Moving Picture World (May - Jun 1918)

1406 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD June 8, 1918 Adding to the Pictures By Epes W. Sargent Opera, Concert, Ballet and Productions Used by S. Barret McCormick to Add Effect to the Pictures ENTERPRISING managers long since realized that the presentation of the motion picture meant something more than sending the cans to the projection room and seeing that the screen was dusted more or less regularly, yet this means "long since" only as time is counted Set for the Ballet, "The Primeval Forest." in this branch of the amusement business, for it is not more than five or six years since Rothapfel startled his brother exhibitors by making "productions" of the films with added effects, pictorial prologues and the like. Live wires were not long in taking the hint, and now dead stages are scarce in the better class of houses. They are at least tastefully set, and in many instances there is a production of some sort, perhaps only a singer, but something to give life to the otherwise silent stage. Of the hustlers none seems to have worked out the scheme more thoroughly than S. Barret McCormick, of the Circle theater, Indianapolis. Since he came on from Denver to assume the management of this house he has worked out the scheme of additions to include five branches. These include the The Japanese Tea Gardens Set from the Tabloid "Mikado." ballet, the production, the opera, t lie prologue and the singer. Booking well ahead, and knowing what he is to have, it is possible to give orders to the scenic artists well in advance. and two weeks are generalrj allowed for the production of an effect in the studio. \ soon as the Saturday night house is out the stage crew strike ami remove the current production and start to iu-tall the new scenery. From the fact that this sometimes keeps them until just before the Sunday matinee (twelve hours) it can be seen that the productions are by no means light. Often mechanical effects are used, which must be got just right, and the crews are rehearsed in setting and striking the effects that a smooth performance may be given at the opening. Mr. McCormick is fortunate in that there is a school for the ballet in Indianapolis, and for more than a year he has been working in conjunction with the instructors to devise dances to fit the productions, using the advanced pupils as his seconds, with trained dancers in the solo numbers. The photograph shows a set for "The Primeval Forest," used as an opening to "Tarzan of the Apes" at its recent showing. A blue cyclorama is used, against which the vivid coloring of the tropical forests shows to advantage. The painting was done in the manner of the modernish school, with broad strokes rather than intricate detail; not to save work, but to accord with the spirit of the play. The story of the ballet is thrown upon the screen before the overture that the audience may be able to follow the allegory, in which the emotions of the heart were symbolized by the dancers. The second cut shows the stage setting for a tabloid production of "The Mikado," done last October. A Japanese artist was employed in the Circle's scenic studios to do the set, which shows a teahouse garden. Only the most popular numbers of the opera are sung with a small chorus, but the setting is as ( arefully done as though for a season's run. Bits from other operas are given from time to time, One of the Two Settings Used for "The Two Grenadiers." alternating with the other features, the forest scene from "Robin Hood," for example, being given with the Armorer's song. Sometimes merely a song is given a scenic setting, as is shown in this set for "The Two Grenadiers," sung by an operatic basso. As the close of the song is reached the hack drop is taken up to disclose a battlefield. Back of the set wall, which remains in place, a truck is slowly moved. This is covered with French flags of all sizes, more than a hundred being used, to give the effect of a marching army passing behind the wall. An old effect, but one strikingly effective when the flags of our gallant allies were .shown. A thirty-six-inch fan was used to keep the flags fluttering, and twenty or thirty explosions sent up their tire and smoke to give the effect of an assault. Songs not relevant to the film production are used only when the picture does not lend itself to special treatment. On the other hand, many of the plays lend themselves unusually well to scenic treatment. For "The Barrier" an Alaskan setting was used with a "real" waterfall. The rise of the curtain disclosed 'Poleon standing beside his canoe singing "The Song of the North." with "Somewhere a Voice [s ('ailing" tor an encore. That 'Poleon. with his red and white voyager's cap and mackinaw. looks more like the hero oi "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is due to the photography. It might be added that all of these photographs but imperfectly