Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-19


| is the second Of three dispatches
! gtrs,g q btrd's-eye rteD of cordt-
sttons.
BY JOAN LITTLEFIELD,
stag CorresponSent of The star, and the
North American Newspaper Alliance.
LONDON, July 18.-Although the
tendency is for British film companies
to build their studios outside London,
some OF the older companies still have
their studios in the capital.
The Gaumont-British Co., for in
stance, continues to use the studio at
Shepherds Bush. It was the r.rst built
in this country especially for film pro-
duction. The Gaumont Co. was found
ed in September 1898, 10y Col A. c.
Bromhead and Leon Gaumont. The
| London staff consisted of Col. BrUIn-
head and an office boy, but the COM
pany was ambitious to develop British
| production and opened the first studio
in England at Loughborough junction.
In 1902 Col. Bromhead. with M. Gau-
mont, demonstrated a machine which
synchroniZed talking machine disks
with pictures. This must have been
one Of the first attempts to make
| talkies.
The first studio at Shepherds Bush
was built in 1914. This is still in L.se
and has now been fitted up as a sound
| studio. The much larger studio ad-
| joining will also be used for talkies in
due course. Inside the smaller studio a
| shell has been erected, 70 feet long,
40 feet wide and 80 feet high, the walls
| and roof being of a double thickni SIS
| of woodfiber composition which is a
non-conductor of sound, and is lso, to
certain extent. an insulation against
changes of temperature. Thus the stu
YNr0fnnfod VOTE t@x,A
thicknes5es Of material with an air gap
between the shell and the studio walls
| proper.
Making Talkie Now.
Maurice Elvey. Gaumonts producer in
chief, Is now at work on his first talk
film. This is High Treason" based on
Pemberton Billings play of that name.
The action takes place in 1919. Mr..
Elvey has had plenty OF scope for his
imagination and he uses all the re-
sources of trick photography. glass
shots and models for this forecast
OF life 20 years hence.
When I visited the studio ] was
drawn into whirl Of a night club of
the future. Men In knee breeches, silk
stockings and white shirts were dane
ing with women who wore knee breeches
beneath their slit skirts. There were
200 of them and the pink and mauve
luster encrusted on the futuristic walls
of the club enhanced the color of the
scene.
The people danced to a phantom or
chestra consisting of the usual in
Struments. from which music issued
without human agency and the walters,
still handing round the inevitable cock
tail tastes in drink appear not to alter
in 20 years.. wore white waterproof
tunics and trousers set off with GRIM
son saShes. There were also a COM
bined television and broadcasting ap-
paratus. an electric sign giving up-to-
the-n1inute news. and cabaret turns
which included an exhibition Of fenc-
ing skill between women.
Mr.. Elvey, perched on q high ladder
was directing with gusto. It has pleased
him to work out the details Of this
futurist film and he has been particu-
larly interested in evolving the cos
tunes.
1T is my idea" he said. chat while
women will become more masculine in
office and factory dress, they will relax
even more than now at night and be-
come. If anything. more feminine. For
the dance of the future I have evolved
a ballroom movement something of
cross between waltz and mechanical
hesitation step. Some one has christened
this the Robot Ramble.'"
Came From Stage.
Mr.. Elvey, who has made more films
than any other British director, was
originally stage producer and now
that the talkie has arrived he wants to
produce stage plays again, presenting
them in the theater first and filming
them afterward. He insists, however.
it must first be reduced to film form,
and that the dialogue must be fitted in
to suit the picture.
Mr.. Elvey recalls the time when there
were no film captions. but when men
stood at the side of the screen and eX-
planned the emotions of the heroine.
When captions first came" he said,
they were worded in the third person.
Then we discovered that the public
screen as coming from the mouths of
the characters, and now here we are
with our shadows actually talking"
Among the important films produced
by the Gaumont British Co. during
the last few years are "Hindle Wakes"
with Estelle Brody. John Stuart and
Norman McKinnell; "Roses of Picardy."
with Jameson Thomas, John Stuart
and Lillian Hall-Davies: "Palais de
Danse," with Mabel Poulton; Mad
emoiselle From Armentieres," Sailors
Don't Care" and Smashing Through"
The stars in High Treason" are
Jameson Thomas. Bonita Hume and
Humberston Wright.
Gainsborough Pictures. Ltd, whose
greatest artistic achievement to date is
their production of 1.-THE Constant
Nymph," and among whose stars are
Ivor Novello, Mabel Poulton and James
Carew, have established their studio at
Islington in as gray and depressing bit
Of London as can be ina gined.
Gaunt, Sombre Factory.
It stands, gaunt and sombre fac
tory, In a narrow street of mean gray
brick house, where innumerable pre-
cocious urchins play hop-scotch and
other street games to the embarrass-
ment of the passer-by, who has to cut
across the squares and circles and other
hieroglyphlcs of their games.
Drab. hopeless-eyed women gossip
liStlessly at doorways, and numbering
working men come noisily home with
"Mv Rack