Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-27

DAl
words of Victor Hugo, but words sup
piled by the director himself
You ask if the actors have prepared
their parts in advance, and the director
tells you no. He is versatile genius,
the man of many parts, that supplies
all. The actors are autOmatons, mere
machines, who are told to make up a
certain way, and then are called into
rehearsal.
In the Midst of Rehearsals.
OF course, these people, or most of
them, have had wide experience in the
business Of acting. When one receives
instructions to make up as beggar, he
knows that he is not to act as love-
sick hero when called into action. He
is a beggar, plain and simple, and that
| is all there is to it. The director sum.
mons the east before him and briefly
outlines the scene. The actors, in their
turn, come on. They rehearse their
parts over and over again dozen
times before the picture is taken.
The director, standing directly in
front of the stage, eyes each actor keen.
Ily keeping a small whistle at his lips
to call halt when some particular
thing goes wrong.
"Mr. Blank, " he suddenly cries out
in rage. after blowing furiOusly on
the whistle, why cant you remember
your part3 It singular can keep all
your parts in my mind and ypu can't
remember yours. Why, there S only one
good actor among you. The rest are
boobs, just boobs, who ought to be shin.
ing shoes instead of trying to act, g."
He wipes the perspiration from his
brow, heaves sigh, and then contin.
ues
"NOw try it over"
The scene begins anew.
That Whistle Is Ever Ready.
Hardly has it proceeded when the
whistle sounds out sharply again,
"Why the deuce don t you look at
me, Mr.. Jones7" shouts the director,
scowlng.
There is silence for a moment, then
fresh start is made.
And so it goes until the director is
satisfied that the scene has been re.
heearsed sufficiently for the taking Of
the pictures.
The motion picture machine is got in
action, and "The Bishops Candle.
sticks" is being recorded on the film.
This over, the scenario calls for an
outdoor scene. The whole business is
shifted, Perhaps it's a week later be-
fore the setting can be arranged. Au.
tos are pressed into service, and some.
where out on Long Island or in New
Jersey, another part of the picture is
completed,
Back again to the studio for an in.
door scene-a drawing.room effect, per.
haps, until each and every scene has
been made.
But still the picture is incomplete.
The "cditors" in the negative depart,
ment busy themselves with the thou.
sands Of feet of film, cutting here and
there, as a newspaper copy reader EN-.
ploys scissors and the blue pencil in the
course of his work, Very often the
pictures fail to show up well, and this
entails doing the work all over again.
Finally when the picture is proved
there is the additional labor of cutting
it down to the proper marketable size.
Only magazine editor who is required
to chop thousands of words from a Sc.
rial story at time and still retain the
connection, can tell you what this
means.
The film now goes to the factory,
where it is copied and re.copied for ex.
bibition purposes throughout the coun.
try. 1t is thrown upon the screen in \
thousand theatres, and then is consign.
ed to the junk heap,
Every Facility for Pictures,
Every facility for the making of pic.
lures has been supplied, In the big
Imp studio mentioned the stock room
alone resembles good.sized depart
ment store, all manner of household
furnishings of many periods. The cos
tune room is another interesting place,
with its thousands of variously colored
garments Of all kinds and all ages Then
there is a big carpenter shop, where
every conceivable device that may be
required in the setting of scenery is
turned out.