Pictures Press (Aug 21-28, 1920)

16 PICTURES PRESS August 21, 1920 how individuals whose earning capacities long since have vanished have found them a new source of revenue is given in the latest pamphlet of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Here it is told that a hermit who had lived alone in a canyon near the city for years prior to the demands of the picture makers, now finds little time for solitude. He is used as a “type” so frequently at $10 a day that he rarely has time to visit his erstwhile mountain home. Widowed mothers with clever children, veterans at the Soldiers’ Home, high school girls, ELL, here we are — at the home of ’ the movies. Los Angeles, Film Capital of the World ! To us who are familiar with the studios and who are not in the least excited over the sight of a husky villain abusing a fair young girl in the middle of the street ; who will not even halt our motor or stop our stride when some daredevil slides down a rope headfirst from the peak of the tallest building, in town — to us, there is no such novelty about it all as to the one who comes from afar. We do not altogether realize that Los Angeles has become the Mecca for the tourists of the world. Everywhere, in the old world and the new, the names of the parent city and its distinguished suburban community, Hollywood, have become familiar. They are talked of over the teacups in Siam and Sorrento ; discussed by moonlight upon the Bridge of Sighs in Venice and referred to by the T. B. M. over his evening paper in London. They all know about us — they all vow some day to see “How it is done” right here in the home of the movies. Many call but few are actually admitted. Visitors are in some studios excluded save in special instances, because it is obviously impossible to carry on a great enterprise and be subject to continual interruptions of the routine. But after all the visitor need not fear he will be entirely disappointed, even if he bears no open sesame to the studios proper. Not a day goes by but some company is “shooting” on the main streets, in private gardens, within a store or on a roof. All one has to do is to stop outside camera range and watch the proceedings. At lunch time the streets are fre policemen, firemen and individuals in all walks have been benefited financially by the picture making. Owners of properties of almost every sort are paid by the companies for the privilege of using their places as “locations.” No property room is large enough to hold everything used in a film production, but at and around Los Angeles are all the requisites. New producers locating here have the advantage of coming to a community where dhe stage has been set for their productions. It is a stage which nature, art and the sciences have collaborated to build on a colossal scale. quently crowded with as motley a throng as one might find in the bund of Shanghai or along the promenades of the Riviera. The folks of the films haven’t the time to change to their street attire, generally speaking. They must hurry out for a bite and back to the cameras again. So they throw a cloak over their apparel and stroll up the street where they dine promiscuously in the various cafes, cafeterias, lunch counters, and so on. At one of them, if you happen in — and there is generally a table or two vacant — you will find in all probability the unctuous Mr. Ben Turpin dining tete a tete with beauteous Marie Prevost ; or Charles Murray, the unconquerable King Cole of the movies, eating with dainty Harriet Hammond. Or possibly it will be the inimitable Louise Fazenda who sips her tea across the table from the ubiquitous Ford Sterling. They enter and line up for “chuck” with their tin platters, even as you and I. If only the repartee could be recorded — what a mine of wit and humor, extempore, could be collected at one of these assemblages. At another place is a cafeteria where many of the folk from one of the big plants dine. Any day you may see the comely Wallace Reid dropping in for a bite with, perhaps his leading woman or some of the other boys from the studio. As like as not there will be Margaret Loomis, Conrad Nagel, Thomas Meighan, Elliott Dexter, Harrison Ford, Walter Hiers, Charley Ogle, Lila Lee, Lois Wilson or others in or about the eating place. You’ll see some of the other stars, too, fo,r they work nearby. Possibly delectable Wanda Hawley, exquisite Bebe Daniels, or charming Mary Miles Minter will be seen. The streets are full of the motor cars High Standard Set , Declares Manager REALART PICTURES CORPORATION Los Angeles, Cal., August 16, 1920. jp'DITORS Pictures Press, Los Angeles, Cal. We have just read through the first number of Pictures Press. The writer remembers the first issues of Motion Picture News and Moving Picture World, and can assure you that the first issue of Pictures Press has set a high standard. Taken as a whole, the periodical is classy, well gotten up and interesting to a marked degree. We feel that, the first issue being a criterion, Pictures Press is assured of a brilliant future. Assuring you of our co-operation and with kindest personal regards of the writer, we are, OREN S. WOODY, Branch Manager. of the fraternity. Mostly handsome cars, with special bodies. You will see Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle gliding by in his $25,000 car, content with the world ; or Wallace Reid in his speedy roadster, or Miss Minter in her trim town car. Sometimes there is a roar as Cecil B. deMille starts the engines of his mountain climbing speedster and whirls away for location or elsewhere. Again it may be his brother, William deMille, also a producer, or George Melford, another of the directors. The extra folk mingle with the throng. Girls in evening gown and men in evening dress, with light wraps or coats, are seen hobnobbing with Turks, Indians, clowns and Nubian slaves. It’s a common enough sight for us — but do you recall the thrill of your first “behind the scenes” at the theater? Did you revel as you saw the spear carriers and the dainty soubrette with her abbreviated skirts and gleaming shoulders? Well, you see the thrill has become bigger and behind the scenes in film land means not alone the studios but almost anywhere in town. Those who are jaunting through will be sure to see something of how movies are made and carry back a tale of deep interest to their friends who are not so fortunate and who haven’t been able to visit the film capital of the world. STUDIOS ARE BUSY PLACES Picture Making Lure for Visitors By ARTHUR H. STEPHENS