Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-22

TIME truthfulneSS OF this story can
not be guaranteed, although 1t
comes from a highly reliable
L source in Hollywood and sounds
convincing:
1t seems that Joseph p. Kennedy, the
president of Pathe Pictures, decided
that the rooster (the famous trade
mark of his corporation) should be
synchroniZed with sound. Metro
Goldwyn had recorded the roars OF its
lion, and there seemed to be no reason
why Pathe should not do likewise with
its fowl. So the rooster was taken TO
the soundproof studio in Culver City,
Calf, and turned loose before the
microphone. The entire staff OF direc-
tors, property men, camera men, super
visors and technicians assembled to
superintend his performance.
But the rooster wouldn't crow.
They fed him corn, they fed him
milk, they fed him ale-but they
couldn't persuade a peep out Of him.
Finally someone in the studio remem-
bered that there was a vaudeville artist
appearing in Los Angeles whose spe-
cialty was limitations Of animal noises,
and he was summoned Immediately to
Culver City.
He was a picturesque character, this
imitator, who was known as The
the trill OF nightingale, the COO of a
dove, the wall Of 3-months-old baby
or the roar of the Twentieth Century
Limited. He could even do a dog fight,
with three dogs barking at once. There
was nothing In the way Of noise that
he couldn't make. So the desired
ROSTERS crow was just his dish.
A FTER the Count had done his stuff
for the Pathe microphone, and the
results had been heard, it was discov-
cred that the battle was only half won
For while they had achieved a perfect
sound, they had not been able to take
the photograph that went with it. In
other words, there were no pictures OF
the rooster that could be synchronizeo
with the Counts superb voice.
II you have ever seen rooster crow
you will know that he goes through q
series of complicated motions before
delivering his ultimatum. He braces
himself, deXes his muscles, does some
thing or other with his feathers, draws
his head back, takes deep breath and
then lunges forward, In the manner OF
rattlesnake striking.
This particular rooster would do none
of these things. He wouldn't enter into
the spirit of the thing at all. However
the Count was still on hand, and being
keen student of animal psychology
he came through with q suggestion.
II can arrange to get this picture for
you," said he, confidently
You nean," inquired an incredulous
director, you mean you can make your
self up to look like a rooster besides
making noise like one?"
"No-that won't be necessary" said
the Count. But my studies in the
realm Of nature have taught me that
ROSTERS, like men. have the sheep in
stinct very strongly"
II don't get you," said a tired
cameranan.
when one leads" the Count ex-
planned, Others follow. Now I shall do
my rooster crow. and you will see that
bird Of yours pick UP his ears and start
to crow with me. Then you can start
your cameras and obtain the perfectly
synchronized picture that you require "
That sounded reasonable, so the bat
terry Of cameras was focused, the lights
set up. and the rooster placed on a
platform in front Of black velvet
curtain.
Then the Count started in to crow
and those who were present say that
he reached new heights in vocal ar
tistry. Even he admitted that 1t was
the finest performance of his career.
The rooster, however, did not agree.
He merely looked at the Count, out of a
flshy eye, and then started to cough in
a highly impolite manner.
X X
1T must be said to the Counts eternal
\ credit, that he was game. He wasn't
licked yet. He had another idea.
THE proverbial time for the rooster
to crow" he told the Pathe officials els
in the early morning, just before dawn
Now the rooster is too wise a bird to be
fooled by setting the clocks back or
pretending we're running on daylight
saving time, or any similar lodges