The Motion Picture Studio (1921)

THE MOTION PICTURE STUDIO July 30, 1921 CAMERAMEN AT WORK “ It’s a game of life and death,” writes a well-known English Cameraman in Dublin, whose name we do not disclose lor obvious reasons, refeiring to the conditions prevailing in that city. He relates an exciting ex¬ perience which befel him quite recently while working in the Irish capital. He had put in a busy morning taking pictures of the scenes attendant upon the funeral of a military officer outside the city, and was seated on a tramcar bound for the suburbs, when a number of armed men stopped the vehicle, entered it, “ covered ” him, and ordered him to follow them, which, of course, he did ! The unfoitunate cameraman was then marched away some distance and commanded to surrender his camera, contain¬ ing the pictures of the funeral. His aggressors warned him against attending “ any function of a similar nature ” in the future, and, on his giving them an undertaking to this effect, he was allowed to go. Since then he has seen neither his captors-r.or his camera ! * * * Considering its reputed fragility it is rather remarkable that so few lenses bearing marks of hard usage are encountered, says the British Journal of Photography . Such are, however, to be met with occasionally, and it is somewhat difficult for the average photo¬ grapher to know whether they are worth purchasing at a low figure. Lenses are, as a rule, damaged either by a fall or by careless cleaning or packing. The damage caused by a fall may take the form of a chip or crack or separation of the cemented surfaces. Chips, if not large, do not interfere materi¬ ally with the performance of a tens if they are covered with black varnish or even cpaque colour. Cracks, if not large, may be blocked out in the same way, and even if one of the glasses is broken across it may be cemented I together with black cement without showing any sign of the line upon the negative, pro¬ vided that a very small aperture is not used. A fall may, however, seriously impair the working of a lens without being apparent to the eye. This is when the mount has been distorted and a strain put upon the glass. A general surface dulness, due to careless cleaning with gritty cloths, does not impair the definition, but causes a general fogginess upon the negative. Deep scratches, caused' by allowing the lens to rattle about in the camera ease, have the same effect, but an improvement may be effected if they are blocked out as if they were chips. * * * The next meeting of the Kine-Cameramen’s Society is being held on August 8, at 99, Wardour Street, at 7 p.m. It is hoped that it will be well attended, as the Society has only been holding one meeting a month during the summer. The business to be discussed will be of an interesting character, and in addi¬ tion it will be an opportunity for cameramen to meet each other again. * * * The Lathe Gazette was well represented in the Pathe Cricket Eleven, when Pathe beat l.asky, thus qualifying for the final. Henry Saunders, Frank Bassil and “Goch ” Gimmell were included in the team. MEN BEHIND THE CAMERA. No. 3. Sidney Frank Canham, when 18 years old, went in for trick cycling on the halls and was well known as Sid Franks, both in Britain and on the Continent, and in 1904 he won the world’s championship at the Coliseum, Vienna. Before the war was with Kinemacolor and Neptune Co. leaving for Italy to fulfil contract with Torquato Montelatici — after joining Milano Film Co. and later with Tespi Film Co., of Rome. On re¬ turning to England was appointed official kmematographer to the Ministry of Informa¬ tion under Lord Beaverbrook. Since the armistice has been with Harma, Windsor and Kenelm Foss, and he has taken all the pic¬ tures in the present Foss program, including “The Breed of the Treshams,” “The Head¬ master” and “The Wonderful Year.” SCENIC BACKGROUNDS. One of the aspects of production that is engaging the attention of those who are really keen on improving the pictorial quality of photoplays is the subject of backgrounds. Recently Rene l’laissetty made a valiant and successful attempt to dispense with elaborate built-up backgrounds and obtain vivid simplicity by the use of curtains only. The latest move in this direction comes from Germany, where an attempt at paper scenery is to be made. The new idea is to be tried in a vaudeville act as a test upon which a legitimate producing firm will decide the scheme’s value. The inventor is an Englishman interned in Germany four years during the war. During his detention he experimented with paper, using various chemical baths to toughen 'the fibre. He is said to have succeeded in making ordinary wrapping paper extremely strong, and because its cost is half that of canvas and there is an equal saving in weight, he proposed its use for theatrical scenery. The inventor made several sets for use in England, and the paperscenery idea is being taken to generally in Italy. In addition to its economy, the paper is said to hold colours more readily than canvas. It is claimed the new paper process can be made fireproof, and, further, that once it is fireproofed the process will not need repetition, as is now required in various cities. THE PULSE OF THE STUDIO J. Stuart Black ton. Address : Bush House, Aldwych. I Studios: Now using Stoll’s at Crickle wood. Studio Manager : Clifford Grey. Film : “ The Glorious Adventure.” Director : J. Stuart Blackton. Assistant Director : Clifford Grey. Star : Lady Diana Manners. Scenarist : Felix Orman. Art Director: Almon C. Whiting. Cameraman (Black and white ) Nicholas Mursuraca. Cameraman (Colour) : W. T. Crespinal. Type : Seven-reel drama Stage : Third week. British and Colonial. Address : Hoe Street, Waltham¬ stow. Film : “ The Puppet Man.” Director : Frank Crane. Stars : Molly Adair, John Reid. Scenarist : Cosmo Gordon Lennox. Cameraman : I. Roseman. Type : Spectacular Circus drama. Stage : Completed. Broad west. Address : Walthamstow. Film : “ The Imperfect Lover.” Star : Violet Hopson and Stewart Rome. Director : Walter West. Art Director : Thomas Fleetwood. Productions and Who Cameraman : A. G. Frenguelli. Type : Drama. Stage : Fourth week. (Second week on interiors.) Film : “ The Candy Man.” Star : Not cast. Director : Not announced. Scenarist : W G. Clifford Type : Drama. Stage : Schedule — casting shortly. George Clark. Address : 47, Berner’s Street, W.l. Studio : Candlemass Lane, Beaconsfield. Film : “ The Bigamist.” Director : Guy Newall. Stars : Ivy Duke and Guy Newall. Scenarist : Guy Newall. Cameraman: Bert Ford. Type : Social drama. Stage : Completed. Famous Players-Lasky British Producers. Address : Poole Street, Islington. Studio Manager : Major C. A. Bell, O.B.E. Film : “ Dangerous Lies ” (Working title “ Twice Wed.”.) Director : Paul Powell. Stars : Mary Glynne, David Powell. Assistant Director : P. J. Cullen. is Working on Them Scenarist : Mary O’Connor. Art Director : Leslie Dawson. Asst. Art Director: N. Gregory Arnold. Cameraman : C. McDonnell. Type : Social drama. Stacie : Cutting and Assemblin g Film : “ Bonnie Briar Bush.” Director : Donald Crisp. Assistant Director : Claude H. Mitchell. Star : Donald Crisp. Scenarist : Margaret Turnbull. Stage : Fourth week. Frederick White. Address Weir House, Tcddington. Film : “ The Haigh Serial.” Director : Edward R. Gordon. Assist.-Director : Geoffrey Benstead. Star : Ernest Haigh. Scenarist: Edward P. Gordon. Type : Detective serial. Stage : Casting for Sixth Episode. Gaumont. Address : Lime Grove, Shepherd’s { Bush. Studio Manager : B. H. Bromheacl. Film : “ Poses in the Dust.” Director : Captain Calvert. Stars : Iris Rowe, Gladys Mason. Cameraman : Basil W. G. Emmott. Scenarist : H. Morgan. Stage : Fourth week. Glen Films. Address : 20 Lisle Street, W.C. Studio: “Belgrave,” Marine Ter¬ race, Aberystwyth. Film “ Land of my Fathers.” Director : Fred Rains. Stars : Edith Pearson, John Stuart. Cameraman : L. G. Egrot. Stage : Nearing Completion. Hardy Film Co. Address: 13, Gerrard St., W.L Studios : Samuelson Studios, Isleworth. Film: “Bluff.” Scenarist : Rafael Sabatini. Stage : Casting. Director : Geoffrey Malins. Cameraman : Germain Berger. Stars : Marjorie Hume, Lewis Willoughby. Harma. Address : Limes Grove, Croydon. Film : (not titled). Director : Bernard Dudley. Stars: Marjorie Vill is and James Knight. Cameraman : J. Mackenzie. Type : Comedy drama. Stage : Sixth week. l'he Biggest Successes have BENJAMIN COSTUMES 10 PERSONAL SUPERVISION GUARANTEUD in every detail. ‘Phone — London Wall 7568