Picture-Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1924)

102 MYSTIFIED.— You're back promptly, I see. Well, here are some more movie definitions for you to add to your list. A back light is a strong illumination placed behind characters, so as to outline them with light. This is , the method by which the curls of the ingenue and the toddling infant are transformed into dazzling blond haloes. Double exposure is the photographing of two different scenes on the same film at different times, but so spaced that they harmonize perfectly and look like one complete picture when shown. In the beginning, only two exposures were made on a film, and that was considered a great achievement, but now, with the wonderful technical advances in the motion picture, a much greater number of exposures can be made successfully. The record, I think, is that attained by the camera man for "The Rnbaiyat of Omar Khayyam," which has never been released owing to legal tieups. For one scene in that picture, showing a vision of millions of angels, forty-: nine exposures were made. A cutter is a motion-picture editor. He puts the disconnected mass of thousands of feet of film into a cohesive, dramatic film of the required length ; cuts down scenes so that they won't drag on the screen, decides on what stays in and what comes out, and is generally recognized as one of the most important factors in a studio. It is true that a cutter can actually make or rum a film. An exchange is a branch office of a distributing organization, through which exhibitors in the sunounding territory can rent their films. The large distributors have exchanges in most of the important cities in the country. The crank is 'the handle of the camera ; to crank a scene means to photograph it ; crank speed is the speed at which the crank should be turned in filming a scene; this varies with the nature of the shot. If it is desired to have the action appear faster than normal, the crank is turned more slowly than usual, and vice versa. It works by opposites, you see. A miniature is a tiny set photographed so that it appears like a fullsize scene when shown. Shipwrecks and many other scenes that call for enormous damage are usually photographed in this way. The effect is just as thrilling — except to the initiated eye, the expense is small, and the danger nil. A wind machine is an ordinary airplane propeller mounted on a movable base that is placed at the edge of a set to blow everything around in simulation of a wind storm. A projection room is a small room in a studio or a film-office building in which film is shown. Scenes usually are developed immediately after they are taken, and run off in the projection room, so that in case retakes are necessary they can be photographed right away. It is also a tremendous help to a director and his company to be able to see each day's work screened. Waitintg. — Yes, I think Marion Davies would be glad, to send you a photograph of herself in the boy's costume in "Little Old New York," and Viola Dana one ofhersell in that apache costume you were so keen about. But be sure to specify that you would like pictures in those particular outfits; and also, inclose the usual fee of twenty-five cents with each request. John Bowers played the role of the drunken hero whom Betty Cofhpson finally reformed in "The Bonded Woman." Yes, Allan Forrest appeared as Nikky with Jackie Coogan in "Long Live the King." He is also with Mary Pickford in "Dorothv Vernon of Haddon Hall." Eileen. — Robert Frazcr hasn't been vacationing from the screen, but has been spending a lot of time on "Women Who Give," which is the final title of the picture made from "Cape Cod Folks." For that picture, Mr. Frazer and some other members of the company spent a couple of months at sea getting some special scenes. You may also see him soon opposite Pola Negri in her new picture, "Men." Shannon Day has been in Hollywood all the time, too, but she hasn't been appearing on the screen very often. However, she plays the title role in "The Fiddlin' Doll," one of the Universal short-reelers starring Billy Sullivan. Dustin Farnum plays opposite Patsy Ruth Miller in the Yitagraph film "A Battle of Love and Roses." Canada. — I'm glad to set your anxiety it rest by telling you that William Farnum has not retired from pictures. He was off the screen for almost a year after completing his Fox contract, resting up. But now he is coming back as a Famous Players-Lasky star, and from all accounts will have a wonderful opportunity to win back the great popularity he enjoyed years ago, which has been waning somewhat in recent months. It is likely that one of his first pictures for Famous will be "The Littlest Rebel," which was one of his most popular stage successes. Ambitious. — There are numerous jobs in motion pictures that could be filled by women beside that of acting, jobs in which they are preferred to men. That ought to hearten you. But it is almost as difficult to break into them as it is to get a screen trial, as the field_ is already overcrowded. You know Hollywood is just full of stenographers, telephone operators, et cetera, who thought they were born to be movie -actresses. However, if you do go to Hollywood to live, as you expect, here is the line-up of jobs in the film industry that are available for women, provided you can get 'em, There are the hairdressers, seamstresses, costume designers, milliners, stenographers, typists, telephone operators, film cutters, splicers, film retouchers and other laboratory workers, librarians, film editors, musicians, -publicity workers, artists, set designers and dressers, script girls, readers — that is, those who read fiction and plays for screen possibilities — scenario writers, secretaries to stars and executives, title writers, plaster molders, casting directors and executives in the various branches of the industry. So look over your talents and see if you. can qualify for any of them. E. D. — Henry Walthall appears in "The Woman on the Jury." Sylvia Breamer has the title role and Myrtle Stedman is also in it. Mary Roberts Rinehart's story "K" was filmed several years ago by Lois Weber with Mildred Harris in the leading role, and now I hear that it is going to be made over again. Mrs. Rinehart's "The Breaking Point," has just been completed with Patsy Ruth Miller and Conway Tearle. "Monsieur Beaucaire" is being filmed now with Valentino as the star, and "Magnolia" has been released under the title "The Fighting Coward," with Cullen Landis and Mary Astor in the • leading roles. William F. — Charles Chaplin first came to this country about thirteen years ago with an English vaudeville troupe called Fred Karno's Company, presenting a sketch called "A Night in an English Music Hall." Of that original troupe several stayed in this country and went into motion pictures. Beside Chaplin, the number included Fred Karno, Jr., who is now with Hal Roach ; Albert Austin, who became a film director; and Alt Recr;s. who is general manager of the Chap...! studios in Holywood. One of the members was killed in the war and the others returned to England. E. G.— How many titles in a film? Well, that depends. An average production of the action type running about fifty-five hundred feet that is well made and edited contains around two hundred and fifty titles. The more thoughtful, complicated type of picture usually requires more. It is every director's dream, of course, to eliminate as many titles as he can by having his characters act instead of say things, and to simplify, the necessary titles as much as possible. Hugo Ballin, with "Tournev's End," and Charles Ray, with "The Old Swimmin' Hole," tried the no-titles-at-all method, but the general verdict seemed to be that they would have been better if they had had some titles. Titles have improve^ a lot recently, though, and in tn<= productions of the best directors are growing fewer and simpler all the time. Continued on page 119 I