Motography (Jan-Jun 1915)

440 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIII, No. 12. from the figure of the god, and once more joins Matho. When the populace prepare to stop their escape from the city, the faithful make known the decree of God, and Matho is asked to remain for the purpose of marrying Salambo and becoming the ruler of Carthage. Horsley's Big Plans David Horsley, film manufacturer and inventor, left New York last week for Los Angeles, where he will personally direct the work of laying out new studios for his production. When interviewed by a representative of Motography Mr. Horsley said : "I have some wonderful advantages on my side now, and I'm going to put everyone of them to work with a view to making my films the most unusual and desirable pictures on the market. In the first place, I have a long lease on a plot of ground nearly six blocks square right in the heart of Los Angeles. Properties of all sorts, and city scenes of most any description are right outside my gates. Next I have the world famous Bostock animals, unquestionably the most highly trained and select specimens in captivity. The twelve original trainers whom Bostock acquired in various corners of the earth, including Captain Bonavita, the king of all lion tamers, and Harry E. Tudor who has managed the wonderful outfit for the last twelve years, are all under contract to me. Then comes my new duplex double exposure camera which permits of trick work and double exposure photography such as have never before been possible with other cameras invented up to this time. I can put over some performances between animals and human actors that will cause an audience to sit up and gasp. And all this highly mystifying and seemingly perilous action, through the use of the trick camera, becomes a hundred times more safe and simple than picture making under the methods now necessarily practiced by the producers of animal films. In addition to that my camera saves no end of time for the director. The possibilities for comedy production along brand new lines are almost beyond calculation. "The plans which I have just perfected call for an arrangement totally different from any now in use. My long association with the producing side of motion pictures has taught me the weaknesses and drawbacks of the average studio, and I have been able to overcome these in my new layout and to effect a great economy of time and space." Mr. Horsley expects to have his new studio finished and to start his new productions in them within six weeks from date. His plans call for an outdoor jungle allowing seven different sets and including an artificial brook, waterfall and lake. The interior studio is to be so arranged that six duplex sets can be set up in rotation, with the camera mounted in the center on a rock steady, automatically adjusted pedestal, with the foregrounds, lense angles, focal depths, etc., all diagramed and laid out. The director is thus enabled to work in rotation without the loss of a moment for the setting or resetting of scenes. Clever mechanical traps permit the entrance of any kind of animal at any part of a scene at the required instant, both in the jungle and interior sets, with covered passage ways connecting the arena and the dens of the animals. Elaborate scene docks, dressing rooms, laboratories and office buildings will form the boundaries of the court. Mrs. Horsley and their two children, Stanley and John, accompanied Mr. Horsley to California. They expect to be away about two months. Chaplin Statuette One of the most recent novelties in the way of a statuette is the small figure of Charlie Chaplin, the Essanay comedian, which has been modeled by Cyrus Le Roy Baldridge of 19 So. La Salle street, Chicago. The little figure is remarkably life-like and stands twelve inches high. Mr. Baldridge, who is an artist by profession, rather than a sculptor has only recently returned from the European war zone where he was sketching battle scenes for a syndicate of newspapers. Just by way of announcement, he one day tried his hand at modeling, choosing for his .first subject the popular Essanay comedian, Mr. Chaplin. So life-like and laugh provoking was the result, that Mr. Baldridge's friends urged him to prepare more of these little statuettes for the purpose of selling them to Chaplin admirers. After giving the matter some consideration, Mr. Baldridge determined to at least try it out, and reports that though he has only advertised his statuette in one magazine, he is already in receipt of several hundred orders. Exhibitors who are running the Chaplin pictures may find the Chaplin statuettes a valuable premium to offer on nights when those Essanay comedies in which Mr. Chaplin appears are to be run. By \V/ ^B E&i. X mk W^tt ■ J#H'jfl m B^^ Still Owns Thanhouser Stock On reliable information, Motography announced in its issue of March 6 that Dr. Shallenberger had disposed of his stock in the Thanhouser Film Corporation. Since the publication of that item, Motocraphy is in receipt of the following letter from Dr. Shallenberger and wishes to give it equal prominence with the original statement. I am enclosing herewith clipping from your issue of March 6, in which you state that the writer has disposed of his interest -in the Thanhouser Film Corporation. Wish to advise you that you have been misinformed in this connection as the writer has sold no' part of his interest in the above company. Will you kindly make a correction to that effect, and by so doing greatly oblige. (Signed) Wilbert Shallenberger. Alliance Features Fictionized Crossett & Dunlap, the well known New York publishers are the first concern in the book business to reissue the novels from which successful photoplays have been made. The first of these, "The Carlyle Blackwell" edition, of "The Key to Yesterday" is already upon the booksellers' shelves, and the Blackwell edition of "The High Hand," is now on the press and will shortly be placed before the public. "Jack Chanty" another feature on the Alliance program will be reissued in book form.