Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-18
UNIVERSAL HAS ALL
KINDS OF WEAPONS
IN ITS BIG ARSENAL
The good knights sword is rust,
His bones are dust and his soul
IL with the saints---we trust!


THE old epitaph is quite correct about
l. the good knights bones, reasonably
accurate about his soul and probably
wrong about his sword.
In all probability the dashing cour..
ier's rapier is among the score Of
brightly FURNISHED blades in the uni
versal City arsenal, the happy hunting
ground for antiquariaus.
What. one might ask, is an arsenal
good for at motion picture studioY a
counter question might be: What
would a motion picture studio do with
out an arBenalY'
In virtually every photoplsy a weap-
on Of one kind or another Is shown and
accuracy in weapons is just as ncces-
Sary as accuracy in costume.
Weapons of every period since men
started TO eIterminate ono another for
pleasure or profit are instantly avail
able in the arsenal OF the Universal
studio.
Let US assume that photodrsma
must show an ancient castle being
stormed by the hordes OF fcudal
baron. II would be manifestly absurd
10 see he guards on the turreted walls
rcpel the invasion with machine guns.
What then?
With their banners fluttering from
The stirrup- stsffs. the onrushipg horde
gailops TO the drawbridge Of the D1ost.
The baron, advancing under his shield.
clangs hrOadswords with the outpost
ot the castle guard. The guard re-
treats. The Invaders clstter over The
draw bridge. with lance al the thrust.
On hthe castle wall the guards are 1T
ting boulder into catapult. Pro
PEELED by springs Of green wood tc dies
into the throng below. From the tur-
rets huge arrows are driven against the
bucklers Of the invaders by taut springs,
tripped with trigger Just as modern
gun. An armorcd knight spurs his
morse through a bristling wall Of spears
and The day is won or lost.
All Of these weapons must be fur
rished By he arsenal, sll Of them must
bc usable and every one Of them must
he able 10 withstand the close scrutiny
Of one man in five million who has made
study of armor and may possibly see
that particulRr picture.
THE development Of the modern FIRE
l. arm has been gradual and each
period Of history has had q distinct
weapon but between the stone throw
ing age and the advent Of tie meChan-
i"al, death dealing gun We have the
romantic era OF rhe rapier.
lt was then that sallants met IN the
van glow OF the moon 10 fight for the
love Of n woman. the turn Of the card
or the rctraCtion OF q name. Marvellous
blades they were. wasp. like, with q
, heroic legcud traced on the steel Of
Damascus.
The Introduction of ne flint lock
- y,I
the pistol, closely followed the match
lock rifle. that was quite as dangerous
10 the user as 10 the intended victim.
4 match lock riteman carried &
rioIched stick which he would hurriedly
hrusL into the ground as rest for his
! rife. He would then set FIRE 10 q pan
Of powder close his eyes and hope for
! the best. Frequently the rife and the
rifleman were a total loss
/ The t1nt-loCk pisto aud It's variation
became the vogue among pirates. bri =
gands and then among the swash-
| buckliug dandies Of rhe eighteenth cen
tury, who filed their ierkins with hard
! liQuor and their mouths with strange
oarhs aud get oUL 10 settle bTawls.
Came then the less romantic but
more dangerous. period OF the cap. and :
ball firearms aud the Springfield rihes
OF our own Civil War days. Guns OF
tljs description are found iu large nun
! bers Al tho Universal City arsenal
CJARRN LONSDALE. srmorcr al
IL Universal City, has personal
| preference toward modern military
weapons. 10 rornpletp his education
along those lines he enlisted in a ma
chine gun outfC when the war broke Out
and was wounded al Tronsal Farm in
he ArgonnP.
When a director calls on lhe arnore,
FOR an army weapon he always adds:
III thai is the kind Of weapon my