The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1935)

Sixteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER April, 1935 A Novel Novel of a Thousand and One Nights in a Daze The characters: Mostly people. Synopsis of preceding chapters: Lili Liverblossom, famous screen star, is frantically trying to find a way to rescue her press-agent, Petriwether Murglc, who has been carried by a large Bald Eagle known as Willy Nilly, to his lair. By a chain of reasoning peculiar to her kind, Lili figures out that a ghost will know the way to the eagle's eyrie. While racking her brain to think of a way to lay hold of a ghost, Lili is called to the phone. As luck would have it {wouldn't it, though!) the man phoning her, an old friend of hers, is a ghost writer. As Lili is asking him to write her up a ghost, she hears what sounds like a dull thud at the other end of the wire. CHAPTER VI. Little Man, No Chow "Bill!" shrieked Lili, "what was that noise? What was it, Bill . . ." Lili had heard a dull thud, all right. It was Bill's cousin Gilbert who had just crawled in through a small hole in the floor. Gilbert had been a dull thud ever since the time in his early boyhood when he spent all afternoon trying to squeeze himself into the oven with the roast beef because his father had told him he was half baked. "Hello, Gilbert," said Bill. "Can't you ever think up a new greeting," said Gilbert nastily. "That's exactly what you said last time I came here." "That's exactly what you said, too," answered Bill, kicking him in the stomach. "That's more like it," said Gilbert, as he pulled a small hammer out of his pocket and smashed an electric clock, a statue of the Three Graces, a porcelain copy of the Sermon on the Mount, and three large bars of peanut brittle in rapid succession. "Hang up that phone, won't you? You've been on it ever since I came in." Bill turned and put the receiver to his ear. Lili had begun reciting the Gettysburg Address while she -waited, and -was about two-thirds of the way through it by now. Bill politely waited for her to finish — which took a little longer than you would figure, as Lili became somewhat confused over who was dedicated to -which, and had to repeat portions two or three times to refresh her memory. Bill didn't know the speech himself and only knew she had finished by her sigh of relief. "Now what about this ghost you want, Lili," said Bill when all was quiet once more. "Do you want one that does what you tell him, or one with ideas of its own?" "A ghost with ideas," said Lili, "would be about the last straw. I'll just take a nice quiet ghost, if you please, but one that knows the ropes." "As you wish, fair lady," said Bill, and ran up the Stars and Stripes with one hand and hung up the receiver with the other. "Gil," he called out to the Dull Thud, "go down to my yacht and get me a lot of rope you'll find there. I'm going to write up a ghost for Lili Liverblossom, and she wants one that knows the ropes." "Whatever the sense is," howled Gilbert, as he slammed the door, "of a sea-going ghost, I certainly don't see." "Then put on your glasses," snapped Bill. "Besides, you ought to know enough to go outside before you slam a door! What's the use of slamming it when you're still inside?" "I'm not. I'm back already," grinned Gilbert triumphantly. "My pockets are full of rope. My soul is full of hope. My trunk is full of soap." And laughing merrily, he scattered flowers all over the room and went into an off-toBuffalo. "Send me a picture postcard of Niagara Falls," called out Bill, as Gil went down the long staircase; and with that he picked up his fountain pen, filled it with ectoplasm, and went to work. (At last it looks as if Lili is to get her ghost. Will she be in time? And what will she be in time for? Cross your fingers and hold your breath, and with a nasty laugh -we'll leave you until next mouth.) Oliver Cross, the highest paid extra of all those who worked last year, earned $2846 playing "atmosphere" roles. This was earned as a "Class A dress extra," so his wardrobe must have cost him somewhere around SI 000, maybe more, lor the year. Not to mention the cash he must have spent in constant phone calls and personal contacts with the studios to achieve such a record. So his work netted about S30 a -week or less for his own use. Thousands of other extras were lucky if they earned enough to cover expenses, let alone a little surplus for themselves. The silver screen is hardly a golden pathway for the rank and file. By I In ili \ CINEMAC By ROBERT TC (With sauce for those i A newspaper story stated that Sidney Franklin -was awarded $7000.00 damages because Columbia described him as a "bull-thrower" instead of a bull-fighter in its toreador treatise called "Throwing the Bull." This should be no surprise to any studio. They're accustomed to paying thousands of Collars for bull-throwing. Publicity high. Headline in Los Angeles paper says: STATE SPINACH ACREAGE TO BE INCREASED THIS YEAR Looks as if the Mae West fad had fizzled out. The illustrious Mr. Walter Winchell, with his customary subtlety, took a running jump at the picture industry in a recent broadcast. Referring to the awards made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to those responsible for the success of the prize-winning picture for 1934, "It Happened One Night," Mr. Winchell disclosed that something better than orchids had been awarded to Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable for their acting in the picture, to Frank Capra for his direction, and to Robert Riskin for his adaptation. Mr. Winchell cleverly deduced, and pointed out with no little bitterness, that Samuel Hopkins Adams, writer of the original story, had not received even a brief mention. This, Mr. Winchell stated in his precisely articulate manner and fascinating, brilliant phraseology, was "just like Hollywood." Mr. Adams is an excellent author. His original story -was a fine one. Anything he can get, he deserves. With trepidation we point out, however, that the Academy Awards were purely FRQ some of the secrets of y(i are one thoroughly verse but would like to knovi of the dark room, the branches of the art. Mi young aspirants who son I the place of one of the j out of the ranks. The s terested : The Story The original. Sources of the What is Photon The Scenario Literary Fornri Continuity. This is the suggestive title of a book just completed by Lewis W. Physioc, and which is inviting the interest of a publisher. The motion picture industry probably is the only one of such magnitude that does not boast an up-to-date text book. Beside its value as such the book is designed to have a general appeal. What is your particular interest in the movies? Are you merely a fan who would like to know something of what goes on behind the camera, Are you a writer who would like to direct your efforts to this field, and frequently have asked the questions: Do they prefer a complete script or a s\ nopsis, and how do they put up the new talkie script ? You may even be a producer who would like to know The Studio Plans and Det Materials for Organization. Equipment. Directing the Picture Motion Picture Photogr The Lens. Nature of Lig Panchromatic 1 Composition. Lighting (inte:W Trick Photogpl shots, miniail Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.