The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-05
WITH HALF MILLION ACTORS,
 LOS ANGELES ONE HUGE MOVIE
Her Inhabitants Often Don't Know They're Screen Players Till They See Themselves in the PcturesMovie Villages, Movie Zoos Movie Battles
 Make One Investigator Dizzy
Rr ZOE REckLEY

Los Angeles, July 4.-(Special. )-When our old friend the Spanish crusader gave this spot the mellifluous title Pueblo de la Reina de los Angeles (town of the Queen of the Angels), he never dreamed how many queens and angels" ii would have to the acre a couple of cen turies hence. Today Los Angeles is all theatricals. It belongs to the movies. Several movie towns are incorporated within it's limits. It is one vast movie.
 It's half million inhabitants are all ac- tors, thought they aren't always aware of it until they see themselves on the screen Every street, every mountain and foothill, every glade and woodland, garden and orange grove is a movie set ting. There's a rugged old promontory out Hollywood way that has been success sively the site of the royal palace at Pekin, prison camp in Siberia, mining hamlet near Newcastle. the battle of the Marne, a village in Maine and fairy bower until it has given up trying to be anything special, and wears a chronic look or dazed expectancy.
 So used is this town of angels to the atricals that if the old Spanish conquis- tador himself came to life and strode the streets in coat of mail or velvet small clothes and hat a-plume, people would merely smile indulgently, say 'movies. and keep on about their business.
 TOWNS BUILT FOR THE GAME
 You can bathe in the sea in the morn ing, lunch at noon at an upland olive ranch and dine in the evening in some mountain lodge amid the everlasting snows. There are more than 300 sunshiny days a year. Was ever a land so ob- viously born to the profession?" Do you wonder there are some 50 plants in and about the city?
 And all the stars are here from Ger aldine to Charlie. I begin to see why somebody walled that the Rialto has moved from Broadway to Los Angeles" |"
 The Universal was one of the first to settle upon this vast natural stage. It has by far the best location in point of beauty and variety of scene.
 It is longish ride from Los" out to Universal City, nestling among dimply green foothills that look like giant sofa pillows punched into hollows by some giant fist. Universal has regular United States postoffice, if you please; a hosypital, fire department and any number of darling bungalows where it's actors live.
 By the time had visited it's acres upon acres of stakes and done it's streets full of castles, towers and false fronts of every type from Alaskan hut to Prince de Kakiak's palace, I was limping badly in my hind foot. When I had done the ranch and the "back lots" including the zoo, I felt like removing to a sani- tarium for the rest cure.
 GLYCERIN TEARS ON TAP
 In one studio they were rehearsing a rainstorm scene Get that rain lower down, Gus, it doesn't splash enough. Now, Miss Blink, soak your macintosh and try again." cried the director Ca woman, tooD
 But it wasn't right yet Oh, the in finite patience these movie people have! The bit that is but a flash on the fin- shed film requires hours of hard work and repetition to make. Send the hat across again, Gus directed the pretty lady.
 The scene represented window below the level of the sidewalk Outside stood a girl with the prettiest feet and ankles I ever saw, and man with stubby shoes. To give the atmosphere of storm, a derby hat had to go skiting across the windswept pavement. It was tied to a string and propelled by an electric fan.
 'Go on-send 1t over. The string won't show when the rains down! That's s better. Now-ready. Camera"
 On another stage they were taking a scene of sobby sentiment. Some poor cheeee-ild in baggy plaid frock was be- ing yanked from an 1880 parlor by an acrid spinster with a hustle.
 Bring the tears, Bill! Where's that medicine dropper? No-don't put more than two on each cheek. She can't cry