The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-08-01
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Why Watching Ones
Self on Screen Is
Such a Queer
Sensation

Those who have had the experience
state there are few sensations to
which the human being is subject
quite so strange as seeing himself m
a moving picture. When the phono-
graph first became popular II Is
stated that singers were surprised
and astounded at the sound Of their
own voices coming from the wax
cylinders-but those who have had
both sensations claim that to watch
4 moving picture of 'one's self is
even more startling. And the ex-
PLANTATION is comparatively simple.
The old proverb which tells uswe
can never see ourselves as others
see US Is really at the bottom Of
It When the proverb was first utter
ed II was true-we never could see
ourselves as others see us. But now
that we have the moving picture
camera and the projecting machine
and the screen, II is a comparatively
easy matter to see ourselves as
others see US. and the sight Is rather
curious
AS a matter of fact there are very
few people who really know what
they looked like. OF course they can
get a general idea from a mirror,
but when people gaze into a mirror
they are practically always posing.
They do 1t unconsciously. Conse-
quently they never really get an ac-
curate idea of what they look like.
When they become the subject Of a
moving picture camera, however.
they cannot pose-because it would
be unnatural And they must conse-
Quently look and act entirely different
than the way they look and act be-
fore the mirror. Therefore. when
they see themselves projected on the
screen they see something familiar
very familiar, and yet something
that is So very strange in the un-
studied and imposed action that 1t is
uncanny.
There is something even stranger
than appearing On the screen be-
fore ones self-that is looking
over ones self and ones surround
ings when made UP" for a moving
picture and under the vivid lights
Of the studio. The lights are so
very Lhdl OH
ferent kind of makeup must be
used than that used on the regular
stage. The action of the light
gives the flesh a Greenish tint and
makes most bright colors black.
James Montgomery Flag. the art
list. recently described the sensa-
lions of being moving picture act
or in a most vivid style. He was
engaged to meet and draw a pic
ture of Norma Phillips. Our Mu-
tusl GIRL and to do so he was
compelled to don the usual make
up and arrange his studio effect
within the Zines" of the cameras
focus. He found his experience
very stimulating.
I've learned lot from that
stunt" he said. II used to be able
simultaneously to write 4 story
with my left hand. illustrate it
with my right. drama tie IL with
my left foot, and set Il to music
with the toes on the right pedal
extremity. Believe me CT not. 1
found that when that chap was
grinding out pictures of me while
/ worked 1 could speed up more
or cut of captivity could. There
was a gentle stimulus In The
steady grooming of the camera han
die. Next to the most difficult
thing for the novice TO do after
keering inside of the imaginary
slice of pie that is formed by the
range of the camera Is TO cat what
Is brought in to you if Won stay
near the mercury lights. When
you foolishly lift up the lid of
ham sandwich and see purple meat
with Sea-green borders of fat
where you expected pink and
white, it's enough to make YOU
change your religion II you happen
to have one. and with a low. CUR
ging moan make a dash for good
old daylight.
And the make-up-especially I'M
der the lights, Actors look like a
bunch of people who have been in
cold storage for three years and
whose first meal or emerging had
been hucklebcrry pie There's 4
difference on the screen. There
they look fairly human