Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1920)

56 Photoplay Magazine Tracy Mathewson (or "Fatty," as His Royal Highness called him) was the ofticiai motion picture photographer of the Pnnce of Wales' Canadian tour. In other words, he was paid for traveling on a trick train equipped with shower baths, telephones, free cigarettes, free lunches, free stationery, free valets and a free tailor with nothing to do but grind off a few feet of a Prince or Duke or Lord or Admiral or so every now and then. He and his assistant, George Ddran, were the only motion picture cameramen on the royal train — though there were two "still' photographers, one of them being Brooks, the royal photographer. Any others who wanted to follow the Prince about from city to city had to make their own traveling arrangements. • Which is our idea of a pretty nice job, as it was Mr. Mathewson's. Though we have his word for it that it was not a soft one. Mr. Mathewson found the Prince a very willing and helpful motion picture subject. Whenever His Royal Highness saw the camera of tis official screen recorder turned on him at a public function, he tried to help by stepping into better light, or by speaking more slowly, or moving more deliberately. He was very decent about posing. And he had a way of letting one know that he knew one was there which was very gratifying. For instance, in one Canadian city where Edward was to make a public inspection of his guard of honor, Mathewson set his camera under the edge of the. grandstand, thinking to get some unusual shots and to be out of everybody's way. In the middle of his focusing he heard an approving, "Attaboy," and looked up to find the Prince calling to him in a low voice behind his palm, so that none of the dignitaries entertaining him would hear. On the other hand, it took an endless amount of scrambling about to be Johnny-on-the-spot where the best pictures were to be found. The Prince told Commander Dudley North, one of his staff, that he had never seen any one who amused him as much as Mr. Mathewson. "He has more energy than I have ever seen before," he said. And the sight of Mathewson's plump figure with his 80pound camera, scurrying off on a hand car to get ahead of the royal train so that he could get a picture of it drawing into a station, hanging by an eyelash to a window-ledge, diving under a crowd, legging it down a platform, or hiding behind a hedge, always brought a grin to the Prince's face. Prince Edward's party landed from the Renown at St. John's, New Brunswick, on August i =;th. It was five days later, at Charlottetown, Prince Edward's Island, that the Prince first spoke to Tracy Mathewson. (Unless you're a Duke or somethinsj you don't speak to "royalty" until you're spoken to.) "The royal party was being entertained at the races," says Mr. Mathewson, "and was seated in the judge's stand. I worked my way up to within about ten feet of the Prince, cursing my luck because I couldn't get near enough for a good old-fashioned American Close-up. "As I began to grind away, the Prince spied me. He smiled and bowed, then summoned me. "'You're an American, aren't you?' he said, shaking my hand and asking me my name. 'T thought so, because in England the cinematographers never make "close-ups." Tracy Mathewson, at the camera-crank, was the official motion picture photographer of the Prince of Wales" Canadian tour, and as such was conceded the distinction of riding on a handcar. This picture was taken ^vhile Mathewson was grinding in the face of the engine dra'wing the royal train, George Doran is the assistant cameraman, holding the legs of the tripod. "A few days later I learned that there are traditions about 'photographing royalty' in England as there are about nearly everything else. Brooks, the royal photographer, informed me thai there are four things an English photographer would never do when photographing the Prince of Wales. Brooks is the son of the gardener at Windsor Castle and began making his first pictures of the royal children when they were youngsters together. He knows all about what is and what is not good form either for photographers or 'royalty.' "The four rules are: (i) His Royal Highness should not be photographed 'close-up;' (2) His Royal Highness should not be photographed playing golf or indulging in other like informal sports; (3) His Royal Highness should not be photographed with ladies; and (4) His Royal Highness should not be photographed whenever he royally does not want to be. 'Since the Prince had considered my picture taking at the judge's stand at Charlottetown a 'close-up,' I had already broken rule one. But the consequences had been far more pleasant than otherwise, and I decided in the future to use my own judgment, as I had always done in the past." When the Prince learned that Mr. Mathewson was to cross the continent with him, he asked if the pictures of the trip could be shown on the train. Accordingly a motion picture projection machine was installed in the dining car. As often as Mr. Mathewson could get prints of his pictures back from New York, where the negative was sent for development, the Prince had a chance to look at those same pictures of himself which you were looking at in the theaters. "Those parties in the dining car were very entertaining," says Mr. Mathewson. "Everyone on the train was invited. The Prince sat in an easy chair with his feet on another and 'kidded' the life out of the members of his staff when they appeared on the screen. He was especially entertained at a picture showing his private secretary. Sir Godfrey Thomas, in a high hat. The Prince himself hates to wear a high hat. He asked to have that film run each time we had a show. "Occasionally complete American news reels were sent. The Prince enjoyed keenly the picturization of current events, and expressed considerable appreciation of a picture of California dancing girls which was shown in one reel. "One time there was a subject showing his younger brother presenting a cup to the men on a British man-o'-war. The Prince had a good laugh over this. " 'He's stealing my stuff,' he said. 'I always used to do that.' Edward is a fan for American slang. ''There were moments, too, when I felt like a small boy must feel who is caught throwing paper wads. Those troublesome 'photographing royalty' rules would get badly fractured at times. "There was a fishing picture which gave me some embarrassment. "They refused to let me go along on a trout fishing trio into the mountains, because the Prince was resting and did not want to be bothered by cameramen. However, I did get a good shot of him as he started out. It occurred to me after he had gone that Doran, my assistant, was of about the same build as His Royal Highness. We managed to scrape up an (Cont'mued on page 118) 1