The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-09

oNS VIVA fsfVH iAltNkb6 pAI-
ture theaters in the United States. be-
4 sfdes 5000 other places where motion
pictures are SHOWN. over zoo miles
OF aam are unrolled on the screens of
i tfrEss places every day. and more than
a t,81u,uBe people are in daily attend
Z aree at these performances of the
GAINED drama" 1t is estimated that
af the entire thesteT going public in
the United States fully so per cent.
Z ss.alaHs ts-sia+s moving picture class.
On Sunday alone New York antertains
seo,o0e people in its more than SOC
sheaters.
IS When the motion picture was first
Introduced the spectators were salts
Ted with the simple views TO be Sc
cared In almost any city, such as fac
tory hands going TO work, the depart
are of trains and ships. and, what
was considered the best treat OF all, a
street parade. This. however, no
longer satisfies the Unsuitable thirst OF
The nickeiodeon patrons To-day a
coherent story must be unfolded be-
fore their vision, which means that
the up-to-dste maker Of films must
have plays written and acted before
The camera.
The studio" OF the modern film
manufacturing company is equipped
with all the adJuncts of the regular
Playhouse. II fTds q stage ana scener!
as elaborate AS that Of the ordinary
stock company and an equal array OF
costumes and make-ups. The people
Employed in the making Of these silent
plays number anywhere from hand
tul 10 several hundred while for spe
c.al films outside people are called in
10 give local color" as in a certain
battle scene. where both Indians and
United States troops were used, not
70 mention the gattng guns
In the effort to retain public ap-
prosaI the film manufacturers have
* had te resort IL inhameTable tricks
In order to md something new. In
This way many films are seen which
for staggering effects and thrilling In
tidents arc far beyond the possibili-
ties of the ordinary playhouse 1t is
common sight to sec objects appear
and disappear in the tw!nkling of an
eye, 10 see men and automobiles scale
what appears 10 Fe an impossible
wall, or slide dow an incline war
ranted to kili the 81 ongest, or to wit
ness the antics nj a tiny fairy no big
ger than & human thumb and yet
= too real to +" 81 dummy.
These films are for the most part
made in France. where the highest
Is perfection has been reached in their
development The explanation of the
various devices is usually ridiculously
simple Objects come and 60 by the
simple process Of stopping the camera
while the object IL either removed
or placed within range. A cloth,
bearing the painted resemblance of a
wall, stretched on the floor Of a stage
.R,sfa ,4,s1, g.f,t Ia af.Krr
over it's surface. gives the desired
sffeet hen photographed from the
wings" The substitution of a dunn
s nay at fine top OF the hill Is the answer
to the miraculous tumhles which arc
so frequently seen. The explanation
If the fairy IL slightly more difficult.
that result being obtained by the use
Of a mirror SO placed as to reflect
the desired object within range Of the
camera
While these dramatic miracles
{ are very popular. the reproduction
of some really notable events Is also
we'll received. In this work the prin-
cipal advantage to be gained Is in
being In the proper place at the
proper time. An instance of this
occurred in Messina at the time of
the great earthquake there. The pie
tnre man was just on the point oil
leaving when the quake started, bu'
he quickly unpacked his machine and
secured pictures which we're unique
In the enacung of these silent
dramas 1t Is not always in tho
studio" alone that all the work Is
done. Many scenes are taken direct
from nature in the parks, in the
streets. and If the occasion demands
on the roof In consequence pho-
tographer often has to make severa
ts1ff seFs4 F9fsF
If policemen, who believe the scene
10 be real. or from the efforts OF
passers-by and children to see what
Is going on thereby getting within
range of the camera. While moving
pictures are in reality silent dramas
they are not silent at the time OF
making. Those taking part talk
quite as loudly as when ordinarily
N acting. This is done III order that
The movement Of the mouth and the
expression Of the face will be natural
Still another type of film is that
In which inanimate objects perform
apparently human antics, as bow
running around the table, dead
figures coming 10 life or clay mould
ting itself into bust. The greatest
requirement for this is patience. The
bowl or other object is photographed
IN one position. the camera stopped
The bowl moved. photographed again
and so on until IL has been made TO
go through the required movements
In the productions. of these PLAYS
many feet Of film are required, one
story covering anywhere from few
hundred 10 sixteen thousand feet
sach foot having sixteen exposures
about the size Of a postage stamp
The apparatus needed for taking
.hese motion pictures, the cineometo-
4 graph. Is SO constructed that the film
3oes not move past the lens con-
dnuously, but stops sixteen times
10 every foot 81 finn, or once be-
tore each exposure. AS the film
goes forward, preparatory to another
shot being recorded. "a revolving
black shutter interTenes 10 protect
he moving film from light. This