The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-08-10
Realism In The Movies
By FREDERIC j. HASKIN

scene in which the villain picks up the
hero and throws him bodily over wall,
presumably into the rapids, but actually
on narrow incline between the rapids
and the wall The william, as it hap
pened, was chosen from the extra men
on account of his gigantic size, and he
was so anxious to demonstrate the wis
dom of the choice that he forgot and
flung the hero far over the wall and In
cline into the swirling rapids. Happily,
the hero was able to catch hold of
rock and cling to it until aid reached
him, during which time the camera
man recorded some very interesting
realism.
Another actor also suffered from too
much of the real thing not long ago
when he assumed the character of a
sneak thief. Boldly dashing up to a
real jewelry store, he broke the window
and departed hurriedlY with a handful
rings. The street had been chosen be-
cause of its apparent isolation, and the
director held in check a group of extra
people as spectators. AS it happened,
however, the extra people were not
needed. AS soon as the cry of stop
thief" was circulated among them for
the benefit of the camera an excited
American populace sprang up in all d.
rections and pursued the sneak-thief
down the street. When he could run
no further, the actor stopped and con-
fronted an angry crowd of over a hun
dred persons. AS he remarked later, it
was an extremely unpleasant situation
until the director arrived GREATNESS
and managed to appease them with a
number of credentials and satisfactory
explanation.
Much has been written concerning
the bitter experiences of pedestrians
which have taught them to suspect the
presence of the moving picture camera
in all street crimes, but according to the
irate accounts of the moving picture d.
rectors they still have lots to learn.
One man relates for example, that two
young actresses in the employ of a
Califol nia company were taken for suf-
fragettes while playing a street scene
in mems clothes and were pursued by a
number of people, who believed thev in
ten led to break windows.
While the substitute is growing more
and more out-of-date there are still
many cases where a trained profess
sional must take the place OF the actor
in several scenes. When the hero
makes a harbreadth escape in an aero
plane, for instance, he is usually chang
ed at the last moment for professional
aeronaut, inasmuch as the difference
can not be detected when flying far
above the camera. Acrobats are sub
stituted when the script calls for an ex-
tremely dangerous leap, and profess
sional jockeys generally take the place
of the principals at the last moment
when there are spectacular riding stunts
to be DONE
One professional jockey vas employ
ed by moving picture company some
months ago to substitute for the leading
woman in leaping over d precipice on a
horse. The horse was a very remark
able animal Of vaudeville fame, being
able to do many marvellous things such
as counting up to ten, opening and
shutting door, removing his master 3
coat and polishing his shoes, as well as
diving from dizzying heights, which ne
had learned at Coney Island. His career
in moving pictures had been as brilliant
as it was il vaudeville and many
scenarios were written around him.
In this particular play the heroine
was captured by a band Of brigauds.
who tied her cruelty TO d tree while they
consumed a hearty dinner. Her pet
horse, however, who had been left
grazing near her. seized the opportun-
ity to chew her bonds apart and release
her, first being careful to pick up a re
voIver in its holster, lying On the
ground. Once united, the young wo-
man leaped upon his back. covered the
brigaud5 with the revolver, made them
return the stolon papers end executed
a brilliant exit followed by the Williams.
Her pursuers gaining on her, the hero
Inc determined to jump the precipice
along which she rode. but here the Jock
ey in girls clothes was substituted. In
order to make the precipice sleeper
than 1t really was, ii had been built out
with temporary structure of scalfold-
ing painted to correspond with the rest
of the scenery. Just as the horse
gathered for his dive, the scaffolding
collapsed and both horse and rider went
plunging into the river below. The
jockey was picked up unconscious but
alive, and with the exception of few
bruises the horse came out alright.
Thus the moving picture player, ex-
cept for IAN occasional trained substi-
tute, plays his part alone and constant