Motion Picture Magazine (Feb-Jul 1919)

^MOTION piCTURF m \ MAGAZINE L "You jolly well have taken' me," I answered. (That's what the Americans say when they haven't the required information and, of course, you can understand my desire to appear like a regular native.) "That's a poser to ask a chap without even being introduced — well, rather." "Oh, come off!" an amazingly yellow blonde called, but, by Jove, I wasn't on anything, so how could I come off? "We're extras. In what shack do we smear the grease, darken the lamps and bow the cupid?" "Beat it down to ten and twelve," called a young man with a green Fedora suspended from the last branch of his family tree. When the two hundred girls and their two hundred suitcases had disappeared down a long passageway he came over and introduced himself. "I'm Al Dixon, Mr. Black's assistant," he said. "I guess you're E. Fish Ency, Jr. Your old man put me wise that I'd find you on the floor and asked me to show you the plant." By Jove, old chap, I resented the way he spoke of the Governor, but he had rescued me from that band of additional and he might be useful when I started out in earnest to eliminate waste. "Where is Mr. Black?" I inquired. "Black? Why, he doesn't blow in until one-thirty. Henna Moore, his star, gives him a lift in her car, and she doesn't leave the city until one. Can't get up until twelve, you know. If she has to dig out of the hay before that she's apt to chew up a couple of Cooper-Hewitts before the day's over, she's that artistic. But then she's all made up when she gets here, so that saves time." "But those additionals you just sent downstairs — aren't they for Mr. Black's picture ? Why do they come at nine-thirty?" "Oh, you mean that bunch of extras. Well, they might as well be here as home. It's the safest place for them." /' Mr. Black's company was the only one working at the studio. The others were out on location. That's what they say when a company goes outdoors to take those ripping country scenes, with red barns and Colonial houses and here and there a cow — or is it an angora? — decorating the landscape. At onefortyfive Henna Moore and. Mr. Black drove up in Henna's new car. It was a striped black-andorange affair, with Chinese lettering on the door. I heard the Governor say that the company had given it to her because Ora Bora, the company's other vamp, had driven into the yard the week before with a car the duplicate of Henna's old one and, by Jove, Henna's temperament was so sensitive she couldn't work for the rest of the week ! "Henna's temperament will get accustomed to such things," the Governor added, "for the company's going to supply no more cars — not while I have a controlling interest." It was a quarter of three before Henna was ready to act. She must have had several layers to take off — well, rather — if you can grasp my idea, dear Count — and if the Governor was supplying the costume she had on, I jolly well couldn't see where he could save another nickel on it. It was a scene in Turkey, and the two hundred additionals— I mean extras — were dancing girls. They were ripping lookers, but I saw where I could cut down expenses right there. Only twenty-five of those girls were really seen in the picture. The rest were a blur in the background. After they had fixed the lights and the girls, and then the girls and the lights, it was five-thirty, and Henna said she was tired. "Grayson wants the studio tomorrow morning, so we'll have to finish with this set tonight," Black informed her. "Sorry, but you can take tomorrow off." "Well, I really must lie down for a few hours and have Minerva treat my hair," she responded, as she trailed towards the dressing-room, with the languid grace often displayed by a salmon as it swims away to be canned. A group of addi — I mean extras — surrounded Black. "You know we dont work after six unless we get double check," they said. "But you didn't start to work until almost three." "But the call was for nine-thirty." "All right ; beat it. I'll make it O. K." When they had gone away, singing, "Tell me, darling, tell me, / when, oh, when do we eat?" to \ the tune of "My Rose of Ro many," Black explained that "double check" means two days' pay. (Cant, on page 109) LAfl£