The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-11-02

II q II n I O O (HaD Rosson, head cameraman for Metro Goldwyn-Mayer.
 Rosson just happened to be in the east shooting sequences for Week end at the Waldorf" which is to be kind of American Grand Hotel, only better, of course. He ran into a number of newSreel men and they immediately began filling him in on one of their standing Washington gripes-the terrible conditions under which they had to work in making pictures of the President at the White House.
 Newsreels- and the still photog- raphers, too, for that matter-have no White House studio, in which to work and consequently whenever they do 1900 Pennsylvania Avenue job, they have to move in a lot of portable floodlightS and equipment and make the best of whatever the conditions may be.
 THERE'S BEEN CRITICISM Recently the newsreelS have been catching a loL of criticism from theater managers and patrons for the President which have been show ing up on the screens, beginning with those horrible pictures taken on the presidential special train in San Diego last June.
 Rosson therefore stepped into this situation and offered his services in advising on proper lighting equip ment to use in the White House and in getting proper place in which the camerama1I could work. After several huddles with White House Secretary Steve Early, the whole thing was worked out. One room was set aside as a kind of movie studio, and some modern, irl- candescent lighting equipment such as the Hollywood studios regularly use on interior sets was brought in as a permanent fixture to replace the old floodlights.
 RosSon also lent hand on the lightning arrangements for the Presidents speech before the Foreign Policy Association at the Waldorf. There, one big light was mounted directly in front of the Presidents place, about 25 feet high. Two others were placed at each side. The result was a beautiful soft light, without glare and killing all shadows It made the residents face Tight up good' from every angle, as you probably noticed if you saw the newSreelS.
 The new White House equipment, by the way, will probably be left there for MT. Dewey to use, when as, and if he moves in.
 DEWEY PLAYS IT SMART, TOO The President is of course fully conscious that "one picture is worth 10000 words," but Governor Dewey is no less so, and both he and Mrs, Dewey have gone out of their way to be kind to cameramen.
 The governor won't pose for any trick pictures, but he will pose for any amount needed to cover story. The governor understands that when two cameramen shoot at practically the same time, one of the men will get blink. Whenever that hap pens, Dewey always calls on the cameramen who got the closed eyes shot to shoot again. Also, the gov ernor never make the cameraman stop shooting while he's speaking. and they love him for that be- cause it permits them to get good action.
 Dewey never shows himself much on the way to major speak ing engagement, sticking to his car for work on his address. But he makes up for it coming back by vis- iting every car and stopping to chat with everyone. At stops, he al- ways looks around to make sure all the cameramen are present, and if one is missing, asks why Frank or Mike isn't there. When told they've had to rush off on an early Telephoto, he makes sure they're covered by one of the others. Mrs. Dewey is no less a photog- rapher's delight. She never fails to bid photographic rthe time of day when she passes by, and like her husband, she always calls the cam eramen by their first names.