The Washington times., 1915-11-16
PHOTODLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
Ru GARDNER
Why Film Babies Are
Convincing Proof
of Photoplay's
Democracy
BY GARDNER MACK.
Democracy

w neTe uiu titcy bSt SuSh u yOuu8
babyT'
There 10 not a week that this ques-
tion IL not heard in some motion
picture house in Washington. There
IL scarcely a Aim program that does
not contain at least one release a
week of a picture that uses an in
fant for one OF Its principal charac-
ters. And there isn't a picture OF
an infant shown on the screen that
is not sure Of receiving notice from
the audience.
While there ID no way OF identi-
flying a particularly popular baby.
at the same time 1t is not too ex-
travagant to say that the little
actors and actresses who have never
uttered a word in their lives and
VIM are scarcely old enough to have
their eyes open are among the most
popular OF all the photoplayers.
interesting article about the fiim
babies for tho current issue Of the
Phetoplay Magazine, inspired by tho
idea that photoplay patrons would
be glad to know where the MIN COM
panies obtain the babies and how
they are used. They come from
everywhere. she states.
From out all Babyland they are
gathered" she writes. from luxur-
ious homes. from tenements. from
Institutions where Gods children
are born. from hospitals. from the
slums.
Many and many a baby pays its
own entrance fee into life. That's
where by an arrangement with the
Maternity Hospital, the Twilight
Sleep Home, and the county hos
pital-infants are furnished by these
institutions when little ones are
needed. And there are chubby. smil-
ing youngsters who come from
homes-homes Of poor and. some-
times. wealthy parents.
No mater whence they come, at
the studios there prevails a most
Utopian democracy.
family accepts just the same
amount for his services as does the
poorest waif. They never kick
soTt ,tSsxo the pay. The fh tnr
Ices. while the mothers. II they are
IN need OF funds. are often paid s.
per day as a sort Of bonus.
out at 1nceville there Is an in
cubator baby which is used in the
pictures and which is cared for by
some. OF the wardrobe women. be-
ing . sort of prop" baby. as 1t
were. There are several Indian
papooses too, which come in handy
At times in the wild-west pictures.
The mother of the tiny baby
used in George Beban's picture,
The Italian produced at Inceville.
didn't know at the time that her
child was in the limelight at all.
She was very i'll in the county
hospital--so i'll she was uncon-
scious for days. and the father
working The little one was but
= few days oij,s -. :, isTs .-st--f g
I'm many cases the extra people
who are parents work less than
the children In the pictures. There
Is one instance in the city where
a child of two and her infant
brother won the family bread for a
month during the illness Of the
widowed mother who. when well.
worked extra" at the studio.
Francis Carpenter. of Triangle. Is
tho sole support Of his mother.
There arc forty children on the
roll at the Griffith studio. ranging
from a few weeks old to couple OF
years. These include two Indians,
three colored children. and Chit
nese baby whose mother always
hangs prayer papers all over It
when 1t comes to the studio. to ward
off the evil spirits.
Many OF the children Of four and
five appearing in the pictures. who
are valuable because thoroughly
'camera-broke'-that is. they do not
look at the director when he speaks
to them. nor into the camera-have
been In the pictures all their lives.
AS to the original genius OF child
ron. Chandler House, a tiny chap Of
four, who PLAYED the childhood or
Henry walthalls Oswald in
Ghosts" produced by the Reliance.
gave an excellent example during
the taking Of that picture. Mr.. Wall
thall frequently made q trembling
gesture with his right hand to be-
token nervousness. One day little
Chandler did the same thing. He
was admonished not to do 1t. but
answered: Well. Mr.. Walthall does
that In the play: don't you suppose
maybe he did 1t when he was a
bow
AS to professional jealousy. there's
= lot Of that among the Youngsters.
The other day out at Griffith's studio
when Violet Radcliffe had expected
to play the lead In kid comedy. and
Carmen de Rue was put in the part
at the last minute. Violet displayed a
lot Of temperament. and when her
deadly rival Carmen, was gone
surreptitiously went into the latter's
dressing room. took down her dress,
and stamped on IT.