Picture-Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1916)

222 The Centaur Studio planks and trainers to get him out, and, needless to say, I didn't help them. Yes, indeed, the moat is used more frequently than we like !" There are six sections to the arena. Section one is a jungle scene, with big trees hung with moss and creeping vines, a dense tangle of brush and shrubs and native grass huts. An old Boer wagon adds to the realism of it. Arena number two portrays the Rocky Mountains, with great ledges of rock, a skillfully painted mountain background, real spruce trees, and caves which furnish dens for grizzly bears. In the foreground are smaller rocks among which the action of plays is mostly taken. Section three shows a scene in the northern woods, while arenas four and five present the wilds of the tropics. The sixth section is the most cleverly arranged of all, being a desert with dreary patches of sand and ledges of rock. By a clever device, this last arena is so managed that it can be changed into a marine view and other effects. The animals enter each section by a runway from their cages. This runway incloses the entire arena, and by merely closing a gate which separates one division from another, the animals can be grouped in any section desired. These gates are large enough to allow the biggest animals, even the elephants, and stagecoaches and caravans to pass through. The circuit of the six sections can be made without turning around. Steps run up to another runway that encircles the sections at the top so that the spectators can look down into the arena. 'They are taking a scene now. Would you like to see it?" my companion inquired. Would I ! I climbed to the runway, and, sitting down in a little, concrete platform, prepared to be thrilled. The setting represented some particular part of ''Sudan." A director and camera man were ready for business just as near the moat as possible, and, inside, the heroine, Nan Christy, was supposedly tied to the floor with heavy ropes. The leading man of that particular scene walked majestically from oehind a hut, the central object of the "set." It was Leo — ferocious and man-eating Leo. With him came Bonavita, whip in hand. From the top of the hut an arm suddenly appeared with a rope in its hand, from which dangled a huge piece of raw meat. It swung temptingly in front of the door. Leo was supposed to jump for the meat and come down with his paws on the door, which would open and let him inside. Of course, the meat was dangled out of range of the camera. Leo turned his back on both meat and door, and, walking over to a spreading palm, lay down. The palm could not stand such proximity and fell over on him. He yawned and got up. No amount of urging at first seemed to tempt him toward the meat. Jack Bonavita disappeared inside the door and held more meat to make him nose the door. Even that refused to entice any ferocity into the beast. Apparently he was feeling particularly peaceful that day. Finally another trainer appeared and cracked his whip. A couple of men with guns added shots to the occasion. At length Leo made a feeble leap for the dangling meat — then a little -stronger one. Finally he leaped high, and as he dropped back, his paws opened the door and the camera had finished its work. It was a lesson in patience, and will show the "fans" just a small bit of the trouble involved to create excitement and amusement for them. Miss Harris was then forced to leave me, having some writing to do, and while waiting for another scene, I strolled leisurely over to the west of the