The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1940)

wilds is a mother moose defending her young. Sharp, heavy hoofs, wielded by long, swift front legs, are weapons feared by man and beast alike. It is difficult for a moose to distinguish objects, but he is quick to detect movement, and his ears and sense of smell are especially keen. Neither a moose, nor any other animal of the wilds, can be approached, except up-wind. We had no control over the breezes while working near the licks, but the blinds, constructed from spruce boughs and other native materials, afforded perfect protection and fine visibility. Camera noise was reduced almost to sound studio standards bv heavy padding. A hand wheel inserted in the winding key socket of the spring-driven Eyemo was used to stop the camera silently, by hand friction. Telephoto lenses, up to twelve and one-half inches, were used. In many shots made from the blind we were so close that the head of the animal filled the finder. It was never tiring to watch these interesting, majestic animals. Even in bad weather, when shooting was impossible, we sat out the daylight hours in the blinds, lone spectators at the greatest show on earth. Bulls, who in mating time would be deadly enemies, met at the lick and together ate the mud which helped build the mighty weapons for tomorrow's battle. In nearby meadows, other battle-scarred monsters would stare at each other by the hour, as motionless as statues. In springtime peace reigns in mooseland, but in early autumn the bull's fancy turns to thoughts of love with all the tenderness of a tornado. A long spring day was ending. Sitting in the blind, which had been set up on a moose trail, we felt and heard the dull, heavy thud of ponderous feet approaching from the rear. Closer and closer they came as we sat hidden and breathless. One move and we would have alarmed the approaching animal. Not until it detoured our blind did we dare look out and up. Less than six feet away, four towering legs supported a huge swaying body. One end of enormous neck was fastened to it and on the neck's other end, crowned by a pair of antlers that filled the sky, were all the heads of the twenty-mule team rolled into one. The King of the Kenai, heading for his horn-tonic was passing by! But our stay in Mooseland had to end. We were due to hurry back to Chicagof and Admiralty Islands. Alaska's silver horde would soon be booming up the waterways. There's action to bs had, when the brown bear is fishing. And so Hank Lucas and Harold Galwas of the Alaskan Game Commission took the river boat, with cameras, remnants of food and supplies on a thrilling ride up-river. Jay Williams of the Forest Service and the cameraman took the trail alongside, carrying the precious exposed film in back-packs. Not that we didn't trust Hank — but . . . well, just because. ThE QREAT bARRVMORE John Barrymore, who made the profile famous, came back to Hollywood after an absence of a year and a half from the screen to star in "The Great Profile" for 20th Century-Fox. Still the colorful, legendary figure of old, Barrymore proved an interesting subject for a series of still shots made by Gene Kornman, member of Local 659, IATSE. Incidentally, the pictures of the famous star re-emphasize a point of portraiture expounded by Ernest Bachrach, also a Local 659 member, in the December, 1939, issue of International Photographer. Bachrach, who is an esteemed portrait artist for RKO Studios, outlined then the importance of skillful attention to the utilization of hands for complementing facial expressions, for strengthening moods and for creating interesting compositions. Barrymore himself served as a testimonial to the theory. He pointed out that a player may be good or bad in direct ratio to the effectiveness of methods employed in the use of hands. In other words, hands may be the difference between good or bad acting and consequently may be a factor in determining good or bad photography. Before beginning to shoot his stills, Kornman reflected: The public has seen Barrymore from virtually every camera angle, but to what is his prominence attribtued? It is only because of a handsome face or is it because of his effective technique and complete mastery of the Thespian art? Having his own answer to the questions he asked Barrymore: "How can the still cameraman best help the actor? Is there something he can do to photograph him so that he does not appear to be the same character every time his picture is taken but actually acquires a different personabty?" Barrymore smilingly replied, "If you will photograph me when I am conveying different thoughts, permitting me to express both meditation and resistance to external force, bearing in mind that the background is irrelevant; concentrating upon the head and the hands, you will succeed in accomplishing your objective. You will see four different Barrymores without the use of props, backgrounds or different lights." With this suggesion in mind and aided by Barrymore's sincere cooperation, Korn man swung his camera into action, producing a series of stills from which the four on the opposite wage have been selected for reproduction as ably illustrating the potency of hands in photographic composition. Compare the Hamlet poses. The one at top is static, although the position of the hand upon the hilt of the sword might be suggestive of possible action. For example, an entirely different thought would have been conveyed had the hand been resting upon the belt. However, the opposite feeling is depicted in the lower Hamlet. Here is animation. Although it is a still it has quality of photographic movement, a feeling that is developed through the skilled use of hands in the composition. Hamlet partakes of the forceful, virle qualities created in Shakesperian history. On the other diagonal the famous profile is presented in the habiliments of the manabout-town, matinee-idol types. At top is a challenging pose, while below, with hands placed to support the chin, a reflective, mild and unassuming mood is created. According to studio officials, not even Barrymore knows how the handle "great profile" originated. Milton Sperling, author of the script, says Barrymore coined it himself when he first was on the stage. Then playing in slapstick comedies, he said he wanted to go into drama because, as he was supposed to have said, "I have a great profile." Barrymore denies this story, with regrets. He admits it is a logical explanation and wished he had coined it, but declines to take credit. Nevertheless, Barrymore said that whoever coined the phrase must have been referring only to his left profile. Whenever possible he avoids showing too much to the right side of his face which is less expressive and on which the trick eyebrows do not work as well as on the left side. He will never object to working his right profile, and what he considers the most gracious gesture made toward him was made by Greta Garbo in this connection. When they were filming "Grand Hotel" together, there was a love scene they were to play together in profile. Everything was set up so that Barrymore was to play it with the right side of his face. Having heard about his left preference, Garbo spent her lunch hour supervising the rearranging of the set so that it could be played Barrymore s way.