The Appeal., 1908-11-07
MAKING MOVING PICTURES.
PROFESSIONAL Actors Are Employed and Real Scenery
used by Thomas A. Edison in the Manu-
facture of Motion Pictures

On a nllls1de near Webster avenue.
the Bronx, Thomas A. Edison has
erected a unique building, entirely of
one piece, like a rock-hewn temple,
The material is concrete, with a. roof
OF glass over the larger portion of the
building. This odd-looking structure
attracts the attention Of every passer.
by, while comments upon its probable
use are varied and often ludicrous
Some are sure it is an electric power
house, although the glass roof is puz-
zling; others think it is a dynamite
factory built to avoid danger from ex.
plosion and fire.
Construction on the building com.
menced in the summer Of 1906; it's
concrete walls, floors, roofs, ceilings
and window castings, all nodded in the
soft mixture which was used thou.
sands of years ago by the ancient
builders, were put up before winter
set in. An inspection Of this method
OF house building will convince any
one that Mr.: Edison is right in using
concrete from a Photographic studio.
Not to mention economy in cost, the
hardness is that of rock itself, and
therefore neither dampness, frost nor
gnawing rodents can affect it. Dust
is minimized, and the floors and walls
can be cleaned, washed or swept like
a stone house. Again, it is hermtt1.
cally air proof and cold proof, while
in summer the heat penetrates slowly.
All these considerations are of great
value to photography and the build.
ing Of moving picture. The building
extends for 18O feet along Decatur
avenue; it is go feet wide and 35 feet
high-an imposing object seen from
Webster avenue.
The studio is in two parts, distinct,
but standing on common basement
story. On the south side stands a
plain oblong office building, three sto-
rles high. containing offices, dressing
rooms, chemical laboratories, dark
rooms, tank rooms and drying halls,
with other necessary compartments.
This faces a glass court. These two
parts are connected by a sort of open
hall, or atrium, directly open to the
stage in the studio.
Down under the main floor is long,
roomy place Of great interest-the
property room. Yes, there is even
the property man here, for the numer-
Gus costumes, t. paraphernalia and
necessaries of the work are legion,
and must be carefully taken stock of.
Having, as in the Eagles Nest'
series, arranged the scenes in proper
order and perfected details Of location
and costuming, the next thing is to
obtain the actors, The Edison studio
does not employ makeshifts, and the
actors who produce the plays are not
only real, professional men and
women, but the best ones procurable.
In the Eagles Nest" they included
one right off the Metropolitan opera
house stage, a singer Of great prom
ise, already doing leading parts. If
professional wrestlers, swimmers or
skaters are required, they are OBJ
tanned. :" -: -. H.
/. The opening scene. of the Eagles
ANSoS oAAo"o d WOOO SAOppOl CdU1u
in lumber camp, with baby play
ing outside the door; the mother
comes out and the lumberman departs
for the. forests. The mother kisses
her baby and returns into the house.
Then an eagle swoops down and car
ries off the screaming child, while the
mother rushes out with gun-too
late. Then she follows the bird of
prey through the distant sky, with
her eyes fixed in horror
The second scene takes us into the
heart of the vast forests, among
cliffs and thickets. In this scene we
shall show how the motion picture is
actually produced: The rescue of the
child requires four more scenes, of
which the first may. be called the
alarm. -:..v :..'...s. -
. The woodsmen yare gathered around