Variety (Jan 1928)

r at V A EIB T T Wednesday, January 4, IMPORTANT CAMERAMEN BECOMING RECOGNIZED AS PHOTOGRAPHIC MARVELS Los Angelc.«, 1)> 31. Ahoiit :!uO mon are oariiin^; from JlOO to $1,000 a wfck ar(»un<l Holly- wood will) arc just iis inipnrtant as produci'rH, .supervisors, directors, film cutters, at tors, scenarists or title writers in the making and as- •emblinff of a picture. At any time one of those ;U)0 n^uld spoil nn entire production if ihcy were not alert and looliing out for the interests of their eniptoiyerf lis well as demonstrating iibilttr And intcs;rity. They are the camera men or cine- matographers. They do everything from shoot- Ini? straight scenes to the process, triclt, Akeiey, news and still photog- raphy. ■ ' Little outward recognition is given these men by the producers. They are just known as technicians. Hardly a second thought is gMn to their desires and wishes, thou^jh they have J>een actually the more re.«ponsil>ie for the fast development of screen photography and various mechanical Improvements since the early days of the industry. Their work docs not cease when they stop grinding at tha ■tudlo, ttor do they l<»af between scenes when othi'rs on the set are resting or clowning about. These men must always keep on their toes ithd are always active. Their task is not alone to shoot at what the director wants. As a matter of fact the director in many instanees l« fiildaA by their Judgment and' ezpertMcie in making his scenes. These cameramen know the whys and wherefores of picture maltitig. And that, they only learn from ex- perien<'e. They are the only group of craftsmen in the picture industry who for 15 years faave heen oontM* ally experimenting for the purpose of conceiving new Ideas and im- provements for their branch of the industry. Organ iiation Most of tills experiment work is done through an organization iden- tified with their profeeeton, the American Society of Cinematog- raphera. This organizntlon Is the most completely organized of any ef the branches of the industry. It*s or^^anlzatlon was brought about in 1913 when a group of cameramen got together for the purpose of in- terchanging ideas. Theft it Hrlui de- cided they should have their own organization. Frank Kugler, Phil Rosen, now a director, and liewis Phyetoe formed what they called the Cinema Camera Club. That was when practically all of the producing was done around Kew York. When it started westward the c.inieramen out h< re f«»rnied the Static Club. At that time the boys, whether working East of West, were allowed to Interclianue their nKinbeisbip. In 1918 with the War on, the num- ber of camera men rapidly in- creased. Mr. Rosen who camo to the Coast that year thought that a national organization should be formed for the camera men and from this thought arose the Amer- ican Soiic ty of Cineniatographers, Which automatically took the men of east and west into the fold. Creation At that time the Only ones invited to particip.ate in the mcmbersliip of the body were cameramen who had attained a recognized standing and who had had ft certain exiNnienee in the profession. In this way the or- ganlzatlon started off by becoming an exclusive group of craftsmen With their entire itttMion to co- ^' operate for the inveatloin and in- stallation of new methods and ideas in the photographic branch of the UMnUtrj. Last summer, when the intensive i organization campaign was on in full force of all crafts in the in- dMry, Hio A. 8. C. let down its bars and accepted the rank and tile of studio cameramen. It rcsult« «i in the body numbering among its ■MBbem practically every one oi>- crating a camera of ouc auxx.or another in a West Coast studio. With the organization 100 per cent Ui ntemberehip, the old crowd be- oame vigorous in their endeavor to •ee that the new members were |>enefltting through their association and having pointed out to them up- toWUltg methods of nuiking pictures JTom every nnplc To do this all ' atemlMrg itre given an opportunity to study every phase of the camera art. The older and more experienced menibers, recoj,'nized as authorities on cinema photography, advise and instruct the younger members on everything that eomes up. There is no other craft In studio work where this form of ^id exists among its members. The instructors of the organiza- tion Kive demonstrations on new methods of lighting, camera acces- sories and appliances, lenses or on the way of handling peculiar camera angle shots. Everytlme a member of the organization discovers or works out a new trick he does not keep it to himself. He goes to the headquarters of the organization and demonstrates it before his fel- low members. More than 40 per cent of the 300 members of this body hold Utters of patent on one or more devices for improving the working camera or to improve results obtained from certaiil effects. Everywhere To allow tho camera men to continually experiment on various angles of the cinema art the organ- ization maintains a large suite of otflces In H(<lIywond. There the members have a reference library. In it they will find a complete nie of picture locations in the western States and Canada. Though the organization is na- tional and most of its iiiembers are •Qijple^red on the Coast some are of the cameramen of the early days of the cinema are today among the best in the directorial ranks. Those who have gotten away from the grind to handle the megaphone in- clude George Hill» Vletmr Fleming, Phil Rosen. Phil Whitman. Fred •lackman, Karl Brown, Howard Bretherton. Irvin Willat, Sylvan! Balboni and Byron Haskins. Though directors and actors come and go In the screen world, the life of the cameraman Is everlasting. Many of those grinding today have been at it for from 16 to 20 years and will probably be going for double those periods if they so choose. Maries Their salaries are based on abil- ity and proficiency. Very few of the first cameramen earn as low as 1100 a week. A majority draw from $200 to 1500 weekly, with a few getting above that figure and up to $1,000 a week. In this heavy revenue group are to be foiiind Tony Oaudio, Charles Rosher, James Wong Howe« Qeorge S. liarnes and J. Marley. Then, of course, the boys who do the trick ehota and glass and min- iature stuff range in pay from I860 to $1,000 a week, with some of the men who shoot the glass atxitt get- ting |1.060 a shot. The second cameramen, of whom there are about 75, are generally used to shoot the foreign or second negative. These men draw from |76 to $200 a week. Then coma tbe Big English Tlieatre Deal to Staid Off P.CT. CMdwe I^ondon, Dec. 9I. A $25,000,000 theatre deal is all set. It includes the remainder of the Gulliver houses and various hitherto independent theatres all over the country grouped as a pic- ture house combine. The company will probably tie up with an American corporation to guarantee films to offset the Pro- vincial Cinematograph Theatres combine with Metro-Qoldwyn- Mayer and Joseph M. Schenck. Fox, Wash., Going Now To Stage BimI ari E C. Washington, Deo. SI. Fox is again changing the policy of his new house here. Switching this time from a 60-people company presenting the Victor Herbert light operas in tabloid to the stage band and master of ceremonies policy. Ballet under Alexander Oumansky is to be retained, but the principals and chorus finish tonight. Starting with Roxy's presenta- tions, next were acts with two "nameo^ often on one bill, then the Herbert muslcal.s and now the stage band poUc]^. AU in less than three months. Mankiewicz Coming East For More Par Writers Los Angeles, Dee. 81. Paramount Is going to resume its Authors' Council, with Herman Mankiewicz leaving fot* New York Jan. 8, to remain three weeks. While east Mankiewicz will sign writers to do individual stories for Par. The pen boys are to be brought here for a month's trial, and the Paramount emisRaiy will also en- deavor to make deals with other writers to come to the Coisst to Join the staff as pmrmanent staff scenar- ists. Mankiewicz is expected to bring back at least 30 new writing names. Jesse James, Jr., Broke Los Angeles, Dec. 31. JcH.se .James, Jr., son of the out- law, and who was a practising at- torney here, is financially broke. A wage claim of $18 filed againet him by Stuart Fisher, law clerk, was admitted to by Mrs. James \. ho said her husband is in bed suffering from nervous bre.ikdown and had no money with which to pay. James was given until Jan. 5 to make pay- ment, otherwise an iMrder of arrest will be issued. James is said to have closed his law office at the time he served as technical ;idvisor to F^red Thomson, western film star, when the latter was making "Jesse James" for Paramount. BILLIE DOVE In little more than a year, this beautiful film star has won an enviable place in tlie he«rt» of film fans and theatre men the world over. Though iier rise h:is been n»cttH>ric, she ranl<w-( among the oiiit.s(;inding moreen players of the decade because of sheer merit, charm and graciousness. Today, Binie Dove is one of the greatest bos-ofllce attractions of the in^nli^. scattered about the globe. One, at present, is permanently stationed in Riga, Kussia, a number are at work in the studios in England. Germany and France, while another will shortly accompany Commander Hichard Byrd on his scientific ex- pedition to the South Pole. Looking over the roster of the organization finds men of practi- cally every profession. There are musicians, architects, physicists, sculptors, painters, mechanical sci- entists, aviators, poldierp. radio and telephone experts, writers, linguists. Nationalities of the camera world on the Coast include American, Canadian. English, French, German, Italian, Spanish jind Swede. Then» is also one Chinese in the group. He is James Wong Howe, the only Oriental who ev»'r handled a pro- duction camera, llowc was discov- ered by aiiiney Olcott when the lat- ter was with^ Paramount. Since leaving Par, Howe has been with Herbert Brenon on all his produc- tions. Now Direeters The ambition of the cameraman does not stop in Just turning the crank. He sftivcs fo pret on fiirther in the screen world. A great many assistants, at from $20 to $50 a week. They as yet are not qualified to turn the crank, but are used to aid the cameramen in physical chores. The still cameramen get anywhere from $40 to $75 a week, with a few paid beyond $100. Akclcy cameramen, who supply their own cameras and equipment, are very seldom under contract or on the payroll of a studio. They are free lancers and get from $50 to $75 a day. 80me of the larger studios own a few Akeiey equip- ments and pay the men that oper- ate them the same salary as given the first cameramen. Most of«the camera boys have largo sums of money tied up in their own personal equipment, which consists of machines and lense.M, with the average investment of a first cla5?g camera operator running around $3,000. Some of the "Class A" boys have as much as $10,000 tied up in their outfits, Pioneer The cameraman can be classified as the pioneer research worker of the Industry. It is his unselfish de- mand for better instruments and material to work with that baa been iContinued on pege 13) Another English Studio London, Dec. 31. British Instructional Film Com- pany is dickering with the authori- ties of Welwyn Harden City for a concession to build a picture studio there and o<btain local facilities. Welwyn is an art and craft center, near London. It ha^ large residen- tial labor supplies. The scheme is likely to become jammed because two studios, each capable of handling 30 pictures a year, are proposed lor Elstree, where British International Is also expanding. u Four Los Angeles, Dec. 31. Universal will start on four new pictures with the new year. The include "The Michigan Kid." Rex Beach story to be directed by Irwin Willat: "Cream of the E^arth," Mel Brown directing; "Phyllis of the Follies," Krnest Laemmle di- recting, and "Be Yourself," with William Selter directing Reg Denny. Grotn on Stage? wnn Greta nibbch aonoduiM a Xew York stay, and a reported legit show her prospective goal for the remainder of the season, there are several film producers anxious to secure her signed for pictures. No long-term contracts as the proposed productions are on single picture makes only. Miss NiPsen has been In a United Artists picture on the Coast. '^eet of Sid" Stopped; lait GoMud" at $2? Bmil Jannings' **Street of Sin'» has been stopped on the brink of distribution to make way for ihe same actor's "The Last Command." The latter film is in its linal cuitin? stages on the Coast. There Is some talk of it coming into Xew York for a $2 showing. This may be plaus* ible as '"The Wedding March," ten- tatively scheduled for the Liberty, following **nis Oaucho," has been set aside as word from the West is that it's not ready. "Street of Sin" will have some re- takes made by Victor Fleming, the changes taking place at the finish of the story, and will be released be- tween "Last Command" and "The Patriot," another Jannings picture. The reason for this Is that the latter two films both have Ru.«?sian locales. Joseph Von Sternberg is the au- thor of "Sin," which Maurits Stiller directed; Von Sternberg directed "Command" and Ernst Lubitsch will supervise "The Patriot." an adaptation of the play of the same name which Qilbert Miller . mHp has in reiiearsal. Van Clevt Divorce Las Angeles, Ps^Ml* Mrs. Rose Mario Van Cleve, sis- ter of Marion Davles. has filed suit for divorce in Superior Court here against George Barnes Van Cleve on grounds of InHdeltty and 1i8l»it« ual intemperance. She asks $100 monthly fur the support of their daughter, Patricia, 8 years old. Several months ago Van Cleve suddenly dropped out of si^^ht, tak- ing the child with him. It was understood he had remateedp^n an uptown New York ai»ai ^t^^ent. Though no general alarm was known to be sent out. Van Cleve was said to have been loeated Is a railroad station and the girl re- covered by her mother. Of late Yail Cleve has been in New York. Boy ScMrt Kdves; For NoB-Ibntres Ain The Scout Film Service, Inc., has been formed to produce and dis* tri2>ute from New Toiic special pISi* tures for the Boy Scouts of Amer- ica. Pictures will be rented out- right to troops or exhibited on SO*ftO sharing terms. It will be a money- making plan for Boy Scout troops seeking to raise funds for organiza- tion purposes. There is a membership of 700.000* The organization has endorsed the service and will have the right to pass on all scrf^p^a before being pro* duced. Additional market outlet ihronph scliools, churches and Y. M. C. A.'s is expected to be a source of rev- enue. Alfred Walker, ^usinc^=s economist. Is general manager of the new project. Henley With Par Los Angeles. l)« c. 31. Paramount has signed Ili>bait Henley to make three pictu res ditfi* ing the coming year. His first will be "The Super of the Gaiety," starring Adolphe Men- jou, with production to befiil Feb. 1. Fowler-Tamara at Roxy Addison Fowler and Plorenz Ta- mara, the international d.nncors, open at the Koxy. New York. January 7. They were abroad for two seasons as the features of the Folles Bergere In P.nrlp. also ap- pearing In London, Deanville, Can- nes and the Riviera resorts. Fowler and Tamara are pioneer featured dancers In the picture houses. •Herman in Male Lead Los Angeles. Dec. 31. Lowell Sherman will play oppo- site Pillio Dove In "Heart of a Follies Girl." Jotin Francis Dillon directing for First National. I. A. TO H. T. Han y Rapf Warren Doane J. Leo Meehan Sam Sax William Le Barron :4 1