Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-21
MOVING PICTURES
ingenious Methods of Producing
Startling Effects.

The ingenuity of man is exercised
to a wonderful degree in the creation
Of novel and seemingly impossible
situations and episodes for production
in the moving picture shows, and audi
ences are often bewildered in trying
which at times seem to contradict the
laws of nature, are secured. Yet, like
the conjurers tricks, it is all very sim
pie when the veil is lifted.
There are some scenes depicted
which. while amazing enough in their
way, do not puzzle the critical be-
holder in solving the ways and means
OF their making. There are the railroad
accident, obtained by means Of chill
dren's toys; the warships and the
aeroplanes, which are also photo
graphs of playthings; the burglar in
his unheard Of performance of climb
ing the front of a house, and-last, but
not least-the man ciinging to the cell
ing of a room. The pictures explain
themselves.
But when we see man jumping
out of a fourth story window, see him
fall fifty feet to the ground and then
get up and run away unhurt, We ask,
How is this possible? The origin of
the picture is very simple. The fugi-
tive jumps out of a low window in
the studio, which Is fitted up in the
style of the desired room. Then the
photographing process is interrupted.
IN mic 10 foL-nn In, tho
in front of a real house. A life sized
puppet is dropped from one Of the
windows. When it has reached the
ground the machine stops, the actor
puts himself in the place Of the figure,
the reel is started again, the man gets
up and runs away.
In like manner auto accidents and
similar episodes are arranged.
Another impossibility-a man swims
through river and on the other side
he climbs a ten foot wall without diff
ficulty. Origin Of the pictures: The
man is photographed sliding from the
wall into the water, but in taking the
picture the reel is turned wrong way,
so the motion is reversed when the
picture is reeled Off in the right direc-
ton.
The last obstacle In representing the
seemingly impossible was cleared
away when some clever mind conceiv-
ed the idea Of stopping the photograph
/ ing process, not after a series of pic
lures. but after each single picture
or after each two or three Of them
I The work involved was enormous, as
/ eighteen pictures are taken every sec
/ ond-that is to say, about 10000 pic
lures are required for a reel, which is
to amuse the public only ten minutes
! But human perseverance has accom-
/ plished the task, and the results OBJ
! tanned are extraordinary. The follow
! ing examples win prove it:
/ A pile OF small stones is put on 6
! black table, and the apparatus is fas
! tened vertically above the stones
Then a short turn OF the crank, and {
few identical pictures Of the stone pill
are taken. One of the stones is ther
removed from the pile; another shor
turn. which gives two or three picture
showing the first stones separate from
the pile The process is repeated un
/ til the stones laid aside by hand snow
the writing, Good Nightp' The fin
ished film does not show the hant
that removed one stone after another
but creates the impression that tn
stones arrange themselves in the form
of magic writing
Instead Of the stones. a lump Of ella!
may be placed on the table and som
J kind Of q figure is gradually modele'
from 1t by hand; but, this hand beini
invisible, It seems as II the fgur
formed itself.
In the game way herring can grad
uaIly be sent back into the tin ca
from which II was taken. - Garter
, laube, Leipzig.
All the news all the time - tn
Argus.