Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-27
The Artist in the Movies
By Frederic j. Haskin
OS ANGELES, Cal, Nov. pa brand
new planet has recently appeared

attempt of movie magnates to raise the pro-
duction of moving pictures from an indus
try to an art.
From now on we can look gratefully for
ward to pictorial effects on the screen as
we'll as human interest ones, for the artist
is going to have his say, as we'll as the di-
rector, the star and the author. Already the
coast studios are becoming fairly well pop
ulated with artists of repute, Including Paul
Chalfin, the decorator; Penrhyn Stanlaws,
the illustrator, and Joseph Urban, the scenic
designer,
Although it seldom gets credit for it, the
moving picture industry is acutely aware of
it's own shortcomings. 1t knows that it is
primarily commercial activity, in which
popular appeal is more important than quail
| ity, but it sincerely endeavors to be as ar
| tistic as possible. 1t has travelled a long way
since the days of two and three-reelers, but
| it is not satisfied to stop. 1t is ready with
! it's public to take the next step, which is
more artistic lighting and setting.
| In the early. days of the industry it was
the company alone that mattered. People
went to see a Telegraph" or "UniversaP'
without paying any special attention to the
stars. But as the old guard companies dis
| banded, the stars became the chief attraction.
Mary Pickford, Alice Joyce, Maurice Costello
and w. S. Hart were followed to whatever
theaters booked them Then the public and
the producers simultaneously discovered that
| the featuring of their favorite star did not
necessarily mean well-told story, and their
confidence shifted to the director. But even
| a renowned director did not seem to insure
a good story, so the vogue changed to pop
ular writer's. The day of the author has
| been long, but the movies are now restlessy
neutrality-suspicious. once more with their pub
| lic-something better. The notion seems to
| be gaining Roadway that perhaps more effec-
tive pictures could be made If the depict
| ing of human emotions from the pictorial
angle were given more expert supervision.
| Screen to Follow Stage
| In other words, the industry is on the point
of timidly deciding that it is ready for the
revolutionary ideas and methods that Gordon
Craig and Adolph Appia have introduced in
the theater. 1t will be cautious, of course,
but there is strong movement for placing
| the entire process of picture production under
the control of the artist.
| According to Wilfred auckland, who is in
charge of the setting at the Famous Players
studios at Hollywood, this is merely the next
logical step. In his opinion. the realistic
back ground cannot last much longer. 'The
building of real interiors;" he says has al
| ready been carried as far as possible. Now
! for emotions and moods. The tendency is to
get away from the strictly Photographic end
of it, and to deal in atmosphere rather than
actualities.
Elm painting a picture an artist does not
paint real house, reproducing every minute
detail. That sort of thing belongs to the old
and now despised Photographic school of art
! He paints in something to give tone to the
| figure. The great secret of art, as Whistler
said, is knowing what to leave out Every
once in while you get a shock by discov
ering a picture in which the director has
| shown signs of an artistic conscience. But the
majority of moving pictures are still far be-
hind commercial photography, which is be-
coming less and less Photographic, while most
Of the advertisements in the back pages of
our magazines are more artistic than the av-
erage movie
This is a particularly interesting admission
on the part of Mr.. Buckland because he was
perhaps the first to introduce the Belasco
school of realism the screen. He was Mr..
Belascos assistant for several years.. during
which time he developed stage realism to its
full height. In producing "The Easiest Way"
for the theater several years ago, for in
stance, Mr. Buckland rented the room cho-
rus girl had had on 47th street In New York;
took a scenic artist over, and made sketch
of everything in it. 1t was reproduced in
exact detail n that play.
eyes," said he, rumnatively, as he sat
| in his queer little office up under the
roof of one of the studio buildings, Gordon
Craig and I were school boys together. We
grew up and started out in our profession
! about the same time, but Gordon has fol-
lowed the progressive road while I have
stuck to the old one"
How Sets Are Made
But this is merely an example of Mr..
Bucklands whimsical modesty, for on his
own road his achievements have been note
worthy, also, and it is quite evident that once
authorized, it would not take him long to
| leap from realism to moods and emotions,
too. AS it is, he is contributing some very
artistic sets and lighting to the Famous Play
ers pictures.
| When a story is to be photographed it is
handed to him for the arrangement of it's
| back ground. He reads it to get an idea of
what the people are like and what their sur
roundings should be- In this he is assisted
| by a research staff--one of the most valu-
able assets of moving picture studios these
days-which has large library of its own.
If the story takes place in South Africa, the
researchers are depended upon to get the
correct details, including what the people use,
the little, personal things they carry, and
their peculiar customs. This is done in the
case of every foreign background, and Mr..
Buckland has suggested that it might even be
extended for few American settings which
are often foreign, apparently to directors.
With this report in hand, sketches are made
of the required sets and turned over to
force of architectural craftsmen in the next
room. Every house must be laid out exact
ly as in an architectural office. When the
plans are completed they go to the studio
workshops hug. one, employing dozens of
workmen-just the plans of a house go to
a contractor. The plans are frequently re-
studied and corrected so that the director
will not know how they look before they are
built Consequently, when they are COM
pleted no changes have to be made-a very
important precaution in an industry which
loses tremendous sums of money if its stars
and directors are held up in their work.
When the house is built Mr.. Buckland de-
scends from his roof and goes over the scene;
directs the painting and interior decorations,
etirneS in consultation with the director,