The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-10-06
Meet Assistant Director, Who Must
Do Everything, Please Everybody
With Lusty Voice, Good Feet, Numerous
Talents, You Might Qualify for the Job


HOLLYWOOD 80 '0uieti ron 'eEnl"
are the most overworked words IN
the vocabulary Of Hollywood's most
overworked men, the assistant q"
rectcrs.
An work and no praise makes
an assistant director. For IN.
stance, Hal walker on the "zaza"
set Is the fall guy for every beeg
made against the picture BY the
production office. And he 10 about
as easy to interview Is Q subway
guard ct $50 p. m.
IT'S: mr.. walker, madam
doesn't like her dressing room and
her cot Is too hard" from Clau-
dette Colbert's maid. And, "Hais
I've got two men standing by for
that dolly shot, but ! don't think
wen get to IL today; shall I send
them homer" from the electrician.
or, mr.. Walker, may bring two
visitors on the sete" from the pub.
licity man. Or, Telephone for Hal
walker"
And 80 while he's pacitying movie
stars, making decision for the
laborers on the Get, and placing
visitors 80 they won't interfere
with production, the assistant direc-
tor directs the background action Of
q couple Of hundred extras and In
general xnCpS up any difficulties
which might fall In the path Of the
director. He. does most Of the work
and seldom even gets screen credit.
OF, FOR THE LIFE OF A
ONE.ARNEED PAFERHANGER
Walker believes that the greatest
assets Of an assistant director are
good feet and o lusty voice. And
It's all right, too. II he happens TO
be an expert ut cost accounting,
efficiency, weather predicting, and
diplomacy.
To hold down his JOB, an assist
ant director must have O lot more
technical knowledge than Q direc-
tor, for It Il the assistant who plans
the shooting schedule, orders props,
arranges for the hiring Of extras and
bit players, and keeps stars, direc-
tor, and producer happy. II the
production gets behind IN schedule,
the producer doesn't ask the director
what the trouble Is, but calls the as
sistant on the carpet for an expla-
nation. "And," says Walker, ut had
better be good"
As 0 general rule, assistant de
rectors are O bitter lot, because OF
the constant nagging Of their Job
and the fact that few Of them ever
get an opportunity to become d.
rectors. Here again, Hal Walker
Is an exception, for he already has
directed o couple Of westerns for
Paramount and was about TO d.
rect q third when Paramount stop
ped making westerns. He Is stu first
In line for O directors berth.
EXTRAS GET BETTER,
STARS STAY THE SAME
walker has been In the movie bus.
mess for IS years, the first three Of
which he spent as an extra. He had
Q lot Of work and made Q lot Of
friends, and finally got Q Job as sec.
Ond assistant director ct the OLD
First National Studio.
90 for the last ~ years he has
been an assistant director. In all
that time the hardest pictures he
has worked on were "eouls at Sea"
and THE Duccaneer," for IN those
two he had control Of second units
Of production, which took large
groups Of extras TO set TO make
actual sailing sequences.
In past years, before the Screen
Actors Guild was organized, extras
were difficult TO handle but with.
the thinning Of the extra rangs those
who get work are more conscien-
tious and willing to work for the
assistant director.
But Is always has been the case,
the stars make the assistant direc.
tors lob most miserable. They are
usually discontented about some.
thing, and the more money they
make the more disconnected they
seem TO become.
But when all the troubles are
ironed out and o new camera set
up Is completed, It's the assistant
director you hear shouting, "All
right places. QUIETl START
YOUR ACTION! ROLL EMl"