The Washington times., 1914-09-01
THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
7dlue Of Foreigners
AS Directors for
Foreign Film
Scenes.

A most interesting question has
arisen in connection with the pro
duction of photoplays dealing with
scenes in foreign countries. Why
would il not be a valuable thing
for the big producing companies to
engage the services of foreign di-
. rectors to go over these scenes so
that the proper atmosphere and Gus
toms as well as costumes and stage
business might be obtained? The
Vitagraph Company has made step
in this direction through the en-
gagement of Nicholas Dunaew,
Russian theatrical producer, as a
member of its directing staff. 1t is
understood that the Famous Play
ers, the Edison. the Lubin and one
or two others have also gone in for
foreign advisers fer their directing
staff in order that the film shall
not depart from the actual condi-
tions in foreign countries. OF course,
this seems like a very little matter,
the film would probably succeed in
amusing Just as well without such
extreme faithfulness in detail. But
at the same time it must be under
stood that the photoplay's future
lies in its perfection in every de-
partment
Many patrons of the play have
failed TO grasp the greater possi-
bilfties of the camera in pOrtrayIng
life than the stage possesses. In
stage productions the manager
must come as nearly as possible
to duplicating on stage the
scenes in which the action of his
play takes place. David Belasco
goes to enormous expense in carry
ing out every detail of local color in
his productions. Last spring Wash
tngton was given an object lesson in
this when Belasco placed a chicken
farm on the stage for the second act
Of a play that has since been shelved
as a failure. In the production of
moving picture drama II is cheaper
for the producer to go to the actual
scene where the play is supposed to
take place to get his local color. A
factory play shows scenes OF real
factory; a prison is often a real
prison: an Alaskan scene is fire.
Quently made in Al. a. OF course.
IL In not always possible or feasible
TO do this But in the long run it is
really cheaper to make a production
on the scene II is supposed to take
place, or a place nearly like 1t, than
Il is to manufacture a fake setting
In the studio.
At the same time, however, there
are certain details of foreign pro-
ductions that can easily be produced
in a studio, which It would seem ad-
visable for a foreign director to 90
over before the film is finally made.
The Russian pictures are case in
point Director Dunaew, of the Vita
graph Company, declares that most
Of the Russian films produced in this
country are incongruous. His eX-
PLANTATION of why this is true applies
so aptly TO the comment we have
made that we give IL here:
in most cases these films are
manufactured by minor concerns
whose sole object is to get a half
completed picture and. with the help
Of a sensational plot. put IL on the
market and get it off their hands.
It is not TO be doubted that such
film will bring money to the pro
ducer for a short time: but in the
end II amounts TO nothing. A great
deal of energy. time and money has
been expended in an utterly useless
manner Near directors, whose only
knowledge of Russia is perhaps Oh
tained through a book which they
may have read on that subject. or
from recOllecuOnS OF ITiD dDTodu'
are hardly likely to bring about the
hight results. These films, when
shown upon the screen, are almost
a.rocious; they smack with a rash
ness that will be unappreciated from
the start
"A certain film manufacturer IN
this country happened to show
scene Of & convict march en- route TO
Siberia 1t appears from the amount
of snow on the ground that the
scene was taken in the dead Of win
ter. and the director. in order 10
emphasize the brutality Of Russian