The Coolidge examiner., 1935-08-30

w THEN Hollywood had only
w 2oo -.l......s..,,n... people and !. not even
Ing actors rented an old barn there
aud began 10 film "Tbe Squaw
Man" Armed cowboys. dashiug
,hra1gh dusty streets TO fight" In
dians. alarmed the village.
II the pIay called for a scene on
a from, porch. tbe actors simply got
permission 10 use somebody's porch.
No one. at first. built special sets. -
such colossal structures "a Baby
loulau palaces % feet high. built
later 10 film Intolerance. were
uudreamed o.
Now studios that are walled cit.
les within themselves house this
rupendous industry. whose fcats
smack almost Of wltchcraft.
To make a horror picture. the
Illusion % prehistoric monsters In.
gadlug a modern city was achieved
with Texas armadillos Shot at -
times normal size. while waddllns
past the toy buildings OF a min
lature city. the unal effect on the
SCREEN was realistically hldeous
One studio has a Toy shop where
boats. alrplaHes. cities. railroads
trains. and automobiles are MI
made lu miniature. In The Inyls-
ihle Man. a tiny automobile. load
ed wilh gasoline soaked cotton. and
fuse. was run OF toy elf. burst
INK into aames. IN the same pie.
ture q railroad train (Wilh cars .
feet longl tumhled down a noun.
tain side Both accidents were
strangely convincing.
Coral and marine plants FOR un-
dersca views are cieyeriy couu.
ierfelted. when we found ocean
stun wouldn't transplant" said a
Universal director. I'VE dipped cac-
tus and other desert growth In a
plaster solution. Dried and painted.
this bottom OF the sea fooled
everybody.
Octopus tentacles and snakes
may be- merely jolnted tube.
strung on piano wire. coated with
sponge rubber. and painted.
Human Actors OF All Kinds.
But II Is human beings aud their
behavior. as much rs tricks with
cameras. that make Hollywood,
which Is only a part OF Los An
yeles. better known abroad than
the biz city Itself.
Since most OF the worlds movies
are made hereabouts. the millions
paid In salaries lure performers.
'eal and would-be. from every
1ther cline. Besides stars and plain
fiye-dollar-a-day extras" these
actors range from real pygmies. as
in Tarzan." 10 acrobats and bona
fide bareback riders In plays like
Polly OF the Circus"
Casting Offices for years have
studied hordes OF people FOR DIFF
ferent roles. more than 1900
are listed on cards for "blt"
and atmosphere" work. Every
conceivable type is needed As one
official said. I'VE could not use the
same crowd for an embassy recep-
iIon as for a clandestlne meeting
OF the BLACK Hand"
AZ the Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer stu
do, experts keep in mind the faces
OF some 1000 semi-regulars. and
use a filing system FOR thousands OF
extras.
Eighty per cent OF the types
needed fall into such groups az
dress men. bellhops, police, col
leglans. buffers. riders. tall, short,
and fat men. stunt men. army and
navy men, tough men, judges. etc.
dress women (meaning intelligent.
society types who can wear smart
clothes). pretty girls, homely girls.
stenographers. tall. short, fat, and
stunt women. maids. character
women, riders. dancers, dowagers,
healthy children. peaked children.
Hawaiians, Orientals, Latins, Nord-
ic and Slavic types.
An emergency call for zone tough
mechanic with a broken nose and
two teeth missing" was quickly
met.
Trained acrobats who can take
rough falls and not get hurt:
sailors with one eye; a dlstin-
guished-looking man with a con-
tinental-like "spade-beard" who can
work as a count or a diplomat
all these are In the cards,
Some of the Tricks.
These bottles we break over
each others heads in barroom
brawls couldn't hurt anybody" ex-
plains an actor made up as Jesse