American Cinematographer - February 17, 1921 - 1

LOYALTY-'- PROGRESS -.- AR~-'-d~~~~~~~~

THE MEN 'WHO MAKE MOTION PICTURES
Copyrighted, 1921, by the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS.
VOL. 2.

NO.4

LOS
----------------------

ANGELES.

CALIFORNIA.

At the Theatres the
The Assistant
~ Week of February 14
Cameraman

A L HAM B RA - "Dangerous
Business." Photographed by
Oliver Marsh.
CALIFORNIA-"Roads
of Destiny." Photographed by J. D.
Jennings, member of A. S. C.
CLUNE'S BROADWAY-"The
Daughter Pays."
GARRICK - "Brewster's Millions." Photographed by Karl
Brown, member of A. S. C.
GRAUMAN'S-"Whitts
Worth
While."
Photographed
by
Wm. C. Foster, member of A.
S. C.
GRAUMAN'S RIALTO - "Inside The Cup." Photographed by Al Siegler, member of
A. S. C. andJacques Monteran.
HOLLYWOOD- Monday, "The
Jack Knife Man."
Photographed by Ira Morgan, member of A. S. C.
Tuesday and Wednesday, "The
Saphead."
Thursday, "Just Out of College."
Friday and Saturday, "The
County Fair." Photographed
by Rene Guissart, member of
A. S. C. and Charles Van Enger.
Sunday, "Twin Bed's." Photographed by Ross G. Fisher,
member of A. S. C.
KINEMA-"Passion."
MILLER'S-"Connecticut
Yankee in King Arthur's Court."
Photographed by Lucien Andriot.
MISSION-"The Woman in His
House."
Photographed
by
Pliny Goodfriend.
SUPERBA-"Rich
Girl - Poor
Girl," Photographed by Earl
Ellis.
TALLY'S BROADWAY-"Kismet." Photographed by Tony
Gaudio and J. A. DulJray,
members of A. S. C.
WINDSOR - Monday, "T he
Branding Iron." Photographed by Percy Hillburn.
Tuesday and Wednesday,
"Earthbound."
Photographed
by Andre Barlatier, member
of A. S. C.
Thursday and Friday, "The
Jack Knife Man."
Photographed by Ira Morgan, member of A. S. C.
Saturday, "No. 99." Photographed by Arthur Todd.
Sunday, "Blackmail." Photographed
by John Arnoid,
member of A. S. C.
Mr. George Barnes has begun
his first drama under the direction of Wm. Worthington at the
Universal. Edith Roberts will
play the lead, the title being
"The Open Shutters."
Mr. Charles E. Schoenbaum
has started another comedydrama with Wallie Reid under
the direction of Frank Urson.
"Watch My Smoke" promises to
be another typical thriller of the
Wallie Reid type, the exciting
scenes will be shot at Beverly, at
the races on February 22.

By Alvin Wyckoff
What does your assistant
mean to you') Is he your pack
horse, an individual who is content to carryall
your camera
luggage from place to place as
you move and perform the services of a deaf, dumb and blind
man? If so, do you think you
are doing the right thing by
your profession? If you regard
your assistant as a slave and a
beast of burden you are not advancing your profession nor are
you advancing in it.
The assistant camera man
seems to be an individual who
must shift for himself and as a
rule, if he amounts to anything,
he seldom has anyone to thank
except the man who has tolerated his presence and paid his
salary, for it is only thru the
force of his own personality that
he has been able to succeed.
The assistant camera men of
today should be the camera men
of tomorrow, and should be better camera men than those of
today for they should have all
the advantages in their favor
t~
the present .uneration
of
camera men'nave not had.
l'our assistant today should
have served his full time in the
laboratory.
He should be able
to take your exposed negative
and superintend, or perform the
duties himself of all the operations from the time it is put on
the developing rack until it is
put into the projecting booth to
be inspected on the screen.

should be a man with whom
you can sit and talk with intelligently, a man who can offer suggestions that will help you build
your work to higher degrees,
one who is wide awake at all
times and keeps you informed
of defects and inaccuracies that
will persist in getting by your
own vigilance,-these

are some

of the important reasons why he
is an assistant and why you
should want him. You should
regard him as an inseparable
companion during the construction of your picture. He should
be fitted with as good or better
an education than you have, and
I would suggest better if possible, and of course he should
have the instincts of a gentleman. If your egotism will not
permit you to regard him on
brotherly terms, then get a
wheel barrow, that's all you
need.
Your duties to your assistant
are numerous. You will probably be the greatest factor in
the shaping of his future, which
alone should create your interest. You should 'set the example
you want him to follow. Remember he is to be a camera
man some day, and if he has the
right stuff in him, that is his
ambition.
How successful he
will be when he starts out is up
to you, and you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself if

FEBRUARY

17, 1921

he develops a failure. After he
knows your outfit, let him set it
up, let him focus the scene,-if
he is wrong in any of his efforts,
.explain to him why he is, if you
can; if you can't, don't bluff
him,-try and find it out together,-it's great tonic and you will
be pleased with the amount of
good you get out of it. Encourage his suggestions. You'll find
he will offer you some once in
awhile that will save your bacon.
Try and never be too busy to answer his questions, the right
sort of a boy or man will ask you
some, that, if you will endeavor
to answer correctly, will help you
to educate yourself.
Don't be
impatient.
You will lose the
respect of your assistant. Carry
your own camera and a few
cases once in awhile. Encourage him 1;0 keep the outfit in the
pink of condition.
Eat your
lunch with him, laugh with him,
encourage him,-it will help you
to succeed.

Activities at the
Vitagraph Studio
A visit to the Vitagraph lot reveals ambitious plans for the
corning year. To begin with the

TEN CENTS A COPY

PERSONAL MENTION
C. B. De Mille has finished his
production. "Five Kisses," and
it has gone to the cutting room.
The company are now making
preparations for their next production which promises to be
the greatest yet made by this
director.
. The next picture to be photographed by Mr. William Fildew
will be "Fannie Herself," directed by Tod Browning. Mr. F'ildew has just left for Chicago
where he expects to get small
town atmosphere and city details for use in the new production. He will probably be gone
about a month.
Mr. Charles G. Rosher is now
occupied with another Mary
Pickford production, which is
promised as a typical Pickford
picture.
The continuity is by
Marion Fairfax, and is being directed by Al Green, the working
title being "Thru the Back
Door."

Another Irving Bacheller story
is to be made into a picture.
cameramen are soon to have a This time it is "Keeping Up
new building devoted exclusive- with Lizzie." The Rockett Film
ly to them. This will be com- Corporation has purchased the
pleted before summer, and the story and production has begun
old camera room will be used by at Universal City. Lloyd Ingrathe new still department.
ham will direct and Enid BenEach company on the lot now nett, Ed ward Hearn, Lila Leshas its own complete photo- lie, Victory Batemen and Leo
graphic organization, consisting White are in the cast. Ross
of chief cameraman, with sec- Fisher, who did most of the phoond and assistant, as well as a tography on Betty Compson's
still man. At the head of the first starring vehicle, "The Priscamera department is Mr. W. S. oners of Love," is busy with his
Smith, Jr. He also has time to De Brie shooting
the first
"shoot" and has just completed scenes.
the tenth episode of "The Purple Rider" with Joe Ryan.
Mr. David Abel has just fin. Mr. George. Robinson with
William Duncan, has been pho- ished "Courage" with Director
tographing "Fighting Fate," the Sydney A. Franklin. Prominent
in the cast were Naomi Childers
best chapter play of the day.
Mr. H. F. Koenekamp has and Alec Francis. The story was
finished photographing
Larry laid in England and Scotland
Semon in "The Hick," which twenty years ago and the coscontains some remarkable trick tumes of that date are carried
stuff. Work has just begun on out with great care, the result
being both pleasing and quaint.
"The Rent Collector."
His present release, "Not
David Smith, having finished
Guilty,"
is now running in New
"Black Beauty," will now turn
his attention to a James Oliver York. The cast includes Sylvia
and
Richard Dix.
Curwood story, "Flower of the Breamer
North," which will be a seven or There is much East Indian atmosphere in the picture, and a
eight-reel feature.
special
feature is the double exAnother special feature will
be the "Son of Wallingford," a posure photography of the hero.
story written by George Randolph Chester, and which will
Harry Perry is working on a
be the first picture which he will very large set supposed to repredirect. Mr. Chester has been sent a mysterious restaurant in
connected with Eastern Vita- Paris.
The orchestra has its
grap for two years learning place ina large caldron from becinema technique. Contemporan- neath which shoot artificial
eous with the release of the pic- flames. Listening to the music
ture the story will appear in which comes from the orchestra
Colliers.
it is not difficult to understand
Mr. Jack Mackenzie has com- how the caldron pours forth
pleted "Loot of the Night" with such notes. But-being a' place
Earle Williams, and begun "The which represents the lower regSecret of the Silver Car," an ions of Hades, it is difficult to
English story written by Wynd- understand why it was so cold
ham Martyn.
on the set.

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