The New York herald., 1921-09-04

ing them Is as good as taking rub
berneck tour in seventeenth century
France, under exciting auspices. Some
Of the sets actually cost a painful lot
OF money. But others, seemingly just
as pretentious had their cost cut down
so that Doug would not feel it would
have been cheaper to buy up Paris out
right. This was accomplished through
an ingenious arrangement, which would
make it appear that King Solomon. in
tossing off that bon mot about nothing
new" wasn't thinking of the movies.
The new method, word of which is
Just being passed around, is the in
vention of an artist named Martin,
whose brush would appear to be as
wonderful as nature. According to his
system the stage carpenters and
scenic Michaelangelos build the set for
scene just a little higher than the
actors heads, but no higher, leaving
the background to be chastely adorned
| by telegraph poles and chimneys II
| Providence has so ordained.
| When the scene is photographed the
! top half OF the picture Is blocked out by
a cover over the lens, and only the lower
half Is taken. where the lighting and
kissing and general cutting up take
place. Then realistic background,
painted in correct perspective on a small
piece of cardboard by the brush Of Mr..
Martin. is held up before the upper
half of the lens. the lower half Is
blocked off. and the film with the action
already snapped on it Is run through the
/ trlrf INV &c he oh
| so to speak. out of the air. So photo
graphic is the draughtsmanship of the
artist, as evidenced in THE Three
Musketeers." and SO neatly does the
painted setting join on to the solid that
even the oldest inhabitant of Paris
would be deceived. AS Omar Khayyam
nut 1t in one of his noted speeches, a
hair-a camels hair in this case--di-
vides the false from true.
| Obviously in scenes taken at an angle,
like those around the gates of Paris.
such a method cannot be employed, for
the shadows alone would gum up the
wo rks But in exteriors with flat
background. such as the water gate to
the royal palace and the harbor at
1 Calais. this arrangement can be used
with stisfaction to all concerned, in
cluding the bank account. So now you
| know.
This new variation of double exposure
has been kept close secret out West,
and 50 far as is known the Fairbanks
picture is the first in which 1t has been
4 used to produce million dollar settings"
ut reasonable rates. But with Its cheap
ness, quiclSness and convenience Its
adoption is likely to become prevalent
unless the scene painters union decides
something ought to be done.
i The camera reveals the truth. even
In the movies An instance of this came
up for the inspection OF historians the
other day at Betzwood. Pa. where the
Betzwood Film Company has been film-
ing another of the bonneville Trolley
comedies. this one being "The Shippers
Il Romance" which the shippers whis-
kers become entangled with some ones
heart. The company advertised widely
for extras to form a mob to greet the
skipper on his return home and cheer
his nerve in undertaking matrimony.
The call tore n woman named Eliza
beth Bright clear away from her fasci-
mating work in restaurant on Market
street, Philadelphia-these details are
thrown in to heighten the realism which
Is now the vogue in the movies-ano
carried her clear up to Betzwood to
| answer the imperious summons of art
She was hired. but when Ira Lowry. the
director, gave the signal for the multi
tude to shout with JOY at the shippers
arrival she screamed with distress-no'
caused by the sight OF the Tooneryilie
Trolley. however.
Some one in the crowd OF extras had
opened her puSse and snatched out S6l
representing a whole days tips In the
restaurant But she couldn't fasten the
crime on any one. and Betzwood's police
- a. hnfH ad n q
regular cop.
Then Ralph Spence, who was occu-
pied in fitting and cutting the picture
for the company, recalls that ne mac
been braced for meal carrier IN tne
day by a mendicant who said he had
| Just finished a stretch In the peni-
tentiary and had been even more ex-
hausted by walking ten miles thai
morning. Spence had loaded him up on
coffee and sinkers and then shoocd him
along to the casting director. as he
looked like n professional member OF
| any mob Suspicion fastened on this
man, but he couldn't be found to verify
1t by being put through the third
degree.
But when the mob scene was devei-
opcd and projected, there he was sure
enough. caught by the camera IN the
act of operating on the woman's hand
bag. Spence Is going to keep the bit
| in the picture as q lesson to the New
York police In the detection OF crime.
ycrilv the motion picture companies
are beginning to count the pennies. for
some of them are now paying Tor
scenarios on the instaement plan, Just
as though movie stories were pianos or
other objects OF art. The aspirant to
literary screen fame can no longer look
forward to getting a large lump sum
and buying smart flivver with a
strcamine body.
The payments for the screen rights
for instance, to Miss Lulu Bett,
bought from Brock Pemberton, have
been aprcnd thin over several months.
This method OF putting authors on ra-
tlons, so to speak, Is being pursued
even with big writer's who can even
sell stories they wrote In their youth
TO film companies. One well known
film dramatist, who writes stories for
various leading magazines, has latciy
been getting $500 down for movie royal
ties and $500 more In six months-if the
company doesn't go bust.
The filming OF the final part of THE
Two Orphans" which -. w. Grifhth
has been running through camera al
his Mamaroneck studio. has been held
up by the natural reticence OF the SUM
uer to shed any snow. The climactcric
portion of the famous old thriller outside
Notrc Dame requires snow. and Griffith
refuses TO believe that anything but
authentic snow can 30 straight to the
hearts OF an audience. He has built