Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-12

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screens of these places every
day, and more than 100000 people are
in daily attendance at these perform
ances of the canned drama" 1t is es-
timated that of the entire theater-
going public in the United States fully
| so per cent belong to the moving pic
ture class. on Sunday alone New York
entertains 100000 people in its more
| than 800 theaters.
When the motion picture was first
! introduced the spectators were satisfied
with the simple views to be secured in
| almost any city, such as factory hands
| going to work, the departure 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 nickelodeon
patrons. Today coherent story must
be unfolded before their vision, which
means that the up-to-date maker of
films must have plays written and
acted before the camera.
The Studio" of the modern film man
ufacturing corf1pany is equipped with
all the adjuncts of the regular play
house. 1t has a stage and scenery as
elaborate as that of the ordinary stock
company, and an equal array of cos
| tunes and makeups. The people en-
ployed in the making of these silent
plays number anywhere from hand
ful to several hundred, while for spe-
| cial films outside people are called in
| to give local color as in a certain
battle scene where both Indians and
United States troops were used, not to
| mention the gatling guns.
| In the effort to retain public approval
! the film manufacturers have had to
resort to innumerable tricks" in order
! to find something new. In this way
! MANY films are seen which for Stagger-
| ing effects and thrilling incidents are
| far beyond the possibilities of the or
dinary playhouse. 1t is common
sight to see objects appear and disap-
pear in the twinkling of an eye, to see
men and automobiles scale what ap-
| pear to be an impossible wall or slide
| down an incline warranted to kill the
| strongest, or to witness the antics of
| a tiny fairy no bigger than a human
| thumb and yet too real to he a dummy.
| These films are for the most part
| made in France, where the highest per-
| fection has been reached in their de-
velopment. The explanation of the
| various devices is usually ridiculously
simple. Objects come and go by the
| simple process of stopping the camera
while the object is either removed or
| placed within range. A cloth, bearing
the painted resemblance of a wall,
stretched on the floor of the stage,
while man or automobile moves over
| it's surface, gives the desired effect
when photographed from the wings.
| The substitution of a dummy at the
| top of the hill is the answer to the
miraculous tumbles which are so fire.
quently seen.
| While these dramatic miracles are
very popular the reproduction of some
| really notable event is also we'll re-
ceived. In this work the principal ad-
vantage 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 picture man was just on the point
of leaving when the quake started, but
he quickly unpaclled his machine and
secured pictures which We're unique.
In the enacting of thes silent dramas
it is not always in the "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. II
consequence a photographer often has
to make several films on account OF
the interference of policemen, who be-
lieVe the scene to be real, or from the
efforts of passers-by and children tC
see what is goil- 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 talE
quite as loudly as when ordinarily act.
ing. This is done in order that the
movements of the mouth and the ex,
preston of the face will be natural
Still another type of film is that il
which inanimate objects perform APP
parently human antics, as a bowl run