Evening star., 1941-06-22

southwest lulHS IluCll Vi tic COull-
u trysde to tawny drab. So my wife and
were surprised one blistering day to notice an
area of anonymously green foliage on an
otherwise sere hillside. 1t was too far away
for us to detect details, but suddenly my
wife exclaimed
That patch is getting larger"
While we watched, the green line Iept
niraculously up the hill 1t was like the ad-
vance of spring. We drove over and found
trucks and workmen from motion picture
studio. Through the brown trees swarmed
small army of overalled Tarzans with ropes
and linemen's spikes; each carried kissing
paint sprayer, and as they progressed, every
dry leaf became brilliant green.
| sought out the superintendent of this
extraordinary project. His name, he said,
was Nick, and he was studio nurseryman.
As he fiddled with gauges on an enormous
air compressor, he told me what it was all
about
Tomorrow, he said, I'VE shoot Techni-
color scene here. It's supposed to be the
Shenandoah Valley in midsummer. So we
have to make it green - nine acres of it.
asked whether he was using ordinary
house paint. He said no.
1T would be too glossy. 1t might even hurt
the trees. This is new scientific chemical;
it's both quick-drying fiat paint and
synthetic plant food. The leaves absorb
some of it. Look"
He picked leaf and passed it to me.
little earlier it would have crinkled to bits in
my hand Now it was soft and pliable Science
had given it not only fresh hue, but some
thing of the texture of freshness as well.
Nick said with some pride, The Army is
sending camoufage men to study our work."
Uncle Som Is Wutehins
AND that's not the only movie magic that
the Army is interested in. There's new
Hollywood trick of processing lens glass that
is already giving our fighting forces finer gun
sights and range finders. And another dis
covery y in sound amplifcation - has helped
make our plane spotting devices the most
sensitive in the world The movies artificial
fog intrigues military men too, as possible
means of screening important detectives.
In fact, before Hollywood science wizards
are through, they may we'll play valuable
part in the defense of the nation. Anyone
who has visited their secret" back lots and
watched them at work, as have recently,
can readily imagine that.
Would you like to see genuine blizzard,
with swirling snow and sleet in mid-July?
Or skating pond frozen solid in the full glare
of summer sun? Would you like to ride the
pitching. bucking deck of an ocean liner in a
howling hurricane - without even going near
the sea? Would you care to see awesome thun-
der and lightning created by the mere ficking
of switch, or man-made fog sent down, at
a cue, to black out a town. Modern movie
miracle workers create these wonders day in
and day out.
If you are one of those skeptcs who thinks
that motion-picture snow is either salt or fine
feathers. you are about year behind the
times. Nowadays, Hollywood snow is the
real thing, and an actor participating in
snow scene is liable to come away with a
frozen nose.
The Lofesf in Snow
! HATS because Pasadena ice man with
a scientific mind simply couldn't bear to look
at any more phony snow on the screen. He
saw many flaws. For one thing, the fake snow
didn't crunch under the actors feet. For an
other, breath didn't vaporize The ice man
had an idea.
In his snare time he made a machine that