The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25
Fords Theatre Reproduced in Actual
Size and Five Southern Towns
Built and Burned for the Sake
of a Moving Picture

ters were megaphoned by the captains
to their commands"
The headquarters alluded to in the
battle scenes was a sixty foot tower
in front of the whole scene. II was
there that George w. Bitter. best
camera man in the world" Mr.. Grif-
fifth says, and five assistants set their
cameras. Every scene it may be said
was taken six times.
Finally when every move of every
section had been gone over again and
again in rehearsal, when the soldiers
knew when to charge or fall back,
when TO die or drop. even when the
artillery knew the exact second when
to wheel into action and the cavalry
had its time schedule perfect even to
the exact place where horse must
stumble or fall. the section leaders
came to headquarters.
Back in the hills the thousands
were waiting. They dashed back to
their commands. Word came that all
was ready and to the beat Of a watch
under telephone orders the action be-
gan. The air filed with smoke-the
soldiers appeared as If in real fight.
Trains of panic stricken refugees
wound over the hills in flight. and
then they stopped.
We used the greatest number in all
the scenes where they APPEAR without
reference TO the position the pictures
appear in he production said Mr..
Griffith. THAT is always done TIL
multitudes We're taken first ana
gradually the number was cut down
until at last we had only the principals
IN Their scenes.
Some of the scenes which apr ar in
order to-day were taken three or four
months apart. That made more
trouble, but It had to he done that
way. You must remember Exactly
what the individual did the frs, time
in order to preserve uniformity.
exactly how he or she wore a hat,
entered house, wore the hair, or did
anything lse. That brings gray hair.
Then We had a few little stunts.
You remember that case where the
negroes are shot and fall when the
ku KluX come into the town. The
horses jump over them as the. lie in
the street II took considerable per-
suasion 10 get men 70 do that. nl-
though tn horses and Their riders
We're the best trained sb,ainahle. We
took it up with some men. Boss. We
won't do that for lcss'n s. a day they
said. They got II.
Take another case in the guerrilla
inVIsl7n of the town. 1t may he re-
called that man shot falls from the
roof of a fr Mt porch head first on the
ground. Many think the fall Is made
10y "A dummy. a rial man does ii and
practlscd in fire net until he got his
fall just right, timed exactly as it
had To be done 10 fit in with the scene.
There is one case whore rider
coming out Of a house makes a flying
leap INTO the saddle over the tail OF
his horse, That took time and il do
not show. but the man who did that
had - jump over railing encountered
10y robe
MANY things We're done in the work
that do not appear in tn film There
are twenty-five field guns IN the battle
scene pound ng way and they We're
too far away for the eye of the
camera. Houses are burned of which
You catch only vague glow, people
are fleeing uver the hills and You can
hardly see Them
The actual work was all over in
five months Mr.. Griffith said. From
heir first camp they went to Call
fornia for interiors and the honey
lH''l SN'll'~, Inc tsltS'I'tS illl NUfd II 90
scene showing the assassination OF
President Lincoln.
The theatre was the exact s.Zc of
Ford's in WIshnutou,' Mr. Gwhth
explained, "and it was an exact dupl-
cate, Old prints gave us every detail
ever, down to the appearance Of Laura
Kcenr ana her company in The
American Cousin We sought long
before "" got man who could satisfy
us as President Lincoln, and every
man who became a member of his
Cabinet was required to look like the
original in size and general makeup
1T was there that detail became
almost overpowcrirE Men who lived
N the old days We're hosiegcd. How
did this man walk; how did he gcs-
ture; how did he wear his clothes;
did he have any manncrisms? | tell
you it kept great many people
awake nights, We took the famous
painting of the surrender of Lee and
we never LAID it down until believe
that every man in it had an exact
double before our cameras"
Thus II all came out. There were
more months as the film was per-
fected ard made ready for the public.
But at last it was all done.
"NOw what is the future Of the
moving picture?'
The man being Interviewed lifted
his hands. why there are no limits
10 its possibilities in artistic work.
This is only child's play.