The Indianapolis journal., 1903-07-05
TRICK PHOTOGRAPHY.

London Mail.

London Mail.
The biograph, having depicted most
things in the world Of fact, has now found
new realms to conquer in fiction.
1t has become a juggler, or, as 1t might
prefer to call itself, an 'illusionlst." and
the uncanny feats Ii performs will soon put
it's more human competitors 10 shame.
1t commences its performance by showing
on the white screen two separate men seat
ed at small table They seem to De
after some discussion, agree to make a
wager on the cause OF their dispute. Then
each takes from his waistcoat pocket
championship match. The dolls are placed
on the table, Immediately come to life"
and commence sparring in the most scien-
tific manner. The two Gullivers applaud
the Liliputian pugilists as they fight vigor-
ously In a space that might be covered by
a dinner table plate. and when at last a
five-grain glove infiicts the knockout
blow on a head that is smaller than an
early green pea the conqueror and the con-
quered are picked up and ANONYMOUSLY
replaced in the waistcoat pockets Of their
owners.
This clever effect, the manager Of the
biograph company explained, is obtained by
superfmposing two films, which are exposed
separately. First the two men seated at
the table act their part of the performance
In front of the camera, and then another
biograph photograph Is taken of boxing
match and the two rolls 9r @ flims d;sse are .nen IN
the size Of the boxers and the onlookers is
accounted for by the fact that the latter
are placed much nearer the camera than
the former.
But even more startling illusions than
this can be produced. For instance, the
| biograph throws upon the screen a picture
of a headless man standing by a huge
| egg from which one might expect healthy
| young roc to emerge. The decapitated man
| cracks the egg with mallet. and discloses
The face smiles recognition and allows
| the hands to take a few hundred ordinary
| sized eggs from its mouth, for no particu-
lar reason except to show that 1t is capa-
! BILE of further miracles. Then 1t looks long
ingly toward the neck and shoulders from
| which 1t has been exiled, and is finally lifted
| into its place. The complete man then
| bows to the audience and disappears. II
| spols a good illusion to describe too fully
| its inner mysteries, but il may be hinted
that this effect is ebtained by the judicious
| I'm fact, is the material from which the
modern biograph magician shapes his
| invisible cloak" and the garment is quite
as effective as the & one the h prince bs sat IN An am,
| to discover the wicked dolngs OF the witch
| 1.-The Prisoners Dream" Is the name OF
| another piece OF Geographic Juggling. The
| prisoner is shown In his cell asleep. or
! the forbiddng stone wall mistily outlined
/ figures appear. Gradually they become
more and more sharply defined, though the
| stanceiess forms One of the figures is
recognized as that Of the sleeping prisoner
| the other is a girl.
| There is a quarrel. the flash of weapon
| and the gori falls Imply 10 the ground as
the real prisoner starts from his sleeI
| and stares vivdly at the dream picture OF
| himself and his victim. The vision fade:
1 away, and IN its place the ghostly face d
the girl floats across the wall.
The subject is somewhat morbid, but a:
an example Of trick photography IL Is al
| extremely clever piece of work The re
| suit is obtained, i'm the case of the box
ers. by the combination OF two films.
| All the scenes are enacted In a stUdi'
illuminated by what is perhaps the mos
unique electric lighting apparatus in Lon
| don-how effective can be judged when i
is said that each of the thousands tina
compose a biograph moving picture onl.
receives about one four-hundredth part o
| a second exposure.
Actors of some considerable ability ar
required. for IL is by no means an easy mat
ter TO tell a story entirely In pantomim
| so that every can clearly catch tn
meaning, and careful rehearsal Is general
" necessary before the actual photograph
is taken. A really successful bicgrap]
negative" however. Is worth striving for
as IL may prove a little gold mine. 70
hundreds of films may be printed from II
and they are sent all over the world am
exhibited before millions Of people in tn
course OF few months. The trick pho
tosraphs are certain to be popular. as tn