The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-19
BETWEEN REELS
GIimpses of the Big Inside Workings OF
the Moving Picture Game.
BY RAYMOND WELLS.

(ThiS is the second u d SeAIO0 VI
articles by Raymond Wells, the TO
pekan who spent a year as actor ana
director with David Wark Griffin IN
the production of Intolerance ana
is now under contract as director with
Universal City. 1t is on the inside
workings of the moving picture game.
Herein he tells of what is going 10
happen in the big Pacific studios
when Uncle Sam gets going gooo
in the war His company opens IN
stock at the Novelty next week and
ne aDpears in the cast.-Edltor.)
The history of the theater shows
that business is always Soou uu-lI9
var times. During the Civil war the
places of amusement were coh.luudlIS
crowded to the doors. The same con-
ditions prevailed during the Spanish
American war and even now, with Eu-
rome enmeshed in the throngs OF the
greatest war the world has ever
i5nown we find an endless chain of
humanity pouring in and out OF the
doors of the theaters of London, Paris
Berlin and Vienna and managers podsl
of the greatest times theatrical IN thelr
history. 49,, 4oo,a
we are speaking now of the stage
and not of the motion picture. Every
dav we hear the question asked, w nat
effect will this war have upon motloh
nictures?" Up until the time America
entered this terrific conflict we might
are concerned. Perhaps the most
serious problem the manufacturer mas
had at this particular moment is the
shortage of chemicals necessary 10 tns
output of both the raw stock ana the
developed picture. The tintlng OF
positive print after it is made has in
creased in cost from yesterday until
TODAY from 800 to 400 per cent
1t was only short time ago that
the Eastman Kodak company, Whlch
manufactures all the positive ana neg
alive stock used in this country. sent
ont word that they were goiEg to set
a limit on the amount of stock 10 De
given to each film manufacturing con
Germ. In this letter they also stated
that certain chemicals necessary IN
creating the emulsion on ' LiIS go, $50,
which had always been supplied from
Europe was now almost beyond the
reach of their manufacturing plant.
OF course, these chemicals can be
had in America but they find that the
American made brand is not nearly
so good as that which has always been
obtained from Germany. OF course
the foreign market has been greatly
affected by the war and reduced to a
considerable extent the output OF the
completed film but on the account OF
the practical abandonment of the Eu-
ropean studios, the American manu-
facturer found that he had a larger de-
mand for his supplies right here in our
own country. So up to date the war
has not had a very great effect upon
the motion picture in our country
Movie Problem Serious.
Now that Consumption has become a
law and our own government has
started raising a tremendous army, the
effect upon the motion picture is very
likely to become serious. We find our
studios filled up with young mer who
are eligible to our nations call and we
fill with pride at the thought tha-
among them there will be found very
few slackers. Patriotism and pre-
preparedness seem to be the first word
among the west coast studios.
The 18th company of coast artil-
lery federal reserve. which has been
drilling for almost a year, is composed
almost entirely of young men connect
ed with motion picture industry. Capt.
t. E. Duncan, a Spanish American
War veteran, was for many years an
actor and for the last two years has
been working entirely in motion pic
lures. Walter Long, the famous
Gus" of d w. Griffith's "Clansman,"
is the second lieutenant of this same
outfie. The first sergeant is Ernie
Shields, Universal star. and in the
ranks, willing to go to the front with
out any thought of compensation, we
find men whose salaries run up into
hundreds of dollars a week, who are
willing and wanting to do their bit
Goodbye to Stars.
Over at the Lasky studio. we find
Mr.. Lasky and Cecile DeMille organ
izing light battery, financing it from
their own pocketbooks. And drilling
as private soldiers, we find Theodore
Roberts, Tully Marshall, Jack Pick
ford, Jimmie Cruze, Bud Duncan of
Ham and Bud fame, and Marshall
Neeland. Not only are these men do
ing their daily work for the picture
studios but every odd moment they
have, we find them digging into rules
CCCMC CD0NH Uc0I