The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-07-29

AAA's Inns 80 NAt NNANS " HS1NN
- picture actresses and actors do every
day with hardly the wink Of an eyelash in the per-
Torrance of the stunts.
1t is all in answer to the cry for realism in the
movies which has recently been raised by directors.
Realism is now a watchword. Above all, the pro-
duction must be realistic. The directors argue
that the public has become tired of faxed dangers
and mechanical feats that make ordinary scenes
appear hazardous. The desire for realism may be
all right for the public and the director, but ii il
hard on the performers.
Patrons of the pictures are so familiar with
scenes depicting rough riding, descents of mountain
sides on horseback and leaps from cliffs in which
the rider falls clear of the mount and in other ways
tlirts with death that they never stop to think OF
the real danger incurred by those actors who dare
so much for the silent drama. OF course there ara
certain pictures in which the danger is faxed. But
those pictures are almost equally balanced by the
kind which depicts n real danger encountered to
accomplish the desired result.
Jumps From Moving Trains.
when 1 first began to jump off moving trains"
said Helen Holmes, when asked for her Impressions
OF daredevilling in the films, II must confess | was
somewhat timid, but now / take it as something
which must be done to complete the picture.
In one picture in which worked about six
months ago l went through the action with my
heart in my mouth, and for a moment at least 1 felt
like quitting. 1t was a railroad picture in which
l was TO drive a big engine across a bridge which
was 10 be blown up as the engine reached the mid
die.
"A torpedo on the track about twenty feet from
the spot where the dynamite charge was placed to
wreck the bridge was to give me my signal to dive
from the cab to the river thirty feet below. From
the moment that the engine reached the wooden
trestle l kept thinking what would happen If the
torpedo did not go of and | should be carried down
into the wreckage.
The run of about thirty yards seemed intermin-
able, but everything worked according to plans and
l made the dive safely, but 1 was shaking like a
leaf when fshed from the river. I was so fright
ened could hardly keep myself afOat.
But now l have become so used to risking nv
neck that l accept it as a matter of course. II is
much like the case of an aviator when he starts fly
ing. At first he is cautious and only makes slight
ascents and safe descents, but soon the spirit OF
daring enters his soul and he is looping the loop
and doing spirals 1000 feet in the air, and other
dangerous stunts"
Danger in the ouicksand.
There was Marion Swayne, who thought II nrettv
nara when she was called upon recently to allow
herself to be rescued from quicksands on a treach-
erous bit of picturesque Florida beach. 1t would
not suffice to have her buried in a sand hole on n
solid portion of the beach where she could easily
be eXtricated without danger to herself. George
Foster Platt, who was directing the five-reel fea-
ture entitled "The Net" insisted that the best re-
suits could only be obtained by having the star
caught in the real Quicksand.
Outside the range of the camera a group of men
were ready with planks and rope to rescue the
actress in case the scene as planned miscarried and
she should need other help than that offered by
Bert Delaney, the leading man and hero. Miss
Swayne was reluctant at first to try the scene, but
finally consented and timidly went out to the
treacherous sandbar. The feeling of helplessness
that came over her when her feet sank slowly from
under her without means of staying them alarmed
the screen star. As she sank to the waist her fea.
lures registered a genuine fear, and at this point
the camera man began shooting the scene while
the gallant hero with n stout rope lassoed her. Il
required all his strength to drag her from the sands
which were engulfng her. When on solid ground
again Miss Swayne with a remulous voice said:
Il suppose on the screen that will look easy, but
l don't care to try 1t over again"
Leap From High Cliff.
Wide publicity was once given to Il stunt picture
in which a trained acrobat jumped a horse from
hilltop into a chasm, ~infiicting injuries upon him
self and the animal and getting into trouble witt
the humane society officials. This man was not
regular member of the picture company, but wa,
engaged at a big price to perform the daring act.
Anna Little had a somewhat similar experience
although part of it vas not done Intentionally. I'm
err the direction Of Frank Borzage, a gluttoa 70
'lism, Miss Little was to slide down the side o
# some seventy feet high on horseback q
a band of Indians in pursuit. The rid
a skilled equestrienne, unfinching cour
sure-fOoted horse. Ii was impossible L
scene because the director knew tina
gone through it once neither Mis-
horse could be persuaded to repea