The Washington times., 1915-07-20
How Wonderfully and
Fearfully Motion
Pictures Are Put
Together

Stage stars who have gone into the
motion picture business are usually
amazed at the manner In which pic
lures are made.
Robert Lowe. the character man
OF the Poll Players, had this i'm
pressed on him recently. Lowe has
most important being The Eternal
CITY, in which Pauline Frederick
was starred. and which was recently
produced as a Paramount picture at
the Columbia Theayer. Lowe saw
the picture, with tho exception OF
two scenes in which he acted. for.
at the Columbia Theater here, and
then only did he realise just what
1t was all about!
or course. he knew the book ana
the stage play. but he didn't know
It had been produced in pictures:
gives an illustration OF how pictures
are made. But three actors with
Miss Frederick and the directors
OF the Famous Players Company
that made the picture. went TO
Europe for the big scenes that were
picture which was supposed to take
place in Rome or London was actu-
ally made In Rome or London-ex-
cept the interiors. and they were all
made in this country.
The actor who played . heavy
heroine. never left this country.
He appeared orly in one outdoor
scene in the piece. Fuller Mellish.
who played the part OF Pope Leo,
never left this country. Yet ne
appears as part Of a religious pro-
oess!cn which was actually made
IN Rome. That &c. all of the pro-
cession except just the part in
which the Pope appears, was mado
only few feet Of film. was made
ir this country.
l. will be remembered by those
who saw the pictures that the
scenes jumped from indoors to
outdoors with regular alternatio IS
All the Roman and London scenes
were made first. Miss Frederick.
played the part Of Holden's friend,
toe ether with the man who was
the chief OF police. were the only
people in the cast who appeared in
these scenes. All the others-and
there were hundreds-were Just
extras.
With the outdoor scenes finished
try for the interiors. Any one who
saw the play will remember just how
1t was presented with interiors and
exteriors following each other IN
rapid succession. building up the
action of the play to the big climax!
Then let that person remember that
all of those outdoor scenes were
made in Rome or London. with two
or three exceptions. and all of the
indoor scenes and the exceptions no.
ted. were made In this country-and
some idea will be obtained of how
curiously a motion picture play Is
acted!
"The Eternal City" as 1t Is exhi-
bited. Is one of the best and most
logically told screen stories that has
been produced In long time. 1t Is
one of the few that give the actual
settings in the actual places those
settings were supposed to represent.
1t combined the attractiveness of a
travelogue with thrilling story.
Each scene Is carefully marked in
the film. and when the whole thing
has been produced the various Sec
tions of film are fitted together. A
scene from the middle of the play,
the final scene and the second scene,
may all be on one 'iength of film.
made In the order named. These are
cut apart and fitted in their proper
place in the finished production.
Here lies one of the faults of the
photoplay. The cutting and fitting
is frequently done by a person who
knows nothing of the story and
whose sole idea is to get the finished