The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-10-16
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Photopldy Uses Real
Scenes and Effects
Instead Of the
Stage Fakes.


fects shown on the screen as OPP
posed to the trick and imitation that
must be resorted to on the stage
People do not seem to be able TO be-
lieVe their own eyesight. Not so
very long ago a picture of ship In
q rough sea was shown. This picture
was a masterpiece of photography
because il showed some of the real
happenings on a sailing vessel when
the waves are high and the wind is
heavy. The picture was made on
the deck of the ship, alternately
showing views amidships and on
the quarterback, the latter showing
the rise and fall of the stern of the
ship and the man at the wheel Sew
eral persons in the audience that
viewed the picture expressed doubt
that ii was a real ship or that the
action was really taken in a rough
sea. 1t would be well for such
doubters to understand that ii is
considerably cheaper from a finan-
cial standpoint, and easier from a
mechanical standpoint to make a
motion picture of the real thin" than
II is to devise some way of imita-
ting il. For instance. in making pic
lures of snow scene ii is consider
ably more economical for the pro-
Queer to take his company by train
TO where there is snow than it is to
try to simulate snow at the studio
or on an out-of-door field that is to
be used.
Ii is true that moving picture rain
storms are very seldom real. This Is
for the reason that it is a very diff
cult thing TO get enough light during
q rain storm to make a satisfactory
picture Of a drama. 1t is entirely
possible to make a picture, as is
demonstrated in numerous news films
that are made during rain storms.
But the shadings of dramatic action
call for the best of light, and direc-
tors do not ordinarily care to risk
throwing away film on the expert
ment. Rain storms are sometimes
utilized when the light is right. This
is demonstrated in the big storm
scene on shipboard in The Wrath
of the Gods" That was real rain on
the ship. But it was not real rain,
in the same picture, on shore. Rain
is practically the only thing that d.
rectors are in the habit Of taking.
1t frequently happens that doubt is
cast on the actual participation OF
the actors and actresses in some OF
the thrilling scenes in the water be-
cause when these people next appear
on the screen their clothes are dyr.
This is explained by the fact that
& frequently happens all of the in
door scenes and shore scenes of such
a picture are made at one time, and
the scenes in the water are made at
another Thus we see picture with
a thrilling rescue from drowning, the
hero and the heroine coming from
the water dripping, and walking to-
ward a cottage. Another picture
shows them entering the cottage,
and a third scene shows the hero
lay the heroine on bed. In sec
ond and third scenes II is noted that
the clothing Of the hero and heroine
though they have just come from the
water-is perfectly dry. The fact is
that the scenes showing them COM
ing up the beach, and in the cottage
were probably made several days be-
fore or after the scene showing
them coming out of the water. Pic
lures are made outdoors when the
light is right, and it is especially
necessary to have the right light for
water pictures because of the ire
mendous rejecting power OF the
water. and the effect that this re-
Election has on the film.
IT is the fact that in the moving
pictures il is not necessary to fake
that the real thing can always be
used, that is drawing to the pic
lures so many of the big theatrical
stage directors. They know the
effects they desire to obtain, and
they appreciate how much better
and how much easier 1T is to OBJ
tain such an effect with the real
thing than It is to try 10 manufac-
ture it. They realize, for instance.
how much cheaper and easier 1t is
to make a Washington scene with
the Capitol building for a back
ground actually in Washington.
against the real Capitol. by trans
porting to Washington the camera
man and the two or three people
necessary, than it is to try and
duplicate the Capitol in the studio
or the nearby out-of doors loca-
ton. Consequently. they want TO
get into a business where ii is pos
sible TO use real things instead OF
fake things. These facts are clear
ly brought out by Cecil B. De
Millee, for many years a stage d.
rector of note, who has become the
director-in-chief of the Jesse E.
Laskey forces.
THE scope of the photoplay is
so much wider than the stage" Mr..
De Mile states. We do things IN
stead Of acting them. When big
effect is necessary, such as the
burning of a ship. blowing up a
mine shaft. wrecking a train. de-
stroying OF a block Of houses. we
do not have to resort TO trickery.
We actually do it. II II is neces-
sary to burn a house. or rae
bridge, to gain atmosphere, we do
not employ the time-hOnored lyco-
podium torches We buy the house
or bridge and burn it.
I'VE do not resort to the lily cos
TUNED stage fireman. We hire the
fire department. Secure a battalion
Of police-and II the action OF the
piece demands, We call out the
militia.
IF we have a great physical strug
gle on stage in the legitimate We
would have TO so arrange the bust
ness that the actors participating
would not in any way be injured,
for the struggle would have to be
gone through at least ten times a
week. in the screen struggle. where
the scene is enacted but once. the
combat Is real. and, aside from the
ultimate victor being known in ad-
vance the struggle rings true.
Many times the actors are inapaci-
tated for several hours. but the won
derful effects on the screen act as
balm 10 his bruised being. Each
scene is set, each artist engaged, with
a view to fidelity to type or race
characterized. In the case Of The
Call Of the North eighteen Tiger
tribe Indians were used. Permission
was obtained from the Canadian
government Several canoes from
the museum at Montreal were loaned
us. No stone was left unturned to
make the picture absolutely true to
the life IL portrayed.
I'm The Virginian' we needed
deep water hole in a certain river.
which. upon investigation. proved too
shallow. II was intended to have
stage coach. driven by supposedly
drunken driver. wander from the
road and become submerged to the
very top. as though caught in the