The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-07-21
Secrets of Obtaining the
Strange and Mysterious
Effects Thrown Upon the
Magic Screen Told in an
Article From the Lectures
Pour Tous.

Thousands upon thousands watch
ing the miraculous effects that moving
picture machines throw upon the can
vas, have no doubt been led to wonder
by what black art such wonders are
produced 1t is for the enlightenment
of such that the following article has
been translated from Lectures Pour
TOus, a magazine published in Paris,
the city from which most of the films
come.
What is the secret of all these mar
velS2 How are the biOcraph dramas
got up? The scenes enacted upon the
canvas must of course, first be enact
ed before the apparatus If their set
ting is in the streets of Paris, they
are performed entire and au naturel
in the open street by actors suitably
cOstumed and made up To see how
let us visit a '-Cinema-halI" IL is sew
en- in the morning; the entire staff is
already on hand, not a minute of the
day is 10 be lost. The artists emerge
from their dressing rooms Consumed
and made up. Makeup is as essential
| for the play on the street as for "A play
| on the stage, so that the expression
of the faces, here of capital import
anCe. shall lose none of its emphasis
| We join the actors as they climb into
/ the theater omnibus. and. as We hurry
| to the appointed place. the best stage
manager in PariS-M. Etienne ATnaut
| gives the artists a last reading of
the scenario The hero is played by
comedian from the Olympic. In the
| first act he has received from his wife
| tremendous cuff in the face, and
now, with a swollen cheek, he is to
| rambIe through Paris. Woe to them
| that laugh at him! A troupe of
clowns in long coats and high mats, a
cOmedienne and an actor dressed up
as vender of newspapers have come
along TO play the parts of these luck
less citizens.
Beginning of Picture Play.
The afflicted husband must dash in
to A drug store for UngUents to sOothe
the burning cheek Here is well light
ed one that suits our purpose. We
slight. surrounded by fifty people who
run after our omnibus, attracted by
the strange appearance of our troupe;
with the consent of the proprietor one
of the clowns goes behind the counter
while the biOgraph apparatus is being
set up on the sidewalk. At a whistle
from the stage manager the man
with the swollen cheek TUshes into the
shop. and the clown roaTS with laugh
ter. Zip, A blow sends him head
long Exchange of cards. First duel
in prospect.
En- route now for the next scene. At
the corner of a street, in full sun
shine. fountain. Perfect, The ON
nibus stops and the maItreated hus-
cheek. A second clown goes by arm
in arm with the actress. They gig
gle blow hurIs the clown INTO the
gutter. The clown has executed his
cascade" with such fury that he has
burst his coat. More than 200 people,
in windows. take the whole thing Sc
TiOUsiy and roar with laughter.
BY noon we have passed through
two ACCOMPLISHMENTS, raised rumpuses
on the terasSe of a cafe, in a public
garden. in three open squares, and in
dozen streets; an hour later, at
Raincy. under the trees of a park
where we get a hilarious welcome, the
hero of this buTlcsque epic, refusing
weapons for his dUelS, knocks down
the entire troupe of clowns -adver-
saTies and seconds indiScTimlnately-
and leaves them in heap, brandi5h-
ing their arms and legs in the mad
deSt confusion
The play is completed. To record
it. 500 feet of transparent ribbon have
barely suficed- On each yard Of that
ribbon more than so photographs have
/ been taken. When lie Duel la Gif1e
is presented upon the biOgraph screen
10 400 pictures will be shown within
the space of a few moments.
Real Danger.
Real danger sometimes attends this
outdoor acting Near London several
months ago, a manager of biOgraph
plays got up a drama involving an at
tempt to deTail the London and Bright
on express. The villains, according to
scenario. were discovered by an act
or dressed as an emplOye of the rail-
way. and tied him down between the
rails Naturally. while the series OF
photographs were being taken, the
train was to stop for a moment so
that the actor could have his place
taken by dummy before it reached
him Unhappily the driver was I'M
able to stop his engine. and the actor
himself the owner of the biOgTaph,
was run over
When these real dramas are per-