The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-08
ROCKING THE SHIP,
HE SPOILS THE FILM
Ex-Captain Wards Leap Is Too
Realistic Even for the
Movies.
RIVER PIRATES SAVE COP
"Try Again." Commands Opera
tor; "Nix!" Cries Sleuth,
"I'm Cured"

Dennis F. Ward who up to year ago
was a police captain mainly attached to
the harbor squad. had his peaceful re-
by a movie scout.
"You see, captain" said the scout,
what we gotta have these days is real
ism, the real thing, see? II we got avia-
tors flying we gotta to have real aviators
flying; II We show engineers they gotta
to be regular engineers. Tn public won't
stand for anything else. Now lookyhere.
You've been "A policeman and worked out
in the harbor, river pirates and all that
sort OF stuff, see? Well our company Is
going TO produce a story about river pi-
rates and policemen catching EN-. Now
We want you to be the captain-uniform.
launch and all that-get me? IL you'll"
(buzz buzz). The captain succumbed.
The scene shifts to "A lonesome spot At
1924 street ana the Harlem River,
Wednesday afternoon. The picturing or
the great two reel play ANDY Goes A
Pirating" has begun. The company Is
there. the director. police launch bobs
at the shore and Capt. Ward in fu.l uni
form occupies the foreground. The cap
tain Is not entirely comfortable. lie
weighed 1874 pounds when he retired last
year he has added about twenty pounds
since then. He feels the uniform little
more wildly than he did then.
Now" announces the director. get
ready! Capt. Ward, you come on here.
The pirates come up in a boat and climb
aboard the millionaire's yacht and steal
the siverpate. The yacht Is anchored
there. You come up in your launch and
see them. You climb up and lay out on
that stringpiece and watch them Bet
ter lay out on two stringpleces' linen
they come out You jump aboard the
hut HOY v
They Jump into their boat and you jump
off the yacht, run along the stringpiece.
lump into your launch and start after
'em. Now ready for the first scene. NO.
not that way"
| Running around on realistic string
pieces might please some people but the
| captain said afterward that his heart
went right out of his work when he
| started. He ran stringpieces. balanced
| himself on strlngpeces and climbed string
| pieces until he was dizzy. lie clambered
| over the yacht and ran backward and
forward until his uniform began to SAG
on him. Then. just as he was on the
point of giving up, they were ready Tor
the last scene. .
The police launch was to chase the
n,rate boat and come up to II In mid
stream. There the police captain was tc
make a spring from one boat to another
grab the two pirates and hold them unit
his men In the launch could get to then
! with handouts.
The chase was the only enjoyable Trims
| In the piece. even If the photographed
from his launch did have to yell out fol
the captain TO breathe a little lighter. al
IL was Jogging the film. He began to like
the business until the big moment ar
rived.
"Stand up! Stand up" commanded
the director. Now register determine
ton. Get ready. and when ! say 'JumI
for the other boat jump sideways so w
can get you. Now! Now! ! NOW! -"
Before the tidal wave had reachct
Spuyten Duyvill the captain come to tn
surface. spouting salt water. Forgetting
I'm his artistic zeal that round bottome,
boats will not submit to 2o0 pounds of
balance he shot over the side of the pirat
boat with great celebrity The pirate
pulled him out and the director was i'm
patient. "Come Oh. now. Wiring out hi
clothes for him and try 1t again Quick
our lights golLg"
you mean go through that again?
inquired the captain.
The director said that was exactly wha
, he meant A take had been ruined an,
, they had to make 1t again.
The captain then said exactly what h
| thought and went home
Do" he said yesterday. there ai
nudge i'd booyid pigsshera"