Evening star., 1936-03-30
SkVF YOU knew Time as well as
do" said the Mad Halter, you
wouldn't talk about wasting 1t.
Times a him -

W0ulonC Calk ABOUT WaStlng IT,.
i Times him."
This remark qualities the Mad Hat
ter as Hollywood producer. Or may
be it qualities the average Hollywood
producer as a Mad Halter. For the
Mad Halter, you remember, was only
slightly mad, and he got that way from
trying to adjust his schedule to the
tyrannical demands Of Time. And
who, 1t may be asked, has to bow be-
fore Time more often than a Holly
wood producer?
Take. for example, the average mo-
ton picture schedule. It is thing of
beauty and, weather permitting. a Joy
forever All assignments on it are
neatly dovetailed and harmoniously
synchronized. Let but one item go
wrong-let the "salamanders" be
slightly delayed on location (this is
getting to sound more and more like
Alice in Wonderland) d)-and the entire
schedule is thrown out of gear.
So that motion picture studio at
times presents spectacle not unlike
-again-the creatures in Wonderland
hurrying to the duchess party, with
everybody consulting watches and
fretting endlessly in their efforts to
placade the real boss of the studio
Time.
The Cat Was Late.
In the production of Little Lord
Fauntleroy," with Freddie Bartholo-
NEW in the title role, the call sheet
for certain scenes (scenes 81, "a and
202 to 206, to follow the call sheet)
required the presence on stage 8 at 9
am. sharp Of Freddie, Dolores Co.'S
tello Barrymore, two extras and a cat.
The cat-yau've guessed twas late.
Result: A fresh distribution of call
sheets all the way down the line.
Or-really to enter into the time
complications of motion picture pro-
duction-let us consider the schedule
for location at Brent's Crags, some 40
miles from the studios of Culver City.
Here the art department had con-
structed the exterior of Erlsboro
Church and the tiny cemetery, and
the greenery men had set hedges,
shrubs and foliage to complete the
likeness to English countryside.
The schedule for the day-involving
the shooting of sequence that would
take only few minutes Of time Oh
the screen-ran as follows:
"All trucks and equipment to be
loaded at night and ready to leave at
5:45 am. Generator to leave at 5:45
am. One bus for crew at 6:15 am.
One camera car with dark room.
Load at 6 am, leave at $50. Large
dressing room back of stage II to be
warmed for use prior to leaving. Turn
on heat at 4:30. -Four extra makeup
men, two extra hairdressers and girl
to put on wigs at studio. Ready to
work at 6. Three stage dressing rooms
to be taken on location. -Four sala-
manders to be on location, starting at
6. Benches for people. Must have
backs Estate law. One bus at $50
for camera and sound crew.
"One limousine at GAS for C..
Aubrey Smith, Freddie Bartholomew
and Reginald Barlow. One limousine
at 6:45 for Dolores Costello Barry
more and Una O'Connor. One panel
truck for wardrobe. One 5-ton truck
for electric equipment, one 3-ton
truck for props, 1-ton truck for
sound boom and equipment. one s.
ton truck for grips, all to load at 6
pm. previous night. One truck for
Earl's carriage. Five gallons hot
coffee at 6:45 in thermo container.
Earl's carriage and horses to be on
location at $50. Two horses and rigs,
as selected. on location at $3.50. One
standby painter, leaves at 6:15. load
equipment previous night on grip
truck. One police officer report to
location at 9. One f1rst-aid man leaves
at 6:15. Extra greenery man and
standby greenery man, 6:15. Four
extra grips, 6:15. One hundred and
thirty hot lunches at 11:30."
Fog Disrupts Schedule.
Thus carefully planned and equip
ped, the location unit left at dawn, to
find fog-damp, swirling fog-blanket-
ing the valley where the stage was
set for the shooting. Anxious and
shivering, the company stood about,
the schedule completely disrupted.