The Washington times., 1914-09-11
THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
Chance for Ac tn al
Battle Pictures
Now Seems to
Be Slim.

People have ceased TO realize the
difficulties and dangers that are met
with in the making of motion PIC
ture drama and in the TAX ns OF
some of the scenic pictures. The
many times when the lives OF the
actors and actresses. as well as the
operator. are in serious peril are sell
dom thought Of nowadays. II was
only a year or more aeo that Fritz
ScHindler. the operator with Paul J.
Raincy in East Africa. was killed by
4 lion Within the last few weeks
films have been shown IN Washing
ton that place some member OF the
company taking them in deadly peril.
The members OF the cast Of The
Million Dollar Mystery" are in dan
Eer Of losing their lives at some time
during the making OF almost every
.nstallment Of the long serial film
and in the picturing of Hauptmann's
novel. Atlantis" now beng shown
At Crandali's. the danger to many
people on the sinking ship was very
real. All of this sort OF thing is
taken as a matter of course by the
people concerned-all part of their
DAYS work-so that the public may
ne amused with realistic pictures.
The struggle to place a thrill on the
film AT the slightest provocation has
led the public to expect the big things
that have been done and to antici-
rate even bigger things for the fu-
r,re.
1t is with some disappointment.
therefore, that the announcement IS
received of the pl ohibition of picture
making in the several war zones Of
Europe during the progress OF the
hattlns. All of the armies in the
ftclu = e strict orders to permit no
rhot~ 7Iephing OF any scenes and
<very camera in Europe Is practically
sealed up. 1t is probable that some
of the armies involved have their
own photographers making pictures
OF the action, as such things are now
regarded as properly a part of the
government business. In Panama
the United States established its own
Photographic department for the
canal and now when anyone desires
TO obtain either moving or still pic
lures OF the canal he usually applies
first to the Government photographer
to see whether or not thcs-e is a pic
tuTe of the kind he wants among the
cover Iment negatives. :: il is GeI
there and the official expert can
spare the time he will make the pic
ture II is not improbable. therefore.
have some such establishment and
when the time arrives when theN
think pictures can be properly re-
leased for publiCation they will be
sent out through regular channels.
Some of the difficulties Of the
camera man in Europe just now
are Sividly told by Oscar Bennet
Depue, the motion picture expert
who has been or the staff OF Bur
ton Holmes, the lecturer, for sew
eral years. Mr.. repue has just re-
turned from Europe. having arrived
in Chicago only day or two ago
He states there is not a moving
picture camera ir operation in any
OF the countries involved in the
war
II DO not believe there will be
any moving pictures Of actual
warfare taken" declares Mr.. De
pue. I'm any event. there are none
IN existence to-day. Neither are
there any films Of any character
being shipped out from the war
zone. While "" We're not in the
wsr zone actually we felt its ef-
feCts. Mr.. Holmes and I. We were
PhotoEra phinE in Ireland during
rhe latter part of July and when
We exposed our cameras we were
advised by the authorities that in
ssmuch as the country in general
was in state nf war. il would he
best not to attempt to make any
pictures. In Queenstown. the hotels
and streets were filled with soldiers
snd there were torpedo boats and
bsttleships in the harbor. AS bad
" as ] wanted 10 do so dared not
expose a camera or make the
slightest move toward getting a
Picture