Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-17


nc'dens,a.,.yo ~ duties of Charles ID. Chap
pr ,he yitagraph Company of Amer
man side line Mr.. Chapman jug
la r,on of the world, and to trans
fles uie ieea,,,bern plantation to New YORK
pcu s,,,za across the ice and stage
eness en.,s sesre are only ordinary happenings
n his workday' ar. rtopnan,s task;
\, more than an ordinary scenic arIs.,
II an expert on period iurI...ue sl,i. nv
hsLiasly read man, and aside from every
Nqe so he is a good fellow Mr..
inns snends a fortune each year Tor
tnap ,,',.o,s" and his Is the last word
neW pprrcbaelnE Of anything. IL he says
on ntnVps5ad Wy II is bought and the expense
y ,nsss.d nsd afterward Mr.. Chapman gets
conss.,its and the scenes that he sup
las a, for the taking of pictures are tne
p sv n every film company IN inc Worla,
srvben I first came with the Nltasrspn
r..nanv nine years ago, II was 1ol
tonp stage career of 10 years, said
\ ioti"s ehonman AT that time pictures
hL rsaohed the stage they are at to-
s.s and my going in them was more OF
ev an exnerjment. / remember when
" ..,n,s NIT a piece of scenery up
-, ,be wall, call It a scene and take
nctire of Il. Why, In those days ~
80 the usual thing for US to nave elsnt
A. Ten scenes against tne wall !" 'i'''' ""'
IA take our pictures.
',1 .srhs actors would report to the studio In
\. r,orning, and after getting dressed
u.,M w ioin the director, who had been
-sstine for several hours In building the
'.snerv and getting the props together.
80 I must have shown a little more
.es.r, In this direction than some of the
..,arv and I took this line of work up
..,onsly. Really did 1t so that L could
.snsaln in the business permanently. For
- those days when an actors face be-
r,r,e familiar to the public 1t was thought
hat he had lost his capabilities ana ne
was dropped"
vork OF initiating the weather that there
i, no condition that he cannot reproduce
n the studio. Mr.. Chapman, in fact.
rdvht be termed the weather man of
r,nvne pictures" 1t Is said that a snow
storm staged by Mr.. Chapman outdoes
nature itself, and Is much more realistic.
ii Is small task for him to build for
Is, and then to uproot that same forest.
An example of the work that Mr.. Chap
man has done In this direction is Rip
Van Winke' 1t was comparatively easy
for him to build Hudson River" In
fact 1t was simple matter. But little
difficulty was experienced with the Cats
derous for a studio, particularly as a
passage OF 20 years had to be shown.
In one scene that Mr.. Chapman was
called upon to build up 1t was necessary
10 show the leaves of trees waving in |
the winds. This was accomplished by /
using 72,0O0 leaves, every one of hich |
was tied on.
Mr. Chapman has decided ideas on the |
future Of the moving-picture business |
Not from the practical side-that doesn't |
interest Mr.. Chapman-but from the pos
tbltes of the artistic effects to be Sc
cured.
one of my hobbies" he said. "is the
lghting of pictures. Camera men and |
dlTectors constantly are striving to get
8 clear, even light. Now / contend that
fha effects could be heightened greatly by
tie use of shadows. And I think that
shootng against the light-that is the
re Of reflected light is the coming light
hg system of moving pictures"
Nr. Chapman introduced the use of slow
gestures before the camera. When he
inferred the field of the animated art, 1t
vas ordinary for an actor to stand be-
ore the camera and grimace to a great
xtent at the same time wildly waving
lis arms In the air and doing everything
. create the impression of hurried move
nent Mr.. Chapman tried slow move
nents, acted naturally and nearly lost
As Job 1t wasn't until the public began
write to the Vitagraph Company, tell
ng how they liked the actions of the
elor that moved so slowly that he was
lowed to resume acting.
When Uncle Toms Cabin" was pro-
uced In moving pictures great difficulty
as experienced in obtaining cakes of ice
ltge enough to hold Eliza when she
e.
ooohounds. However. Mr.. Chapman
ulit the cakes of ice from plaster, fast
lea mem on RATS and Eliza was thus
lsped TO escape from her pursuers.
ourihs scene, in the early days of
vslng pictures, II was necessary to use
snake The studio was unheated, IL
as winter. and the consequence was
Z. the snake wouldn't move. Every ef-
~ Iailed, and, finally. Mr.. Chapman
.shested that sheet of iron, that had
lsn heated. be placed under the rug
~hicn the snake was lying. This was
'he' put after five minutes the snake
emed to relay. Investigation showed
at the reptile had been fried to a turn.
.sleaIter Mr.. Chapman decided that
tpshts weren't so wise after all.
arrymore Is With Pathe
.aIne has added to mis- company Lionel
lrgmore' brother of John and Ethel
and nephew of John Drew.
tns Is not Mr.. Barrymore's first ap-
.nahee on the screen-he has had inn
rant parts i'm several big productIons
\ Is with the legitimate stage tnat
7 name has been most associated. He
= broken into the profession by his
j 1ohn Drew, with whom he played
number of years.
Islers Ring to Movies
nd;ne ae houck, who, when he isn't de-
'snsa ms utle OF lightweight boxing
ior,. ~. OF pennsylvania, is a movie
,,sshEineed that realism in motion pic
~ AZ umes. has the prize ring beaten
- ~ points of the compass for rough
N, ana mere Is the why and wherefore
nls conclusions.
resdn"n VINO, py the way. Is one of the
E,susst nghters OF his weight in the
~ ,rtSsaouts, and with never a knockout
y slnst him, was called upon to be
i.ssNs' with a record OF $50 lights,
Dhosanl OF gang of "roughnecks" In
sttsa n.y called Queen OF Diamonds"
Iot.y ~ Adrian Gil-Spear and directed
Il 81 = smiley The latter played the
lhe big scene there Is azht q, a.
~ sSh and Police cantain" sn,tIav
~ up The main action was be-
I smiley and Houck, and the differ- \
srs1s,ssh them was this; Smiley is A
likssisa ana weighs 2iO pounds; Willie =
lnds. e'e' out scales at 1Sl
thss good and rough" said Smiley p
:, ssinning Of the scene. Every one
1. - an "old-fashioned-e everything Y
~ sss-ia1f-aii. In the midst Of tbs
shsanlisy smiley picked up the little ishter
p,s,, MIN through the saloon win.
5ss hs didn't expect II at ali. He
~. ph the outside. as ons naish. ~