The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-22

evening clothes under BY arm
and Mod uptown through the rain.
Heretofore when ! had donned THESE
garments 1t had always meant money
going out; now I was anxious to see II
I might realize small per cent. OF the
investment made in my college days.
not long past.
When I reached the agency there was
a line OF applicants stretched from the
agents desk far down the hall. There
were old men, young men In every con-
ceivabie sort Of attire from the latest
Broadway models to those that bore
marks OF a vintage Of decade ago
They were members Of the great un-
employed, show folk. clerks, curiosity
seekers, college youths ana women
anxious to earn little pin money-yes'
there were lots Of women In the line
who had come in answer to similar
item i'm the female help wanted
column, all eager to fill the places OF
supers. for that was what the agent
wanted.
I had heard Of supers before the
peopIe who make up the bowling mob
Il I'm the melodrama and the citizens ana
soldiers when William Faversham
Cesar returns victorious from war. But
I had never been one before and had
never been on the stage even In an
amateur theatrical My feelings when
the agent came to me were. imagine.
fair symptoms Of that much talked OF
ailment, stage fright. At any rate
felt very shaky in the pins.
Ever work the movies?' asked the
agent.
"Oh, YES, often" I lied, wondering
what sort of examination actors had 10
go through before they got their
diploma.
IAN right" The agent put down my
name. Go to the studio tomorrow
morning, II the weather's good. 8
O'Clock. Wear your dress suit At the
end Of the day you get $3.50
He handed me a card on which was
printed the name 81 the moving picture
company with the additional informa-
ton that it would admit extra person
to studio" I was No. Is. l more than
hoped that the next day would be fair.
| needed the $3.50.
The sun shone and there was not a
cloud in the sky-an ideal moving pic.
ture day I afterward learned-when1 u
took the subway that was to Land me
at place in Harlem. ~here those more
than popular amusements are created
with the name moving pictures. In
the same car with me was man with
a fierce mustache. There was some
thing in his looks that reminded me
OF Mr.. J. Drew. but had stood in line
with him the day before.
When you are a superior going to be
one-for the movies you don't walt &c
he introduced to the other "supes." Sc
l began to talk to the Drewllke gen.
tleman. He was English. I had hi:
word for that, and had just arrived from
London, where ne had lost hundreds
or was 1t thousands?-of pounds ir
bad investments. He had come to New
York to sell. book. gathered it wa.
something on the order of Damaged
Goods" He said that he had heart
there was good money in the movies
and he "'oped to get regular Job II
pictures until my book is placed"
Ever work the movies before?"
asked in a manner that might hav'
marked me an old timer at the business
NO." he answered. Il ave walked OF
for charity in London and during m.
college days In Paris, but that Is ALL"
When we reached the door OF tn
studio we found an imposing structur
Of stone, Ave stories high and yer,
new looking. The agent was there an
he checked of his supers as soon a
they arrived. We waited over an hou
In a long room, where finally ma
came and sent us to dressing room
with the warning that We hurry up t
the studio.
As the men and women separated 10
their respective dressing rooms a ma
who stood beside me said TO one OF IN
women. Here, III take the kid" an
from her skirts pried loose a child tina
was just able to depend on his ow
chubby legs.
I asked him IL the child was his.
Sure" he said. my wife and I wi
get IS for this, and the boy won't h
him with us, for there isn't any on
home to leave him with"
The top floor of the building. wher
the picture was to be staged was a
enormous skylighted loft, the sntir
roof a huge skylight. A stage wa
built at one end and the greater pal
Of the room, with scenery, orchestr
chairs, chandeliers and carpeting, wa
arranged to look as nearly as posslb
like abe Metropolitan Opera .Hous'
The great horseshoe was faithfully rel
resented in miniature and there was
constant laundering racket from II
carpenters putting the finishing touch'
on the boxes. Miscellaneous squar,
OF velvet and tapestry were used for II
background of the grande danes des
tined to sit in them.
The stage manager was fat, agree
able human being with megaphon
through which he beloved the follow
ing Instructions:
Listen to me-llsten to me. Bo,
and girls (some OF the 800 boys ar
girls were old enough to be his pa
ents), you are supposed to he at II
opera. When the curtain rises. a
plaud; when Maria Sylvia, the prin
donna appears, applaud louder imai
inc she is Caruso. When the duel
! fought, show horror. When the curta
falls applaud your favorite prin
donna. give her three calls, rise in 20,
seats, show wild pleasure at her sim
ing. but be Refined, refined in your a.
plause. This is the opera"
The rehearsal began. The supers We
sea ed in pairs the most georgous lOol