matographically famous, has returned from a >■ journ of two months in Hawaii whither he » t on a special mission for M. G. M. He handicapped by almost constant rain, but cam ■ men have ways of overcoming little things e deluges. Len Powers is doing some special shot? r Romance Productions at Mack Sennett St id Tom Galligan reports the arrival of th' s™ at the Galligan homestead, Hollywood. 5. ay • Both Mrs. Galligan and daughter are dons: ' and Daddy Galligan is the happiest corner.-.in the industry. Do you know that Lindsay Thompsjn is l .>licity photographer for the Columbia Lroadcas't: System? Paul Perry post-cards us from Angkor Wat P he will write us a letter from Hong Kong. \M1 be looking for it, Paul. The redoubtable Lester Rowley, than wlp they can't make any better still man, is lool g longingly toward the bosky dells of Nortl n Illinois for that long wished for vacation. Fred Archer, internationally known pictorial.