When the movies were young (1925)

94 When the Movies were Young to be got under way. David Griffith was a generous host, but he always got a good return on his investment. For while being strengthened on luscious steak, steins of Pilsener, and fluffy German pancakes all done up in gobs of melted butter, lemon juice, and powdered sugar, ideas would sprout, and comments and suggestions come freely from the Knights of Liichow's Round Table, and when the party was over they returned to the studio all happy, and the director ready for a big day's work. But the other actors, now made up and costumed but fed only on sandwiches, were wearing expressions of envy and reproach which made the returning jolly dogs feel a trifle uncomfortable. "Well, let's get busy around here — wasting a hell of a lot of time — six o'clock already — have to work all night now — now come on, we'll run through it — show me what you can do — Bitzer, where do you want them? Come in and watch this, Doc." Mr. Griffith was back on the job all right. One such rehearsal usually sufficed. Then Johnny Mahr with his five-foot board would get the focus and mark little chalk crosses on the floor, usually four, two for the foreground and two for the background. Then Johnny would hammer a nail into each cross and with his ball of twine, tying it from nail to nail, enclose the set. Now a rehearsal for "lines." And when Bitzer would say it was O. K. and Doc beamed his round Irish smile, we would take the picture, and God help the actor who looked at the camera or at the director when he was shouting instructions while the scene was being photographed. The old ways of doing were being revolutionized day by day with the introduction of the close-up, switchback,