New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29
Eor the Movie Man
IL of Tomorrow

The army camera men have been tax
ing pictures of every activity of the army,
from the building of docks and ice plants
10 hairraisng stunts of aviators and act
ual battle scenes. And the men who were
doing it, they were the ones who alone
in the interesting world of the movie were
seldom heard of-the men at the cranks of
the little boxes who had been shooting
news events and the efforts of our actors
Many of them came of their own accord
and some were-"chosen' At anv rate.
every fighting division in France now has
had its own detachment of skilled camera
operators. They went out with the troops
and were on the job when the doughboy
threw away his cigarette butt, settled his
helmet strap under his chin and reused
himself for the "kick off"-that being the
American army word for going over the
top.
1t is probable that producers will rec
ognize the value of the stuff that was
taken before the movie fan does. You can
imagine what it will be worth to those
dynamic persons when they begin to del
uge US with the war dramas after peace is
declared. They make use of Authentic
scenes for such flashes as:
"Despondent over Imogen's refusal, Jack
joins the army and goes over with the
contingent that accompanied Pershing"
(Cut in of War College film showing the
landing of the general and rapid switch
back to closeup of Jack in all the glorv
of his uniform and his large, bovine eyes.)
Innumerable battle and transport pictures
will be available not to mention pans of
hiatt will
men. That is, it will be available If +he
authorities are willing, For the men out
with the fighting regiments have been busy
grinding it in.
They may have done it unsteadily at
times when message from Bertha Krupp
NIT too near. But they kept the little crank
going until the film ran out There were
usually three men to each of these picture
units attached to the divisional lieutenant
sergeant and private. 1t was their bust
ness to stick with their men and shoot what
happened One of them was still man.
one movie camera operator and the third
IS helper In many cases all three were
entirely capable of working any sort Of
camera-and also of running a Ford
on yes. Theoretically they were fur
nished with army car in which thew
scooted gayly from rocking battle centre
to another, withdrawing at intervals TO oet
the film back for the developer in Paris.
Actually, they get around any old way thew
cam Now and then large events transnired
and the army went through the throes of q
temporary transportation famine. All cars
were levied on for the prime necessity of
moving men and the materials for their SUD-
port Even Red Cross and Y NJ. C. A. cars
were taken over in these dragnets
IN which case the camera man was left
10 his own resources. And resources often
meant their two feet and an equal number
of legs. Another sad part Of this nhase of
the work was that when TRANSPORTATION was
shortest the biggest things were being
pulled or and the necessity for catching
them was all the more urgent
During the famous all-American drive
that cleared the ST. Mhiel salient a news
paper correspondent who hailed from Cali
fornla encountered a strange figure coming
down one of the long, white French roads.
The figure was muddy, its clothes were torn
and 1t needed a shave. In front of it. the
figure pushed q wheelbarrow that had -
German manufacturers name across the
side. AS the correspondent approached
the figure set the barrow down and wiped
his brow with a soiled khaki handkerchief.
"Well, if it isn't Bill" exclaimed the
newspaper man when the furling of the
handkerchief allowed the others face to be
seen.
And Bill 1t was. Bill, who had been one