The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1935)

Thirty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1935 eo-eOU^ =©«tcffr&cu£ By JOHN LEEZER Pinch Hitting for Charles P. Boyle (Otto Phocus) What! I pinch hit for Otto Focus, Who ivrites all kinds of hokus pocusf Too serious-minded, says I to Si, But I can write of picture days gone by; The yesterdays of stars and cameramen , And maybe zue can make them live again. ILFRED LUCAS, who directed "The Trey oi lowing: "We had arranged to shoot a few 1 Hearts," Universal's first serial, tells the folscenes in the 'Trey of Hearts' serial from the top of a building being erected on Broadway. The steel work had been raised to the seventh floor and as there were no elevators or stairways we were compelled to resort to ropes and ladders in order to get our camera equipment to the top. Natually, this entailed not a little labor and considerable time. Fortunately, we had no sound equipment to handle. However, we were finally ready to get the first scene. The heavy and the lead were to pull off a fight on a steel beam which was suspended out over Broadway. Steve Rounds was my cameraman and when he signed to me that he was ready I called 'Camera!' I had no more than called it, however, when Steve grabbed my sleeve and said: 'Shust a minute, Mr. Lucas, 'till I fix it my diafragma.' The 'diafragma' fixed I again called 'Camera!' Steve turned his crank two or three times and stopped. 'Now, what?' I inquired. 'Ach Gott, Mr. Lucas! In mine camera is noding!' 'Well, where is it?' I demanded. 'Down stairs in automobubbles.' " * * * While the eminent English actor, Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, was engaged in the production of "Macbeth," his first motion picture by the way, on the Griffith lot, his inability to comprehend the limitations of a twoinch lens was amusing to other members of the cast, but not so to his cameraman. So wrapped up did Sir Herbert become in his characterization of the Shakespearean character that he would forget the patient explanations made by cameraman and director in less time than it required to make them. "But, deuce take it, I must walk from here to there while I deliver these lines, ye know," he would remonstrate. Unfortunately, the Akeley camera was still unknown. Sir Herbert was on his way to location on the same picture when motor trouble developed. The chauffeur did not locate the trouble immediately and Mr. Tree impatiently inquired: "Isn't there any lard in the bloody motor?" * * * "The Girl of the Timber Claims" was a Reliance picture starring Constance Talmadge and directed by Paul Powell. Exteriors in the big timber country near Santa Cruz. Little Nell's father had to die according to the script and the author said: "Let a tree fall on him." Of course it did appear that a tree fell on the old fellow. At any rate the funeral was held and the remains, in a rude pine box, were laid to rest 'neath the shadow of the pines he loved so well. Shortly after we had returned to Hollywood some timber "ruisers" ran on to the grave of little Nell's papa and, scenting a murder mystery, notified the sheriff's office. The sheriff, with the help of half a dozen deputies and two newspaper men, exhumed the remains aforementioned — and was his face red. The publicity department considered that yarn one of their best. I came across the lad who was responsible for that story one morning some years later. It was during the short interval when we were miniature golf-minded and he was standing outside the office of one of these golf courses on Vermont Avenue busily engaged in lettering a sign. Pointing out a number of holes in the window pane he explained that same was there because an over-zealous policeman had missed a burglar. Curious to know the purport of the sign I hung around until same was finished and tacked up. It read: NOTICE TO OUR PATRONS: WE HAVE ADDED A NUMBER OF HOLES TO THE COURSE BUT AT NO ADDED COST TO PLAYERS. One of the most pleasant of my picture associations was with that spendid actor, Arthur Mackley. Before taking up directing he played the Sheriff opposite Broncho Billy Anderson in many Essanay films. I recall an interior scene in a Western picture which, being a night scene, Mr. Mackley thought would be more effective if shot through a window shade from the outside. In other words, the interior action of two people would appear in silhouette on the shade. The action ran about fifty feet and, much to my surprise, while working on another set the following morning, a negative developer from the laboratory on the lot rushed up to me with my silhouette draped about his neck, arms and hands. He informed me that the scene would have to be retaken because of some foreign matter which had evidently lodged in my matt box. The Motion Picture Relief Fund Has Helped Many Cameramen in Times of Stress. It Is the Duty of Every Cameraman to Reciprocate When Able To Do So. Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.