Reel and Slide (Mar-Dec 1918)

REEL and SLIDE Unusual Features in Cattle Club Film American Jersey Cattle Picture Designed to Increase Interest in Herds May Irwin, Actress and Cattle Breeder, Plays Chief Role to Aid in the Work By R. M. Gow {Secretary, American Jersey Cattle Club) OME time ago the club offered its first moving picture. We were all very green at the business then. An elderly and a young man were introduced to the secretary of the club as actors. They looked as if they might do, but it afterwards proved that the elder man's conception of the farmer was based on stage tradition as he understood it, and his idea was that the farmer is expected to play the clown. So we got merely stage farmers, and very poor specimens at that, and owe all farmers an apology for this unintentional slur upon them. When it was decided to have another club moving picture we thought of asking the advice and assistance of an enthusiastic Jersey breeder and devoted club member, who has been, and is, an ornament to the theatrical profession. It was a happy thought, for Mrs. May Irwin Eisfeldt, with her habitual good nature and willingness to serve, cheerfully consented to give us all the aid within her power. Mr. Dan Prohman and some other friends connected with the Famous Players, while enjoying a vacation at Irwin Island, had a good many feet of film taken, showing something of the farm life and the Jersey cows of the owner. This film, about 1,600 ft., was at once presented to the club by Mrs. Eisfeldt, and a portion of it, under the title of "A Letter From May Irwin," circulated in the "Universal Screen Magazine," has been doing excellent work for the Jersey breed in hundreds of the regular moving picture theaters all over the country. When the club concluded that a new moving picture was desirable, the next question was, "Who will get it up?" The Universal Film Company had' just branched out to take in what are called "industrial films." This company was selected. They prepared a "scenario" and submitted it, made suggestions as to incidents and scenes. Commandeering May Irwin May Irwin has been known to the American public for forty years, and, as said at the annual meeting of the club, she would be advertising the A. J. C. C, rather than that the A. J. C. C. would be advertising May Irwin, as the club was in need of advertising and May Irwin was not. It was only at the special request of the club at its annual meeting that May Irwin finally consented to take a part in the picture. The club had several objects in view in producing a moving picture. One was to sustain the dairy industry, being convinced of its great importance to the nation not only in the present food crisis through which the civilized world is passing, but for all future time. Another was to show something of the attractive and interesting sides of farm work and the pleasures and beauties of rural life. But the Jersey breed was not to be forgotten, either, and it was aimed to introduce the Jersey to the spectator and to instruct him as to her value and usefulness. It was a suggestion from May Irwin that the picture should introduce the club office. A Jersey moving picture should naturally center around the A. J. C. C. So the picture begins and ends at the club office. The "story" is that, a visitor coming to the club office, the secretary, from his vast and varied reservoir of such information, tells him or her (it happened to be a her) an unusually interesting story of business success and true love made to run smooth by the intervention of the Jersey, and this story is told in the scenes which follow. It was sought to make this picture different from any other picture of country life. Clothing, country habits, localities and individuals were studied to get the true atmosphere. After the pains that were taken, it is curious to find that the clothes worn by the actors have been criticized as being untrue to life, one criticism being that they were too good and too fashionable, another that it was wrong to show farmers in rags. Yet there were actual instances of the clothes worn in the picture. A suitable setting has to be located in actuality, and barns, stables, cows, stalls, exteriors and interiors, must be searched for until found, and in this case they had to be accessible to New York City, as it would have added greatly to the cost of the picture if the staff of actors lived at some distance. We were fortunate in finding within two hours' ride of New York City, at Plantsville, Conn., two farms very near each other which came pretty near fulfilling all requirements. One is Belleview Farm, the home of the fine Majesty herd of Mr. L. V. Walkley; the other is Spring Lake Farm, belonging to Count D. J. Vlasto, where a mixed herd is kept, some of them pure-bred Jerseys. On these two places were found cattle, barns, pastures and scenery that could be utilized for the picture. Afterwards one or two beautiful scenes were taken at Lone Tree Farm, New Canaan, the home of Mr. A. Victor Barnes. Some Technical Difficulties Found There are lots of technical difficulties to be overcome in the making of such a picture. The photographing of valuable cattle makes necessary waits for favorable weather. Then a time of day must be chosen when the cattle are in their best form and when light conditions are right, requiring much planning and study of light and shade. Cows are hard to photograph in herds, as it is difficult to get them close enough together, and the camera has to be near enough to get individual characteristics and show fine points. Cows, too, are like women^some make good subjects for the camera and look better in their pictures than they are in reality; others, owing to some subtle light, reflection or absorption, are poor camera subjects, and photograph to their disadvantage. As the light strikes the hide of a well-groomed cow there is considerable halation, and one angle gives one shade and another angle quite another. ' In the case of barns, out of about a hundred there will be found only one suitable to take interior pictures in without using lights, and barns lighted with electricitv have verv seldom sufficient current to run the necessary number of lamps. While the story part of the picture was being proceeded with, and even before it was started, we were on the lookout for any good material that might lend interest and educational value to the film. The prominent Jersey sales offered opportunities, so we had a camera outfit ready at Butler's, Spann's, Cooper's and Hood Farm, ready to catch any notable sale incident. At both Cooper's and Spann's, on account of dark and rainy weather which compelled holding the sales under cover, very little film was exposed, as results could not be obtained. At Butler's especially we were able to get some interesting features, as the sale of the $10,000 cow. Prof. H. G. Van Pelt was at the Butler sale, and it was felt that if he could be induced to give some of his "cow demonstration" before the camera it would be an educational feature of high value, especially as there were plenty good cows to illustrate with. He very kindly consented, a cow was stopped after her sale outside the barns, not without protest, and Mr. Van Pelt did his bit cheerfully. Interpolation Is Made At this juncture the picture director said that he could use the picture of a pretty young lady drinking a glass of milk drawn from the $10,000 Jersey cow. I suggested that a pretty little girl might do better, and I knew where one was close by. So I requested Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn to let us have their little daughter Dorothy. This is how we came to show the Jersey cow that had just brought $10,000 in the sales ring being milked and the milk going straight from producer to consumer, just a little by-play. After much work and anxiety I felt that the A. J. C. C. picture was worthy of the best staging at its initial showing, when it had to pass the censorship of the president and directors of the club. Mentioning this to the Universal Film Company, they put the Broadway Theater at our disposal for two hours in the forenoon. It is universally recognized that appropriate music adds greatly to the effectiveness of the motion picture. So the theater orchestra was engaged and the musical director instructed to "key" the musical accompaniment. This key or music synopsis will go with the picture and may be used wherever musicians are available. President Munn addressed the specially invited audience, and "Hearts and Jerseys" was launched on its career. Rev. Ure Mitchell, Quebec guide and lecturer, reports that despite the war Quebec enjoyed an excellent tourist season. Rev. Mitchell secured a number of unusual motion pictures and lantern slides, which he will make use of in his lectures the coming winter.