(lass TR&*VS Book ' Ks Cogyrigiitl? 2Jt, Set COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. Scanned from the collections of The Library of Congress AUDIO-VISUAL CONSERVATION at The LIBRARY of CONGRESS ■ pr *- JL Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation www.loc.gov/avconservation ■' 1 AMATEUR A " k A < VIoVie Makers ECEMBER1926 MmeGalliCurci iye jby Proxy ~ -? The Little; Movie, Moyemj|nt? ifr England." Mlywood; Children C^oredJ-lome Movies by Radio r^%. — » ^^^^^»» • :!^ H 1 '^ AMATEUR LIGHTING FREE If 3)011 want to learn the latest and best improvements in Amateur Motion Picture Photography Sign the coupon below: DeVry Corporation, Desk 5, 1111 Center St., Chicago Please send me your free booklet shown above: Name Address - Why Not Study Your Hobby? AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS presents for sale : MOTION PICTURE PHOTOG- RAPHY FOR THE AMATEUR by Herbert C. McKay $2.50 MOTION PICTURE PHOTOG- RAPHY b>> Carl L. Gregory $6.00 MOTION PICTURE PROJECTION by T. O'Conor Shane $5.00 SCREEN ACTING by Inez and Helen Klumjph. $3.00 PHOTOPLAY WRITING by William Lord Wright. . .$3.00 MOTION PICTURE DIRECTING by Peter Milne $3.00 Send your order accompanied by the price of the books you desire to AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS 267 West 17th Street New York City We deliver them to your address postpaid. TITLES \for your own personal Movies greatly enhance pictures by preserving the details of the action, and make them much more interesting to watch. A specialized title-service is now available for users of 16 mm. film insuring a quality title, property finished and mailed 48 hours ''after copy is received. \l-10 word title $.65 I 21-30 word title $ .85 11-20 word title .75 | 31-55 word title 1.00 Sample titles showing various kinds avail- able gladly mailed on request. Amateur films also spliced, titled, and edited (put in sequence with bad portions deleted), according to your directions for a service charge of $2.00 per 110111-. A check or money order should accompany title orders. STANLEY A. TOMPKINS Care of Kirby Incorporated 2 East 23rd Street New York City This is the Kodak Corner, Madison at 45th Street. Kodak Corner Store invites you Amateur movie makers in New York and vicinity are cordially in- vited to make the Kodak Corner Store their service station for Cine- Kodak supplies, their clearing house for motion picture informa- tion. Here you will find interested, and interesting salesmen whose knowledge is complete and up-to- date, whose aim is to make not customers but clients. Among recent developments is mak- ing movies indoors with artificial lights — let us demonstrate. Eastman Kodak Stores, inc. Madison at 45th Street, New York City "The Kodak Corner" Motion Picture Service* for Amateurs who live in or visit New York 1. Special fast service on the development of Cine film at the Eastman plant in Rochester. (Usual service — In before noon, ready for projection the second or third day thereafter.) 2. Complimentary use of the Gillette projectors and projection room for examination of film or showing of pictures to friends. 3. Criticism of pictures by com- petent advisers. 4. Continuous hints, advice and suggestions on motion picture technique. 5. Regular notification on new discoveries and inventions, im- proved processes, etc. 6. Information on new devices. 7. Liberal exchange privileges on outgrown efficient equipment. 8. Free messenger service on films for development and on Kodascope Library reels. •fa Complimentary to Customers Gillette Camera Stores, inc. PARK AVENUE at 41st ST. 16 MAIDEN LANE Neif York City PROFESSIONAL CAMERA at an amateur price for MOVIE CLUBS & MOVIE MAKERS Film your pictures on stand' ard size film. Show your club productions in a theatre or large auditorium. Repay your club expenses and se- H&T-f cure projecting equipment i_^,„^i«Ji without twlu o.si. The INSTITUTE STANDARD Professional Motion Picture Camera Costs less than a high-grade amateur camera. The pictures can be shown in any theatre or movie house. All metal construction hand' somely finished, light' weight and portable. Complete with carrying case. Variety of models for every taste and purse. Write for FREE CATALOG and full particulars Showing four lens mount attachment New York Institute of Photography Dept. 18 14 West 3 3 rd Street, New York City \ The Camera used by Professionals zjfuto Kinamo The lea Kinamo has made thou- sands of feet of Pathe News Reels. The Navy filmed the Shenandoah's trans-continental flight with it. The Roosevelt brothers took the Kinamo to Thibet. Roy Chapman Andrews had five of them on his trip into the Gobi desert on his successful search for Din- osaur eggs. Now lea have produced a new Kin- amo with a spring motor. It may either be used on a tripod, cranking in the conventional manner, or be held by hand, while merely pushing a button. In order to appear in your own movies, the Kinamo has only to be placed upon a suitable stand, and after setting the auto- matic release, the operator walks into the "set," and in 40 seconds the Auto-Kinamo will start making your picture. According to the winding of the motor the scene may be limited to ten, fifteen or twenty feet. Equipped with a scene punch, footage in- dicator, one-stop movement for titles, ani- mated drawings, etc., two direct view finders, focussing adjustment, and iris dia- phragm. The Auto-Kinamo holds 50 feet of stand- ard film and may be loaded in daylight. It is fitted with the Carl Zeiss Tessar f 3.5 of 40 mm focus. Then there is the re- movable film gate and, of course, the usual perfect lea workmanship. All this in the smallest fifty-foot capacity camera made, and the price is only $140.00. See the lea Kinamo at your dealers or write for further particulars. CARL ZEISS, Inc. 485-P FIFTH AVE. NEW YORK Pacific Branch 728 South Hill Street Los Angeles, Cal. Graflex pictures for the album, the pocket and the wall Only "still" pictures will do for certain uses and you will prefer the Graflex kind. The big, fast lens lets in plenty of light, and plenty of light means proper detail. Shutter speeds are 1/5 to 1/1000 — a range that includes the right one for any subject. Focus is sure. The reflecting mirror shows the full-size image up to the instant of exposure. 2M x 3}4 Revolving Back Graflex, Series B With Kodak Anastigmat lens/. 4. 5. Price $85. Other models $58.50 up. Graflex cameras are now made by The Folmer Graflex Corporation Rochester N. Y. For sale by Eastman Kodak Company dealers AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS! Results ARE WHAT COUNT IN MAKING YOUR OWN MOVIES Our Service Department was or' gammed to give you — gratis — help' ful instruction in the use and se' lection of the right motion picture equipment, criticism of your films, use of our projection room. Use this service at your own will and pleasure. Headquarters for BELL & HOWELL FILMO BELL & HOWELL EYEMO (Using Standard Siz,e Film) EASTMAN CINE KODAK VICTOR CINE PATHEX (Now Automatic — Equipped with clock spring motor) DEVRY (Using Standard Size Film) Filmo and Cine Kodak Films Developed Free U/IU0£JGHByS ▼▼110 West 32"JSt.Mewyork.Hy.^f DEC2226 ©C1B 717119 AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS Official Publication of the Amateur Cinema League "To See Ourselves as Others See Us'' Volume I DECEMBER, 1926 Number 1 CONTENTS PAGE Amateur Cinema League, A Close Up 7 Mrs. Coolidge and Home Movies, an illustration > 8 Who Started the Fun ? 9 "Love By Proxy", the First Amateur Motion Picture Production 10 Reeling the Sports 12 Golfing for the Movies 13 Trouble 14 The Clinic, Vamped and Revamped By Dr. Kinema — Titles — Editing 17 The Little Movie in England 18 The Amateur Turns a Penny 19 Enter the League, a photograph with some comments about the Amateur Cinema League 20 Scenarios 22 Colored Home Movies by Radio ? 24 Swaps, Being an Amateur Movie Exchange 25 What Makes a Film Interesting? 26 Hollywood Films Its Children 27 Police Photographs, a cartoon 30 Moose Ahead — Camera ! 31 A Maecenas for the Movies 32 Rules of the Game 33 AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE DIRECTORS Pioneer President c- R- DOOLEY floyd l. vanderpoel HIRAM PERCY MAXIM ^^Ldtrl'oTco. rfVf^' Sdenti5t' "* LitChfiel<1, ^ Pioneer Directors lee f. hanmer Stephen f. voorhees _. , _ . Architect, of New York City. ROY D. CHAPIN Director of Recreation, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Russell Sage Foundation. Hudson Motor Company. COL. ROY W. WINTON W E COTTER ^" ^" HEBERT Formerly in charge of recreation of The Union Carbide & Carbon Treasurer of the American Radio policies for the United Corporation. Relay League. States Army. AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is published monthly by the Amateur Cinema League, whose temporary headquarters are in the Capitol Building, Hartford, Conn., U. S. A. Subscription Rate $3.00 a year, postpaid; to members of the Amateur Cinema League, $2.00 a year, postpaid; single copies, 25c. Copyright, 1926, by the Amateur Cinema League. Title registered at United States Patent Office. Advertising rates on application. Forms close on 15th of preceding month. Temporary Editorial Office: Capitol Building, Hartford, Conn. Temporary Publication Office: 267 West 17th St., New York City. Five The Amateur Cinema League is a non-commercial association of motion picture amateurs, which will endeavor to: 1. Increase the pleasure of making home motion pictures by aiding amateurs to originate and produce their own plays; 2. Promote amateur cinematography as a national sport; 3. Organize clubs of amateur motion picture ma\ers; 4. Publish a monthly magazine devoted to amateur motion picture ma\ing; 5. Establish an amateur motion picture film exchange among League Members; 6. Encourage amateur photoplay writing; 7. Maintain home motion picture making on an amateur basis. The League is non-commercial and no person commercially engaged in the production of motion pictures or in the manufacture, sale or rental of cinematographic equipment is eligible to membership on the Board of Governors. Inquiries regarding membership are solicited. A bona fide interest in amateur motion pictures is the only essential qualification. Below is an application blank. Cut it out and enclose your check. WORDS an ACTION MAKE BETTER MOVIES Date. 192 To the AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE Temporary Headquarters, Capitol Building Hartford, Connecticut. I accept the invitation of the Amateur Cinema League to become a charter member and have designated below with a cross (x) the class of membership in which I desire to be enrolled. My check for $ payable to Amateur Cinema League is enclosed in payment for the dues, $2.00 of which is for a year's subscription to Amateur Movie Makers. □ Founder $1000.00 in one pay- ment, if paid on or before August 12, 1927. (No further Indicate dues.) cIaSs of □ Life $100.00 in one pay- ' membership ment. (No further desired. dues.) □ Sustaining $50.00 annually. □ Member $5.00 annually. It is understood that immediately upon my election I am to become entitled to all the privileges of the League. It is also understood that there are no duties or obligations connected with this membership other than those which I may voluntarily assume from time to time. CHARTER MEMBERSHIP J^ame Street City . State Address general correspondence to AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, Capitol Building, Hartford, Conn. Six Amateur Cinema League A Close Up WITH this first issue of our magazine a nebu- lous idea becomes a tangible reality. Ama- teur cinematography becomes organized. Instead of thousands of us blundering along inde- pendently, groping our way without advice or as- sistance, and wasting effort and money, we have in the pages of our magazine a common meeting place where we may exchange knowledge. Amateur cin- ematography is a new art. It is different from every other art that was ever developed. A great deal has to be learned because the possibilities are as yet unplumbed. We know but a very little about it but all of us together represent a large total of experience and knowledge. By organiz- ing ourselves, the knowledge of the whole be- comes available to the individual. Amateur cinematography has a future that the most imaginative of us would be totally in- capable of estimating. When we analyze amateur cinematography we find it a very much broader affair than appears upon the surface. Instead of its being a form of light individual amusement, it really is an entirely new method of communica- tion. Our civilization offers us today, only the spoken word or the written word, as a means of communicating with each other. This word may be spoken to those within sound of our voice, telephoned over a hired wire, mailed in a letter or telegraphed in dots and dashes. But no matter how transmitted it is still the spoken or written word. We are dumb as far as communicating such things as movement, action, grace, beauty and all that depends upon these things. The motion picture communicates all of these. We are able to transmit what our eyes see, and it is the next thing to actually being present ourselves. And so, instead of amateur cinematography being merely a means of individual amusement, we have in it a means of communicating a new form of knowledge to our fellow beings, — be where they may upon the earth's surface. An amateur cinematographer in the tropics may convey to an amateur in a cold country precisely what life in the tropics is, and convey to him exact knowledge that is not only vital, but cannot possibly be conveyed in any other way. Interesting customs in one country which are indescribable in words, and may possibly be of great importance to know, may be made known to peoples of other countries. Every action that occurs, no matter how far away, may be accu- rately shown in one's own home under conditions of deliberation, convenience and comfort. It may not be too much to say that the organizing of amateur cinematography marks one of the great- est advances in general human education that has been made in modern times. The professional cinema cannot do this in the perfect way that the amateur cinema can. Professional pictures must appeal to mass interest and mass interest does not always embrace the things that ought to be known. On the other hand, the amateur has no necessity for appealing to mass interest. He is free to reproduce and record any action his fancy or the fancy of a friend may dictate. These great possibilities, however, are de- pendent upon one thing. That thing is OR- GANIZATION. Unless we join hands in one central organization, we are not getting out of amateur cinematography even a small bit of what it contains. Organization will place the cinema amateurs of the world in communication with each other at once, and all that the entire world possesses is available to each one of us. These ideals and hopes have been what has animated some of us to put our Amateur Cinema League into being. It is a purely altruistic or- ganization and if we continue as we have started, it shall never under any circumstances serve any selfish purpose. Those who have organized it have given of their money and their time with no thought of any financial return. They are satis- fied if our League succeeds in its purpose, and if it shall prove to be a help in bringing men and women generally to a better knowledge of each other. It is not probable that our Amateur Cinema League will hold meetings, conventions and func- tions of that type, but if groups decide to hold informal gatherings, every effort will be made to assist them. Instead, it is the belief of the organ- izers that the amateur cinematographers of the. world should maintain a membership in a central organization. Such an organization would make possible a magazine in which we may all fore- gather to our mutual advantage. Therefore, to be a party to this fine thing, all that is necessary is for every amateur to be- come a member. The rest will take care of itself, and the writer is firmly of the belief that every one of us will some day be very proud of the effort we have made in organizing amateur cine- matography. W-\_j^_£*k_A_*_^-. Q _i Seven Eight Who STARTED the Fun? The last thing the First Lady of the Land did when President Coolidge broke camp in the Adi- rondack^ was to take her own motion pictures. When the Crown Prince of Sweden passed through the United States on his tour of the world he made his own motion pictures to show the Royal Family and his friends in Stockholm what he saw in the United States. The Duke of York and Roy D. Chapin hold the records in England and the United States for the first movies of their children. Mr. Chapin could not wait eighteen hours after one of his heirs was born until he had the baby's features recorded for his own silver screen. The Duke of York, who is an enthusiastic camera man. filmed his daughter and showed the pictures to the Duchess while she was convalescing! Surely neither Shakespeare nor Aristotle con- templated the time when the cradle would be robbed so that the action might be preserved on the screen. Is it possible that Robert Burns thought we might want to see ourselves as others saw us when we were two days old? Individual motion pictures have made many professionals amateurs again, — on the silver screen. George Ade discovered, as a little movie fan, that there was more fun watching the facial expressions of his golfing companions in the movies than there was following them around the links. How could anyone possibly know how one looks playing tennis or golf, swimming or canoeing without a motion picture? A football or basketball game is over in a few hours but it may live a lifetime on a film. The biggest fish caught on a camping trip never get away if they are filmed! Should you hunt big game in Africa you might buy the skins and tusks to bring back home, but a motion pic- ture of a lion chasing you through a jungle, filmed by your trusty guide, would tell its own story. We all know that Vice-President Dawes smokes forty-seven matches with each pipe of to- bacco and that Galli-Curci can sing, but what does the distinguished presiding officer of the United States Senate do when only his family and friends are around? We know that the famous opera star dances for her husband's motion pictures but we may never see her in this fascinating role. John T. McCutcheon may draw cartoons that win elections but how does he act in his own movies? If J. P. Morgan and Charles M. Schwab have their own motion pictures, what roles do they prefer? Some great men have been known to let their grand- children ride on their backs while they crawled on their hands and knees. Whether Mr. Schwab is a Charlie Chaplin or a Douglas Fairbanks, only his family and friends can tell, for they have seen the pictures. It is highly improbable that Mr. Morgan plays Jack and the Beanstalk but one never can tell! Recently a well-known banker in Northern New York invited his guests to a house party to take part in an amateur play called "Katherine the Rum Runner's Daughter," which he had written, with his wife starring in the title role. "Love by Proxy" is already famous as an amateur produc- tion, with Miss Mildred Sachse, who appears on our cover, as leading lady. Every little movie has a meaning all its own. That is the secret of the fun. It tells a story which has never been told before and may never be told again. Formerly, Americans went abroad to "see" Europe or "do" the Continent, but today they travel to see themselves abroad. Nothing can prove better that you paraded the beach at the Lido in fancy pajamas than the individual motion picture. How could you expect to prove that you rode a mule in the Grand Canyon without a motion pic- ture? "Still" photographs of such experiences are too frequently made in studios! Here, there and everywhere, sixteen thousand amateurs are creating their own Hollywoods, — Hollywoods of real people having fun wherever nature sets the stage, and the day is coming, says Mr. Chapin, when every home will have its screen. Perhaps in our first issue of AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS it might be interesting to spec- ulate on who started the fun, — on what makes us enjoy our own movies. Perhaps it was Shakespeare who made us drama conscious, or it may have been Robert Burns who aroused our curiosity to see ourselves as others see us. Certainly neither the mirror, the photo- graph nor the family album makes us feel like Romeos and Juliets. Think of the love's labor which has been lost because it was not filmed! In the "Story of Philosophy," however, may be found the answer to our queries. Aristotle really started the fun. "Happiness," wrote the great Greek philosopher, "is multiplied by being shared." That is where the joy in amateur motion pic- tures originates. But to modern science and in- dustry we owe our gratitude for placing the mech- anism in our hands! Nine DIRECTOR EUGENE McLAUGHLIN EXPLAINS THE "ACTION" TO THE LEADS OF "LOVE BY PROXY" WHILE CAMERAMAN RAGSDALE ADJUSTS REFLECTORS "LOVE BY PROXY" The First Amateur Motion Picture Production AU N I Q U E organization called the Motion Picture Club of the Oranges, (New Jersey Oranges!) a body of some twenty youngsters, just out of high school, who decided that they wanted to produce an amateur motion picture "thriller" chiefly for their own amusement, have written, photographed, ed- ited and produced a five reel- photodrama called "Love By Proxy". They originated their own scenarios, built their own "sets", photographed and spliced their own titles, created their own costumes and make-ups and ar- ranged their own special musical program. T e n B$ Frederick T. Hollo-well It is the first time a motion picture drama has ever been produced by amateurs. When the club showed it before an audience of 600 persons at the East Orange Woman's Club it "registered" 100 percent. Eugene W. Ragsdale, an East Orange youth, has been playing with a camera since he was knee high to a grasshopper. With the appearance of the first amateur- sized motion picture nearly two years ago he took one with him on a trip to the Adirondacks, where he "shot" some mountain scenes and strips of his friends. They turned out so well that when he returned home he projected them in his home for the amusement of himself and his schoolmates. "Why not do a real photo- drama, just like they do in Hollywood ?" he suggested to them. From that suggestion was born the idea of forming a club, then and there, for the purpose of making their own movies. "Love by Proxy" is the first tangible result. It took the club the best part of a year to com- plete the production. First of all, of course, the scenario had to be written. That took time. Three members of the club — Miss Eleanor Fox, Ralph V. Child and Grafton Bernard — collaborated in writing it. Mr. Bernard suggested the title "Love By Proxy." It sound- ed catchy and "professional". The plot had to be woven around the title. It was serious busi- ness. Like Penrod, they had high ideals. They must do every- thing just like they do it at Hollywood — only better. They went to the "regular" movies to get ideas on make-up, settings, exposures, lighting. They came back with renewed eagerness to carry on with their own pro- duction. Finally, after many gabblef ests, suggestions and counter-suggestions, the scenario was completed. The whole plot — with love tangles, misunder- standings, a villainous butler, thugs and all — had been worked out in minutest detail. But they were not yet ready to shoot the actual scenes. They had heard about "screen tests" at Hollywood. They had to have screen tests. The pros- pective leading lady, although in- disputably pretty, might not film well. "Cameraman" Ragsdale made the film tests. That took time. The films had to be de- veloped. But when the test films were finished they chose the cast, with Alfred Fontana as the hero and Miss Mildred Sachse as leading lady. Dorothy Sachse, Mildred's sister, was also given a star part, and Marshall Schueler was assigned to play opposite her. Other "heavy" parts were played by Eleanor Fox, co- author, Ralph Child, Elwood Emmons and George Clark. They later remembered that the scen- ario called for a mother, so they persuaded Mrs. Mildred Sachse, mother of the two leading ladies, to play the part. The time had now come to choose a director. Eugene Mc- Laughlin, whom the "film tests" had ruled out of the cast, thus got the responsible position of director — and was supplied with knickers and a megaphone al- most as tall as himself. Many obstacles were not an- ticipated, as will be shown later. But the scenario writers did an- ticipate their scenery — most of it was outdoors because of lirfit- MMm- . Marshall Schueler, Our Hero, was so interested in seeing that Cam- eraman Ragsdale made a good pic- ture THAT HE FORGOT TO GIVE THE "love scene" its proper verisimili- tude. Not so Miss Mildred Sachse, the Leading Lady ! Her motto is : Cling to the neck, let pictures fall where they may. ing difficulties. Since the scen- ario called for a houseparty at the leading lady's country estate, permission was obtained to use the grounds of Mr. and Mrs. Everet Colby's estate Llewellan Park, West Orange, for filming these scenes. Many scenes also were taken at the Braidburn Country Club, it being necessary, according to the scenario, to de- pict the life of effete suburban- ites. Deep snow covered the ground of the Braidburn Country Club when the movie fans were ready to begin making their scenes. Consequently the story was to take place in winter. Thev would adapt their natural scenery to the needs of the plot. They would include winter sports in the social activities of their char- acters. But alas ! snows melt, and camera work could be pur- sued only on Saturdays and Sun- days. They had to go to school other days or work. So before they were fairly started on the plot Spring had burst upon them. All their winter sports film had to be discarded. The scenario had to be revised to adapt the production to sum- mer scenery. But that was fairly easy, although it took time. They simply substituted swim- ming for tobogganing, and gar- den and flower scenes for snow- shoeing. Interiors were the most puzz- ling. They had no Klieg lights, and they were determined to do the production without buying any. Various make-shifts were resorted to. They set large mirrors outside of windows and reflected the sunlight into their improvised "studios". Extra- strong electric light bulbs supple- mented. Since the scenes thus photographed were still some- what less brilliant than the out- door scenes, they adapted the plot so that most of the inter- iors portrayed "night scenes". After all, love-making and such- like indoor sports usually took place at night. Throughout the preparation of the production Cameraman Rags- dale, the moving spirit of the movie, spared no expense in time and patience to attain a Hollywood verisimilitude. Close- ups were freely indulged in when Director McLaughlin wanted to reveal some special emotion. When the hero was trying to persuade his best friend to im- personate him at the house party he couldn't attend on account of business, a close-up was shown of the two friends in earnest, cigarette-smoking conversation over their coffee at lunch. When he wanted to indicate that the house party guests were danc- ing to phonograph music a close- up was flashed of a rapidly-re- volving record. The scenario called also for train scenes. Heroes must always be shown speeding away on a train or whiling away dull hours in Pullman seats while awaiting arrival at yearned-for destina- tion. The scenario writers had not anticipated the difficulties of amateurs getting train scenes. But, since they were in the plot, they must be photographed. The influence and "pull" of fathers was brought to bear. In this way, arrangements were made for the Chicago Limited, of the Lackawanna Railroad, to make a special stop at a local station in order that the required train scenes might be filmed. Close- {continucd on page 30) Eleven Reeli eenn g The SPORTS Bj) Robert Jordan A REEL of pot shots is in- teresting, of course. But not nearly so interesting as the titled movie that has con- tinuity and tells a definite story. Continuity and a story presup- pose a simply written scenario or a roughly drafted script, and "doing it first on paper" only em- phasizes the fun of later "doing it on location." Now, how to go about it? Well, first let's consider a simple, timely situation — a football game. Follow this script and it will show you how to follow through the cinematographic phases of your story. Title 1. A Gridiron Battle Varsity vs. Princetown November 20, 1926. Title 2. Our Gang— Off for the Stadium. Scene 1. Long view of "Our Gang" walking toward waiting auto. Close-ups of each mem- ber of the party. Long view of party entering machine which exits down road. Title 3. Going in With the Big Crowd Scene 2. View of party entering stadium, walking toward seats, purchasing programs from vendor. Close-up of Bill squeezing Mary's hand and pointing up the field. Long view of empty field as players rush out for preliminary prac- tice. Views of the stadium crowd, etc. Title 4. A Few Celebrities Pearl S middy, lives up to Mr. Ade's ideals by playing tennis with her facial expressions. Scene 3. Close-up of players, etc. Each close-up should be followed by a title. Title 5. They're Off ! ! ! Long Varsity/ Scene 4. Close view of cheer leaders. Long view of the kick-off, interspersed with nu- merous views of gridiron ac- tion. End each quarter with a title announcing score. Scene 5. Views of the last few minutes of play. Close-up showing enthusiasm or despair on faces of "Our Gang." In- clude some comedy here. You know how frenzied spectators act, hat-chewing, et cetera. Title 6. The Snake Dance Scene 6. Long view of the vic- torious dancers. Long view of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., brings his WHOLE BODY INTO HIS DRIVE. "Our Gang" exit to parking station. Title 7. "And the Score? Varsity 21 — Princetown 7. Of Course!" Title 8. The End. Each football game presents its own cataclysmic events, so on the spur of the moment you may need to change mentally your script. For example the assured victory is unexpectedly turned to defeat ; dramatic climax. Don't fail to get it. Later those close-ups of tense despair will furnish enough comic relief to soften the defeat. In general the above script will give you ideas of how to arrange scenically any titled sport movie. Now a few technical details : Before the game be sure to find out the sun direction. Don't get a seat facing it, or your pictures will show flare. Even at the cost of sitting with the opposing side, lo- cate properly for sun position. A good place is behind one of the goal posts. Remember the never- to-be-forgotten rules about hold- ing the camera steady, following the exposure guide, not panoram- ing except cautiously and slowly. Don't make your scenes too long, 5 feet per scene or ten seconds is sufficient for nearly any type of action. In conclusion — good luck, and may your side win. Twelve GOLFING For The M ovies George Ade Says Films Interest And A maze His Friends W; 'E have taken many pic- tures of golfers," wrote George Ade, the humor- ist, to a friend, "and they are in- terested and often horrified to learn just how they swing the club. Also the victims of the close-ups usually say: T never knew I made such funny motions with my mouth.' ' For two years most of the humor that has been splashed about the Ade residence in Indi- ana has come, not from the fluent pen of Mr. Ade, but from the countless reels he has taken of his friends. All his life he has clung to the belief that people are funniest when they are not try- ing to be. Consequently he has used his motion-picture camera to snap pictures of his friends at times when they were unaware that they are being observed, much less photographed. For a long time he tried to keep his hobby secret, for as soon as his friends realized that he was apt to appear on the scene from every wayside tee with his clicking cine-camera, they were ever on their guard. But by the time that they had been aroused to the imminent danger that lurk- ed in his tiny instrument, the dis- torted physiognomies of most of them had been recorded for pos- terity. At the same time that Mr. Ade was making use of his cine- camera merely for the purpose of entertainment he began to realize that pictures made on the athletic field might serve a more useful purpose. He conceived the idea that his faults — and those of his friends — might accurately be re- corded on the golf course and then screened later in his home. There his friends gathered with him and they were able to see just what was wrong with their tech- nique. GEORGE ADE PLAYS SAFE. HE GIVES US A SPECIAL POSE TO SHOW THAT HE DOES NOT PLAY GOLF WITH HIS MOUTH. Others beside Mr. Ade have taken advantage of this use of the cine-camera. From Detroit and other cities comes word that golf- ers and tennis players are photo- graphing their technique and studying the films at home. The projector can be stopped at any point and carefully studied. Gen- erally he who is conscious of only one fault discovers, when the film is projected, that there are other obstacles which he must overcome before the club cham- pionship is within his grasp. Mr. Ade's practice of making films of his friends at play has been adopted in some cases by professional instructors intent upon ferreting out the hidden faults that impeded their pupils. The films made in that manner have been of service, not only to the instructor, but to the pupil as well. If the motive be simply one of entertainment, however, there are other fields fully as fertile as the golf course wherein one may catch his friends at their worst. A motion picture made of a kind friend untying a knotted piece of string, or of a fat friend endeav- oring to lace a pair of high boots may readily furnish unlimited amusement in the long winter nights which are ahead. Thirteen •*"*>-■ ■^^"■«^™ 1 i\ O LI 13 L jt - - A Grand an' Glorious Feeli WHEN the dear old lady at the head of the Cem- etery Improvement Fund or the Current Events Club tells you that she has heard what per- fectly wonderful moving pictures you have taken, and asks if you will show them next Saturday evening for the benefit of her Society, take a deep breath and consider carefully before you reply. There may be trouble ahead. It sounds perfectly simple to take a half dozen of your choice Governor Nellie Ross, of Wyoming, posing for Fourteen B>) Dr. Kinema reels, your projector and your screen and give a public enter- tainment. It's not as simple as it looks. Of course you are frightfully flattered by the reputation of having done some fine work, and this causes you to utterly forget a solemn promise to your wife to accompany her to the Jones' for dinner next Saturday night. You are so set up that some one has spoken well of your pictures that you are led to run over in your mind your various films, and you realize that they are not so bad. The more you think about it, the more you begin to realize that, while they are un- questionably unusually fine pic- tures, yet those long scenes where Bob is talking, are after all, just a bit boring to people who never saw nor heard of Bob. To you and your wife that long picture of Bob is really quite entertain- ing. It is also quite entertaining to Bob's wife. To Bob it is nothing short of enthralling. The great unwashed, however, have a way of missing these fine points, and all things considered, you decide it might be well to cut out Bob. The next step in your down- fall is the thought of those beau- tiful bits in that other film. If one were to cut out Bob and put in those bits from the other film, it would make that reel a master- piece. If you happen to have an incurable case of optimism, as I have, you resolve on the spot .to make the shift. Then you dis- cover that those new ' bits have no titles. So you seat yourself and with a great show of enter- prise, you dash off the necessary titles, thinking that you will spe- cial delivery them out to the laboratory and ask for a special rush job "just for this particular occasion." I often times wonder what they think of us with all of our "special" rush jobs. Just as if every job isn't special! Your mind now becomes com- pletely inflamed. New ideas keep eenn tumbling in upon you. It occurs to you that it would add enor- mously if you would take some additional local scenes. Ihere are not enough of them, and they would be so tremendously appre- ciated by the local audience. You thereupon dash downtown and involve yourself in additional fi- nancial difficulties to the tune of $12.00 buying two fresh reels of film. Then you let business go hang and chase about madly making these additional expos- ures. By sitting up to an un- The Hon. John H. Trumbull, Governor of Connecticut. conscionable hour that night and spending what appears to be a frightful sum of money on spe- cial handling and special delivery postage stamps, you get the films and the list of titles off to de- veloper. You fancy you have done everything and that now you may rest. You are grossly in error. Before you fall asleep that night, you think of at least twelve rot- ten bits in that film where you panoramed too zealously and where you wriggled the camera when you took your finger off the button. You decide to elim- inate these bits. When you get to this job, the fact is disclosed that you haven't enough empty reels. To hold the various parts of the film which you have chopped up, you buy several more of the little tin can things at a dollar fifty each. With these you are confident that you are free to cut your film up and sub- divide it to any amount. After dinner you cut and cut. In half an hour you find that you have done a very great deal of cutting. Things have become somewhat involved. In a few moments you realize that you are in a perfectly hopeless state of confusion. Bits of film and reels lie around everywhere and for the life of you, you cannot re- member which is which. It is at this point that you discover that editing a cinema film is a new indoor sport, — a combination of chess and poker. Between films that are wound on the reel backward, films that are wrong side up, and films in which it is impossible to say whether they are wound on backward or front- ward, you have become quite temperamental. You speak un- duly sharply to the children, and you hear mother explaining that father is very tired and worried over his business. After having recourse to the old pipe to settle your nerves, you gradually get yourself un- snarled and your films back in the sequence which you have de- sired. You then fall to wonder- ing how the new exposures and the titles will appear. The ex- hibition which you have under- taken has been advertised exten- sively, and you acquire an alto- gether different notion regarding the enterprise than you started out with. Instead of lightly toss- ing off a little cinema entertain- ment, and basking in the praise of your admiring friends, you find you have gotten yourself in for a big theatrical venture and that the whole blessed business is resting heavily upon your inex- perienced shoulders. You are conscious of the fact that you are becoming badly frightened. Friday comes, and the enter- tainment is to be on Saturday night. That night you project your new films and find that they are great. You become excited. Again you sit up very late editing the new films and splicing them in where they belong — You decide to do the titles Saturday after- noon. Saturday morning, Mrs. Jones has a brilliant inspiration. She has heard of your exhibition and now she wants you and your wife to come to dinner more than ever. Why not come, she asks, to an early dinner arid we can all go down to the Hall together at eight o'clock. A very wonderful idea, truly. It cuts out just two hours of valuable time. It means that you must have everything done be- fore six o'clock, so that there shall be time to load the plunder into your car and dress for dinner. And you had a foursome all ar- ranged for Saturday afternoon at the golf club. The foursome must be flatly abandoned, be the result what it may. So, you spend a perfectly lovely summer afternoon cooped up in your library splicing titles in a brilliant movie film. At five, you see the end in sight, provided the film cement holds out. It has reached a con- dition suggesting a syrup by this time, and every splice appears to have been made with a shaving brush. At five-thirty, your good wife appears. In a voice in which you detect a note of strain- ed reserve, she suggests that you come and get dressed. The last fifteen minutes becomes a horrid scramble. All your well laid plans have been smashed to bits. Instead of screening- evervthine to be certain that nothing had been spliced in wrong side up, or hindside before, you must now put your trust in a kind provi- dence. A miserable feeling of dread possesses you and you wonder why on earth you ever allowed yourself to get into this wretched business. At the Jones you try to be sparkling, but you just cannot make the grade. You are fright- fully distrait. Instead of sitting about in a Tuck at a dinner, you realize that you should be in your library working on vour film. The hall is filled with people when you arrive. It is beastly hot. and you drip perspiration and wilt your collar hopelessly, hunting up tables and boxes up- on which to mount your screen and your projector. Then you discover that your projector elec- tric cable is not long enough to reach the only available lamp socket. But somehow some one fixes this. You are too hot and wretched and harried to find out how. The minister then intro- duces you and wiping your drip- ping brow with a handkerchief of which you are terribly asham- ed, you make a few remarks about the difference between am- ateur and professional moving pictures, and how the amateur brand will be entirely lacking in sob stuff, but that you hope nevertheless that it will be in- teresting. Amidst mild applause, you call for the lights to be put out and you then proceed to business. You then discover that your pictures are about one-tenth as bright as they are at home. You focus and focus your projector until you almost put your eyes out, and your good wife whis- pers hoarsely that the pictures are not nearly bright enough. You then realize that giving a cinema exhibition in a public hall is vastly different from giv- ing one in your living room at home. But the first film is going splendidly. In a sweaty steam that hopelessly beclouds your glasses, you feel that things are not as bad as they might be. Reel number one breaks no Fifteen splices, has no titles upside down, and no pictures hindside before, and at the end it is greeted with enthusiastic applause. With ex- cited fingers you thread in reel number two. The lights are out, the switch on, and you are off again on a reel that is even better than num- ber one. Silence gradually lays a mantle over the entire place. There is no enthusiasm. There are no admiring murmurs. In- stead there is plain, two inch thick, case-hardened silence. The reel ends. There is no applause. You then begin to grasp what the professionals mean when they say of a new plan, "You never can tell." Reel number three is next threaded in in moist silence. You ask that the lights be put out and you start your projector. It runs, but it fails utterly to pro- ject anything. It is inky black. You are unable to see a blessed thing in the murk and you are afraid to move for fear you will tip the whole business off its box. In a weak voice, you ask for the lights again for a mo- ment. You quickly discover that your lamp will not light. You never have had a lamp fail to light before, and so you have never been through the process of tak- ing out the old lamp and putting in a new one. But you must do something. When the lights are on again, you feverishly fish around for the way to get at the old lamp. Your fingers are all thumbs and you are so hot that you steam your glasses, so that everything is a moist fog. Some- how you get the old lamp out. Then you think of that spare lamp which the dealer told you about when you bought your projector, and you dive into your box for it. You tear off the wrapping and you then face the job of putting it back into place. You have never done it before, and you get hotter and hotter and drip perspiration copi- ously. Finally you get it in and you start the projector again. Just exactly the same black con- dition results as before. The lights have been put out again, and once more in a week S i x t e e n CAPTAIN JEAN BAPTISTE NOEL, OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE ROYAL MT. EVEREST EXPEDITION TAKING MOVIES OF THE PEAKS OF MANHATTAN ISLAND. voice you call for them to be lighted. You realize there is ab- solutely nothing to do but fish the second lamp out. Then some kind soul with good eyes asks to see it. He gazes fixedly for a mo- ment and then makes the in- tensely interesting pronouncement that it has only part of a fila- ment, the other part being down in the bottom of the glass bulb where he rattles it around as proof of his diagnosis. By this time your audience is talking, which is always a very bad sign, and you are feeling like a disconcerted pickpocket. What with the long hours of overwork in getting the films ready, the frightful heat, the din- ner that is sitting very badly, and the shock to your nervous system, you now feel as though you had indulged in a shot of bad home brew. You are beaten, and you still possess enough strength to recog- nize that it is better to ack- nowledge it. So you falter up to the screen and make a few sorry remarks and venture upon an explanation which is about as weak as dishwater. You prom- ise to repeat the exhibition with a basketful of new lamps the following Saturday evening if there is any one willing to sit through it. A sympathetic soul in the front row remarks something about its being too bad, and you catch the stern eye of your dis- approving wife. You know now that public exhibitions are fright- fully different from parlor ex- hibitions when it comes to motion pictures. Wherefore, I am led to re- mark, fellow amateurs, that when you are asked to give a public entertainment, you give careful thought to many things. It can be done, because I went through nine reels the next Saturday evening with flying colors. But I had five tested lamps, miles of electric cable, bags of two way sockets, and plugs and every thing. Then, it was a grand and glorious feelin'. THE CLINIC Vamped And Revamped — B3) Dr. Kinema Doctor Kinema has been retained as an amateur consultant by AMERICAN MOVIE MAKERS. The doctor will discuss problems in amateur cin- ematography that many of us meet constantly in our adventures in picture making. The doctor has made two requests of our readers: first, that they forward plenty of questions; second, that wherever possible, they send with those questions what they believe to be the correct answers. He does not want to fill the Clinic with his own ideas. Therefore, he invites all members of the AMA- TEUR CINEMA LEAGUE and all readers of AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS to make contribu- tions to his department. Please send in questions, answers and discussions to Doctor Kinema, care AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS. Capitol Build- ing, Hartford, Connecticut. A special article by Doctor Kinema appears else- where in this issue. EDITING Do not overlook the immense advantage of editing your ama- teur film. It means all the dif- ference between success and fail- ure. Many amateurs are inclined to overlook this very important matter. They "shoot" a roll of one hundred feet and when it is received back from the finishing they rush it into the projector and the film is judged in its raw state. Even a professional film would be discouraging if done that way. Your film probably has many very good pictures that are very interesting but their entire effect is lost because of the jerky blank spaces between shots, the shaky portions at the end of the shots, the too fast panoramas, the hurry close-ups, the grey over expos- ures, the black under-exposures, and the poor stuff generally has not been cut out. If, instead, the film had been run over in the reel re-winder or splicing machine, and the obvi- ously useless stuff eliminated, or in other words if the film is ed- ited, a very different story would be told when it was projected. There would be an immediate im- provement of about five thousand percent noted and a correspond- ing increase in satisfaction and pleasure on the part of all con- cerned. Nothing is so discouraging as to look forward with keen an- ticipation to the return of a film and then after projecting it feel as though you never cared to look at it again. This can be avoided every time by taking the time to edit the film before you project it. TITLES Next to properly editing one's film, the most important thing is to title it. A lot of scenes, strung together, ever so good photograh- ically, convey only a small frac- tion of the message that it does, when titles explain what the scenes are. It requires an extra- ordinarily good film to be inter- esting without titles and an in- different film without titles is a "total loss," nine times out of ten. Titles are perfectly easy to ob- tain. All that is necessary is to write them out and order them. They will be in your hands in ten days, all nicely arranged in the order you wrote them. Splicing them in their proper places is good fun, and a mar- velous method of getting one's mind off one's troubles. If one has the knack of composing snap- py, bright titles, they lift a film an unbelievable amount. One can make one's own titles, of course, but it is simpler for most of us to order them. They are not expensive, and they are now furnished with a very at- tractive border which gives a very finished effect to a film. IS IT FRONTWARD OR BACKWARD? Every amateur is bound to have heaps of trouble splicing in and re-arranging film in his early days. Until he learns the little tech- nique he will have some scenes upside down and in backward. In some cases he will be unable to tell from the image on the indi- vidual frames which is the be- ginning and which the end of a bit of film to be added to a reel. There is one way to tell. Hold the two films that are to be spliced together and look at the light through them. If they are both shiny side toward you, and both right side up, that's the way they should be spliced in order for the end of the old to lead into the beginning of the new. Usually the action will indicate which is the beginning of a bit of film. But if it is a landscape, there is no action and one must have another means of knowing which end is which. Seventeen The Little M ovie in ENGLAND THE Little Movie Movement moves slowly, very slowly indeed, wrote V. P. in a recent issue of the Christian Sci- ence Monitor. One wonders why. It is so obviously needed. There is such an open and easily ac- cessible place waiting for it in the world of the cinema, and success seems so sure. One only needs to glance back through the history of the Little Theater movement to see how genuine a contribution the amateurs can bring to art. Consider the Abbey Theater, and how the two Fay brothers began it with only am- bitious amateurs for artists. Con- sider the Moscow Art Company, and Stanislavsky's story of the family theatricals. It is possible for any family with a cinematographic taste to buy a little camera and project- or, and for any theatrical group of screen aspirants to do like- wise. The apparatus is cheap, the use of it is cheaper, the op- portunities for experiment are priceless, and the sincere and studied work that would un- doubtedly come from such un- commercial experiments would feed the screen as the stage has been fed. Sooner or later the movement is bound to gather momentum. In London it has just received a preliminary push from a little group of players known as the Gate Theatre. They presented at a festival matinee not long ago a home-made motion-picture called "Shadow." Now this is interesting, for here is a little theatre turning its attention to and using its equipment for a little movie. "To be sure this first attempt was not very serious, and is not to be taken very seriously, but it has its significance." That was the commentary of a disinterested spectator of the Little Movie Movement. Particularly is it significant to the Amateur Cin- Eighteen ema League here, however, for it is an echo of the strides that have been taken in the United States. The directors of the Gate Theater whose playhouse is a garret almost opposite the Gar- rick Club, having decided to amuse their subscribers with a special matinee in honor of the first season's success, found fif- teen unoccupied minutes in the program. The discovery was made two days before the per- formance. So one director — Miss Molly Veness — wrote a highly melodramatic scenario casting herself for the Wife ; the other director — Peter Godfrey — produced the scenario with him- self as the Villian ; one of the members of the company — Wil- fred Walter (an "Old Vic" vet- eran)— volunteered for the Hus- band, the rest of the Gate The- ater's cast was the crowd, the stage and lighting equipment of the garret was used ; the bill for all this was about £12 for the electricity, and lo ! two days later camera outfit, and 3s. 6d. for "Shadow" was put upon the screen. All these details in the history of this film were merrily ex- plained to us by Mr. Godfrey in a running commentary that ac- companied the picture. And many other things in the picture were explained also, and nec- essarily, for much in both the photography and plot of "Shad- ow" was obscure. Many inci- dents in the scenario had been improvised on the spot. Some of the outdoor scenes, cleverly taken in the street below from the windows of the garret were lost in over-exposure and were cruelly criticized by their ex- positor. Some of the studio scenes, however, taken in the theater and lighted by the the- ater's lights, were excellent. And this is the point. For it happens that Mr. Godfrey is an expert in stage lighting, and some of his Gate Theater play productions this year have made his fellows blink their eyes. So this — the excellence and interest of the lighting and setting and compos- ing of some of the later interior scenes of "Shadow" when the extempore director got his hand in is the point, and the reason for writing seriously at all about this merry melodrama made for fun by a company of mounte- banks. For it is by just such modest means that the little theater, es- pecially the little theater in America, has flourished. Shall not the little movies flourish also, fed by young enthusiasm? The Gate Theater's miniature expres- sionistic production last winter of "From Morn to Midnight" was so successful that Mr. God- frey was invited to make a full size production for the West End, which he did, though, I am told, not with entire success as the proportions were still too little for the big playhouse. Now he plans to try to make a motion-picture of the play pos- sibly with the idea of presenting it as a preliminary sketch to some professional producer who will invite him to develop it into professional proportions. And possibly the result will be en- tirely unsatisfactory. No matter. The project opens up possibil- ities, and it is not presumptious to imagine a Gate Theater en- tirely of the screen — not of the stage playing with the screen — organized to compose, play, and produce before an audience of subscribers miniature motion pic- tures which can be developed and enlarged, and will eventual- ly develop and enlarge the art of the motion picture. IT WON'T BE MUCH TROUBLE "When we get motion pictures by radio the young people will have to think up some other reason for not staying home." — James J. Montague in the N. Y. Herald Tribune. Tke Amateur Turns A Penn}) B? J. H. McNabb THE motion picture field, — hitherto confined to the realm of professionalism, is now being invaded by an insist- ent and ever increasing demand of amateur desire, made possible through manufacturing genius. What was accepted yesterday as a device requiring professional and scientific skill to operate, is today a simplified mechanism of such compactness and reproduc- tive quality as to adapt itself to home use. Following an urge of enthusiastic welcome, it bids well to become as popular as the phonograph, the automobile, or the radio. The activity of public accept- ance of this popularized art has doubtless been covered in other pages of this magazine, so 1 will come to the point of the topic assigned to me — the serious as- pect of the amateur movie equip- ment. To itemize the applications of amateur or semi-professional cinematography, means to go on indefinitely. With each thought and each possibility other avenues of usage appear until one actually wonders how civilization has pro- gressed without the cine-camera. Here are only a few of the many thousand uses to which the new 16 m/m equipment (for the amateur) has been employed with outstanding success. Industrial — The manufacturers of tractors have found selling far more effective through stag- ing a practical demonstration of cutting and handling timber, from the felling of the tree to the finished product in the mill. Great giant timbers in an almost impassible forest — cut, hauled, and handled like so many tooth- picks. Actual demonstration in localities of the prospective buyer could have been made, but, by the use of the cine-camer.i and pro- jector, an interesting, actual, per- forming story in life-like reality was projected in the comfortable offices of their prospective buyers and in a manner far more agree- able to both parties than milling through mud and weather to see the tractors actually perform. Trucks, automobiles, washing machines, motors, batteries, street cleaning and ditching machines, are all among the wide variety of industries which have found practical commercial uses for the smaller equipment. The cost of a product may nev- er be fully understood by the average trade, but a salesman equipped with a cine projector can quickly and effectively por- tray the qualities produced by such cost, for, in the prospect's own place of business, he may witness a trip through the plant and have actual visualization of the processes. Science — Science comes in for its share of praise for the cine- camera. It is a most amazing ad- vantage when we stop to think of the knowledge heretofore con- fined to the eye witness or a text- book. Picture, if you will, the interior of one of our country's great technical institutions. Surround- ed only by a limited number of witnesses, a wise scientist, with microscopic precision, conducting an experiment, the preparation of which required many years in the gathering of rare materials and which will probably never be re- produced over another long period. Heretofore the transmis- sion of such knowledge depended upon the memory of those few witnesses. Records may have been kept, but the visual, physi- cal action and application could not be recorded. Today, a super speed cine-camera with telephoto or microscopic lens records every move and its result — to be repeat- ed over and over again and the actual experiment, in the minutest detail, re-enacted in every labora- tory or before every scientific body in the world, if need be. A moment's reflection on the importance of this one angle alone readily points out the fact that the amateur motion picture is assuredly of great advantage to science, where learning is most dependent upon detailed experi- ments and the accurate and com- plete preservation thereof. Con- sider further, the inadequate il- lustrative reproduction when drawn from memory, as compar- ed to the everlasting and instant availability of the entire test by slow motion pictures and always surrounded by the environment of the actual initial occurrence. Educational and Civic Pur- poses— Through the use of the cine-camera a metropolitan dairy adroitly attracts public favor and patronage through an educational film that fairly breathes health and sanitation. In a meadow skirted by cool shade trees of a picturesque wood, a small herd of satisfied Jersey cows is seen grazing. Evening, and the slow procession up the lane. In the stables, the cattle file into separate well bedded stalls. Automatic milk- ing machines in operation rivet the attention of the uninitiated. Moonlight, and the fresh milk, carried in sanitary cans and load- ed into great motor trucks, is transported to the central dairy. Each can of milk is carefully sampled. Midst scientific sur- roundings of a well equipped laboratory, the Chief Chemist analyzes and tests each specimen before the product is accepted. Great vats and scientific processes follow. Bottle cleansing and ster- ilization is shown operating with almost human intelligence. All is far beyond the expression of words. Finally huge carts of the bot- tled product are conveyed to the waiting delivery trucks. Each truck has its own refrigeration compartment. The morning quiet in the city streets is punctuated by the silent moving vehicles of (continued on page 30) Nineteen jBI Jesse L. Lasky, New York, N . Y . — "The particular phase of the movement to which you refer, namely that of the development of amateur motion picture dra- matics, is also especially interest- ing to me and to my associates. Doubtless you know that our sin- cere wish to encourage eligible young people to think seriously of motion picture acting as a ca- reer took definite shape last fall when we established the Para- mount School. Anything which will foster or increase interest among young people in the tech- nical work of making motion pic- tures is bound to be of ultimate benefit to the industry as a whole. And it is not too much to suppose that from these enthusiastic young amateurs the motion pic- ture industry may possibly re- cruit valuable additions to its act- ing and directorial forces." Twenty ENTER T From Ever$ Quarter They Gathere* on July 28th — They The Amateu Gov. JoJin H. Trumbull, Hart- ford, Conn. — -"I am greatly inter- ested in amateur movies and will be very glad to assist in any way I can in furthering the move- ment." Arthur Brisbane, New York, N. Y. — "I shall be very glad to do anything I can to be of use to Mr. Maxim in connection with the matter that interests you. Below are the comments of some of \ Charles P. Taft, 2nd, Cincinnati, Ohio. — "Count me in as an organ- izer." T. A. Willard, Cleveland, Ohio. — "You may put me down for my share of any expenses necessary to make me a member of this or- ganization." Augustus P. Loring, Jr., Boston, Mass. — "I am heartily in accord with the idea and if there is any- thing I can do to further the same I shall be very glad to do so." e LEAGUE t The Biltmore Hotel, Nextf York Cit^ ^ho Were To Be The Nucleus of inema League. e whose greetings were read at this first Mme. Galli-Curci — "It is certain- ly a very interesting movement and I shall be happy to become a member of the A. C. L. With all good wishes for the success of this genial idea." Walter Pritchard Eaton, Shef- field, Conn. — "I think that the formation of such a society might, indirectly, affect the professional movies for the better." meeting. Carl Laemmle, New York, N . Y. — "The interest shown by ama- teurs in all branches of the pic- ture business cannot help but re- flect itself in moving picture the- atre attendance and that, as every- one knows, is the life of the busi- ness. Interest will be stimulated by the thousands of people who are using these small cameras and home projectors." Will H. Hays, New York, N. Y. — "I am much interested in the matter. For years I have been a camera man — long before I went into this work — and with the pos- sibilities of motion pictures in the amateur field my enthusiasm has doubled. The fact is I possess nothing that I value more than the motion pictures I have been able to take of my boy with a small movie camera. There are so many phases of pleasure and usefulness in amateur motion pic- ture photography that one has to be careful lest his enthusiasm run away with him." Commander E. F. McDonald, Jr., Chicago, III. — "There is no ques- tion in my mind but that the home moving picture projector will have a very vital influence in the home — second only to the radio. Twenty-one Jesse I.. Lasky, New York, N. V. — "The particular phase of the movement to which you refer, namely that of the development of amateur motion picture dra- matics, is also especially interest- ing to me and to my associates. Doubtless you know that our sin- cere wish to encourage eligible young people to think seriously of motion picture acting as a ca- reer took definite shape last fall when we established the Para- mount School. Anything which will foster or increase interest among young people in the tech- nical work of making motion pic- tures is bound to be of ultimate benefit to the industry as a whole. And it is not too much to suppose that from these enthusiastic young amateurs the motion pic- ture industry may possibly re- cruit valuable additions to its act- ing and directorial foices." ENTER The LEAGUE From Ever)) Quarter They Gathered at The Biltmore Hotel, NeW York Cit$ on July 28th — They Who Were To Be The Nucleus of The Amateur Cinema League. Gov, John H. Trumbull, Hart- ford, Conn.— "I am greatly inter- ested in amateur movies and will be very glad to assist in any way I can in furthering the move- ment." Arthur Brisbane, Nczv York, N. Y.—"l shall be very glad to do anything I can to be of use to Mr. Maxim in connection with the matter that interests you. Below are the comments of som Charles P. Taft, 2nd, Cincinnati, Ohio. — "Count me in as an organ- izer." T. A. Willard, Cleveland, Ohio. — "You may put me down for my share of any expenses necessary to make me a member of this or- ganization." Augustus P. Loring, Jr., Boston, Mass. — "I am heartily in accord with the idea and if there is any- thing I can do to further the same I shall be very glad to do so." 0f those whose greetings were read at this first Mine. Calli-Curci — "It is certain- ly a very interesting movement and I shall be happy to become a member of the A. C. L. With all good wishes for the success of this genial idea." Walter Pritchard Eaton, Shef- field, Conn. — "I think that the formation of such a society might, indirectly, affect the professional movies for the better." meeting. Carl Laemmle, New York, N. Y. — "The interest shown by ama- teurs in all branches of the pic- ture business cannot help but re- flect itself in moving picture the- atre attendance and that, as every- one knows, is the life of the busi- ness. Interest will be stimulated by the thousands of people who are using these small cameras and home projectors." Will H. Hays, Nczv York, N. Y. — "I am much interested in the matter. For years I have been a camera man — long before I went into this work — and with the pos- sibilities of motion pictures in the amateur field my enthusiasm has doubled. The fact is I possess nothing that I value more than the motion pictures I have been able to take of my boy with a small movie camera. There are so many phases of pleasure and usefulness in amateur motion pic- ture photography that one has to be careful lest his enthusiasm run away with him." Commander E. P. McDonald, Jr.. Chicago, III. — "There is no ques- tion in my mind but that the home moving picture projector will have a very vital influence in the home — second only to the radio. Twenty-one SCENARIOS By J C. OF all the motion picture se- quences with which we have struggled in the past six years, none, to me, flares out so vividly as the river crossing scenes in "The Covered Wagon". To my mind, the sequence is the most perfect my cameramen have ever filmed. It is not an artistic sequence. No art was in- tended. All the scenes were filmed in "straight-away" photo- graphy. Beauty would have de- tracted from the stark realism of the venture. Here might be rule number one to the new owner of a motion picture camera. Never, under any circumstances, attempt to make action beautiful. Eliminate all fancy lighting effects or trick angles. Artistic photography has its place, of course — in scenic shots, in close-ups or in garden scenes — but in dramatic action, never. The filming of the river cross- ing sequence in "The Covered Wagon" might well serve as an example of how amateur photo- graphers should operate in shoot- ing their own sequences. Several days before we were ready to photograph the river fording scenes, Karl Brown, chief cameraman on the picture and now a Paramount director, visited the location and made test shots of the river and of the trail lead- ing down to it. These test shows were to determine five things : the kind of film to use, the filters to use. the exposure, the angles and the lighting on the river at that particular time of day. In all, thirty-two tests of about fifty feet each were made. After shooting each test, a slate was marked with all the information and that slate photographed. Thus, when the negative was de- veloped, printed and projected, first the test was flashed upon the screen and then a shot of the slate followed, giving- all the necessary information pertaining to that shot. From these test shots, Brown determined the best an- Twenty-two ames v^ruze gles, the best film, the best filters and the best lighting for the ac- tual shooting of the sequence. In the photographing of any important event which cannot be remade — as with the dangerous river crossing — it is always ad- visable to experiment with these test shots. For example, if you desire to photograph an Armistice Day parade, it is best to go along the parade street several days previous to the march — and at the same hour of the day — to make test shots. In this manner you will know just what lighting you will have, just how to set your lense and the best possible angles to photograph. Number your lo- cations on the sidewalk or curb- ing with a piece of heavy crayon. Therefore if in the test shot angle number three shows up better than angle number two, you will have no difficulty in locating that spot on the day of the parade. All photographers, I believe, should prepare a shooting contin- uity beforehand — -just as with the filming of an actual motion pic- ture. Then there will be no re- grets afterward that some partic- ular shot was missed and the scenes do not hitch together prop- erly. Following is an excerpt from the river crossing sequence in "The Covered Wagon," which may be used as a guide in pre- paring other shooting schedules : Scene 240 Exterior. River. Long shot — Fade In On part of the Wingate wagon train stopped on camera side of the river. Some wagons are ford- ing the river, still others are al- ready across. In several places in the foreground household goods have been dumped at one side, wagons moving away from them, others dumping out stuff. At one point a man is cutting his wagon in two. Ogle's wagon pretty well back. Scene 241 Exterior. River. Medium Shot. On Ogle and two men lifting out a walnut bureau. Ethel Wales (Ogle's wife) enters and steps to him, asking what he thinks he is doing. He replies : Spoken title : "We've got to lighten all these wagons." Scene 242 Exterior. River. Close-up. Ogle finishes speaking. Ethel Wales says : Spoken title : "Well, you'll dump somethin' besides my mother's walnut bureau!" Ethel Wales finishes title. Ogle begins to argue. Ethel Wales says simp- ly, "Up with it an' put it back — ". He looks at her for a second and then disgustedly turns to the men (off scene). Ethel Wales keeps on with : Spoken title : "I've got rose cuttin's an' flower seeds in there ! To say nothin' of other things that I need to make a home." Scene 243 Exterior. River. Medium Shot. As Ethel Wales speaks Ogle and the men virtually throw the bureau into the wagon. She has that settled and stands satisfied. Scene 244 Exterior. River. Fairly Long Shot. On a portion of the wagons and cattle crossing the river. There is trouble. A man rides his horse up the embankment and out of the scene. Scene 245 Exterior. River. Medium Shot. On Ethel Wales at the wagon. Lois Wilson (her daughter) walks in, weary and wan, already much worn with the last day's trip. Ogle and the men get out of the wagon and fasten the rear end. A man rides in with horses dripping and tells Ogle he is wanted. Ogle hurries out, per- haps mounting his horse at one side. Scene 246 Exterior. River. Fairly Close Shot. On accident near middle of stream with a general mixup. Scene 247 Exterior. River. Medium Shot. On Miss Wilson and Ethel Wales as one or two of the wag- i JAMES CRUZE, DIRECTOR OF "OLD IRONSIDES", PRESENTS A SILVER MEDAL AFTER THE FILMING OF "THE COVERED WAGON". ons nearby start to move. A messenger rides through, starting that part of the caravan. Miss Wilson and Ethel Wales move toward their wagon. Scene 248 Exterior. River. Long Shot. Across toward accident, as Ogle is seen swimming his horse out that way. Scene 249 Exterior. River. Medium Shot. Where the train turns to one side to ford the river. Wagons keep on going across as before, among them the Ogle wagon with Miss Wilson and her mother in the seat. Scene 250 Exterior. River. Fairly Close Shot. Of the accident. Scene 251 Exterior. River. Long Shot. At slightly different angle than scene before last, as the Ogle wagon is seen already in the stream and making for the other side with the other wagons and stock. FADE OUT. Scene 252 Exterior. River. Long Shot. Fade In. On the wagons coming toward camera, (the camera now being on the opposite side of the river from where shown previously). Cattle, etc., in the mass, but it should be plainly shown that the last of the caravan has left the other side. Ogle wagon, Miss Wilson driving, is well toward the bank on this side. Scene 253 Exterior. River. Closer Shot. On Ogle wagon with the mules in deep and the water up to the wagon box. Miss Wilson and her mother appear to have been through danger in crossing. Scene 254 Exterior. River. Long Shot. As the wagons keeps coming to- ward the camera. The Ogle wag- on is coming closer to camera as we FADE OUT. You will note that at the begin- ning of the sequence there is a fade-in. If yem have no fade-in device on your camera, a foot or two of black film will answer the purpose — film which has not been exposed but which has been fin- ished at the laboratory. Fre- quently you will find several feet at the beginning and end of your roll of film when it is returned to you. The first scenes in nearly all sequences is usually a long shot. This is partly in order to establish the surroundings before jumping to the medium shots and close- ups. Thus, scene 240 shows a general view of the river, the people who participate in the ac- tion and the location as a whole. In scene 241 we jump to a medi- um shot and in 242 to a close-up. That, originally, is the order in which motion pictures should run — long shot, medium shot, close-up, and then working back. Of course no motion picture fol- lows this order entirely. The ar- ranging of the scene angles and distances depends entirely upon one's action. But if one is able to follow that order without losing dramatic suspense, one's picture will have a better sense of bal- ance. TOMORROWS HAPPY HOME The Lady Who Wanted to Uplift the World was very much pleased. For here at last was a means of keeping the family all at home together every night. One can get all the kick of going to the movies without the effort of travelling down town, and can have lemonade out of one's own icebox at intermission. Aunt Elizabeth can come in and give the preliminarv news reel by word of mouth, and Sister Maybelle can see Dickie Barthelmess in her own parlor, on a film that has been reduced to fit the family projector. Moreover, she and the boy friend can sit on the sofa in the dark while Father is too busv run- ning the projector to notice whether all her attention is fixed on Dickie. — Kathleen Halladav in The Boston Post. "THE CALIPH AT HOME" "Other times, other manners. And, one might add — other cos- tumes. Nowhere was this more apparent than at the last Bo- hemian Club encampment. Ten years ago everybody was running around camp with cameras. This year the grove was full of motion picture machines. Even Harry Howland had the amateur motion picture bug. Surely we leap from one wonder-fad to another these days." — Charles Caldwell Dobie in the San Francisco Bulletin. Twenty-three Colored Home Movies By Radio? UP in Hartford, Connecticut, there is an inventor who has achieved world-wide recognition through his knowl- edge of noise and silence. His uncle, also an inventor, de- veloped the most powerful of all explosives for armour piercing projectiles. His father invented a gun which can fire six hundred shots per minute. The third member of this paradoxical family, Hiram Percy Maxim, in- ventor of the Maxim silencer, who is called "Daddy" by nine- teen thousand amateur radio telegraphers throughout the world, who organized the first aero club of America, is now the pioneer in forming an Amateur Cinema League. Someone has said that we are responsible for our own actions, but that we cannot foresee the reactions. The Maxim family is a family of action and the re- actions which have followed their inventions and their vision continue to add fame to the name. Every night while most of us are asleep thousands of ears are listening for radio messages from all parts of the world and in the early hours of the morning many messages end with these letters : 'G N O M." It is not unusual for amateur radio operators in Aus- tralia or Africa to send messages or exchange messages with Mr. Maxim at night. They have a world-wide brotherhood and they always end their messages by these letters, which stand for "Good Night, Old Man." Today professional radio owes much to these amateurs and it was largely through the genius of Hiram Percy Maxim that they organized a number of years ago the American Radio Relay League. About two years ago Mr. Maxim was photographing sound waves in his laboratory, and be- came interested in amateur cinematography. From his labor- atory, he began to take pictures T w e n t y - f o u r B3) Dorotky Rowden of his family and friends in ac- tion. Here he conceived the idea of forming an international or- ganization of men and women who are interested in making their own motion pictures. He made inquiries in Hartford and found that in that city alone there were fifty other "movie makers." They held a meeting at his home and there the Ama- teur Cinema League was first projected. Recently, at a luncheon in New York City, the national organization was launched. Let- ters were read from an amazing group of prominent men and women, professionals, if you please, and experts in their own field, who are, however, amateur motion picture directors, stage managers, actresses and actors. "You are going to see the day when radio-transmitted colored motion pictures will be shown not only in theatres, but in your own homes. When that day will come, cannot be said, but it was predicted to me by a man upon whose judgment in such matters I put faith." This, however, is but one vis- ion which Mr. Maxim had in re- gard to amateur cinematography. Mr. Maxim believes that the day is not far distant when ama- teur movie makers will be ex- changing films with the same great ease and enjoyment as the amateur radio operator now com- municates with his distant friends. "I talk very frequently with my radio acquaintances in Eu- rope and Australia, and I cer- tainly should like to see the kind of film which amateur movie makers are taking in those parts of the world. I should like to see the film of an amateur in the South Sea Islands. (Doubtless there are other Americans who would like to see such films). I am equally sure that he would like to see my film 'This Little Connecticut of Ours.' " While the energies of Mr. Maxim's father and uncle were Tete Miss Elsie Janis was ACTUALLY SMILING AT HER MOTHER, AND devoted to making noises those of Hiram Percy have been turned principally to eliminating them. His principal mission in life might be termed his inde- fatigable efforts to make the world safe for sensitive ears. There may be a reason. Per- haps he got tired of the con- stant noises about his home dur- ing his youth. At any rate he certainly had plenty of noise with which to experiment in working out his .silencing de- vices. Mr. Maxim would probably be the last to attach any bombastic importance to his inventions. Given his genius for things me- chanical, they are of course log- ical developments of his natural interests. Born in Brooklyn 57 years ago he developed, early in life, a flair for studying the phenomenon of sound. He spe- cialized in acoustics at the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology, from which he was graduated in 1886, the youngest student in his class. He will tell you that the principle of his silencers is all very simple. Noise he de- scribes as being the result of any material substance moving through the air in excess of the velocity of sound. This "sub- stance" of course applies to ex- hausting gases from engines, as well as from the muzzles of fire- \ arms, etc. His problem, there- fore, was to devise some means of holding back these "sub- stances" at the proper moment to prevent their carrying their dis- turbances into the open air, a Tete Mme. Amelita Galli-Curci was filming Homer Samuels, — her husband. where they annoy human ears. The silencing device holds them in prison, so to speak, until they are fit for liberty; that is. until they have lost their ability to disturb the free air "beyond the velocity of sound." That is the principle. Of course it is not all so simple as that. But if the rest were told, there would be no use for his patents. Mr. Maxim has the character- istic curiosity for scientific in- formation. Although his rather unruly hair is turning white, the flame in his piercing eyes has not abated one iota. He has the in- satiable appetite of a youth when it comes to learning about new things, new inventions, new ways of doing things. In ordinary conversation his manner is as eager as that of a boy with his first sled. He hangs his nose glasses over his right ear until something requires close ocular scrutiny, and then his hand reaches for his spectacles as automatically as if it moved by electricity. This is the man who has un- dertaken the leadership of the Amateur Cinema League and who will devote to it the same energy and enthusiasm that he gave to the American Radio Re- lay League. The Amateur Cin- ema League starts its career with Mr. Maxim's background of ex- perience and his unquestioned amateur standing. SWAPS Our Amateur Film Exchange AMATEUR FILMS AVAILABLE FOR EXCHANGE One of the chief functions of the Amateur Cinema League is to establish a safe and workable amateur film exchange. This will not be undertaken until a procedure has been worked in such a fashion as to insure absolutely safe transportation and return of valuable films. The League desires to have a list of films which their owners are willing to exchange under condi- tions of absolute safety. Will you not send such a list to the editor of AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS as soon as possible? Below are listed a and their owners : few films NAME: Hiram Percy Maxim. ADDRESS : Capitol Bldg., Hart- ford, Conn. Fishing Trip — A canoe trip through the Moose River Country from Jackman, Me., 800 ft., two reels. Development of An Old Farm- house Into a Country Home — A record of the development of an old farm house in Lyme, Conn. 400 ft., one reel. Field Day, 1925. at Dobbs— Field day at The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, N. Y. 400 ft.. one reel. European Trip — The record of a trip to Paris and London, 1925. 1200 ft., three reels. Winter in Connecticut — A series of winter scenes in various parts of Connecticut. 400 ft., one reel. "Mag the Hag" — A play by three Dobbs Girls. Taken early in history of amateur cinematog- raphy and a verv funny ex- ample of early attempts at am- ateur photo plays. 400 ft., one reel. Log of the "Sea Gull"- — A motor boating picture, with scenes at start of Bermuda Race, Harvard-Yale boat races, around New London and Long Island Sound. 800 ft., two reels. Summer in Connecticut — A series of scenes in various parts of Connecticut in summer. 400 ft., one reel. NAME : W. R. C. Corson. ADDRESS: 127 Oxford St., Hartford, Conn. Trip to Bermuda — Shows scenes on ship and on island including St. George, Hamilton, Sea Gar- dens, beaches, etc. 350 ft., one reel. Through Holland by Motor Boat — Shows canals, rivers, bridges and people and such places as Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Middle- burg. Delft, The Hague. Lez- den, Alkmaar and Amsterdam. 1200 ft., three reels. Auto Trip in France — Shows Paris, the Cevenne Mountain region to Carcassonne and the Pyrenees region to Paw and return to Paris via Bordeaux. 1200 ft., three reels. Twenty-five What Makes a Film Interesting? B$M anon D.K err ONE of the shocks of my young life came when I ' put together recently eight hundred feet of film. It recorded an automobile tour through six states which had been very interesting and enjoyable. And yet when this film was pro- jected it was found to be thor- oughly uninteresting. I have shown it several times to various kinds of people and it uniformly fails to arouse anything more than polite remarks. It was such a great disappoint- ment that I fell to analyzing the film in detail, in the hopes that I might locate where the weakness lay. I wanted to avoid such things in the future, since film costs money and one is always in need of interesting pictures. Some one suggested that it was lack of continuity that was my trouble. I considered this for some time, and then I was forced to discount it, because there was a very real continuity. As we progressed in our automobile tour through various states and showed the scenes in each and es- pecially as we compared the roads and road signs in the states, there was distinctly that thing we term "continuity." Then somebody said it was lack of people, and that pictures in order to be interesting must show people. Mine had shown places. After giving this careful consideration I was also forced to discount this, because my best film, one which never fails to evoke enthusiastic admiration, is almost wholly of places and al- most nothing of people. Then somebody else said that the film lacked a "compelling idea." I am not quite certain that I know a "compelling idea" when I see one, and anyway I have no confidence in my ability to find a compelling idea for every film I make. I know I have made several interesting films, and I seriously question whether they have compelling ideas. Twenty-six One thing I do know, and that is that most of this film was over- exposed and in consequence al- most none of the pictures are sharp and snappy photographs. Instead, they are soft and in- clined toward the grey and hazy. This in itself is enough to dampen enthusiasm. No matter how in- teresting an action may be, if it is dim and grey it is not inspiring. Another thing I noticed was that I had taken a great many scenes in which there was little or no motion or action. In the cases of those in which there was ac- tion, I noticed more interest was manifested by my audience. Still another thing I noticed in studying the reason for the lack of interest in the picture was the unfortunate selection of views that somehow I had been led to make. I recall passing many real picture opportunities which I let go, because it is so hard to stop a smoothly running car and go back and take a picture. When I did shoot a scene it was not fre- quently enough an interesting one. For example, I found my- self taking ordinary street scenes in various towns, just because they showed these towns. All towns look very much alike as far as street scenes are concerned, I, therefore, came to the con- clusion that the reason that this particular eight hundred feet of film was uninteresting was be- cause I had taken too many scenes that did not inherently APPEAL. My appeal was lost for various reasons. One was because I had bought a new camera and not be- ing familiar with it, I had used too large stops and overexposed. I had several beautiful views of which, if I had gotten a bright snappy picture, I would have ap- pealed to anyone's sense of the beautiful. I lost several of these around Princeton University, for example. I had some wonderful possibilities there, but I lost them all because of overexposure. I had simply a series of leaden grey pictures, which by stretching the imagination one might have dis- cerned were beautiful in the orig- inal. I have in mind another sort of scene. It consisted of a little girl, a dog and a puppy. The little puppy gambols about the little girl and plays awkwardly with the lat- ter. The picture is only fair, be- ing overexposed, but every time it flashes on the screen there is a murmur from the audience and remarks such as — "Isn't that too cunning. If all the film were of scenes like this, overexposed or not, the film would probably have a dif- ferent reputation. And yet, what is there about an ordinary puppy jumping about that is interesting? There is something interesting, however, and I call it "appeal." The clumsy, enthusiastic, silly ac- tions of a little puppy dog appeals to us and we say it is interesting. On the other hand, gasoline fill- ing stations, ferry houses, and street scenes, that are ordinary, do not appeal. Continuity, of course, must ex- ist in some form, but continuity is almost always present in spite • of us. Beauty exists in many of them, extraordinary beauty in some, good cinematography in all, but only that thread of continuity suggested by the title. So I say, continuity is not the whole thing. One thing is always of absorb- ing interest, regardless of con- tinuitv. cinematography, steadi- ness, illumination, or anything else. It is pictures of the people in the audience. Thev will look at them over and over again, 'hour on end, sitting bolt upright in their chairs with their eyes glistening. There need be no special action. Just the normal motions of ordinary life are enough to set an audience into spasms, if the pictures are of themselves. (continued on page 29) HOLLYWOOD Films Its Children By Myrtle Gebhart THE big stars of Holly- wood are busy making films of their kiddies. Yearly records of the tots are made as they grow up, and are kept in the family movie al- bum. Some day, doubtless, some of these children will be famous themselves, and we may then be allowed a glimpse of these "secret" films. Toward the future I turn an ear and methinks I hear the fol- lowing dialogue, occurring about the year 1940, the scene being the magnificent projection salon in the sumptuous home of the Harold Lloyds : "We-11." father Harold, grown plump with prosperity and may- hap a little bald, yawns and re- marks, "we've just seen the latest Famous-Goldmayer Super-Spe- cial-Extra-Jewel $10,000,000 pro- duction. The programme's over, the announcer says. Let's put on one of the films we took of you, Gloria, when you were a tiny tot." "Oh, dad. don't," Gloria ex- claims in irritation. "The notions fathers get these days. That antique thing ! Why, there's one you made when I was only six months old . . . and, dad, I didn't have very much on. Be- sides, mother's clothes look so dowdy. All the hair the women had then — they called it 'bobbed,' didn't they, mother? It must have been a lot of bother. So much nicer." Gloria purrs, "to merely brush back our ultra- short-cuts the way we do now with a slap-bang." Against Gloria's objection, however, father Harold presses a button. With the scenes that now flash on the screen before them there are no words, such as ac- companied the motion picture of a moment before, broadcast from a central projecting station into thousands of homes, its dialogue synchronized to the action so ex- pertly that the voices emanated perfectly cadenced, from the lips of the shadow actors. No, this poor little reel is a memory-glance bringing vividly back before them the life of 1926 ... a film record of Mildred Gloria Lloyd's babyhood. I'll wager this very scheme will occur, with many duplicates in many homes of former movie ac- tors— probably producers or busi- ness magnates of the mammoth motion picture industry or else retired from active work, living luxuriously upon vast estates — in 1940 or thereabouts. Or perhaps a loved little one will be gone and the film of her babyhood will keep her not only enshrined in their hearts, but there at will, in her shadowed reflection, before their eyes. For the majority of the actors who are parents are keeping a film record of their young ones' childhood, of their games and studies, their growth from year to year. I wonder how the kiddies will like it? It would be interesting, I'll admit, to see chubby, cotton- haired me toddling around on plump little legs. Still. I don't know. Some of these baby- pictures I'm not keen about dis- playing. And I've noticed strong men of the movies blush ner- vously when proud mothers would insist upon showing the interviewer how Thomas looked as an infant wrapped in a dimple and .... well, very little else. I believe the idea, over which Hollywood's parents are so en- thusiastic now, isn't going to prove a great hit when the baby actors are grown up and these childhood celluloids are flashed on the screen. For the present, however, the kiddies are having great fun playing in home movies - under the direction of their actor-par- ents, and in making their own little films with the vest-pocket sized cameras given them to im- print for future reference their youthful activities. The children of Hollywood don't have to set "outposts" to watch for intruding parents while they indulge in their favorite game. No cry of "Jiggers, dad's coming be quiet!" stops their ex- citement. For they have been given as their toy the machine which has put Hollywood on the map with a blaring of trumpets, and which earns their fathers' livelihood : the camera. These family productions are simply made, without the mani- fold hubbub of a studio, the aud- ience consisting of neighborhood children, who assemble to watch the proceedings and make re- marks, sometimes flattering, again derisive. (Over) Bob Talmadge Keaton Courtesy of the Boston Sunday Post. Twenty -seven Indeed, the children of H. B. Warner once complained that they had acted all afternoon "wifout any aujence". To which their father who once knew lean seasons, replied: "so has your old man, many a time." As the Beerys live on a 35- acre ranch, about 45 minutes drive from Hollywood, the kids have a wide range for "location." Mostly they do Westerns, though sometimes they tog up grandly and film a smart society drahma — with a tall accent on the "h" ; very grandiloquent gestures, sweeping bows and much chest heaving. Of course, there's always a hero and a villian. Usually, be- cause "Pidge" and his pals, at their present ages, can't see much reason for the existence of the feminine sex — except mothers — one of the boys has to dress as a girl. It is then only that tem- perament threatens to disrupt the infantile organization. "Pidge" has the director's greatest asset, however, tact: a bribe invariably works — the promise that the heroine, in this one, in return for "cryin' and lookin' silly," may be a bad Injun in the next one scheduled. Really, I hardly believe that Jack Holt — also a junior, but "Tim" to his friends — belongs in this group of "amateur ac- tors." Having outgrown such childish cavortings, he is a real actor now. As he imitates his father in wheedling for Western toggery and begs himself into being taken along on location, the director of "Forlorn River," for Paramount, needing a little boy in the picture, decided the only way to keep the ever-present Timmy from asking so many questions was to give him a job. So the youngster receives a sala- ry and will appear in the com- pleted film. Not so, Suzanne Vidor, daugh- ter of Florence, who lives next door to Timmy and who hasn't yet "graduated." Suzanne is a very correct little lady who likes social affairs. The two children often make films together, though Timmy scorns the teas without Twenty-eight Courtesy of the Boston Sunday Post. JACK HOLT, JR., AND SUZANNE VIDOR. which no Suzanne Vidor pro- duction is complete. In fact, they're multiplying. "It's a real nice little story you thought up by yourself," Timmy commented when "called" for her last back- yard movie just before he ac- companied his dad on location. "But gosh sakes, why you hafta have two teas in it? One's more'n enough. I'm not one of those tea-cup actors." If you had ever seen that grave little smile which lights up Suzanne's eyes and flickers across her cherubic face, how- ever, you would not blame Tim- my for having "fallen" to the lure of an ingenue-vamp. Rid- icule it though he did, he posed with the tea cups and the dainty sandwiches. (Incidentally, I was strictly or- dered not to make any "romance yarn" out of this. And inas- much as the heroine of the duo but rarely gives the hero a shy smile — only when she wants him to play a gentleman-actor — but instead mostly reprimands him se- verely and reminds him to wash his hands and his ears and to be careful of his manners, I fear there is no material here for one who would write an embryonic love-tale. ) Jean Hersholt — yes, another Junior — who is 11 and attends a military academy, has decided that his profession will be act- ing, but with a veto of the dis- agreeable villain roles that his father enacts so expertly. In fact, though Jean is proud of his dad as a man and father, he's a bit squeamish when he takes the other kids to see Jean, Sr., on the screen. It is an embarrassing situation, friends. The regular thing, you know, is to hiss the villain. But when the villain is your pal's pop — and paying for your tick- ets besides — a feller feels under a sort of handicap, if you get what I mean. So Jean, Jr., wishes his dad would be a hero, like he will be himself when he grows up. Two William Juniors Another major in the making is William Seiter — and dear me, yes, another Junior — 15 -year-old son of the director. His pal, both at military school and dur- ing vacations, as their homes ad- join, is still another Junior, Will Rogers. Many a movie have the two boys made on the tanbark arena of the Rogers place, which spreads over a hill so generously that anyone but the simple Will (Sr.) would call it an estate. The Seiter youngster has decided to be a director like his father for two very special reasons ; he could wear white knickers and shout through a megaphone. To Joe Talmadge Keaton and Bob Talmadge Keaton, sons of Buster, the film record which their dad insists upon keeping of their playtimes is an annoyance to be endured patiently as just another of those queer whims which fathers get. Joe Wants to Be a "Cop" Joe, 4, has selected his pro- fession ; he is going to be a policeman. Bob, 2, hasn't as yet voiced his choice, but his penchant for hunting bugs indi- cates that he will become an en- tomologist. Whenever his mother and nurse give him a moments peace alone on the lawn he man- ages to collect an alarming array. The Keaton kiddies' constant companion is "Trotsky," a huge Irish stag hound, gentle with the children, allowing them to maul him to their hearts' content, but furiously dispositioned toward strangers who attempt famili- arities. Joe had a grand idea recently. He thought, if he had to go through with this movie busi- ness at home, he might as well have plenty of company to share his trials. He's no actor to "hog the camera." So he proposed to Uncle Joe Schenck a picture with Daddy Buster, Aunt Norma JOHN HENRY SEITER, JR., AND WILL ROGERS, JR., IN A HOME MOVIE HOLD-UP. and Aunt Constance, himself and his brother and "Trotsky" in the cast, with mother directing and nurse as camera-lady. "Grandma Peg" Talmadge sec- onded his motion like a good "yes-lady," but expressed a doubt that "Trotsky" would con- sent to co-star with any one, particularly inexperienced ac- tresses like Norma and Con- stance, who never have a camera following them around the house at all and therefore really can know little about the art. Anyway, the kiddies of Holly- wood enjoy more or less play- acting for the camera at home and "rolling their own," and their parents get great fun out of projecting these little home- made movies for their friends' amusement. And who can say which of these tiny tots may be the famous actors, the beloved personalities, of the screen's future ? WHAT MAKES A FILM INTERESTING (concluded from page 26) If anyone has any definite ideas or what makes an amateur picture interesting or uninteresting, it would be a very helpful thing if they would discuss the matter in these pages and give the rest of us the benefit of their views. AMATEUR TITLES Have you read page 17? In The Clinic you will find a feature which, in the interest of the Amateur Cinema League, we are most anxious to develop. It is our Title Department. Sub- titles can now be purchased. We want to make it possible for Ama- teur Movie Makers to supply them to its readers. Will you help by sending to the editor some of your best sub-titles? Twenty -nine "LOVE BY PROXY" (concluded from page 11) ups were taken of the drive wheels of the locomotive to in- dicate inexorable power and fate- ful separation of lovers. Scenes were even taken of the leading man — emotion written with am- ateurish exaggeration on his face — trying to eat his lunch in a diner, with the blurry landscape dashing past the train window. Creditable attempts were made at all the tricks of the profes- sionals, and although some am- ateurisms were inevitable, the final result, — a piece of pioneer work in cinematography — was tremendously interesting locally and to demonstrate universally what the possibilities are in am- ateur motion picture art. The Motion Picture Club of The Oranges is already eager to try another production. They are already discussing seriously a project to make their home- made films an intermittent feat- ure in the local professional mo- tion picture theatres. Several photoplay managers in the vicin- ity of The Oranges already have applied for permission to show "Love By Proxy" in their thea- tres. They want to make local talent films a part of their feat- ure programs. While developing plans for the "next production", the club is now holding weekly "business meetings" which are conducted with all the earnestness and self- conscious dignity of an ambi- tious society. The Motion Picture Club of The Oranges may be the fore- runner of a nationwide group of amateur clubs devoted to the study, development and encour- agement of amateur, and, per- haps professional, motion pic- tures. POLICE PHOTOGRAPHS The Amateur Turns a Penny (continued from page 19) immaculate whiteness as deft de- liverers dart into side yards and up stairways. The picture closes with a little breakfast scene — a happy father, mother, babe, — and, a bottle of milk on the table. Thirty WILL PHOTO PHILADELPHIA COPS, WHE.N THEY'RE. OUGHT NWPIH6 -Ne\»K ITEM CARTOON FROM THE NEW YORK WORLD, COURTESY OF MR. JOHNSTONE. Baby reaches for a second help- ing and the picture fades out with a close-up of baby — a great smil- ing sunbeam of American child- hood— You just simply cannot forget that brand. You're sold. You may advertise and select words with the ring of a bell — but, there is no message carrying vehicle that can compete with that which the eye sees. The cine-camera and the pro- jector is the sequel to a well de- fined adage — "Seeing is believ- ing." Athletics and Sports — In ath- letics and sports the amateur cine- camera has of late proved even of greater value than the element of continuous oral review of a popular event or meet. Today the slow motion picture places the coach or trainer at greater ad- vantage in being able to point out to each participant his short- comings— or affords the compari- son of professional technique or action to the semi-professional or amateur. So vast has been this appeal that a visitor to almost any location of golf, tennis, baseball or football, will witness innum- erable amateur cinematographers "shooting" their friends in action. How really effective this form of self-education actually is may best be understood by mention- ing here the experience of a pub- lic speaker. For many years he had unconsciously cultivated a most unbecoming gesture. Close friends endeavored to point out (continued on next page) MOOSE Ahead -CAM ERA! Bj) C. E. Skinner MOOSE trails along the lakes and creeks on the Hudson Bay slope are as plentiful as the paths in a well-used cow pasture. But the moose, exceedingly wary, is difficult to approach. For ten long days Pete and I had been paddling many miles a day, mak- ing settings of flashlight cameras in the hope of snapping a bear, a wolf, or a moose. I always carried with me my little cinema. I was ready to go into action at an instant's notice. We were ascending a creek which required three or four miles paddling for everly mile as the crow flies. The creek me- andered through an alder swamp and probably had not been vis- ited by men for a year. Moose trails were everywhere. Every- thing was still except for the oc- casional noise we made poling the canoe through alders which over- hung the stream and which could not be avoided. Suddenly Pete whispered that moose were in the water above us. He had seen a few hairs floating on the surface. It was quite certain, however, that we must round several bends in the creek before there would be any possibility of seeing him. The sun was getting low and many questions arose in my mind. Could we approach without mak- ing noise? Would a turn of the wind give a hint of our presence, as had happened several times before, so that we would find only a muddy creek ? Would the light be right or would a turn bring us directly into the sun? Or would the moose be in such heavy shadow as to make a picture nearly impossible? I had instructed Pete that if a moose were sighted, he was to get the canoe moving in the pro- per direction and then cease paddling so as not to spoil the picture by the motion of the canoe. We proceeded with increased caution and finally on rounding a bend saw a cow moose in the water — about twenty-five yards away. Only her head and shoul- ders were visible. The fading light was in the right direction — and the stage was set as if by prearrangement. Instantly the camera was in action. The moose, perceiving the canoe rounding the bend, gave one surprised look and made for the bank which rose six or eight feet above the water. She had difficulty in climbing out at a point which could not have been better selected for my pur- pose. After reaching the bank she gave a leap, stood broadside for a few seconds and then dis- appeared in the brush. Meantime, Pete had been say- ing "The calf is on the right — the calf is on the right," and as soon as the cow disappeared I swung round and found the calf strug- gling to get up the bank. Unfor- tunately in this case it was di- rectly into the light. Neverthe- less I located it in the finder and kept the camera going until he also disappeared into the brush. I had been through the Sub- marine Zone and had turned out for air raids. Most of Pete's life had been spent in the north woods and he had been over the top many times in his three years in France. But this was a new kind of thrill for both of us ! We were as excited and as pleased as two school boys after a raid on a melon patch. We had been successful in the most difficult of all hunting— where all the conditions for shoot- ing must be present as well as many others, such as direction of light, background for the picture, time enough to get action on the screen and proximity to get a reasonably large picture. Now I. can bring back the scene at will both for myself and my friends. If you don't believe such hunt- ing is both difficult and exciting, try it for yourself. The Amateur Turns a Penny (concluded from page 30) to him the counter effect his ill- adapted gesture created, but to no avail. Then, one afternoon as he was delivering an address at a political ceremony, a friend in the audience "shot" him, and later projected the picture at a house party, and there, on the screen, the much discussed gesture be- came prominent in its repitition. The result was immediate and permanent. The consciousness of seeing himself as others saw him did more than the combined ef- forts of his many friends. In tlie Home — It is needless to dwell upon the uses of the cine- camera and projector in the home. The historical recording of its members — the filing of animated records of our loved ones — our guests and pleasant moments — our travels in foreign lands — are all pleasurable and important — and yet, through the experiences of others we come upon unique practices which open still newer avenues of entertainment and pleasure. For illustration — there was a father and mother whose only child — a daughter — married and moved to another city. Their lives had been very close and the distance between them was keen- ly felt. However, through the cine-camera distance faded away completely. Both families pur- chased cameras and projectors and hundred foot films were "shot" at regular intervals. An exchange of the films taken at both homes has created a close- ness of an almost side by side living. The cine-camera and projec- tor is fast becoming an essential utility in the average home of in- telligence and in more ways than one — the element of pleasure and entertainment are secondary to the actual value in the more seri- ous things which no other form of communication can possibly produce. T h i r t y - o n e A MAECENAS for the Monies By Roy Walter Winton THE seven arts of tradition, although they may have sprung from the soil or — if you prefer the romantic viewpoint — may have descended from Olympus, did not attain respecta- bility unaided. Patrons, supporters, protectors, defenders of the faith have guided — and sometimes pushed — each of them into places of honor. In- dividuals have been succeeded by societies and foundations but patronage remains and creativity is given its bread and its tools while it experiments with beauty. The eighth art of the photoplay is the hardi- est of them all. It was born in a nickelodeon and spent its childhood almost literally on the streets, moving from one temporarily vacant building to another, with too little in its purse to be given a lease, and driven from its make-shift stages and odorous auditoriums by the needs of commerce. It has come to its amazing adolescence owing no debts to protectors and forced to obey none of the conventions of polite society. What measure of dignity it has reached has been achieved through standards which it has created for itself out of experience, condemnation and the lack of charity of the cultivated world. The soil from which the photoplay sprang was mostly asphalt and the Olympians added no romance, yet a new art came into the world. It has earned its own bread and made its own tools and its experiments with beauty have been limited by a stern practicality. Unless a new idea could pay its way it had to be abandoned. The photoplay merits a sportsmanlike fair- ness of viewpoint from the intelligent. It has made its way unaided into the life of the public as no art has done. An objectively critical examination will show that it is, in all honesty, an art; that it does express beauty through a new medium, which is the essential thing to give it that title. The beauty it expresses may very likely be naive and may lack the subtlety that appeals to a nicely discriminating taste, but the photoplay is past the doubtful period of pseudo art and is an authentic and established means of externalizing concepts of beauty. Patrons have not only made it possible for the accepted seven arts to be busied with creation; they have also helped in setting artistic standards. They have brought a controlling taste to frequently rebellious creators and the older arts have reached their present place by the combined efforts of artist, patron and public. The photoplay lacks the conservative influence of the patron and is an affair of artist and public alone. This has emanci- pated the photoplay from the restraint of patron- Thirty-two age, a restraint that artists have always resented but which has kept the broad stream of their ex- pression from a licentious independence and has subjected them to the discipline of conservatism and to the standards of a taste not wholly deter- mined by artist and public. The full development of any art requires enthusiastic creation, public ap- proval and critical appreciation. Patrons have been the most effective critics and have brought an under- standing^ objective viewpoint to all art. There seems to be small likelihood that the photoplay will acquire patrons who will serve it as they have served other arts. Patrons acquire a place chiefly because of a very practical and material contribution to artists who require aid. Their in- fluence upon the development of any art comes only after they have, by a generous support in time of need, won the right to make themselves effective in moulding creative effort. The photoplay has es- tablished first hand relations with the public and has no need of subsidies. It has been profitable as no other art has been. It can snap its fingers at conservatism and ignore all standards but its own. It is the most liberated art of all. However free the photoplay may be and how- ever direct the contact between artist and public, it stands in need of that influence which patronage has brought to the other arts, the influence of re- strained and cultivated taste and of standards which are more complex and more exacting than those of the general public. The photoplay must, if it develops into a great art, have a criticism of understanding and a criticism of appreciation di- vorced from craftsmanship. The art of the cinema, failing a disciplining patronage, must look to its amateurs who are both artists and patrons. The amateur brings the under- standing of the artist without the artist's urge of bread- winning; he brings the detachment of the patron without the patron's direct power of dis- cipline. From the amateur photoplay maker can come a broad standard for this art, a standard not necessarily "high brow" and not inevitably puerile, but a standard brought into being, as all worth- while standards are, by a non-professional, on the one hand, and on the other, something more than a casual interest in the thing evaluated. The Amateur Cinema League hopes to aid in the development of photoplay amateurs because it believes that a new and great art has need of them. The amateur can become the Twentieth Century patron. The Maecenas of the Movies will come from the non-professional experimentalists of the Little Cinema. RULES OF THE GAME Official Constitution and By-Laws of the Amateur Cinema League Article I — Name The name of this organization is Amateur Cinema League. Article II — Purposes The purposes of the Amateur Cinema League shall be the increase of pleasure to amateur cinematographers by aiding them to originate and produce amateur motion pictures; the advancement of amateur motion picture photography and the promotion of interest therein; the organization of clubs of amateur cinematographers; the publication of a periodical to provide information about amateur cinematography and to provide entertainment for the members of the League; the mutual exchange, for temporary showing, of films made by amateurs through- out the world; the stimulation in production of com- munity photoplays to be written by members, directed by members and acted by members as amateur enter- prises; the representation of amateur cinematographers in legislative affairs; the maintenance of fraternalism and a high standard of conduct among its members; and the promotion of other cognate interests. Article III — Divisions The Amateur Cinema League may establish divisions to carry out its purposes and the Board of Governors shall have power to establish such divisions. Article IV — Meetings Meetings shall be held as directed in the By-Laws. Article V — Amendments This Constitution may be amended at any time by a vote of a majority of all the members present at any meeting of the Amateur Cinema League, the call for which shall have specified the proposed amendment. No amendment shall be included in the call for the meeting unless proposed by at least ten members. By-Laws Article I — Membership Any person interested in amateur motion pictures shall be eligible for membership in the Amateur Cinema League. Applications for membership shall be submitted to the Executive Committee and a majority vote of this committee shall elect to membership. The Committee may refuse to elect any applicant who in their opinion would be an undesirable mem- ber, provided that any applicant who is refused membership may have his (or her) case reviewed by the Board of Gov- ernors, upon the recommendation of a minority of the Executive Committee. The Board of Governors may, in its discretion, reverse the action of the Executive Committee. The Board of Governors, on recommendation from the Executive Committee, may elect persons who have rendered service to the League honorary members for life, such elections not to exceed fifty from any state. The members of the League of all classes shall be entitled to the regular publications of the League. Any member may resign his (or her) membership by a written communication to the Managing Director and, if all his (or her) dues and other indebtedness have been paid, his (or her) resignation shall be accepted. Upon the written request of ten or more members that, for cause therein stated, a member of the League be expelled, the Board of Governors shall consider the matter and, if there appears to be sufficient reason, shall advise the accused of the charges against him (or her). He (or she) shall then have the right to present a written defense and to appear in person before a meeting of the Board of Governors, or their authorized representatives, of which meeting he (or she) shall receive notice at least thirty days in advance. Not later than their next meeting thereafter, the Board of Governors shall consider the case and if, in the opinion of two-thirds of the members present, a satisfactory proof of his (or her) undesirability has been established and the accused member has not, in the meantime, tendered his (or her) resignation, he (or she) shall be expelled. The Managing Director shall notify members of the expira- tion of their memberships not less than thirty days in advance thereof. Members in arrears shall be carried on the League records for ninety days, but if they have not renewed their membership by that date they shall be dropped. The classes of membership and the dues shall be as follows: Member of the Amateur Cinema League: $5 a year. Sustaining member: $50 a year. Life member: $100 in one payment. Founder member: $1,000 in one payment, if paid on or be- fore August 12, 1927. Honorary life member: No dues. All members joining prior to the first annual meeting shall be designated as charter members. No person not a member of the League shall be eligible to hold any office or appointment in the League. This shall not apply to paid employees salaried at less than $2,400 a year or to persons employed by the League on a temporary or commis- sion basis. Article II — Management The business and affairs of the League shall be managed by a board of twenty-three governors, upon which shall be included the President and the Managing Director, all of whom shall be members of the League. The temporary Board of Directors that managed the League during its organization shall be known as the Board of Pioneer Directors, and members of this Board of Pioneer Directors shall retain, during the entire time of their membership in the League, the honorary title of Pioneer Director and shall be entitled to sit, without vote, at any meeting of future Boards of Governors. The Board of Governors shall be made up of one person from each of the twelve Federal Reserve Districts of the United States, one from the Dominion of Canada and eight persons chosen at large from the countries of the world, together with the President and Managing Director, the last two of these serving on the Board of Governors, ex-officio. At the first annual meeting the League shall elect thirteen governors, to be chosen as heretofore provided, and the Board of Pioneer Directors shall elect eight governors at large. These twenty-one governors shall, at their first meeting after their elec- tion divide themselves into three classes of seven each, the first class to serve for one, the second class to serve for two and the third class to serve for three years respectively. At each annual meeting thereafter, the League and the Board shall elect seven governors, those chosen territorially to be elected by the League and those chosen at large to be elected by the Board subject to the territorial limitations heretofore provided, who shall serve for terms of three years each. T h ty-three Sixty days prior to the annual meeting the President shall invite each member of the League in good standing to send nominations for the governors to be elected by the League at the meeting and shall send, with such invitations, a list of the present Board, indicating those whose terms of office are about to expire. The Managing Director shall prepare a ballot con- taining the names of persons thus nominated within thirty days by at least ten members of the League and shall present this ballot at the annual meeting. In the event of failure to receive such nominations, the Board shall have power to fill the vacancies. The Board of Governors shall make its own rules. It shall possess all the powers and perform all the duties prescribed for such boards by the statutes of the United States, and of the state in which the official headquarters of the League may be, or of the state in which the League may be incorporated, except as these powers and duties may specifically be limited or ex- tended by these by-laws. The official headquarters of the League shall be New York City. The Board shall have power to fill vacancies in its own num- ber until the next meeting of the League. No person who is commercially engaged in the production of motion pictures or in the manufacture, sale or rental of cinematographic equipment shall be eligible to membership on the Board of Governors. Governors shall serve without compensation from the League in any capacity, except that they may be reimbursed for legitimate expenses in attending meetings. The Board of Governors may delegate any or all of its powers to the officers of the League and the committees of the League or of the Board of Governors appointed for that pur- pose by the Board, except that it may not delegate the power and obligation of meeting at least once a year to receive reports, to elect officers as provided in these by-laws and to approve, dis- approve or initiate policies. The Board of Governors shall delegate sufficient of its powers to an Executive Committee to conduct the affairs of the Board of Governors between the meetings of the Board and these powers shall be those that are specifically set forth in these by-laws or those that may lawfully be delegated. The Board of Governors or the Executive Committee (act- ing for the Board) may, at any time, authorize any officer, in- cluding the Managing Director, to perform any acts or func- tions which, in these by-laws, may be prescribed to be per- formed by any specified officer or committee, whenever, by reason of death, absence, disability or other cause, sufficient justification shall appear to the Board or to the Executive Committee. Governors shall keep themselves informed on conditions and activities in their respective districts (where they are elected territorially) and in the League as a whole. Governors elected territorially shall be ready to report to the Board of Governors and to represent to the Board the needs and desires of the League members in their districts. Governors elected terri- torially shall have the power to appoint, within their districts, committees and assistants to aid them in the performance of their duties, but no such appointment shall constitute a finan- cial obligation against the League unless the Board of Gov- ernors shall have specifically authorized such an obligation. The Board of Governors may appoint such committees as it may deem desirable, in addition to the Executive Committee, and may prescribe their duties. All committees appointed by the Board of Governors shall keep records of their proceedings and shall transmit them, through the Managing Director, to the Board of Governors. LIpon the written request of twenty-five per cent or more of the members of the League, resident in any one of the twelve Federal Reserve Districts of the United States or in the Domin- ion of Canada, or upon the written request of twelve or more members of the Board of Governors, that, for cause stated therein, a Governor be removed from office, the Board of Gov- ernors shall consider the matter and, if there appears to be sufficient reason, shall advise the Governor of the charges against him. He shall then have the right to present a writ- ten justification of his conduct and to appear in person before a meeting of the Board of Governors, of which meeting he shall receive notice at least thirty days in advance. Not later than its next meeting thereafter, the Board of Governors shall finally consider the case and if, in the opinion of two-thirds of the Thirty-four members of the Board a satisfactory proof of his undesirability has been established and the matter has not been adjusted in the meantime to the satisfaction of the complainants, and his resignation has not been tendered and accepted, the office may be declared vacant and he may be replaced by another gov- ernor, as heretofore provided for the election of governors. Article III — Executive Committee The Board of Governors shall, at each annual meeting of the Board, appoint an Executive Committee, whose powers shall be those set forth in these by-laws and those usually con- ferred by statute. This committee shall consist of the Presi- dent, three members of the Board of Governors and the Man- aging Director. The members of this Executive Committee shall serve until their successors are appointed. This Execu- tive Committee shall have power to fill vacancies in its num- ber caused by death, resignation or disability, until the next meeting of the Board of Governors, but it may fill these va- cancies only from members of the Board of Governors or by the appointment of a newly qualified President or Managing Director which officers must, ex-officio, be members of this committee. Article IV — Officers The officers of the League shall be a President, two Vice- Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Managing Director. The President and the Managing Director shall be, ex-officio, members of the Board of Governors, as heretofore provided. The Vice-President, who may act in absence of the President at any meeting of the Board of Governors, shall exercise at that meeting the power of a governor. The President shall be elected by the Board of Governors. The President shall have general supervision of the affairs of the League, under the direction of the Board of Governors. He shall preside at all meetings of the League, of the Board of Governors and of the Executive Committee so far as may be possible. He shall be ex-officio a member of all commit- tees of the League, of the Board of Governors and of all sub- committees of the Executive Committee. The term of office of the President shall be two years. The election of a member of the Board of Governors as President shall constitute a va- cancy in the Board to be filled as heretofore provided. The President shall have the usual powers and duties of such an office. A president whose term of office has expired shall hold office until his successor is regularly elected and has qualified. The Vice-Presidents shall be elected by the Board of Gov- ernors and shall be designated, at the time of their election, by the Board as First Vice-President and Second Vice-President. Vice-Presidents shall not have the power of governors except as heretofore provided. The term of office of Vice-Presidents shall be two years. Vice-Presidents shall have no powers, duties or responsibilities except when either of them shall act in the absence of the President. In the absence of the Presi- dent or in the event of his inability to perform any or all of his functions, these functions shall devolve upon the First Vice-President. Should this officer be likewise absent or in- capable, the functions shall devolve upon the Second Vice- President. In the event of absence or inability of the President and both Vice-Presidents, the functions shall be performed by a member of the Board of Governors to be chosen by the Board or by the Executive Committee acting for the Board, to serve until the absence or inability terminates or until new presiding officers are chosen as heretofore provided. The Secretary and the Treasurer shall be elected by the Board of Governors for a term of two years and shall perform the usual dutes of those officers, except where those duties are, by these by-laws, specified to be performed by the Managing Di- rector or other employee. The powers of these officers shall be those conferred upon them by the Board of Governors. Va- cancies in these offices may, between meetings of the Board of Governors, be filled by appointments by the Executive Com- mittee, such appointees to serve until the Board shall meet and elect a new Secretary or a new Treasurer. The Board of Governors shall appoint a Managing Direc- tor for a term of two years, and such other employees as it may deem desirable. All appointments of employees shall be made by the Board from persons recommended by the Manag- ing Director. The Managing Director shall be subject to re- moval only by an affirmative vote of the majority of the mem- bers of the Board. All other employees of the League may be removed by the Managing Director. The compensation of all r . employees shall be fixed by the Board. The Managing Direc- tor shall be the general manager of the League's affairs, un- der the direction of the President and the Board of Governors, including the affairs of all publications of the League. He shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Board of Governors. A vacancy in the office of Managing Director shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Gov- ernors or by the Executive Committee acting for the Board of Governors and subject to revision by the Board. The Man- aging Director may delegate his powers during his absence to an employee of the League to be chosen by him and approved by the President. The entire working time of the Managing Director shall be devoted to the affairs of the League. The Board of Governors may delegate to the Managing Director such functions of the Secretary and of the Treasurer as it may deem desirable. If the custody and disbursement of the funds of the League are placed in the hands of the Managing Direc- tor by the Board, he shall be required to give suitable bond, the expense of this bond to be borne by the League. Article V — Meetings The annual meeting of the League shall be held on the second Wednesday of May in each and every year. Other meetings of the League may be called by the Board of Gov- ernors on thirty days' notice at such times as it shall deem proper. The Board of Governors shall meet annually to transact such business as may be before it or as may be prescribed by these by-laws. The date of this annual meeting shall be two days before the annual meeting of the League. Special meet- ings of the Board of Governors may be called by the President by written notice stating the specific object or objects thereof, mailed to each governor at least three weeks prior to the date of said meetings. On the written request of seven governors, the President shall call a special meeting of the Board. The Executive Committee shall hold at least one meeting every ninety days. The President may call, on five days' notice, special meetings of the Executive Committee. On the written request of the members of the Executive Committee, the Presi- dent shall call a meeting of that body. The place of the regular meetings of the League and of the Board of Governors shall be fixed by the Board of Gov- ernors. The place of the regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be fixed by the Executive Committee. The place of special meetings shall be fixed by the power compe- tent to call such special meetings. Article VI — Quorum Fifteen members of the League shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the League. Twelve members of the Board of Governors shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the Board of Governors. Three members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum of that body. Article VII — Divisions Whenever the Board of Governors shall establish divisions of the Amateur Cinema League, it shall, by addition to these by-laws define the purpose, scope and operation of such divisions. The Amateur Cinema Dramatic Division is hereby estab- lished and shall carry out the purpose set forth in Article II of the Constitution, to stimulate the production of community photoplays. Its further purposes shall be the creation, in com- munities, of a greater consciousness of the motion picture and its proper use in community life, the increase of intelligent appraisal and appreciation of motion pictures in general; the provision of an outlet for talent in writing scenarios, motion picture acting and camera work and the development, through the means of the cinematographic art. Its membership shall be constituted as set forth in Article I of these by-laws. A special section of the periodical to be published by the League shall be devoted to the Amateur Cinema Dramatic Division and shall provide sample scenarios, sets and other aids to the work of the division. Article VIII — Miscellaneous The Board of Governors shall have power to alter the classes of membership and the dues therefor, as have been heretofore set forth in Article I of these by-laws, but their action shall be subject to the confirmation of the League at its next annual meeting thereafter. The funds of the League shall be deposited in such banks or trust companies as may, from time to time, be designated by the Board of Governors or by the Executive Committee act- ing for the Board of Governors. Such funds shall be subject to draft only on the signature of the officers or employees of the League, these persons to be selected by the Board of Gov- ernors or by the Executive Committee acting for the Board of Governors, who shall notify the depositaries chosen, over the signature of the President, of the officers or employees whose signatures are to be honored. All notices required by these by-laws shall be in writing and shall be either personally delivered or mailed to those per- sons to whom they are required to be sent at the address entered in the records of the League as supplied by the person concerned. The Managing Director may employ such clerical force in his office as he may elect, without the specific appointment of the Board of Governors in each instance, but he must first obtain from the Board of Governors or from the Executive Committee, acting for the Board of Governors, authority for the maximum number and the total maximum cost of such employees. The Managing Director shall prepare annual reports for the annual meetings of the League and for the Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors. Unless otherwise specifically provided by these by-laws, the action of the League shall be determined by the concurring vote of a majority of the members of the League present at any meeting thereof, a quorum existing. The action of the Board of Governors and of the Executive Committee shall be similarly determined for those bodies. The fiscal year of the League shall be the calendar year. Copies of minutes of meetings of the Board of Governors shall be sent by the Managing Director to all members of the Board. On all questions of order and procedure not otherwise de- termined by the Constitution or these by-laws, or by special rules of order adopted by a two-thirds vote of the League meet- ing, a meeting of the Board of Governors or a meeting of the Executive Committee for the governance of these bodies, the provisions of the Working Code appended to the Revised Cushing's Manual shall constitute the Standing Rules of Order and special rules, A, B, C, D, E shall be included therein and are hereby severally adopted. The regular order of business at meetings of the League, the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee shall be as follows: Roll Call. Consideration of Minutes. Special Orders (if any have been made). Reports of officers. Reports of Standing Committees. Reports of Special Committees. Appointments and elections. Unfinished business. New business. The above order or any part of it may be suspended by a two-thirds vote at any meeting. The result of all elections and appointments of officers shall be published by the Secretary in the next issue of the League's chief official publication printed after the canvass of the vote. Article IX — Amendments These by-laws may be amended through additions, elimina- tions, changes or rearrangement and renumbering by the Board of Governors or by the Executive Committee acting for the Board but such action of the Executive Committee shall be effective only until the next meeting of the Board of Gov- ernors which shall confirm or reject the amendments. Article X — Ratification of Organization All acts of the Board of Pioneer Directors under whose management the League was organized, its constitution and by-laws produced, its first officers chosen, its membership se- cured, its organization expense incurred and its policies and activities established, are hereby ratified and confirmed, up to and including the date of the first actual meeting of the first Board of Governors to be elected as prescribed by these by- laws; and the Board of Pioneer Directors is hereby author- ized to continue in office until the first Board of Governors shall have met and organized. T h i r t y - f i v e A Bell & Howell Page Helping You to More Fun and Greater Precision in Making Your Own MOVIES For twenty years the Bell & Howell Company has been making and standardizing motion picture equipment for the professional industry. This vast experience is now at your service to help you make better personal movies. This month you will want the helps shown on this page. The Bell & Howell CHARACTER TITLE BOARD Titles of your own make — interesting in their immediate individuality — signatures of your guests — their hands shown actually writing as they sign — pictures drawn to suit your own thoughts — cartoons, scenes, etc., cut from newspapers and magazines pasted on margins of cards, and your own inscription to accompany. This device makes possible the real enlivenment of your films and is essential to every amateur cinematographer's equipment. Character Title Board outfit complete, consisting of camera mount, automatic prism compensating f ocuser, title card holder, two especially designed electric light bulbs with reflectors, conveniently mounted on magnolia base, white ink, pen holder, two ball point pens — and 12 Bell & Howell special blank title cards, all included in attractive leather carrying case $45.00 The Bell & Howell COMBINATION REWINDER and SPLICER Consists of the following devices in one unit : 1. Reel, or spool holder. 4. Geared Rewinder. 2. Splicer. 3. Cement, cement and water bottles. Scraper Blade. Oak Base, on which the above are mounted. With this combination rewinder and splicer you can edit your films — cut out unwanted portions, insert sub-titles and gain just the con- tinuity you want, to make your movies more interesting on the screen. The splice made by this machine is absolutely transparent and velvet smooth — a perfect continuation of the film. The price of the Bell & Howell combination Rewinder and Splicer unit for 16 m/m film [the kind you use] is $14.00. Mark the coupon for further particulars, or enclose money order for direct shipment, satisfaction guaranteed. How to Make Your Own Motion Picture Plays Don't Fail to Get This Book HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN MOTION PICTURE PLAYS JACK SECH&QI.T - THIS book was prepared especially for the amateur producer. It tells him, in simple, non-technical language, everything needed to know about making a motion picture drama. It contains, also, actual and compile scenarios of twelve clever little plays, written just for the amateur producer. No owner of a personal motion picture camera should be without this book. Order it with this coupon. Return it after five days and get your money back if not satisfied. We are the sole distributors. MAIL THIS COUPON BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Ave. Chicago, 111. Attached find $1.50 (Money Order) for postpaid copy of book "How To Make Your Own Motion Picture Plays." 3] Send further information on Rewinder and Splicer | on Character Title Board. Name - - - Address City State 1 Cine-Kodak B Carrying Case. Combination Carrying Case for Cine-Kodak B. Handy Accessories for the Amateur Movie Maker H>ACH genuine leather Carry- ing Case ior Cine-Kodak, Model B, is a convenient valise lor the amateur movie maker. When he's afield for pictures, it pro- tects the camera from dust and dirt as well. The Combination Case holds not only the Cine-Kodak, but there's also space in it for two extra rolls of film. Cine-Kodak, Model B, Carrying Case $ 7.50 Combination Carrying Case for Cine-Kodak B 10.00 iHE Carrying Case for Kodascope, Model C, makes the outfit- — small as it is — even handier to take with you for evening movies wherever you go. It makes a mighty compact kit — only 6^x7^x8^ inches. Carrying Case for Kodascope, Model C S4.00. Carrying Case for Kodascope, Model C. CrOOD titles make your personal movies even more interesting. We photograph and process them for you like the one illustrated. Send your copy to the Eastman Kodak Company at Rochester, N. Y., or at San Francisco, California. The price for this service is 3 cents per word, minimum cost for title 25 cents, minimum charge per order $1.00. This illustrates the titles we make for you. At your dealer'' s Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., The Kodak cny ~M 1 inch DALLMEYER. TELEPHOTO LENSES WITH a kit of Dallmeyer lenses of various focal lengths, the usefulness — the choice of subjects — the range of light condi- tions— and the quality of each and every minute negative made with a Bell & Howell "Filmo" are marvelously increased. Also Dallmeyer Ultra Speed Lenses; 1" and 2"; F-l. 9 — OPEN HOUSE for all Amateur Movie Makers Specialists in motion picture equipment for 19 years, Herbert 22C 45 20 At y our deah er s Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., The Kodak city DAVIE PRESS, INC. Make Your Movies as the Professionals do — with Bell & Howell Cameras and Equipment TiHiNiMiH-r Built to Professional Standards for the Amateur A WORK MAN in any line is no better than the tools he uses. The same is true of amateur movie photography. Your pictures can be no better than the equip- ment you use to produce them. There is only one standard of perfection by which amateur movies can be judged. That stand- ard is visible daily — on the screens of best theatres everywhere. Your very own pictures can be as clear, beautiful and flickerless. This tells why and how. Bell & Howell professional cam- eras are used in making nearly all the feature movies you see. The twenty years of experience as chief camera and equipment manufac- turers to the movie industry are now packed into Bell & Howell FlLMO equipment for the amateur. The FlLMO camera, illustrated here, is peculiar in design. That is because only this design can in- clude the features which FlLMO has. The spy- glass viewfinder, in- terchangeability of lenses, adjust- able speed, optional slow motion picture mechanism, ease of opera- tion and other features of FlLMO su- periority are made possible by this exclusive design — representing 20 years of practical motion picture experience and leadership in the professional fieldo Make your movies as the profes- sionals do — with Bell & Howell Cameras and equipment.Then you will come closest to obtaining pro- fessional results. Write to us for illustrated literature describing FlLMO Camera and Projector and containing a brief Bell & Howell history. Ask for booklet "What You See, You Get." BELL & HOWELL COMPANY 1828 Larchmont Ave,, Chicago, Illinois New York — Hollywood— London— Established 1907 AMATEUR ovit Makers ANUARY 1927 E e^&rld with a Little Movie Camera —The Thrill-proof A^e rouble ~~ Champions in 18 Holes — The Tower of the Dead Th, e camera with a movie pedigree THE Bell & Howell Automatic FlLMO, shown here, is a4'2 -pound camera that provides every feature neces- sary for taking the finest of personal motion pictures. You can hold and operate FlLMO with one hand, if necessary. There is no cranking, no focusing for distance, nothing that can possibly complicate operation. You have, for instance, the spy-glass view-finder (found only on FlLMO). This enables you to catch moving objects squarely in your picture as easily as looking through a field-glass. What you see, you get/ This, and other important features are exclusive with FlLMO, because FlLMO is made by Bell & Howell — who, for 20 years, have made practically all the professional movie cameras and equipment used by leading motion picture producers of the world. In real movie-taking ability,therefore,FlLMO is matched only by the famous Bell & Howell professional cameras — which cost up to $5,000 each. The spy-glass view-finder, interchangeability of lenses, adjustable speed, optional slow motion mechanism, ease of operation and other FlLMO features were first found necessary in taking professional pictures you see at best theatres. They are therefore necessary to taking good amateur pictures. Only FlLMO, of all amateur movie cam- eras, has them. The FlLMO Projector, for showing your pictures, has similar points of superiority. Mail the coupon for descrip- tive, illustrated literature which tells the whole story. BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Ave., CHICAGO New York, Hollywood, London Established 1907 JEEBEESSST AUTOMATIC CAMERA AND PROJECTOR BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, III. Please send me name of FlLMO dealer in my city, and copy of descriptive FlLMO booklet, "What You See, You Get." Name ■ Address . City 2 Questions of utmost importance for every amateur movie maker — W licit equipment is best suited to mv needs ; HOW am I to get the most successful results with my camera ♦ HERBERT & HUESGEN Company can help you to answer both these questions. 19 Years specialization in Motion Picture Equipment for the amateur and profes- sional places a vast experience at your disposal. Impartial aid in the selec- tion of an outfit is assured by their complete stock of all leading makes of cameras, including: FILMO CINE-KODAK EYEMO DEVRY VICTOR-CINE Also all Accessories and Such Specialties as KIRBYLITE DALLMEYER LENSES For Indoor and Telephoto Movies Send for Special Catalogs of items which interest you HERBERT & HUESGEN Co. 18 East 42nd St., New York NEAR FIFTH AVENUE Projection Reoms for Customers A Safe Lig) for Indoor Movies The KIRBYLITE Revealing new and fascinating possibilities for your motion picture camera. Your living room becomes the studio in an instant by plugging the Kirbylite into any electric light receptacle. There is no danger of burns or fire. The lamp house remains cool to the touch. The Mazda lamp employed will not overheat wires nor blow fuses. An ideal illuminant also for the Artist Sculptor Surgeon as a working light as well as a companion for the Movie Camera or Graflex. The scientific design of the lens and reflector, an exclusive Kirby- lite feature makes possible the re- quired high intensity of light. KIRBYLITE with 500 watt Mazda bulb stand and 12 foot electric cord with plugs and switch $42.75 KIRBYLITE Special Tripod $12.00 Available thru your dealer and at every Eastman Kodak Store. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. 3 56 Madison Avenue New York Wholesale Distributors Arn*teurWJaCtS 0n tocography ■'^ Before You Buy a Movie Camera send for this FREE BOOK BEFORE you buy any movie camera, learn how perfect motion pictures can be taken with the ease of a snapshot . . . why standard theatre size film takes better movies . . . why three view finders are better than one . . . why daylight loading is essential . . . why no tripod is needed . . . why major scientific expe- ditions and news reel men are adopting the De Vry. This 24-page book "New Facts on Amateur Motion Picture Pho- tography" answers all your questions regarding personal movies. DeVry Standard —Automatic ^r MOVIE CAMERA The famous De Vry is the only 35 mm. (stand- ard theatre size film) automatic movie camera under 3300. Here is a camera so simple, so easy to operate, that any child can take perfectrno- tion pictures. You can shoot from any position without the bother of a tripod. Just point the camera — press the button and you're taking movies. With the De Vry you can take 100 feet of standard theatre size film without reloading . . . and you are taking movies of feature film qual- ity, because standard film takes perfect pictures. Yet the price is only £150.00. Constructed of finest materials, will last a lifetime. The films of the world are available for you to show in your home if you own a De Vry standard film camera and projector. You are not limited to the comparatively few films reduced to "off- standard'' size. Mail Coupon for New FREE Book THE DE VRY CORPORATION 1111 Center Street, Dept. 000 Chicago, Illinois Please send me your new book "New Facts on Amateur Motion Picture Photography." I understand this places me under no obligation. Name Address _ City ...State A TRICK FADEOUT JAN1577 ©C1B 718874 AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS Official Publication of the Amateur Cinema League To See Ourselves as Others See Us'' Volume I JANUARY, 1927 Number 2 CONTENTS PAGE A Trick Fadeout, an illustration 2 Forward ! an editorial 4 Correspondence ; Waste Work, editorials 5 Venice, a photograph 6 Around The World with A Little Movie Camera 7 Champions in Eighteen Holes, an amateur scenario . . 9 The Clinic, Vamped and Revamped by Dr. Kinema — Some technical advice and suggestions . ... 11 The Tower of the Dead 13 Swaps, Being an Amateur Movie Exchange 15 Trouble 16 "The Thrillproof Age", An Amateur Presentation at New Haven 17 "By Sports Like These Are All Their Cares Beguil'd;" six illustrations 18-19 Par Shooting ! 20 They Tell The Story 21 Ned Wayburn and his cast, an illustration 22 Concerning Amateurs, Gossip about amateur movie makers 23 Some Secrets of Screen Magic 26 Don't Wait, an invitation 34 AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE DIRECTORS Pioneer President HIRAM PERCY MAXIM Hartford, Conn. Treasurer A. A. HEBERT 1711 Park Street, Hartford, Conn. Managing Director ROY W. WINTON 105 W. 40th Street, New York City ROY D. CHAPIN Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hudson Motor Company. C. R. DOOLEY Manager of Personnel and Training, Standard Oil Co. of N. J. LEE F. HANMER Director of Recreation, Russell Sage Foundation. EARLE C. ANTHONY President of the National Association of Broadcasters W. E. COTTER 30 E. 42nd St., New York City FLOYD L. VANDERPOEL Scientist, of Litchfield, Conn. STEPHEN F. VOORHEES Architect, of New York City. AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is published monthly in New York City by the Amateur Cinema League. Subscription Rate $3.00" a year, postpaid; to members of the Amateur Cinema League, $2.00 a year, postpaid; single copies, 25c. / On sale at newsstands and photographic dealers everywhere in the United States. :>p/right, 1926, by the Amateur Cinema League. Title registered at United States Patent Office. Advertising rates on application. Forms close on 15th of preceding month. Editorial and Publication Office: 105 West 40th Street, New York City. Three ... . EDIT Fo rwar d! OUR Amateur Cinema League is really mak- ing a very wonderful start. It is, of course, too early to make any positive promises but if interest and backing by our fellow amateur cinematographers spells success then we are going to be very successful. Our membership on December 1st was ap- proaching the thousand mark and we have not really started to get members. Those of us who have undertaken the work of getting a League underway are most impressed by the spirit that has been manifest. The presence of this spirit became evident immediately we sent out our first .circular in which we told of what we intended doing. By return mail we began receiving the signed membership applica- tions with remittances. This was most encouraging, but what was more significant, was the fact that many went to the bother of writing a letter of encouragement and expressing appreciation of what we were do- ing. Several went so far as to send checks several times the size of one necessary for membership, and wrote us that we should apply $5.00 of the check on a membership and use the remainder where it would do the most good for the League idea. We pioneers naturally feel immensely pleased over this sort of thing. We feel that our effort has not been wasted and that it has actually been appreciated. We also feel that it indicates the presence of a fine spirit of fraternalism among us amateur cinematographers. There is an amazing amount of hard work in starting an organization and erecting the machinery for publishing a new magazine. If it were a business affair, we should, of course, capitalize it and raise the necessary money to pay for the work being done for us; but our's is not a busi- ness. Instead, it is an amateur organization, and we must start with only what money we get from our membership, our advertising, and what our friends are willing to advance. It makes it necessary to employ voluntary labor for much of what has to be done, and permits us only to hire those whose full time must be employed. Amateur radio started from this basis and has been success- ful. With the spirit already manifest in amateur cinematography, we are sure it also is going to be equally successful. If we all will realize that it is OUR League, and OUR magazine, and that everything we do comes back to us, and enables us to print a better and a bigger magazine, and to undertake addi- tional activities, it will help tremendously. F o u r For the present the policy of the Directors is to proceed cautiously in the matter of expenses, and make every effort to build the magazine up so that it will be self-supporting at the earliest possible date. Every member can help. They can write of their amateur cinema experiences for our magazine. They can send us suggestions. They can purchase of our advertisers and secure additional advertising for us. They can buy copies of "Amateur Movie Makers" at the news stands, and if they will then send these copies to friends who ought to be in the game they will be not only helping us with the news stand people but also will be adding possible members. They can impress the dealer who sold them their amateur cinema equipment that he must see to it that our magazine is sold in his store to all of the people to whom he has sold outfits, and also that it is his duty to encourage joining our A. C. L. This is really not much to do, but if we all would do this little, and keep doing it, it would make a very big difference to us at Headquarters. If our Amateur Cinema League becomes a conspicuous success, one of the good investments at this time is to secure a supply of the first issue of our magazine and to preserve them. Ten years from now they will be worth their weight in gold. Only a limited number were printed, and unless history completely fails to repeat itself, there will be a great demand for copies of these early numbers. We have seen this happen in other cases. Since we became organized, several very inter- esting expectations of the public have come to our attention. People anticipate our influence on the art of cinematography, on the writing of good scenarios, and on the production of good pictures. There will, no doubt, be many important de- velopments resulting from this foregathering of thousands of amateurs in the pages of our maga- zine. It is evident that the enterprise upon which we have embarked will be far reaching. Our Di- rectors have many plans which they will unfold and put in operation as soon as our recourses permit. If every member can but realize that a very small effort on his part will exepedite the work of the League, there will be many interesting develop- ments in 1927. We repeat, this is OUR League and OUR magazine, and it is up to us to make it or break it. Let us all assist in making it. — Hiram Percy Maxim ■ — " 1ALS Correspondence WE wish to apologize to many League mem- bers for having delayed our replies to their letters of encouragement, approbation, suggestion and help. We, to whom your directors have entrusted the organizing and administrative chores of the Amateur Cinema League, have been exceedingly busy. We take that much credit. We hope that the results will please you. Membership is now close to a thousand and more applications are coming in with every mail. The magazine is an accomplished fact and it carries a substantial amount of advertising, every cent of which is paid at full rates which are openly established and from which no reduction has been granted. The service jobs of the League are yet to be undertaken. We believe that the magazine is a service job in itself and that you will be patient for a while until the others can be undertaken wisely and adequately. We are sorry to have delayed replies to your letters. But we know you prefer that we should work rather than that we should write. Every letter is being answered as rapidly as time permits and all will be answered eventually. We do thank you most heartily for your fine spirit of encouragement, loyalty, willingness to aid and helpfulness that you have shown in writ- ing to us. We go forward the more courageously because we know that you are with us with all of your energy. — Hiram Percy Maxim, President — Roy W. Winton, Managing Director Waste Work ART is often a vagrant. Sometimes it goes • farthest when, like Topsy, it just grows. Painters have a phrase "waste work," meaning painting done not to order, not to sell, not even to exhibit but attempted and concluded for ex- periment, for practice, or for the pure joy of do- ing it. Not infrequently the highest type of cre- ative effort comes from this waste work because the pressure of the practical is removed. The photoplay has suffered from an immedi- ate commercialization. It would be difficult to find an instance of an entire motion picture drama or comedy produced without regard to its box- office value. Much excellent experiment has been performed to improve technical methods and this experiment has been carried on at a prodigious cost to producers, but it has been a by-product in making photoplays that would reward both ex- periment and proved technique by financial return. Until very recently waste work in motion pictures has been a practical impossibility. Pro- duction has been professional and has been care- fully designed to make profits. Only commercial companies have been engaged in this art and how- ever imbued with the spirit of artistic adventure their directors may have been, that spirit has been limited in its flights by probable profits and losses. So the art of the cinema has lacked the element of freedom from practicality that would appear to be essential to the more complex and subtle development of any medium for express- ing beauty. The recent modifications of motion picture equipment that have put small machines into the hands of amateurs will liberate the cinematic art from the stern restrictions of commerce. Experi- ments in camera work, in subject placement, in title writing, in lighting, and in choice of esthetic material are being made by nearly twenty thou- sand home motion picture makers. All of this is, if you will, waste work done for the pure joy of it. With many amateurs it has not yet passed the stage of a hobby. The fire of artistic creation is yet to come to many who regard their motion picture cameras as de- lightful scientific toys. Yet the inquiries received by "Amateur Movie Makers" indicate that there are serious and enthusiastic amateurs consciously wielding the tools of a new art. But this is waste work from the point of view of cinematography only and it will be argued that the motion picture does not become an authentic art until it reaches the plane of the photoplay. This very sound objection does not invalidate the amateur's contribution. Not only are twenty thousand individual experiments under way but there are regularly organized companies of amateurs engaged in photoplay making. These companies are, for the most part, following in the footsteps of the great professional producing organizations, working to bring their standards up to those professionally accepted. They have yet to grow wings. The next quarter century will witness an amazing renaissance of artistic creation in the United States. The chief medium of this ex- pression will be the motion picture. The great handicap to the development of the eighth art has been the absence of non-commercial experimenta- tion. The Little Cinema fills this gap. Without vast reserves of money; without mechanical facil- ities that have sometimes made professional ex- periments too easy and with little beyond the great essential; with the will to express beauty in a new form for the simple joy of expressing it; organizations such as the Moving Picture Club of New Haven are bringing to the new art of the photoplay the vital factor of spontaneity that must inform it if it takes full rank with its seven elder brothers. Five Six AROUND THE WORLD with A Little Movie Camera By Gardner Wells THE thing that is most in- teresting about foreign countries is the thing that is different from the United States. Remember that when you unpack your little movie camera, whether it be in Lon- don, Rome or Cairo. Traffic congestion in London bears an uncanny resemblance to similar snarls in New York and Chicago. But a London "Bob- by" is like no cop you will ever see on this side of the Atlantic. If you must have a London street scene, get the "Bobby" in the picture. A Ford automobile in Cairo is not strikingly differ- ent from the ones that swarm over the highways of the United States. But the Galli Galli man who comes every evening to the terrace of Shepherd's with his miraculous feats of the hand is like no trickster you have ever seen at The Palace or The Hip- podrome. Furthermore — there's no sense of filming a lot of beautiful architecture. If that's the sort of picture you want, you will do very much better to buy a still camera and have slides made from your plates. They will be infinitely more pleasing to the fond friends to whom you will be showing your pictures a year hence. Your motion pictures should show action! If you want the architectural landmarks of the world as a background, or the snow-capped Himalayas, very well — but be sure to get some action in the picture for the foreground. That doesn't mean that you should have a lot of your party bustling about ! Wait until there are some picturesque natives in the picture to give it some color. If you would return to the United States with some singu- larly interesting pictures, film the countless fakers whom you will encounter if you plan to visit the Near East. Andre Roosevelt, a cousin of the late President, went into India last winter and filmed the famous Indian rope trick in which an Hindu holy man hurls a rope into the sky upon which a native Indian youngster shinnies into the heavens, out of sight of the visiting Occidentals who sit spellbound. A S a matter of fact, when Mr. * *■ Roosevelt reached Cairo, where he had his films developed, he found that the trick was sim- ply one of hypnotism — that the Indian faker threw no rope into the sky, that no little boy climbed upon it, and the audience sat spellbound solely because they had been hypnotized. The Galli Galli man who comes to the terrace of Shepherd's in Cairo each even- ing brings with him three little chicks and three little brass cups. Two of the chicks are placed be- fore two of the cups, and then the Galli Galli man struggles with the third chick as if ex- tracting something from his body. Whatever he has appar- ently extracted, he places be- neath the cups. He puts the third chick on the ground at last before the third cup and then, lifts all three cups to reveal that he has extracted from the little chicken three chicks of almost the same size. The feat has been fascinating the White Man from the west for many years. But as a mat- ter of fact the little movie cam- era reveals that it is simply bas- ed upon the same principle as every other sleight of hand trick — that the hand is quicker than the eye. It cannot fool the cam- era, however, and the film shows the Galli Galli man slip the three little chicks beneath the brass cups at the precise moment that he places them upon the ground. All his struggle with the third little chick is simply part of the stage business. T; HE customs regulations of the United States and Eng- land are the strictest in the world. The United States will allow you to take as much film f rom its shores as you desire ; but that same film, if exposed abroad, is dutiable at two cents a foot when you return. Why the government has reached the conclusion that the value of amateur movie film, once it has been exposed, has been so en- hanced is something no one will ever know. As a matter of fact, I suppose statistics prove that the great majonty of it has been utterly ruined, much less im- proved. Nevertheless those are the facts, and prepare yourself accordingly. The laws of England regard- ing movie film are very compli- cated. It is all attributed to the fact that England has been try- ing for many years to have the film manufacturers build a plant in England. Because they have not, England is obliged to import all its film from the United States. It is the theory of the British lawmakers that if conditions are made sufficiently distasteful to visiting amateur movie makers, something may be done to remedy their plight. The law provides, in the first place, that you must take your camera into England empty. Furthermore, you must swear Seven " that the camera has been in your possession at least twelve months. If you are unfortunate enough to have film in your camera, you must send it to the Bonded Film Stores in bond by express and there it must be measured for duty. Express is expensive. Duty is high. If you avow that you have had the camera less than twelve months, it, too, is assessed very gener- ously;— generously, that is, from the point of view of the British. You are liable to a fine of one pound if you are found bring- ing film into England in your baggage. If you make enough fuss, you may get the fine re- turned to you. Nevertheless you must have the film sent to be measured and that takes a week. Consequently, unless you are simply passing through England on the way to the Continent, you will find it cheaper and more expeditious to buy your film in London. If you swear that you are only passing through England and in- tend to take no movies while there, there are no formalities to be gone through at all. It is not necessary to so much as list your film on your declaration. ' I 'HERE are practically no * restrictions in France, nor in any other of the European countries, for that matter. There is a duty, but it is only slight. They are not apt to bother tour- ists. A small token of your ap- preciation to the customs inspect- or will work wonders. Technic- ally, of course, the films are sub- ject to duty. If you antagonize Photo by Gardner Wells The Hour of Pe Photo by Gardner Wells The Nile the inspector — and there is always some bright soul who insists on so doing — you will pay dearly. Remember, it's "the voice with the smile" that wins. Russia, is a very glaring ex- ception to everything that has been said in this article. If you value your life, don't take a moving picture camera into Rus- sia. Hanging is a mild penalty for so grave an offense. Japan, once in a while, be- comes zealous in the matter of inspecting American baggage and then films are taxable. These periods of enterprise on their part, however, never last more than a week at a time. It might be well to pass on to the amateur movie maker at this point some of the knowledge that I have come by in the past few years during several around- the-world voyages with the James A. Boring Travel Service. THERE are virtually no re- strictions in England upon what pictures you can take. If you happen to have a movie camera that requires a tripod, then you must get permission from the London police to set up your outfit upon the streets. Otherwise you can move quite freely, filming whatever you want. Of course, you are not expected to make exposures in Westminster Abbey and such places. In France no one seems to care where you make pictures. The museums are run by the government and theoretically you aren't supposed to take pic- tures within those grounds. Nevertheless a slight greeting in the form of ten-francs to practi- cally any of the officers who are posted about seems to set at immediate rest any fears which they may have had theretofore concerning your purpose in the museum. ' I 'HE theory is that he who * makes motion pictures in the Forum at Rome or in Pompeii is forthwith drawn and quarter- ed. But as a matter of fact you can try the Continental pro- cedure of handing the diligent officer a slight token and then proceed to make films at your leisure. Be a bit careful about this, however. Do not let any of the other officers observe you passing money to one of his comrades. A good plan, when you see one of these officers coming in your direction, apparently to eject you, is to dash forward in his direction, your hand extend- ed as if to greet a long lost friend. In that extended hand five-lire should be concealed and the feeling of your warm hand and the Italian currency seems to warm the cockles of the Italian officer's heart. Germany is particularly sens- ible in the matter of restrictions on tourists. They realize there that it is the tourists, as much as anyone else, who will help pay their debt and consequently every courtesy is extended the (Continued on page 27) Eight CHAMPIONS in Eighteen Holes An Amateur Scenario B>) Katkleen Halladay Scene 1. Close-up of Annabelle Gilbert, a modern American girl in her early twenties, smil- ing at the photographer. Title : To Take Annabelle to Dinner Would Knock 18 Holes in a Twenty Dollar Bill — But Most Men Were Willing to Take a Chance. Scene 2. Medium shot. On the veranda of a suburban home. Annabelle, seated in a couch swing is "taking stock" of her stockings, knowing that she ought to darn them but hoping that she won't have to. As she draws the third stocking over her left hand and arm, she compares the color with the pair she has on, pokes her fin- ger through a hole in the toe, and says : Title: "A Hole in One!" Scene 3. Medium shot. Same setting on veranda. Anna- belle's frown changes to a thoughtful expression. She picks up a sheet of note paper, takes a pencil off the table, crosses her legs. She places a copy of a magazine on her knee and begins to write on slips of paper which she tears off. Title : Annabelle Decides to Take Herself and Not Her Stockings Seriously. Scene 4. Medium shot. As she writes on each slip she re- reads what she has written and the notes are reproduced in her hand-writing. Scene 5. (She writes) BE GREAT ACTRESS. Scene 6. (She writes) MARRY CHAMPION GOLFER. Scene 7. (She writes) HELP PAPA RUN HIS BUSI- NESS. Scene S. (She writes) MARRY POOR MAN AND MAYBE MAKE HIM PRESIDENT. Scene 9. Annabelle puts the slips into a golf bag, which was leaning against the swing, jostles the heavy bag and draws out a slip, which she re-reads, gleefully. Repro- duce Scene 6. ' MARRY CHAMPION GOLFER. Scene 10. Close-up of Phil Burnside, a solid citizen in his early twenties, who knew he would make some girl a good husband. Title : Phil Burnside, Owner of a Sporting Goods Store. Gets His First Handicap. Scene 11. Medium shot. Phil runs up the veranda steps and approaches Annabelle, holding a golf ball in his right hand. He smiles but Annabelle is provoked because he is always carrying his Rotary Club ad- vertising eccentricities into his courtship. Title : Phil's Calling Cards Are Golf Balls. Scene 12. Medium shot. Anna- belle tries to knock the ball out of his hand but she has tried this before and Phil has learned to withdraw his hand and save the ball. He grasps it proudly in his hand. (Fade into next scene.) Scene 13. Close-up. Phil's hand, gripping golf ball bearing this inscription: PHILIP BURN- SIDE EXCELS IN SPORT- ING GOODS. Scene 14. Medium shot. Phil tries to kiss Annabelle. She backs away, quickly, and teases him by looking from him to the slip of paper she holds. He tries to snatch the slip but she crumples it in her hand and says : Title: "If You Win the Northfield Golf Tourn- nament — Perhaps — I Will Consent ! Scene 15. Medium shot. Phil protests that he is not in form and is very obviously giving a business excuse for not wanting to enter the tourna- ment. Annabelle isn't so mod- ern that she doesn't know the best way to get what she wants from a man. She acts abused. Title : You Think More of Your Old Store Than You Do of Me! Scene 16. Medium shot. Fur- ther protests on the part of Phil. He's no man to be boss- ed altogether by a woman. He tries to take her hands but she puts them in back of her. Phil searches his pockets for a small white kid jewel box, which is about the size of a golf ball, containing an en- gagement ring. Golf balls tumble out of his pockets and roll off the veranda. Anna- belle is disgusted. Phil turns his pockets inside out and more balls and the jewel case tumble out, roll off the ver- anda into the shrubbery with- out. Phil notices the disap- pearance of the jewel case. He discovers a hole in his coat pocket and coat lining and fears he lost the ring before he reached the house. Title: "Great Scott — Anna- belle— I've Lost the En- gagement Ring!" Scene 17. Medium shot. Anna- belle is inclined to take him at his word, as Phil searches excitedly for the ring box. Everything might have been all right but at this moment Ar i n e HENRY HOWLAND comes up the walk, laughing as he picks up one of the balls and throws it to Phil, who dodges it, disapprovingly. Fade into Close-up of Henry. Title : Henry Howland Is the Type of Young Man Women Usually Like and Men Suspect. Rather In- teresting, But Would Raise a Rumpus at Breakfast if the Coffee Were Cold. Scene 18. Medium close-up. Henry greets Annabelle warm- ly. Phil gives them one dis- gusted look and leaves with- out ceremony still searching for his ring. When a woman is going in for psychology she's not to be trifled with. Turning to Henry she makes another quick decision. Title : Annabelle Takes a Long Chance. "If You Win the Northfield Tour- nament I'll Marry You." Scene 19. Medium shot. Henry is nervous. He protests that he doesn't play any more. Annabelle finds Henry's mod- esty becoming, even though it is annoying. They sit to- gether in the swing. Anna- belle insists that he play. Henry lights a cigarette im- patiently. Title : Henry Makes 18 Holes in Record Time. Scene 20. Medium shot. Henry wriggles around and uncon- sciously burns a succession of holes in Annabelle's coat, hanging on his right over the side of the swing. They smell burning cloth. Annabelle jumps up, grabs her coat. They put out smouldering spots. Annabelle counts from one to eighteen. Stamping her foot, she enters the bouse, exclaiming : Title: "I Don't Know Why I Ever Thought You Could Win at Northfield. You Couldn't Even Qualify as a Caddy!" Scene 21. Long shot. Exterior Phil's sporting goods store, Dorothy Burnside, Phil's sis- ter, another young girl in her early twenties comes to the door. Dorothy is attractive in a muslin frock she made Ten herself. Fade into close-up of Dorothy. Title : Dorothy Burnside, Phil's Sister, Loves to Putter Around. THE next seven scenes intro- duce Charles Gardner, owner of a chain of sporting goods stores and a champion golfer, who purchases a golf bag and some balls in Phil's store. He di- rects Dorothy to send them to his hotel. As he leaves she receives a telephone order for golf knick- ers and heavy shoes from Anna- belle for Father Gilbert. Henry enters the store, rather down on the world and is asked by Dor- othy to deliver the packages. Calling at the Gilbert home he leaves the wrong package. Scene 29. Long shot. Sonny Gilbert comes out of the house, sees the new golf bag, finds some clubs and drags them to the front lawn. Sonny is ten years old and no naughtier than most children. Title : Fore ! Sonny Gilbert Makes His Own Golf Course. Scene 30. Medium shot on the lawn. Sonny digs 18 holes in the lawn with a new club. Title : Mother Gilbert, a Golf Widow, Makes Her 18 Holes in the Kitchen. Scene 31. Medium shot. Kitchen in the Gilbert home. Sonny enters. His face is dirty and his suit torn. His mother is frying doughnuts. She shows him the round cen- ters -cut from the doughnuts, which she has fried for him. She covers them with powder- ed sugar, so they resemble golf balls. Sonny devours a couple of centers,- fills his arm with the remaining balls and exits. Title: Sonny Creates a New Handicap. Scene 32. Medium shot. Ver- anda. Sonny appears with the doughnut centers. He sees the golf bag, takes the balls out, substituting doughnut centers. Title: Sonny Finds a Lost Ball. Scene 33. Medium shot. Sonny driving: balls awkwardlv to- ward the veranda. Here he finds the kid box which Phil lost. He decides it is a golf ball with a nail in it. Fade into next scene. Scqne 34. Close shot. Sonny tries to open the box, but gives up in disgust and throws the box on the ground with his balls and continues play. IN the following seven scenes, Father Gilbert is using his pro- fessional golf vocabulary in de- nouncing Phil Burnside's store for not delivering the knickers his daughter ordered. Phil rushes to the Gilbert home, picks up the golf bag, hurries to Gard- ner's hotel. In the meantime, Gardner has discovered that not only has his bag not arrived, but that a silver trophy which he had won at a previous match is miss- ing. He orders the house de- tective to look for it and rushes for a train for the Portland match. Scene 42. Medium shot. Sonny on the lawn at the side of the house. You can see Annabelle sitting close to the window. Sonny accidentally throws a ball through the window and knocks Annabelle cold. Now the poor girl can't go to the Northfield match and see Henry play. Fade into next scene. Scene 43. Sonny decides it would be more diplomatic to cease golfing. Medium shot. Veranda. Sonny discovers the box Phil has left. He opens it and finds Gardner's cup. Title: Phil Decides to Come Back and See Whether Annabelle Won't Listen to Reason. Scene 44. Medium shot of Phil coming up the steps. He sees Gardner's cup, looks at the box and examines the paper around it. He is sure that this is the box he took from Gard- ner's room, so he takes the cup from Sonny and starts off again for the hotel. Fade into next scene. Scene 45. Medium shot. Out- side entrance to the Carlton Hotel. Phil asks the men at the door whether he knows (Continued on page 27) • mmmmr :■:•.-•• m .■■•-.. asMS " mm ■■:' l n THE CLINIC Vamped ana Revamped B3) Dr. Kinema Doctor Kinema has been retained as an amateur consultant by AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS. The doctor will discuss problems in amateur cin- ematography that many of us meet constantly in our adventures in picture making. The doctor has made two requests of our readers: first, that they forward plenty of questions; second, that wherever possible, they send with those questions what they believe to be the correct answers. He does not want to fill the Clinic with his own ideas. Therefore, he invites all members of the AMA- TEUR CINEMA LEAGUE and all readers of AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS to make contribu- tions to his department. Please send in questions, answers and discussions to Doctor Kinema, care AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS. 105 West Forti- eth Street, New York City. A special article by Doctor Kinema appears else- where in this issue. Movies of Stills WHEN making up a reel of pictures taken on a cruise or vacation trip one often wishes he could include some pictures of still photo- graphs showing places that were not taken with the movie camera. Again, when compiling a reel of family pic- tures one may wish to include some early photographs showing Daddy at various ages or some pictures of Nancy taken before the advent of amateur movies. It is possible to do just this so that the movie record will be complete in every detail. If the picture is a good size all that is necessary is to set it up in a good bright light, accurately frame it in the camera gate, load the film in the camera and run off 5 or 6 feet. I say frame it in the camera gate Lecause there is always a difference between the picture seen in the finder and that registered on the film when working at close range. However, if the picture is old and yellow or faded it is then necessary to make a good black and white copy before any at- tempt can be made to photo- graph it on Cine Kodak film otherwise the picture will hardly be visible on the screen. This is generally a job for the pro- fessional photographer at least, as far as making the copy is concerned. As most of the camera lenses will not give sharp images of objects nearer than three or four feet from the camera it follows that for most of the pictures which one wishes to copy it is necessary to get a lens which will focus objects sharply when they are only 12 inches from the camera. Here again it is ab- solutely necessary to frame the picture in the camera gate itself as the finders are useless at such a short distance. When properly done, very ex- cellent results are obtained even from faded, yellow pictures. — Stanley A. Tompkins More Closeups T F you study the cinema- * tography involved in the mo- tion picture productions which you see at prices ranging from $4.40 to 10 cents, you will ob- serve that the professional pro- ducer long ago learned some- thing that the amateur seems less quick to seize upon. It is the value of closeups. You can't have too many closeups in your home motion picture productions, whether they be travel pictures, domestic scenes, or productions which you have planned and filmed with great effort and care. They make a picture infinitely more personal — infinitely more inter- esting— than a lot of unbroken, full view shots. What is more, closeups give the film a profes- sional touch. Your camera may need a slight and comparatively uncostly adjustment so that it may be focussed for these close- ups but you will find such ad- justments well worth while. Stories— Not Specimens \ A AKE your movies move *■* 1 wjth interest. Put your family and friends in story form. Do not film them in a thousand and one disconnected poses and then store them away like canned specimens. Recently a number of successful attempts have been made by amateurs to photograph somewhat lengthy productions. These were, as a rule, taken for public presentation bv some movie club or to raise funds for some charity. Aside from these productions and the filming of particular Eleven business operations or the hob- bies of the individual, the usual field of the amateur cinema- tographer seems to be home and travel pictures. But let any group of good friends film a few possible situations — splice to- gether in proper sequence and scenario form and the results are amazmsr. -Kenneth E. Nettleton W anted ONE of the things we am- ateurs need is a means for fading down at the finish of a scene and fading up into the next scene. We also need it between the ends of our titles and the beginning of the fol- lowing scene. We can some- times manage to get a little fade effect from the titles we get from Kodak, but as they are not intended as fade-outs, and are purely accidental, it is only by chance that we get good fade effects. Some of these have a tendency to give the effect that the title is on a board and it falls backward in its fade out. The vignette device on the camera to give fade down when we take the picture does not meet the case. It is entirely satisfactory where the tripod is used, and conditions are such that a formal set-up can be made. Most of us amateurs work under conditions that do not permit elaborate prepara- tion before the exposure is made. In the majority of cases, we either must, or we prefer, to simply pick up the camera and "shoot". But when a 400 foot reel has been assembled out of selected good scenes, such as in films represented by, "Our Yachting Cruise," "Our Canadian Motor Tour," "Beauty Spots in New Eng- land," etc., etc., we encounter the great need of something to avoid the harsh jump from one scene into the next. It is not pleasing to the eye, and it is not artistic, and it has a very marked effect in obscuring the beauty of scenes which are really worth a better presenta- Twelve tion than being suddenly snap- ped onto the screen and snapped off. The fade-down and -up must be accomplished by something we put on the film after we have edited it. This is necessary be- cause the last few frames of a scene are always bad on ac- count of the unavoidable wob- bling of the camera when we lift our finger off the camera to stop it. The first frame or two of the next are also liable to be defective. Both must be cut out in the editing. Therefore, the necessity for being able to edit and splice in, add scenes and subtract them, and yet be able always to put in a fade out. Possibly an automatic vignette device might do. One way is to ink over two frames at the splice and then shade off both ways for four or five frames each side of the splice with a camel's hair brush. But this requires great skill, to get a smooth effect. It is al- most impossible. It is very difficult indeed to avoid a mot- tled looking fade down. Fur- thermore, in 400 feet of film where there may be from 80 to 100 different scenes, there are too many fade outs to paint by hand, and it becomes entirely too much labor. If, on the other hand, we could buy a thin bit of film or something which was black in the middle and tapered off to transparency at each end, and could be pasted on our film at the splice between scenes, we would have the problem solved — provided, of course it would run through our projectors satisfactorily. Here is a great opportunity for the manufacturers to pro- vide an accessory. We ama- teurs would buy hundreds and thousands of these little fade- outs if they were practical and moderate in price. About Splicing FINDING the correct place at which to splice the film for titles is as essential for truly satisfactory results as any other phase of amateur cine- matography. When you are looking for a place to splice titles into your film, first pro- ject the film. As soon as the scene which you wish to title begins, throw out the clutch on the projector and stop the film. Notch the edge of the film where the title is to be spliced, preferably with a small pair of scissors with blunt ends. That procedure can be followed un- til the whole film has been reeled. When the film has been re- wound— and to do this work expeditiously, one should have a combination rewind and splicer — one may run it off slowly, with the edges running lightly through the thumb and forefinger. As a notch passes through the finger, stop it and splice in a title. Have the titles so arranged that the work can be done quickly. Occasionally you may have difficulty in splicing the films so that the pictures appear with their right side up when they are projected on the screen. WHEN you begin to splice several films together, start with the one which you want to project first and run the first part on a large 400-foot reel with the top of the picture to- ward the right hand and the emulsion or dull side upper- most. When the first scene or scenes are all on the reel and the end is cut for the splice, the last full frame will have its bottom toward the left hand. Splice the top or "head" of the next scene to the bottom or "tail" of the preceding scene, making sure that the dull side of the film is uppermost in both cases. By always splicing "heads" to "tails" the film will be all right side up when pro- jected. If a film has not been re- wound the bottoms of the two pictures will come together, in- dicating immediately that the succeeding portion of the film must be rewound before splic- ing. By splicing "heads" to "tails" you eliminate any reference to the action to furnish a guide ; (Continued on page 30) The TOWER of The DEAD How An Amateur First Filmed A Cremation In Bali By Myron Zobel 1WAS filming a cock-fight on the little island of Bali, there in the Java Sea. It was the exact and thrilling moment when the winning bird was about to strike home with its cruel and winning spur. Suddenly my Balinese guide came rushing forward and touched me on the arm. "Master!" he exclaimed in breathless, broken English. "Five dead men make finish just now." A Balinese cremation ! Some- thing which had never before been recorded upon motion pic- ture film, a ceremony so rare that it can be seen only in the hithermost ends of the earth and then only by him upon Dame Fortune is forever beaming. "How fashion you savee?" I inquired, without turning my head, for, rare as the sight may be, I had no intention of losing the climax of the cock-fight until I had been assured there was some grounds for the guide's ex- citement. "Orang Blanda have talkee me !" The White Man had told him ! That was good enough for me. There are so few Orang Blanda on the tiny island just east of Java that one is confident they speak the truth to one another. That meant there was no time to be wasted. I seized my cam- era, threw a half dozen rolls of film into a car, and dashed off for the cremation ceremonies. So hectic is the movement, so dramatic the rush and sway of Copyright by Myron Zobel The Tower of The Dead mud-stained bodies, and so phre- netic is the ecstasy of the friends of the deceased, no standard camera with tripod and equip- ment could possibly be brought into action in time to catch the thrilling mob. NO set-up of heavy gear and tackle could record any- thing but a fleeting glimpse of a panorama so shifting. But with my little movie camera which I held in my hand, focused with a glance of the eye and cranked with a press of the button, I was able to follow every twist and turn of the ceremony with ease. I stood before the House of the Dead, with its five white lanterns as the symbol of death, and "shot" the five shrouded bodies as they issued forth on the shoulders of half-naked, screaming youths. The pallbearers tore this way and that, now splashing through mud, and now rushing through tropical underbrush. They swung and circled and crossed and recrossed their tracks. It was an effort to deceive the de- parting soul in order that it might never return to plague the village or the friends whom they had left behind. And now, midst the bursting of firecrackers and exultant yells, came the Tower of the Dead. The huge structure was covered with tinsel paper and gaudy ornaments. It towered thirty feet into the air and sway- ed like a chip on the brawny shoulders that bore it. In a topmost niche of the Tower re- posed the five bodies, now head- ed for the funeral pyre. This tower swept by me like a mighty Juggernaut and with my camera still grinding merrily in my hands I leaped behind the shelter of the trees in order to avoid being ground underfoot by the excited pallbearers. I feared secretly that they might take offense, or find some evil magic in the little black box which I pointed so steadily in their direc- tion. Might not mine be added to the already large pile of bodies in the top of that decorat- ed hearse? I shuddered at the thought. My fears were soon stayed and I saw that quite to the con- trary were the emotions inspired T h i r t e e n by my amateur movie camera. The Balinese, with the natural love of ostentation and display which is inherent in every native breast, actually doted on the im- pression they were making upon the white man. And they figur- ed— not incorrectly — that the box in my hand was just an- other admiring eye. So they preened themselves and posed for me. The Tower of the Dead was dragged up and down the road before my lens in order to enable me to photograph it from every possible angle. They gave me time to run ahead of them down the road and catch a "shot" of them as they came prancing toward me. And when the funeral pyre at last was reached, the priest him- self invited me to sit upon the altar steps and from that spot of vantage I photographed the ceremony. Long lines of girls and women came bearing vessels of holy water upon their heads, or urns containing the sacred fire. The men at last set down the gilded Tower and rushed to the near- est stream to wash their sweat- ing naked bodies and cleanse themselves from the contamina- tion of death. Copyright by Myron Zobel A Cock-fight in Bali THE bodies were now handed down from the tower and carefully washed in holy water by the priest and sprinkled with flowers. I feared to look upon the ghastly remains but forced myself to do so. Nothing at all was visible but crumbled bones. For the bodies had been dead for months — saved up until a propitious day for burning and until a time when sufficient dead should have accumulated to jointly bear the high cost of cremations. Copyright by Myron Zobel Five Dead Men Make Finish" At last after long and mystic blessings by the priest, the holy fire was touched to the little structure that bore the bodies. So dramatic had the spectacle now become and so intense was my desire to film every bit of it that I leaned too far out of my precarious scaffold and plunged headlong to the ground. I was saved from injury, and my cam- era and film from destruction, by the prompt action of the na- tives below the altar who rushed forward and caught me — just in the nick of time. It was growing dark and only the flames which now lapped eagerly up the tower and along the little funeral pyre that bore the bodies enabled me, in the failing light, to record the final passage of the cremation. But eventually the last spurt of fire flashed heavenward and the flimsy structure of paper and bamboo crashed crackling to the ground. Tired and dirty, with torn clothes and bruised body, I sank back into the seat of the auto- mobile. The family and friends of the deceased would wait all night about the smouldering fires so that the last ashes of their be- loved could be scattered next morning on the waters of the nearby stream. (Continued on page 28) Fourteen SWAPS Our Amateur Film Exchange AMATEUR FILMS AVAILABLE FOR EXCHANGE Ofie of the chief functions of the Amateur Cinema League is to establish a safe and workable amateur film exchange. This will not be undertaken until a procedure has been worked in such a fashion as to insure absolutely safe transportation and return of valuable films. The League desires to have a list of films which their owners are willing to exchange under condi- tions of absolute safety. Will you not send such a list to the editor of AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS as soon as possible? Below are listed a few films and their owners : NAME: George R. Lafleur ADDRESS : St. Petersburg, Fla. Miscellaneous Family and Travel Scenes — 1,400 feet "and all good." NAME: Dr. Charles W. Beth- une. ADDRESS: 520 Franklin St., Buffalo, N. Y. Scenic, Western New York — Niagara Falls, trip through Niagara Gorge, Letchworth Park, Williamsville Glen, etc. 400 feet. Watkins Glen and Panama Rocks, also Lake Cha- taqua, 400 feet. Medical Films — Karyokenesis (indirect cell inversion), Ehr- lich Slide Chain theory and in- flammation. Animated draw- ings, about 300 feet. Also a number of films which might be loaned to physicians and medical societies interested in specific diseases. There are approximately 1,900 feet of these, 800 of which are still in preparation. NAME ; William F. Collins. ADDRESS : Indianapolis, Ind. Deep Sea Fishing — Three reels of pictures taken in the province of Nova Scotia, which will be a nucleus for later additions of the same sub- ject. The reels are not yet complete in themselves, but will be complete within a short time. 1,200 feet. NAME: W. R. C. Corson. ADDRESS : 127 Oxford St., Hartford. Conn. Trip to Bermuda — Shows scenes on ship and on island including St. George. Hamilton, Sea Gardens, beaches etc. 350 ft., one reel. Through Holland by Motor Boat — Shows canals, rivers, bridges and people and such places as Rotterdam. Dordrecht, Middle- burg, Delft. The Hague, Lez- den, Alkmaar and Amsterdam. 1200 ft., three reels. Auto Trip in France — Shows Paris, the Cevenne Mountain region to Carcassonne and the Pyrenees region to Paw and return to Paris via Bordeaux. 1200 ft., three reels. XAME: Miram Percy Maxim. ADDRESS: Capitol Bldg., Hart- ford, Conn. Fishing Trip — A canoe trip throusrh the Moose River Country from Jackman, Me., 800 ft., two reels. Development of An Old Farm- house Into a Country Home — A record of the development of an old farm house in Lyme, Conn. 400 ft., one reel. Field Day, 1925, at Dobbs— Field day at The Masters School. Dobbs Ferry, N. Y. 400 ft., one reel. European Trip — The record of a trip to Paris and London, 1925. 1200 ft., three reels. Miscellaneous Family Scenes — Includes a trip to Eastern Shore, Maryland. 400 ft., one reel. "Mag the Hag" — A play by three Dobbs Girls. Taken early in history of amateur cinematography and a very funny example of early at- tempts at amateur photo plays. 400 ft., one reel. Miscellaneous Family Scenes — Including some good diving pictures. 400 ft., one reel. Winter in Connecticut — A series of winter scenes in various parts of Connecticut. 400 ft., one reel. Miscellaneous Family Scenes — ■ Taken at a country place in Lyme, Conn. 400 ft., one reel. Automobile Trip — Includes trip from Hartford to Maryland Eastern Shore, Washington, D. C. and compares road signs of different States. 800 ft., two reels. Log of the "Sea Gull" — A motor boating picture, with scenes at start of Bermuda Race, Harvard-Yale boat races, around New London and Long Island Sound. 800 ft., two reels. A SUGGESTION To the Editor of Amateur Movie Makers : I note that one of the objects of the League will be to estab- lish an amateur film exchange, so that one member may project (Continued on page 26) Fifteen :- -., J TROUBLE - - Don't Hang up Tour Fil m MAKE up your mind in the beginning that you are going to have trouble whenever you under- take to give an exhibition be- fore an audience of more than eleven persons. Eleven is the critical number. If the audience is less than eleven, nothing ever happens. If it is eleven or more, something always hap- pens. We had a cinema party at our house the other day in order that my wife might show the wives of certain neighbor- ing amateurs that her husband could put it all over the rest of the husbands when it came to taking motion pictures. My collection of films was dis- cussed at length one evening at dinner, and we decided what films would make the best pro- gram. Incidentally, I was flat- tered to the glowing point at discovering that my always dis- cerning but sometimes critical better-half was quite favorably impressed' with my cinema technique. The films to be shown were selected and the evening set. Twenty-five peo- ple were to be invited — con- siderably more than eleven. Of course, I thought of sev- eral million different things that I wanted to do to my films. I knew those films very thoroughly and all their de- fects, and I hungered to cut out the over long shots, the obvi- ously over-exposed bits, and to put in those better titles of which I had been thinking for some time. As we all do under similar circumstances I set my- self to the job of making all of these changes, gave up several important matters — business and social — and worked every evening from then until the date of the party. The new titles came in the nick of time as they always do and by the time I had them all spliced in I was be- ginning to acquire a fed-up S i x t e e n By Dr. Kinema feeling in regard to amateur cinematography. The evening arrived and be- fore we knew it the house was over run with people. The question of where twenty-five people were to sit — in our liv- ing room — occupied half an hour of very loud conversation. The entire house was ransacked for chairs. The stout lady who had taken up a position some three feet distance from, and directly in front of the project- or lens was induced to move over, and the pictures were started. THE first picture was a series of shots of friends and neigh- bors which I had strung toget- her on a continuity idea that was about as thin as a piece of tissue paper. Everyone pres- ent knew everyone shown on the screen. Most of those shown on the screen were ac- tually sitting in the audience. For the benefit of those ama- teurs who have not yet reached the stage where they give ex- hibitions, let me state that this kind of a picture is always a complete knockout. If an ex- hibition is to start with a rush, show a picture of friends and neighbors of said friends and neighbors. It throws everyone into hysterics, and no matter what comes later, the evening is a howling success. Inside of twenty seconds my audience reached the squealing stage. The ladies did most of the squealing. Mrs. Jones, and Mrs. Smith were shown entering a scene and seating themselves in chairs. The dear ladies in the audience almost went off the handle at the spectacle. I wonder why we regard a friend's appearance on the screen so hilariously funny? Certainly Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Smith did not intend to be fun- ny. Walking up to a chair and sitting in it in quite an ordin- ary manner is hardly an action that can be considered comic. But we amateurs go off into gales of laughter over it, IF we know the people. Well, my first film left them all weak and moist, and my wife and I exchanged glances of elation. Film No. 2 was an- other with a lot of local color, and it was going big when I felt something move across one of my feet. Every experienced amateur knows what this means. My suspicions were a- roused instantly. It was very dark but one glance was enough to disclose the interesting fact that there was a heap of film on the floor about the size of a barrel. The little spring wire belt on the lower wind up wheel of my projector had broken. What to do? What to do? Twenty- five people present, and all of them having a wonderful time and the belt on the projector broken ! I remembered that the reels have a little V groove in one of the round holes in the side, and that this is inside the cen- tral hub. If I could find this little V slot and get a lead pen- cil into it, I thought I might be able to crank the reel and wind up the film. I poked around in the dark and found the hole, and start- ed cranking. By the time the reel ran out I had all but about ten feet of the film re-wound, and I got this wound up before anyone noticed that anything was the matter. Examination of the projector disclosed the interesting fact that the lower belt had departed for parts un- known. Next morning I found it on the floor on the other side of the room. THE next reel was a collec- tion of landscapes which I expected would knock everyone flat. I had spent hours in ar- ranging this particular film for this occasion. I threaded it (Continued on page 29) "The Thrillproof Age" An Amateur Presentation at New Haven APPREHENSIONS of the staid editorial writers of the New York Herald Tribune to the contrary not- withstanding, practically none of the fourteen ladies and gentle- men— and you had to be either one before they would even con- sider you as a prospect — whose names will go down through the ages as the cast of "The Thrill- proof Age" is going to Holly- wood with any of those six reels "neatly bound around with blue ribbon and sealed . . . with the plaudits of the folks at home." Not that there weren't enough plaudits forthcoming from the rioters who stormed the Lawn Club at New Haven on the night of December 4 in order to be the first to see the six-reel thrill- er ! And not that Yale Univers- ity has a monopoly on blue rib- bon in the state of Connecticut. They all simply came to the con- clusion that Hollywood, compar- ed with New Haven, offered practically nothing in the way of advancement — what with every body being so respectable and all. The Vamping Scene By Kenneth E. Nettleton Furthermore, Hollywood can boast of no club which will com- pare with the Motion Picture Club of New Haven, now in the process of formation. Great oaks, such as that club will, from little acorns, like the story of the merry widow and her sev- en suitors which eight home movie fans of New Haven film- ed last winter, take their growth. Of course there were a few intermediate stages in the de- velopment of the oak such as "The Thrillproof Age." "The Thrillproof Age" was filmed last August, September and October at odd moments — as odd as married business men and married women with dishes and children to wash would neces- sarily require. The story is about three flappers who think they are thrillproof. ' I 'HE first scene was laid in an * exclusive summer hotel. To get the proper degree of exclu- siveness a private home with very large grounds was appropri- ated. And in the next scene, when the flappers drove off to an inn in Maine, they really only went to Cheshire, Conn. It was there that three young bachelors decided to give them a thrill and attack the inn with two veteran guides of the Maine woods. It was perhaps a little unfor- tunate that the planned onslaught came at the precise moment when two rum runners from the Canadian border sought to set- tle some minor differences with the innkeeper, giving force to their arguments with lead. Nev- ertheless the pandemonium which followed gave everybody a chance to run in and out of a lot of doors and jump out of a lot of windows. Following what might be termed a general ex- odus came a general disappear- ance in the woods, in which practically everybody got lost. All of which takes only a few paragraphs to tell but sixteen hundred feet to film, what with eighty-six art titles, titles and sub-titles, and scenes which were taken months before the filming began and which were spliced in to great advantage. "T)EOPLE have asked what dif- ■*■ ficulties were encountered in the filming of "The Thrillproof Age." That's a story in itself. Inasmuch as the picture was pro- duced primarily for the amuse- ment of the players and with no fixed scenario to follow, it was not obvious at first that there would be any difficulties at all. The plot having been built up around the players and the loca- tions which were available, it didn't even seem that there would be the usual problems of finding talent and locations. Nevertheless as enthusiasm spread and more people began clamoring for parts, the players' {Continued on page 31) Thrillproof? Seventeen Gillette "By Sports Like These An With The Little Movie Beguilement Bi Eighteen Gillette •■■ t ______ mmuwu. bLji HH| k 1 _ J 1 ''f? '.%*-* ,.>- — . - • ' 1 ^^gfc> __Lr*i_^._ 4// 77^/r C^r^ Beguil'd; )) Gillette Gillette imera, However, Their nes Permanent Gillette Nineteen a By Sports Like These An All Their Cares Beguil'd;" With The Little Movie Camera, However, Their Beguilement Becomes Permanent Nineteen Eighteen PAR SHOOTING! THIS article was to have been a technical thesis — one of those erudite expositions of advanced cinematography. Such an article simply would not write itself, nor indeed would it allow itself to be written — that is, not by me. I have been trying for months to describe, in worka- day language, not only the fundamentals upon which the success of presentable pictures depends but also the unusual devices, and methods which make possible truly profession- al results. This article is for the consumption, then, of him who has reached that stage in his career as an amateur cin- ematographer when he is about to film his Super-Special, All- Star Production. Statistics prove that everyone reaches it — usually after the second roll of film has been exposed and one has come to regard himself as a camera-man of no little talent. Presuming that at least two rolls have been used, I suppose it can be taken for granted that the reader has assimilated the fundamentals of motion picture photography — correct ex- posure, steadiness and length of scenes. But as for the pic- ture which you intend to ex- hibit with the preface : "Look, friends, this is what I have ac- complished with my little movie camera !" CONTINUITY is the first step to be considered, whether you are taking pic- tures around the house, record- ing a vacation trip, or filming a home-made play. To get continuity you must have a definite idea of the story your picture is to tell. Put the story down, either in the form of a scenario or a working chart of titles. This chart need not be exact, but it will save a great deal of unnecessary cut- ting later as well as help to economize on film. Twenty B$ Margaret Hutcheson Now for the actual filming of the picture. If any of the scenes are to be interiors, you will need two good lights. Choose the Maz- da type that plug into any or- dinary electric light socket, for that eliminates changing fuses. Then mark off a definite space for your scene of action and explain the boundaries to your actors so that they will not get out of the range of the camera. For the outside shots, if pos- sible, choose a bright, sunny day and film your scenes in the shade, thereby avoiding glare and halation from any white objects that may appear in the picture. Right here is the place you can raise your production to the professional class by care- ful consideration of two very important details — composition and background. Volumes have been written on the form- er subject, so it would be futile to elaborate on it in these pages. Suffice it to say that a little artistry in arranging scenes and grouping subjects is absolutely essential in a fin- ished production. The choice of suitable backgrounds will give your pictures that pleas- ing stereoscopic effect in which foreground objects stand out so clearly. This is accomplished by selecting a background that contrasts in color and appear- ance with the principal object to be photographed. In filming a group of people in light sports clothes, for- instance, it would be advisable to choose a background of trees, while a close-up of a very dark bru- nette would show to best ad- vantage against a light grey or blue wall. Mechanical smoothness may be obtained by the use of the new iris vignetter. With it you can fade out from one scene and fade into the next. Irising out from titles also adds to the pro- fessional quality for it eliminates the jerkiness which has always been so objectionable. ' I '1TLES, which you have *■ made personally or have ord- ered, are cut into the film after the processed film has been re- turned from the laboratory and you have completed your first feverish inspection. This is the time to make whatever changes are necessary in the continuity, cutting out all defective footage. Use a straight splice for this work to insure a minimum of flashing. Each reel should be headed with a superimposed art title. If these mechanical details seem tedious, seek a dealer who should do it for you at small cost. Naturally you will want to preserve for posterity so worthy a production. You can do this by saving the original as a master film and having a dupli- cate made for projection. This duplicate may be finished in plain black and white or, if the film is one suited to color, really marvelous effects may be obtain- ed by tinting or toning. Toning means coloring the shadows and leaving the highlights white, while tinting means coloring the entire film. It is, of course, pos- sible to use several different col- ors in the same reel. Finally the picture is complet- ed and you admit to yourself that it is a world-beater. The family and friends are gathered for the premiere. You mount the rostrum of your own hearth to deliver the conventional cur- tain speech. For half an hour you tell of your early struggles, the uphill climb, the impossible barriers and the multitudinous problems which confronted you in producing this, your first pro- fessional home movie. At last the lights go out. Pro- jection proceeds amid exclama- tions of delight and commenda- tion. From the ladies, "Such artistry!" From the gentlemen, "Par shooting!" From yourself, "Not so bad at all!" They Tell THE STORY THERE may still be a few skeptics whose belief it is that the Amateur Cinema League had its origin in the great American habit of joining something. For their benefit and for that of the more char- itable, the following comments from every part of the United States are published. They came unsolicited. In the case of letters, they came accompanied by a membership application with checks rang- ing from five to one hundred dollars. Some came with money that not only was intended for membership charges but for the use of the League as it saw fit. They, indeed, tell the story bet- ter than any analysis of them could. The New York Herald Tri- bune, on its editorial page of December 4, said : Amateur Cinematography "When a pastime has become so popular as to warrant the publication of a magazine de- voted solely to its interests, it must be recognized as a factor in the life of the people. Such a pastime, or hobby, amateur mo- tion picture making has be- come, for the first number of "Amateur Movie Makers," a monthly magazine, published by the Amateur Cinema League has just appeared at Hartford, Conn. "One wonders. Harmless and delightful the new photo- graphy must at first seem to be. But will it, or will it not, stim- ulate the ambitions of thou- sands of young people to be- come professionals of the screen? It can be argued, of course, that it will act as a safety valve to such aspirations. The young person, especially the young female person, who feels the Hollywood urge may be satisfied, or even disillu- sioned, by starring in the homemade film. But alas! we are confronted by a deadly an- alogy. Does a young person aspire to write or paint, and does he produce a story or pic- ture admired by devoted rela- tives and friends? Promptly he puts the precious work in his suitcase and sets out for a center of literature and art to win the fame for which he is obviously destined. Will Holly- wood soon be besieged by fresh thousands of young per- sons, most of them young fe- male persons, each bearing a reel of amateur film neatly bound around with blue ribbon and sealed, figuratively speak- ing, with the plaudits of the folks at home? "Well, there is no stopping the spread of the new picture taking and no doubt it will do more good than harm. But we urge upon the older relatives and friends of young persons who begin to experiment with amateur cinematography that they become at once the sever- est critics as well as dearest pals of the youthful actors and actresses." WRITING from Dublin. Ire- land, Clifton Adams, official photographer for the National Geographic Magazine, said : "I am just now finishing a photo- graphic survey of Ireland. The article will be by a famous Irish novelist, Donn Byrne, and is scheduled for an early num- ber of The Magazine. I'm keenly interested in the A. C. L., and want to be an active member. Would you allow me to contribute still photographs for the League publication and perhaps short articles from time to time?" J. E. Brulatour of New York wrote: "I am very happy in- deed to be one of the original members of this organization, as I am very much interested, and know that it will attain tremendous scope and be of great benefit to amateur users of the motion picture camera." Carl Louis Gregory, editor of the Camera Magazine, said : "I have published an article re- garding the Amateur Cinema League in the Camera Mag- azine and expect to receive a large number of inquiries for particulars and membership ap- plications." CHARLES E. Bedeaux, who has just returned from six months trip through British Columbia, where he has been making moving pictures in parts hitherto unexplored, wrote: "I wish to call to your attention a serious need for a service in con- nection with amateur cinematog- raphy which at present is not ex- isting. I refer to the editing of films after they have been devel- oped. I am convinced that the average user of amateur moving pictures is deprived of his full enjoyment of his films and is at times guilty of boring his friends because his films are not properly edited with suit- able titles." J. D. Barnum, publisher of the Syracuse, N. Y. Post Stand- ard, wrote : "May I express the belief that a great work can be done by your organization if you will make an appeal to your members to send in films of all kinds of outdoor life. Many owners of small movie camera have been taking pictures on their outing in Europe and world trips and such material properly edited will afford bet- ter films for the average house- hold than the material that is now being released through the established libraries of profes- sional films. "Another distinctive service to build up would be to solicit your members for films of big events in their territory, to be incorporated in a weekly or monthly sport news film. It would be impossible to re- produce extracts from all the letters which have been re- ceived. A few of the others who wrote were : Calbot Field of Hope, Arkansas ; Harry C AVilson of Memphis, Tenn. ; Frieda Kalb of Beverly Hills. (Continued on page 32) T w e n t v - o n e z — Twenty-two wmmmmmm Concerning AMATEURS Ecclesiastic B EST of all do we like the story of the prosperous mid-western city that had reached that stage in its civiliza- tion where no further progress could be made without a magnifi- cent church — a fitting edifice in which its citizenry might gather to pay thanks to God for His many benedictions. That this church might be truly expressive of its cultural advance, it was decided that a selection should be made — not from one of the great churches of Europe but from them all. Accordingly its pastor was dispatched straight- way to foreign shores with a home movie camera that he might film the leading cathedrals of the Old World. He returned with them this fall and had them projected before the vestrymen of his church and the prominent architects of the city. The film was projected again and again and finally plans were drawn that combined, in the words of the late Frank A. Munsey, "the best features of each." Cine-portraits THE American descendants of a very distinguished English gentleman came recently to the conclusion that it would be a very handsome and significant gesture to their proud progenitor were his portrait to hang from a conspicuous place in their home. Many of the leading por- trait painters were consulted but each agreed that portraits made from photographs were rarely satisfactory. They seemed to lack that indefinable something which gives a portrait an atmos- phere of the living. Then came a bright young man with the suggestion that possibly from a motion picture a portrait might be painted which would counterfeit the painting made from life. An amateur camera was purchased, the English ancestor was filmed by one of the family who had gone to Great Britain for the summer, and the portrait, we are told, has been most pleasingly completed. Those Family Scenes P RESERVE those family *■ group films — the ones you made last summer showing you and the family splashing happily in cool brooks, the ones you are making these winter nights as you cluster before flaming hearths. They may save you thousands of dollars in alimony. Justice May ordered the Su- preme Court of Brooklyn dark- ened recently that a young Brooklyn dentist might flash on a portable screen which he had brought as part of his defense films which he contended proved the absurdity of his wife's charges of cruelty. For half an hour Justice May sat in silence watching movies the dentist and his friends had made showing him and his wife basking con- tentedly in summer suns. And when it was all over, the learn- ed justice could not help but ex- press the opinion that motion pictures might be very valuable in legal entanglements, particu- larly as they helped to revive the past. More Royalty FROM Berlin comes the news that another royal family has joined the ranks of the amateur cinematographers. Princes Her- mine, second wife of the former Kaiser, has formed a company with her five children — children of a former marriage — and is making movies for the enter- tainment of the exclusive little exile villa at Doom. She is ap- parently her own press agent. She reports that the one-time dictator of Germany occasionally takes a part, stellar or inconse- quential, as the occasion may de- mand. Field Marshal Von Mackensen, the first outside critic to have seen the produc- tion, is reported to have been carried away with enthusiasm. More press-agentry, no doubt, but nevertheless those with an eve to business in these parts have been heard to whisper that five or six reels of these films, released for the public's gaze, might make some enterprising producer a pretty fortune. Ship Ahoy! /"AN the Resolute, which sails ^S from New York on its around-the-world cruise on Janu- ary 6, will be the first marine motion picture club which has come to this department's atten- tion. To its members Paul F. Johnson of Altadena, California will show his latest method of getting effective titles. He makes a double exposure, first of a view such as the mountains, very much under-exposed, and then one of the title board, at normal or somewhat less exposure. He has made one title that way. Quoting his son as authority, he says "it looks like a million dollars." In Orange THE Motion Picture Club of of the Oranges producers of "Love by Proxy," has begun film- ing it second production which will be shown in Orange some time this month. This year's pro- duction will be made on 35 m/m stock, but test films, screen tests and experimental titles are first tried on 16 m/m film. Work has been begun on a Club film library which will contain sub- jects on both standard and sub- standard film, including news Twe n t y -three events, scenics, sport pictorials and feature films — all made ex- clusively for the club by its members. New officers of the club have been elected. Marshal Schueler is president ; Alfred Fontana, Vice-President and Treasurer ; Mrs. Mildred Bernard, Secre- tary; Eugene W. Ragsdale and Russell Erwin, Production Staff. Talking Home Movies WH. BRISTOL declares • that in Waterbury, Conn, he has a means of making the characters in a home movie film speak for themselves, with the sounds coming directly from the lips of the performer. Of which this department hopes to hear more anon ! Poetry SO far as this department is aware, Walter D. Kerst of Jersey City, N. J., is the first ama- teur to photo-dramatize poetry. He has made one short subject based on Joyce Kilmer's poem, "Trees," and attempted to syn- cronize it with Rasbach's musical score of the poem. He has also been experimenting with the tint- ing and toning of film. "Of course," he writes, "one can always attach a revolving disc of colored gelatine sheets in front of the projector or lens, but the effect is, at least in my case, not as good as when the film is colored. "For example, in editing my last vacation film, there was a sequence I wished to use show- ing a pony trail trip in the mountains from early morning until night, with a final shot of a majestic, snow-capped moun- tain peak with the alpenglow — that beautiful, indescribable tint of rose color, just before the sun sets — on its snowy hood. Of course, with fitting exposure, one would get over to his audi- ence a feeling of the progression of the day from morn till night, even if the film were left black and white throughout. But think of a sunrise suffused with a delicate pink glow, and as we near noon time, feel the brilliant yellowish glare of the sun as it beats down from directly over- head ; then, late afternoon, with the shadows lengthening and turning to a delicate violet ; then, just before sunset, the shadows deep blue and the high-lights a delicate rose; and finally the deep blue-black of night. "Last year I had an iris dia- phragm and color filter holder made for my camera. I find the circling in and out effect invalu- able, as it does not make the change from scene to scene so jumpy and abrupt. Speaking briefly of orthochromatism, the present 16 m/m. film, due to its lack of color-rendering ability loses many beautiful sky and cloud effects, and hence, certain color filters are a great help." Eddie Cantor "Snoots" Raymond Griffith And \ TOT the least enthusiastic of ■*■ ^ the little movie fans is Al Jolson. He has bought an ama- teur movie camera and is one of the heaviest consumers. Fan- nie Hurst, finding, perhaps, that her impressions are all too myriad to be released on paper alone, has taken to making home movies. England Again JOHN E. MITCHELL of The New York World's Lon- don Bureau seems slightly cyni- cal about amateur cinema- tography. Writing to the dra- matic editor of a New York newspaper, he said : "You don't happen to know, do you, what is delaying the little movie movement? It is long overdue. Now that Mrs. Coolidge is making her own movies, can spring be far be- hind ? Here is the real oppor - t unity of the little theatre people. "The initial cost of the movie camera is admittedly a long step, but what with this prosperity we've been hearing about I should think even the Elm Street M. E. Social Guild could make it. And an amateur mo- tion picture camera doesn't mean much frozen capital, for cameras 7 wen I y -four can always be readily hocked, and second hand they bring very good prices. "Then there's the lighting. But the simple solution of that is to take all your pictures out of doors on bright days until you are ready to invest in Kleig lamps. "The advantages of the ama- teur motion picture over ama- teur theatricals are obvious. In the first place, no one will for- get his or her lines on the open- ing night. There won't be any lines, and, furthermore, the movie will represent the best of the . rehearsals. The first night of a little theatre is usually far worse than the worst rehearsal. "The movie can be shown as many times as relatives and for- mer friends can be dragooned into seeing it, instead of merely on the nights when all the cast can be rounded up. "As for scenery, the little movie people can go as far as they like. "But mostly think of the psy- chotherapeutic value of a little movie movement on a Nation that has lost interest in being Mrs. Fiskes and Mr. Drews but wants very much to be Pola Negris and Douglas Fairbankses. What would a little movie move- ment have done for Merton? Nothing good, probably, but he would have had a nice time. "AND finally, think of ART. ■** You and I know what the Washington Square players have done for the theatre of New York. I've forgot exactly what it was they did, but it was very important, wasn't it? Who knows but what a Eugene O'Neill of the movies is waiting to revolutionize the Silent Drama through his daring ex- periments with a little movie? And who cares? Well, person- ally I don't, but maybe you do, seeing as how you have to go and look at the Silent Drama." To which the learned critic added: "To be right truthful about it, this notion strikes me as being about as silly a one that has come out of Fleet Street in months. Think what would befall the poor reviewer if little, privately made movies ever came In California T Olive Borden into vogue and were presented for public showings. As if the row is not hard enough to hoe already! If Mr. Mitchell clings to this perfectly insane obsession let him give expression to it in England, where nothing much matters in the movies anyway." As To Hollywood OWN your own theatre is the slogan in Hollywood, the Associated Press reports. Of- ficials of the big companies there are quoted as saying that fully two-thirds of the executive and personnel tal- ent own their own projection machines. Some have gone so far as to have small theatres built in their own homes. An- tonio Marino has a fully-equip- ped theatre in his house. He takes pictures not alone for fun but to study the technique of his make-up and acting. Marion Davies has two such theatres, one in her Beverly Hills home and one in Santa Monica. Others who are amateur as well as professional cinema magnates are Louis B. Mayer, producing head of the Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer studio, Fred Niblo, Mae Murray, Lillian Gish. Claire Windsor, Conrad Nagel. HE Motion Picture Club of San Diego, growing out of a benefit performance which Art F. Gaynes filmed last winter with the assistance of an ama- teur theatrical club, stands upon the brink of a great adventure — its first official film. The scen- ario has not yet been chosen but Mr. Gaynes is casting about for talent. Charity \ TOT even the usual Christ- *■ ^ mas charity drives were conducted this year without the amateur movie camera. From practically every city in the country have come reports that the little cameras were playing their part in the subscription of vast sums of money for every conceivable charity. ' Particularly useful were they found in tak- ing movies of impoverished fam- ilies so that the urgency of their needs might be more graphically impressed upon large groups of men and women. In Hartford, Conn, amateur movies were used to raise money for the Commun- ity Chest. Pictures were taken of Hartford's charity organiza- tions by a number of amateurs and the best films were consoli- dated in two films of 400 feet. These films have been offered to members of the League who want help in organizing drives of this sort. C Communication In building up a Family Al- bum of amateur motion pictures, I need a film showing the grave of my father, the late, Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim. His grave is in the cemetary at West Dulwich, London, England. If any ama- teur who happens to be in Lon- don, could make a 16 m.m. ex- posure of this grave for me, I would be very glad to pay the costs. — Hiram Percy Maxim, P. O. Box 2102. Hartford, Conn. Twenty-five Some SECRETS of SCREEN MAGIC By Dv^igkt R. Furness I F motion pictures were called "action pictures" their name would give the amateur movie maker more of a hint of the secret of screen dramatization. Motion is characterless. Action is the soul of drama. Motion the physicist can describe with formula and graph. Dramatic action involved a subtle analysis of human motives and emotions. The stage relies largely on the "lines" of the players. Diologue is reenforced with suitable ac- tion by the players. The plot un- folds both to the eye and the ear. The screen must tell its story to the eye alone, yet with such reality that the ear uncon- sciously interpolates its part. Action in drama is not alone the stage business of its charac- ters but the sum total of its theme. It is the slender thread that runs through the continuity and reveals through scenes, set- tings, characters, and titles the story the producer has to tell. To capture this elusive quality and lock it safely in the dancing silver grains of cine film, the producer must watch his scenes carefully. Backgrounds must be made to collaborate with the players. Settings can suggest the sunlit happiness of childhood, the full noon contrasts of matur- ity, or the lengthening shadows of old age. Locations should be selected with careful considera- tion of what is to take place be- fore them. COSTUMES, too, should suit action as well as the char- acter. Not that they should be obvious, but they should reveal through inconspicuous detail Twenty-six their contribution to the un- folding plot. The tobacco pouch tag hanging from a cowboy's shirt, the carefully folded hand- kerchief protruding from the dandy's pocket, the knitting in the grandmother's lap are the touches that unconsciously con- tribute to the general ensemble of a costume. The amateur producer will be fortunate if his photographic ex- perience includes a knowledge of pictorial composition such as the preparation of prints for exhibi- tion calls for. To the uninitiated the arrangement of a picture may not be satisfying yet the reason not apparent. The ama- teur pictorialist can analyze de- fects of composition and find remedies for them — an experi- ence that will stand him in good stead in the filming of the scenes for his screen drama. Monotony of action is sure to doom the cine story to medioc- rity. David Wark Griffith has pointed out the importance of the tempo in screen dramatiza- tion and coined for cinema term- inology the word "pace" to de- scribe the speed with which ac- tion moves along. It is through this secret of screen .magic that the producer controls the pulse beat of his audience. THE pace of a motion picture, as might be expected, reveals itself in the cutting room. Com- edies in which the action is brisk will have many short scenes — some mere flashes that keep the light changers on auto- matic printers clicking at a live- ly rate. Love scenes, abetted by fade ins and fade outs, move at a more leisurely pace. Lest what has been said make the reader feel that producing an amateur drama is too seri- ous a task, let him remember that amateur rank carries with it full liberty for self expression. His ideals are unhampered by the restrictions of "what the public wants," which the box office hangs over the profession- al producers head. So, if in his production the amateur movie maker seeks har- mony between action and setting, correlation between player and background, pleasing composi- tion, flawless costuming, it is for his own satisfaction when his drama or story is retold to his friend on the silver screen. SWAPS (Continued from page 15) and show films taken by an- other. My reason for writing this letter is to suggest a some- what different, additional, serv- ice which the League could rend- er to its members : This is the lending of films, not merely for showing purposes, but so that duplicates may be made of a fellow-member's film, to fill in and complete one's own pictures. One or two examples may make clearer my meaning : a) A member, let us say makes a camping trip in one of the National Parks, and takes several hundred feet of pictures of his party in camp, on the trail, and of the scenery which they see. Lack of film, a bad storm or some other cause pre- vents his getting any pictures of the scenery along one or two days' trails, leaving a gap in what can otherwise be edited into an interesting and complete record of the trip. Thru the League, he might borrow a film taken by some other member who visited the same Park, have a duplicate printed of that part of the film: which covers the section which he missed, splice it into his own film — and the gap is filled! b) A member visits some important athletic contest — say, the Yale-Harvard football game; and takes movies of the game. Thru the League, he might bor- (Conclnded on next page) AROUND THE WORLD (Concluded from page 8) tourist. In fact, if you weary of carrying your little movie cam- era, you can safely approach the nearest officer and ask him to carry it for you. Remember, in the Near East, one just does not take pictures in the mosques. In Morocco, you will probably not succeed in get- ting near any of the holy places, let alone in taking movies in them. In Cairo they have no objection to your taking pictures in the yard, but not inside. You will be ejected if you attempt it, and the manner of your ejection may be exceedingly discomforting. REGARDING supplies, you ■*■*' will find in your film box a list of places where you can purchase film supplies. You can have your film developed in any of these places, as well. If you are on a cruise, you will not have a chance of getting these films de- veloped before you leave the town in which you take them to the plant. It takes nearly ten days for them to develop your roll. Consequently, hang on to your film until you return, or have it sent to your last point of call on the Continent or England. Films that cost $6 in the United States cost anywhere from $7 to $9 abroad. If you have the facilities, then, it pays to buy as much film as you can here before you leave. They will pack the film in tins, sealed with adhesive tape, for use in the tropics at an additional cost of 15 cents a roll. You can take films so packed anywhere in the world. If you expose them in the tropics, however, don't put them back in the cans. Have them developed at the nearest station and sent to you at some point of call. But remember — the thing that is interesting about foreign coun- tries is the thing that is differ- ent from home. And the thing that is interesting about a mov- ing picture is that it shows mo- tion ! SWAPS (Continued from page 26) row a number of telephoto views, taken by some other mem- ber of a number of the most in- teresting plays, have duplicates made, and fit these into his own picture, thus making it twice as interesting ; while some of his own long shots might be equally useful to the maker of the close- ups. I believe the above will suffice as examples, to make clear what I have in mind ; and would sug- gest that the League add some such service to its program. — Alfred L. Jaros, Jr. CHAMPIONS IN 18 HOLES (Continued from page 10) where Gardner is. The man tells him Gardner has gone. Phil looks at his watch and shakes his head. Title: There Isn't Another Train. Phil Decides to Take a Chance on Driving to Portland With the C. P. Scene 46. Medium shot. Near the entrance of the hotel. Phil is arguing with a friend of his to drive him over to Portland. They finally start off. Fade into next scene. Scene 47. Medium shot. On a road in the country. Phil and his friend are having engine trouble. Title : Phil Can't Reach Port- land Now Until Morning. Scene 48. Medium shot. Out- side Portland Country Club. Phil and his friend arrive. Phil is holding the cup and looks as though he has been up all night getting there. He starts across the lawn. Title : The Match Is Over and a Tardy News Photo- grapher Looks For the Champion. Scene 49. Long Shot. Phil comes to a group of people (Over) Do $ou knoxv1? We na^e tke most complete line of amateur mo\)ie apparatus in The Financial district. A Demonstration Room in which To demonstrate Arc Lights-Flood lights etc. A Projection Room where Tou are welcome to shov? $our Films. A projector ahtfa^s at your disposal Films left with us are finished in Rochester and returned to j)our office on The Third Day\ Mo charge for this special service. And ao y"ou knovJ That you \\>ill receive our special mov'ie catalogue ana be placed on our mailing list To receive information on all the latest movie developments. If you Wl mail us ^our name and address. From W. C Cullen 12 Maiden Lane Ne\\> York City" Tel. Cortlandt 8424 T w e n t x - s e v e , CHAMPIONS IN 18 HOLES (Concluded from preceding page) and stops to look for Gardner. The news photographer with a graflex hurries into the pic- ture. He sees Phil with the cup, takes two or three hasty shots and rushes away. Phil is too preoccupied to wonder what it is all ahout. Gardner has lost. He comes into the picture dejectedly. Title : Gardner's Loss Makes Him So Miserable He Looks as Though the Den- tist Had Drilled Eighteen Holes in His Teeth. Scene 50. Close shot of Gardner and his friends. Gardner takes out the doughnut centers Sonny has put into the bag and shows them to the other men, who seem to think it's very funny. Title: At the Northfield Match Henry Is the Win- ner. Scene 51. Medium shot in the clubhouse. Henry is being showered with congratulations. He enters a telephone booth to tell the news to Annabelle. Title: The Next Morning. Scene 52. Medium shot. Ver- anda. Annabelle is in the swing. She seems to have recovered. She takes the crumpled paper from her blouse. She is going to marry a champion golfer ! A girl friend rushes up to her, waving a paper. She is talking excitedly. Title: "Phil Burnside Won at Portland. Here's His Picture Holding the Cup." Scene 53. Close shot of Anna- belle and her friend scanning the newspaper. Title : It Looks as Though Annabelle Would Have To Marry Two Champion Golfers. Scene 54. Long shot. Several friends arrive. They all talk at once. Henry drives up in a big private car with one of his golf admirers. Everybody make a fuss over him. Anna- belle can't get anywhere near. Here Phil appears, still clutching the cup. The crowd T w en t y - eight takes him for a hero while he protests and tries to explain that it was a mistake. Anna- belle fidgets on the outskirts of the crowd. Title: Annabelle Decides She Could See More of a Sea Captain Who Traveled for a Cigar Company When He Was Ashore Than She Would of Her Champion Golfer. Scene 56. Medium shot. Anna- - belle sees that it has ceased to be her party. She puts the slip of paper she has been holding under a golf ball on the table. The golf bag she has placed the slips in, is still by the swing. She makes a new resolution and draws out a second slip : Title : Marry Poor Man and Maybe Make Him Presi- dent. Scene 57. Medium shot. Henry breaks away from his admir- ers and faces Annabelle ex- pectantly. But she is only mildly interested in him. He wonders whether she has a preference for Phil. He thinks for a minute and then exclaims : Title : "Annabelle, That Picture of Phil Was a Fake. He's No Champion and I Am." Scene 58. Fairly long shot. The crowd parts around Phil. They don't listen to his ex- planation. Title: Sonny Proves To Be a Good Caddy. Scene 59. Sonny comes up with his hands full of balls, includ- ing the white box. Phil looks down at Sonny and sees the soiled box. He takes it, opens it and finds the ring. He puts the ring on Anna- belle's finger and the crowd cheers. In the background you see Henry exit. Title : Any Girl Could Love a Man Like Henry if He'd Only Go To Work. Scene 60. Medium shot. In- terior Phil's store. Henry enters and begins to talk to Dorothy. He feels as though he has nothing left to live for. Darn women. They don't know their own minds. Dorothy tries to convince him that he should go to work. Fade into next scene. Scene 61. Close shot. Henry leaves determined to make good. Title: Henry Does 18 Holes Again. Medium shot. Henry out- side local garage. He has just taken a tire off a car and is examining the inner tube. He counts the holes and starts to patch the tube. The owner of the car is dress- ed in golf clothes and is im- patient to get away. Title: A Real "Hole in One" — the Ambition of Every Golfer. Phil Wins Again. Scene. 62. Medium shot on the Gilbert lawn with all the char- acters grouped on Sonny's golf course. Gardner and Phil are putting. Dorothy and Henry are holding an inflated inner tube of an auto tire as a hazard for them to putt through. Father and Mother Gilbert and Annabelle are at the receiving end. Sonny is eating a doughnut and Anna- belle has the silver trophy holding it flat on the ground to catch the balls as they are putted. Gardner misses but Phil putts the ball through the tire and it rolls into the cup, — because Annabelle caught it. They all cheer the champion. THE TOWER OF THE DEAD (Continued from page 14) The cremation was over. Per- haps another year would pass before its like would be witness- ed again upon Bali — -or for that matter — upon the earth. But in the quiet of my study that scene re-enacts itself at my behest again and again. All that I need is a little white space on the wall, a projector and my precious rolls of film to relieve once more the flashing hours when flame and smoke mingled with the cries of a primitive people. TROUBLE {Concluded from page 16) into the projector, hoping I could wind it up satisfactorily via the lead pencil route. This film had been built up from sel- ections made from a great many different reels. They were pic- tures I had taken during the past two years. Not only had I selected the best scenes I had ever taken for this reel but I arranged them in a sequence which I believed would add very much to the interest. I had never screened the reel be- fore in its existing form. IN arranging the scenes, I had cut them all out of the var- ious reels in which they had been assembled and hung them up on a string stretched across the room. In this way I had some 57 strips of film of various lengths, all hanging from the string. I had shifted them back and forth until I finally had them in an order which I thought would produce the most interest. I had then taken them down, one at a time and spliced them in with their titles. I remembered that I had noticed that during the hanging process that some of the film curled up sideways quite a bit and seemed to acquire ripples and various disorders of this nature. I paid no attention to it at the time. After this landscape film got started, and I had picked up the slack by means of a lead pencil, I was conscious that the focus was completely out of adjusr- ment. To keep the lead pencil cranking, and to readjust tie focus proved to be quite a stunt but somehow I managed it. I had no more than refocused it when it jumped out of focus again. I had to readjust it back to where it was in the fiist place. This ran along a little while, and all of a sudden it was out of focus again, and it was necessary to go back to another adjustment. No sooner had I got this in focus then it jumped again, and I had to go back to the original once more. I was getting to be quite a busy person running the lead pencil at just the right speed, and chasing the focus up and down. For the entire film this pro- ceeding continued, and by the time it was over I was a ner- vous wreck. THE focus of the next reel was quite steady. I was able to keep the lead pencil on the job and go through with the pro- gram. Thus it went until all of the reels had been run through. I sighed with relief. The exhibition was voted a great success but no one ever knew what I went through try- ing to hold the thing together. Of course this never could have happened before a small gath- ering. But just the moment the number of people in the au- dience gets up to that figure to constitute a crowd, you can count upon it that everything that can go wrong will go wrong. MY difficulty with the focus was due to the fact that the film had been hung up. It had curled up sideways, and in go- ing through the projector had not flattened out, with the re- sult that the focus was bad. The lesson to be learned from this is : don't hang up your film on a string and let it curl, but instead keep it wound up in a reel where it stays flat. The next lesson to learn is to take those little spring wire belts out and put new ones in after they have had a certain amount of use. Otherwise they will lie in wait for you until you attempt to give an exhibi- tion before more than eleven people, and then they will break right in the middle of things. PROFESSIONAL CAMERA at an amateur price for MOVIE CLUBS & MOVIE MAKERS Film your pictures on stand- ard size. film. Show your club productions in a theatre or large auditorium. Repay your club expenses and se- cure projecting equipment without extra cost. The INSTITUTE STANDARD Professional Motion Picture Camera Costs less than a high-grade amateur camera. The pictures can be shown in any theatre or movie house. All metal construction hand- somely finished, light-weight and portable. Complete with carrying case. Variety of models for every taste and purse. Write jot FREE CATALOG and full particulars Showing jour lens mount attachment New York Institute of Photography Dept. 18 14 West 33rd Street, New York City 'ryyyTTTi n rTTf »yTvvt DPvOPA LINE TO BASS n i BASS has compiled, for free distribution to sportsmen, a very in- teresting catalog of Cine- ma Apparatus. Describes the Bell &. Howell Filmo camera, lea Kina- mos, DeBrie, etc. Ac- cessories to gladden the heart of amateur and professional. Expedi- tions equipped. Fifteen years of highly special- ised experience at your service. Address Cine Department. BASS CAMERA COMPANY IOQ N. DEAB.BOR.N STREET - CHICAGO L-^_ A FINISHING LABORATORY where the AMATEUR receives personal, professional attention. Standard size negatives developed. We make either standard size prints or reduced prints for use in 16 M.M. projectors. Also titles of all kinds. 130 WEST 46th STREET New York City Tel. Bryant 4961 Twenty- nine THE CLINIC (Continued) (Continued from page 12) the procedure being the same whether there is action in the film or whether it is a bit of scenery. One word of caution may be necessary. When splicing du- plicate prints and originals to- gether, the duplicate prints must be spliced into the reel with the shiny side up, or the action will be reversed right to left on the screen of the two that the backs of the two pieces of film are cemented to- gether and no scraping is nec- essary, but does not alter the "heads" to "tails" rule. —Stanley A. Tomkins Amateur Movie Clubs A RISTOTLE'S dictum ■» *■ quoted in the first num- ber of AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS that happiness is multiplied by being shared evi- dently struck home to a lot of League members. I have received a substantial number of inquiries about the best way to organize Amateur Motion Picture Clubs. Al- though my specialty is Trouble and this department is a Clinic to study Trouble, and although the best way to organize any- thing varies so completely with local circumstances that no ap- proved solution exists, never- theless I offer these suggestions with liberal warning that they must be modified to suit your own conditions. Only one enthusiastic and de- termined Amateur Cinema Leaguer is needed to get a local club going. His first move is toward his local cinematogra- phic dealer whose interests are naturally involved in an in- crease of amateur motion pic- ture making. This dealer — and all of them are remarkably friendly and helpful — will like- ly have a projection room of some kind or can devise one where the meeting may be called. Thirty Your dealer will know who has amateur equipment and who buys film. His list is the best available in your locality. To increase his list, if it is small or incomplete, the Man- aging Director of the Amateur Cinema League can be called upon — see the index page of this magazine for his address — to send you the names of League members in your city. He may be able to get other users of equipment listed for you. Your dealer will cooperate with you in sending out a care- fully written notice to those you want to join you. This is suggestive only : "You are very likely 'reel- ing your own' in your new sport of motion picture mak- ing without much help or en- couragement except by long distance correspondence with the Amateur Cinema League or the manufacturers. You may have overlooked the fact that — (local dealer) — would like to help you and also that there are a lot of us in — (name of city) — in the same boat as you. "It is proposed that we get together and form the — (name of city) — Amateur Motion Picture Club. — (local dealer) — has very gen- erously offered the — -(place of meeting) — for our use in organizing. He has author- ized me to invite you to meet with us — (date) — at — (hour) — at — (place) — to perfect an FOR your first meeting arrange to have at least one good amateur film of not more than three reels for showing. Ask the dealer to talk on some phase of picture making and have some one else talk on some other phase. Ask the dealer to have various accessories avail- able to explain and to demon- strate. Get your group enthu- siastic by these means before you undertake organization. THEN put your plan before the group — to organize, to elect officers (president and sec- retary are enough) and a pro- gram committee. No dues are necessary until your club be- gins to plan things that cost money. Arrange for about two meetings a month and get the program committee busy. The program for at least six months in advance should be carefully worked out. Each meeting should provide: (1). Showing of films by club mem- bers; (2). Special topic for pre- sentation by one specially chosen member. These may in- clude "Trouble," "Lighting," "Exposure," "Titles," "Edit- ing," "Accessories," "Indoor Photography," "What Next" and similar topics ; (3). General discussion of topic of the meet- ing; (4). Action to increase membership and to bring new motion picture amateurs into the game. At least twice a year the pro- gram should provide a luncheon or dinner. Membership in the club should carry with it the right to bring members' families to meetings. Members should be urged to bring friends in order to interest new people. Your officers should be care- fully selected. Get workers rather than talkers. The talkers are valuable on the programs and in meetings but good ex- ecutives are often silent fellows. Have . a number of films shown at each meeting so that everyone in the club can have a chance to get his films crit- icised. Arrange for each ex- hibitor in advance and run a roster on this so none is over- looked. But be sure to have one good, properly edited and well- titled film at each meeting. At your first meeting and at succeeding meetings suggest that all of your members apply for membership in the Amateur Cinema League in order to share its benefits and services. — Dr. Kinema Tke Author and Mrs Nettleton THE THRILLPROOF AGE {Continued from page 17) ambition as well as the plot ex- panded. Then came the diffi- culties. First of all was that of getting the cast together. A dozen married people cannot spend every Saturday and Sunday for three months in one line of en- deavor. Of course weekend house-parties at the summer homes of the various members of the cast helped some. Splicing helped more than some ! For instance, an armed smuggler chasing around the corner of a log-cabin in Novem- ber was close on the heels of one who passed around precisely the same corner in August. A vil- lain who threw knives at the side of a barn found when the film was projected that the knives were striking all around the head and arms of the fair hero- ine. The seasons changed with in- considerate rapidity. Trees which were heavy with foliage in August, when the first scenes were taken, were singularly bare in November. Consequently No- vember scenes had to be con- fined to backgrounds in which the woody plants were ever- green or where there was no foliage at all. It was difficult to insert spok- en titles. Some titles were con- cocted after the action had been SPECIALTIES for the AmateurMovieMaker projected. Enough footage of various members of the cast in conversation with others had been taken to provide for the cutting in of titles. Nevertheless it is better to have spoken lines agree with the titles, for it seems that in amateur cinema- tography improvement brings praise from friendly spectators of the productions but at the same time these same spectators grow critical concerning small technicalities. A FEW of the eighty-six titles follow : A KENWOOD PRODUCTION Kenneth E. Nettleton • PRESENTS THE THRILLPROOF AGE * * * CAST Flappers Madge Marjorie Tilton Leila_Mts. Ehvood T. Nettleton Leonora, Mrs. Kenneth E. Nettleton E. (Mrs. Kenneth E.) Nettleton Attaches Tim James Pigott Vince Vincent Nettleton Guy Gordon McMaster Bachelors Elwood Nettleton Russell Lomas Donald Nettleton Chaperon Mrs. Charlotte (Sigurd) Hagen Cousin of Chaperon Kenneth E. Nettleton Innkeeper Sigurd Hagen (Over) Thirty-one Roller Wall Screen Size 42 x 42 inches A new improved roller wall screen, made of heavy duck, with a well- silvered surface assuring brilliant reflecting qualities. Quicklv ready for lowering — just like an ordinary shade. Mounted on board $ C 00 The Nu= TIRAN PANORAM and TILTING TOP for use with Pathex, Cine Kodak and Filmo. CAN BE LOCKED AT ANY ANGLE Quick release on handle when ne- cessary to shift position or to swing camera around quicklv. 00 ^3m $12, The CINOPHOT AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE METER for use with CINE KODAKS AND FILMO CAMERAS Automatic — scientifically exact under all light con- ditions. Gives correct dia- phragm sectingfor sun and twilight, outdoors, studio, natural or artifical light. Adjustable for individual vision. Always ready for use. Price, in fine sole leather case, 12.50. ff 110 West 32n-dSr..Newyork.N.y.^^ Why Not Study Your Hobby / AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS presents for sale: MOTION PICTURE PHOTOG- RAPHY FOR THE AMATEUR by Herbert C. McKay $2.50 MOTION PICTURE PHOTOG- RAPHY by Carl L. Gregory $6.00 MOTION PICTURE PROJECTION by T. O'Conor Sloane $5.00 SCREEN ACTING by Inez and Helen Klumph . $3 .00 PHOTOPLAY WRITING by William Lord Wright. .. $3.00 MOTION PICTURE DIRECTING by Peter Milne $3.00 Send your order accompanied by the price of the books you desire to AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS 267 West 17th Street New York City We deliver them to your address postpaid. MEN WANTED To Learn Motion Picture Operating Earn $2,000 to $4,000. Quickly learned. Short hours. Big pay. Best equipped School in Michigan. Projectionists for movie houses and road shows. CLASSES FOR AMATEUR MOVIES Movie Operators School 61 Sproat Street Detroit, Mich. Smugglers Allen Parker Sydney Gould Leonora's motto was "Save the surface and you save all !" Madge had a skin you love to touch because her heart was near the surface. Leila believed the good die young so she aimed to reach a hundred. ' I 'HE following continuity may * be interesting to other ama- teurs. It shows what can be done with myriad subjects which may have been filmed and can be cut in. Scene — Chaperon of flappers talking with her cousin — older man — about bachelors whom chaperon is to meet. Title — Bachelors? Are they thrilling ? Scene — Same as last. Title — You bet. — Elwood is a reporter. Always jumping off burning roofs or being pulled out of the ocean. Scene — Cut in fire scene tak- en in Philadelphia last spring. Engines on way to fire — build- ing in flames. Cut in life guards and rescue at Atlantic City taken at Atlantic City on summer va- cation. Scene — Chaperon and Cousin talking. Title — Russ is an athlete. Played football at college. Scene — Cut in Yale — West Point football game this fall. Long shot of Inside Yale Bowl. Shot of teams coming on field. Shot of kick off. Shot of one Play. Title) — And Don. He figured in the Evelyn Arden divorce case last winter. Scene — Cut in of extra strips of film from short production taken by same cast last winter in which Evelyn Arden was leading lady. All of the following action is supposed to be on a river in Maine. Scene — Long shot of falls on Naugatuck River at Seymour, Conn, cut out identifying scen- ery. Scene — Close-up of falls and surface of water above. Scene — Close-up of Elwood (bachelor) and Linda (flapper) in canoe on small pond in Che- shire, Conn, but apparently on surface of river near falls. Scene — Another close-up of falls and rocks below. Scene — Bachelor tries to kiss flapper to settle bet with other bachelors — Canoe upsets — strug- gle in water. Scene — Close-up crest of falls. Scene — Bachelor and flapper swimming for shore apparently just missing going over falls. Scene — Bachelor building fire and hanging up part of his clothes to dry. Flapper back of bushes throws over shoes and some other articles of clothing for bachelor to hang up. Bachelor steps one side to take off high hunting boots. Stop camera and fill boots with water. Start camera — continue action and dump about gallon of water out of boot. Scene — Close-up of fire — stick over fire has broken — clothes apparently fallen in fire and burning — damp burlap bags substituted to make smoke. Scene — Shot of fire (about 20 feet distant). Bachelor rushes up — dressed in flannel shirt and boots — tries to beat out fire with stick — holds up charred remains — calls to flapper — Flapper ap- pears in silk garments and skirt of pine tree boughs. THEY TELL THE STORY (Continued from page 21) Cal. ; R. A. Gillman of Dallas, Texas ; Thomas Roberts of Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., New York; Dr. Frederick M. Law, New York; J. C. Van Horn, Philadelphia, Pa.; H. B. Tobias, Stonehurst, Pa. ; Theo- dore F. Smith, Pittsburgh, Pa. ; Ray M. Hart, Sterling, 111.; Raymond W. Stephens, Los Angeles, Cal.; J. F. Metten of Philadelphia, Pa.; Walter S. Rogers of New Rochelle, N. Y. ; Z. V. Rogers of Pittsburgh, Pa., and P. W. A. Fitzsimmons of Detroit, Mich. Thirty-two Eastman Accessories that mean Better Movies s. Kodascope Rewind 1HE Kodascope Rewind is geared up to give quick action in rewinding 16-milli- meter film. It saves time and energy, and during a long show it enables the operator to rewind easily one roll while a second is being projected. It is almost indispensable for the orderly splicing of short lengths of film into long rolls. Kodascope Rewind, complete with splicing block, film cement and water bottle. . . .$7 l\ "SILVER" screen is an essential part of every personal movie outfit. The Kodascope screens listed below are treated by a special process to give maximum detail and brilliancy in the pictures. Any of the four models can be conveniently carried. No. 0 Screen, 22' x 30", with cover, mounted in frame. . .$10 No. 1A Screen, 30"x40", with cover, mounted in frame. . . 15 No. 1 Screen, 30" x 40", Tollable, in case 25 No. 2 Screen, 39" x 52", Tollable, in case 35 'No. I A Kodascope Screen i-foot Kodascope Reel and Humidor Can OHORT strips of film should be spliced into contin- uous rolls for convenience in showing and storing. The Kodascope Reels and Humidor Cans keep 400-foot lengths ready for projection, keep them properly con- ditioned so that they won't crack, and insure good films for years to come. 400-foot Kodascope Reel and Humidor Can. . . .$1.50 At your dealer s Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., The Kodak City Don't Wait A WORD to the reader of this magazine who is not an owner of a little movie camera! You are losing two things — a lot of fun and all too many opportunities which will never again present themselves. You and your children are growing older every day. Too soon will come the day when your children will no longer be chil- dren but will be full grown men and women. It is not a pleasant thought. It is nevertheless true. Things are happening every day. Manners and customs are changing with the passing of the years. What better way is there to record the his- tory of today than with the little movie camera? Sooner or later you will probably buy one. When you have begun to make your first films, your utterances will be no different than have been those of practically every other amateur cinematograph- er. "Oh, if only I had bought my outfit before!" It is to urge that you hesitate no longer that this article is written. Anyone can learn in in- credibly short time to operate a home movie cam- era. There are a number of makes from which to chose. Don't let the children get any older before you film them as they are today. Those films, made casually today, will grow priceless with the advance of time. Don't let that wedding pass without a moving picture of it. Imagine how precious would be a motion picture of the wed- dings of your forefathers in Crinoline days. Think of the fun you could have with your chil- dren if you had films made in your own child- hood. Are you sailing this month on one of the Mediterranean cruises, on an around-the-world voyage or to the tropics? Are you going to Flor- ida, California or anywhere else on the globe that is not your home? Or will you spend the winter at home, ice-skating, romping about in the snow with your children, dabbling in amateur the- atricals and otherwise making merry? It matters not whether you are man or wo- man, an experienced operator of a home movie camera or not, don't be without one of these little machines. If you are going away, get one a little while before your departure so that you can ac- custom yourself to its operation. You will find them wherever you go, and you will regret being without one. If you have not been convinced by a perusal of the pages of this magazine that you are missing a lot of good fun, ask some of your friends who have these cameras what they think of them. You will not find one of them who has been disap- pointed with the possibilities of the little movie camera. If you do, nine chances out of ten it is the fault of his camera. Consult the nearest reli- able camera dealer. We will be glad to advise you as far as pos- sible. Write AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS and we will put you in touch with some of the cinematographers who live near you. Bell &Howell Accessories Cover Every Requirement in Producing Professional Results for Your Own Movies Note these and mail the coupon for detailed information p, The Halldorson Cinema Arc Lamp This lamp gives you the lighting necessary to take movies indoors. You will need it to take the interior scenes so desirable at th's season— and in producing your own Picture Plays. The Halldorson — ■ 1 Gives steady blue-white light of highest » actinic value. 2 Semi-automatic twin arc burns on 10 or ♦ 20 amperes, 110 volt. (Attach to ordi- nary light socket). 3 Heat resisting, fire-glass sparse shield ♦ absolutely prevents sparks from drop- ping on floors or rugs. 4 Simple to operate — requires no ex- perience. ' Remarkably compact — folds into beau- >»tiful leather-finished case, 5x11^x143^ inches in size. - The most practical portable arc avail- )»able. Built for continuous service. Distributed by Bell & Howell exclusively Price Complete, $65 Taylor- Hobson Cooke 25m/mFl.8Speed Lens The Bell Bell & Howell service to all 16 m/m cinematographers at little more cost than raw film YOU can now own your own film of Lillian Gish, Marion Davies, Antonio Moreno and many others of stardom's realm. No deposit. No rental charge. You can purchase them outright. The cost is nominal. Films made in Hollywood where professionalism is most active and projection is of the world's greatest and best. "Own Your Own Film Library" produced by the Wm. Horsley Film Laboratories on Sunset Blvd., in Hollywood. The only exclusively 16 m-m film production plant in the industry. Remember — 100 feet of 16 m-m film is the equivalent to 250 feet of the standard 35 m-m film. Use the coupon on opposite page to ask us more about this new service. RELEASES NOW READY Stars of the Screen — No. 1. Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer Studios and Stars — including Marion Davies, Lillian Gish, Antonio Moreno, Norma Shearer, Alice Terry, John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, Lon Chaney, Joan Crawford, and Charles Ray. No. 2. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Stars — including Ramon Navarro, Claire Windsor, William Haynes, Mae Mur- ray, Conrad Nagel, and several others. No. 3. Christie Studios and Stars — includ- ing Bobby Vernon, Vera Stedman, Natalie Joyce, Neal Burns, and several others. No. 4. The World Famous Hollywood Bowl — includes two or three beautiful scenes of the Bowl — Easter Sunrise Service — Chil- dren's Easter Drill, etc. Vaudeville Serz'es-No. l.Alberts'-Polar Bears — The World's Greatest Arctic Wonders — Trained Bears from the Land of the Mid- night Sun. No. 2. Spanuth's Trained Baby Elephants — The Youngest Trained Elephants in Captivity. No. 3. Pickert's Seals — The Marvelous Schooled Alaskan Wonders. No. 4. Tetsuwari Japs — Mikado's Royal Japanese Acrobats. JANUARY RELEASES No. 5. Fisher's Animal Circus — A Great Highly Schooled Animal Show. No. 6. The Great Vulcano Act — World's Greatest Sensational Surprise Act. No. 7. Cycling Girls — Vaudeville's Fore- most Bicycle Performers. No. 8. Arabian Nights — Novelty Act — Oriental Fantasy. Mark the coupon for more information. The Bell & Howell COMBINATION REWINDER and SPLICER Consists of the following devices in one unit: 1. Reel, or spool holder. 4. Geared Rewinder. 2. Splicer. 5. Scraper Blade. 3. Cement, cement and water 6. Oak Base, on which the above bottles. are mounted. With this combination rewinder and splicer you can edit your films— cut out unwanted portions, insert sub-titles and gain just the continuity you want, to make your movies more interesting on thescreen. Thesplice made by this machine is absolutely transparent and vel- vet smooth— a perfect continuation of the film. The price of the Bell & Howell combination Rewinder and Splicer unit for 16 m-m film (thekind you use) is $14.00. Mark the coupon for further particulars, or enclose money order for direct shipment, satisfaction guaranteed. BELL & HOWELL CO. ^^P 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois New York, Hollywood, London Established 1907 3}£ x 4)4 Revolving Back Graflex, Series B (illustrated) , with Kodak Anastigmat JA.5 sells at $105. $260 is the price of the 3j^ x 4)4 Revolving Back Graflex, Series C, with Cooke Anastigmat ,f.2.5. Other models from $58.50, complete. Visit a dealer or write for a catalog. For year 'round use, a Graflex WEATHER changes from month to month. Yet day after day, regardless, you can get extraordinary pic- tures with a Graflex. Kodak Anastigmat fA-5 and Cooke Anastigmat/ .2.5 are big, fast lenses. When light is weak, as in winter, open the iris and let in more. Equip yourself with a Graflex now and enjoy its advantages during the sea- son of short days and dull sun. Graflex cameras are now made by The Folmer Graflex Corporation Rochester, N. Y. For sale by Eastman Kodak Company dealers yH>T SEPT Cameras have been favorably known for years. Used by explorers, scientists, journalists, professionals, and amateurs. Take motion pictures, time expos- ures or 250 snapshots with one load- ing. Push a button — no winding, no double exposures. Uses 16}4 feet of standard width film, supplied by Eastman Kodak Company. It's small size (3" x 4" x 5"), light weight (4 lbs.), make a tripod un- necessary. Write for free copy of our expos- ure tabulation. Price $40.00 WYKO WYKO Projector, for still pictures, using standard width film. For home use, educators, lecturers and industrial and commercial advertis- ers. Eliminates heavy, fragile and expensive glass slides. Operates by hand or electric control. Uses United States Rubber Company's "Royal" portable cord for electrical connections. Enlargements can be made at trifling cost without alteration of machine. Wyko Projector (corporation 130 West 46th St. - New York, N.Y. Dealers Everywhere Special Art Titles: — Opening, scenic, trick, animated $1.50 up. Your own cut used if desired Slicing In ink., « :urrjng, editing, etc i Service $2.00 per hour. Quicli Service— Satisfaction Guaranteed. RALPH R. ENO 117 PARK AVENUE , NEW YORK CITY"- ^^tmm^ ^^mr^ --^™>^- -^gum^ ^tTTnTrrr^ ^mrm^ ^ "rrm^ ^ Genuinely Helpful Amateur movie makers will find Kodak Corner service genuinely helpful. Our experts will gladly ex- plain any point about camera or projector that may puzzle you. Our friendly criticism of your films may mean improved results. Our suggestions may open fields of movie-making that are entirely new to you. Our information on new developments is correct and complete — making movies in- doors by artificial light, for example. And of course our stock of movie cameras and projectors, of accessories and supplies is abreast of the calendar. Cine-Kodak films forwarded for processing — no charge Eastman Kodak Stores ? Inc. Madison at 45th \^J New York City TITLES for your own personal Movies greatly enhance pictures by preserving the details of the action, and make them much more interesting to watch. A specialized title-service is now available for users of 16 mm. film insuring a quality title, property finished and mailed 48 hours after copy is received. 1-10 word title $.65 I 21-30 word title $ .85 11-20 word title .75 I 31-55 word title 1.00_ Sample titles showing various kinds avail- able gladly mailed on request. Amateur films also spliced, titled, and edited (put in sequence with bad portions deleted), according to your directions for a service charge of $2.00 per hour. A check or money order should accompany title orders. STANLEY A. TOMPKINS Care of Kirby Incorporated 2 East 23rd Street New York City For Non-members Only WJE have placed this message at the end of the book intentionally. We wanted you first to see and read the magazine — to know first hand how it so successfully meets the needs and interests of everyone who is interested in Amateur Cinematography. Like it? Then remember that the magazine represents only a small part of the service that the Amateur Cinema League renders its members. Here is what the League proposes to do : 1. Increase the pleasure of making home motion pictures aiding .amateurs to originate and produce their own plays ; 2. Promote amateur cinematography as a national sport; ^anize clubs of 'amateur motion picture makers; Publish a monthly tnagazine devoted to amateur motion '■re Establish an amateur motion picture film exchange among League members; Encourage amateur photoplay writing; Maintain home motion picture making on an amateur basis, The League is non-commercial and no person com- mercially engaged in the production of motion pictures or in the manufacture, sale or rental of cinematographic equipment is eligible to membership on the Board of Governors. The only requirement for League membership is an interest in amateur movies. Whether you at present own amateur equipment or not [is non-essential — if you're interested you're eligible. Use the application blank below TODAY You'll find it worth its cost many times over AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE 105 West 40th Street New York City I accept the invitation of the Amateur Cinema League to become a charter member and have designated below with an (x) the class of mem- bership in which I desire ro be enrolled. My check for $ payable to Amateur Cinema League is enclosed in payment for the dues, $2.00 of which is for a year's subscription to Amateur Movie Makers. CHARTER MEMBERSHIP $1000.00 is one payment, if paid on or before August 1 2 , 1 9 2 7. ( No further dues) M 00.00 in one payment (No further dues) aining $50.00 annually Member $5.00 annually Indicate class of membership desired It is understood that immediately upon my election I am to become entitled to all the privileges of the League. It is also understood that there are no duties or obligations connected with this membetship other than those which I may vol- untarily assume from time to time. Name. Street_ Gty_ _State_ For camera versatility — indoors or outdoors — use Cind-Kodak, Model A,/.1.9 The hand-cranked Cine-Kodak, Model A, is designed to impart professional qual- ity to every variety of amateur movies. Equipped, with the lightning-swift Kodak Anastigmat/.i-9 it makes fine in- door pictures of family doings, home scena- rios. Outdoors the/. i. 9 gives almost com- plete independence of light conditions. Its great speed — three times that of the f-2-S — means good results even on dark days. When you want sports pictures or go far afield to hunt with the camera, there's the long-focus Kodak Anastigmat /-4.5, quickly substituted for the/. 1.9. It brings Pri distant hockey players, polo ponies, wild life up close with telephoto effect. And there's a slow motion attachment that can always be handy for excruciating comedy or serious motion study. Cine-Kodak A gives the amateur cine- matographer complete camera versatility — at moderate cost. Those who now have the Model A,/.^.^ equipped, can exchange this lens for an /. 1 .9 if a faster lens seems desirable. The cost of the /.i. 9 lens exchange is $80.00. Your dealer will be glad to arrange this for you, but the camera itself will have to be sent to Rochester. ces Cine- Kodak, Model A,/. 1.9 Lens (with tripod) Interchangeable Long-Focus,/.4.5 Lens Slow Motion Attachment _____ At your dealer s #225 45 20 Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., The Kodak aty warn AMATEUR ovie Makers PRICE 25"? FEBRUARY 1927 COMPLETING A REAL PLEASURE The Projector Stand and Curtain Stand with Curtain, are both a convenience and ornament to any home. Always set up ready for use. Folded as shown in picture only when going on a trip and your space is limited. Think of it, movies on the lawn, only an extension cord needed. No hooks, nails or tables to look for. Both stands are adjustable as to height. Price of Curtain Stand and Curtain with cover $30.00 Price of Projector Stand 18.00 Price of Ten Reel Humidor, attachable to stand 12.00 Another exclusive feature, a reel that, by a simple turn of the little pin, will hold the loose end of your film, any length up to 400 feet. No extra charge for this feature. 7 inch reel. 75c ea. A booklet with more details and other interesting accessories sent upon request. With any order sent direct we -would appreciate your dealers name. A. C.HAYDEN COMPANY, Brockton, Mass., U.S.A. A. C. HAYDEN COMPANY, Brockton, Mass., U. S. A. Please send free booklet. T^ame Address City State.. A Safe Light for Indoor Movies The KIRBYLITE Revealing new and fascinating possibilities for your motion picture camera. Your living room becomes the studio in an instant by plugging the Kirbylite into any electric light receptacle. There is no danger of burns or fire. The lamp house remains cool to the touch. The Mazda lamp employed will not overheat wires nor blow fuses. An ideal illuminant also for the Artist Sculptor Surgeon as a working light as well as a companion for the Movie Camera or Graflex. The scientific design of the lens and reflector, an exclusive Kirby- lite feature, makes possible the re- quired high intensity of light. KIRBYLITE with 500 watt Mazda bulb stand and 12 foot electric cord with plugs and switch $42.75 KIRBYLITE Special Tripod $12.00 Available thru your dealer and at every Eastman Kodak Store. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. 356 Madison Avenue New York Wholesale Distributors THROUGH THE TELEPHOTE Amateur Movie Makers will heighten the pleasure of home movie making by publishing the following articles, among others, in its early issues. With everything in the motion picture field getting "big- ger and better," Amateur Movie Mak- ers feels that none of us will be satis- fied until our magazine is the "biggest and best." Your cinema friends will want to read these coming features. Will you help both your friends and the Amateur Cinema League by bring- ing this page to the attention of pros- pective member-subscribers? Suggestion Through Shadows — By Paul Leni, famous German artist who designed the settings for the "Cabinet of Doctor Caligari," now in this country and engaged in creating a sinister Gothic atmos- phere for the Universal Pictures Corporation production of "The Cat and The Canary." A Scenario for Amateurs — By George Kelly, famous dramatist and author of "Three Faces East," "The Show-Off," "Craig's Wife," "Torchbearers" and "Daisy Mayme." Living Natural History — By Ray- mond L. Ditmars, Curator of Mammals and Reptiles of the New York Zoological Park, who tells the fascinating story of ten years of filming the world's strangest denizens so they can be both seen and heard. The Talking Home Movie — By Wil- liam H. Bristol, inventor, of Waterbury, Connecticut, who has made this dreamed of advance a present reality. Education and the Movie Amateur — By Herbert C. McKay, Motion Picture Editor of Photo-Era and authority on cinematography, who forecasts the place which the ama- teur movie maker will have in us- ing motion pictures in education. Movie Makeup — By Eugene W. Ragsdale, Director of the Moving Picture Club of the Oranges, who gives a practical exposition of this problem from the amateur's view- point. Cruise of the Franconia — By Harry S. Drucker, famous news-reel photographer, who is covering this world tour, now in progress, for Amateur Movie Makers, as our special correspondent and cinema- tographer. Projection Problems — By Carl Louis Gregory, Dean of the New York Institute of Photography, who contributes the valuable article on Exposures to this issue of Ama- teur Movie Makers. Processing — By Divight R. Furness, representative of the Board of Education of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, who explains this important problem in amateur cinematography. TO INSURE FOR YOURSELF THE REGULAR VISITS OF AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS BEARING THESE PRACTICAL GIFTS TO YOU— YOU HAVE ONLY TO JOIN THE AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE TODAY "Dallmeyer Tele- photo Lenses are made in four focal lengths. Fascinating New Uses for Your "FILMO » "Close-ups" of distant views can be made easily with Dallmeyer Telephoto Lenses; interchange- able with regular lens. With these and a Dallmeyer Ultra Speed Lens (f- 1.9) you can marvelously increase your range of subjects, light conditions and the quality of each and every minute negative. Send for Catalog of DALLMEYER Telephoto and Ultra Speed LENSES A Special Motion Picture Depart- ment has been maintained for 19 years handling all leading makes of Amateur and Professional Cameras and com- plete motion picture equipment. HERBERT & HUESGEN CO. 18 East 42nd Street, New York One For Non-members Only ^7~he opposite page shows you what Amateur Cinema League members are getting this month in suggestions for more pleasure with their personal movies. Amateur Movie Makers opens news vistas of satisfaction from home motion picture making. It comes each month to Members of the Amateur Cinema League. Amateur Movie Makers, like the Amateur Cinema League, is not a commercial undertaking; it is of, by and for Amateurs. Read it. Then remember that the magazine represents only a small part of the service that the Amateur Cinema League renders its members. Here is what the League does: 1. Increases the pleasure of making home tnotion pictures by aiding amateurs to originate and produce their own plays; 2. Promotes amateur cinematography as a national sport; 3. Organizes clubs of amateur motion picture makers; 4. Publishes a monthly magazine devoted to amateur motion picture making; 5. Establishes an amateur motion picture film exchange among League members; 6. Encourages amateur photoplay writing; 7. Maintains home motion picture making on an amateur basis. The League is non-commercial and no person com- mercially engaged in the production of motion pic- tures or in the manufacture, sale or rental of cinema- tographic equipment is eligible to membership on the Board of Governors. The only requirement for League membership is an interest in amateur movies. Whether you at present own amateur equipment or not is non-essential — if you're interested you're eligible. [Use the application blank below TODAY. 1 You'll find it worth its cost many times over. J .192 To the AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE 105 West 40th Street New York City I accept the, invitation of the Amateur Cin- ema League to become a charter member and have designated below with an (x) the class of membership in which I desire to be enrolled. My check for $ payable to Amateur Cinema League is enclosed in payment foi the dues, $2.00 of which is for a year's sub- scription to Amateur Movie Makers. CHARTER MEMBERSHIP ' □ Founder □ L'fe $1000.00 is one payment, if paid on or before August 12, 1927. (No further dues.) $100.00 in one payment (No further dues.) □ Sustaining $50.00 annually. Indicate class of membership desired □ Member $5.00 annually. It is understood that immediately upon my election I am to become entitled to all the privileges of the League. It is also understood that there are no duties or obligations connected with this membership other than those which i may voluntarily assume from time to time. Name Street City.. State.. FEB-3'21 ©C1B 732362 AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS s Official Publication of the Amateur Cinema League ''To See Ourselves A s Others See Us" Volume II FEBRUARY, 1927 / Number 2 ...CONTENTS... PAGE Through the Telephote 1 Our Pen Wielders 4 Editorials 5 Temples of the Quick, a photograph 6 Slow Movies for Quick People Gerald Stanley Lee 7 Flying with a Camera Porter Adams 9 Oldest of the Arts, a Genealogy for the Movies Carl S. Oswald 10 "The Great Yonkers Jewel Robbery," an Amateur Scenario Jerome Beatty 12 Swaps, Amateur Film Loan Exchange . 15 White Movies, three illustrations 16 The Clinic, conducted by Dr. Kinema 17 "Room Mates," A "Colgate Classic" Howard E. Richardson 20 Travel by Scenario Charles Morgan Seay 22 How Movies Win Golf Trophies C. Bond Lloyd 23 Closeups 24 Exposures, a Hard Problem Made Simple Carl Louis Gregory 27 Indoor Movies Margaret Hutcheson 29 Through a Wide Angle Lens, National Comment on the Amateur Cinema League 30 AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE DIRECTORS Pioneer President Treasurer Managing Director HIRAM PERCY MAXIM A. A. HEBERT ROY W. WINTON Hartford, Conn. 1711 Park Street, Hartford, Conn. 105 W. 40th Street, New York City EARLE C. ANTHONY W. E. COTTER LEE F. HANMER President of the National Association 30 E. 42nd St., New York City rPirent0c of R,ecref'on- of Broadcasters Russell Sage Foundation. FLOYD L. VANDERPOEL Scientist, of Litchfield, Conn. ROY D. CHAPIN C. R. DOOLEY Chairman of the Board of Directors, Manager of Personnel and Training, STEPHEN F. VOORHEES Hudson Motor Company. Standard Oil Co. of N. J. Architect, of New York City AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is published monthly in New York City by the Amateur Cinema League. Subscription Rate $3.00 a yeaf, postpaid; to members of the Amateur Cinema League, $2.00 a year, postpaid; single copies, 25c. On sale at newsstands and photographic dealers everywhere in the United States. CooyrigW, 1927, by the Amateur Cinema League. /Title registered at United States Patent Office. Advertising rates on application. Forms close on 15th of preceding month. Editorial and Publication Office: 105 West 40th Street, New York City. / Three For Your MOVIE Library An Interesting Travel Picture of New York Here is a movie travelogue, complete in four reels, show- ing the high spots of day and night life in the Big City. These scenes were beauti- fully photographed by ex- perts, and include Reel No. 1 New York Skyline, Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, Lower Broadway, Trin- ity Church, Woolworth Building, City Hall and Municipal Building. Reel No. 2 New York Skyline, Washington Square, Washington Arch, Wall Street, Sub-Treasury Building, Mor- gan's Bank and Stock Exchange. Reel No. 3 Theatrical District Broadway, Night Scenes of Broadway, New York Pub- lic Library, Park Avenue, Lower East Side and Metropolitan Museum of Art. Reel No. 4 New York Skyline, New York Bay, Pennsylvania Station, Grand Central Station, Fifth Avenue, Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Grant's Tomb, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Central Park, City College and Cottage of Edgar Allan Poe. Each one is a 100 ft. reel on 16 mm. safety film and is complete in itself with titles. Will fit either Filmo or Kodascope Projectors. An interesting and instructive addition to your home movie program. $7.00 each. Per Set Complete $27.50. The Nu-TIRAN PANORAM and TILTING TOP For use with Pathex, Cine Kodak and Filmo. CAN BE LOCKED AT ANY ANGLE Quick release on handle when nec- essary to shift position or to swing camera around quickly. U/IU9£JGHByS ▼▼110 West 32"-St..Newyork.N.y.^* |OUR PEN WIELDERS Porter Adams is president of the National Aeronautic Associa- tion of the United States, with headquarters in Washington, D. C. Jerome Beatty is Assistant to the President, Will H. Hays, of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, New York City. Carl Louis Gregory is Dean of the New York Institute of Photography, and an authority on the technique of photography and cinematography. Margaret Hutcheson is Moving Picture Manager of the Gillette Camera Stores of New York City, with wide experience in the practical problems of ama- teur motion picture photography. Gerald Stanley Lee won na- tional distinction with the publica- tion of his book "Crowds." His latest book is "Rest Working," and he is president of the Co- ordination Guild, which has re- cently established a school in New York City. C. Bond Lloyd is author of "Golf Visualised," the most zuidely read of all golf manuals, is associated on the staff of the Chicago Golfer, and is a pioneer consulting motion picture engi- neer, specializing in slow motion golf studies. Hiram Percy Maxim is Presi- dent of the Maxim Silencer Com- pany of Hartford, Connecticut, president of the American Radio Relay League, and president of the Amateur Cinema League. Carl L. Oswald writes and lectures on photographic topics, especially lenses and color pho- tography, and is at present on the staff of the Agfa Products, Inc., New York City. Howard E. Richardson, of Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, is Director of the Colgate Motion Picture Club, and has had practical moving picture experience. Charles Morgan Seay of New York City is one of the pio- neers of the motion picture indus- try in every phase of its develop- ment, an author, director and practical consultant. His book "Motion Picture Directing for the Amateur" will soon be published. ytPT SEPT Cameras have been favorably known for years. Used by explorers, scientists, journalists, professionals, and amateurs. Take motion pictures, time expos- ures or 250 snapshots with one load- ing. Push a button — no winding, no double exposures. Uses l6y2 feet of standard width film, supplied by Eastman Kodak Company. Its small size (3"x4"x5"), light weight (4 lbs.), make a tripod un- necessary. Write for free copy of our expos- ure tabulation. Price $40.00 WYKO WYKO Projector, for still pictures, using standard width film. For home use, educators, lecturers and industrial and commercial advertis- ers. Eliminates heavy, fragile and expensive glass slides. Operates by hand or electric control. Uses United States Rubber Company's "Royal" portable cord for electrical connections. Enlargements can be made at trifling cost without alteration of machine. Wyko I rojector Corporation 130 West 46th St. - New York, N. Y. Dealers Everywhere Four EDITORIALS Double Time ! THE Amateur Cinema League idea has caught hold! Every day brings us new evidence of a surprising public interest in what we are doing. Our mail brings a continuous flow of new ideas. It is clear that there has been a distinct need for such an institution as ours. The professional cinema has been educating the public for twenty years. In all of this time the public has had no means of its own to express itself. Our Amateur Cinema League provides this means and it is very evident that the effect of twenty years of cinema education is about to mani- fest itself. It is not at all an extravagant thing to look ahead and see our organization with a hun- dred thousand members, and our magazine with a hundred thousand more non-member readers. We started out with the general idea of getting together and providing a clearing house for our amateur experiences, so that the knowledge of all would be available to each. This, and lending films to each other was about the limit of what we expected to undertake for some time to come. But, just the moment the clearing house was provided, a veritable flood poured in upon us. We evidently are to be the means by which countless new associations, clubs, and the like are to be organized. These new organizations will bring a large number of people together who other- wise would never have known each other. The study of cinematography, and of all the activities upon which it bears, is destined to come in for that peculiar form of enthusiastic analysis that is charac- teristic of the non-professional or the amateur. We are evidently destined to exert very much of an influence upon the literary and artistic side of dramatic cinematography. As a class we represent the educated, and the cultivated people of the land, and our literary, our dramatic, and our artistic ideas are about to speak for themselves. The two numbers of our magazine which we have already issued have opened the flood gates. Our work is increasing by leaps and bounds. Throughout it all there is evident a very distinct spirit of enthusiasm and fraternalism. To us at Headquarters, this is the thing that spurs us on the most. It is this spirit that leads us to ask for cooperation from our membership with every knowledge that it will be given ungrudgingly. Memberships are pouring in. Each new mem- ber is apparently anxious to do something to help. Nothing would help us so much as for each one to buy as many copies of our magazine from the news stands as can be used to distribute among the friends who should be a party to this new non-professional cinema movement. One of our difficulties is that the public at large does not yet know enough about us. We at Headquarters have no easy way to tell them. It is a simple matter for you to do it. You could do nothing that would help so much as to spread our magazine around. W-v-N-jaitX^i-^- Q _jc A Fable A MAN made an article and saw that it was good. He showed it to his friends who saw that it was good and told him that it was good. Whereupon he said, "I have made this thing and I know that it is good and my friends have told me that it is good and I shall sell it to him who wants it that I and my family may profit." And the man sold it to one who wanted it and was given money for it and he and his family profited. Then his friends said to him, "You have com- mercialized your product. It is not art." The man was puzzled but he made yet an- other article, as like to the first as is one bean to another, and showed it to his friends — some time after — and they told him that it was good. And he said, "This is the same article that I knew was good and that my friends told me was good and that I sold and that was commercialized and was not art. This one I shall not sell but shall keep to show to my friends". Yet, when his friends found that he did not sell it but kept it to show to them, they said to him, "Indeed, we were wrong. If you were an artist your work would sell. You are only an amateur." And this man, who had made the two articles, as like to each other as two beans, went away from his friends, sadly, and lamented, saying, "In the name of Mammon and the Nine Muses what is Art and what is Trash?" And, but a short time thereafter, this man died from reading too much Ruskin, too much Pater, too much Morris, too much Elbert Hubbard and too much H. L. Menck- en. He was buried by a mortician who was too busy to determine whether a mortician is an ama- teur or a professional. Moral: A Good Movie is a Good Movie no matter who turns the crank. Five KM SLOW Movies for QUICK People By GERALD STANLEY LEE Author of "Crowds," "Inspired Millionaires" and *"Rest Working" BY quick people I mean people who are addicts of hurry — men, women and even children who cannot stop, who feel driven in what they do and who can't help using more energy than they need. If to-morrow morning as I took my daily walk down Fifth Avenue, I saw several people walking just ahead of me with silver quarters and half-dollars leaking out of their pockets and rolling round the walk, or with ten dollar bills blowing off of them and skittering up the street, I would wave around a minute probably and catch anything that was coming my way that I could, but I believe, or at least I like to believe, that after a minute or so of walking just behind them something in my better nature would lead me to catch up to them, touch them on the shoulder and call their attention to what they were doing. I couldn't stand it — being a New Englander from the same town as our frugal President — I couldn't stand it more than two or three blocks, watching them wasting their substance so. What is more, everybody standing by who saw me step- ping up to them and touching them on the shoulder and sav- ing them from throwing away their money in this way, would understand me and understand why I did it. But if I stepped up to a man on the Avenue — a man I had watched walking in front of me with a furious and wasteful energy for ten blocks — and touched him on the shoulder and said to him "My dear sir, pardon me ! You haven't no- ticed it, but you are throwing yourself away!" I would have to dodge quickly. *"Rest Working — A study of Re- laxed Concentration with Some Ob- servations on Gland Balance, Body Balance and The Right To Let One- self Go," can be secured from The Coordination Guild, Northampton, Massachusetts. $2.50 postpaid. Possibly he would be right. Perhaps I have escaped from somewhere. All I know is that hardly a day passes when I am on Fifth Avenue that this is not the one thing of all others I catch myself longing to do. If I could ever feel enough en- couragement on Fifth Avenue to be my real self, I would probably do it. THE fate of every child, the fate of every family and every nation today turns on vision — on visualization. It is not the statesmen nor the teachers nor the parents but the movie-makers today who are swinging the world. When people have a thought or a theory of what they would like to be like they drop it. When they really see it and make a picture of what they want to be like, they proceed to be like it. They cannot help it. The first thing an amateur movie maker can do, if he is in- terested in himself, is to make himself. What a movie-amateur actually has hi his hand is a machine for inventing himself. He can even invent his own children {after he gets them started) — make them over the way he wants them, or just give the movies to his children and before he knows it they will be- gin making over themselves." Only the other day as I was going by Louis Sherry's a lady stepped out from the entrance and walked down the Avenue just in front of me. The first thing I happened to notice about her was her expensive coat and there was something about that coat that made me want to go out around and look — and see what kind of a face it was that went with it. But I didn't need to go out around and look. I knew with- out looking half a minute what her face would be like by watching her feet. Her feet worked! I knew that her face would work just the way her feet worked. No matter how leisurely-looking and costly her coat was, instead of having the kind of face emotions played across, she had a face in which emotions habitually strained and worked. Watching her walk from behind I could tell what even her smile would be like. She spilled out enough energy and scattered it all around her on the walk, radi- ated out on the air about her enough sheer energy in five blocks from Sherry's to St. Thomas's church, to get herself over to Brooklyn and back. Now of course if I was being a real gentleman — a truly sim- ple ideal human being — ■ I would have realized with great presence of mind at once that the thing for me to do with this poor lady, considering what was happening to her, was for me to step up to her as if she had dropped something, touch my hat, apologize and say to her "Pardon me, madam, you have dropped your restful- ness!" Then I would hand it back to her — if I could — as if she had dropped her purse. Of course her restfulness — her power of composing herself would have much more in it of value to her than her purse could hope to have, but she would thank me for handing back her purse — for telling her she had lost her purse, but if I had tried to tell her that in her hurry she had lost her head, that she was really block after block, down the Avenue, just throwing herself away, I would have been arrested. I wouldn't want anyone to think I have always been like this — hardly a safe person to be allowed loose on the street be- cause I may waylay people any minute and make a lunge of mis- sionary spirit at them. It is only since I have been making a special study of coordination, and of how health and effici- ency and charm in all normal persons necessarily turn on one's learning to take positions Seven one balances or falls into, in- stead of held or tense positions, that I have begun to be danger- ous and belong to the sup- pressed classes. It is hard to have trained one's eye so that one keeps seeing all these things in people that must be so much harder for them to have to bear than they are for me to look at. Naturally anyone can see how it is. I am becoming a dumb helpless shut-in even on the street. Day after day I go up and down in it cooped up in a perfect turmoil of wishing I could get people to see how they look. If I had a carte blanche from the Creator and could begin to- morrow morning, as my regu- lar job, going up and down the world getting people a little ac- quainted with themselves, I would divide my job into two parts. I would see to it at once that arrangements were made for providing everybody at a practicable price with two ma- chines. The first machine would be a machine for letting people see how they look from the outside — a machine for let- ting people see themselves as Others see them when they do things. The other machine would be a machine for getting people to notice how they feel inside when they do things — a machine for getting people to take in — take in body and soul, what is actually going on in them while they do things — a machine for knowing what one is about. I would have these two ma- chines (having a carte-blanche you see) made very small — about the size of a pea or like a pituitary gland, and made (like a pituitary gland) in two halves, with one's outside-look- ing machine in one half, and one's inside-looking machine in the other, so that a man could conveniently have them with him all the time and take a peek — an inside-outside peek at himself any minute as he would with a wrist watch. The first thing that would happen on Fifth Avenue Avhen these machines were all in- stalled in people, I devoutly be- lieve, would be this. People would come out from a tea dance at The Plaza and float down the Avenue. There wouldn't be an effort anywhere in sight between Central Park and the arch at Washington Square ! And all that would have happened would be that all the people one saw about one had been accurately in- formed by their inside-outside machines just exactly what they were about. The people, who came out from the dance in the Plaza for instance, after just experiencing the poised and floating feeling that people have and have to have in danc- ing, would have it fresh in their minds what human beings were intended to be like and would not forget it. As anybody must see who knows about dancing, the float- ing feeling, that makes dancing at once the best exercise and the best rest there is, comes largely from the fact that one does and has to do, more bal- ancing of the body in dancing than one does in walking. The essence of dancing is rhythm and rhythm is balance in mo- tion. Naturally it follows that any independent and free man who has learned in dancing how he likes the feeling of floating, in- sists on feeling as he likes to feel and as he has a right to feel when he walks. Naturally the best way to do this — the best way to make walking a good deal like dancing so that one is practically dancing as one goes about all the time, is for a man to train himself — train himself intensively, in hitting off the same degree of balancing in walking that he does in dancing. The reason is not far to seek why young women who are much too tired to walk a block, dance thirty miles in a night and why boys will all but go without meals to skate all day. The reason is that there is hardly a thing one can do in this world, that takes less strength and is more fun with a human body, than tak- ing a free hold of it with a re- laxed neck and then balancing it or floating it about. The great majority of people one sees about one are wasting half their strength every day, doing their walking, standing and sitting, and even their ly- ing down, in ways which keep throwing their bodies out of balance instead of into balance. The reason that the average business man gets tired and practically sick in doing the very light physical work of sit- ting at a desk, is that he lets himself strain, lets himself hold in place and hold hard various parts of his body, instead of learning how to let them bal- ance lightly or fall into place. For the most part the aver- age civilized man today is do- ing the same thing with his body that he does with coal when he throws away eighty- seven per cent of the motor value of coal. He is using thirteen per cent of the motor value of his body and letting eighty-seven per cent go. Be- cause of the way he holds himself, it tires him to sit. Very often it tires him to sleep. I have come to believe, as I face what our civilization is do- ing to hurry and drive people along, that our only chance of being a great or lasting civili- zation lies in our having all properly educated people, learn to balance themselves into things they do, and do them as brutes and angels do — in poise and at rest. Only as fast as we really suc- ceed in making arrangements for seeing ourselves inside and out, see what is going on in us, soul and body at the same time, so we can rebound from our delusions and correct the spiritual and physical strains in which we live, can we hope to be able to say we are living in what can be called a civiliza- tion. All real sport, all real re- ligion and all true art in this world are based — like games of children — on the joy of the sense of balance and rhythm in what we do and what we think and what we feel, and until all our people have learned as a mat- ter of course, in their daily standing and sitting and walk- ing to balance their minds and (Continued on page 34) Right FLYING with a CAMERA By Porter Adams AVIATION offers greater opportunities to the ama- teur movie maker for ac- tion and pleasure than any other branch of human activity with which I am familiar. And, like that of aviation, the future of the amateur movie seems to me to be limitless. I believe that the two in years to come are destined, not only to add much to the comfort and happiness of human life, but to do much towards tightening the bonds of international under- standing and good will. Certainly the amateur movie maker is greatly in evidence in aviation circles. In the short time that I have had my own outfit I have obtained an excellent record of the best air events in the coun- try, starting with the Curtiss Ma- rine Trophy race in the Spring, the National Air races at Phila- delphia, maneuvers of the Los Angeles, and concluding with the greatest aeroplane race in the world's history, the Schneider Cup race at Norfolk. Few reels in an amateur film library could be more thrilling than these rec- ords of intrepid birdmen. The amateur movie camera it- self has proved ideal for taking moving pictures from aeroplanes in flight. Its smaller size and lesser resistance to air pressure make it much easier to handle in an open cock-pit plan than pro- fessional machines. Similarly it is easier to manage, as best re- sults are secured when the camera is held in the hand, thus eliminat- ing the vibration which results when the camera is resting against the airplane structure. Steadiness is an essential factor. But care must be taken in looking through the finder to make sure that a strut, tail surface or other part of the aircraft do not cut out some of the desired picture. The popularity of the amateur movie with the flying fraternity was humorously evidenced re- cently by the remark of a veteran news-reel camera man who was Photograph hy Underwood & Underwood MAJOR DE BERNARDI, THE SCHNEIDER CUP RACE WINNER standing in front of the hangars at Hampton Roads with Com- mander A. C. Read and myself, as we were taking pictures of the little red Italian monoplanes flashing by in the Schneider Cup race. "The amateur movies must be raising the devil with bootleg- ging," he said. "Everyone seems to be spending the money for film that they used to spend for liquor." Things may not be so good, or so bad, as this, but it is a cer- tainty that the amateur movie camera has taken to the air with the flying machine. When I bought my outfit, how- fit, however, it was not without misgivings as to the probable re- sult of my efforts, but the first roll I took was perhaps the best I ever secured. Nor has my pleas- ure in amateur cinematography been confined to aviation alone, for I have taken motorboat races, golf games, farm scenes and many other subjects, each of which can be reproduced any time, as the old automobile ads used to say "by a mere twist of the wrist." In addition to the personal en- joyment which I obtain from ama- teur movies, as president of the National Aeronautic Association I have had the pleasure of help- ing develop its film library of pro- fessional standard size aeronautic films, and with the cooperation of the Army Air Corps and the Bu- reau of Aeronautics of the Navy, the Association has been supply- ing its seventy, odd chapters with films for meetings. The Associa- tion also has a remarkable five- reel professional standard film showing the progress of aeronau- tics from the early Wright flights to the present time, and I am hav- ing this reduced to sixteen mili- meter size and providing an ad- ditional projector so that it will be possible for us to furnish film and projector complete to such chapters as have no facilities. The amateur movie camera has not only taken to the sky, but it is daily bringing the far reaches of the air, where only the aviator ventures, to the very heart of America's homes. Nine OLDEST of the ARTS A Genealogy for the Movies By Carl L. Oswald IT is generally assumed that the motion picture, and particu- larly motion picture acting, is a strictly modern development and, in every way, a new art. I believe this assumption to be a fundamental error. It is true that motion picture acting, as we generally speak of it, has been brought into being through the mechanical development of the motion picture camera and pro- jector by Jenkins and others, but the inventions on which the pres- ent massive structure of the mo- tion picture industry is based sim- ply serve as a new medium of ex- pression for one of the oldest arts in the world, pantomime. Pantomime, in the form of dances and historical pageants, constitutes the connecting link be- tween the often mysterious social origin of ethnological groups and that later process in which the im- portant events of tribe existence were recorded by rock-carvings and other primitive forms of writing. .vvlt is true that much of the his- tory of certain groups was com- piled and transmitted by wander- ing) minstrels under various names a^di in various guises. For ex- arilple, it seems to be fairly well established that the "begats" of Cj^aesis were originally trans- mitted from generation to genera- i'jjifji through certain individuals in,seach group whose position was (father that of entertainer than ■hiistofian. This sort of combined ihigfepry and purely imaginative poetr.y never attained the promi- nencecof recognition as a distinct art- although the troubadours of the Middle Ages were a recog- mzfidand often honored class. ; . Gnsihe other hand pantomime continued to flourish and indeed Photograph oy Underwood and Underwood WHEN MOVIES WERE YOUNG IN SIAM Ruth Saint Denis and Ted Shawn Portray the Ancient Art to grow during the Dark Ages when the comparatively infant art, the drama, dating from the height of power that was Greece, was totally submerged by the wave of bigotry and intolerance which engulfed the civilized world. During this ^econd period and up into the J^naissance, panto- mime persisjt$§| fin the form of re- JigSOU&jop&gSi^s and "mystery j88y&tfd&ftdj:fl$£Wgfonot until long after that the Greek form of spoken drama with its later modi- fications again appeared. Even to this day the pantomime persists in practically undiluted form in such countries as Siam, where interminable pageants re- viewing the history of the coun- try are given. Coming down to the present- day, pantomime in its original form survives and flourishes par- ticularly through the efforts of s7«0 h\ such gifted exponents as Pav- lowa, Ruth St. Denis, Isadora Duncan and others, aided by the wonders of modern stagecraft and abetted by excellent music of our best composers, and gorgeous settings by our most gifted ar- tists. Why has pantomime persisted through the ages while other art forms have, almost without ex- ception, prospered or failed and at times becoming almost ex- tinct? The reason is simple. Pantomime, of all the arts, is the one which carries a direct appeal in action, expressing the basic emotions in a manner which levels the barriers of alien tongues and widely separated intellectual re- ceptiveness. The same applies with full force to the motion picture and it requires but a casual examina- tion of pictures of ten years ago, as compared with those of today, to see that the trend has been, consciously or unconsciously, to- ward fewer and shorter subtitles. In fact a few pictures of which the most notable was "The Last Laugh" have been presented to the public without titles of any kind beyond the main title. Of the many criticisms of "The Last Laugh," both favorable and un- favorable, I do not recall one in which the charge of incoherence was made. The motion picture, therefore, is not, as is constantly being stat- ed, directly or indirectly, a new and decidedly brash arrival in the field of art, but is simply one of the oldest of the basic arts ex- pressing itself through a new me- dium. For the majority of the modern practitioners of this art, through the medium of the mo- tion picture, I hold no brief. They, in most cases, are the youngsters who, having had placed in their hands a new and powerful medium of artistic ex- pression, capable of swaying the minds of millions, have frequent- ly used this toy with abandon. But there is a brighter side. Ex- amples of splendid direction, in- telligent writing and capable act- ing are becoming more numerous each year and it is my belief that the proper recognition of the mo- tion picture as a medium which requires its own literature will be the final step in the attainment of a proper acceptance by its sister arts. Mediocrity will always be a thorn in the side of motion pic- ture pantomime as it is a detri- ment to all other arts, but it is no more fair to damn The Big Pa- rade because of Scarlet Sins than it is to condemn The Last Supper because of some hideous daub dug up from an East Side paint shop. The motion picture has grown. Now it must develop. It pos- sesses both the oldest and the newest set of traditions of which any art can boast. Its appeal ex- tends far beyond that of any other art and even encroaches on that of the press. The leaven of all art lies in the activities of its ama- teurs. The Little Theatre move- ment brings new ideas and a fresh viewpoint to the stage. Its im- portance lies rather in this fact than in the success or failure of any individual effort. The Amateur Cinema League will bear a similar relation to the motion picture and the leaven of fresh viewpoint is bound to show results as the movement gathers headway. The proponents of the motion picture have had a tendency to assume an attitude suspiciously like inferiority when they discuss their chosen art in its relation to the other arts. This attitude is apparently based on the assump- tion that the motion picture is the extremely youthful and incorrigi- ble sister of the drama. As has been pointed out, the situation is quite the reverse, and now is the time for the motion picture to stand forth squarely on its merit as a universal medium of artistic expression in which are inherent potentialities quite beyond those of any other art and, possibly, equal to those of all the other arts combined. TWENTIETH CENTURY PANTOMIME Emil Jannings Enriches the Oldest Art in the "Last Laugh" Eleven The Great Yonkers JEWEL ROBBERY An Amateur Scenario By Jerome Beatty WE'RE all set to go into motion picture produc- tion when the grass gets green in Yonkers — which might also do for the title of a ballad. We've used reel after reel of film for desultory shots of our children, the neighbors' children, visiting relatives, beach scenes, back yard scenes, dogs, cats and Shetland ponies and now we're ready to step forward and make a movie show. This movie show is going to include in its cast a number of the children, dogs and cats in the neighborhood, a dozen or more of our friends and goodness knows who or what else. We're going to try to get it on five hun- dred feet of film and hope to hold the production cost, including titles and cutting, to $50. The story is called "The Great Yonkers Jewel Robbery" and it is offered freely to all who want to try it. When you shoot it, use the name of your own town in- stead of Yonkers — this in fair- ness to Yonkers. One jewel rob- bery of this kind is all it should be asked to stand for. We have tried to concoct a sim- ple comedy that can be shot in one day and we're going to make a party out of it. The story goes back to the sure-fire "chase" idea, which was the basis of early mo- tion pictures, and has combined with it the "U. S. Cavalry to the rescue" motif which also is not original with this writer. Since the members of the cast will be the most important per- sons in the audiences to whom we exhibit the picture, we shall em- phasize personalities and use close-ups wherever possible. We shall gather the crowd to- gether at breakfast some Sunday. There we shall outline the story and explain the types necessary for the leading characters and they will be selected by secret ballot so that, if he sees fit, each Twelve one can vote for himself for a star part. The director and photographer will be selected by the man who is paying the bill. No voting on that. If we're lucky we'll shoot it all in a day. THE GREAT YONKERS JEWEL ROBBERY. Synopsis Mrs. Jones wears her jewels morning, night and noon, in spite of her husband's protest. He de- termines to teach her a lesson. Jones returns from the office early one afternoon, while Mrs. Jones is giving a children's party in her yard. He steals into the garage, dons overalls and mask and dashes out to rob his wife. She faints. In the excitement Jones bumps against a baby car- riage in which is his baby, and it starts rolling down a hill, into the street and far away. He fol- lows to catch it, the crowd after him. A boy who has seen Jones in the garage tells Mrs. Jones when she regains consciousness, that it was her husband who tried to rob her. She is furious. Mike McLuke, a robber arrives on the scene, sees an opportunity, dons a mask and asks Mrs. Jones for her jewels. She thinks it is Jones and slaps him and tears off the mask, disclosing a real robber. They battle. Jones recovers the baby car- riage after many narrow escapes and returns in the nick of time to save Mrs. Jones and capture the robber. Scenes: A house with a large sunny yard and garage. There should be a slope toward the street from the yard. If the runway to the garage slopes to the street this will be ideal. Any streets that are handy. Use side streets so you won't col- lect a crowd. Properties : Necklace, diamond rings and other jewels for Mrs. Jones. Overalls and caps, somewhat alike for Jones and Mike. Hand- kerchiefs for masks. Baby carriage, baby, and big doll to double for baby. Two or three automobiles. Toy pistol for Jones. Newspaper. Eccentric clothes for makeup of grown-ups. Old silk hats, frock coats, gowns ten years old, aprons, sunbonnets. Bor- row from the neighbors all you can get. Characters : Mrs. Jones : young, athletic. Her "big scene" is her fight with Mike. She must put up a good rough and tumble battle for her jewels. Jones : just another husband. Mike McLuke : a tramp. As tough looking as make-up will permit. Dirty face. Uncomb- ed hair. Jimmy : a boy about seven years old. He is the one who tells on Jones. Eccentrics : For the chase after the baby carriage. Dress up the men and women in the old fashioned clothes. Suggestions: The fewer people in the cast, the less film you will use. It is for you to decide the size of your party. Except in the first scenes of the children at the party, the story should be played in abso- lute seriousness. A smile will ruin a scene. Warn your actors not to smile and not to look in- to the camera. When the director sees an actor smile or look into the camera he should stop the photographer and re- take the scene. Get plenty of light on each face. Wherever possible don't let the actors wear hats. Don't follow the scenario line for line. Work out each scene in rehearsals, watching through the finder of the camera so you'll know just how close you can s:et to include all the action. ■*r The scene of the first hold-up Jones gives up. Kisses her per- and the starting of the baby functorily and starts away. carriage probably will have to Scene 4: Back of Mrs. Jones. be changed to fit the layout of Show back of her head and your yard, garage and slope. necklace and over her shoulder Don't try to act as both director we see Jones walk toward street and photographer. There's slapping newspaper against a enough work for both. leg in irritation. She reaches The picture : back and toys with necklace ^fATXTTTTTu with hand covered with dia- MAIN TITLE mQnd ringg_ THE GREAT YONKERS Scene 5 . In front of Mrs jones_ JEWEL ROBBERY Head and shoulders. She calls By Jerome Beatty to husband, smiling. Directed by • Scene 6 : Back of Jones. Close Photographed' by ".'.'.'.'.'.'.'. JJP; He st0Ps and turns- Scow" Cast of Characters Scarf 7 : Close up, Mrs. Jones. Title 1 : She places two jeweled hands Mrs. Jones (Give name) on her Hps_ HoMs them for Mr. Jones a moment. Then throws him Mike McLuke a kiss. Jimmy Scene 8 : Close up. Jones says (List every one else in the pic- "Bah!" Gives wave of derision ture, giving them a character and turng and walkg away name. Don't leave out anybody) Title A: That Afternoon Mrs. Title 2 : The Joneses were a jones Gave a Party_ Couple of darn Fools. Scme 9. Long shot taking in which is a good thing. entire lawn with children, pets, Otherwise there would be mothers and Mrs. Jones. Get No Story. an artistic grouping of all the Scene 1: Long shot of Jones characters. Leave out, of home, showing entire house and course, the eccentrics who are yard. Baby carriage on porch. t0 appear iater in chase. Mrs. There is a morning paper on jones is in sports clothes but the steps in the sunshine. Jones wearing jewels. Her baby is and Mrs. Jones come out the in a carriage near, and pointed front door. Jones is waiving toward a slope that leads down his arms in argument. Mrs. to the street -phe carriage has Jones is calm. They walk into tne nood up_ sunshine beside newspaper. Scene 10 . shot close as possible, (Hold position) showing Mrs. Jones and Scene 2 : Full length Jones and mothers drinking tea near baby Mrs. Jones, showing paper at carriage. Mrs. Jones touches their feet. Jones points to pearl necklace and speaks. necklace she wears. Talking. Titie 5. < o^ WHITE MOVIES Underwood & Underwood Gillette Sixteen - - THE CLINIC - - Conducted by Dr. Kinema Doctor Kinema is the amateur consultant of Amateur Movie Makers. The doctor will discuss problems in amateur cinematography that many of us meet constantly in our adventures in picture mak- ing. The doctor has made two requests of our readers: first, that they forward plenty of questions; second, that wherever possible, they send with those questions what they believe to be the correct answers. He does not want to fill the Clinic with his own ideas Therefore, he invites all members of the amateur cinema league and all readers of Amateur Movie Mak- ers to make contributions to his department. Please send in questions, answers and discussions to Doctor Kinema, care Amateur Movie Makers. 105 West Fortieth Street, New York City. Apologia THE well equipped hospital has its clinics, and so has our magazine. But in the hospital the clinics must not be allowed to crowd out the operat- ing room, the patients' wards, or the other indispensable service agencies. So in Amateur Movie Makers the Clinic must not crowd out the editorials, the articles de- signed to show you how to have more fun and receive greater ben- efit from your amateur equip- ment, and the other service and entertainment features of the magazine. Wherefore only a part of the valuable material received from our members this month could be used. From those whose questions have been deferred we beg patience, and hope that they will join in our pleasure at the fact that the Clinic seems to be fulfilling our ideal of unselfish service to the amateur cinematog- raphers of America. Dr. Kinema. Progress THE growth of home mo- tion picture making in 1926 is indicated by the follow- ing statement and forecast of 1927 by L. B. Jones, vice presi- dent of the Eastman Kodak Company. Amateur motion picture makers throughout the world consumed 8,000 miles of 16 m.m. film in 1926. This is the equivalent of 20,000 miles of standard professional film. "To secure a more graphic visualization of this film foot- age it would take one of the portable home projectors work- ing continuously night and day a little more than three years to screen all these pictures. "With 40 individual frames of these little pictures to the foot amateur cameras clicked off the stupendous total of 1.700,000.000 different pictures during the year. "The great majority of amateur films comprise the most virile cross section record of family life that has hereto- fore ever been secured and provided in thousands of in- stances pictures which are now regarded as priceless by many a fond parent. "During 1926 approximately 35,000 motion picture cameras were sold by all manufacturers. Considering the great momen- tum which this business at- tained in 1926, and with addi- tional amateur movie cameras in use this year, it is believed that 1927 will see a doubling of footage of amateur movie film." Scenarios AMATEUR movie makers- are getting excited about scenarios. The photoplay ambi- tion has struck them and they have seen the excellent results ob- tained in the Oranges, New Hav- en and San Diego by groups of amateurs who have produced photoplays from start to finish. They realize that the little cinema is a reality. Home movie makers are get- ting gregarious and they are getting to know each other through the Amateur Cinema League. The League gets let- ters daily that express delight at this mutual acquaintance. The solitary filmer wants to branch out and to get a group to work on a group production. This is sound and excellent. Hence the urge for scenarios. Who has one or more suitable for amateur production? Ama- tuer Movie Makers wants to continue to respond to the genuine need for scenarios by publishing the best ones that can be secured. And the League wants to have on rec- ord a list of available scenarios which members will be willing; to lend to each other. Typical of the in q u i r i e s which are coming to us on this subject is that of Ray Ham, 622 North Division Street, Ap- pleton, Wisconsin. He writes, "could you help me get a few scenarios that would not re- quire many actors and could be taken in this section of the country ?" Write Amateur Movie Makers brief summaries of scenarios which you may have written or secured for amateur production, and if possible send a copy of the complete scenario. -J. B. C. Seventeen An Indoor Stunt WHILE artificial lighting equipment for the ama- teur cinematographer is now available, a stunt has been brought to my attention which will interest the owners of Cine-Kodaks Model A, f.1.9 and Kodascope Model A, 220 W. Fully timed portraits (head and shoulders) have been made indoors at night, using the light from the 200 Watt Lamp of the Kodascope, with the Cine- Kodak lens at its largest aper- ture—f.1.9. The picture reproduced is a "still," made at the same time that the "animated" portrait of the young lady was taken with the movie camera. It shows the relative brightness of the image to that of the projected "movie" images on the home screen. The exposure given to secure the "still" was approxi- mately the same as that which the individual "frames" in the several feet of movie film re- ceived. The Kodascope was set on a table and raised about a foot higher than the head of the "subject," by placing a box under it. The light was not projected through the Koda- scope lens, as it would then have been a focused light, and, in order to properly illu- minate the head, it would have had to be so far away that the intensity of light would have been considerably lessened. The lamp house of the Koda- scope was, therefore, swung back as far as it would go and A KODASCOPE PORTRAIT" Eighteen fastened in position with a piece of wire. The beam of concentrated light from the 200 Watt lamp then came only through the little condensing lens, which is a part of the op- tical system of the Kodascope. The light, just covering the head and shoulders of the sub- ject, brought it to three feet from her. To get a pleasing portrait lighting, the Kodascope was tilted by placing a book be- neath one side of it. The light was thus directed to the face at an angle, giving shadows that extended slightly downward rather than straight to the side. The movie camera was four feet from the subject and the f.1.9 lens was used at its widest opening. To get some "action" in this close-up, the young lady conversed with the photog- rapher who directed her to move her head slowly from profile to full face position. The result was a few feet of inti- mate and charming portraiture. The amperage control knob on the rheostat of the Koda- scope was at a point that brought the needle indicator to 4 on the ammeter. A more brilliant light can be secured by "stepping up" the amperage but the manufacturers advise against this as such a practice reduces the length of life of the lamp. The Kodascope light can be similarly used in the daytime in conjunction with the win- dow light. Placing it farther away, it will illuminate the shadow side of a subject or can be manipulated to give "line" or backlighting such as is used so effectively in professional movies. — K. W. Williams Vignetters Again IN reply to the discussion of iris vignetters in the Janu- ary ' issue of Amateur Movie Makers under the Clinic head of "Wanted," the following statement has been received, and is published in the interest of complete fairness and in the desire to place before amateurs all of the information available. "While the average Iris will give maximum results when operated on a tripod mounted camera, the Bell & Howell Iris Vignetter has been designed to obviate this, since the Filmo Camera is basically designed to operate without a tripod. "By holding the camera in the right hand, it can be oper- ated without the use of the left hand at all. The thumb and first finger of the left hand can then be pressed against the front of the camera or placed iround the base of the vignetter if more convenient. Whichever is done, the left hand can then press the camera in against the forehead, which then steadies the camera. The little handle of the Bell & Howell Iris Vig- netter can be screwed in one of the four holes provided so that it will come in any position convenient to the little finger of the left hand to operate it. This will permit moving the lever of the iris slowly and evenly until entirely closed and the "fade in" is accomplished. The "fade out" is secured in the same manner, except by re- versal of this operation. H. H. ROEMER. The Amateur Invents THE prophecy has frequently been made in these columns by our contributors that the advent of the amateur would bring new developments to every branch of cinematography. A striking example of the truth of this forecast is found in the story of A. C. Hayden, the newest life member of the Amateur Cinema League. A successful manufacturer of Brockton, Mass., Mr. Hayden be- came interested in amateur cine- matography about a year and a half ago. Having purchased the best equipment available, Mr. Hayden soon felt a need for va- rious devices, to simplify opera- tion and increase the fun of his hobby, which he was unable to find on the market. So, being of an inventive genius, he set about to design and create them him- self,, his factory being equipped to make mechanical goods. Among the ingenious refine- ments which he evolved was a ,. portable folding stand for his screen. Then he designed a stand for the projector with adjusting screws so that the picture could be centered on the screen, both side wise and up and down. Not satisfied with this he felt he want- ed a case for his reels and also a table to work from. He therefore built a humidor case with a thick piece of felt in the bottom, which, when moistened would keep the films in condition for a month or more. This he attached to the projector stand, and the top of it served as the desired work table. Next he worked out a reel that holds the loose ends of any length of film. A little later he contrived a small table tripod with a panoraming attachment, which he has found takes the element of chance out of panor- aming, and has produced perfect pictures for him. To complete this proof of far-sighted prophecy- it is only necessary to add that, after Mr. Hay- den had taken his equip- ment to homes of various friends and to clubs and meetings, he received so many favorable com- ments and so many ex- pressions of desire from other amateur cinematog- raphers for similar de- vices, that he has devoted a part of his factory to manufacturing these in- ventions for other ama- teur cinema fans. While this is the first story we have published of the development of practical equipment from the amateur bias, the logic of the situation is so ob- vious that Amateur Movie Mak- ers feels no hesitation in repeat- ing the forecast even more em- phatically that the amateur is go- ing to be a big factor in the fur- therance of every phase of cin- ematography. The Newest Thrill OUTSTANDING among the latest technical projection developments of the moving pic- ture field is the "magnascope" which is now bringing one of the biggest thrills in the history of screening to the spectators of "Old Ironsides" at the Rivoli Theatre in New York. To quote Frank Vreeland in the Evening Telegram. "Just as the Constitution surges into view. the screen suddenly expands and the towering, majestic frigate, ex- panded to gigantic size, seems bearing right down upon the spec- tators and ready to pour itself in- to their laps." The standard screen of the the- atre, on which most of the picture THROUGH THE MAGNASCOPE is shown, is only twelve by eight- een feet. Just before the mag- nascope is employed, the curtains are drawn back to reveal a screen thirty by forty-nine feet. The film is then projected on this enormous surface by means of the magnascope attachment, with crashing dramatic effect. The ex- act nature of the device has not been made public,.. but Amateur Movie Makers' experts say that the basic principle is the use of a wide angled lens in the projec- tion. In that still unmapped territory of the colored home film, moving pictures by radio, and other re- finements, there will probably be home magnascopes, whereby kitty can be converted into a springing tiger, and Jimmy's scooter into a "Century" locomotive. Lighting EXACT methods for assur- ing well timed motion pic- tures indoors were recently demonstrated at the first in- door moving picture lighting show reported in this country, held in New York City through the co-operation of the Eastman Kodak Stores and the Kirbylite makers. The set up demonstrat- ed for taking two or more subjects, consisted of two lights, one on each side of the actors, the first eight feet away and the other six, each tilted down at an angle of for- ty-five degrees. The closer supplied concen- trated lighting, and the other subdued the shad- ows and showed facial contours to good advan- tage. Silver screens were used as reflectors. The camera was set between and back of the lights at eight feet with the dia- phragm set at F.4. For photographing a single figure the set up consisted of one light at an angle of forty-five de- grees, set five feet from the sitter, and at a height twelve inches above the sitter's head. The silver screen reflector was held directly opposite the light and at the sides of the subject's face so as to illuminate the sha- dow side. The camera, set at F. 3.5, was placed six feet from the subject. The pictures taken, with amateur visitors as actors, were later shown, and the quality was reported to be exceedingly good. Experimental variations of these arrangements can of course be made, but, with the above grouping, success is as- sured, it was declared. — S. W. K. Nineteen a ROOM MATES" A THE universities of America have definitely entered the amateur motion picture production field with the filming, now in progress, of a complete ama- teur photoplay by the students of Colgate University at Hamilton, New York. Other universities will un- doubtedly soon follow Colgate's lead, and the day does not appear to be far off when undergraduate movies will gain fame and popularity. The original conception of this first "Colgate Classic" was brought about by the desire to create a closer bond between the University and its alumni. Since only a minority can return to the scenes of their college days, the moving picture held forth the alluring possibility of taking the university to the alumni. This solution was for a long time thought to be out of the question, as no one at Colgate had ever had any experience with motion picture production. Then recently, the secretary of the Alumni Corporation, Mr. R. E. Brooks, was in- formed of the possibilities of amateur motion pictures. Students were located in the university who were ex- perienced in this wonderful new development in cine- matography. At last it was felt that the magic carpet of fildom could be brought to Colgate to bridge the con- tinents and erase the years, which now separate its graduates from their Alma Mater. Production decided upon, the first plan was to pro- duce a one-reel picture, showing the important news event of the year, such as Alumni Day, the Colgate- Syracuse football game, and other happenings which form a part of old Colgate tradition. Arrangements were soon made and the newsreel was started. It in- cluded views of several new buildings which the Uni- versity has recently added, with spliced-in close-ups of the old "profs" whose faces, familiar to thousands of former students, would recall old times more vividly than any description. When half finished we came to the realization that this would not provide a whole evening's entertainment. The Story of the First C By Howarc THE GALLERY Twenty Of course there were the film libraries to fall back upon in an emergency. A good comedy or perhaps a short drama could be obtained, but such interest and enthusiasm had been awakened among the students that we decided to film a photoplay ourselves, to go with the other reel. Then our troubles began. First came the scenario. A few tried to write some- thing suitable, but the idea was new and they had no conception of what was needed. No one was found who even knew what a scenario was like, but all were willing to learn, so, after picking a plot suitable to the conditions a scenario was evolved for this play which will serve as a basis for Colgate students in future years. This done, a direc- tor had to be found. Professor R. F. Speirs, of the English Depart- ment, had done all of the dramatic direction for Colgate stage pro- ductions so, with in- tensive study of the difference between stage and movie pro- duction, he soon became proficient as a movie director. And then the cast. Certainly, from all those who wanted to be in the picture, we had no difficulty in picking someone for each part ! The principal hardship was to choose between the many who would have been good for the parts but who came in numbers too large for us to use. At last the cast was decided upon. Finally came the actual film ing. The first location was on a mountain about a mile from the campus and after getting test scenes several days in advance, and, find ing them very good, the cast started with confidence for the scene of the "initial per formance. Announcements of scenes requiring several hun- dred students brought out nearly the whole student body eager to "get in the movies." The production is not yet completed, at this writing, but will be finished and shown for the first time on February 8th V ON ] COLGATE CLA lege Photoplay Production Richardson at a banquet of the Alumni Corporation in the Commo- dore Hotel, New York City. This "grand premiere" will come only one month after plans were first made for the picture. The short time, of course, made the work more difficult. Several times it was necessary to wait for good weather, and, other times, for the sun to reach the proper angle. The plot also had to be moulded to suit conditions. Final touches to be given the film will include making titles, and tinting or toning the film. Night scenes, taken in daylight, will be tinted in methylene blue to give the proper effect, and snow scenes will be colored with an iron tone which brings out the shadows in a light blue with pleas- ing softness. Fireside scenes will be done in amber and each type of scenes will have its own appropriate tint. The titles will be made by projecting one frame from the posi- tive film onto bromide paper to make a nega- tive enlargement. TION When black printing is put on this enlarge- ment, and photographed with a movie camera, the film will be developed negatively, giving a positive picture with a title of white letters. All these titles will event- ually be made at the university, although at present the equipment does not facilitate proper handling. The film will therefore be completed at the laboratories of the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. The plot of "Room Mates" concerns two friends, Phil Whitrnore and Robert Shaw. The opening scene shows the log cabin in Canada where they are spending then- vacation. The action reveals the character of the two boys. Bob is carefree and thinks of nothing but having a good I time. Phil, on the contrary, is very practical and conscienti- ous. After the farewell scenes at home, the boys are shown ar- riving at Colgate. Their first experience is a tour of the campus which brings in all the old landmarks, famous in Colgate tradition, the new sites and recent additions. Back in their rooms the boys unpack. Bob sees a girl's photograph, belonging to Phil, which interests him. Phil will not tell him who it is, to tease him. Later action shows that the girl is often in Bob's mind. Little incidents continue to show the difference be- tween the two boys. Phil is studious and interested in getting an education. Bob thinks only of pleasure. It is not until his Junior year that Bob meets the girl of the photograph. On a skating party, she, Helen Brown, and Phil have a quarrel and separate. Bob, seeing an opportunity, introduces himself. It is he who sees her off on the evening train. The two roommates quarrel when Bob returns to their room, but the in- cident is soon forgotten. At the end of the Senior year Bob is shown to have few friends and a record of wasted opportunity. Phil, in contrast, is well educated, liked by all, and leading the friendly rivalry for Helen's hand. Their return home is significant. Phil is forgotten in his home town and no one meets him. Bob, who has graduated with honors, is greeted by his mother and father and the girl he has admired for so long. Then, skipping a few weeks, Bob is seen in his new offices, where he has a fine position, and, when Helen comes to visit him there, the clinch and fade-out are practically unavoidable. The principal parts of the picture will be taken by Richard B. Mason of Miami, Fla., John B. Roll of Springfield, N. J., and Beatrice A. Mosher of Hamil- ton, N. Y. As a result of the fun and the training secured in taking this first picture it has been decided to make the filming of a photoplay an annual activity of Masque and Triangle, the Colgate dramatic club, and with the practical experience of producing "Room Mates," and some additional instruction, a close approach to pro- fessional standards may be expected for the production of the next "Colgate Classic." REHEARSAL Twenty-on e ROOM MATES" A "COLGATE THE universities of America have definitely entered the amateur motion picture production field with the filming, now in progress, of a complete ama- teur photoplay by the students of Colgate University at Hamilton, New York. Other universities will un- doubtedly soon follow Colgate's lead, and the day does nol appear to be far off when undergraduate movies will gain fame and popularity. The original conception of this first "Colgate Classic" was brought about by the desire to create a closer bond between the University and its alumni. Since only a minority can return to the scenes of their college days, the moving picture held forth' the alluring possibility (if taking the university to the alumni. This solution was for a long time thought to be out of the question, as no one at Colgate had ever had any experience with motion picture production. Then recently, the secretary of the Alumni Corporation, Mr. R. E. Brooks, wasjn- formcd of the possibilities of amateur motion pictures. Students were located in the university who were ex- perienced in this wonderful new development in cine- matography. At last it was felt that the magic carpet of lildom could be brought to Colgate to bridge the con- tinents and erase the years, which now separate its graduates from their Alma Mater. Production decided upon, the first plan was to pro- duce a one-reel picture, showing the important news event of the year, such as Alumni Day, the Colgate- Syracuse football game, and other happenings which form a pari of old Colgate tradition. Arrangements were soon made and the newsreel was started. It in- cluded views of several new buildings which the Uni- versity has recently added, with splieed-in close-ups of the old "profs" whose faces, familiar to thousands of former students, would recall old times more vividly than any description. When half finished we came to the realization that this would not provide a whole evening's entertainment. The Story of the First College Photoplay Production By Howard E. Richardson I HI GA] I IKY Of course there were the film libraries to fall back upon in an emergency. A good comedy or perhaps a short drama could be obtained, but such interest and enthusiasm had been awakened among the students that we decided to film a photoplay ourselves, to go with the other reel. Then our troubles began. First came the scenario. A few tried to write some- thing suitable, but the idea was new and they had no conception of what was needed. No one was found who even knew what a scenario was like, but all were willing to learn, so, after picking a plot suitable to the conditions a scenario was evolved for this play which will serve as a basis for Colgate students in future years. This done, a direc- tor had to be found. Professor R.F. Speirs, of the English Depart- ment, had done all of the dramatic direction for Colgate stage pro- ductions so, with in- j tensive study of the ■■■ difference between ON LOCATION stage and movie pro- duction, he soon became proficient as a movie director. And then the cast. Certainly, from all those who wanted to be in the picture, we had no difficulty in picking someone for each part ! The principal hardship was to choose between the many who would have been good for the parts but who came in numbers too large for us to use. At last the cast was decided upon. Finally came the actual film- . ing. The first location was on a mountain about a mile from the campus and after \ getting test scenes several days in advance, and, fold- ing them very good, the cas started with confidence tor the scene of the "initial per- formance. Announcements 01 scenes requiring several nun dred students brought cm nearly the whole student body, eager to "get in the movies. The production is not ye completed, at this writing, ' will be finished and shown W the first time on Februar) - •*>'. at a banquet of the Alumni Corporation in the Commo- dore Hotel, New York City. This "grand premiere" will come only one month after plans were first made for the picture. The short time, of course, made the work more difficult. Several times it was necessary to wait for good weather, and, other times, for the sun to reach the proper angle. The plot also had to be moulded to suit conditions. Final touches to be given the film will include making titles, and tinting or toning the film. Night scenes, taken in daylight, will be tinted in methylene blue to give the proper effect, and snow scenes will be colored with an iron tone which brings out the shadows in a light blue with pleas- ing softness. Fireside scenes will be done in amber and each type of scenes will have its ^ -^5j^F\M ?Atj own appropriate tint. The titles will be made by projecting one frame from the posi- tive film onto bromide paper to make a nega- tive enlargement. When black printing is put on this enlarge- ment, and photographed with a movie camera, the film will be developed negatively, giving a positive picture with a title of white letters. All these titles will event- ually be made at the university, although at present the equipment does not facilitate proper handling. The film will therefore be completed at the laboratories of the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. The plot of "Room Mates" concerns two friends, Phil Whitmore and Robert Shaw. The opening scene shows the log cabin in Canada where they are spending their vacation. The action reveals the character of the two boys. Bob is carefree and thinks of nothing but having a good time. Phil, on the contrary, is very practical and conscienti- ous. After the farewell scenes at home, the boys are shown ar- riving at Colgate. Their first experience is a tour of the campus which brings in all the old landmarks, famous m Colgate tradition, the new sites and recent additions, Hack in their rooms the boys unpack Bob sees a girl's photograph, belonging to Phil, which interests bun. Phil will not tell him who it is, to tense him Later action shows that the mil is often in Bob's mind Little incidents continue to show the difference be tween the two boys. Phil is studious and interested in getting an education. Bob thinks onlj of pleasure It is not until bis Junior year that Hob meets the girl of the photograph. On a skating party, she, Helen Brown, and Phil have a quarrel and separate Bob, seeing an opportunity, introduces himself, li is lie who sees her off on the evening train, I'll,- two roommates quarrel when Hob returns to their room, but the In cident is soon forgotten. At the end of the Senior year Hob is shown to have few friends and a record of wasted opportunity, Phil, in contrast, is well educated, liked by all. and leading the friendly rivalry for Helen's band. Their return home is significanl Phil is forgotten in bis home town and no one meets bun. Bob, who has graduated with honors, is greeted by bis motliet and father and the girl he bas admired for so long. Then, skipping a few weeks. Bob is seen iii his new offices, where be lias a line position, and, when Helen c . to visit him there, the clinch and fade out are practically unavoidable. The principal parts of the picture will be taken In Richard B. Mason of Miami, Fla„ John It. Roll ol Springfield, N. |.. and Beatrice A. Mosher of Hamil ton, N. Y. As a result of the fun and the training secured in taking this first picture il lias been decided I" make the filming of a photoplay an annual activity "I Masque and Triangle, the Colgate dramatic club, and with the practical experience of producing "Room Males," and some additional instruction, a close approach to pro fessional standards may be expected for the | Inchon of the next "Colgate Classic." Twenty- TRAVEL By Scenario By Charles Morgan Seav T HE movie - wise traveler plans a scenario for his trip before he starts. A tourist guide for the route to be covered provides the basis for the continuity. The travel scenarist studies such a guide and the detailed information which it contains, selecting those special points to film which bring out the high lights of the trip. The re- sult is a systematic plan for the travel picture, such as the one in- cluded later in this article. Probably when you reach cer- tain places you will find some- thing more interesting to record than you have noted in your sce- nario. Take it and substitute the scene for the original. You will still be working along organized lines. Without such a plan the scenes taken at random will prob- ably be a jumble, and can seldom be put together and made interest- ing. The successful travelog must be made with some degree of foresight as to photography, titling and assembly. A lot of scenics without the association of the human element can rarely be made to hold the attention of an audience. Even exceptionally beautiful pictorials, well titled, will pall after a few hundred feet. Therefore plan to humanize your travelog by using in it the mem- bers of your party and people met upon the trip. Keep a record of each scene made. This can be done by carry- ing along an ordinary ten-cent child's slate and a couple of pieces of white chalk. Number your scenes consecutively, or any way you like best, by marking the number or symbol on the slate, and at the end of each scene hav- ing some one hold the marked slate up so that you can photo- graph it by turning about an inch or so of film. Be sure and make a record of each slate marking in a book kept for that purpose, and with it all the data regarding each particular shot, matter for the title, its length, etc. When as- sembling the film you will see the Twenty-two number photographed on each C. U. village character, get this scene, where it belongs and the while others engage him in conversa- title to go with it. U°n- Save some picturesque saying he & . • utters for title. Try and secure group If possible always get some ac- of typical fishermen. tion closeups. These placed judi- Kennebunk, Me. ciously between the scenics will Congregational Church, with Chris- add interest and exhibition value topher Wren tower and Paul Revere to the travelog:. belk , , „ ;, ,„„„ T . & Elms planted April 1755. Also the in making scenes, whether La Fayette Elm, which has the great- close-ups, or ten to twenty-five est spread of any known. La Fayette feet away, be sure that there is is. reP°rted as resting under it at one some sort of a contrasting back- Ogunquitt, Maine ground. Never have more than 10 ft. shot "Maine's Rock Bound twenty per cent of skyline at a Coast." Shoot the village and one or time, and have that broken if pos- two natives in C. U., to be secured if sible. Make your stuff short j* caV J* done without the subiect's j . / Tr ' knowledge, snappy and interesting. If your travelog is well photographed, r, York Harbor Main* ,„uu „.„ a rj j . • • Colonial Museum, formerly old jail with good titles, and cut m a crisp built in 16S3. Have one of party be- manner, it will not only prove hind bars, begging to be let out. Get interesting in a home, but equal 'ocal constable to enter into spirit of to the demands of the average Joke with some sVch title as> "He asks ui^u ~„: a u.- • . .1 too many questions.' Or take out high priced motion picture thea- watch> tide, (an old gag but will get tre- a laugh.) "What do you want to The following tentative seen- know the time f or ; you are not going ario of such a travel film will anywhere-" show how these can be written be- 10 ft. Ionf *?*£ Yard. Pep- tore starting on a trip. The erell Mansion, built in 1682. Get some technique used in this example local character to tell its history and can be applied to any trip, any- use most picturesque phrase for title, where. In this instance we are Annisquam, Mass. planning to film a return trio Get shots of fishing boats and group {_„_, t>^„ -KT TT . ,/ of fishermen, quaint sayings for titles. ,[,u ?x°aWen' ^ H-' m the Point out some inn, and have fisherman White Mountains. "New Eng- in title say ; "By Godfrey, that be the land Motor Trails," issued by the onry tavern in New England that Women's Club of Boston has pro- George Washington never stopped at." vided the material for the con- Gloucester, Mass. tinuitv Middle Street pre-Revolutionary homes. Fishing fleet. Summer of c , ,r • Trio No Salem, Mass. Mileage House of Seven Gables. Long shot Date of Leaving- °^ town, also characters or other in- Starting Point . . . .' .' .' .' .' .' .' '. .' .' .' .' .' .' .' .' .' .' .' teresting matter. Destination Duxbury, Mass. Points of Interest from John Alden home, 1653. Landing of Boscawen, N. H. the Atlantic Cable from Brest, France. Photographed by Group of natives. Gross Footage Old Lyme, Conn. Boscawen, N. H. Famous Artists colony. Get some 10 foot shot of village. C. U. into scenes if possible. 7 foot shot of (close up) Stone marking location of a half dozen of their beautiful summer Daniel Webster's first law office. His places. first year's fees said to be less than Farmington, Conn. his year's rent of $15. One of the most beautiful towns in Kennebunkport, Me. a" ^ew England. Famous girls' 10 foot shot beautiful homes on Sch°°ls and magmficent eIms" Ocean Bluff Road. Atwater Kent's, Hartford, Conn. "At Water's Edge." 10 ft. Blowing 10 foot shot City Hall, one of Bull- Cave and Spouting Rock. Congrega- finch's examples of architecture, said tional Church Christopher Wren model, to be the best. 10 foot shot insurance across Kennebunk River. High tide office buildings, where more insurance for reflection of same in water. 10 ft. is issued than any city in the world. HOW MOVIES WIN Golf Trophies As Described By C. Bond Lloyd AMATEUR movies have played a big part in mak- ing the golf champions of today and will train the tourna- ment stars of tomorrow, accord- ing to C. Bond Lloyd, of Chicago, golf expert, author and consult- ing motion picture engineer who has specialized in slow motion golf studies. Seventeen years ago Mr. Lloyd conceived the idea of taking golf movies to show the correct as well as the incorrect way of play- ing golf. He believed that much could be learned by show- ing the methods of experts. Like- wise he felt that moving pictures of beginners themselves would enable them to analyze their faults and correct them. Walter J. Travis was the first expert to join with Mr. Lloyd in proving his theory. One dollar a foot was the price paid for this first film. Evidence that the gulf between golf and moving pictures had not then been bridged was the classic remark of the operator to Mr. Travis over which Mr. Lloyd and his cronies still chuckle. "Hold your caddy high in the air, Mr. Travis," said the operator, "so I can see if it will show in the pic- ture." But so successful was this first effort that it marked the begin- ning of a new school of golf in- struction, which has today become Photograph b>> Atlanta Journa] BOBBY JONES DRIVES WITH A CAMERA FRANCIS OUIMET an integral part of the training of every golf star. Among the great tournament players who have bettered their game with the aid of the moving picture camera are : Bobby Jones, George Von Elm, Jess Sweetser, Francis Oui- met, Chick Evans, R. A. Gard- ner, Glenna Collett, Cecil Leach, Alexa Sterling Frazer, Walter Hagen, Willie MacFarland, Wal- ter J. Travis, Al Espinosa, Jock Hutchinson, Gene Sarazen, Al Watrous, Alex Morrison and a host of other prominent players. Mr. Lloyd's film library is a blue book of golfdom. The secret of the efficacy of film in golf instruction lies in its impersonality. The golfer may watch himself, first at standard speed and then in slow motion. He can see many of his errors for himself in this mechanical analysis. Further, the instructor can point out the defects in the player's game as impersonally as if the pictured golfer were a third party. Another mechanical ad- vantage lies in the fact that the pictures may be run over and over again for re-study. Or they may be stopped at any particular frame for intensive examination. Con- versely, the perfect form of the great players can be studied and anaylzed. The value of movies, to them, has lain in the fact that they can, through the slow mo- tion pictures, discover the small faults which, in the upper ranges of stardom, often mean the dif- ference between defeat and the trophy. Here again, the imper- sonality of the motion picture is an asset, for golf stars, not un- like those of the theatrical world, do not always welcome criticism and suggestion from others. In the movies they can see the point for themselves and, once shown a fault, can soon correct it. Describing his technique in this specialized field, Mr. Lloyd ad- vises the use of plenty of footage. {Continued on page 39) T w e nt y-th r e e Itlill'ISI liililillitiiMilliillll i IlIiiSlllP The Home Movie Closeup — Find Papa. By C. D. Batchelor Courtesy New York Evening Post. <•> <•> Education TO Will Hays, and a host of his colleagues of the Motion Picture Producers and Dis- tributors of America, Dr. Nich- olas Murray Butler has offered the facilities of Columbia Univer- sity with the suggestion that a new set of courses be established in the vast institution of which Twenty-four CLOSEUPS he has been president for twenty- five years. The offer, the result of a survey made by professors of the university, will be consid- ered by committees appointed by Dr. Butler and Mr. Hays. "The motion picture industry is a stupendous engine, releasing a new set of forces on the world for the amusement, entertainment and instruction of millions," said Dr. Butler. "The word industry only partially describes it. I pre- fer to call it profession. We have only scratched the surface of pos- sibilities of the achievements of the moving picture producers. We cannot predict what will be of- fered to us within the next twenty years. The importance of such an undertaking is unpredictable and stupendous." Dr. Butler laid particular stress on the importance of the motion picture as a social force which is equal, he said, to its importance as an artistic and intellectual in- strument. "When laymen, like myself, go to the motion picture theatres and see with amazement what can be done with motion pictures, we be- gin to get an insight into what is possible," he said. "The accom- plishments have been really be- yond belief. The most vivid pic- tures of great historical events or great human events are present daily." "The motion picture wants its future to be in the hands of men of vision," said Mr. Hays in re- ply. "It wants its members to know all the arts, all the sciences, and the literatures your back- ground courses offer. We want men with a general philosophy of life, not men to fill jobs. We want men who have been taught not facts, but how to handle facts. We want men who have been taught not to make money quick- ly, but who have conceived of business as an instrument of so- cial service. "Our business is built largely upon personnel. Take away our directors, our actors, our writers and we have nothing left but a highly organized production, dis- tribution, and exhibition machine with nothing to keep it running. The development of any art is limited only by its man-power and man-power is produced only through opportunity. Your offer helps make that opportunity." Home Movies By Rail THE amateur motion picture camera having become an al- most standard piece of baggage among its tourists, the Raymond and Whitcomb Company has con- tracted with the Kodascope Li- braries to provide films for ex- hibition on its all-Pullman trains. A recreation car, with a seating capacity of 49. has been provided with a projector and amateur cinematographers are permitted to project their own films while en route across the continent. The films which the company rents and exhibits are projected from the rear of the car on a trans- lucent screen and music is sup- plied by a Victrola. Oranges MENTION was made last month by this department that the Motion Picture Club of the Oranges would film its next production on 35 mm. film. Eugene W. Ragsdale, founder of the club, says now that, if the pic- ture is a success extra prints will be made on 16 mm. stock so that it can be released to those who have the amateur outfits. The club begins the third year of ama- teur movie making with the an- EDGAR WILLIAMSON, JR., in the Orange Motion Picture Club Pro- duction, "The Haunted House." nouncement that its annual dues will be doubled and that its tech- nical staff will consist of two cameramen, two scenario writers, one title artist, a make-up and costume artist, two property man- agers and a film editor. "The Motion Picture Club of the Oranges," he assures us, "is working for the betterment of amateur movies and is ready to help fellow amateurs who want help from us. Perhaps we can help others in their attempt to form film clubs. We would like to hear from other amateurs." Amateurs Reviewed "The Amateur Camera Man" had his innings with the National Board of Review of Motion Pic- tures at its annual national con- ference with Colonel R. W. Win- ton, Managing Director of the Amateur Cinema League, as in- terpreter for the thousand dele- gates who heard him on January 28th in the Waldorf Hotel, New York City. The Water s Fine! RECOGNITION of the im- portance of the amateur movie maker comes on apace with the announcement, in February Photoplay, of the establishment of a new department in that maga- zine to be known as "The Ama- teur Movie Producer." It is planned to make this a depart- ment of service to the makers of home and community movies. "Thousands of families and clubs now own small motion pic- ture cameras of their own," the announcement stated. "The mak- ing of personal movies is proving one of the greatest innovations in home entertainment and educa- tion. It bids fair to equal radio in popularity. The new depart- ment will be brimful of practical advice and suggestions. If you don't own a camera of your own Photoplay will tell you how you can earn one without a cent of cost to yourself." Announcement of a prize con- test will be made in its March issue. Knell WE hear faint bells tolling the knell of an American cus- tom that has long been bewailed. It is that, common among physi- cians, surgeons and dentists, of collecting out-of-date periodicals for the consumption of their pa- tients who must sit hour after hour awaiting those awful words, "The doctor will see you next." From Chicago comes word that Dr. S. W. Fahrney has installed a projector in his reception room and that an attendant has but to start the film running for sixteen minutes' entertainment. Dr. Fahrney takes his own pictures. This innovation, we hope, spells death to the magazine-cluttered tables of our dentist's office! New Peril for Rum Runners THE high sea bootlegger must not only fear the guns of the U. S. Coast Guard, but it would seem must now dodge the amateur movie maker as well. Lieutenant N. G. Ric- ketts, U. S. Coast Guard, may Twenty-five not now be engaged in tracking the floating blind pigs in his duties on the Coast Guard Cutter Modoc but he writes that his ship never puts to sea without his amateur movie equipment. Lieutenant Ricketts expresses the regret to Amateur Movie Makers that he cannot get together with other amateurs more often. Perhaps the Modoc will prove to be the first unit in a "floating division" of the Amateur Cinema League. A Floating Dark Room EVERY traveler will be inter- ested in the outcome of the newest experiment, which, it is re- ported, will be made by the East- man Kodak Company in install- ing a developing service for cine kodak film on the SS. Carinthia, when she sails on a world tour March 29th, 1927, under the aus- pices of the Raymond & Whit- comb Company. An expert will be installed on board and cine films will be developed at a charge of $2.00 a roll. Thus the shots of the game of shuffleboard taken on the ship will be viewed in film a short time later in the salon by the shufflers and their fellow voy- agers. Forays ashore to fasci- nating scenes will likewise be re- lived a little later on the steam- ship screen. It is possible that some enterprising amateurs may film a round-the-world scenario, which will unfold reel by reel en route, with a final "grand pre- miere" just before the ship docks at the home port. The experiment has come as the outgrowth of amateur desire for such travel-service, but its exten- sion, Amateur Movie Makers is told, will depend entirely upon the outcome of this initial try- out. Submarine AND now, from Rockford, Illinois — many miles from the sea — comes word that the amateur movie maker, in his ever- lasting quest of new fields to con- quer, has sought the depths of the sea. To Lieutenant Governor Fred E. Sterling, editor of the Rockford Register Gazette, be- longs the distinction of being the first amateur cinematographer of whom this department has heard to make movies on 16 m.m. film below the water. On a recent visit to California, Texas, Colorado and Louisiana with the Illinois Legislative Ter- minal Permit Investigation Com- mission he made movies of the submarine gardens through the glass bottom boat at Cataline Island. We are reliably informed that the detail and clarity of the film is phenomenal and that a diver, who moved in and out through schools of fish and under- sea plants eighty-five feet below the surface of the water, shows MARY FIELDING AND EDGAR WILLIAMSON, JR., STARRED IN AN ORANGE MOTION PICTURE CLUB PRODUCTION on the lieutenant governor's screen as clearly as do the objects in his many other films. Until he bought an amateur movie camera last year Lieutenant Governor Sterling had never op- erated a camera of any kind. His first experience with the camera he got making 4,000 feet of film in England, Ireland, Scotland, France and Italy, none of which he projected until he returned to his home in Illinois. Wanted THE Amateur Cinema League wants the correct address of Mr. Richard Williamson, one of its earliest members, whose ad- dress was listed in its files as 1135 Michigan Avenue, Chicago ■ — an address which, according to pos- tal authorities, just isn't. And C. P., writing from 1 Wil- ton Road, Windsor, Conn., wants 25 to 75 feet of film showing seals wallowing in the surf off Seal Rocks near San Francisco. He is willing, he says, to pay six dol- lars for the spool of film and at the same time volunteers to make exposures around New England for any one who may want them. Doctor in the House? TO help unite the legion of physicians and surgeons who are using the moving picture in advancing their profession, Dr. Herman Goodman, of 18 East 89th Street, New York City, has extended to them an invitation through Amateur Movie Makers to communicate with him and as- sist in the formation of an organ- ized group of medical-cinematog- raphers, for mutual service and dissemination of their messages. Dr. Goodman also offers to pro- ject his own technical films if de- sired by other members of the profession. A suggestion which may be of assistance to other physicians is contained in his statement : "The physician has at his disposal lights used in the- rapeutics which may be utilized as sources of illumination for mo- tion photography. I have found the air cooled mercury vapor arc in quartz, found in most offices, can be successfully used in pho- tography." Twenty-six EXPOSURES A Hard Problem Made Simple By Carl Louis Gregory DETERMINING the proper amount of exposure to give under different light conditions is one of the hardest problems with which the amateur movie maker is confronted. The simplest solution of the problem is the use of a good exposure meter. Many persons object to using a meter on account of the bother of carrying it about and the fact that it requires a certain amount of manipulation in order to arrive at an approximation of the necessary exposure. There seems to be some deep psychological reason which gives many amateurs and most profes- sionals a deep aversion to the use of an instrument of any kind for calculating exposure. Perhaps it is because they feel that it should be a sort of automatic or intuitive mental process and that it is a weakness of some kind to employ a calculator just as an expert in mental arithmetic would scorn the use of an adding machine to per- form simple arithmetical prob- lems. Nevertheless, even if the exposure meter is discarded after one attains experience in estimat- ing exposure, it is the simplest method of learning to estimate ex- posure correctly. Some of the amateur cameras are provided with a simple meter which sim- plifies the estimation of exposure. The accurate estimation of ex- posure without the use of a meter, requires quite a little mem- ory training, as well as educating the eye to estimate the strength of the light. Unless one deter- mines firmly to master some sim- ple system of estimating expos- ures and has the will power to continue practicing until it be- comes second nature, he will re- main eternally baffled and mysti- fied by the exposure problem. In using reversible 16mm. film to get the best results, a much closer approximation to the cor- rect exposure time must be ob- tained than when making ordin- ary negative films. The latitude of the reversible film is not near- ly so great as that of the ordinary direct negative process. Latitude in exposure means the amount of under or over exposure that the emulsion can receive and yet pro- duce a satisfactory positive. Where prints are made from negative film, a very great varia- tion in negative density can be compensated for by using a weak or strong printing light. A thin negative printed by a weak light and a dense negative printed by a strong light will give two posi- tive prints of nearly equal density. When the reversal process is used, however, an under exposure affects only a small portion or thin layer of the emulsion and in reversing, the remaining silver bromide, unaffected by the slight exposure, is converted into a dense positive image with no de- tail, except in the highest lights. On the other hand, where the exposure has been excessive, al- most all the silver bromide is re- duced and dissolved away in the first treatment of the negative leaving only a slight residual silver salt, which can only make a very thin image in which all de- tail is lost in the high lights, and in which only the deeper shadows are visible. From this we see, especially when the film is to be reversed to a positive, that the exposure must be very nearly correct in order to make a pleasing picture on the screen. How then, since correct exposure is necessary, can we esti- mate closely enough so as to have at least a majority of our ex- posures correct? In the first place, we must have some sort of concrete con- ception of just what factors in- fluence exposure. If we can fix in our mind a few simple fun- damental principles regarding light, we can arrive at a basis which will give us a sort of mental yard stick by which we can measure the strength of the light. To most persons, light is a very intangible thing. That light can be measured just as we measure solutions in a graduate, seems never to have occurred to the mind of many who use cameras and lenses. In order for the light image formed by the lens to impress itself upon the sensitive silver emulsion of the film, a certain amount of light must pass through the lens. If we hold a graduate under a small stream of water, it takes a long time for the graduate to fill, but, if we have a large stream of water, the graduate fills very quickly. The iris diaphragm in the lens determines the size of the stream of light which passes through the lens. If the light is very strong, it is neces- sary to make this diaphragm opening, small so that too much light will not pass in a given time. If the light is weak, we open this diaphragm so that there is more room for the weaker light to enter. Remember, all cinemato- graph lenses have the size or speed of the diaphragm open- ing engraved on the lens mount so that no matter what lens is used, an equal exposure will be obtained if the same F stop is used. This F number is not an actual size — it is only a relative size. That is, in two different lens of different focal lengths, the actual diameters of the stop for the same F number, or speed, will be different. The reason that these sizes are different in lens of different focal length, is a simple one. There are just two things which influence the brightness of the image made by a lens when light conditions are equal. They are first, the focal length of the lens, second, the diameter of the lens. If we combine these two factors into a single mathematical term, we have a combination of the two factors which influence the Twenty-seven brightness of the image or, in other terms, the amount of light which passes through the lens. In order to get this single term, we divide the focal length by the diameter of the lens opening, thus giving the F number, or value, of the dia- phragm opening. All of which may be reduced to the simple statement that all lenses when stopped at the same F number, require the same exposure under the same light condi- tions. Now that we have estab- lished an equality between all lenses and the fact that it re- quires a certain amount of light to impress the photo- graphic emulsion, we have only to establish a system of recog- nizing the amount of variation in the strength of the light under different conditions. Almost all of our pictures are taken by the aid of the light from the sun. For all practical purposes, sunlight is unvarying in strength but there are many factors or conditions which change the amount of light which comes from the sun, and also the amount of light which is reflected by the objects which we are photographing . For a standard of compari- son, we will adopt the most favorable sunlight condition and proceed to judge other conditions by this standard. For this standard, Ave will take the summer sun, under good clear atmospheric conditions, in open country, and with ob- jects not too far away and not too close to the camera. At the standard taking speed of 16 exposures per second, with half opening shutter, the duration of exposure with the motion picture camera is one- thirty-second part of a second. This determines the duration of our exposure. Variations in the amount of light which reaches the film must, there- fore, be, made entirely by ad- justing the size of the dia- phragm opening. The various diaphragm openings, as in- scribed on the lens mount, taken in the order of their in- creasing numerical value, each admit one half as much light as T went y- eight the preceding graduation of lower numerical denomination ; the higher the number, the less light admitted. In reverse or- der, when opening the dia- phragm each lower marking ad- mits twice as much light as the preceding smaller opening-. If we take an exposure with the camera, under our standard light condition of summer sun shining on a clear day, with medium-colored objects at a medium distance, and the light coming from behind is within an angle not exceeding forty- five degrees, either to the left or right, we will find that when our diaphragm is adjusted, at F 11, the exposure will be about correct. We may summarize it thus : Under the best average conditions, one thirty-second of a second at F 11 gives the cor- rect exposure. We have now established a standard of meas- ure by which we can estimate less favorable conditions. Winter-time conditions cut the actinic strength of the light in two. Therefore, under prac- tically the same conditions of clear atmosphere in the winter time, we must increase the ex- posure by using the next larger stop, or F 8. If the sunlight is hazy, or faint, by reason of a haze which is nearly always present in our latitude in the winter time, the strength of the light is again cut in half. Thus, in average winter conditions in the open, F 5.6 is necessary. If there are distinct clouds in the atmosphere but still not heavy, again the light strength is cut in half and to compensate for the weaker light, we must open the diaphragm to F 4. Again, if it is quite cloudy and dull, still another half of the light strength is taken away and we must still further compensate by opening to F 2.8. If the day is extremely dull and cloudy, again we must make further compensation and use the next larger stop or F 2. It is obvious that unless you have a very fast lens it is use- less to try to take pictures when it is very cloudy. In order to be able to esti- mate correctly these conditions which cut down the direct rays of the sun, we must memorize these factors in their proper order and allow one large dia- phragm marking for each fac- tor which applies. Let us memorize these factors : 1st — Bright summer sun. 2nd — Bright winter sun. 3rd — Faint or hazy sun. 4th — Bright clouds. 5th— Dull clouds. 6th — Very dull clouds. Thus, in the summer time, we can omit the bright winter sun factor all together and in the spring and fall, we can compensate by dividing or halt- ing the factor or dividing the diaphragm setting by adjusting the diaphragm half way be- tween the scale markings. There are a few subjects which give stronger light than the standard condition. On the seashore and in the desert ; on the water and under other con- ditions where all of the sur- roundings are very light in color, so that they reflect an unusual amount of light, we can conclude that the light is twice as strong as with the standard condition, and, there- fore, that the exposure can be cut down to the next smaller stop. There is still another class of subjects which reflect a still greater amount of light than open water or white sand, or ordinary snow scenes. In this class comes large snow fields in high altitudes ; glaciers, air- planes against the sky and similar subjects. For these, the exposure may again be reduced by half ; or by class, the factor is one-fourth of the standard condition. There is still another class of subjects which reflect the maxi- mum amount of light. These are white cloud forms in direct sun and foaming surf in full sun light. With these subjects, the diaphragm opening be- comes so small that a filter with a factor of four or more should be used in their taking. Or, if the diaphragm can be re- duced in size enough, they require only one-eighth the standard exposure. These three classes of ex- {Continued on page 40) INDOOR MOVIES By Margaret Hutcheson THE secret of taking good interior movies with amateur equipment lies, first, in se- lection of a suitable background, then a knowledge of just how much area can be covered with the particular light or lights used, and finally in placing your camera near the scene of operation so that the central figures will show in the finder of the camera, with as little of the background show- ing as possible. "SNUGGY BOO," daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Slosson of Brunswick, Conn. First let us consider taking inside scenes without the aid of artificial light. Choose, if pos- sible, a room with white or cream walls. Dark walls are difficult to photograph, as they absorb light. Be sure the picture-taking inspira- tion comes to you on a bright, sunshiny day. Remove shades and curtains and make the scene of operations in the direct sun- light, if possible. Guard, how- ever, against deep contrasts of sunshine and shadow, which would result in an overexposure of the sunny side of all objects, and an underexposure of the shadow sides. This condition can easily be overcome by improvis- ing a reflector. Any large white surface, such as a piece of beaver board, cardboard or your motion picture screen will do. Let some one place the reflector as near the subject as possible without its ap- pearing in the finder, and hold it in such a position that the rays from the window will strike against it and reflect back to light up the shadow side of the sub- ject. With this set up and with the diaphragm of your camera open to F 3.5 it is possible to cover two persons. Should your picture taking in- spiration strike you during a dark day or on an evening, you will need two good lights. There are practical lights, designed for this purpose, which are easily handled, give good results when intelligent- ly used, and can be secured at reasonable cost. Whether your "studio" is to be the drawing room or the garage, mark off the scene of action with definite boundaries, and place the camera so that all action will be in the field of the finder. It will be found possible to take a scene seven feet wide. This will mean that your subjects will photo- graph as three-quarter figures, which will be found satisfactory. Place one light eight feet in front of the extreme left hand limit of your scene of action. It should be about eight feet from the floor and tilted so that the brightest rays will be on the most important object in the scene. Your other light should be placed directly in front of the right hand limit of the scene, also eight feet away and six feet above the floor, tilted "SNUGGY BOO" stars in an indoor movie. These pictures were made with one light and reflector. to throw its rays directly on the central objects. It is advisable to leave the or- dinary room illumination burning. Although the average electric globes have no photographic value in taking moving pictures, if left lighted they will help to neutral- ize the brilliance of the concen- trated lighting and soften shad- ows. I have based all of the above instructions on the use of cam- eras equipped with an F. 3.5 lens, as most amateur cameras are equipped with a lens of this speed. If, however, you have a camera to which a F. 1.9 lens can be adapted, more satisfactory results will be obtained and a greater area can be covered. This also provides a simple means for widening your range of possibili- ties on practically the same cost basis as multiplication of lights. These observations cover tak- ing indoor movies in a general way, but it is impossible to give exact instructions to meet all conditions. If you will take a roll of film and follow these instructions, using common sense in making necessary adjustments and variations, you should obtain pictures which will please you. In no other field does experience prove to be a more practical and valuable teacher than in taking in- door movies. You will find that after you have taken several in- teriors you will be placing camera, lights, reflectors and subjects so as to meet your local conditions. Results will then improve with gratifying rapidity. C /urography LET no prospective member delay joining the Amateur Cinema League because of a ten- dency towards an intricate signa- ture, but the appeal comes from League workers that each new ap- plicant so sign the membership blank that it can be deciphered at headquarters. Charter member- ship cards have in the past been delayed in dispatching in several instances because of puzzlement over the true significance of the indicated symbols. Which again brings up the point — Have you got a new mem- ber yet today? The League is growing fast, but only as fast as leavened by the yeast of its pres- ent loyal membership. T zv e n t y - n i n e Through A WIDE ANGLE LENS National Comment on the Amateur Cinema League TO those of us who have joined together to do the work of orga.-izing amateur cinematography with the realiza- tion that there can and should be no other direct return to any of us except heightening the fun of the game and the real pleasure of cooperation with the other cinema enthusiasts of the nation, it comes home with keenly appreciated force that these altruistic aims are approved and applauded so gen- erously by the press and in the flood of letters received daily at the headquarters of the Amateur Cinema League. No less a national authority in the newspaper world than the New York Times ended the year by welcoming editorially the League and its Magazine, declar- ing under the caption, "The Mo- vies Reaching Out," "Whatever may be said of the vulgarity of the movies, in the business itself there are many individuals who look upon it as an art, a bond be- tween nations, and an interna- tional language. Perhaps this is the first step toward making it an art. It has made its own way so successfully that no patrons have had to come forward to en- courage and at the same time re- strain it. Other arts have been fostered by protectors, men of wealth and taste, and while they have enabled the artist to live and pursue his work, they have also enforced a wholesome discipline. It was not enough that the pub- lic should approve his genius ; his patron must be pleased also. "The photoplay, art or no art. is beholden to no patron. What it has achieved of beauty is the re- sult of experiments which had to pay their own way. No inter- ference and no help came from the cultivated minority. The great public paid for what it liked and refused to support anything else. Perhaps some fine things have been lost because sensitive appreciation was lacking. But from the free relation between the T h i r t y movie and the public there is be- ginning to come something more subtle than ardent approval. Criticism which is conservative, restraining and discriminating ■ — ■ the great need of the movies — is now heard at intervals. "This month has seen the first publication of a magazine to or- ganize a non-commercial associa- tion of motion picture makers, the Amateur Cinema League. In the main it expresses the wish for as- sistance of the thousands who like to take their own moving pictures. A film exchange for the League members will be maintained, and the periodical will be full of all kinds of information foi the ama- teur. But there is more to it than this. People who have regarded the commercial movie as the true child of the nickeldeon, born for no greater heights, are bringing their complex and exacting stand- ards to bear on the Little Movie. Their understanding, once fo- cused on amateur work, will be valuable to the commercial movie. It will be detached, as the criti- cism of those in the business can- not be, and it will be keenly in- terested, as the amateur always is in the work of the professional. "The point of view of the actor who considers the movies already an art is expressed by Emil Jan- nings. Before he came to this country he was asked what he hoped to accomplish here that could not be done in Germany. He had seen American films which commanded his respect. He felt the strength of the American organization and method, and he wanted to swim with that great current. But he also hoped for an exchange of creative power between Germany and this coun- try. Perhaps some of our film stars will return with him to make pictures. New developments are bound to come from an alliance among the most intelligent and cultivated minds interested in both big and little movies." The magazines of the nation have similarly given unstinted welcome to the League and to Amateur Movie Makers. PHOTO-ERA said "I heartily rec- ommend that you lose no time in join- ing the Amateur Cinema League." Herbert C. McKay, A. R. P. S., thus addressed the great army of cinema- tographers who monthly follow his expert discussions of motion picture photography, under the editorship of A. H. Beardsley, who has pioneered in the magazine field for the amateur motion picture enthusiast. And as a technician and a professional Mr. Mc- Kay wrote the following advice to the members of the League, "The hobby which amateur cinematographers have chosen for the love of the work has great possibilities in the line of service to mankind. In my mind, the motion picture is destined to hold a place even more important than that held by printing. The professionals and tech- nicians of the motion picture hope that every member of the League will real- ize that the motion picture is a serious thing, that it is an art, and that it de- serves the respect and honor we give to those things in life which are of more than transient importance." THEATRE MAGAZINE extends open arms to the movement and its representatives in its January issue : "In this age of rapid motion a whirl- igig of new ideas is being constantly churned to the fore to meet the de- mands of alert-minded folk, satiated with old fads and hobbies, looking for new worlds to conquer — and one of the newest of new ideas at the mo- ment is amateur cinematography. "What a fascinating field the ama- teur motion picture camera opens up to the Little Theatres ! It offers them a permanent record of their triumphs ; it will take their plays on a tour of neighboring communities, via the sil- ver screen, while the hard-working members of the cast, unable to travel, are engaged in their regular and more gainful occupation. And then the next logical step — the Little Movie Move- ment— to augment the Little Theatre Movement ! We believe the pioneer- ing motion picture club of the Oranges will be the forerunner of countless others. Amateur Movie Makers hopes to do for amateur movies what the Theatre Magazine has done for the amateur stage." Those are indeed words of encouragement from an out- standing national magazine. FILMO TOPICS wrote, "A worth- while organization for every cinema- tographer to enter into. It is founded upon unselfish principles and for the sole purpose of education and frater- (Continued on page 32) The Great Experts of Motion Pictures Qive You Their Secrets Through Photoplay John Robertson, one of the world's greatest directors, tells you in the exarch Thotoplay, holv to make a one reel amateur movie. It will delight you in its simplicity and instructive Value, you cannot afford to miss it. THOTOPLAY MAGAZINE, the world's greatest motion picture publication, has started, in its March issue, a department devoted to advice on making amateur movies. It offers $2,000 in cash prizes for the best single reels of any size made by amateurs. Watch the magazine for details, hints and instructions that will help you win. $2,000-00 In Cash Prizes For Amateur Monies Get Photoplay Magazine for Details On The Newsstands Now!! 25 cents or Write Photoplay Magazine, 750 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, III. Cullen's Movie News T)onyt Forget We have the most complete- line of amateur movie appa- ratus in the financial district. In stock now Complete stock of the new Filmo Library films. New Filmo Character Title Outfit. Complete line of telephoto lenses for the Bell & Howell Filmo Cam- era. Complete line of fast lenses for the Bell & Howell Filmo Camera. New Filmo Arc Lighr, Gelb Light, Kirby Light, etc., for serious indoor work. Remember Films left with us are finished in Rochester and returned to your of- fice on The Third Day. No charge for this special service. We have a Projection Room where you and your friends are welcome to show your films. A projector always at your disposal. Is your name on our list to re- ceive information on all the latest movie developments? From W. C. Cullen 12 Maiden Lane New York City Tel., Cortland 8424 {Continued from page 30) nalizing of a common interest in the greater pleasure of home movie en- tertainment." CAMERA CRAFT, through Thur- low Weed Barnes, said, "There is no question but that such an organiza- tion by providing a common meeting ground for the exchange of ideas and films will stimulate tremendously this new art. AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHY through its motion picture editor, Karl A. Barleben, Jr., said, "The magazine certainly looks good, and 1 have no doubt but that it will in a very short time become a big success. It interests me greatly, and I shall keep an eye upon it, you may be sure. You can rest assured I will do all I can to further the interests of the Amateur Cinema League." CINE KODAK NEWS declared, "The new Amateur Cinema League is going over with a bang. Mr. Hiram Percy Maxim, world famed inventor, enthusiastic cinematographer, and pioneer president of the League, pre- dicts that this association of home movie makers will become one of the largest amateur organizations in the world." The spirit which continues "chiefly to inform" the editorial comment of the New York Herald Tribune is that of keen but sympathetic raillery. The most recent contribution of this dis- tinguished organ, entitled "Scanning the Home Film," read : "A correspondent has written the Herald Tribune, in a spirit of gentle reproof, to suggest that we over- looked the essential value of amateur motion pictures in our recent glance at the new photography. 'The true appeal of home 'movies' lies in the in- comparable family record that can be secured for coming generations,' he has pointed out. "It was our recognition of this fact that moved us to confident prediction that the new picture taking will do more good than harm. And yet we were restrained from more specific discussion of this phase of the subject by a thought from which it was only human nature to shrink. Now we are, as it were, driven to it. Delight- ful and important as the home-made film will be to the family itself, even unto its future generations, what of the guest, the stranger within the gates? Instead of the handful of va- cation snapshots now displayed for his entertainment, will reel after reel of the family vacation record be screened for his amusement? * * * * "Well, we repeat that amateur cine- matography will undoubtedly do much more good than harm. But the con- firmed week-ender will be well ad- vised to begin to accustom himself to the thought of what is before him, so that he can build up a suitable forti- tude to withstand it." Among other publications which joined in giving the League and Mag- azine a welcome were: The Exhibi- tor's Daily, The Film Bulletin of the Film Mutual Benefit Bureau, The Editor, and the Women's Home Com- panion. TAKE MOVIES AT HOME "SUPERLYTE" MIDGET PHOTO LAMPS Will Do It 500 Watts HAND LAMP— $10 Complete with Stand and "Filmo Library" Own your own library. The new "Filmo Library," introduced last month was so enthusiastically received that our West-coast laboratories worked night and day to fill orders. New capacity has been added— and results are going to make every personal movie fan howl with joy. Look over the new releases listed below— and get your order in early if you want to beat the rush. The best entertainment in the world — right in your own parlor. The only ex- clusively 16 m/m film pro- duction plan 1 in the world .The Wm . Horstey Film Labor- atorieson SunseiBoide- iiaril in Hollywood. Operating under Bell 6s HowellConlract. Your Own— At Little More Cost Than Raw Film January and February Releases STARS OF THE SCREEN SERIES- Continued S5 — Universal Studios and Stars No. 1 $6.50 S6 — Universal Studios and Stars No. 2 6.50 S7— Warner Bros. Studios and Stars 6.50 S8 — Fox Studios and Stars 6.50 VAUDEVILLE SERIES- Continued The children adore them V5 — Fisher's Animal Circus — a great highly schooled animal show 7.00 V6 — The Great Vulcano Act — World's greatest sensational surprise act .... 7.00 V7 — Cycling Girls — Vaudeville's foremost bicycle performers 7.00 V8— Arabian Nights— Novelty Act 7.00 V9 — Barnold's Dogs — Greatest Standard Canine Act — entire play enacted by Dogs and monkeys dressed just like people 7.00 V10 — Carnalla Troupe — World's most marvelous feminine gymnasts 7.00 Vll — Belmont's Mannikins— Tiny Stars from Toyland 7.00 V12 — Pony Ice Ballet — World-famous acrobatic ice comedians with Rose and Honey, ice skate tricksters 7.00 NATURAL HISTORY SERIES Nl— California Alligator Farm 6.50 N2— Cawston Ostrich Farm 6.50 ADVENTURE SERIES Al — Catching Big Fish in Pacific Waters 6.50 A2— Whaling in the South Pacific 6.50 Bigger and Better Things Coming WATCH FOR THEM! For Ease in "Finding" Long Range Shots The Bell & Howell DUPLEX FINDER UNIT Installation is instantaneous. The flanged holder of the Duplex Find- er slips between the finder flanges of the regular Filmo finder tube a nd holds firmly in place. This new attachment makes viewfinding with long range lenses simple, sure and fast. Simply find the wide-angle view in the regular finder— then shift the eye quickly to the Duplex and see the narrowed field just as the lens sees it. Gets those quick long shots you've been missing. Price S4.50. The Filmo FOCUSING MICROSCOPE This new Bell & Howell unit provides exact focus for any of the twelve lenses which may be used in the Filmo Camera. Also a lens test for accuracy. Operation is independent of camera. Simply screw camera lens into micro- scope arid focus image on ground glass in adjustable eyepiece. Shows proper focus for sharp detail, to every side and corner of picture. Then replace lens in camera and "shoot." Price, $12.00. For better results with all lenses The Bell < B o pej 3 £ 2 QJ w o in X .2 H M uj H H T3 2 UJ E & > H X < _a Bj CD o § en •3 -j c Q > O « 2 "O 2 '"0 w UJ w ei a U A MILLET FROM THE MOVIES This Scene From *'The Big Parade1* Might Have Served As a Mode! For the Painter of the Gleaners. MOVIES and ART Screened Models for Modern Masterpieces By Joseph Lee EDITORS NOTE. AMATEUR movie making is America's newest recreation and is making rapid strides towards becoming one of the greatest leisure time activi- ties of the nation. Amateur Movie Makers therefore felt it would be particularly appropriate to bring to its readers, the men and women who are now enjoying this recreation, and which will soon bring happiness to mil- lions, a message from the man who is the unquestioned leader in every phase of the whole national recreation movement. The man is Joseph Lee, famous philan- thropist of Boston. More than any one other man's, the vision and phil- osophy of Mr. Lee have moulded the present intelligent appreciation of our nation for the vital necessity in every life of play, recreation, leisure time activity, call it what you will. It is largely due to Mr'. Lee and to the great national organization of which he is president, the Playground and Recreation Association of Amer- ica, that today our country realizes recreation is as nec- essary to our lives as work has always been recognized to be. In other words Mr. Lee and the forces he drew about him a quarter of a century ago saw that the United States in its industrial obsession was rushing to a mechanistic annihilation. Largely through their efforts this national menace has been averted. Amer- ica, while progressing industrially more rapidly than before, has learned to take time to live humanly. And we call this humanizing activity recreation. To amateur movie makers it means long hours of happiness out of doors and in, recording beauty, humor, pathos, triviality or history, through the magic of the moving picture camera. To others recreation may mean motoring, golf, following the hounds, music, painting, drama, social service, any one of the thousand things which are different from the daily tasks required by necessity. And the amateur movie maker with his camera's eye, may and does share all these with their enthusiasts. And he has the additional power of pre- serving all their joys and his own for the years to come. And so when we addressed to Mr. Lee the question as to what appealed to him most in amateur movie mak- ing as a recreation, it is delightful to note that he im- mediately applied its possibilities to one of his ozvn hobbies — art. For althougli his chosen life job has been, against countless odds, to help other people se- cure the means to play, he has never forgotten how to play himself. Born the son of a leading "back bay" family of Boston, wealthy, cultured, lie has devoted his entire life and most of his fortun-e to the cause of rec- reation, but in his hours of relaxation he has found personal happiness in the study ^of abstract beauty. Through his leadership, largely, millions of American children know the joy of playgrounds and swimming pools, and other millions of adults enjoy tennis courts, bathing beaches, municipal golf links, art museums, community orchestras and the thousand other exprcs- Seven sions of the recreation hunger which he helped a nation to make articulate. Yet this man who has made life happier and richer for countless fellozv citizens turns from this gigantic task to refresh himself at the altar of art, and finds, as he says below, "the human figure, especially in motion, the most interesting object in the world." And in catching a little of this beauty on paper or on canvas he believes the motion picture may have a big part. Although not yet an amateur cinema- tographer, in the light of the inspiration expressed in his article, it is clear that it cannot be long until he is one of us. I HAVE never done any amateur movie work but have been ad- vised to do so by a very competent artist who is interested in my own struggles to represent action with a pencil. Personally I think that the human figure, especially in motion, is the most interesting object in the world, though it is one not much ap- preciated by our modern artists, ex- cept the Spaniards. But for a long time photography was rather a hindrance than a help in the study of this subject. The very fact that it showed what the eye itself could never see made it worse than use- less in the attempt to reproduce the visual effect of motion. The movie on the other hand gives us the thing itself almost as the eye sees it, and I believe that through the movie many people will get a true artistic feeling for the human figure and become interested in its reproduction. What they will learn to make from it will not be the copy of a single photograph — not at least if it is any good. In the movie, as in the real moving figure, THIS SCENE OF ELEANOR BOARDMAN MIGHT WELL SERVE A GAINSBOR- OUGH OR A ROMNEY what one sees is not a single picture but many blended, and that — or rather the effect of it — is what we want to reproduce. It is not indeed a copy even of the movie's presentation that we want. Most people know Rodin's famous walking figure, but, as Rodin himself has said, its position is one which no human being ever took. The two legs are in the posi- tion in which we see them, but they never take these positions at the same time, although we think they do. The artist must still act on what he sees, not on what science tells him are the facts. And above all, he must act on what he feels, how it feels to walk and skate and dance and push a gondola, even more than on what he learns from watching someone else. But the movie will give us the data for ex- pressing what we feel as the single photograph could never do. Of course there are many other advantages in taking moving pic- tures, but this one seems to me of especial value. GEORGE BELLOWS WOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED A MODEL FOR A WAR LITHOGRAPH IF HE HAD HAD THIS "SHOT" OF JACK GILBERT IN "THE BIG PARADE" Eight a FILM LIBRARY By W. Sterling Sutfin IT is only a matter of time be- fore film libraries will be a part of every modern home. The proper place to keep your films is in the book-shelves together with your books. The standard tin hu- midor cans are not particularly at- tractive, but it is a simple matter to make them so by merely applying a coat or two of one of the new quick- drying lacquers to the covers of the cans, using any color you care to select. The film cans may then be labeled (as books are labeled), in any original decorative manner you choose. If you want to go to the trouble, an index of scenes pasted on the inside of each cover will often be a convenience in locating some particular "shot." The film cans, if stood on end in the book-shelves, have a tendency to roll out but this is easily remedied by affixing a cleat or two to the shelf. Let your friends browse through your labeled film cans as they would through the books in your library — let them select the titles they want to "see." Do not make the mistake of showing too many films. Al- though people are quite willing to sit through several hours of pictures at a theatre, the home atmosphere is quite different, and pictures last- ing more than half an hour are likely to become boring to at least a few members of your audience. When you are showing a film for the first time to the people who ap- pear in it, run it off at least twice or even three times. If your guests are not as enthusiastic as you think they should be (particularly men), do not confuse their apparent lack of enthusiasm with lack of interest. Most of us have a feeling that it is not quite the "proper thing" to let others observe our "Narcissus-com- plex" at work ! The importance of storing films in humidor cans is continually being stressed by film manufacturers but too little attention is paid to these warnings by users of motion picture apparatus. As soon as you receive your de- veloped films and have run them off to your satisfaction but are not quite ready to splice them into 400 foot rolls, place them in a cake-box (or some tightly covered metal con- tainer), putting several sheets of moistened blotting paper or a sponge in the bottom, being careful that no water gets on the film. An unused cigar humidor is also an excellent place to store films until you are ready to splice them together. If you allow your films to dry out you will find splicing more difficult, since, when the emulsion becomes dry, it is difficult to scrape without injuring the body of the film stock. When ordering titles, write them one day, put them aside and read them again the next day. You will find that some have gained in "sparkle" while others which looked °ood when you wrote them are woe- fully dull. It is absurd to spend hours studying scenes before photo- graphing them and then spend but five minutes writing a set of titles. To avoid useless confusion when editing and assembling films, it is a good plan to splice together the set of scenes you want to follow each sub-title. Then splice on the sub- title. Make little rolls of these strips and slip a rubber band around them. Then when you assemble the film as a whole you will find it a simple matter to splice these little rolls into their proper places, and nine times out of ten you will find ways to im- prove the continuity at the last minute. The use of a combination splicer and rewind is a real help and saves fully 50 per cent of your time in splicing. If you do not use a re- wind it is quite convenient to use any thick book (such as a city tele- phone directory), and hold the loose ends of the film by slipping them be- tween the pages. A word as to assembling films. You will find that you have two classes of audiences : Those who appear in the pictures and do not care particularly whether the pho- tography is good or bad ; those who do not appear, do not know the people appearing, and merely want to see an interesting and well-pho- tographed film. Cut your films ruthlessly — do not include in a film which you want to show as an example of amateur cine- matography any scenes which are not up to your own high standard of excellence. Keep a supplemen- tary reel of these scenes which, though interesting to you and those appearing, would not interest an "outside" person. Any scene worth taking is worth keeping even though the results, photographically, do not suit you. Do not destroy these scenes (it can prove embarrassing to do so ! ) but keep them all in sup- plementary reels which you can run through the projector for those who are interested. At the beginning and end of a reel, splice on about three feet of light-struck (black) film. You will thus avoid the irritating glare oc- casioned by the use of transparent film. Place rubber bands around your film reels before you put them in the humidor cans, otherwise you will find your films will have a tendency to unroll and in time the ends will become frayed and broken. A small piece of adhesive tape will also hold the film end securely, but a rubber band is better. By following these systematic methods your film library will soon become as compact, as well ordered, and in its own way more interesting and valuable than your library of printed volumes. Nine SUGGESTION THROUGH SHADOWS IN THE "CAT AND THE CANARY' SHADOWS As a Mom Motif TIME was when American directors, cameramen and even unimaginative producers made a fetish of camera angles. The cameramen of eight or ten years ago virtually camera-angled this interesting "modern" discovery of European moving picture tech- nicians to death. Now it comes back on us as a new dramatic motif and the foreign cameraman, the foreign director are receiving a credit in American public prints not only out of all proportion to its im- portance, but to the detriment of the pioneers who actually started this cycle in the United. States. They say it takes seven years for a fashion in clothes to repeat itself. It may be the same in moving pic- tures. Possibly we are facing a re- introduction of camera angles in moving pictures ; at least we have with us a goodly supply of the direc- tors who have been using them abroad as a basis for this prediction. Ten By Paul Gulick Among this number one of the most promising is Paul Leni. Upon the outcome of "The Cat and the Canary," which has just been fin- ished at Universal City, depends a very great deal for Carl Laemmle. This astute moving picture pro- ducer has a remarkable faith in hunches. One of these hunches is Paul Leni. None of this artistic and accomplished gentleman's past performances is a positive guaran- tee that he will be a big success as a moving picture director. His repu- tation in Berlin is rather that of an impressionistic painter, and therein lay such reputation as he had ac- quired in America. As a general thing, artists who have been most successful either as painters, as writers or theatrical producers, have been indifferent successes when they lend their names to moving picture productions. The fact was that they had centered their attention so much on the art nearest their hearts that it lacked the fluidity and adaptability which is required by moving picture technique. But this did not deter Mr. Laemmle. Paul Leni had other abilities which qualified him just as well as his knowledge of composi- tion and color for the task of direct- ing. In addition to that, Leni had embraced heart and soul the Ameri- can view-point, a thing which so few Europeans ^.e willing or able to do. Leni, for instance, demanded as his first production a typically American piece. He got it. He wanted to direct it in a typically American manner rather than with European technique. This also met with hearty acquiescence on the part of Mr. Laemmle. The result was that he was given a thoroughly American assistant in Robert F. Hill, with whom he could consult, and that between them they have evolved a mystery picture which gives every promise of outrivalling its stage prototype. It chanced that I was in Cali- fornia while this picture was being made, and I took a very keen in- terest in watching Mr. Leni's meth- ods. I found to my amazement that he had introduced an entirely new motif into pictures — shadows. How many times have you seen a camel caravan throwing grotesque and lengthening shadows on the des- ert sands, or a figure casting a doomful shadow ahead of it, as in "The Phantom of the Opera" ? These are effective bits in every well-directed picture. But Leni is directing an entire picture in shad- ows. It has taken a little longer, but its results are amazing. The officials at Universal City have crowded the little projection room where the "rushes" are looked at every morning, to marvel at the shadow development of "The Cat and the Canary." One might add another dramatic motif to the play. It is true that it is re- sponsible for some of the shadows. This second motif is Gothic. I was amazed to find that every article of furniture, every lamp, bracket, curtain gable, and architectural fea- ture of "The Cat and the Canary" sets was built with a very dis- tinctly Gothic design, which lends a strange- ly sinister atmosphere to the backgrounds. The effect of a simple chair-back, for in- stance, thrown against one of Leni's expres- sive wall spaces, is vibrant with mystery and when combined with pantomimic act- ing of the kind that Leni is requiring of his cast, it becomes in- tensely expressive of mystery. At the very first, Leni and Hill noticed that the attempt to carry the dramatic ac- tion in this dual way, that is through the actual figures and the shadows of those fig- ures, was resulting in imperfect lighting of the faces. Right away the technic- ians got busy, and a little well was dug in every set at a place where it would be hidden from the eye of the camera, but of sufficient prox- imity to the players, so that flood lights could be thrown on the faces of the characters. The shadow from this auxiliary light being- thrown directlv up tow. rd the ceil- ing, is never regist red on the back- grounds. It took a week to experi- ment with this kind of thing, but when it was in working order the executives noticed a new strength in facial pantomime without any re- sultant interference with the gro- tesque shadows which are part and parcel of "The Cat and the Canary." An example of this type of light- ing and of the Gothic motif may be seen in the accompanying illustra- tion. It shows Martha Mattox carrying a lamp, walking down a long Gothic hall-way pierced by in- numerable Gothic arched windows. Notice, if you please, that Leni has placed his lights in such a way as to throw a dark shadow of Miss Mattox ahead of her. The well scheme wouldn't work in this event GOTHIC ARCHES ADD SHADOWED MYSTERY and so a little arc lamp was utilized to light up her face. It works per- fectly for this purpose, without dim- inishing the effect of the shadow. Another of Mr. Leni's ideas is graphically exhibited in this picture. Notice the candelabra with the sev- eral burning candles in the immedi- ate foreground. Leni has made use of striking objects of art, furniture, and even individuals in this manner. A portion of the object appears in the foreground as though the cam- era had been set in the middle of the room and the scene had been shot without removing an apparent obstacle to its clear view of the scene. This splendidly carried out the idea that the camera is actually in the scene itself and is silently ob- serving the drama unfolding before the eyes of the 'spectator. In pictures made in Europe, Leni's remarkable facility for cre- ating impressionist sets had stamped him as a genius of this school. There is absolutely nothing of this type about "The Cat and the Can- ary." Every effect which might have been achieved by grotesque sets, by extreme disproportion of objects and by nov- elty of camera angles, has been distinctly eschewed. Instead, effects of this nature have been created by imaginative methods. Take, for instance, still Number 2. By throwing a shadow on an irregular surface, a distortion of the shad- owed figure takes place which in itself is dramatic and im- pressionistic. Leni has in almost every in- stance utilized the angle of the floor and the wall to carry out this jointed shadow idea and making that take the place of his European set building technique. Occasion- ally an article of fur- niture is injected in this angle to give a double and sometimes a triple bend to these shadows. Notice in this still also the pres- ence of the Gothic door-way. It is pres- ent in every scene and every set. Several directors of foreign origin have failed in America and their failure is largely attributed by those on the inside to the lack of mechanical organization and particularly to the cameramen they use on the other side. It may be interesting to note, therefore, that Continued on Page 38 Eleven "HANDS UP' A Held Up HOLD UP An Amateur Scenario By Helen Fisher Price HERE'S one for snowy weather, or Bimini Beach, for that matter. It is one ideal answer to the question "what shall I do with my amateur movie camera in win- ter." And this short and snappy scenario should also recommend it- self to amateurs for it can all be shot out doors and on one roll of film. It can, for it has been done by a group of amateur movie fun lovers in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. And besides all tlic fun they had, zvhen shozvn at the Johnstozvn Library hall it raised a substantial sum for a local charity. If your camera has been lying idle, awaiting the call of Spring, get it out and call your friends to- gether for a "production party." If there's snow to work in, so much the better. Note the contrast which the white background gives to the ac- companying illustrations. A HELD UP HOLD-UP Cast of Characters In Order of Appearance Dorothy Atwood Tom Worth, her school-day sweetheart Mrs. Atwood, Dorothy's Mother Betty Atwood, her granddaughter Mrs. Stuyvesant, friend of Mrs. Atwood Twelve William Stuyvesant, her young son Jim Roland, Tom's chum Three Fisted Mike, the real highwayman Dicky the Dip, his accomplice Mrs. MacDonalcl, another friend of Mrs. Atwood Robert Livingston, a naturalist The Constable The Chauffeur The Horse Time — The Present. Place — Any town. Part 1 — As it was planned. Part 2 — As it happened. SCENE INDEX 1 — Street scene. Atwood home at one side. 2-4-6 — Steps of Atwood home. 3 — Street scene. Similar to 1 but taken looking in another direc- tion. 5 — Across the street from the At- wood home. 7 — A stretch of country road. 8-10-15-18 — In front of the Atwood . car. 9-15 — Another stretch of country road. 11-13 — In the woods. 12-14-17 — Down the side road. Number of scenes — 18. All exteriors. LIST OF PROPERTIES Scenes 1, 2 and 4. School books. Preferably one lot done up in strap. Scene 4. Lorgnettes. Scene 6. Large bandanna handker- chief, revolver, cap, gun and horse with saddle. Scenes 7 and 8. Two automobiles, two revolvers and other bandit's equipment. Scene 9. Horse and saddle, watch, large handkerchief. Scene 10. Same as 7 and 8. Also jewelry, hand bags, etc. Scenes ll and 13. Field glasses, note book. Scene 14. Two revolvers. Scene 15. Same as in 9. Also re- volver, handcuffs and star for con- stable. Scene 16. Two automobiles. Scene 17. Three revolvers, hand- cuffs, and constable's star. Scene 18. Two automobiles, hand- cuffs. TITLE. Part I. As It Was Planned Scene 1. Street scene in front of Atwood residence. Tom and Dorothy are seen walking down the street, school books in hand. They turn in at the Atwood residence and pause to talk when they reach the steps. ABDUCTED Scene 2. At the steps of the At- wood residence. Close-up of Tom and Dorothy. Scene 3. Another street scene in front of the Atwood residence. View looking in different direc- tion than in scene 1. Mrs. Atwood and Mrs. Stuy- vesant are seen walking together. They stop at the entrance to the Atwood home. TITLE. An invitation for an aft- ernoon drive. CUT-IN. Insert close-up of Mrs. Atwood giving invitation. Back to scene. Mrs. Atwood says "good-bye" and starts up the path to the house. Scene 4. At the steps of the At- wood residence. Tom and Dorothy are still talk- ing. They look up as Mrs. At- wood approaches and Tom speaks to her. Mrs. A., without replying, lifts her lorgnettes to her eyes, looks Tom over very disapprov- ingly and then enters the house. Both T. and D. look very down- cast and Tom says dejectedly: TITLE. "Gee, I wish I could make your mother like me." Back to Scene. Tom and Dorothy look up and across the street. They see Jim Roland and wave to him to come over. Scene 5. Across the street from the Atwood home. Jim waves in reply, says good- bye to a man he is walking with and starts across the street. Scene 6. At the steps of the At- wood residence. Jim enters and is greeted warm- ly by his friends. They have hardly had a chance to start talk- ing when Dorothy, suddenly be- coming much excited, grabs Tom by the sleeve and says : TITLE. "I know how zve can zvin mother over — remember she in- vited Mrs. Stnyvesant to go for a drive. We'll plan a fake hold-up and Tom can come to the rescue." Back to Scene. All become excited and Tom says the idea is a fine one. He shouts : TITLE. "Jim can be the hold-up man." CUT-IN. Insert picture of Jim dis- guised as a hold-up man. Back to Scene. And adds Dorothy: TITLE. "Tom can come to the res- cue on my horse. ' CUT-IN. Insert picture of Tom rid- ing down road on horseback with a gun across the saddle. Back to Scene. The plan is agreed upon. They shake hands and part. End of Part I. TITLE. Part II. As It Happened. Scene 7. A stretch of country road. In the distance the Atwood car can be seen approaching slowly. A second car appears in the rear, passes it and then turns across the road and stops in such a position as to block it. Mike and Dicky jump out, Mike remarking as they do: TITLE. "We'll take their jewels and hold the girl for ransom." Back to Scene. The Atwood car drives up and comes to a stop. Mike, waving his revolver, shouts : TITLE. "Get out and hand over your jewels." Back to Scene. The occupants of the Atwood car start to get out. Scene 8. In front of the Atwood car. Dorothy, Mrs. Stuyvesant and her little boy, Mrs. MacDonald, Mrs. Atwood and her granddaugh- ter and the chauffeur descend and throw up their hands. Mike col- lects all their valuables while Dicky covers them. TITLE. In the meantime Scene 9. Another stretch of road. Jim, disguised as a hold-up man, is seen anxiously waiting. He looks for the Atwood car, ex- amines his watch and seems rest- less. In the distance Tom can be seen and Jim signals to him that nothing is in sight. Scene 10. In front of the Atwood car. After Mike has collected the valuables, he grabs Dorothy and drags her off struggling to a side road while Dicky remains behind and keeps the others covered with his revolver. Scene 11. In the woods. Robert Livingston, a naturalist, is seen walking slowly and taking observations with his field glasses. Suddenly he stops as he hears screams in the distance. He raises his glasses, looks and sees : Scene 12. Binocular view of Mike dragging Dorothy down the side road. Scene 13. Same as Scene 11. Exit Livingston running. Continued on Page 39 THE RESCUE Thirteen HOW The Roosevelt Films Were Saved By Frederick F. Watson Wi THEODORE ROOSEVELT was one of the first great men to be recorded thirty years ago by that new invention, the motion picture. And from that first rather crude film, taken when he was Assistant Secre- tary of the Navy, un- til his death his bril- liant career was faithfully recorded on the gradually per- fected cellulose film, now a so matter of fact part of our daily existence. Indeed so closely did his years of public life parallel those during which moving pictures were perfected, that the collection of films re- cording his deeds comprises a cross section of the history of motion picture de- velopment, and from it alone a history of motion pictures might well be writ- ten. And so accus- tomed has everyone become to the im- pression that the great men and women whom the motion picture has filmed have been im- mortalized in cellu- lose for all time, that when the Roosevelt Memorial Association began several years ago to assemble all the exist- ing Roosevelt films, it was felt that Fourteen the task was merely one of collec- tion. It was soon discovered, how- ever, that this was far from the fact, and that the very films which had OVLD the amateur movie makers of America like to view these famous Roosevelt films in their own homes and with their own projectors? If they would Amateur Movie Makers will be happy to cooperate with the Roosevelt Memorial Association by taking such a message to the Association. The films are already in 35 mm. film and are being distributed for the Memorial Association by the T. M. C. A. Motion Picture Bureau, 120 West 41st Street, Hew York City, and 1111 Center Street, Chicago, Illinois. Information concerning details of distribution can be secured by writing George ]. Zehrung, director, at either address. Should users of narrower width films express the desire, in a number which will justify the Roosevelt Memorial Association in making the investment, the Association today stands ready to have these films reproduced for them. If you would like to bring Theodore Roosevelt into your own home, for yourself and your children, through the magic of the moving picture, write to the Editor, Amateur Movie Makers. If response to this oppor- tunity then warrants, the Roosevelt Memorial Association will ta\e steps to meet it. And note which reel, or reels, would be most interesting. The titles of the ten now ready are: Ho. 1, "T. R. — Himself", Ho. 2, "Roosevelt, Friend of the Birds", Ho. 3. "Roosevelt, the Great Scout"; Ho. 4, "The Roosevelt Dam"; Ho. 5, "The Panama Canal"; Ho. 6, "Roosevelt at Home"; Ho. 1 , "Roosevelt, Big Game Hunter". Ho. 8, "Roosevelt's Return Through Europe"; Ho. 9, "T. R. Comes Back"; Ho. 10. "The River of Doubt, Roosevelt, Scientist and Explorer." The ONE OF THE OLDEST FILMS IN EXISTENCE First Moving Picture of Theodore Roosevelt, Then Assistant Secretary of the been secured were in danger of be- ing totally lost through natural dis- integration. As for using or show- ing them, especially the early films, that was hopeless. To save them by reproduction on modern film stock was the immediate necessity. But this, too, presented seemingly insur- mountable difficulties. In the early days of moving pictures, disorganization had been so great that films made during this period were of a multitude of kinds, sizes, designs and manufacture. A 1 1 these variations were reflected in the in- valuable collection which Miss Caroline Gentry had made for the Roosevelt Mem- o r i a 1 Association. The films had been "shot" in many places all over the globe and in perhaps ten or twelve different makes of cameras. The apertures, or in- dividual pictures, were far from the sizes we use today. Some were compara- tively small ; some so large they ran into the perforations; others were so high they overlapped each other at the frame line. The position of the frame lines varied in a like manner. Some were placed on the sprocket hole ; Continued on Page 36 Navy THE INTELLECTUAL FILM As Seen By Gilbert Seldes (Reprinted in part by special permis- sion from the Saturday Evening Post, copyright, 1927, by the Curtis Publishing Company.) ANOTHER popular form of entertainment has lived and grown to greatness in com- plete ignorance of the highbrows — the moving picture. The enormous financial investment, the $500,000,- 000 annually paid down for seats in America, has made the movie what it is today. The only critics who have counted at all are the ones in the daily papers, and their criticism began too late and is often far from highbrow. The intellectual had to attack the moving picture in another way. He has pretty consistently be- littled the super-superspectacle film like The Ten Commandments and praised the simplicity of the old- time Westerns, serials, and other thrillers ; he has exalted the old Key- stone comedies with their flying cops and custard pies over the more refined types of movie comedies. In 1920 a German film — The Cabinet of Caligari — was shown for a week at the Capitol Theater in New York, and from that moment intellectual interest in the films really started. It was an extraordinary film then, and still is ; it is the only film I have ever heard hissed. It was the first attempt at a purely artistic film and happened to deal with the hallucina- tions of a maniac, giving free play to a wild and fantastic story in a setting both unreal and highly im- aginative. Its failure was total ; not until six years had passed, in 1926, was it seriously revived, to a rather exceptional success in a small the- ater. In the meantime another Ger- SCENE FROM THE FIRST OF THE INTELLECTUAL FILMS, "THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI' DR. CALIGARI man film — The Last Laugh — had made an unusual impression and a reasonable financial success in New York; elsewhere it had failed abysmally. The typical report was from a city in Kansas where the movie critic of one of the papers had advised only the half-wits to stay away from the theater and the theater was completely empty on the second day of the showing. Al- though the original picture was told without captions, these were inserted for the road exhibitions, but failed to help The Last Laugh at all. With these two pictures and three or four experimental films made in Paris, and with the prospect of ar- tistic, intellectual, or censorable films from Russia, France, and Ger- many, it became clear that there was a nucleus for a film repertory. A small theater was taken by the Film Guild, which sandwiched in some of these unpopular films with revivals of certain great successes, the Grif- fith pictures, the old Chaplins, the Jannings and Pola Negri films from abroad. It has been going for about a year with significant success ; a monthly magazine devoted to the art of the films — not a movie magazine, this time — is promised by the di- rectors. Another group — the Film xA.ssociates — made some showings of odd and unusual films last year, and proposes to make such films as well as to show them. A second small theater for superior films is in action on lower Fifth Avenue, in New York. And everyone concerned knows that the way to make these small movie houses effective is to tie them up with groups in other cities. The Little Theaters have al- ready provided the houses ; all you need to do now is to send out the films. This will mean something entirely new in the film industry — films made for a comparatively small number of spectators — and just as the Little Theater movement had an effect on the commercial theater, the little movie houses may have an ef- fect on the movie industry. Accord- ing to the trade journals, some di- rectors have been impressed by the technic of The Last Laugh. How much more would they be impressed if a movie made for a small audi- ence, with no highly advertised stars and a minimum of expense, should turn out to be a bit — as has hap- pened frequently with plays? In Paris there is at present one house devoted to unpopular films ; in Germany films for special audiences are not uncommon ; London has a film guild with some of England's greatest names among its backers. Continued on Page 38 Fifteen In Defence of PRODUCERS A Discussion of the Possibility that the Eggs Preceded the Hens By Florence M. Cutter GIVE attention to one who would come to the defense of the movie producer. Poor, prosperous and maligned movie producer ! It has become good form to name him as the an- swer to the eternal question "What's wrong with the movies?" Where- as, he is not the culprit but merely the goat. If you or I were out to get our bread, butter and jam in his job, we would do exactly as he is doing. In order to get back his enormous outlay in the manufacture of his pic- tures, and in addition, to eke out the bare upkeep of his palaces and yachts, he has to attract millions of twenty-five cent pieces. This is done more easily by giving the folks what they want than by offering them what they are not old enough to enjoy. I am not a movie fan. I am one of that army who go to the movies a second time too soon after having gone a first, time. Such carelessness usually brings on a resolution never to go again ; which holds, until one has a guest in the house whom one would entertain without vulgar os- tentation ! There is a well-known neurologist who has recently strung together his memoranda and published the whole under the title of "The Doctor Looks on Love and Life." The most illuminating chapter of the book he has labeled, "Adult Infan- tilism" — illuminating, because, though the author does not touch on the theatres or movies, the reader nevertheless has it flashed to him that here at last is the answer to the question of what's wrong with the movies. What is an adult infant? A moron? Not at all. The moron is one whose mental development has been arrested. The adult in- fant, on the contrary, stopped grow- ing emotionally at about the age of thirteen, fourteen or fifteen. It must be emphasized that the adult infant is no sort of moron. The breeds are utterly different. The Sixteen adult infant may possess, and very often does possess, a superior men- tal equipment. New Year's Eve is the holy festival of the adult in- fants. The big banker who can get enjoyment out of standing on a clut- tered table, tooting a horn, while throwing about bright bits of col- ored paper, is an adult infant, even though his big-business is due to his brains of similar dimensions. I am inclined to believe that the moving spirit (usually feminine) behind many a showy social function, though proving herself to be an able executive, is an adult infant. Epi- thets and brickbats will be my por- tion for having put this in print, but since I have already incurred that risk, I will run the whole gamut by adding that I am also inclined to believe that the college alumnus who gets hoarse at football games, is — well, he acts like one, anyway ! (In a pinch, you see, my courage oozes away.) The neurologist-author goes on to say that the number of adult infants in the United States is appalling. He even goes so far as to state that they make up a far larger proportion of the population than exists in any European country. I do not agree with the doctor on this point ; I be- lieve the French have far more adult infantilism than we have. But I do agree with him that the malady is growing. To convince myself of this, I have but to consider the tit- terers. When I was a young girl in the Gay Nineties, the tit- terers came out in noticeable force only at second-rate theatres. Even at such houses in those days there were not many of them in the whole audience, — not but that a very few of the breed could put an utter blight on any situation involving pathos. Titterers are unable to distinguish between comedy and essential pa- thos. (I couldn't myself when I was thirteen, fourteen or fifteen. I well remember standing by and watching a man who had become unstrung by grief, and appreciating the funny faces he was making!) Titterers have increased so in numbers since that day that they now make up a large proportion of the audiences in high-priced metro- politan theatres. I have been told that they utterly spoiled the big mo- ment in "Young Woodley," that tender exposition of adolescent emo- tion which was an outstanding suc- cess of the last theatrical season. Sex-revelation coming suddenly on a young soul unprepared for it ! — that is the nub of the plot. The tit- terers found it a salacious bit. If one could have gone through that "Young Woodley" audience sepa- rating the titterers from those with moisture in the eye and a lump in the throat, one would probably have found the titterers almost outnum- bering the grown-ups. Now if this is the condition in a high-priced metropolitan theatre, what would be the proportion in outlying districts where the movie house is the only theatre? Titterers, perhaps, have their uses in speeding along the "little theatre" movement. Could something analogous to the little theatre be done for the movies? There is a large movie house in the next town to mine which has to cater to all tastes in order to keep going. On Monday, Tuesday, Fri- day and Saturday nights the man- agement presents pictures satisfac- tory to the adult infants who make up a large part of the audience. "Sex," of course, runs rampant, and why shouldn't it? To a very large number of thirteen, fourteen and fif- teen year olders, sex is the one really intriguing note in the whole gamut. For Wednesday and Thursday nights, however, the management "tries" to find pictures to entertain the grown-ups, but it has hard work, for there are so few. Producers have been known to make them — but they are not encouraged to continue. If you were a movie producer, would you try to stamp out adult infantilism? You might, if you thought you could succeed — but in the meantime you would go on grinding out ruthless happy-endings, and comedies built around the ubi- quitous custard pie. STILL MOVIES By Walter D. Kerst if' II v -IT STILL THE amateur movie maker is wise who emulates the profes- sional director or camera man in also making still photographs of the ac- tion being filmed. In commercial moving pictures these "stills" are used for publicity in newspapers, in magazines, for "exploitation" in theatre lobbies and in a score of dif- ferent ways. The amateur is like- wise rapidly discovering his own need for such still photographs in connection with his moving pictures. If he has secured unusual films, the local newspapers are interested in reproducing such news photographs as may be contained therein, and also in making layouts for Sunday feature stories of the amateur cam- era man's experiences. The special magazines, which are related to the subject filmed, are interested in se- curing illustrated articles based on the amateur's film record of their special interest. If amateur photo- play productions have been made, both local newspaper and national magazine publicity can be secured if good still photographs can be of- fered. And in this connection stills are needed for exploitation of the amateur productions, whenever the showing is of a public nature. In short for all those who wish to get the utmost enjoyment and profit out of the amateur cinema, still photo- graphs become an essential part of the fun. Any camera will suffice for se- curing still pictures, the quality of the camera necessary depending on the quality of finished photographs desired. And there are several cameras now being manufactured, description of which may interest amateur moving picture makers, as moving picture film is used in them, instead of the familiar roll, for mak- ing one picture at a time, or, as it were, still movies. In these cameras short strips of negative thirty-five millimeter film are used. Because of the small size of the film the cost of the negative is therefore very reason- able. And from 50 to 250 individual snapshots can be recorded on these strips of film. The pictures are small, to be sure, but enlargements of excellent quality can be obtained. Examples of both indoor and exte- rior photographs made with these "still-movie" cameras are illustrated on this page. Light weight and Continued on Page 33 MOVIES 5" e v e nt e e n NEXT COMES THE POWDER MOVIE MAKEUP For Amateurs THE art of make-up is a com- plete study within itself and a small library could be written on this interesting subject. How- ever, I shall only deal with the es- sentials of straight movie make-up as applied by screen stars of the legitimate productions, which can be Eighteen By Eugene William Ragsdale Illustrations Posed by Rose Reynold carried out, with profit, by amateur movie makers. My past experience in arranging amateur screen productions leads me to believe that the average ama- teur player gives very little thought in applying make-up correctly. Correct make-up is just as important as correct costuming. "Why is make-up used in motion pictures?" is the usual question asked by ama- teurs. There are many good rea- sons in answer to that question. Be- cause motion picture film cannot be retouched as in "still" photography, these details must be attended to by APPLYING THE FOUNDATION using the correct shade of grease paint and powder. For example : notice the faces of people in news pictures taken without grease paint and you will wonder why their faces appear so dark. Merely the red cor- puscles beneath the skin photograph- ing dark. Remember, it is for that reason red is avoided in movie make- up, and is NEVER used on the cheeks. Scars, moles and blem- ishes will also be very much appar- ent unless the grease paint is used. The beautiful complexions of our screen favorites, which we all envy and admire, can be traced back to the make-up box. There are some stars who never use make-up be- cause they have such beautiful skin, free from all blemishes. I am told that Lillian Gish and Mary Pickf ord never use make-up unless doing character parts. But we all cannot have beautiful complexions, and therefore must resort to a substi- tute— the make-up box. In choosing your make-up go to some reliable manufacturer of cos- metics. An elaborate make-up box is not necessary unless one is study- ing character work. It is difficult to say how a skin will look under the glare of arc lights, as used in motion picture work. Some skins reflect more light than others ; hence less make-up is required. By hav- ing a short screen test made of your- self you will soon be able to deter- mine how to vary your make-up ac- cordingly. Every member of the Motion Picture Club of the Oranges who is cast for a part in a picture must have a complete make-up box, and each is given instruction on ap- plying the correct make-up. The make-up box should consist of : Theatrical cold cream, yellow grease foundation, yellow powder, a green and crimson liner, lip rouge, mas- caro or cosmetic, chamois stumps as used by artists, large powder puff, cheese cloth, and a small mirror for "on location.'' Some make-up boxes come already equipped with a mir- ror. A light yellow, such as Stein's No. 27, or a stick of pale-flesh grease paint such as Bernners No. l*/2, is the most suitable founda- tion for a young lady. A pale-flesh powder should be used if the latter is applied. The man usually selects a slightly darker shade of founda- tion such as Stein's No. 28. If this ground proves too dark, then use the Stein's No. 27 or Bernners No. 5. The yellow powder is used by the man. If your face is very large a dark shade of grease paint will make it appear smaller. If you are troubled with a double chin, try painting it out with a pink grease paint. This will throw the chin into a shadow, making it less ACCENTS NEEDED! noticeable when facing the camera. For the nose that is too prominent, blend a soft flush of pink down the top. This will flatten it to some ex- tent. If the nose is too thick or flat, blend a soft flush of pink down the sides. Highlighting the nose and chin affects only the full face view. The profile can only be altered by the use of nose putty, which can be purchased at cosmetic dealers. Before applying the make-up place something around the head to hold the hair back, such as a towel or skull cap. This will enable you to work better and prevent any grease or powder in getting in the hair. First apply the cold cream to the face, massaging it well into the pores of the skin. Remove the sur- plus of the cream with a soft cloth taking care that you have removed all of the cream. The yellow foun- dation is next applied in wide streaks over the forehead, sides of the face, and chin to the neck. Then this is blended over the entire face and neck by massaging it smoothly as possible. Do not be alarmed by your looks after this process, as the accents when applied will take away that insignificant look. The pretty painted face before the mirror does not look that way on the screen. The next step is the eyes, and it is very important to make the eyes ap- pear beautiful, especially in motion pictures. Apply the correct shade of liner in the space between the eyelid and the eyebrow. The object is to bring out the white of the eye and make it more brilliant. A very blond person with light blue eyes should use brown or crimson in this space. Blend the color with the tip of the little finger. The darkest portion should be at the lid of the eye fading gradually off into the foundation to the edge of the brow and outer end of the eye. The dark- haired person with deep blue, green or hazel eyes should use either green or purple in this space. A decided brunette can use a dark blue liner. A very light blue would not be practical as it would photo- graph very light, thus adding no contrast with the eye. The edges of the eye can be dark- ened with mascaro or cosmetic. If your heroine must shed tears then by all means avoid using the mas- caro. Mascaro will run and blur your make-up if moisture reaches it, also causing it to get into the eyes and irritating them to a great extent. Use cosmetic as a substi- tute. Placing a small blurred dot of red in the inner and outer cor- ners of the eye makes them appear (Continued on page 39) AFTER THE ACCENTS ARE APPLISD Nineteen Amateur Movies Made Mo Through Bell & Howell Cameras, Proj ^Mll9 Exposure Meter With this Meter, movie makers are sure to determine the correct stop number at which to set the lens under all light conditions. An excellent supplement to the exposure chart furnished with each Filmo Camera. Simple to use. Only the film, light and shutter speed to take into consid- eration. A particularly useful accessory 'when taking inte- riors, late evening scenes, and super-speed pictures. Price $2.75. Refills for meter (6 to box), 25c. S!&fi9 Focusing Microscope This unit provides exact focus for any of the twelve lenses which may be used in the Filmo Camera. Also a lens test for accuracy. Operation is independent of camera. Simply screw camera lens into microscope and focus image on ground glass in adjustable eye- piece. Shows proper focus for sharp detail to every side and corner of picture. Then replace lens in camera and "shoot." Price $12.00 Special T.-H. C. Focusing Mount for Regular 25 mjm, F 3.5 Lens Thi3 unit supplies the growing demand for the regular Filmo lens in a self-contained focusing mount. With this mount focusing is done by unscrewing front element of lens only. Auxiliary lens dials are not disturbed when adjusting focus- ing position. Lens focuses from infinity down to two feet. Self-contained Taylor-Hobson Cooke 1" lens in Micrometer Focusing Mount — including credit for return to factory of regu - lar Filmo Universal Focus 1" lens (in good condition) $10.00 Nu-Tiran Tilting and Panoraming Head For holding the camera steadily in place for uniform tilting and panoraming (moving up and down or sideways). The tilting device is quickly and easily operated. Panoraming device is operated by a crank. There is also a lever for quick pams. Fits either Triax or Type E tripod legs. Price $ 1 2 .00 Triax all-metal folding Tripod, pressed steel, black enam- eled, weighing but 18 ounces $5.00 &]$H9 Scene Card Binder for recording field and title data A vest-pocket size, black leather, loose leaf binder containing 50 numbered cards with spaces for recording date, roll num- ber, stop number used, footage of film, light conditions, etc. Indispensable for correct titling when returning from a trip. Simply photograph each page number as you change sub- jects, keeping data on each. Price $1.25. Extra cards for binder, per set of 50, 35c. (See inside front cover for description of Automatic 1 6mjm CameraandProjector) The amateur movie accessories and mate- rials listed here have grown out of many years of professional experience and leadership. Bell &. Howell cameras and equipment are used in making most of the feature movies you see at best theatres— and have been for twenty years. This vast, specialized experience has naturally resulted in amateur equipment which will obtain professional results for you* Mail the coupon for detailed information. How to Make Your Own Motion Picture Plays Don't Fail to Qet This Book HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN MOTION PICTURE PLAYSr JACK BECHDOtT. ] This book was prepared especially for the amateur pro- ducer. It tells him, in simple, non-technical language every- thingneeded to know about making a motion picture drama. It contains, also, actual and complete scenarios of twelve clever little plays, written just for the amateur producer. No owner of a personal motion picture camera should be without this book. At your dealers, $1.50. Or send coupon for descriptive circular. Bell & Howel 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Neu> York ' Hollywood * London Twenty e Accurate and Interesting :tor, Accessories and "Filmo Library" Marion Da vies Lillian Gish Conrad Nagel Claire Windsor FILMO LIBRARY Current Releases An ever-increasing variety of subjects are being made available to you in this library. Own your own library — at little more cost than raw film. These films become yours to do with as you please. Splicethem into your own films, rearrange them in variety programs — or leave them as they are. Fine entertainment in any form. Filmophone "musical movies,"a star- tling innovation for the home soon to be announced by Bell & Howell. Watch this space. SCREEN STAR SERIES Inumate.character sketches of favorite screen personalities specially posed for^'Filmo Library". S-7 — Warner Bros. Studios and Stars — Introducing John Barry- more, Mae Marsh, William Seiter, Harry Meyer, Monte Blue, Ernest Lubitsch, Baby Priscilla Moran, Marie Prevost, Alice Calhoun, Dolores Costello and Irene Rich. Price $6.50 S-8 — Fox Studios and Stars — -Tom Mix on his horse, Tony .Shirley Mason, Francis McDonald, Harry Goodwin serenading Bessie Love, sketches of Charles (Buck) Jones with L. G. Wellman and Charles French. Price «....$6.50 S-9 — Tournament of Roses — New Year's day in Pasadena. All the beautifulflowered floats and eventsin California's big day. Price. .$6. 50 VAUDEVILLE SERIES Each reel a complete, high-class the circus. show. Like taking the children to V-9 — Barnold's Dogs — A complete play, acted by dogs and monkeys dressed like people. Price $7.00 V-10 — Corn alia Troupe — A spell -binding exhibition of strength and daring by feminine gymnasts. Price $7.00 V-ll — Belmont's Manikins— Tiny Stars from Toyland. Fine en- tertainment for children, and grown-ups too. Price $7.00 V-12 — Pony Ice Ballet — World-famous acrobatic ice comedians and skate tricksters. Lots of fun. Price $7.00 NATURAL HISTORY SERIES The animal kingdom brought to the home in an entertaining way. N-l — California Alligator Farm — See these living "suit cases" in their home elements. Watch the 98-year-old great grand-dad open his jaws. The o-weeks-old youngsters take swimming lessons. Great! Price $6.50 N-2 — Cawston Ostrich Farm — Mr. and Mrs. newlywed Ostrich do the latest dance. A history of mi-lady "s beauteous plumes. Price .$6.50 N-3 — Pelicans of the Canadian Northwest — A home study of the famous bird "whose beak can hold more than his belican". Price. $6.50 N-4 — Trapping Big Tuna Fish — Demonstrating that these mon- sters of the deep are not always found "in cans". Price $6.50 ADVENTURE SERIES These films will satisfy your craving for out-of-the-way places and unusual things. Stirring events of both entertaining and educational value. A-l — Catching Big Fish In Pacific Waters — Major Hammond and his dog Peggy go after the big ones. Sea gulls in thousands follow the bait. Then the big fish, 400, 600 and 700 pounders stri - ing like hungry wolves. A thriller. Price $6.50 A-2 — Whaling in the South Pacific — The Norwegian whaling steamer "Mexico" embarks to seek the giants of the sea. A whale is sighted, harpooned, and a terrific battle ensues. See the whale conquered, blown up with air, and marked with a flag for pick-up later. Then the stripping of blubber and disposition of the whale. Price $6.50 U. S. NATIONAL PARK SERIES The natural beauties of our rugged mountain, forest, and geyser country brought right into your parlor. Just like a vacation trip. P-l — Grand Canyon. Yellowstone Park — Artists cannot paint this marvelous scenery asi t is — but this film brings it all to you in vivid detail. Price $7.00 P-2— Geysersof the Yellowstone— Thelargest geysers i n action. Only motion pictures can do j ustice to these remarkable demonstrations of natural forces at work and play. See and marvel. Price $7.00 EDUCATIONAL SERIES E-l — Golf Lesson — Harry Cooper demonstrates how to use a driving club. Here's your chance at a private polishing up on the grand old game. Price S9.00 Ask for list of former Filmo Library releases A "big fish" story that produces the evidence. The best way to bring ostrichesinto thehouse. A 30-horsepower alligator takes the kiddies for a fast ride. A scene from our Natural H story Series. The Eyemo Camera using 35 m/m Film For those who prefer to use standard, 35 m/m film for their movies there is the Bell & Howell Eyemo Camera. It is used by professional studios and nearly all exploring expeditions. Went to the Pole with Byrd, Amundsen and Ellsworth. Mark cou- pon for descriptive circular. Company licago, Illinois Established 1907 BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois Please send □ Booklet containing complete description of accessories for Filmo Camera and Projector □ Circular describing book "How to Make Your Own Motion Picture Plays" □ Complete list of Filmo Library Releases □ Circular describing Eyemo Standard camera. (Mark appropriate squares] Name Address City . State Twenty-one Amateur Movies Made More Accurate and Interesting Through Bell & Howell Cameras, Projector, Accessories and "Filmo Library" «^ZP Exposure Meter With this Merer, movie makers are sure to determine the correct stop number at which to set the lens under all light conditions. An excellent supplement to the exposure chart furnished with each Filmo Camera. Simple to use. Only the film, light and shutter speed to take into consid- eration. A particularly useiul accessory when taking inte- riors late evening scenes, and super-speed pictures. Price $2.75. Refills lor meter (6 to box), 25c. &219 Focusing Microscope This unit provides exact locus lor any of the twelve lenses which may be used in the Filmo Camera. Also a lens test lor accuracy. Operation is independent of camera. Simply screw camera lens into microscope and focus image on ground glass in adjustable eye- piece. Shows proper locus for sharp detail to every side and corner ol picture. Then replace lens in camera and "shoot." Price $12.00 Special T.*H. C. Focusing Mount for Regular 25 m/m, F 3.5 Lens This unit supplies the growing demand for the regular Filmo lens in a sell-contained focusing mount. With this mount [ocusing is done by unscrewing front element of lens only. Auxiliary lens dials are not disturbed when adjusting focus- ing position. Lens focuses from infinity down to two feet. Self-contained Taylor-Hobson Cooke 1 " lens in Micrometer Focusing Mount — including credit lor return to factory of regu- V " inrFilmoUniversalFocusl"lens(ingoodcondiuon) $10.00 Nu-Tiran Tilting and Panoraming Head For holding the camera steadily in place for uniform tilting and panoraming (moving up and down or sideways). The lilting device is quickly and easily operated. Panoraming device is operated by a crank, There is also a lever lor quick pams. FitscitherTriaxorTypcEtripodlegs. Price$12.00 Triax all-metal folding Tripod, pressed steel, black enam- eled, weighing but 18 ounces $5.00 3I&59 Scene Card Binder for recording field and title data A vest-pocket size, black leather, loose leal binder containing 50 numbered enrds with spaces tor recording date, roll num- ber, stop number used, footage ot film, light conditions, etc. Indispensable for correct titling when returning from a trip. Simply photograph each page number as you change sub- jects, keeping data on each. Price $1.25. Extra cards lor binder, per set ol 50, 35c. (See inside front cover for description of & msssa Automatic 1 6m/m Camera and Projector) The amateur movie accessories and mate- rials listed here have grown out of many years of professional experience and leadership. Bell &. Howell cameras and equipment are used in making most of the feature movies you see at best theatres— and have been for twenty years. This vast, specialized experience has naturally resulted in amateur equipment which will obtain professional results for you. Mail the coupon for detailed information. How to Make Your Own Motion Picture Plays Don't Fail to Qet This Book HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN MOTION PICTURE PLAYS JACK BECHDOLT This book was prepared especially lor the amateur pro- ducer. It tells him, in simple, non-technical language every- thingneededroltnow ahonr makine a motion picture drama. It clev. No littl. HUH lC4.lll»vm . — • e> ct ibout making a motion picture drama- ilso, actual and complete scenarios ol twelve plays, written just for the amateur P'°<1"c£ )[ a personal motion picture camera shoul :,. a. j..i„« «!.«). Or send o owner of a personal motion picture camera sno without this book. At your dealers, $1.50. Or send coupon for descriptive circular. FILMO LIBRARY Current Releases An ever-increasing variety of subjects are being made available to you in ihlt llbrai /. Oum your oum library— at little more cost than raw film. These films become you,, to do Willi asyou please. Splicethem into your own films, rearrange than in variety program. — ot ln\ 0 them as they are. Fine entertainment in any form. Filmophona "muslci] movl«s,"n Mm tling innovation for the home soon to be announced by [tell & 1 1,™ ell Watch r 1 , , - ,,„„ ,. SCREEN STAR SERIES ADVENTURE SERIES iVoacd'iorV'Filmo Library".' value. IthiiiKi. Stlrrini ,-,i, tin VAUDEVILLE SERIES A-i— Cotcrunrt nitf ruu in iwiiii- Wo tora Mojoi llnmrn and hiitduic Peggy go after the Mm ones. Sea gull i follow the bolt. I hen the lit, 400, fiOO and 700 ] i| lrig like hungry wolves. A thriller", Price |6,SI \-2 Whaling in the South Paolfli tin ■tea ■ " Mexico embnrki <■■ icek the gland of the n i \ wl ill isnIlllHi'il, ll.ir|*»ined. iiml 11 It'll ih. lull I, , , Sec the wlinl eono.uen.-d. blown up with olr, and mnrk< d uii i. .. ii ,,■ i .., ,-,. i ,,, later. Then the stripping ol btubbei and disposition of the Ii Price |6. a U. S. NATIONAL PARK SERIES V-IO— Cornolln Troupe— A si-ll l>in. i.m ii ' $6.50 newlywed Oji rkli .oo Ask for list of former Filmo Library releases BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illint>i» P1«H send n Booklet containing complete description ol iccewrle* lor Filmo Cmcr.. and Prop-. ' to Make Your Own Motion Picture PI... I . CompUu llll "I I .lino Library Release. PI Circular . I I ' (Matk approfriat ,\'« 1828 Larchmont Ave llcag°> 1 linois New> York ' Hollywood Chi LoiuJo" ' Esl«f>lKhed 1907 ' A ROYAL SCREEN STAR LIVING Natural History By Raymond L. Ditmars THERE are few of us who lack a favorite row of books which have been read so many times that when the mood returns to pick a volume at random, we look forward to again meeting an intimately known character, although existing only in the print of the pages. What fascination could be crowded into a series of volumes in which the characters actually ap- peared in each page of story, not in the description of cold type, but in the living image, reflected on the wall of some quiet room and viewed by a group of people, or in a class- room, shown to the students. It was such a thought that prompted the task of preparing the Living Natural History series, more than ten years ago. This series of film volumes has been completed, forty- two in all, a library instantly ready to bring forth its varied characters — -the beautiful, the dangerous or deadly, the impressive, grotesque, in- tensely humorous and the marvelous — the whole drama of Nature with the most varied cast possible to as- Twenty- two semble, presenting a succession of scenarios that have long been en- acted in woods, desert and jungle, and over the varied contour of the ocean floor. As the delineation of this theme progressed, another thought occurred A CHARACTER BIT The Rhinoceros Beetle to guide its arrangement or atmos- phere, and that flashed from the remembrance of youthful fascination in those pages of the old geography books called physical lessons — pages margined with strange and assorted animals with a touch of character- istic background. The guidance from this idea pointed to the im- portance of backgrounds in telling the stories, a hint of natural en- vironment among a legion of strange wild folk to be successively introduced. A number of fortunate circum- stances so greatly assisted the prep- aration of Living Natural History that the writer doubts if the series could ever have been made as broad and complete if any of the impor- tant factors had ceased to function during the period of preparation. The collecting of animals had ap- proached its highest peak of inter- est and energy. Agents for such great dealers as the Hagenbecks of Hamburg, Ruhe of New York and Alfeld, and Cross of Liverpool had been scattered to all corners of the earth from the polar regions to the tropical jungles and the New York AN ELK SHEDS HIS ANTLER: Zoological Society acquired a great number of rare animals — some of which may never again be exhibited alive. The Society granted the writer permission to film these ex- tensive collections, of which he was in charge. As he had been making a thorough study of the technicali- ties of branches of motion picture work and been in cordial touch with some of the brightest minds in the industry, he was assisted in the broadest degree in the construction, outfitting and developing of a studio of his own, specifically designed for the filming of animal life. Financ- ing of the project was a formidable matter, but was successfully ac- complished and the laboratory, now devoted to research work in motion picture development, enjoys an in- vested fund to continue its experi- ments and production. The first thought in outfitting this studio was artificial lighting — a very natural one in indoor motion picture photography — but it complicated matters in this instance. Animals cannot be rehearsed to keep within focal latitudes of the lens, and that meant correction of focus by "stop- ping down" or reducing the open- ing of the lens diaphram. When the diaphram is closed to approxi- mately F8, under such conditions, a strong flood of light is needed, more- over, the studio stages were small, varying in size from eight feet square to not larger than a postage stamp. Mercury vapor glass tubes were out of the question as enough of them could not be squezzed around such an area to give enough illumination and permit the opera- tors to work. It was decided to use special tubes of quartz. These were only six inches long and of lesser diameter than a glass tube, but were so powerful that one of them gave the equivalent illumination of eight- een glass tubes of full four-foot length. They were enclosed in huge spherical globes of lead glass to protect us from being burned by ultra-violet rays. A quadrangle of them hung overhead and a row on one side, with flood and horizontal re- flectors. Within this powerful battery, which roared and bathed us in seething radiance, were photographed a great portion of the smaller mammals, a number of the close-ups of the birds of prey, all of the poisonous serpents and the insect life histories. The insect work alone required three years for completion. Curi- ously enough, the animals loved those blazing lights, the reptiles flat- tened and basked in the radiance, and the birds spread their wings to the rays as they do in genial sun- shine. Many sets in cement, sand, STUNT STUFF A Three-Toed Sloth bamboo, branches and wax foliage were prepared as backgrounds, broken up and carted away as the work went on. The larger animals, of course, were photographed out of doors, every attempt being made to procure artistic living portraits and induce characteristic traits. Experiences in the studio were many and varied. Some were hu- morous and others are remembered w i t h a creepy thrill. One of the most difficult jobs was to induce insects to "sing." No species of insect sings vocally, but produces its characteris- tic sound by rubbing to- gether brittle edges of the wings, by rubbing movements of the limbs or vibration of organs like miniature kettle drums on the under por- tion of the body. The wing-singing types are interesting photographically as the wing move- ments are very distinctly seen in a close-up. Thus the trill of a cricket may be seen in several flashes of the large, brittle wings and the slow, sawing movements of the wings of the Katy-Did may be seen to "utter" the familiar sounds. Both types were successfully filmed while sing- ing, but only after much waiting and study. It should be understood that these types of insects sing only at night. They are silent during the hours of sunshine and usually until late twi- light. We had a number of them in screen cages about two feet square, these daily provided with food plants. The cages were so constructed that they could be set upon a heavy tripod top with "pan" and tilting device to turn them around smoothly, to present an "actor" to the camera. The top of the cage came off, and all four sides let down on hinges. Patient experi- mentation had demonstrated that the insects would not sing in the blaze of the lights unless stimulated by others vigorously singing in a dark- ened room, separated from the stage end of the studio by a thin, sound- passing wall. With four cages of teasing choristers in the dark, going full tilt, we filmed the Katy-Did and other interesting types. Tree Toads are particularly in- teresting in inflating the elastic throat to enormous proportions in producing their characteristic songs. With these we tried different tactics. They were not at all alarmed by the lights, but inclined to squat and bask and do anything but sing. Various methods of inducement were tried. They often sing during showers, so we rigged up a sprinkling device to get the effect of the raindrops along with the singing, but it produced no effect beyond a pleased expression on the tree toad's part. We tried a NOT LON CHANEY It's a Giant Tree Frog Twenty-three THE STRONG MAN Gorilla number of devices from the toy shops for producing noises similar to tree toads and discovered some truly devilish inventions, but they failed to stimulate the members of our cast, which responded finally in most unexpected fashion. My elec- trical assistant, during a period of waiting, went to an adjoining room to cut an additional bus-bar for a switchboard, and in producing the nerve-wracking sound that comes from a hacksaw going through a plate of copper turned on edge in a vice, started the tree toads going! We procured all the scenes needed and our feelings were a mixture of astonishment and delight at the re- sult. This same electrician figured in rather a humorous episode involving a large Spectacled Cobra, from In- dia. We were very anxious to per- fectly film the combat attitudes of this dangerous reptile, as it reared from sanded floor of the set and faced the object of its anger, and then to obtain close-ups of the spread hood and the glitter and expression of the cobra's fiery eyes. The floor of the set was elevated about four feet and the camera mounted on a trestle-like structure which could be run forward. Camera lines and focus were carefully figured and the serpent liberated, when he in- stantly reared to fight — in attitude like a gi- gantic, decorative can- dlestick. The camera was operated by a flex- ible shaft and electric motor — the latter in- stantly ready to func- tion by foot pressure on switch inserted in a floor cable. We were filming some fine poses when it was decided to speed up the snake's anger by waving a cloth (on a stick) over the camera. This so enraged the cobra that it viciously struck and T w e n t y - f o u r slid forward and off the set to the studio floor, which is of cement, treated with dust-proof paint and as smooth as glass. Each vigorous strike in our direction caused the snake to slide towards us. The studio was for the time be- ing heated by a large stove, as the weather was dry and cold and we were afraid that the very dry air from the steam-heating system might tend to give us static on our film. As we had no wish to retake so dangerous an animal as the cobra, we were making every provision to have the task done satisfactorily in the first instance. The big cylin- drical stove was surrounded by a drum of sheet metal to protect the walls and nearby objects from the THE VILLAIN Indian Cobra heat. The drum opened in front for service to the stove. It was about four feet high. As the cobra slid towards our side, the electrician, who hated snakes, and who had listened to the writer's description of THE CHANGEABLE LADY Chameleon how this species of venomous rep- tile killed over twenty thousand peo- ple in India every year, started to retreat, not from the studio, but for a safer spot, and as such he selected the inside of the high shield around the stove — which was burning full force. The writer was busy noos- ing the cobra, but became suddenly aware of a strong odor of burning- cloth. Looking up, he discovered the electrician, from whom a thick- ening haze was rising. On shout- ing to the young man that he would probably burst into flames in an- other minute, the reply came back that he would rather burn than get acquainted with the cobra, and there he stayed until the cobra was swung back to the elevated arena, when the electrician emerged with his over- hauls scorched as brown as a roast chicken. It was towards the close of pho- tographic preparation of Living Nat- ural History that one of the most fascinating phases of treatment pos- sible in a series like this was pre- sented in a suggestion from William H. Bristol, of Waterbury, Connec- ticut. With the facilities of a great technical manufacturing plant (of which he is president) at his disposal, Mr. Bristol has perfected a meth- od of electrically re- cording and cutting phonograph records in perfect synchroniza- tion to the projection of a motion picture. With the finished rec- ord, the process is re- versed, a microphonic arm reproducing from the record in exact time to the projector, over a telephone cord to a radiotype speaker at the screen. Am- plification of the voice from room volume to power enough to be heard by thousands of people, renders it pos- BATHING BEAUTIES MACK SENNETT WOULD ENVY Sea Anemones {Continued on page 35) $2,000. in Prizes for Best Amateur Movies EVERY user of an amateur movie camera will want to try his or her skill in PHOTOPLAY'S new $2,000 contest. Four prizes of $500 are offered for the best reels of amateur film of 35,16 and 9 mm. width. Every amateur — no matter how inexpensive or how costly his camera— has an equal chance. 5 The complete rules appear in the April issue of PHOTOPLAY. The submitted film need not be a drama. It can be anything the amateur creates : dram- atic, comic, a news event, home pictures, a travelogue, a diary or any form of screen entertainment. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE ARE you reading PHOTOPLAY'S department for the amateur movie user? 5 You will find it an invaluable help. The foremost experts of the motion picture world are contributing to its columns. They tell you the real secrets of cinematography, of lighting, of make-up, of titling and of film editing— and you can use these practical suggestions in your own home. 5 Remember -PHOTOPLAY is the first and only national magazine to present a department wholly de- signed to aid the movie amateur. On The Newsstands Now!! 25 cents or Write Photoplay Magazine, 750 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, 111. Twenty-five <>o ,>o THE CLINIC <•> 7/ f//ov w anything you want to know about amateur movies address your question to Dr. Kinema in care of the Editor, Amateur Movie Makers. And send him your new ideas on amateur movie making. News SHOOTING outdoor night scenes without the aid of ex- pensive generating plants now required has been made possible, it is claimed, by the Goerz Company in Berlin, Germany, by invention of a motion picture film said to be eight times more sensitive to light than any previously used. Developments in projection meth- ods which will revolutionize the mo- tion picture industry were recently prophesied by Jesse Lasky, first vice-president of Famous Players- Lasky Corporation. He confidently predicts the early showing of pic- tures with three dimensions. In this connection it may be noted that "The Flag Maker." originally titled "The American," is now being made in Hollywood, and an approach to perfection in stereoscopic projection is claimed for this production. Film twice as wide and half again as high as ordinary thirty-five millimeter film is being used. Likewise there is news that the new Roxy Theatre in New York will show stereoscopic films on its opening early in March. At least five talking moving pic- ture mechanisms are either in use or nearing completion. "Vitaphone" was first in the exhibition field. De Forrest "Phonofilm" was a close second. Fox's "MovieTone" has been much discussed and was re- cently given a one-day trial in the Harris Theatre in New York City. These three are for use with thirty- five millimeter film. And now, of greatest interest to amateur movie makers, two home talking movie devices have been an- nounced. Bell & Howell of Chi- cago are placing "Filmophone" on the market, and W. H. Bristol of Waterbury, Conn., will soon begin distribution of his invention. These two, it is understood, have been adapted to the sixteen millimeter film. It is evident that the day of the talking film has arrived, not merely for theatres, but for personal use as well. H. L. Mencken, editor of the American Mercury, wants moving pictures on all trains to eliminate the tedium of travel. Twenty- six Conducted by Dr. Kinema AT HOME WITH ALICE JOYCE Paramount broadcasted for the first time actual production of a moving picture on February 15th, through the WEAF chain of nine- teen stations. The film given this novel distribution was the prize fight sequence in the next Richard Dix Paramount vehicle, "Knockout Reilly." Projection Stunts HERE are two interesting stunts in projection. Re- verse film when rewinding so that emulsion side will be next to light. Wet a sheet with water and a little glycerine. Project from rear and beautiful results will be seen, as pictures are shown by re- fracted light, each drop of water being a lens and being bisected to infinity. The glycerine being high in refractive powers holds water so it does not evaporate rapidly. Another stunt : Rub your screen with a good dose of talcum pow- der. It holds the light and breaks it up, giving a very brilliant pic- ture. — C. Bond Lloyd. Film History THE already famous collection of motion picture films from the earliest to the most modern, known as "Thirty Years of Motion Pic- tures," gathered by the National Board of Review of Motion Pic- tures, is to be saved as a permanent record. This film, first shown at the third annual Better Films Con- ference in New York City in Jan- uary, created such a sensation among lovers of motion pictures that there was a nation wide demand that the film be so preserved. Its first show- ing resulted in the discovery of a vast amount of material of extraor- dinary significence and this has been incorporated in the film. The Ama- teur Cinema League cooperated with the Board of Review in preparation of the amateur section of the record. Indoor Work MANY amateur cinematogra- phers make a great mistake in practically putting their cam- eras on the shelf during the win- ter months and amusing them- selves with their projectors only, according to Karl A. Barleben, Jr., in a recent issue of American Photography. "The enthusiastic cine amateur will find use of his camera wher- ever he is, whether indoors or out," said Mr. Barleben. "Many fields offer themselves to the in- door amateur. For example, there is title work to be done, car- toons to be made, short plays with dolls instead of people taking part, and even an amateur pro- duction may be attempted with relatives and friends as actors and actresses, providing sufficient room and lighting may be had. "Once the interest wanes on any one thing, something new should be substituted, and in this case there are hundreds of new things to do with the cine cam- era, so that the amateur's interest should rightly never wane for a moment." Halos THOSE Lillian Gish and Carol Dempster "halo" affects are secured by taking the picture with the sun back of the hair, thus producing the effect so popular in angelic millinery, according to directions received from Mr. George Manierre of Milwaukee. "I also try to choose a day of brilliant sunshine with enough wind so there will be motion in the foliage, clothing and hair, to add animation," he writes. Mr. Manierre uses a focusing mount on his Universal lens to get close- ups in which the face fills the en- tire pictures, thus adding interest to his reels, and at the same time securing a fine portrait record. Although he plans his scenes, he has found that usually the inci- dent of greatest interest has come accidently or as a complete sur- prise. Mr. Manierre purchased his first equipment for business purposes nine years ago, but dur- ing these years has kept a moving picture record of the growth of his five children. "It has been a marvelous experience to thus be able to record their growth and developing character," he says. "Although my cameras have been a wonderful help in showing the selling points of my machines in action, I do not know of any more worthwhile hobby, that pays so large a dividend at so small a cost, and leaves so valuable a heritage for succeeding generations, as the moving picture." Rapidly Moving Objects WHEN a rapidly moving ob- ject passes directly in front of the camera at right angles to it, if you are standing too near, the objects will be blurred on the screen and will pass out of the picture very rapidly. It is inad- visable to photograph objects in rapid motion unless they are mov- ing directly toward you or away from you, or at an angle of about forty-five degrees. Objects mov- ing rapidly across the front of the camera can be successfully photo- graphed when you are a consider- able distance away. Educational OXE important use of moving pictures in education will be in teaching commercial geogra- phy, it is pointed out by Marie E. Kaufmann, supervisor of penman- ship, drawing and art in the pub- lic schools of Plattsmouth, Ne- braska. By an exchange of films between student amateurs of differ- ent states and countries, Miss Kauf- mann believes that an exact visual- ization of modes of life and occupa- tions will be gained by the different groups, which could never be ob- tained from the printed page alone. Filters A YELLOW filter should be used for distant views where there is much haze. The filter has the effect of penetrating the haze and the objects in your pictures stand out more strongly. Try a filter when you next shoot a dis- tant view and see the difference in results. Moving Portraits ITHIXK Ave will come more and more to portraits on mov- ing picture film and less and less to photographs or portraits. I have made some of these movie portraits for families who do not even have projection machines as yet, but are keeping them stored away for the future. — Z. V. Rogers. Immortality A RECORD of friends or loved ones who have passed on to another life, if preserved on film, becomes one of the most valuable possessions in the world, accord- ing to C. Bond Lloyd, consulting motion picture engineer of Chica- go. In a letter to Amateur Movie Makers Mr. Lloyd wrote : "My friends say that it must give you a 'creepy' feeling to see those who have passed away, but it is quite the reverse. Instead, it is stimulating, and brings back the past with startling vividness and pleasant recollection. This summer I took moving pictures of many prominent officials and stockholders of the Illinois Cen- tral Railroad. I was fortunate in securing some excellent pictures of one official in particular. Only a week before he passed away I showed him the film and he was delighted with it. I am preparing a duplicate which I shall present to his daughters. In July I did a lot of flying and took some wonderful pictures of a well known stunt flyer. Two weeks ago he was killed. His widow and sisters were greatly appreciative of the films made some months before, and imme- diately procured a projector." Continued on Page 40 Photograph by International News Reel THE FRONT LINE IS THE "CINEMA ZONE" OF THE WAR IN CHINA Twenty-seven THE AMATEUR Cinema Camera Man Before the 1927 Meeting of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures By Roy W. Winton I AM honored to represent the Amateur Cinema League before so large a group of men and women specifically and precisely in- terested in the past, present and fu- ture of motion pictures. This meet- ing is, in a way, taking a trial bal- ance of the eighth art and is noting as- sets and liabilities. I think that we may all be encouraged to believe that assets are preponderant. art of the photoplay. We may or may not be practitioners. We may or may not press buttons or crank cameras or write scenarios or direct or act before the screen. But we do claim to be lovers of the eighth art. We are concerned about where We, of the Amateur Cinema League, class our- selves and our or- ganization as an as- set. We represent the amateur camera man and we believe that he has brought and will continue to bring to motion pic- tures the particular contribution that the amateur has brought to all of the arts. A S we see it in the Amateur Cinema League, the most striking ft /-\ thing that the amateur can do in motion pictures is to per- \~*S ■*• sonalize their application. We know that whenever a power which has been applied collectively becomes personally and individually available most amazing things happen. We amateurs are conscious of the power that personal motion pictures have given to millions of indi- viduals. ***** X!te amateur cinema camera man is making a number of direct social contributions. He is filming industrial proc- esses very widely. He is carrying pictures in motion from one indus- trial hive to another that, up to now, have not been made because of the expensive equipment and preparation required. He is recording scientific processes and is passing these amateur-made records from one scientist and student to another. He is providing film libraries of infinite variety for the uses of education, and this in an informal and individual fashion. He is arming religion zvith a new force to an extent that the professional producers have not yet done. He is plac- ing at the disposition of all those who have to do with the complex problems of human relations in industry, in education, in recreation, in religion, and in daily^ life as a whole, a new factor which they can use with all the variations suitable to their personal desires. Truly, the amateur of the motion picture is letting loose a new force for the people." It is pertinent to determine what is an amateur. This word is not without a cloud that has settled over it because of the habit words have of growing away from their origins. The amateur is sim- ply a "lover of the arts" or of some particular art. Because many lov- ers of art have also been practioners of it we have come to class an ama- teur as one who does less well than a professional. We have exalted commercialization — which is not un- natural in a commercial age — and have, illogically, condemned artistic performance that is not professional — that is, not undertaken as a means of livelihood. We have done this without any greater thoughtfulness than to make an obvious comparison between something that we should expect to be well done, since it is done by one who does it habitually, and something that we should ex- pect to be less well done, because it is done occasionally and not as a matter of occupation. In the Amateur Cinema League we are trying to get back to the original meaning of the word "ama- teur." We want to be classed as lovers of cinematography and the Twenty-eight this eighth art is going and we are concerned about it esthetically as well as socially and ethically. We do not look on it as a means to an end only. We believe that, like every other art, it should be self- justified and that if it can present beauty to humanity it can stand on its own feet. The amateur has done much for the other arts. He has done, and will do much for the motion picture. The motion picture lacks patrons as all the other arts have had them. No rich men support and subsidize mo- tion picture artists. Freedom from patronage has done much for the motion picture. But the absence of patronage has left something un- done as well. Patrons have always brought a conservative, restraining and esthetically cautious discipline to the arts. The motion picture has lacked this. The amateur, because of his intimate relation, is bringing it to the newest art. He is setting standards because he is close enough to the motion picture artist to talk as a friend and because he is still of the public and can present stand- ards without suspicion of special pleading. He is an interpreter of each to the other. The amateur is an experimentalist. He can, if he is a practitioner of cinematography, undertake adven- atures with it upon which producers cannot embark because of the ex- pense without reasonable probability of profit. They must defend their invest- ed capital. The ama- teur invests nothing but his recreational money and time. From amateur ex- periments are com- ing discoveries that will animate and in- tensify the ardor of the professional. The amateur is an esthetic refiner. He has taken in- vention after in- vention, such as photography, elec- tric lighting, and radio and has turn- ed their practical application to esthe- tic developments. He has brought beauty from ser- viceability. He has found art in sci- ence. The professional has gone far, already, with the motion picture, but there are esthetic possibilities that the amateur will exploit for their beauty and not for their profits. The individual amateur cinema camera man today is doing two chief things, — although not every mem- ber of the Amateur Cinema League is a camera man — both of these are constructive and valuable. He is registering a new recreation for the world, a recreation that is unique. It is a recreation that has no un- healthful or anti-social connotations. It provides bodily and mental ac- tivity. It offers both fun and beauty. It is neither solitary nor exclusive in its appeal. The amateur camera man films motion and the chief sources of the motion he films are other human beings. The amateur camera man is also experimenting and communicating results to his fellow button pressers and crank turners. These are individual matters and their social products are indirect. Continued on Page 37 <•> u^> CLOSEUPS ^ «>o New Movie Clubs TOLEDO, Ohio, and Syracuse, New York, each organized an amateur motion picture club during the last month. The Toledo organ- ization is to be known as the "Petite Movie Makers Club," has purchased a club camera, and is busy making film tests and short scenes for study. The members are designing and con- structing their own lights and ex- pect soon to start work on the pro- duction of "Romance Island," a desert island story. Location will be near Lake Erie. The officers elected were : W. H. Pamplin, presi- dent and managing director; I. D. Lawrence, secretary; D. L. Law- rence, treasurer ; Howard J. Law- rence, art director, and Maurice V. Bonham, film editor. Organization of the Syracuse club is being led by Dr. M. Shim- berg. A novel club film library is projected by this group. Each new member must deposit 400 feet of film in the club library upon join- ing, and one month later add 100 more feet. As the club expects shortly to have forty members this will mean that the club will have a large permanent library of 20,000 feet of film, from which each mem- ber will be allowed to take one 100 foot reel at a time, thus keeping 16,000 feet in the library constantly for loan rotation. New Haven THE Motion Picture Club of New Haven has become a reality. After a year in which practically every month has brought forth a new production, formal or informal, the star per- formers, photographers and pro- ducers met at the New Haven Lawn Club, organized a club, and elected Kenneth E. Nettleton the first president. Miss Marjorie Tilton was chosen temporary sec- retary. Invitations to join the club will now be extended New Haven's most eminent citizens. Welding Mediums SPLICING the silver screen and the spoken drama into a single harmonious whole is the interesting experiment being tried by Eugene W. Ragsdale of Orange, N. J., in his independent production, the "Haunted House," now being filmed. (In February Amateur Movie Makers this film was credited to the Moving Picture Club of the Oranges, of which Mr. Ragsdale is also the Cameraman, but this par- ticular film is one of his independent productions.) In this completed drama both screen and stage will be used, the action on one melting into the scenes on the other. For ex- ample, following a moving picture sequence, the heroine leaves her car at the curb and runs through the rain to the door of a house. As the scene fades out, the screen is raised and the girl, played by the same actress as in the film, enters the stage scene, which represents the interior of the house, shaking rain from her coat. The action then proceeds on the stage until it again is taken up on the screen. Novelty alone is not the director's object in this unusual production. He be- lieves the latitude of the screen, as contrasted with the limitations of the stage, offers tempting possibili- ties in the dramatic unfolding of a tale. This plan, it would seem, might well be the modern answer to the necessities which gave rise to the dramatic "Unities" of the Greeks. Movie Club Contest WHEN sufficient clubs have been organized why not pub- lish a scenario, together with com- plete details for producing it, and have a contest among the different clubs?" This is the suggestion which comes from W. H. Pamplin of Toledo, Ohio. "The award should be the national showing of the winning film and it would cer- tainly be great fun for each club to see how others handled the theme." It certainly looks as if the League will come day be called upon to select an amateur Griffiths, Lubitch or St. Clair. Scouts FROM Buffalo comes word that W. G. Schneckenburger, deputy commissioner of the Erie County Council of Boy Scouts, has become a member of the Amateur Cinema League? Does this, we wonder, mean that the time is at hand when at least one of the "daily good turns" will be on a rewinder? SIR HARRY LAUDER MAKES A CLOSE-UP Twenty- nine Cullen^s Movie News! We have the most complete line of amateur movie appa- ratus in the financial district. New Handy Accessory True Ball Tripod Head Most practical revolving tripod head for amateur use. The subject may be followed vertically or horizontal- ly. A twist of the handle locks in any desired position. Remember Films left with us are finished in Rochester and returned to your of- fice on The Third Day. No charge for this special service. We have a Projection Room where you and your friends are welcome to show your films. A projector always at your disposal. Is your name on our list to re- ceive information on all the latest movie developments? From W. C. Cullen 12 Maiden Lane New York City Tel., Cortlandt 8424 Amateurs Attention : AMATEUR cinematographers who feel that they have pro- duced 35 mm. films worthy of pub- lic showing should lose no time in getting in touch with the Film Arts Guild, 500 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The Guild has asked Amateur Movie Makers to announce to its readers that they will be pleased to consider any motion pictures made by amateurs for presentation in their programs. Before submitting films to the Guild, a full description of the ma- terial covered by the film, the foot- age and other data must be given. The Film Arts Guild is a group which presents repertory programs and revivals of the better films that have been produced in the past. CHARLEY PADDOCK It Took the Cinema Hobby to Catch This Famous Sprinter The League By Radio OTHER means of communica- tion would not be fast enough in telling him about the Amateur Cinema League, so J. M. Henry of Ruston, Louisiana, hurtled a radio- gram to Hiram Percy Maxim, pres- ident of the American Radio Relay League, in Hartford, asking, "Please tell me where I can get in- formation on the Amateur Cinema League." As Mr. Maxim is also president of the Amateur Cinema League Mr. Henry scored a direct hit through the ether. If this pre- sages a flood of radio inquiry the League will have to install a receiv- ing station in headquarters, and, quite possibly, a landing station on the roof for members who visit us by aeroplane. Who Was There? CLINTON A. SOWERS, Mem- ber of the House of Represen- tatives for the 13th District, State of Pennsylvania, member of the Amateur Cinema League, and en- thusiastic amateur, although not lacking in titles and distinctions, finds that his film files are short of the pictures of the Fisher Inaugura- tion in Harrisburg, Pa., last Jan- uary. If anyone secured these mov- ing pictures he will appreciate hear- ing from them at 909 Stephen Gir- ard Building, Philadelphia, Pa. And films taken in the air on the regular aeroplane flight from Lon- don to Paris, and from London to Ostend, are desired by A. E. Row- lands of the Burroughs Adding Ma- chine Company, Washington Build- ing, Madison, Wisconsin. Mr. Rowlands took pictures of these trips, but unfortunately lost them. He would be glad to pay for such films, or to exchange views of the University of Wisconsin campus, games, or other scenes. 1950 RADIO enthusiasts and amateur movie makers will have many interests in common in 1950, accord- ing to a novelty performance given recently at the Eastman Theatre, Rochester, N. Y. Under the title of "The 1950 Fan Tunes In a Few New Stations" was depicted radio reception of vocal and instrumental numbers, with synchronized motion pictures in color — all supposedly by radio. The illusion, however, was secured with real people, who acted the parts of the shadows of the silver sheet and supplied the voices from the air. The illusion was very interesting, with a bit of fun thrown in, and oc- casionally some static. One radio fan was taking his daily dozen un- der orders, when the broadcasting station of some flour concern burst in with instructions as to how many eggs and how much baking powder should be used. Wonder if we shall have static with our broadcast movies in 1950? Here's a problem to which to look forward. In Defense of Russia RUSSIA can be put back on the amateur cinema map of the world, from which it was de- leted by Mr. Gardner Wells in his article for January Amateur Movie Makers, "Around the World With a Little Movie Cam- Continued on Page 32 Thirty For Your Convenience- Eastman Carrying Cases o"\SIDE from its convenience, a carrying case protects the camera from dust and dirt. The Cine- Kodak, Model A, Carrying Case is built of high grade cowhide, and has three compartments for the accommodation of the Cine-Kodak, film magazine, and tripod top. A compartment for they.4.5 ^ens equipment may be had, ii desired. Cine- Kodak A Carrying Case Cine-Kodak, Model A Carrying Case $18.00 Cine-Kodak, Model A Carrying Case, to include/..).^ lens equipments 25.00 TA .HE Cine-Kodak, Model B, Carrying Case, like the Model A Case, is made of cowhide, strongly stitched and lined with 1 t. ■ '1U1 ;„ ».„,„ Combination Case for Cine- Kodak B velvet. It is available in two sizes — a case for the camera alone, or a combination case lor the camera and two rolls of film. Cine-Kodak, Model B, Carrying Case S 7.50 Combination Case for Cine-Kodak B 10.00 Cine- Kodak B Carrying Case A COMPANION accessory to the Cine- Kodak Carrying Cases is the Carrying Case for Kodascope, Model C. It's convenient and compact — 6^x7^x8^ inches — and, with Kodascope packed and ready to take with you, it weighs but 14 pounds. Carrying Case for Kodascope, Model C $5.00 Carrying Case lor Kodascope, Model C At your dealer s Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., TheKoda k City T h i r t y - 0 n e A Complete Professional Outfit for the Advanced Amateur npHIS outfit has been specially assem- A bled to meet serious picture-making requirements with a high grade, light- weight 35 mm. equipment at a remark- ably low price. HERBERT&HUESGENCO. 18 East 42nd St., New York Send for Description of this Splendid Outfit A New Art Title Process Hand formed letters at less than the price of printed titles. Title Cards, negatives or positive 3 5c Over ten words — additional per word 02c Film Rolls, from photos, slides, illustrations, etc., negative, per frame 3 ?c positive, per foot (non-flam) 06c Enlargements — from your motion pictures nega fives, glossy, matte or rough — 4" x 5" 15c 5" x 7" 20c Other sizes in proportion DEVELOPING PRINTING FINISHING Wyko Projector Corporation LABORATORY 130 West 46th Street, New York, N. Y. Telephone Bryant 2339-8074 1 1 f T T DRvOPA LINE TO BASS BASS has compiled, for free distribution to sportsmen, a very in- teresting catalog of Cine- ma Apparatus. Describes the Bell & Howell Filmo camera Ac- cessories to gladden the heart of amateur and professional. Expedi- tions equipped. Fifteen years of highly special- ized experience at your service. Address Cine Department. BASS CAMERA COMPANY IOg N.DEAB.BOR-N STREET -- CHICAGO kLL±i.l.iLl.l.i,i CLOSEUPS Continued from Page 30 era," according to Mr. William C. White of +he Friends School of Wilmington, Delaware. He takes definite exception to Mr. Wells' statement, "Russia is a very glar- ing exception to everything that has been said in this article. If you value your life, don't take a moving picture camera into Rus- sia." Mr. White replies, "By all means take a camera to Russia and get most fascinating pictures. I took a cine kodak there last summer and, having received of- ficial permission, which is obtain- ed simply by the payment of $2.00 in Moscow, proceeded to photo- graph 4,000 feet of film in 8,000 miles of Russia. I was never once stopped by the police, and took every foot of my film out of Rus- sia with me. Not one inch was cut by the official censors, who gave it a cursory examination." Amateurs Aid Charity A SINGLE amateur reel show- ing the activities of the Chil- dren's Hospital in Washington, D. C, when shown before the Washington Rotary Club, brought donations from club members to the hospital in the sum of $10,000. Con- tributions from the club in former years had not exceeded $6,000. This one $6.00 reel was therefore really worth $4,000 to the cause of charity. It was made by Dr. George Tarplit Sharp of Washington, D. C., a member of the League. The slogan of those who are hav- ing trouble in charity drives should therefore be, "Get a little movie camera and stop worrying." The Great Open Spaces THE cattle and the sheep indus- try on the ranges of the West is being transferred to movie film, according to Charles J. Belden, of the Z-T Ranch, Pitchfork, Wyo- ming. Mr. Belden carries a small movie camera in his saddle pocket when he rides the range, and says that he has unusual opportunities for pho- graphing the more interesting phases of the industry. He is at the present moment en- gaged in producing a film along the lines of "Grass," an interesting film shown in the theatres of this coun- try some years ago. He is using, for his subject and setting, a herd of two thousand white face beef cat- tle on a particularly scenic moun- tain range. Classified MORE and more frequently members of the League and their friends are asking the help of Amateur Movie Makers in locating lost equipment, in discovering the owners of equipment which has been found, in disposing of cameras and accessories no longer needed, or in securing such used material, and for many other specific services. Until the present such requests have been largely carried in the "Clinic" or "Closeup" departments, but the vol- ume of such recuests will not make this possible much longer. But the number of such inquiries to date has not yet justified the establishment of regular classified advertising column. Perhaps this has been be- cause our readers did not know that such a service could be offered to them. Before it is decided definitely to establish such a column, at our prevailing advertising rate of sixty cents per line, we would like to hear from our readers, as to whether this column is desired as a regular feature of the magazine. If you are interested write the Editor of Ama- teur Movie Makers. Lost And as a case in point a Chicago member writes that he has lost a Bell & Howell cine camera, No. 2569, lens No. 121777. If any reader has knowledge of the present whereabouts of this instrument please write fhe Editor of Amateur Movie Makers. Objects d" Art NOT even the curio cabinet is safe from the amateur movie fan, for Mr. Emil Hauser of New York City, has devised a means of bringing still life into action, and thus making inanimate art objects legitimate material for the cinema. Being the owner of a large collec- tion of antique bronzes, porcelains and other rareties, he conceived the idea of placing them on an electri- cally operated revolving pedestal, and then making movies of them. The depth and modelling of such objects of art can thus be shown much more effectively than in still photographs. With novel arrange- ments and lighting effects many reels can be made by this means which will prove valuable and fas- cinating to lovers of art. Thirty-two PROCESSING What It Is and How It Is Done By Dwight R. Furness WHEN you take a regular Kodak film of "still" pic- tures to be finished you get back the film in the form of nega- tives, with your prints on paper. If, perchance, you have a standard mo- tion picture film developed and printed you get back your negative and another roll of film on which has been made a positive print of the negative; this print having been made in much the same way as a Kodak print, except that instead of being printed on paper it has been printed on a band of film. When you send your amateur movie film to be finished, or pro- cessed, you get back your original film as a positive or print. How is it that in the ordinary photographic developing and printing process the negative and positive are separate and that in the case of your movie film the same film serves in two ca- pacities ? The story is an interesting one and withal fairly simple, al- though it is more involved than that of ordinary developing and printing. If you will look at a regular Kodak negative you will notice that the whites of the original scene ap- pear as black and that the blacks are transparent or white. In other words, we find that the sky, which was bright in the picture, is shown in the film as very black, while any shadows in the scene, which of course were dark, will be transparent in the film. So that viewing the film by transmitted light we see the ob- jects in the reverse order of the scene photographed. All the bright parts of the scene are dark in the film, and all the dark parts bright. It is for this reason that the ordi- nary developed film is called a "neg- ative" and when it is printed on paper the reversal occurs again and brings us a picture of the objects as we saw them. Such a print we may call a positive, as it represents the scene as it appears. With your film the original strip that you exposed in the camera is converted in the processing directly to a positive or true picture. The image has been reversed from a negative to a positive, and thus the film that you used in your camera is returned to be projected on your home screen. The steps in the processing to make the original film into a positive are these : The film is developed much as ordinary film is developed but is not fixed. The negative image is bleached out with a chemical so- lution and the remaining emulsion blackened by exposure to white light and development to form the posi- tive image which is shown on the screen. Since the one coating of silver emulsion must do double duty, the exposure in the camera and the sub- sequent development of the image must not use up too much of the available light-sensitive silver in the emulsion or there will be none left with which to form the positive image. In case this happens the picture on the screen will appear "thin." If too much is left the posi- tive will be too dark. To the amateur interested only in the final results, the actual labora- tory procedure and technique in- volved interests him only insofar as he controls it, and that is in the ex- posure. Therefore the amateur should concentrate his efforts on im- proving his technique as a "camera man." STILL MOVIES Continued from Page 17 compactness are features of this de- sign. All makes are equipped with high grade anastigmat lenses and, due to the extremely short focal length and the fine grain of the film, great depth of focus is obtained with all-over critical sharpness. Another interesting feature of these cameras is found in the fact that a positive print may be made of the strip of film and, when used with a special projector, each pic- ture becomes a slide and is thrown on a screen with excellent results as to clearness and size. One make of this type can also be used as a movie camera for taking short bits of action. But, whatever the type of camera used, get still photographs to accom- pany your movies. This refinement of the amateur cinema hobby will repay the movie maker many fold in extending the scope of his activity and greatly increasing his pleasure. OPEN HOUSE for All Amateur Movie Makers SPECIALISTS in motion picture equipment for 19 years, Herbert & Huesgen Company have a real service to offer amateurs as well as professionals, in providing the right equipment for every need and competent suggestions as to its use. Filmo Eyemo Cine-Kodak Victor De Vry All Accessories HUESGEN CO. 18 East 42nd St., New York The Big Idea Plus CAMERA Plus ACCESSORIES Plus FILM Plus AMATEUR Movie Makers EQUALS 105% FUN AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS 105 W. 40th Street, New York Tlease send for this $3.00 cAmateur eMovie -j!Ma\ers for one year. T h i r t v - t h r e e <•> <•> SWAPS <•> c-/*"5 g-T~\ECORD Cards have been sent all \\^ league members on which they are ^requested to list their films and whether or not they are willing to ex- change them. Cards will be sent subscrib- ers and readers of AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS on request. Our aim is to build a complete record of existing amateur films on which an exchange can function through League headquarters. Please send in your card immediately. For the present those wishing to ex- change films listed in "Swaps" should make their request directly to the film owners, whose addresses are listed herein. The films made available for ex- change this month include : COMEDY: "Playful but Harm- less"— about a big, bad man from the wide open spaces who spends a few weeks at the seashore — one reel — 35mm. NAME : Thomas H. Edwards, Jr. ADDRESS: Merion & Bowman Avenues, Merion, Penna. "Christmas Cheer or Canada Dry" — concerning Christmas bootleggers and hi-jackers. One reel — 400 feet — 16mm. Amateur Film Loan Exchange NAME: S. Winston Childs. ADDRESS: 640 Park Avenue, New York City. DRAMA: "Tracks of Blood"— an early attempt at melodrama, with a few thrills. One reel — 400 feet —16mm. "Passions Toll" — a thriller of the West — efficient movie technique. Two reels — 750 feet — 16mm. "Steppes of Silence" — Red Rus- sian tragedy — one short reel — • 16mm. "The Horsemen of Death" — a super-melodrama, dealing with the deeds of death and destruction of three masked riders. Five reels — -2000 feet — 16mm. NAME: S. Winston Childs, Jr. ADDRESS: 640 Park Avenue, New York City. SCENIC: "A Day at Starved Rock" — -showing the famous his- torical beauty spot near La Salle, 111.— one reel — 400 feet — 16mm. NAME : R. M. Hart. ADDRESS : Photo Sales and Serv- ice, Sterling, 111. V/i x 4J4 Graflex Series B, with re- flecting mirror, focal plane shutter and Kodak Anastigmat f.4.5 is obtainable at $80. Take a Graflex on your trip r ROM the hot damp tropics to the cold dry poles, explorers favor the Graflex camera. Sturdily built of treated materials it keeps fit in any climate. And even on dull days its big, fast lens can admit enough light to make detailed pictures. Such dependability, demanded by explorers, is valuable to any traveler. For sale by Eastman Kodak Company dealers The Folmer Graflex Corporation, Rochester, N. Y. T flirty-four "A Summer's Vacation in Atlan- tic City and Lake Spofford, New Hampshire, 1925" — two reels. "A Summer at Eagle's Mere, Pennsylvania, 1926." NAME : Dr. George Tarplit Sharp. ADDRESS: 916 Colorado Bldg., Washington, D. C. "St. Petersburg, Florida" — one reel — 400 feet. "Scenes in Florida, Georgia, Ten- nessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan — one reel — 400 feet. NAME : George R. La Fleur. ADDRESS: La Fleur Apts., 317 4th St., South, St. Petersburg, Fla. "Niagara Falls" — 35mm film. NAME : Charles W. Grammes. ADDRESS : Hamilton Park, Allen- town, Penna. "Merion, Pennsylvania" — short scenic of a freak snowstorm, 150 feet — 35mm. NAME: Thomas H. Edwards, Jr. ADDRESS: Merion and Bowman Avenues, Merion, Penna. MISCELLANEOUS,: "National Ski Tournament at Grand Beach, Michigan." NAME : Louis M. Hammerschmidt. ADDRESS : 717-721 J. M. S. Bldg. South Bend, Indiana. "The Friends Central School News" — a picture of school life at a private school in Philadel- phia. Contains five complete foot- ball games, with many scenes from student activities — 2000 feet — 35mm. NAME : Thomas H. Edwards, Jr. ADDRESS: Merion and Bowman Avenues, Merion, Pennsylvania. "Sterling Gyro Club No. 34"— one reel — 400 feet — 16mm. will be added to frequently. For ex- change with members of other Gyro clubs. "Fire scenes, dirt track auto races, General Grant's home, lead mines etc. at Galena, Illinois." — one reel ■ — 400 feet — 16mm. NAME: R. M. Hart. ADDRESS : Photo Sales and Serv- ice, Sterling, 111. "Passing Through Children's Hospital, Washington, D. C." "Golf events at Columbia Coun- try Club, Washington, D. C. NAME : Dr. George Tarplit Sharp. ADDRESS: 916 Colorado Bldg., Washington, D. C. Qet Your Cine Kodak Supplies From Us A HANDY LOCATION (41 East 41st St.) Around the corner from the Grand Central Station Mail Orders Off the Same Day PICKUP & BROWN, Inc. (41 East 41st St.) PHONE MURRAY HILL 0041 DO YOU NEED Play Lists, Technical Advice, Study Courses, Help in Plav Organization and Production f A Drama Magazine f » Write * Drama League of America 59 East Van Buren Street, CHICAGO, ILL. Why Not Study Your Hobby 7 AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS presents for sale: MOTION PICTURE PHOTOG- RAPHY FOR THE AMATEUR by Herbert C. McKay $2.50 MOTION PICTURE PHOTOG- RAPHY by Car] L. Gregory $6.00 MOTION PICTURE PROJECTION bv T. O'Conor Sloane $5.00 SCREEN ACTING by Inez and Helen Klumph. $3.00 PHOTOPLAY WRITING by William Lord Wright. .. $3.00 MOTION PICTURE DIRECTING by Peter Milne $3.00 Send your order accompanied by the price of the books you desire to AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS 105 West 40th Street New York City We deliver them to your address postpaid. LIVING NATURAL HISTORY Continued from Page 24 sible for the producer thus to talk throughout the pictures, explaining details difficult to be conveyed by titles. Thus, along with the pic- tures is the personality of the au- thority in tones as natural as if he were actually there. This method of adding to the interest of the films is being applied throughout the forty-two reels of Living Nat- ural History which may be used, of course, with or without the speaking attachment of the projector. The entire series was photo- graphed on standard-width film and the 16 mm. editions are prepared by ON THE LOOKOUT FOR HAT HUNTERS An Egret reduction process in printing. In order to in every way utilize the film, like readable books, certain "passages," representing high spots in animal biology, or particularly fascinating or thrilling phases of habits, are issued as small, separate reels. A series of these form a con- densed and inexpensive version of the main library. Examples of these short subjects show the life of the beaver, how deer annually shed and renew the antlers, wild equines, the elephants, the anthropoid apes, birds of prey, the wingless birds, harmless serpents, the poisonous ser- pents, life of the frog, butterflies and moths, and marine life. While the whole plan has been to handle and index the subjects like an actual library, the writer does not wish to intimate any belief that such films are destined to largely do away with books. Visual study is a great step towards clearer un- derstanding. It will, in many in- stances, produce satisfactory under- standing during the passing of scenes that consume onlv a few minutes, while written details would require much conjecture and pos- sibly be accompanied with doubt. Such clear impressions, however, swept along from one phase of a subject to another, inevitably lure the student to full and sympathetic descriptions to be found in good books. Kodak Corner Service to Amateur Movie Makers Latest information right on tap — and right. Complete stocks of movie cameras, projectors and all the accessories. Intelligent demonstrations and explanations of lighting, exposure, titling. Cine-Kodak films forwarded for processing — two day service — no charge, of course. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. j\/S\ Madison at 45th St. I r&DAl| New York City THE CINE MINIATURE A handy pocket'Size magazine published six times a year for the improvement of cinematography among amateurs. Each issue is a complete book on its par- ticular subject. 15c per copy - 90c per year - Two years $1.60 LEONARD CORDELL 1636 No. Washtenaw Ave., Chicago, III. 'Dealers : 'Write for our proposition. Galapagos Tortoise This is a scene from Living Natural History, the most complete existing series of motion pictures of animal life — 42 reels or chapters. In introducing the series, a condensed version of twelve 16 mm. subjects is of- fered at such moderate cost as to be immediately available for home film libraries. These short subjects teem with the fascination of strange animal life. The producer — with years of experi- ence in the care and photographing of animals — has prepared a printed picture gallery of subjects appearing in these reels. If you are interested in animal films a copy will be mailed upon request and with no obligation whatever. Raymond L. Ditmars SCARSDALE New York Thirty-five For Professional Results with Amateur Ease g3SES333a Motion Picture Cameras Projectors and Accessories Catalog on Request Direct Distributors of BELL & HOWELL EASTMAN KODAK CO. THE DE VRY CORP. PATHEX, INC. Amateur Motion Picture Specialists Gillette Camera Stores, inc. PARK AVENUE at 41st ST. and 16 MAIDEN LANE New York City M.M.Films Printed by Contactor Reduction ART TITLES NEGATIVES DEVELOPED Film Laboratories Inc. lity Columbus 9750 LNew 33 West 60th Street F. A. Cotton, Eastern Manager for the Bell &. Howell Company, writes: "The titles you recently made up for us are a splendid ex- ample of your ingenuity and good workman- ship. I am very well pleased with them." LET THEM PLEASE YOU TRY THIS Let me make up two titles for you at a special introductory price of 50 cents each, as a sam- ple of my work. Send me two titles and one dollar and I'll guarantee you will be as well satisfied as Mr. Cotton. RALPH R. ENO 117 PARK AVENUE - - - NEW YORK CITY i nvmno* ■min-un- — -uiniiit" — ■mump* — ^amB^~-*ctrirri*-^ — ~^Jiniim^-~-«my ; ajL-^^frTTrTt&^-<^TrTr^ -^fflm^. ^rni^ ^rrmrr^. ^rmm^ -^mw ^ HOW THE ROOSEVELT FILMS WERE SAVED Continued from Page 14 others between, and in the ninety- one rolls which were selected for tfV permanent library, the frame lines were scattered from one extreme to the other. These "mistakes," as I shall term them, were but the natural result of the prevailing lack of system, to- gether with an incomplete knowl- edge of the proper atmosphere in which motion picture film should .be stored. But if the films were to be saved, they had to be reproduced. And if they were to be exhibited all of these weird variations had to be eliminated, and a single uniform film welded from the chaos which the originals presented. This was indeed a new problem for the mo- tion picture industry. A year and a half was spent by the Roosevelt Memorial Association seeking to find how it could be done. Had they not succeeded in securing a practical method of doing it the film record of the life of Theodore Roosevelt would, in a few more years, have been lost to the world. A way was found. To correct and bring to standard requirements such a series of films necessitated the making of "master positives" and "dupe negatives" from which prints for modern projection might be obtained. A marvelous printing machine was secured which could be adjusted to compensate for all the manifold variations in the originals. In all three sets of claws were used to fit unusual and shrunken perfora- tions. The negative and positive heads of an optical printing machine, together with all the operating movements therein necessitated ad- justment every time frame lines changed, which happened constant- ly. Readjustment was also required when pictures had to be enlarged slightly to fill the aperture. Or, when the image was too large, a slight portion of the sides of the film had to be masked off. Other- wise ragged edges of the sprocket holes would have shown. Nor were these all the "miracles of recovery" required. Among the films was a scene of President McKinley speaking at the Pan- American Exposition, a few hours before he was assassinated. A close-up of the President was de- sired. In those early days no one had thought of close-ups. The cameraman evidently had thought he must show everything possible. In the one picture he had taken the President, his official staff, the stand from which he spoke and the vast crowds which listened to the oration which proved to be his last public address. Therefore a close-up had to be created from the long shots of the ancient film. This scene with infinite care, was enlarged to such an extent that a "reasonably close view" was reproduced on the "mas- ter" from which a "dupe" was made, and thereafter prints. Again, valuable scenes were found to be pitifully short. The characters barely appeared before they whisked out of the picture. In a scene in which Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. McKinley came down the steps of the Capitol they were walking fast, but stopped at a certain level before walking out of the picture. The scene was too short to allow the audience sufficient time for the really good view which the picture should afford. Also at the same moment they stopped a fair sized close-up could be seen. To lengthen this scene was the problem. In the reproduction each separate aperture was doubled, two frames of each being printed on the "master" to each frame of the original negative. As their feet did not appear in the picture the action in the resulting picture did not seem jerky. At the point where they stopped for an in- stant, this single aperture was re- produced for a length of three feet. The result of this work gave the audience ample time to see the men, and a reasonably good close-up for a few seconds before they left the picture entirely. And these are but a few of the technical problems which had to be mastered in order that T. R. might be perpetuated in film for the mil- lions of coming Americans who would never have been able to un- derstand how our generation could have allowed such priceless history to be lost, as it surely would have been lost in a few years but for the efforts of the Roosevelt Memorial Association. But clue to their ceaseless effort, aided by modern technical skill, there has been saved for all time the story of Theodore Roosevelt, the great American, whose life is an in- spiration to the world, T. R., nat- uralist, soldier, explorer, builder of the Panama Canal, conserver and defender of our natural resources, popular leader, prophet, Governor, President and Citizen. Thirty-six THE AMATEUR CINEMA CAMERA MAN Continued from Page 28 But the amateur camera man is making a number of direct social contributions. He is filming indus- trial processes very widely. He is carrying pictures in motion from one industrial hive to another that, up to now, have not been made be- cause of the expensive equipment and preparation required. He is re- cording scientific processes and is passing these amateur-made records from one scientist and student to an- other. He is providing film libraries of infinite variety for the uses of education, and this in an informal and individual fashion. He is arm- ing religion with a new force to an extent that the professional pro- ducer has not yet done. He is plac- ing at the disposition of all those who have to do with the complex problems of human relations in in- dustry, in education, in recreation, in religion, and in daily life as a whole, a new factor which they can use with all the variations suitable to their personal desires. Truly, the amateur of the motion picture is let- ting loose a new force for the people. The sole purpose of the organiza- tion I represent is to render the amateur camera man and the motion picture amateur more self-conscious, in the scientific sense of the term, and more effective in bringing his contribution to the eighth art. The Amateur Cinema League is an as- semblage of amateurs, both active and inactive as practitioners of their art. It has a voice — its magazine, Amateur Movie Makers, — it has an- nounced some of its initial purposes, and it has some of these under way. It will do pretty much as Mr. Doo- ley told Mr. Hennessy the Ameri- can people always do, it will make up its mind as it goes along. This mind will be made up by its mem- bers and their minds will be made up by their analysis of their en- vironments in this particular field. We have no rigid ideas. We want to be adjustable, we want to be pro- gressive, we want to keep elastic for such development as may come to us and through us. We are, first and foremost, ama- teurs— lovers of the motion picture — and we look upon the professional motion pictures as a remarkable and amazingly progressive collection of performances in this newest art. We are not concerned with trying to de- termine any correct or cautious or formal attitude to the professional motion picture. They are in our field and we are in theirs. They have done well and they have done poorly. So have we, as amateur camera men. They are engaged in business and also in art. They are sincerely trying to achieve in both business and in art. There is no reason why they should not have achieved in both and they have done so. There is no reason why they should not go farther and they will do so. We do not want to waste time with criticism or with appro- bation for what they have not done or have done. We are interested, as they are interested, in their fu- ture. They want that future to be better artistically and commercially. We want that future to be better artistically and we think that it is a fairly safe assumption that it will be better commercially. We want the professional "movies" to get a square deal from the public and we want to ask for the public the best type of pictures that the profes- sional can give. We hope that we can help to bring both of these to pass. Right here, we gear in very closely with the purposes of the National Board of Review. The amateur cinema camera man has mostly a future. His past is a short one. As we see it in the Ama- teur Cinema League, the most strik- ing thing that the amateur can do in motion pictures is to personalize their application. We know that whenever a power which has been applied collectively becomes person- ally and individually available most amazing things happen. We ama- teurs are conscious of the power that personal motion pictures and home movies have given to millions of individuals. We hope to do our part in guiding that power so that it will be productive of good to in- dividuals and to society. We do not feel any responsibility, as an organ- ization, for the social consequences of personalizing this new force. That has been done not by us but by science and circumstance. Neither do we want to assume responsibility for it. We are not organized to re- form anything or to amend any- thing. We are organized for our greater enjoyment and we realize that, while we get this greater en- joyment, we shall be watching and, we trust, aiding in the social de- velopment that is bound to result from personalizing motion pictures. The amateur cinema camera man and the motion picture amateur are among you. They feel that they be- long with you and that they are working with you for the joy of the work and with the hope that the work and the joy will be equally worth while to themselves and to the world. PROFESSIONAL CAMERA at an amateur price Only $100. Film your pictures on stand- ard size film. Show your club productions in a theatre or large auditorium. Repay your club expenses and se' cure projecting equipment without extra cost. The INSTITUTE STANDARD Professional Motion Picture Camera Costs less than a high-grade amateur camera. The pictures can be shown in any theatre or movie house. All metal construction hand- somely finished, light-weight and portable. Complete with carrying case. Variety of models for every taste and purse. Write for FREE CATALOG and full particulars Showing four Jens nwunt attachment New York Institute of Photography Dept. 18 14 West 33 rd Street, New York City Watch Your Kiddies Grow A few feet of film weekly — at their play — in their nighties — and in their bath. Just imagine the thrill it will give you and them in later years. Do it AT HOME with the ' SUPERLYTE" MIDGET simple'" inexpensive $ 17 .50 complete with special cinema bulb AT YOUR DEALERS The MAX MAYER CO. 233 W. 42d St., New York A FINISHING LABORATORY where the AMATEUR receives personal, professional attention. Standard sise negatives developed. We make either standard size prints or reduced prints for use in 16 M.M. projectors. Also titles of all kinds. 130 WEST 46th STREET New York City Tel. Bryant 4981 Thirty-seven Ask W. C. Cullen 12 Maiden Lane New York City CORTLANDT 8424 About (getting Marion Davies REELS OF MOVIE STARS To Be Shown On Your 0ear, postpaid; to members of the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. $2.00 a year, postpaid; single copies, 25c. /On sale at newsstands and photographic dealers everywhere in the United States. Copyright, 1927, by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. V Title registered at United States Patent Office. Advertising rates on application. Forms close on 15th of preceding month. Editorial and Publication Office: 105 West 40th Street, New York Ciry. JOHN BEARDSLEE CARRIGAN, Editor yEPT SEPT Cameras have been favorably known for years. Used by explorers, scientists, journalists, professionals, and amateurs. Take motion pictures, time expos- ures or 250 snapshots with one load- ing. Push a button — no winding, no double exposures. Uses l6y2 feet of standard width film, supplied by Eastman Kodak Company. Its small size (3" x 4" x 5"), light weight (4 lbs.), make a tripod un- necessary. Write for free copy of our expos- ure tabulation. Price $40.00 NEW IMPROVED WYKO WYKO Projector, for still pictures, using standard width film. For home use, educators, lecturers and industrial and commercial advertis- ers. Eliminates heavy, fragile and expensive glass slides. Operates by hand or electric control. Uses United States Rubber Company's "Royal" portable cord for electrical connections. Enlargements can be made at trifling cost without alreration of machine. Wyko 1 rojector (corporation 130 West 46th St. - New York, N. Y. Dealers Everywhere F o u Jack Bechdolt is a writer of short stories which appear regularly in leading magazines. He is author of "How to Make Your Own Motion Picture Plays'' one of the first books written to aid ama- teurs. He is writing a series of articles on amateur motion pic- tures to appear in the Deli- neator. Dr. Nathan T. Beers is a dis- t i n g u i shed dermatologist of Brooklyn, N. Y. He has followed the photographic hobby since the days of tin types, and today is a constant user of motion pic- tures, both in his scientific re- search and for the pleasure which he derives from the pursuit. Mina Brownstein is an author and critic. Connected for a number of years with Atlantic City news- papers she has recently come to New York City and contributes to metropolitan papers and national magazines. Jane Budden is our newest con- tributor from New England, and seems to share the delicately Rabelaisian touch which enlivens the work of other moderns who have emerged, or rather cata- pulted, from this Puritan back- ground. Eric T. Clarke is Manager of the Eastman Theatre of Rochester. Nezv York. He is an experienced exhibitor conducting a large com- mercial enterprise and has un- usual vision of what the future holds for the photoplay. Vernon Farrow, who executed Amateur Movie Makers' first poster cover has designed many brilliant magazine and book cov- ers, as well as illustrated their contents. The amateur camera on the April cover is a synthetic product of his own design, which he has christened the Decine- filmthcx. Nathaniel Frank is winner of the gold medal of the Fifth Avenue Theatre, Nezv York, for the best amateur photoplay submitted in its first annual contest. Since this recognition with "Razzber- ried Treasure" he is planning to devote himself to the production of high-class amateur photoplays. D wight R. Furness is known to Amateur ■ Movie Makers' read- ers through previous contribu- tions. David Wark Griffith, the famous producer and director, might him- self have been classed as an ama- teur in the early days of motion picture production, when he was laying the foundations of photo- play art as we know it today. A. P. Hollis is the Film Editor of the De Vry Corporation and by his contribution proves that there are poets in big business. He is author of "Motion Pictures for Instruction" just published by the Century Company. Anthony Paul Kelly is a dra- matist, whose "Three Faces East" and other plays have been widely produced. Walter .D. Kerst is an assistant editor of Amateur Movie Makers. Herbert C. McKay is cinemato- graphic editor of Photo Era Magazine, is an authority on photographic and cinematographic technique and author of "Prac- tical Kinemato graphy ." He is a member of the Associated Royal Photographers Society and lives in Eustis, Florida. Hiram Percy Maxim, the inventor, is president of the Amateur Cinema League. Max^Mayer is an electrical engi- neer who has specialized in devel- opment of lighting devices for motion picture photography, as president of the Max Mayer Company of New York. Eugene William Ragsdale was co-founder of the Motion Picture Club of the Oranges, is the cam- eraman of that club, and is an ex- perienced amateur cinematog- rapher. Don Carlos Lopez de Tejeda, who contributes the frontispiece for April, is an internationally known artist. Fie has recently been en- gaged in making a series of un- usual drawings of the new and important buildings in New York City, of which that of the Para- mount Theatre in this issue of Amateur Movie Makers is one. The entire series will be published in book form. Don Carlos lias just left Nezv York to join the Chichen Itza project of the Car- negie Institute of Yutacan, where he will record the beauties of Maya archeological remains. WITHOUT BRASS BANDS WHAT PRICE AMATEUR THE fine thing about this Amateur Cinema League is that we are a group who can talk frankly to each other and get results. Last month this page carried a frank talk about memberships and the man- aging director recently asked every member to work. Responses have been most heartening. Every member is at work. There is no display of cheap or ephemeral enthusiasm. We are not that kind of organization. Our members are taking practical, dignified and effective steps to multiply our numbers. We all know we have an organization based on sound principles, that is not promising to remodel the uni- verse or to accomplish miracles of any kind. We know this organization has a specific program of service to all who are concerned with motion pictures as amateurs — either as makers of pictures or as per- sons interested in pictures. Knowing these things, we can make a dignified and forceful effort to get new members to come along with us. Being a practical and business-like body — because our members represent the controlling and energizing stratum of American life — we want to build up our membership without making the usual mob appeal. We are not after the unthinking. We want intelligent and effective men and women in this organization and we know the way to get them is a different way than that used to get in the great crowd which will follow any movement making enough noise. There- fore, we know that wholesale pamphleteering and advertising are not the answers to our problem. We know that a personal approach from a member to a non-member will get us the kind of people we want to have. We can build up the League by high-grade methods because we are dealing with high-grade people. This is the beginning of the "open season" for motion picture making. It is also the "open season" for memberships. We must keep up our active but dignified effort of personal membership increase. The coming summer must see ten thousand members of the Amateur Cinema League. Those ten thousand can be secured without the expensive and less dignified method of bombarding the public about an organization which wants to keep clear of bombarding. If our members will work to that end as they have worked up to the present. without a let-down, we shall have the ten thousand and they will be our own kind of people because we shall have secured them ourselves. This calls for real effort. But this real effort can create, by next October, a great national organization, membership in which will be universally high-grade, constituting a tremendous force for constructive progress in the most dramatic of all American activi- ties— the motion picture. OLD words, like old families, often lose their bearings and wander off into the doubtful spaces of the disreputable. They form chance alli- ances from generation to generation, are gradually mulcted of their heritages and come to have only the dimmest consciousness of their antique birthright. An example of this errant faculty of good words is found in the term "amateur" which — if this is not laboring the point — is a veritable linguistic Tess of the D'Ur- bervilles. Of clean French lineage, it has become a modern English expression for something approach- ing condemnation. An amateur, in the original meaning, was a lover of an art, one whose devotion was impersonal — in distinction to the "amant" who was a lover of human beings — but sincere and real. Latterly an amateur has been thought of as a person who attempts one of the arts and who, somehow, fails to bring off the attempt with any kind of kudos. He is a putterer and a trifler in a field where the professional is work- ing seriously. In sports it is good form to be an amateur: in the arts it is an admission of lesser ability. Cinematography and the photoplay — the eighth art — stand in real need of old-fashioned amateurs, of serious and sincere lovers of a new expression of beauty. These amateurs are in existence in large numbers, but they are too often silent because of the unfortunate connotations of the term by which they are known. They are too proud to be classed as in- effectual professionals. They prefer retirement and inaction at a time in the development of their art when their contribution is greatly needed. The amateur — the lover of motion pictures — will, furthermore, give the same service to them that amateurs have brought to so many modern inven- tions that were, in their beginnings, scientific discov- eries and commercial exploitations. Photography, the electric light and the radio are cases in point. To each of them the amateur brought an esthetic quality and an appreciation of their value as means of ex- pressing beauty. He revealed their non-commercial possibilities and — by way of paradox — increased their commercial range. The amateur is a patron; the amateur is an ex- perimentalist; the amateur is an esthetic pioneer. He can well afford to come out of retreat with a fine old term that has fallen upon evil days and, by his cour- age and his service to the newest art, re-establish that term among the community of fair and pleasing words that are without fear and without reproach. Five w *jv .. _ , : — -,;.'■ . Uv, ;;^;Jji..;^4^.^>J^'^«SW.^ ,fe£&£%&& .. i sS&J THE NEW BEACON AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD An Impressionistic Study of the Paramount Theatre, Times Square, New York, by Don Carlos Lopez de Tejeda. 5" i x THE SOUL OF AN AUDIENCE One of the Striking Scenes from "Variety," Showing How Theatre Patrons Look to a Trapeze Performer. "CROSS SECTIONS of our DREAMS" Ralph Block of Paramount Evaluates the Movies and the Amateur By Mina Brownstein <^OALPH BLOCK is editor in chief of -*-\ the Famous Players-Lasky Studio in Astoria, Long, Island, eastern home of Para- mount Pictures. In this capacity he views and releases forty percent of the Paramount films. He is one of the leaders in the in- dustry who is seeking the emergence of the motion picture as a distinctive art. Mr. Block was formerly associate editor and supervising editor of Metro Goldwyn Mayer Picture Corporation and previous to that dramatic editor of the New York Herald- Tribune. THE moving picture as an art, must begin with the inspired and intelligent amateur." Ralph Block, editor-in- chief of the Paramount Studio looked at me over his mahogany desk and catching my quizzical glance, added, "with modifications, of course." "A sort of little movie-move- ment," he said, while I waited knowing I should be rewarded for my circumnavigation in the wind- ing hallways of the Famous-Play- ers-Lasky Studio in Astoria, and my half hour of waiting, with a penetrating analysis of the moving picture and a sober evaluation of its meaning in American life. We had met, ostensibly, to dis- cuss an article of his in which he had begun to despair over the pos- sibility of removing the movie suffi- ciently from commercialism to make it what it latently was, "a distinc- tive art, which as an instrument of interpretation in modern life has equals nowhere, either on the legiti- mate stage, in the art gallery, the concert hall, or the classroom." "For the moving picture is pe- culiarly American," he told me, watching the shadows on his green- tinted walls, "it has grown out of our mechanical age, and the mass hungers of our adolescent civiliza- tion. It could not have reached its present development anywhere else on the face of the globe. Our ex- travagant studios with their luxuri- ous backgrounds, their dazzling lights, their fabulously wealthy ac- tresses, are better than any fairy tale of folk invention. As a mat- ter of fact, it is our American fairy tale. It is the cross-section of much of our dreaming, foolish and senti- mental, uncouth and tragic as it is." I understood him, remembering the breath-taking glimpses I had gotten of the studio on my way to his softly-carpeted office, the thin jazz sounds which his hall-door muffled, and the flash of bespangled ladies going through their paces in a drawing room set, on the other side of the wall. "Because we have had forced on us certain formulae which underlie the public taste," he said, "we know, for instance, that to make a picture go, Mary must marry the fearless hero ; virtue must be rewarded, and the weak must be succored. All of which is justifiable, for the mass never likes 'no' said to it as a final comment on life. It has an instinc- tive urge for a healthy life code, an optimism which appears shoddy through mal-interpretation." "But the amateur," I reminded him. "Yes, the amateur," and then turning to me, he continued, "The time has come when the man on the streets should know what is back of the moving picture from which Seven PORTRAIT OF A MAN BENT ON MURDER The Power of the Camera in Interpreting Psychological States Without Need of Words or Even Action Is Illustrated By This Scene of Emil Tannings in "Variety." he and his family derive not only their entertainment but a goodly share of their education. "The legitimate stage is no longer a mystery. There is intimate knowl- edge everywhere of the workings of our great newspaper presses. The most harassed laborer can putter about and make a radio set. Is there any reason, then, why the machinery of making the movie should remain what it has until now remained, a secret and therefore a distortion. "The amateur, with his small in- strument is the beginning of a wide- spread public education about the mechanics of 'shooting' pictures. It may also be one of those subtle be- ginnings of a change in the public taste. For public taste is a sensi- tive, growing and not a static thing. On the surface changes show but vaguely, and yet even morality in dress and social relations is in- terpreted differently from day to day. Witness our literature. Ten years ago, Dreiser was considered not only risque, but false. Now, 'Sister Carrie,' 'The Genius' and the 'American Tragedy' are recognized, widely read, even sworn by. What caused such changes? The war for one thing. A growing frankness in human relationships. Our economic Eight conditions. These, together with the press of mechanical surround- ings on our consciousness and nerves, all voice themselves in the desires of the people, and eventually in their diversions." He stopped talking, giving me a chance to study the lean face with its white-blue eyes, and the sharp brows which brought the eyes into prominence. His mouth, tight and straight, curled in a smile as he added quizzically. "I will even go so far as to predict that if there is one man among all the amateurs experimenting with small machines who knows his instrument and its possibilities, who is sensitive to the delicacy of the camera as an eye with which to observe life and com- ment on it, there is bound to be an initial start in the renaissance of the motion picture. There is bound to be a motion picture art." "And why should there not be?" "Why not?" It seemed to me the question was almost challeng- ing. I knew that Mr. Block had been toiling to create in the public consciousness a recognition of the possibilities of the moving picture, that he had written for the Dial re- cently an article which he called "Not Theatre, Not Literature, Not Painting," stressing the view that although only a primitive art which has become classical is ever recog- nized, that although the moving pic- ture is under those cannons, not an art, it is, however, something so peculiarly vital in the life of this country that it is almost a "mass" religion. Mr. Block's modifications about the moving picture renaissance were interesting. His contention is that the approach until very recently has been from the wrong angle. "It is not the scenario, but the direction which injects into the moving pic- tures that element which makes it either trash or art," he said. "Every- body nowadays tries writing for the moving picture before the middle of his teens, with the same visions of Midas-like success as an ambitious newsy, not realizing that true di- recting which gives the breath of life to the story (which, by the way, should always be secondary) is as much a matter of inspiration as writing a novel or painting a pic- ture. "Or, at least it will be, in the ideal state," he added perhaps a bit re- gretfully. (Continued on page 35) Say It WITH ACTION MR. JONES is a crook. You tell me he is a crook. Per- haps I am one of those rare, broad-minded people who want to think the best of a neighbor. So I don't believe you. Then some fine morning I pick up my newspaper and read that Mr. Jones is indicted by the grand jury for playing the races with funds belonging to the Building & Loan Association. Do I believe that Mr. Jones is a crook then? Very likely, especially if I happen ro own stock in the associa- tion. But suppose, instead of reading it in the paper, which I may not be- lieve after all, I, with my own eyes, see Mr. Jones looting the safe of the Building & Loan Association. Then do I believe it? I'll say I do! With my own eyes I have seen the thing happen. That is evidence I am likely to believe under any circumstances. The spoken word is powerful, the printed word carries conviction to most of us, but what we see happen in that we are bound to take stock. Therein, to my no- tion, lies the primary appeal of the movie. Things happen, or should happen, on the screen in a manner that convinces us — in action, before our eyes. That's why millions sit entranced before the silver screen. while but thousands read the printed pages for amusement. On the screen things happen before their eyes. On the printed page are words, made up from letters which once were pictures, ideograms. But the brain must translate these sym- bols into thoughts and then project the thought-image on some mental silver screen in the form of pictures. It is as though one had put several layers of gauze in front of his lens. The result is a hazy photograph at best. The movies say it without the medium of words, at first hand. Unhappily some of our amateur movies omit the very thing which has made the movie a success — ac- tion. The first pictures I made with an amateur movie camera, myself an amateur of not 24 hours stand- ing, were of some quaint old houses in New York. I liked those houses. I thought surely my friends would be entranced. My friends looked, murmured politely and suggested that we play cards. When they look at the movies, my friends expect them to move. I learned to keep those first films aside, using them only for my own amusement. By Jack Bechdolt We all learn that lesson. But after we have mastered it, there re- mains such a lot to choose, action that is mere physical restlessness and action that tells something in- teresting! Every one of us who tries his hand at putting together a continuity — and every one of us does, sooner or later — is confronted with the problem, what action do I want ? What shall I have my actors do to tell the story best? Consider a hypothetical Mr. Smith. You are putting him into a scenario and wish to tell your audi- ence that he is absent-minded. You can say, "Mr. Smith Was An Ab- sent-minded Man"' in a sub-title. That won't carry much conviction. You can show Mr. Smith start- ing off to business without his hat. Better. But your audience may just assume that Mr. Smith is one of those health cranks who would rather go without his hat. Or, even if yon arrange a sequence of pic- tures to show how he forgets his hat, still the statement lacks con- viction. Suppose you show the absent- minded Mr. Smith setting his silk hat on a chair, use a close-up of hat on chair, another of Mr. Smith try- ing to remember why his wife tied that string around his finger when he left the house, and finally one of Mr. Smith sitting on his own silk hat and ruining it ? That's better. Why? Because it might be funny if it were properly done. That is, it might be dramatic action. Action that stirs the beholder in some way. Action that makes him think, "Isn't that just like this fellow Smith!" Action that is supremely charac- teristic of the person concerned. We are constantly exclaiming on hearing a piece of gossip, "Isn't. that just like Smith? Xobody else in the world would think to do that.'' The exclamation is our own uncon- scious analysis of the secret of drama, punch, or whatever you please to call it. And the analysis is correct. This is something to bear in mind when you use your movie camera to make a story picture. Every story is an attempt to picture char- acter so that the spectator, for the time being, stands in the position of a sort of a god, understanding the motives and behavior of a num- ber of persons, foreseeing what is going to happen to them and getting a thrill from his foresight. The story-movie portrays character in action, by a series of acts supremely characteristic of the persons con- cerned. Also, if it is a complete story, it portrays a change of char- acter. And that change of character arises from the struggle of one or more persons to overcome some obstacle. We are not so apt to forget the obstacle. Most of the amateur scenarios 1 have read have the obstacle, — the struggle of one or more main characters against each other or against fate. Sometimes it is the golf match or foot race, again the jewel robbery or the lov- ers versus the unrelenting parent. Change in character, the progress of a villain through experience to repentance, the conversion of a heartless coquette into a submissive and happy bride, such story mate- rial, our amateur scenarists are more likely to forget. But most important of all, in tell- ing a story whether in pictures or words, is the matter of supremely characteristic action. Action which expresses the people concerned and sets them apart from all others, makes them themselves. That is a matter wherein our amateur directors may distinguish themselves. There Art with the capital A begins to get into the movie. There is still plenty of room for it in the professional pro- duction, but notice the work of the few great directors and you will find that they are the ones who depict character most sharply. They build up character by one little in- cident after another, bits of con- tinuity, each delineating sharply the sort of persons the story is about. The motion picture as we know it now, is a versatile medium. There are things we have not yet learned to tell, things that must be told in the printed word of sub-titles. But the things that can be told can be told so vividly that there is no medium of expression to compare with it. With close-ups, fade-outs, visions, double exposures, tricks and soft focus shots we are learning to say in pictures almost all the com- mon emotions, thoughts, and aspira- tions of the race. With a little in- genuity the owner of almost any amateur camera can learn to say the same things the professional di- rector is saying. Maybe he will learn to say them better. AVho knows ! N i n e ALBERT S. HOWELL Photographed Especially for Amateur Movie Makers A Gne Wizard PROPHESIES The First Magazine Interview with Albert S. Howell, Pioneer Cine Inventor By Dwight R. Furness IF the introductory titles to motion picture films carried, in addition to the names of the actors, the names of the technicians who de- signed the cinema machinery with which they were made, the name of Albert S. Howell would be better known than that of any of the film stars. Motion picture film before it starts its trek through camera and printer must be perforated and it has been estimated that 95% of the film used is perforated on machines designed and built by Mr. Howell. His cameras take about eighty-five percent of the feature productions, eighty-five percent of the film is printed on printers of his invention and even then they may be run on projecting machines that pay royalty for his contribution to their design. To the amateur movie maker he is known only through his name which appears on the Bell and Howell Company name plate found on its cameras and projectors. In film circles, however, his name con- jures up a mechanical wizard who has chosen the realm of motion pictures for his domain, a choice in which fate played a large part. Ten Back in the days when the movies were yet young and the names of Essanay and Selig were known wherever pictures danced on a sil- ver screen, Mr. Howell, then just out of school, started to work in a mechanical shop that was building the old Kinodrome projectors. His interest aroused in film machinery and his imagination fired by the possibilities of the rapidly develop- ing motion picture industry, he ap- plied his talents to the design of a new projector. On the strength of that first model he enlisted the support of Mr. D. J. Bell, the maker of the Kinodrome projectors, and so the Bell and Howell Company came into existence late in 1907. His work on the projector dis- closed an utter lack of uniformity in the size of perforation used by different laboratories and no agree- ment as to where the frame line should come between perforations. Unless a standard were adopted the distribution of film would be re- stricted to projectors of individual firms. ' The standards that he worked out as a result of his find- ings are today the ones that make films interchangeable the world over. The film that runs on Broad- wav can be run in Keokuk, Timbuc- too, or Shanghai. America's domi- nation of the film industry rests largely on the existence of these standards. The design of a film perforator (he laboriously carried the first one up three flights of stairs to the Essanay laboratory himself) gave him an opportunity to introduce these standards. The mechanical perfection he built into his perfora- tors gained for them universal acceptance wherever films were made. His perforators today are to be found in film plants in England, Belgium, France, Germany, and in many other countries as well as the United States. Early models of American motion picture cameras were patterned after European designs. Mechan- isms were inclosed in wooden boxes. Metal cameras were thought to court static whose bugaboo flashes fog the sensitive film with tree-like branchings. The first two cameras that Mr. Howell built were for Essanay to be used on an African trip and the specifications called for wood as usual. All went well till some Afri- can ants took a fancy to the wood- work with disastrous results to photography. Into his later all-metal cameras he built a fineness of precision and such careful machine work that their cost went much above that of cameras then on the market. It was soon discovered that the cost of a camera was negligible compared with the responsibility it carried in producing results when thousands of dollars in salaries might be in- volved in a single mob scene. Frac- tions of minutes saved in the photo- graphing of scenes involving the time of highly paid actors also helped to reduce production costs and so the camera won its way to the front by sheer merit. What presses are to the book publisher, printing machines are to the film producer. The urge that carries any craftsman along his chosen career lead Mr. Howell to design and build motion picture printers to replace the make-shift equipment left over from the earlv days of a fast growing film industry. Laboratory practice in those days called for printing individual scenes separately and light changes, to compensate for the varying density of negatives, were made by hand. Mr. Howell's continuous printer, which at its debut ran oft a two hundred-foot reel without stopping and automatically adjusted itself for varying exposures caused quite a sensation. Needless to say, with production a criterion to factory efficiency, the new printer travelled the road to success in partnership with Mr. Howell's cameras and per- forators. With this foundation to build upon Mr. Howell then designed a small amateur camera and projector incorporating into them the best of all that had gone before. At first these outfits were planned to use split standard film but at the in- stance of the Eastman Kodak Com- pany, who were planning the pre- sent 16mm cine film, the old ques- tion of standards came up and small cameras were redesigned to accommodate this new film. This brought about a fuller development of amateur cinematography, just as standardization in the early days of the professional motion picture aided its universal growth. Today, now a man on the "sunny side of fifty", he sits in an office bearing the name "Chief Engineer" in the new quarters of his company in Chicago. Here the writer sought him out for the readers of Amateur Movie Makers to chat with him on what he thought the future held for home movies and to learn what fields were opening up with the advent of the 16mm film. There had been mention in the papers of talking movies for the home and so the question was put to him as to the possibilities of their becoming a reality. This he thinks will come in the near future but that expense will keep them from be- coming widely used until further experimentation will reduce the cost. Definite experimental work in cooperation with some of the largest electrical and radio manu- facturers is in progress. So the MOVIES AT HOME By A. P. Hollis By day I lead a sordid life Submerged in dirt and din : By night I turn the current on And let Romance come in. Entranced, I loll in distant Spain, And hunt in Zanzibar; 1 join the crowds in gay Paree, And ride with Lochinvar. Fair ladies bow before my gaze, And rapiers leap in air — ■ A Prince dismounts at the castle wall And climbs the castle stair. A citizen of every age, I people every clime. Lo, distance is a metaphor, And space, and race, and time. Ah, more than preaching, more than words, More than philosophy. These pictures banish hate, and win To love with artistry. By day I lead a sordid life Submerged in dirt and din; By night I turn the current on And let Romance come in. day may not be far distant when films may be rented which will carry a musical record on the margin that will reproduce music and voices through one's radio set or phono- graph. Recording music involves expen- sive equipment, the cost of which will likely deter the amateur from making his own musical records for some time. Mr. Howell does not look for any radical changes in cameras or equip- ment in the near future but this does not preclude new models. Re- finements are being made constantly, minor changes worked out, and devices added to increase the plea- sure of taking and projecting pic- tures. For instance a small attach- ment will soon be on the market which will fit on the projector mak- ing it possible to tint the projected picture, The greatest improvements Mr. Howell expects to come in the photographic end of cinemato- graphy, such as improvements in the reversal process that will allow the same latitude of exposure that may now be secured through the standard separate negative and posi- tive process ; a better film spool ; a leader that will seal out light more effectively; for on the perfection of these, and other details, depends the approach to the ideal. Having in mind the fact that small cameras made by Mr. Howell's company, had among other things flown over the North Pole with Lt. Commander Byrd and with Amundsen, the next question had to do with interesting applications of motion pictures made possible by amateur cameras. Among these Mr. Howell recalled the taking of slow motion pictures of football games by Northwestern University which the coach said had taught him things about the game he never knew before. These films are used by that University's coaching staff to teach new players and to improve the game of veterans. Some manufacturers are prepar- ing films of instruction to accom- pany equipment difficult of installa- tion, to supplement instruction books, and to make it unnecessary to send expert mechanics, on long journeys to make installations. Especially valuable are such films in foreign countries, for films speak a universal language. The day is not far off he thinks, when home projectors will be in such universal use that advertisers will offer to loan films in much the same way that they now offer to send booklets to those filling in return coupons. In the field of education the amateur films will solve many prob- lems, he believes, as the}' make it possible for the teacher to prepare his own texts. One difficulty in the use of films in the class room, here- tofore, aside from the cost, has been the problem of securing material that would fit into the class room scheme of instruction of the indi- vidual teacher. If the reader were to visit Mr. Howell he would find a middle aged man with hair slightly grey, likely as not in his shirt sleeves, pouring over blue prints with a foreman or discussing with his associates the development of a new cine device or the improvement of an old one. His talk would be quiet and unas- suming but the visitor would leave with an impression that somehow the ideals that started lum off on the career of a mechanical engineer years ago had not lost their powers, and that with the coming years amateur movies will be better for his part in them. Eleven "Ask Me Another" ON LIGHTING By Max Mayer QUESTION: How may a very large indoor scene be taken by amateurs using lights now available on the market? Answer : By a large indoor scene we assume the questioner re- fers to using a large room of the average home. We will be specific in example and imagine a room 14 by 20 feet. By having the camera at one end of the long dimension, the average lens will cover ten to twelve feet of the opposite wall. We recommend that the foreground (the line nearest to the camera at which objects or subjects are placed), be kept as far from camera as possible. In this case we will say not nearer than 10 feet. This leaves an area of action 10 feet deep, about 10 feet wide at rear and about 5 feet at foreground. Assuming the following factors : 1. Fairly light reflecting walls. 2. No daylight present. 3. Lens speed F 3.5. 4. 16mm. direct positive film. 5. 16 per second picture speed. 6. Use of high efficiency Mazda Lamps. The light required for such a scene area would be approximately 100 watts per square foot of back wall covered by camera. Allowing for an 8 foot height and a 10 foot back width, 80 square feet at 100 watt would require 8,000 watts. Of course, if the action is slowed down sufficiently, the camera may be oper- ated at half speed using only half the amount of light. A faster lens would also diminish the light re- quired but the aforementioned fig- ures are a basis for the questioner to make his own variables of calcu- lation. With skillful placing of the lamps, it is possible to get good re- sults with even less light than above mentioned. It is well to arrange the lamps to light the people in the path of their planned movements and let the background take care of itself. Question 2: Can this indoor lighting for group action be secured without equipment that is too ex- pensive for the average amateur? Answer : The cost of the com- plete equipment necessary to meet the special requirements under ques- tion 1, need not be excessive. The simpler and smaller the scene to be taken, the less equipment, and the less the cost. The most important problem, however, is to obtain enough elec- Twelve trie current to supply the lamps. Eight thousand watts on the usual house lighting voltage of 110 volts represents about 75 amperes — which requires special provisions of wiring, etc., in most cases. While this amount of current seems great, one must consider that in professional motion picture studios a similar area would be lit with at least 250 am- BON VOYAGE By Jane Bndden He packed his trunk and then he sailed Away! For far Bermuda's shore blue-veiled And gay. And in that trunk there was a jam Of B.V.D.'s and socks and Pa'm Beach suits and motion picture cam- E-ray. Was he a fan? — Down to his root He wuz! And does he mean to "shoot" and "shoot?" He does! But though he stayed on that fair isle A reason -nay bly longish while, No scene he "shot" e'er went on file'. — Becuz — ■ Well, man may go to "shoot" — and Stay to fish ! Who's there to say he mayn't delay His wish? On that warm isle where tourists go To shun our Northern ice and snow. They say they do not stand for Pro- —Ibish. Ah me! the lovely scenes he might Have got! Alas! the will he'd had to slight No spot! He "shot" not either stone or tree, Or dusky native, turquoise sea. For, as so often happens, he Was shot! peres of lamps, and the negative film used has three times the speed of the 16 mm. direct positive. One must therefore take into consideration, current available, before undertak- ing the purchase of lamp equipment, as it may be necessary to spend some money for providing sufficient wir- ing and current supply. Question 3 : // reflectors are necessary, how may inexpensive reflectors be improvised? Answer: In the matter of re- flectors there are three principal fac- tors involved — 1. The physical nature of the re- flecting surfaces. 2. The size and shape of the re- flectors. 3. The placing of the reflectors in their relation to the light source and subjects. Factor 1 : A magnesium white (alabastine water paint) makes a good soft reflecting surface, but where the light is limited it is bet- ter to use hard reflectors. These are most easily made by covering a piece of board or card-board with a special paper with a metalized surface of aluminium. Factor 2 : While curved surfaces are better for concentrating reflected light, they are rather difficult to make and it is simpler to use flat surfaces — about 5 feet high and 3 feet wide. Two cross strips fast- ened to the bottom will make them stand up. Factor 3 : For best results place reflector near the lamps rather than near the subject. Their correct po- sitions and angles are more easily determined by observation than by mathematical adjustment. Question 4 : If artificial light is used to heighten natural light what special means are there of prevent- ing uneven light mixtures? Answer : The uneven mixture of light in question, should only be con- sidered as to its photographic effec- tiveness, not its color. It would be very inefficient to filter the artificial light to match the daylight. Question 5 : // ordinary arc lights are used, what precautions in the way of screens or special pro- tection can be suggested? Answer: About the only pre- caution that can be used with the modern open type arc lamp is a wire screen close to the lamp case to pre- vent sparks from flying out of the arc chamber. It is also wise to put a fairly large piece of oil cloth or sheet metal under each lamp if they are standing on a carpet or fine floors. In retrimming the lamps, use caution where you lay the hot carbon stumps. Question 6: Have anv experi- ments proved practical in the zvay of mercury vapor lights for amateur cinematography? Answer : Mercury Vapor lamps are very effective for amateur cine- matography but they are fragile, and must be purchased for the current on which they are to be used. The same lamp cannot be used on both direct and alternating current. On direct current it is important that they be always connected in proper polarity. HOW TO FORM A Movie Club By Eugene William Ragsdale SCENE FROM "HAY HEY" NOW IN PRODUCTION AT THE STUDIO OF THE MOTION PICTURE CLUB OF THE ORANGES. DEVELOPMENT of the ama- teur movie camera with in- expensive film has brought a new era in the amateur theatrical field, the development of Movie Clubs for the sponsoring of amateur screen dramatics and artistic recrea- tion among the law abiding citizens of the United States. In the early Spring of 1924 the first amateur motion picture camera was introduced to the public, with the necessary equipment, including the projector. The three years since then have brought many new de- velopments, both in amateur and professional lines of cinematog- raphy. Thousands of camera fans have joined the ranks of amateur movie makers. They are all mak- ing their own movies, ever striving to make their own productions that will somewhat measure up to pro- fessional films. These same camera owners are longing to get interested groups organized in their commun- ity, to get their own movie clubs formed. But they need advice and helpful information in getting a club organized. My answer to that is : Join the Amateur Cinema League ! The League has every means of conveying to you the best information and help in starting your own movie club. It will put you in touch with fellow members who will be willing to give you the benefit of their experiences. The League's monthly publication, Ama- teur Movie Makers, will bring to you manj- valuable suggestions. [ have been requested several times to explain what the best methods are in starting a movie club. First of all. you or some other reliable person must have the equipment. Arrange a short pro- gram of your own personal films and add to it a professional film. Invite a few of your selected friends whom you think might be interested in this sort of work. After you have shown the pictures make a short announcement to your friends, asking them if they would like to start a movie club to make their own movie productions. Let them signify by raising their right hands. If the idea is favored then call a meeting then and there and nominate your officers for the year. "When the officers are installed the President and his committee can get together and draw up a rough draft of a club constitution and by- laws to be presented to the other members. The membership fee on entrance could be set at S5 with the annual dues at S12 or $24 as the members may agree upon. Those, when you first start, will be termed Charter Members. It is well to remember when selecting your charter members to have among them persons who can write good stories, those who may be capable of directing, or those fa- miliar with photograph}-. Your first story must be as simple and interesting as possible until you be- come more experienced in making movies. There are plenty of good text books on the market which will help you in making good photoplays. Plan your scenes outdoors, con- structing your own interiors out of beaver-board. However, if you are financially fixed and experienced in handling lights you can purchase good portable lights and make your interiors inside of the home. It is wise that you consult an electrician before hooking the lights up, as some house wiring is not safe for pulling heavy current. Your best bet would be in mak- ing two reel pictures, as they are more popular and easier to make. Thus we say two reels would con- tain 800 feet of sixteen mm., which would be equivalent to 2000 feet of standard. This would give you about a half hour show. For the 800 feet of sixteen mm. film in the finished production vou should allow about 1000 to 1600 feet to be "shot." Out of your 1600 feet that is "shot" you must cut it down to the approximate 800. Out of this you must consider re-takes, poor lighting or incorrect exposure, film flares, and bad action. It is better to have more to cut from than less. Your expense would only be for the film and titles, outside of your make- up and costumes, which each mem- ber should furnish for himself. You can photograph your own titles. It is very simple. At S6 per 100 feet of film the full 1600 feet would cost only $96 plus 35 to 50c per title card. This is estimating high. Perhaps you could make a good picture bv just "shooting" 1000 feet of film. That depends on how lucky you are and how good a cinematographer you are. By all means plan your produc- tions with care, choose the right type of story, and cast your players cor- rectly. Select for your technical staff a good cameraman and assis- tant, a conscientious director or coach, two property men and 3 make-up man. Your director and cameraman with the aid of the author of your story should cut and edit the picture. "With your first picture filmed, cut and edited, your Club is then ready to make its debut, ready to show the rest of the world what the organization is able to do when it comes to producing ama- teur motion pictures. Once you have made a good picture your Movie Club is established, and you will suddenly find your Club grow- ing by leaps and bounds. Thirteen Hitting It JUST RIGHT By Hiram Percy Maxim OH man, isn't it wonderful when you open up that little square box of finished film and find that you have hit the ex- posure exactly right ! A few weeks ago we had a good stiff snow storm with no wind and the temperature conditions just right for making the snow stick to the trees and bushes. Sunday morn- ing dawned absolutely cloudless and things were simply gorgeous. I thought of that hundred foot roll of film that I always keep on hand for an emergency and about eleven o'clock I sallied forth to the park with my little camera. When I got outdoors the glare al- most blinded me. It was so bright that it took several minutes for me to get used to it enough to look at anything. There was a good two feet of snow on the ground and every tree and bush was daintily touched as though by the frost fairies. There was a gentle wind moving the branches of the trees and it seemed to me I had never seen things so lovely. But what about the light? I was so excited that I fairly trembled at the thought of making a mistake in exposure. I had lost my exposure meter, or mislaid it, and it was a case of judgment. The month was January, the light was the weakest of the entire year, it was eleven o'clock in the morning, the sun was shining in a cloudless sky through clear and crispy wintry air and everything was covered with a blanket of pure white. The light intensity seemed terrific. My first view was a group of short pines all powdered with fine dry snow and a vista which led away to more pines, all snow cov- ered. 1 got the light to one side of me so as to have some shade and shadows and avoid the flat effect, and I was careful to get the nearby pines over on one side where they would cut down the white area and help composition. Being all set it was now up to me to decide the stop to use. After thinking it over, I said^"over exposure would be fatal. Under exposure would be next to impossible with all this re- flection from the snow. Therefore it's f .16 or £.11. I must expose for the nearby pines, as they are the dominant object in the picture, and they are nearby. F.ll would prob- Fourteen A SILVER WORLD FOR THE SILVER SCREEN ably over-expose, even though it is January. F.16 is my limit, unless I use the color filter. I have always got the best tone values with filter," so I decided to use it and stop to f.ll. I ran off some ten feet this way. The next was a corking hill side view with a vista of snow laden cedars swinging around a curve in- to the distance. It was beautiful, but dangerously short on dark area. It would be the easiest thing in the world to over-expose. I managed to find a spot where one-half of the picture would be dark area, and with this to help, I went the limit, stopping down to f .16 and using the color filter too. There was no way to get less exposure. I prowled around for an hour and finally shot the entire hundred feet. The largest stop I used was f.ll and on nearly every exposure I used the color filter. In many cases I used f.16 stop. Well, now how did they come out? Every foot of that reel was a knock-out. The trees are fine and strong, yet with every detail de- fined. The snow is beautifully white and every break in its sur- face clearly visible. Moreover, the composition turned out to be first class, and I have a reel that I love. All that I had to do to edit it was to cut out the last four or five frames and the first two or three in each scene. It gives a clear run of beautiful winter views, without a flaw. These pictures equal any I have ever seen on the professional screen and answer all the questions about 16 mm. reversal processed film, in my judgment. They are good enough for me and as beautiful as we can hope to get short of real color photography. And I had a peach of a good time making them. And a still better time opening that little square box when it arrived back from Roches- ter. And it is lots of fun showing this film to friends. In short, there's all kinds of kick in this amateur movie game, when you hit it exactly right. DANGEROUS GROUND (^"HIS scenario is the most ambitious C9 effort which has been offered our readers, coming, as it does from the pen of the author of "Three Faces East" and other successful stage plays, but written especially for amateur production. It will possibly prove suitable for production only by ama- teur motion picture clubs, but should prove interesting to all readers of Amateur Movie Makers as a dramatic story. Be- cause of its length it will be published serially. Title. A Foursome on the Links of the Brookfield Country Club. Scene 1. Middle distance shot of the starting point of the Brookfield Golf Course. Time: Late after- noon of a summer's day, cool, breezy and clear. Fade in. Craig L. Everidge. Virginia Raeburn, Clyde Marlowe and Consuelo Raeburn are starting to play a foursome. Everidge is a hot-blooded, impulsive, handsome, nervously energetic man of about thirty years of age. Virginia Rae- burn, his sweetheart, is an exquis- ite, vivacious, highly intelligent girl of about twenty-four. Marlowe is a plain, cool, taciturn, undemonstra- tive, and not especially handsome man of about thirty years of age. Consuelo Raeburn, Virginia's sister, is a shy, timid, beautiful, quiet girl of about seventeen. Four caddies, clustered together, are standing near by. Craig Everidge is the first of the four to tee off. As the picture opens, he, having been dissatisfied with the position of his ball on the tee, is rearrang- ing it. The tee does not support the ball as he would like to have it support it, and he is exteremely vexed by its failure to do so. Vir- ginia, Marlowe, Consuelo and the caddies, all of whom are well aware of the fact that Everidge possesses a very high temper, smile as they watch his self-exasperating efforts to perfect the tee. However, their manner clearly indicates that if Everidge were to turn and look at them, they would immediately be- come quite serious and respectful toward him. Title. Craig L. Everidge, whose temper is usually as mild as that of a hungry panther. Scene 2. Close view of Craig as he, vexed by the tee, with a sudden display of anger, smashes the ball into it, thus destroying it. With a snort of vexation he proceeds to make a new tee. A Scenario for Amateurs By Anthony Paul Kelly Title. His Sweetheart, Virginia Raeburn. Scene 3. Close view of Virginia, as she, with a smile of amusement on her face, watches Everidge. Title. His Best Friend, Clyde Marlowe. Scene 4. Close view of Marlowe, who, although slightly amused, is much more serious than Virginia. He, too, is watching Everidge. Title. Virginia's Younger Sister, Consuelo. Scene 5. Close view of the timid Consuelo, as she watches Everidge. She is amused, but also quite ap- prehensive, because Everidge's ex- plosive nature has always been a thing that inspired great fear in her. Title. Not Forgetting Their Im- perial Majesties : The Caddies. Scene 6. Close view of the four caddies. They are all boys of about nine or ten years of age, and their appearance should be such that it will create laughter. One is lean, one is fat, one is tall and one is short, and all are as homely as the devil. They poke each other know- ingly in the ribs with their elbows, as they grin delightedly and some- what contemptuously while they watch Everidge. Scene 7. Exterior. Middle dis- tance shot — same camera angle as Scene 1. Everidge has finally arranged a tee that suits him. His ball is placed thereon, and he is stroking with his club before making his drive. He strokes very carefully, and then makes his drive. Scene 8. Exterior. Shot of the fairway from the first teeing point. Everidge's ball is coursing through the air ; it lands near by and bounds badly. It is such a drive that any good golfer would laugh at. Just a flash. Scene 9. Exterior. Same angle as scene 7. Everidge, who prides himself on his golf playing, is chagrined. The caddies guffaw openly. Ever- idge glowers at them. Virginia, Marlowe and Consuelo chuckle. However, Everidge does not see them do so, because he is glowering at the caddies. Everidge is insulted and angered by their attitude. He sharply commands his caddy to keep his eye on the ball. The fierceness of his manner and the harsh tone of his voice immediately causes the caddies to become respectful. Vir- ginia, Marlowe and Consuelo, whom Everidge has not observed, also con- ceal any evidence of their amuse- ment. In order to tee off, Virginia advances to position. Fade out. Title. In the Rough. Scene 10. Exterior. In the rough, which should be very rough, in- deed. Middle distance shot. Fade in. Everidge is using his niblick and endeavoring to drive his ball, which is in a very bad "lie" over an adjacent bunker. The ball is in a small hole, and it is evident that Everidge has recently increased the size of that hole without dis- lodging the ball. Virginia, Mar- lowe, Consuelo and two of the cad- dies, for Marlowe's ball is also in the rough, are watching him. Ever- idge is quite angry and is becoming more so every second. Virginia, Marlowe and Consuelo are smilingly watching. Everidge makes another stroke and only succeeds in throw- ing up quite a bit of dirt. Play for laugh. Scene 11. Close view of Virginia, Marlowe and Consuelo. Marlowe and Consuelo are more or less re- served, but Virginia is openly amused by Everidge's futile efforts. She laughs outright and exclaims : Title. "Keep it up, Craig! Three more strokes and you'll strike oil!" Virginia finishes her exclamation, which cause Marlowe and Consuelo to laugh outright, also. Scene 12. Close view and just a flash of the two caddies as they hear Virginia's remark and start to laugh. Scene 13. Close view of Everidge, who, upon hearing Virginia's re- mark, paused in preparing himself for another stroke. He is glaring at Virginia. Her remark has not amused him ; it has enraged him. In a menacing attitude he starts toward her. Scene 14. Close view of Virginia. Marlowe and Consuelo. The scene to be taken from a different angle than that of scene 11. Consuelo becomes somewhat alarmed as she sees the approach of Everidge. Marlowe becomes serious, and amusement and apprehension are commingling in Virginia. Everidge enters the scene. He is brusque as he pauses, and, directing his re- Fifteen mark to Virginia, he hotly declares : Title. "Look here, Virginia! I've taken as much of your guying as I intend to take!" Everidge finishes speaking. Vir- ginia is now very much concerned, hecause she realizes he is thoroughly angry. Appealingly she entreats : Title. 'Please don't get mad, Craig! I was only trying to have a little fun." Virginia finishes speaking, and her expression bears mute evidence of her anxiety to cajole him. Ever- idge, however, is not to be placated. He sharply replies : Title. "You were trying to do noth- ing of the sort! You've been de- liberately trying to disconcert me so that you and your partner Clyde Marlowe will win!" Everidge finishes speaking. Vir- ginia resents his attitude and his statement. She defiantly exclaims : Title. "That's a lie — and you knozv it!" Virginia completes her remark. Fear has caused Consuelo to draw very close to Marlowe, whose arm has been placed assuringly about her. Scene 15. Close-up of Virginia as she defiantly eyes Everidge. What Everidge has said and the manner in which he said it have genuinely hurt her so much so that bitter tears now start to her eyes — tears induced by her love for and disappointment in him. Her lip quivers and she is fighting against a desire to cry. Scene 16. Semi-close-up of Mar- lowe and Consuelo. They are closely and very seriously watching Vir- ginia. It is evident that they are deeply concerned by the unpleasant turn that events have taken and that they profoundly sympathize with Virginia. Surprise is also manifest, so much so that both Marlowe and Consuelo glance from Virginia toward Everidge, and then back to Virginia, as if to assure themselves that they are seeing aright — all of which, of course, should occur in much less time than it takes to tell. Marlowe automatically withdraws his arm from Consuelo as he starts toward Virginia in order to console her. Scene 17. Close view of the group — same angle as scene 14. Marlowe, as Virginia starts to cry, hastens to her, places his arms about her and draws her to himself as he says : Title. "There — there, Virginia. Please don't take on like that. Craig was only fooling!" As Marlowe finishes speaking, Con- suelo also draws near Virginia, in order to console her. Scene 18. Close-up of Everidge. The smouldering coals of jealousy — jealousy of Marlowe — burst into Sixteen flame within him, as he hears Mar- lowe's remark and sees him embrace Virginia. He tries to control his rage and the internal struggle mo- mentarily makes him rigid. The sight of Virginia being embraced by Marlowe is maddening to him. Just a flash. Scene 19. Semi-close-up and just a flash of Marlowe consoling Virginia. Scene 20. Close-up of Everidge. He is galvanized into speech by jealousy. He savagely exclaims : Title. "I was not fooling! And I'm not fooling -when I tell you to keep your damned Jiands off Iter!" Everidge finishes speaking. Scene 21. Close view — same angle as scene 17. Marlowe is astounded and angered, when Everidge, with a sudden violent movement, forces him away from Virginia. Consuelo is shocked. Virginia is suprised. Scene 22. Exterior. Semi-close-up of the two cad- dies who are watching with open- mouthed interest. One of them, with a show of delightful anticipa- tion, nudges the other one in the ribs with his elbows as he hopefully exclaims : Title. "Oh, boy! Maybe we're gonna see a fight!" He finishes speaking, and it is evi- dent that they both certainly hope that they will see a fight. Brief scene. Scene 23. Close full view — same angle as scene 21. Before Marlowe can recover from his astonishment, with a threaten- ing gesture — a gesture that includes the pointing of his index finger di- rectly at Marlowe — Everidge ex- claims : Title. "Virginia and I arc secretly engaged to be married! Vve seen you trying to make love to her! I saw the two of you together only last night — althought neither of you saw me." Everidge finishes his declaration — a declaration that not only momen- tarily startles Marlowe, but also mo- mentarily startles Virginia and Con- suelo. However, Everidge does not see the reaction of either Virginia or Consuelo to his statement ; his eyes are fixed on Marlowe, who sud- denly changing his manner into what nearly everyone in the audi- ence is constrained to believe is an attempt at concealment of guilt — • with such a changed attitude Mar- lowe now comes before the defiant Everidge and says : Title. "We've been friends for years, Craig. Are you going to make it end like this?" He finishes putting the question to Everidge, and while he is quite sincere in doing so, his change of manner that immediately preceded it causes Everidge to sneer disdain- fully and with restrained vehemence declare : Title. "Yes — I'm going to make it end like this! And I'll punch your treacherous head off if I ever catch you trying to make love to Virgin ia again !" As Everidge finishes speaking, his attitude is that of a man who is daring another man to provoke him any farther. Marlowe is no cow- ard, and Everidge's manner is so hostile and so challenging that he debates within himself whether to attack Everidge or not. Consuelo and Virginia are fascinated but hor- rified by the spectacle that the two men present. Title. The father of Virginia and Consuelo — George Raeburn, who likes Craig Everidge about as much as a Calif ornian likes an earthquake. Scene 24. Exterior — Bridle Path — a portion of which runs through a section of the rough of the golf course. George Raeburn, who has been riding some distance in the lead of the group that he is out with, has, prior to the opening of the scene, reined in in order to watch the ac- tions of Everidge, Virginia, Con- suelo and Marlowe, whom he has espied from a distance. Dimly dis- cernible beyond Raeburn the other members of the party can be seen approaching. They are Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Sitgreaves, their daughter Marigold, Count Calviari and two other middle-aged people of oppo- site sexes — also a groom. Raeburn is a Theodore Roberts type. Satis- fied that something more ominous than a golf game is in progress, he. as the others rein in about him, sug- gests that they ride over and see what's going on. They agree, and the group, led by Raeburn, starts from the scene. Scene 25. Long sJiot — shooting across the rough toward Virginia, Consuelo, Everidge, Marlowe and the two caddies. They are in approximately the. same positions that we saw them in last. The attention of all of them, however, is attracted to the approch- mg group on horseback, which en- ters the scene some distance from the camera at the side. One glance at the group is enough for Ever- idge ; there is no love lost between him and Raeburn. He is conscious of the fact that his temper is at the danger point, and fearing that the advent of Raeburn may cause it to pass that mark, he immediately de- cides to leave them all flat and go (Continued on page 38) Amateur Movie Makers COLOR SECTION FOR APRIL MOONLIGHT MOVIE MAKING A New York Night Scene from the Location Library of Walter D. Kerst. Seventeen 'RAZZBERRIED TREASURE" The Story of a Gold Medal Amateur Photoplay By Nathaniel Frank r>-^HE future of O the motion picture lies, I sincerely believe, in the amateur f i I m movement. Just as the The- atre Guild saved the stage from banality, so the amateur films will influence the motion picture. When motion pictures are made out of love rather than with a desire to show profit they will definitely take their place among the arts. IT was early last summer that six young men found them- selves in California, and of their coming together an idea was born. I suppose that all young men, everywhere, at one time or another, have given voice to the hope that some day they would gaily leave dull care behind, and sally forth aboard a smart sailing craft in search of high adventure. So we secured an option on a verv neat fifty-footer, schooner-rigged and powered by a sound heavy- duty engine. Our course was laid for a three months' cruise down the west coast, through the canal, touching as far south as Nicaragua, and then up through the Islands to the east coast and New York. We were to be manned by the following crew : Edward M. Spitz, department-store executive ; Adrian J. Weil, previously in charge of the manufacturing plants of an eastern shirt company ; Mervin Williams, principal juvenile-lead in numerous coast little-theatres ; Luther Carpenter, our domestic colored man-of-all-work and a bril- liant musical student ; George Ruric, poet, painter, vagabond ; and my- self. Though it was our intention from the beginning to include a motion- picture camera in our equipment, the proposed filming, after a series of pow-wows, soon assumed the Eighteen proportions of the principal object of the trip. We found ourselves devoted to the happy task of bring- ing back an elaborate record of our adventures. It saddens me anew to report that none of this was to be. The slave of duty from among us was unexpectedly called east to his desk. Another decided to terminate a protracted courtship by marrying the girl. Thus it was that the call of Trade and Love, responsible for most of the world's adventure, sounded the death-knell of ours. There we were, however, with an idle month before us, and all of us livid with the momentum of many weeks of making ready. Something imperative needed to be done if we were to avoid a collective explosion. So we made a picture. The choice of subject matter was gone into during a series of stormy story-sessions from which finally evolved the idea that we confine ourselves to the oldest form of them all — the Mack Sennett Comedy. By strict adherence to the time-worn formula we could attempt to prove that even such fundamental mate- rial could be filmed effectively and beautifully. We raised our char- acters' social and intellectual stand- ard somewhat over the Sennett quality, otherwise the entire struc- ture is there — identity of characters, motive for the principal conflict, the girl-theme arbitrarily introduced, struggle for the money (or gold or papers) and the eventual triumph of the aenemic protagonist against tremendous odds. We even used two sequences in which we satirize well-known pictures, which will be recognized as a favorite device of the old hilarious Sennett days. With pomp and ceremony, I was tendered the mythical megaphone by virtue of my experience with the portrait camera and direction for several groups of little-theatres. We embellished our ranks with other actors, and ladies of the ensemble. One professional joined our forces. Mr. Gayne Whitman, well-known leading man in film circles. It was a lark for him, but we found him a valuable asset and charming com- pany. >„ s.~ HERO AND HEROINE REGISTER "IT' A DASH OF "VARIETY" Our schedule called for a week on board the boat, two weeks at the shore and one week of interiors and garden location. We managed to incorporate the little ship into the story, of course, for at least a taste of the bitterly-mourned voyage. That first week was not without its seamy side. A pitching, heaving little fifty-footer in a ground swell isn't the most comfortable spot in the world for cinematography, with reflectors to be held, camera to be ground, a camera boy who became violently ill, let alone a bucking schooner, and a peculiarly pungent stench which arose from the engine- room. The forthnight ashore was by long odds the most difficult. We had purchased an ancient but enormous Packard Twin-Six for a location car, but that faithful con- veyance could bring us only to within a quarter of a mile of our destination. The walk, twice daily, included the ascent and descent of a two-hundred foot cliff, followed by a quarter mile hike over soft sand. We soon learned the astound- ing weight attainable by a full camera-case under a California sun on a day in June. Our half -week of interiors, however, was sheer delight. The studios fairly swarm with willing and able assistants, and we found ourselves well ahead of schedule when lighting became a matter of giving orders rather than wearily awaiting aggravating solar whims and fancies. Mr. Weil is not at hand to pro- vide the more interesting items of production cost, but I can report that his management was nothing short of inspired. We denied our- selves nothing essential, shot 30,000 feet of negative, used three rich interiors, maintained a company of ten for over a month and spent only $7,000. It must be borne in mind that the average program picture costs about $125,000. My negative was 35 millimeter super-sped and I used either a K 1 or K 2 Alter for practically every shot. The principal control of ex- posure was achieved through the filters. It is my inclination to leave the shutter and diaphram as wide open as possible. In most cases I succeeded in avoiding the usual sky- glare. On the whole, I look back with greatest pleasure and profit to the days in the cutting room. We had shot practically without a script, and assembling the film constituted one long memory test. I learned a great deal about making my next picture at the cutting bench. I some- times wish there were some way to warn others of the pit-falls I've gazed into, but if they are destined to enjoy editing as much as we did, I hardly feel sorry for them. Few elements of the craft are so fas- cinating. When we came East to celebrate the nuptials of our smitten colleague we brought with us the master print in a five-reel version, and it played to great success in the basement of a friend's home on several occa- sions. Not long after our arrival, the charming Fifth Avenue Play- house opened its doors and soon announced, through the newspapers, that it would hold a contest for amateur productions. We submitted our efforts, and had the good for- tune to be selected for the 1927 prize. The day on which I was presented with the Playhouse medal was made memorable for me by the presence of Mr. D. W. Griffith. In spite of his kindly efforts to relieve my distress, I recommended public medal-receiving to all amateurs as the only really complete form of exquisite torture. I wish I could say here, more intelligently, in response to Mr. Griffith's expres- sions of faith in the amateur as the ultimate savior of the screen, that there are those among us for whom no task shall be too long or no trial too severe in the happy duty of pre- paring ourselves for the day when this new Muse shall call us to her service. AN AMATEUR BARRYMORE As Portrayed by Mervin Williams Nineteen fcii'ft ™KrV9!pS:: :v: : Vi ■ ' ":s gK'sSf LIFETIME CAMERA U S I T w en t y P* Pi the DeVry takes BETTER Amateur Movies 1. The DeVry holds 100 feet of Standard Theatre Size film — the same sort of film which is used in professional cameras and which must be used by the amateur if he wishes to get the best results . . . 2. The DeVry can be loaded in daylight ... 3. The DeVry will take 55 feet of film without rewinding ... 4. The DeVry can be focused direct on the film ... 5. The DeVry can be put into action from any position and has three view finders in- stead of one ... 6. The DeVry requires no cranking ... 7. The DeVry needs no tripod ... 8. The DeVry starts and stops smoothly. Simply point the DeVry, press a button and you are taking movies guaranteed to be as perfect as those taken by a profes- sional camera. The DeVry is abso- lutely vibrationless and amazingly easy to operate. Also, because the DeVry uses Standard film, the movies taken with it can be shown in any Theatre or at any public gathering. Standard film has six times the pic- Easily focused from any position Standard 35 mm. film compared tvith 16 mm. "narrow Xuidth" film (shown actual size) ture area of "miniature," 16 mm. film. If you use it you can have your films developed in any large city in the world in a few hours. Also you always have a negative which assures you clear bril- liant movies year after year and from generation to generation. Standard Film enables you to take movies of finest fea- ture film brilliance. Many DeVry owners have sold film taken by themselves to the news reel weeklies, and many more have experi- enced the delightful sensation of having their films shown at their neighborhood movie houses. The DeVry weighs nine pounds, is enclosed in a handsome steel case and sells for $150.00. Easily loaded in daylight This counterbalanced spring insures uniform vibrationless speed Send for Free Book We have pre- pared anew Free beautiful illustrated booklet on the subject of "Just Why the DeVry Takes Better Movies." It explains in detail the many and varied advantages of the DeVry. Write or mail the coupon today for your copy of this book. LIFETIME O N \ THE DE VRY CORPORATION 1111 Center Street, Dept. 000, Chicago, Illinois Please send me your new free book "Just Why the DeVry Takes Better Movies." A ame Address.. City . State.. -»<»• FILM -»»•• T re cnty-o n e MOVIE CAMERA LIFETIME CAMERA n i. in have j out film developed in nnj large cit} in the world m a few houi \l i> j "ii alv a) hni < .' negntn e w hit ii .i in ea you * lear hi il limit movies year aftci j ear and from generation togenerntion. Standard I ilm enable you t" take mo\ ie "i finei t fen ture film brilliance. Many DeVrj ownei have old film taken I", them elve to l lie new t reel weeklie . and nun1 more lia\ > experi enced the delightful sen ation ol hai ing their films shown nl their neighboi hood ie hou i . The DeVrj wi igh nun pound . is enclosed ina handt c steel case and sell foi $l50.(iii. Send for Free Book We hai ■ pre pared anew Free bi .niiiiiil illu itrnted I I I' I on tin ubjei tof'J" ' Wh; tlicDeVi I al i II, tter Mo\ it ." tti plntn in di toil ,! an) and varied ndi antnge ol the l'i -\ \\,;i, oi i". "I the i oupon todo] foi out cop) ol this I I u s I 1 I M Till. 1)1. Ml'. I 0RPOH mo |1 I, Dt| ' ' I i'i FILM ; k' i n I v : ml SIEGFRIED A LA DORE MAKING Limited Appeal Pictures PAY 'A COUPLE of years ago I had an idea that the movie busi- ness was necessarily confined to mass appeal. You might have books published for limited circula- tion ; you might have stage plays in- tended for little theatres ; but you couldn't have movies of that kind. The very cost of the movie seemed to require mass distribution and mass appeal. But I changed my mind. Siegfried changed it. Through the kindness of Mr. Wynn- Jones, I got a look at it and thought im- mediately that something ought to be done to couple this remarkable picture with our musical facilities in Rochester. Mr. Wynn-Jones granted us the first American show- ing. We tried placing it on what might be termed a road-show pre- sentation in our small affiliated house, Kilbourn Hall of the Uni- versity of Rochester, seating 500, at about three times the admission of our big Eastman Theatre. Its suc- cess was instantaneous, and we played to capacity all the week. * Presented at the recent Better Films Con- ference of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. Twenty -two By Eric T. Clarke True, we were unable to give it the big orchestration which the Wagner score required, but Mr. Wynn-Jones will agree, I think, that the show was impressive. True, we did not earn money for UFA, but still I fancy that if the fifty cities in the United States that are around our size or larger might have had similar pre- sentations a good revenue might have resulted. Well, this happening just two years ago changed my viewpoint and gave me the idea of the limited interest movie which I now feel is the most significant development in movies. Up to that time, we had received in the general block of pic- tures put out by the leading Ameri- can distributors hardly any artistic pictures of limited appeal. We had some two years before that had Nanook of the North, and played it at the Eastman Theatre in the height of the season, where it won the unenviable reputation of hold- ing the low record for all time. For a while, even after Siegfried, I felt, just as so many do, that it was up to us to play these artistic pictures even at a loss in order to maintain our rank as the leading house in Rochester. Fortunately for our finances these pictures, as I say, came rarely. The next season however started the flow of high quality pictures of limited appeal — The Last Laugh, The Beggar on Horseback, Moana, Grass, etc. What should be done with them ? We had bought these pictures and I did not want to put them on the shelf. Besides we in Rochester, through our affiliation with the University, have a little bit more than a commercial interest, and I felt that these pictures were entitled to a showing. So we laid our plans to start a series of experi- ments in Kilbourn Hall. To date we have had four and I can already draw some interesting conclusions. But first I want you to realize that my interest in developing this type of presentation in Rochester did not start from motives of high art alone. I was frankly commer- cial in my purpose, hoping that I might in Kilbourn Hall get a pos- sible profit, knowing that otherwise I should have a sure loss. This is an important point. I know only too well the feelings of the exhibitor who has a large house and who sees a Moana or a Grass coming along instead of the big box office bet he has been hoping for. The distribu- tors look to us as their steady cus- tomers to absorb these Moanas and Grasses. Most exhibitors, to tell the truth, take them with a wry face, because they must if they want the rest of the product. If they cannot afford to shelve them, they will throw them in during some off week when they figure the loss will be least, consoling themselves with the thought that they are keeping up the tone of their house. I figured that it would be so much more comfortable if I could have a special place for showing such pic- tures to select audiences. I wanted to avoid losses, and I wanted to see just how large this discriminating public might be. Now for the conclusions : from the four presentations we have had so far ; 1. Each one proved financially profitable. 2. Each one started slowly and steadily built to a capacity busi- ness in the final performances. In three of the four cases, had our Kilbourn Hall been available for an extended run, the extra performances would, I feel sure, have played to bigger business than during the runs scheduled. 3. I am quite satisfied that there is a distinct public for this class of entertainment. 4. That this public can pay better than ordinary movie prices. 5. These audiences can be attracted without feeling a depression at any of our other houses. 6. The dignity of the presentation requires a two - a - day - policy rather than a continuous run. Pictures suitable for this type of presentation are not suitable for a rotation audience. 7. It is necessary to appeal to the intelligence and the discrimina- tion of the audiences so that if the house should be nearly empty those present will congratu- late themselves upon their finer sense rather than regard the pre- sentation as a failure. These conclusions you must ad- mit give a helpful sign. The special picture for the special audience has great possibilities. Let us first survey the territory. There is at this moment a good supply of features of limited appeal character, and it is interesting to observe that so far many of them have been German in origin. Inci- dentally I should add that scenic and travel pictures appear to be particularly welcome to the special audience. All exhibitors operating houses on the big appeal basis know how easily a scenic feature can se- cure enthusiastic press comments, and at the same time a large sized financial loss. Such exhibitors have a pleasant surprise in store for them when they present these scenic fea- tures to the discriminating public. Our trouble at the moment does not lie in securing suitable features, but we are very much troubled in finding suitable short subjects; and there are features which I should like to run but cannot because I am stuck for short subjects to go with them. The point in all this is that the short subject of limited appeal usually satisfies the big pub- lic if it does not occupy too much time on the bill. Just what type of short subject insert and where to find it remains a problem facing anyone attempting at this time to complete a bill around a worthy feature of limited appeal. (Ama- teur productions may prove the solution of this need. — THE EDI- TOR.) Taking now the limited interest movie, our first aim must be, as I said before, to find out how large a special discriminating public can be gathered. In presenting such movies, we must never lose sight of the fact that they cost money to produce. Only those showings which yield a fair return to the pro- ducer commensurate with their cost can be said to help the cause of the artistic movie. Anything short of this cannot be of lasting help to the development of the art. Being an exhibitor, I don't know much about the cost of producing the artistic picture as distinct from producing the box office picture. But this I do know — that if the limited inter- est movie is to get anywhere it, like its richer brother, must be able to earn its way. Once we have definitely estab- lished the field of the limited movie, we can turn our attention to the still more limited movie and see what can be done with that. Pro- vided that some subscription basis can be arranged to overcome the {Continued on page 38) A MOOD FROM MOANA Twenty -three CINE SILHOUETTES By Walter D. Kerst ETIENNE DE SILHOUETTE was Minister of Finance in the French government in the year 1759. He tried to stem the extravagance rampant at that time and rid the government of financial embarrassment by put- ting into effect some drastic eco- nomic reforms. Among his money raising schemes he compelled the nobles to convert their plate into money. In a spirit of iron)'-, French artists reduced their portraits to line only — "to save labor and materials." These pictures came to be known as "silhouettes" — slang at first, but afterwards incorporated into the language and finally admitted to the dictionary by the French Academy. It is a far cry back to the days of Monsieur Silhouette, but his name has persisted and today we have the latest development of this fasci- nating form of entertainment — "cine-silhouettes." For indoor silhouettes, with arti- ficial light, hang a sheet across a single or double open doorway. Be sure that the sheet is pulled taut, as wrinkles will show, and you will not have a background de- void of detail. The subject or subjects are placed two feet in front of the sheet, and your light source about three feet in back of it, in the next room, the purpose be- ing to keep the background (or sheet) one even tone of white or light gray, while the side of the subject nearest the lens is in darkness. Extin- guish all lights in the room ri which the cam- . era is placed. It would be inter- esting to experi- ment with various types of lights and lighting effects. Try admit- ting a very weak light to the side of the subject nearest the lens, so as to just make the detail discerni- ble. Another way is to throw your main light source, which is in back T iv e ii t y - f o u r of the sheet, so that it just illuminates the edge of the subject. Different methods will suggeist themselves as you progress. The distance in front of the subject that the camera is to be placed will, of course, depend on whether you wish to make a large close-up, a medium shot, or a long, full figure shot. Use the widest lens opening. Try to keep your subjects in profile in as much of their ac- tion as possible. Have them tell their story by gesture and portray the various emotions by po- sition of the body. A silhouette photo play could be made with two or three characters. Have your plot action or continuity ready be- fore you start. Yon can insert close-ups, medium shots, and long shots just the same as in your usual outdoor movie. In changing from scene to scene, use a fade-in and fade-out, so that the change will not be so abrupt. For a fade-in, shut your diaphragm to the smallest opening. Then, with your hand over the lens, start your cam- era and action, gra dually re- moving your hand and slowly opening the dia- phragm as far as it will go. The fade-out is ac- complished by reversing this procedure. Keep in mind that in order to do this successfully the strength of your light will have to be such that at full lens opening you have just the right amount of light needed for the effect desired. When you start your fade-out, the light will gradually diminish on the film, as the diaphragm is closed. (Continued on page 38) PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE is the only national magazine giving a department of service to the motion picture amateur. ARE you reading PHOTOPLAY each month? In its columns you will find all sorts of help- ful hints on amateur cinematography. The big- gest stars, directors, cameramen and technicians are contributing suggestions and advice each month on make-up, direction, photography, lighting, editing and titling. You can't get the most out of your movie camera unless you read The Amateur Movie Producer department of PHOTOPLAY each month. $2,000. in Prizes for Amateur Movies PHOTOPLAY is offering four prizes of $500 to users of amateur cameras. These prizes will be awarded for the best amateur film of 36, 16 and 9mm. width. No matter how inexpensive or how costly your outfit, you have a real — and equal — chance for a prize. : T y i „ r r iyilll. DRJDP A LINE is*-. TO BASS BASS has compiled, for free distribution to sportsmen, a very in- teresting catalog of Cine- ma Apparatus. Describes the Bell &. Howell Filmo camera Ac- cessories to gladden the heart of amateur and professional. Expedi- tions equipped. Fifteen years of highly special- ized experience at your service. Address Cine Department. BASS CAMERA COMPANY 10g N. DEAKBOR.N STREET ■* CHICAGO ■■■*■ **■■+■ ■*■ .*>-...*. At. a., a. n.^fc ,f i ,t-M,^i 4- ^ *- -^-v-A-i^ -:-i ■-■■■ i ■''•■I,, - ARROW SCREENS Made in Hollywood For Movie Makers We manufacture the most beautiful line of Motion Picture Screens for the HOME. Send for illustrated price list. Dealers send for trade quotations. ARROW SCREEN COMPANY 4600 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, California The New REXO CINE EXPOSURE METER The Ideal Meter for Cine Cameras This meter is quickly set for any exposure under all conditions of light. It will pay for itself many times in the saving of film. Once tried, always used. One glance will show you the proper ex- posure to make. The Rexo Cine Meter makes each and every exposure count. Films properly ex- posed will project perfectly. Rexo Cine Exposure Meter, list each 75c. At All Dealers or Direct Upon Receipt of Price Burke 8C James, Inc., Chicago Mr. Amateur: We Are Specializing In Negative Developing and First Positive Printing 16 M.M. Contact or Re- duction Printing. Parcel Post Work Promptly Executed Tremont Film Laboratories Corp. 1942 Jerome Ave., N. Y. C. Thirty -eight A New Art Title Process Hand formed letters at less than the price of printed titles. Title Cards, negatives or positive 35c Over ten words — additional per word 02c Film Rolls, from photos, slide illustrations, etc., negative, per frame 35c positive, per foot (non-flam) 06c Enlargements — from your motion pictures negatives, glossy, matte or rough — 4" x 5" 15c 5" x 7" 20c Other sizes in proportion DEVELOPING PRINTING FINISHING Wyko Projector Corporation LABORATORY 130 West 46th Street, New York, N. Y. Telephone Bryant 2339-8074 Qet Your Cine Kodak Supplies From Us A HANDY LOCATION (41 East 41st St.) Around the corner from the Grand Central Station Mail Orders Off the Same Day PICKUP & BROWN, Inc. (41 East 41st St.) NEW YORK PHONE MURRAY HILL 0041 EDITING of your personal motion pictures is the last step in the making of an interesting picture. Have your films properly edited and titled. Prices and samples will be mailed on request. - STANLEY A. TOMPKINS Case of Kirby Incorporated 2 East 23rd Street New York City ALFRED B. HITCHINS (F.R.P.S. F.C.S. F.R.M.S. F.Ph.S.L.) Member of Society of Motion Picture Engineers Instruction. Advice and Con- sultation in All Phases of Amateur Motion Picture Work 50 Church St. (Suite 257) NEW YORK CITY A FINISHING LABORATORY where the AMATEUR receives personal, professional attention. Standard size negatives developed. We make either standard size prints or reduced prints for use in 16 M.M. projectors. Also titles of all kinds. 130 WEST 46th STREET New York City Tel. Bryant 4981 antagonistic glance toward Rae- burn, as the people on horseback rein in. All this, of course, trans- pires in a few seconds. The advent of the riders and Everidge's action place Virginia, Consuelo and Mar- lowe in a position in which they are momentarily at loss what to do. Scene 26. Exterior. A closer view of the entire group. As the group reins in, the groom hastily dismounts and holds the bridle of Raeburn's horse. Rae- burn dismounts, and as he does so, he glances antagonistically after Everidge, who exits from the scene in the direction of the clubhouse. Raeburn starts toward Marlowe. Virginia and Consuelo. Because his horse is nervous, Calviari also dismounts and tries to calm the ani- mal. Raeburn's horse should also be a fidgety beast.' Scene 27. Close view of Virginia, Marlowe and Consuelo, all of whom are still somewhat surprised by Everidge's abrupt action, as Rae- burn enters the scene. As he does so, Consuelo, who is still quite frightened by what has occurred, rushes to her father as if for pro- tection ; she embraces him. Raeburn is stern and aroused, as, address- ing Virginia and Marlowe, he says : Title. "What seems to be the trou- ble?" He finishes speaking, and although he has put the question more to Virginia than to anyone else, Mar- lowe, with a reassuring smile, which is half genuine and half forced, says: "No trouble at all, Mr. Rae- burn." Then continuing, he says : Title. "Craig and I were simply having a little argument about the game." He finishes speaking ; then con- tinuing, he says : "It wasn't any- thing serious, I assure you. How- ever, Craig's still sore. Will you excuse me while I go after him?" He looks from Raeburn, who read- ily agrees, to Virginia, who also consents. Marlowe, who is anxious to overtake Everidge, swiftly starts from the scene. Marlowe's action has given Virginia a chance to breathe, think a bit and obtain re- lief. As Consuelo, Raeburn and Virginia look after Marlowe, cut to : Scene 28. Exterior. Shooting across the links toward the clubhouse — scene to be taken from the angle that they see it from. Everidge is some distance from the camera, going toward the club- house, as Marlowe runs into the scene from the camera. As he does so, he calls Everidge's name. Ever- idge stops, looks back, and then, in an antagonistic manner, awaits the approach of Marlowe. To be continued in May. THE NEW W. B. & E. "PILOTLIGHT" LIGHT^ T>< FILMO USERS — )ON'T grope in the dark! This won- derful attachment gives a practical, convenient light on your projector "where you need it" while operating and chang- ing reels. Just pull switch and light is there. Easy to attach. Beautifully finished to match projector. Fits into case without detaching. Your money back if not per- fectly satisfied. Mailed at once with com- plete instructions. Price Complete — #5.00 WILLIAMS, BROWN & EARLE PHILADELPHIA WILLIAMS, BROWN & EARLE, INC. 918 Chestnut Street, Phila., Pa. Enclosed find Five Dollars for which send me one W. B. & E. "Pilotlight." If not entirely satisfactory I may return light and amount paid will be refunded. THE CINE MINIATURE A handy pocket'size magazine published six times a year for the improvement of cinematography among amateurs. Each issue is a complete book on its par' ticular subject. 15c per copy - 90c per year - Two years $1.60 LEONARD CORDELL 1636 No. Washtenaw Ave., Chicago, 111. ^Dealers : l£)rite for our proposition. This is a scene from LIVING NATURAL HISTORY, produced by Raymond L. Ditmars — now issued in short chapters of 16mm. film. These subjects teem with the fascina- tion of animal life. They are offered at such moderate cost as to be im- mediately available for home libraries. The producer has prepared a printed picture gallery of scenes from the reels and if you are interested in animal films a copy will be mailed upon request and with no obligation whatever. Distribution of Bell 8C Howell Company 1828 LARCHMONT AVENUE CHICAGO -:- -:- ILLINOIS Thirty- n i n e From }<^pdascope Libraries "VV 7 HEN you plan to show your ** friends the movies you have made, don't forget that some well chosen entertainment subjects from the Kodascope Libraries will add the necessary variety to your pro- gramme and give it the finished professional touch. Whether your taste be Travel, Sports, Comedy or Drama, the Lib- raries offer a splendid assortment and an ample choice. The world's greatest stars await your summons. A glance at the catalogue will impress you with the wealth of talent you can command. For your most distinguished guests; for a children's party; for the lodge or club; for the church bazaar, or for any other occasion, turn first to the KODASCOPE LIBRARIES You will find them at the following addresses: Atlanta, Ga., 183 Peachtree Street Boston, Mass., 260 Tremont Street Buffalo, N. Y., 228 Franklin Street Chicago, III., 38 South Dearborn Street Cincinnati, Ohio, 1407 Walnut Street Detroit, Michigan, 1206 Woodward Avenue Kansas City, Mo., 916 Grand Avenue Los Angeles, Cal., 3150 Wilshire Blvd. Minneapolis, Minn., 112 South Fijth Street New York, N. Y:, 3 5 West 42nd Street Philadelphia, Pa., 2114 Sansom Street Pittsburgh, Pa., Keenan Building San Antonio, Texas, 209 Alamo Plaza San Francisco, Cal., 241 Battery Street Seattle, Washington, 111 Cherry Street Toronto, Canada, 156 King Street West And in Twenty-two- Foreign Cities All Around the World EVERYTHING HOMEMADE (Continued from page 33) present a film which reflects much of his own personality. I think my first titles made with a stub pen and white ink reflected too much of my personality and gave a wrong im- pression of my sense of equilibrium. They seemed always to run up or down hill on the screen and my ef- forts at hand-lettering were not all that might be desired. Later, how- ever, being somewhat familiar with the art of printing from my early days when we all printed our own newspapers, I purchased a font of 24 point Goudy type, a case to con- tain it, an ink roller, some leads and "furniture" and a small galley. Up in the attic I found an old letter- press in good condition and by mak- ing a few additions in the way of cleats on its two approximating sur- faces I was able to place my galley holding the type always in the same position on the bed of the press, and likewise, my card-holder (a frame of tin, with three edges turned over to hold the card) could be slid properly into place in grooved ways mounted on the under side of the moving plate of the press. A sheet of heavy cardboard was inserted in the card-holder un- der the card to take up the squeeze of the impression. To take up the wabble of the moving plate as it descended to the type, I glued a square of thick sponge — rubber at each of the corners of the bed. As the moving plate came down to the type it struck the rubber bumpers first, equalized itself and then struck the type fairly and squarely. My first impression was so satisfactory that I at once abandoned whatever idea I had entertained of purchasing a regular small printing-press for this work, and set myself to work to perfect other details. I found that a friend in the card- board trade could supplv me with what they called "railroad" boards, which is a thin cardboard about the thickness of an ordinary business card, coated a dead black on both sides. At first I tried printing with white ink but this was unsatisfac- tory. Then I tried printing with regular black ink and dusting on powdered aluminum, which all paint-shops carry for painting radia- tors. When this dries, which it will in an hour at the longest, one may brush off the superfluous powder with a broad camel's-hair brush and the title is ready for the camera. By this simple method we make a title which is a sparkling silvery white on a black ground and which Forty photographs much faster than white ink. As most of my work is made with a camera of standard size, using 35 mm. film, I make my titles in the home-made apparatus (shown in Plate 3), and splice them in their proper places in the negative film before it goes to the finisher to be printed. In this way my finished film comes back to me ready for the projector in one continuous strip of film. If I wish to use any of my films in my 16 mm. projector it is a simple matter to send over my stan- dard negatives and have them re- duced on 16 mm. film. The making of my title-board gave me trouble before I got my lights arranged to give an even illumination but the use of two lamps of the tubular type of 165 watt capacity, with tubu- lar reflectors, as shown in Plate 3, solved the problem satisfactorily. After my camera was mounted and centered, I found that, in order to get the proper size of lettering for my titles, I was compelled to move the camera closer to the copy-board and, as the focusing mount of my lens was limited to two feet, it was necessary to mount the lens about an inch further from the camera. For making titles direct for my 16 mm. film, I simply print them with type on white cards, photo- graph them with my small camera on positive film, develop them on my own reel and splice them into my finished films as they come from Rochester. These give me negative titles in which the backgrounds are black with white letters. They are very satisfactory because, being in reality negative, they splice proper- ly with the reverse film. And I should like to say a word about my 35 mm. camera. I hesi- tated several days before purchasing it because I could not believe that it was entirely reliable at the price of- fered, and I was so firmly convinced in my own mind that it must be poorly equipped optically that I made arrangements for the substitu- tion of a lens of greater cost before delivery. I have great confidence in my dealer, however, and it was on his suggestion that I took the camera, as it was, on trial. Not only did I find the camera of excellent design and workmanship but im- mensely convenient with its three finders, one of which permit a direct view of the image on the film itself, a boon in title making and close-up work, such as I am compelled to do. As for the lens, it is all that I could wish ; I shall not change it. C. LAZELL NORTHROP PRESS. N. Y. Cine-Kodak, Model B .FORTY years ago, photography was a complicated process. Then came the Kodak and Eastman Film. Straightway, picture-making was simplified to the last degree, and brought within the reach of all. And, just as the Kodak evolved the making of snapshots and "stills" into the mere pressing of a button, so has the Cine-Kodak brought Kodak simplicity into the home movie, and brought it within the reach and ken of everyone. Movie taking, too, has resolved itself into the mere pressing of a button. Into every Cine-Kodak are built the experience and knowledge gained through forty years of successful ser- vice to the amateur picture-maker; and Cine-Kodak bears witness to the wisdom and ideals of its makers. Every demand of the amateur movie- maker is fulfilled; all that he can hope lor in a home movie camera is expressed in the Cine-Kodak — yet the utmost in simplicity prevails. Simplicity, durability, efficiency, dependability — these are the essen- tials of the practical home movie camera. Cine-Kodak combines them all, with an added economy of oper- ation that will surprise you. You press the button; we do the rest. Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., The Kodak Cil\ Monies of your golf, for instance! ■ {J? y M /— <--■- r i A Guide to Real Movies of Your Own — from 20 years' experience! THIS offers a book about having your own movies. Probably the most authoritative there is. For it was prepared by Bell & Howell — who, for 20 years, have made practically all the professional movie cameras used by the world's great producers. It tells of the unusual aids, for tak- ing real movies, found only in Filmo Personal Movie Equipment — made by Bell & Howell. And how 20 years spent perfecting professional movie equipment, proved these features necessary! You learn why 16 m/m film is best for amateur use, as well as most eco- nomical. Why the famous Filmo spy- glass viewfinder insures best possible pictures most easily. How you may, if you wish, be equipped to take s-l-o-w motion pictures; get close-ups of distant action; be sure of clear No special skill needed Camera provides it sharp pictures even in unfavorable light conditions. How Filmo equip- ment, only, enables you to employ sub-titles, fade-ins, fade-outs. How the Filmo Library of interesting films multiplies home enjoyment of your Filmo equipment. Unusual features of Filmo Auto- matic Projector, too, are described; its perfect adaptability and simplic- ity in showing your pictures at home. A sensational new development is coming — for all Filmo owners. Music and movies combined! Let us put your name on our mailing list for all new announce- ments. Mail the coupon for the in- teresting Filmo book described here. Also mark coupon for description of the Bell & Howell EYEMO Camera if you prefer to use Stand- ard (35 m/m) film. BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Ave., CHICAGO Neu> York, Hollywood, London Established 1907 FREE BOOK | /%,.,.. FREE: New Information BELL &. HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, 111. Please send your Tilrco book,"What You See, You Get." D Send circular describing EYEMO Camera using stand- ard film. Name Address . City -State- MOVIEMAKERS IT! MAY 1927 If 1 PRICE irf V m ■Rf&i TRAVEL NUMBER WUKfif I he Original Automatic Movie Camera for the Amateur BELL & HOWELL FILMO is priced highest because of its extra features, its beauty and precision in design- ing, the high quality of its materials. The lens, for example, is a Taylor-Hobson Cooke 25 mm. F. 3.5 aperture. No lower priced camera affords a lens of such high quality. Filmo is the original automatic amateur movie camera. It gives you professional accuracy — but with strictly amateur ease. Write for descriptive booklet, "What You See You Get." EXCLUSIVE 1. The spy-glass viewfinder. Eliminates necessity for using more than one viewfinder. Ex- cludes all light except from ob- ject to be photographed. Makes iris dialing possible with camera in operation. Iris diaphragm dial figures are visible in finder. 2. The only camera in which 12 different lenses for special pur- poses may be interchanged with regular lens. FILMO FEATURES 3. A superior quality imported lens furnished as regular equip- ment. 4- The only design of camera in which you can get special auto- matic mechanism for taking s-l-o-w motion pictures. 5. The simplest cameratooperate. 6. Distinctive. Ornamental. In keeping with the finest things you possess. *(A\ jp BELL & HOWELL AUTOMATIC PROJECTOR Shows your movies without flicker and with theatre clarity and brilliance. Runs forward, backward (for novelty ef- fects) or stops on any single picture. Regular 2" lens inter- changeable with 6 others regularly stocked, for varying picture size to any requirement. This is the Projector used by many leading industrial firms for showing their own films promoting Sales or institutional Good Will. Described in free booklet, "What You See You Get." Write for it- <-> '-> '-> See Center Spread \this issue} for information on using either 16 mm. film or professional standard {15 mm.) film. Bell & Howell Co. 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois New York ' Hollywood ' London (B, & H. Co., Ltd.) < Established igoj or the AMATEUR MOVIE-MAKER Appliances, travelogues, books, etc. particularly applicable to the needs of Amateur Movie Makers everywhere. The REAL NEW YORK in 4 REELS Interesting motion picture views all around New York, from the harbor to the Bronx — "East Side, West Side, all around the town." A wonderful addition to your movie library. Each reel, 100 ft. long, on 16 mm. safety film. For Filmo or Kodascope Projectors. $7.00 each reel Four reels, complete set, ^jL ( THE NU- TIRAN PANORAM and TILTING TOP For Use With Cine Kodaks and Filmo Cameras Can Be Locked At Any Angle. Quick release on handle when necessary to shift position or to swing camera around quickly. $12-0° ELIMINATE WASTE FOOTAGE Make Sure of Your Exposure with the CINOPHOT Patented by Dr. Emil Mayer A handy little meter that saves many feet of spoiled film and is scientifi- cally exact under all light conditions. Gives correct diaphragm settings for sun and twilight, outdoors, studio, natural or artificial light. Adjustable for individual vision. Al- ways ready for instant use. Price, in fine sole leather case, ^l.Z* The HOME MOVIE SCENARIO BOOK Written by experienced Scenario Writers One of the handiest, most useful little books the ama- teur movie maker can pos- sess. Contains 20 complete scenarios, with instructions for producing in your own neighborhood, di- recting notes, hints on necessary "props," etc. Also, tells you all about Directing, Acting. Make-Up, Sets and Lighting, Editing and Titling, with a special glossary of movie terms. Price $2-50 We carry in stock DuPont 16 mm Negative Film. U/IUWIGHByS ▼▼110 West 32n-dSt.. Opp.Gimbels •* One Dallmeyer Tele- photo Lenses are made in four focal lengths. Acts Like A Telescope! One of these Dallmeyer Telephoto lenses will enable you to make "close ups" of distant objects. Interchange- able with the regular lens on a Filmo, Eyemo or DeVry. Also the Dallmeyer "ULTRA SPEED" (f-1.9) Send for illustrated Catalog. We carry new Du Pont Daylight Loading Negative Film in stock. — Now I Ask You — What Is a Color Filter? It is a mounted disc of tinted glass which fits over your regular lens, to compensate for the varying sensativeness of the film to dif- ferent colors. H. & H. filters are made of optically flat glass. Why Should I Use One? The filter will eliminate distant haze in landscape work; it pre- serves the true values of various colors; it gives beautiful tone contrasts; it produces lovely cloud effects. Where Can I Get It? It is important that you have the right filter to suit your lens and your requirements. H. & H. Ser- vice assures the correct selection, and gives you intelligent advice as to the best use of your equip- ment. Every Motion Picture Need, PLUS Service In Its Use HERBERT & HUESGEN CO. 18 East 42nd Street, New York Wayne Albee is one of the out- standing artists in American pJw- tography. His " Lenstudies" will appear frequently in Amateur Movie Makers. He is associated with the McBride Studios of Se- attle, Washington. Agnes Applesauce is the cynical nom dc guerre of a maiden lady of certain age and of time proven impeccability whose plaintive wail for the heroes of a vanished screen era will touch a responsive chord in the tender hearts of many amateurs. Maitland Belknap is an artist and architect of New York City, whose etchings have graced many books and magazines. Henry S. Bennett is Director General of La Cubana Compania Nacional de Seguros of Havana, Cuba. He is a director of the Havana Chamber of Commerce, and one of the most enthusiastic of the many amateur movie mak- ers of Cuba. Alice Fleming is a well known ac- tress and her intimate knowledge of makeup for the stage and mo- tion pictures will be brought to readers of Amateur Movie Makers through a series of spe- cial articles, based on her authori- tative book, just off the press, "How To Make Up" Charlotte Potter Geer is presi- dent of the Montclair Women's Club and as "The Dialist," radio reviewer of the Newark Evening News is widely known. Ruth Hamilton Kerr is a fre- quent contributor to national mag- azines, having served literary ap- prenticeship as editorial assistant of several famous authors. R. Fawn Mitchell conducts the Personal Service Department of the Bell & Hozvell Company and is an expert on all phases of ama- teur cinematography. Jorge Palomino is a gifted young artist from Mexico City who is studying in New York City with Claude Bragdon. His brilliant cov- ers will frequently lend smartness to the format of Amateur Movie Makers. Stephen L. Sturz served as a ser- geant in the photographic division of the Aviation Corps, United States Army, in France during the World War, under the com- mand of Captain Stevens, world famed aerial photographer. He is now connected with the motion picture department of Charles Willoughby, Inc., New York. Don Carlos Lopez de Tejeda is a staff artist of Amateur Movie Makers, and sends his contribu- tion to the May Number from Chichen Itsa in Yucatan where he was called by the Carnegie Insti- tute of Technology Expedition to record with his pen the wonders of Mayan archaeological remains, which these scientists are explor- ing. Gardner Wells is staff photogra- pher of James Boring's Travel Service, Inc., New York, and has made six Mediterranean cruises in the last four years. He is au- thor of "East of Gibraltar." Harold H. Yost 'is the Mainland Representative of the Hawaii Tourist Bureau, San Francisco. Other Contributors who have previously been announced in this column includes Mina Brown- stein, Jane Budden, Anthony Paul Kelly, Walter Kerst and Dr. Kincma. J\(pw a lnJord to Our V\[elv leaders •J YOU will share the fas- cinating experiences and re- ceive the expert help of these contributors and many others regularly by becom- ing a member of the Ama- teur Cinema League or by subscribing to Amateur Movie Makers. ~ ~ See Tage tyorty fyor cApplication ^lank Two M 07 (928 ©C1B764336- m AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS Official Publication of Amateur Cinema League inc. ^SgelySgAsC^S^' Volume II MAY, 1927 Xumber 5 PAGE Cover Design Jorge Palomino Contributors 2 Editorials 5 Old Roman Tower in Southern France, An Etching Maitland Belknap 6 Filming With Flaherty Mina Brownstein 7 An Interview With the Famous Amateur Who Made "Nanooh" and "Moana." Poker Faces Needn't Worry Jane Sudden 9 El Castillo, A Drawing Don Carlos Lopes de Tejeda 10 Cine Education for Educators 11 The Camera's Eye in Cuba Henry S. Bennett 12 Now It Can Be Told Charlotte Potter Geer 14 What Happened When Montclair Made Its Own Movies. Dangerous Ground, A Scenario for Amateurs Anthony Paul Kelly 15 Color Section for May, Sea Sprite, A Lenstudy Wayne Albcc 17 Reeling the Rockies Walter D. Kerst 18 Mediterranean Movies Gardner Wells 20 A Plea for Old Wine in New Bottles Agnes Applesauce 21 Reeling Hawaii's Royal Sport Harold H. Yost 22 Elderly Character Makeups Alice Fleming 26 Movie Makers' Paradise Ruth Hamilton Kerr 27 With Carveth Wells, Explorer, in the Land of the Lapps and the Lemmings. Amateur Telephotography R. Fawn Mitchell 29 Perils of Panoraming Dr. Kinema 32 Clinic Edited by Dr. Kinema 34 Closeups and Swaps 36 Critical Focusing, Reviews to Aid the Amateur 45 Trick Pictures Stephen L. Stura 48 AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC. DIRECTORS President Vice-President Treasuter HIRAM PERCY MAXIM Hartford, Conn. EARLE C. ANTHONY President of the National Association of Broadcasters ROY D. CHAPIN Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hudson Motor Company STEPHEN F. VOORHEES Architect, of New York City W. E. COTTER 30 E. 42nd St., New York City C. R. DOOLEY Manager of Personnel and Training, Standard Oil Co. of N. J. A. A. HEBERT 1711 Park Street, Hartford. Conn. LEE F. HANMER Director of Recreation, Russell Sage Foundation FLOYD L. VANDERPOEL Scientist, of Litchfield, Conn. Managing Director ROY W. WINTON, 105 W. 40th Street, New York City AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is published monthly in New York City by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. Subscription Rate S3. 00 a year, postpaid; to members of the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. $2.00 a year, postpaid; single copies, 25c. On sale at newsstands and photographic dealers- everywhere in the United States. Copyright, 1927, by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. '"Title registered at United States Patent Office. Advertising rates on application. Forms close on i5th of preceding month. Editorial and Publication Office; 105 West 40th Street, New York City. JOHN BEARDSLEE CARRIGAN, Editor V FILMS FOR SALE Build up a Library of your own {Check those desired) ] The Adventurer, featuring Charlie Chaplin $7.50 □ Felix Cartoon — The Cat in Hol- lywood 7.50 □ Mother Goose Land — An Out of the Ink Well Cartoon. ... 7.50 □ One Week of Love — featuring Elaine Hammerstein 7.50 □ Beau Brummel — featuring John Barrymore 7.50 □ Bobby Jones, National Golf Champion, demonstrates cor- rect use of driver and mid- iron 7.50 □ Pools and Cascades of Yellow- stone National Park 7.00 □ Getting Gay with Neptune Bathing Girls 7.50 □ Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" — A Treat for Music Lovers. 10.00 □ "Parade of the Wooden Sol- diers"— From Jessel's stirring march 10.00 □ Golf Pro — "Lighthorse" Harry Cooper's normal and slow motion pictures on the Driv- er, Brassie and Putter, each 9-00 (Ten others to follow) □ California Alligator Farm 6.50 □ Trapping Big Tuna Fish 6.50 □ Catching Big Fish in Pacific Waters 6.50 □ Whaling in the South Pacific. . 6.50 □ Grand Canyon, Yellowstone Park 7.00 □ Geysers of the Yellowstone. . . . 7.00 Because of expected demand, or- ders will of necessity be filled in accordance with their receipt. Send yours NOW. We stock a complete line of Bell & Howell and Eastman cameras , projectors and accessories. United Projector & Film Corporation 228 Franklin St. Buffalo, N. Y. 1111-12 KeenanBldg. Pittsburgh, Pa. JcemarioBook ny Morrie Ryrkind,C.F.Jteven.r «z«/ Jamez Englander* TWENTY NEW PLOTS FOR THE AMATEUR PRODUCER WHAT TO DO WITH CHAPERONES THE GOLF WIDOW BUDGET, BUDGET, WHO'S GOT THE BUDGET? A MODERN JOHN ALDEN BE YOUR AGE AND THEN THEY PLAYED BRIDGE and fourteen other brief, amiable and workable scenarios — em- bracing every variety of plot, involving simple home settings, and including roles for every member of the family. The Home Movie Scenario Book is also an intelligent, helpful and comprehensive handbook on every phase of amateur photo- play production. The Home Movie Scenario Book $2.50 At all dealers and bookstores, or from RICHARD MANSON, Publisher 535 Fifth Avenue New York City Four THIS IS THE SEASON of travel tickets and passports. The best ticket to happiness and the most valid passport to ad- venture is a membership card in the Amateur Cinema League. With League membership cards in their pockets we can guarantee that cine- matic travelers will be thrown out of a greater number of places marked "No photographs permit- ted" than they could possibly be thrown out of if they did not have them. This sentence is rugged but explicit. A prudent traveler pro- vides in advance for his sudden exits. Here is the ideal means. WHO SAID THAT movie- making is not gaining ground ? We, personally, were ten minutes late to the office this morning be- cause we stopped at Bryant Park to watch an early robin arriving with his spring luggage including an amateur camera. As we passed on he was getting a closeup of a well-known Library pigeon. The pigeon gave every evidence of be- ing flattered by the attention shown to him. CONCLUSION of the report of the League's Department of Atavistic Research on the Origin of the Film Hound: "The origin of the specimen submitted for analysis is not susceptible of direct tracing. These tentative conclusions are more in the nature of hypo- theses than of historiographical pronouncements. They are in conformity with the best mod- ern practice which can classify everything from barratry to bassoon playing as proceeding either from an instinct or a com- plex— generally suppressed. "Without becoming involved in the case histories and graphs which are to be found in the ap- pendix of this report, we assert that the complex which distin- guishes the film hound from the saxaphone spaniel or the radio rodent is a bifurcation or off- shoot from the nomadic in- stinct." We guess he means that movie- makers are great travelers. PRACTICE SENTENCE for cinematographic typists: "Pack My Box with Five Dozen Movie Films." IT HAS an unhappy ending so it must be art," said a critic recently about a new photoplay. We always suspected that Shake- speare's "All's Well That Ends well" belonged in the custard pie group and that if he had not pro- duced so unhappy a holocaust in Hamlet he would have been one of the Congreve-Wycherly also-rans. TIME TO TRAVEL ALTHOUGH OUR CLOCK on this page stands at ten past three we are reliably informed that "there is honey still for tea" which reminds us that a reel or two of telephotic closeups of a philanthropic bee serving the great purpose of flower love would pro- vide that discreet measure of sex appeal to which amateur films and photoplays may safely aspire. UNLIMITED MOTION dramatically applied" is the concise definition supplied by a League member to state the funda- mental essential required to make the photoplay a new art form. By this he means that action in the photoplay is independent of a proscenium arch, independent of time, of space, of gravity, of mus- cular limitations and that it can follow the imagination without hindrance. If this action is ap- plied in harmony with dramatic instinct a new art form is brought into existence. ECSTATIC COMMENT of a recently acquired member of the League: "Before I obtained my member- ship card I was a still photo- grapher. I am still a photographer although I am no longer a still photographer. In fact. I cannot keep still any longer but must tell the world that, by means of my membership card, I have been in- troduced to the most engaging form of sport I have ever known. I sold my great-grandfather's gold watch to buy a camera. I resigned from five clubs in order to equip myself with accessories. I have established a foundation — from the profits of my sausage business ■ — which provides me a steady in- come to buy films. My wife has not spoken to me for three weeks. My children have asked that a guardian be appointed to adminis- ter my estate. I have broken with all of my former habits and asso- ciates. But I count these sacrifices as nothing compared to the won- derful fellowship that I have won, through my membership card, with my fellow nuts." BY PRODUCING a paradoxical purposelessness the punch of this page is pointed prominently to one idea — and we might as well stop trying to be clever about it any longer, because we really have a single track mind. Send Us That Membership Today Five. FILMING with FLAHERTY From Arctic to Antipodes With The Famous Amateur Who Made -'Nanook" and "Moana. By Mina Brownstein OSSESSING imagination only rarely, the po- licemen who m an New York's bridges probably cannot understand why a certain seem- ingly aimless gentleman with a box-like contrap- tion strapped over his shoulder should meander so frequently from Manhattan to Brooklyn or Queens, at strange hours of the day. Fare, they consider, is only five cents, and the gentleman looks pros- perous. And were you to ask these same policemen how the city looks at six in the morning through a mist, they would, no doubt, think you also a "nut." But ask this man,- Robert J. Flaherty, director of "Nanook of the North" and "Moana of the South Seas," and you would learn that he feels there is a vital spirit breathing from these great piers of steel and stone, a breath which he is seeking to pre- serve forever with his motion picture camera. For this unique producer, himself an amateur in the best sense of the term, who has heretofore wan- dered to the far corners of the earth to record with eye of truth and beauty the lives of strange peoples, is now en- gaged in attempt- rng a "camera poem" of New York City, which is to be a sort of architectural lyric where people will be used only incidentally, as part of the background. It is to be short, only a few hundred feet, and is to have as its object the imprisoning of the metropolis spirit as it really ex- ists, in silhouettes of buildings against the sky, in the sweeping span of bridges, the flurry of pressing crowds and the crazy reeling of lights in the subway. Robert Flaherty, mining engineer by profession, and moving picture experimentalist by inclination, has. in the last ten years, attained an en- viable position as one of the freshest directing personalities in the moving picture field. His training as an en- gineer did not touch on the intrica- cies of experimental photography. And now that he is equipped as a directing and filming expert, it is be- cause an amateur has become pro- fessional through personal experi- ence. He proves in actuality what moving picture enthusiasts. Ralph Block on one end, and Gilbert Seldes on the other, have claimed in theory ; that originality and strength, artistry and sincerity will most surely come into moving pictures through the work of amateurs, who are disinter- ested commercially, and who feel the same sense of intimacy with their FLAHERTY PLUS PANCHROMATIC FILM EQUALS SAMOA cameras that painters feel with their tubes and brushes. When, without trick advertising or publicity agents, Robert Flaherty released "Nanook of the North," to an indifferent public, many felt a signal had been given, a wedge in- serted into com^entional production. Cool as most critics were about the box-office merits of the film, there was almost no one whose opinion mattered a continental who did not drink in its simplicity, its sheer pho- tographic effects and its delicacy of interpretation, with joy. The filming of "Nanook" was al- most an accident. It was not until his third exploration trip into the North in 1913 that Mr. Flaherty packed in his kit the necessary ap- paratus for making a motion picture of the life of the Eskimo. For a year and a half he lived among them as an engineer and explorer and his admiration of their life, their games, their struggles, grew on him slowlv. He was immersed in enthusiasm. He knew they made fine film stuff. Then, after many months of hard work, his precious film was drowned while crossing a rotten ice stream within twelve miles of the journey's end. Undaunted, he made new plans immediately for retaking the picture. His next trip to the North, made especially to take the film, was completely suc- cessful. He did away with episodic filming; he built his first camera entity. As a critic of present moving pictures Mr. Fla- herty has refresh- ingly clear prem- ises from which he draws his com- ment. Unlike most critics he is not at all at sea about the several ideal uses he would make of the cam- era, a fact which is probably responsi- ble for the unadul- terated filming he has done till now. "I do not be- lieve in synthetic filming," he states concisely, by which he means such films a s "Metropolis," " Variety", "Caligari." "I do not think that patching and retouching to secure film effects is the wisest or most sensitive use of the camera. To say that life is not like the nightmares and distortions which the Germans have brought to us is not to get my point exactly. To say that these last named pictures Seven are not superior is also fallacious. The public in the United States has become so accus- tomed to conven- tional film patterns that in my estima- tion the purest camera effects must be gotten among settings and peoples entire- ly different from our own. The sub- ject matter there is s u f f iciently strange to be im- pressive and new, even if the camera is handled purely and simply." Ethnological uses are what Mr. Flaherty suggests. On the surface this is a statement which sounds as interesting as a post-graduate course for high school spinsters. Yet the charm and beauty of the first results of his theory, "Moana" and "Nanook" belie their formal label. There is about him and his work an unconscious "feel" for the camera which brings glory to the simplest of subjects. He believes "that there is a grace and dignity, a culture and refine- ment in many peoples, now being hounded out of existence by indus- trialism and science, that only the camera can capture and interpret. Certain types in Mexico, Labrador, South America and Asia, are being degenerated by the white man's liquor and cotton underwear. These peoples are, in their natural living and unconscious culture, sometimes more complete esthetes than we, in our smelly automobiles and airless tenements can ever be. A PORTRAIT OF MOANA ACTION IN THE SOUTH SEAS "I propose to go, sometime soon, with as much sympathy as I possess to present these people through the camera from their own point of view. Pedagogues who speak about the educational effects of moving pictures should be made to remem- ber the stupidity of films where all Chinese are villians, all Americans heroes, all Mexicans thieves, and all Negroes cowards." Mr. Flaherty also joins with those who believe an intelligent use of moving pictures will promote world peace. And to prove his point he recalled an incident which reveals this power, although, paradoxically in this instance, it was used in be- half of war. The French, desiring to mobilize Moroccan troops, found that certain tribes with traditional enemities would not serve together. Some keen mind then conceived the plan of showing the opposing tribes motion pictures of their supposed enemies in their every day life. Al- though averse at first to even watch- ing the pictures, and although cries of alarm met the first scenes of their foes projected on the screen, the out- come of this film demonstration was the destruction of the fancied bar- riers between the tribes, and they consented to serve together. It was in "Moana of the South Seas" that he did his most unham- pered work. He did not approach the theme of life in the tropics with the ignorant attitude which most Westerners adopt at the mention of a grass skirt, and therefore, he suc- ceeded in truly representing "the finest remnants of the Polynesian race, in all its mild gentility and aris- tocratic living." Samoa, the haven of Robert Louis Stevenson, Gau- guin and Fred- erick O'Brien, meant to him a place which, by its very geographical position, must yield him grace and romance, quite apart from any- thing he had ever read or seen be- fore. Since he considers the cam- era as a super-eye, superior to paint- ing and literature in its detection of significant detail, he was not disap- pointed. Frances Hubbard Flaher- ty, his wife, and their three chil- dren lived for two years among the Samoans on the island of Savai'i, in the village of Safune. She, too, was an amateur, yet her work became fine enough to be invaluable. A lava cave sacred to the natives and un- touched by them, furnished the nec- essary icy water and blackness for developing the films. Nature gave them a setting of luxurious green and riotous color, the like of which could be found in no Hollywood studio. He needed only to move his natives like gentle chess figures on this idyllic background to secure the effects which have made Moana im- mortal. And its acclaim "s heard, not only in the United States, but in the whole of England, France and Ger- (Continued on page 44) SAMOAN SUNSHINE Eight POKER FACES Needn't Worry NO ONE," expounded my brother at the luncheon- table, "can foresee the in- calculable value that these home- movies are destined to have in fu- ture years. Think what they will mean to our great-grandchildren ; who will be able, at will, to bring back the days that we, their for- bears, are now living in ! They will have but to darken the room, press a button, and there we are before them to the life, looking as we really looked, and acting as we really acted!" Acting as we really acted! I have pondered those words. Some years ago I saw a motion picture, one scene of which must have made a very deep impression, because I distinctly remember its every detail. It represented a young- bride washing dishes. The dramatic purpose of the scene was to show that this young wife was domesti- cally inclined, which quality would be demonstrated in her handling of the dishwashing. This is how she handled it. First she turned on the hot water faucet and made her rosebud mouth into an adorable round O of surprise delight when hot water gushed forth. What did she expect to come out — waffles? Providing" that she got her hot water in the way the rest of us get ours, there was nothing but hot water to expect from that faucet. Then she took up the dishmop. Before sousing it in the water, she held it up, contem- plating it with lively pleasure. One would have supposed it was her fa- vorite Madonna. When it came time to wipe the dishes, instead of drearily hauling down a towel from the rack without even looking at it, she took one reverently in her hands and pressed it to her heart. Her heaving bosom was testimony of the turmoil that was going on in her lit- tle insides. "That girl is a congeni- tal idiot !" I said to myself. Well, if she was, then so am I ! I arrived at that painful conclusion by the following route. At the time of the great solar eclipse of January 24, 1925, I made a trip to H to see the spectacle in its totality. I stayed at my brother's house. He had just ac- quired a home-movie outfit and it was at this time that he made the remarks with which this article By Jane Budden opens. There was another guest in the house : a Calif ornian who also had travelled to H to see the eclipse, a practical stranger to my brother, with whom he had had a brief correspondence, and a total stranger to me. After lunch my brother, with the forward look to posterity which has ever marked his home-movie activities, proposed to "shoot" me, my being a close rela- tive and therefore of interest to his great-grandchildren. He politely asked the Calif ornian to be in the picture. The former, who always does a bit of stage-managing before he "shoots," directed that the three of us, my sister-in-law, the Cali- fornian and myself, step out of the front door and walk towards the camera, engaging each other in easy conversation. Simple enough. Yet on the opening click of the func- tioning camera I went light-headed. Words, words, words poured from mouth, nose and ears and fell full on the exposed Californian, com- pletely snowing him under. He had travelled to H to see the total eclipse, never dreaming that he was to be one himself. The drop-ear- rings which I happened to be wear- ing were gauge and measure, as in- deed they were victims also, of what must have seemed to them a power- ful seismic disturbance. Alas, their's the fate so often meted out to the innocent bystander ! The physical strain, combined no doubt with the nervous shock, seemed to have been too much for them. They disinte- grated a few days later. When it came to pass that I saw that strip of film screened, I com- forted myself with the reflection that if this experience but held the lesson for me of how not to behave in the movies, its awfulness would be largely compensated for. A series of appearances before the camera marked mv next visit a few months later. I found my brother as solicitous as before of posterity's claim. He was for hav- ing more pictures of the Lateral Branch. So, as a starter, I was to appear at the far end of the gar- den ; I was then to make my way slowly, easily, towards the camera, turning in at the front door, after having waved an airy hand to an imaginary neighbor across the way (an intimate, casual touch, that ! My brother is full of 'em ) . This time, at the first click of that dreadful little box, I experienced — how shall I explain it? — a psychic something. My head was borne aloft, so that the ground looked very far beneath. As my neck, shoulders and torso had followed in orderly succession, the miracle could only be explained by the assumption that my legs had lengthened out. Yes, this was un- doubtedly the case, as I found my- self involuntarily establishing a seven-league stride. I did not ap- prove of this lengthened stride, no- ble though it was, but I couldn't help myself. Though disturbing, it was not paralyzing" and I was able to finish the trip to the front door. If my brother had noticed any- thing wrong about my legs, he was too tactful to say so, but it was not lost on me that at the next "shoot- ing" he proposed to bear me com- pany, the implication being that if my legs started to lengthen out again, he would be on hand to frown them down. So, turning the camera over to his son, he briefly plotted a scenario, the nub of which was that the two of us should turn our backs on the camera, walk arm in arm away for a distance of about forty feet, turn and walk back into the very teeth of the recorder. This would give posterity a good idea of my back and side elevation. So clean-cut and definite the boundaries of this layout, it did seem as if noth- ing could go amiss, and yet, though I had not the least intention of do- ing anything of the kind, though I had not the slightest premonition that I was going to do anything of the kind, god-forgive-me, I turned cute! (This, I believe, is not an isolated case. I believe anybody under ninety, under the spell of that demoniac clicking", is liable to go sprightly. ) I had been wearing a hat through these two exposures. My impre- sario now thought the unborn gen- erations ought to see me hatless. His masterly command of the technique of the short, trenchant scenario is now to be shown at its highest development. I am to move about, lightly touching this object — and then — that! From here the plot will move swiftly, irresistibly to the inevitable denouement, which is — that I take oft my hat ! I am to be Nine given the signal when. It is given ! I lift my hands and — O dam ! The usual thing has happened. One of the shoulder-straps which holds up an important undie has drooped drearily over my left upper arm, re- stricting its freedom. My usual procedure on these occasions is to thrust my hand in under my dress at the neck-edge, go fishing for the strap and haul it back into position. Hundreds of times have I per- formed this simple act of salvage — ■ sometimes, it has so happened, in front of a mirror, and my recollec- tion of my facial expression is that it was usually negative. But let me tell you, that when I'm working for the movies, my expression is never negative ! So, on this occasion, the camera registered the happy rescue of the shoulder-strap, but — at what cost to my unfortunate features ! The screen reveals a mouth that works this way and that ; a tongue able and willing to co-operate; eyes that get the idea and go ahead on their own. Thank heaven for a nose and a pair of ears that are more or less static ! — else I should certainly have seized this golden op- portunity to have arranged a pro- gramme for them also. O little bride, who looked on the hot water faucet and became round- mouthed with wonder and delight ! (Can / be trusted not to turn cute ?) O radiant little bride who emotion- alized before the dish-mop! (Is a drooping shoulder-strap then so stimulating?) O little bride, little bride ! the hollow, hollow sham of mooning so over the crash towel ! But comfort yourself, little gingham bride. Nothing that you have ever done was a ranker sham than that which I put over the next time I ap- peared in the movies ! You shall hear the story, little bride. It will seem incredible, but it is true, never- theless. A young female relative from a Western ranch came on a visit to my brother's and was prevailed on to don a cowboy belt studded with pis- tols and things and do a Charles- ton— for posterity, of course. The rest of the household, including my- self, were to stand by and be the gallery. Impossible to sin in such a setting was my comfortable thought. The stark fact of the Charleston would alone wet-blanket any hysteria on my part, because it so happens that I loathe the Charles- ton. The gloom with which my per- sonality is unhappily tinged deep- ens into melancholia whenever I am forced to look on that particular leg- work being fought out. I have been told that the Charleston is going out. It is well. Probably then, this slight neurosis of mine will not be- come pathological in degree. Such being the case, the screened film nat- urally shows my figure well up in the foreground, ecstatically sway- ing to the enchanting rhythm of that stimulating dance. You can see my pulse pounding away at 119. Every little nerve in my body is sitting up on end and is aglow with rapture ! My whole blood supply is cascading through my arteries, shrieking, "Yes, sir, she's my baby !" Wow ! Bars down ! Ethiopian ec- stasy ! Boil my blood ! — Liar ! ! ! This, little bride, is the story, and now, can you beat it? * * •¥ Since these pictures were made for posterity, it will be interesting to see what posterity thinks of them. It is conceivable that my nephew, who was called on occasionally to shoot some of the scenes, should, fifty years hence, which takes us well into the undraped Seventies, be the grandsire of a flapper of sev- enteen. Let us imagine him on her seventeenth birthday bringing out the family pictures for her delecta- tion. She isn't very keen about it. She would much rather be out with the girls at her favorite night-haunt. Still, something is due the old gen- tleman, especially since the lovely loin - cloth (a French model) wrapped so rakishly round her mid- dle, was his birthday offering. One must be decent, you know. Let's humor the old drake. The first picture happens to be the one in which the long-deceased founder of the picture gallery is shown with his sister turning backs to the camera, walking away, turn- ing and coming back. "The man," exults dear old grand- pop, rubbing his hands, for he is now completely in his element, "is my revered sire — your great-grand- father ; and the woman is his sister, my Aunt Tane — your great-grand- aunt." "Cuckoo!" says Seventeen, enig- matically. "This film" — slowly and impres- sively— "was produced especially that you, my child, you, the last sprout put forth by the old Family Tree, should be made aware of how my Aunt Jane looked backview." "Why?" "I have just told you why." "Yes, but why!" Suddenly Seventeen sits up. "Dim my head-lights if great-grand- auntie — good skirt ! — isn't turning out opulently cute!" (Continued on page 40) a£B9 t Wfc caws "]eJeo<^. EL CASTILLO A Drawing Of The Ruins Of The Great Temple Of The Mayas At Chichen Itsa, Yucatan, Made Especially For Amateur Movie Makers By Don Carlos Lopes de Tejeda Who Is How Recording The Beauties Of These Monuments For The Carnegie Institute Expedition. Ten CINE EDUCATION For Educators The Story Of The De Vry Summer School of Visual Education THE DeVry Summer School of Visual Education, the third annual term of which will he held in Chicago from June 27th to July 1st, is a logical development of the visual education movement. H. A. DE VRY Portable motion picture projectors and educational films could not, of themselves, make visual education a real contribution to American school craft. The personal equation here, as everywhere, must dominate the situation. And the personal equation in this case meant a trained personal equation — no other type could se- cure reognition in modern pedagog- ical circles. Normal schools and teachers' colleges were training teachers in every other psychologi- cal phase, but it seemed the motion picture was too new for them to tinker with. H. A. DeVry, head of The DeVry Corporation, had been working for years to get visual education meth- ods generally adopted in American schools. He had perfected a portable motion picture projector and stere- opticon and organized a supply of educational films. Then he waited for educational authorities to get busy, at their end of the job. but only a few universities began to of- fer short courses in visual educa- tion. The rest of the teaching body remained untouched. Just at that time A. P. Hollis joined the DeVry organization to conduct slide and film investigations. He came direct from the schools and had trained teachers for years in normal school methods, and more re- cently had applied these methods to visual education in a college course for teachers. He had also assisted Professor Freeman at the University of Chicago in the film experiments conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, and while with the DeVry Corporation completed for the Cen- tury Company the latest and most comprehensive book on visual educa- tion, "Motion Pictures For Instruc- tion." It was in 1925 that Air. DeVry authorized him to organize a visual education shool or institute, with a staff of prominent educators to as- sist him, and insisted that no tuition be charged, the DeVry Corporation underwriting the total expense. It was also stipulated that the school was not to be merely an adjunct of the DeVry factory. It was not to magnify DeVry equipment and dis- parage other equipment. It was to attempt to cover the whole field of visual aids and to introduce trained methods in handling them to all who would come. The first year, among others, Dudley Grant Hays, F. D. McClus- key, Nelson L. Greene, Marie Goodenough. Amelia Meissner, George J. Zehrung, F. S. Wythe — all prominent workers in the visual education field, composed the staff of instruction. About thirty-five students gathered, mostly teachers and ministers. The second year (1926) more than twice as many came, and the third session (1927) promises to tax the facilities of the school. It was Mr. DeVry's intention simply to start the school and after it had demonstrated its usefulness to attach it to an existing educa- tional institution where the courses could be expanded to the proportions of a modern university department, assuring it of a broad and cultural foundation, and it is still his hope that he can ultimately withdraw from active connection with the school. Meanwhile the mere list of the courses to be offered for the week's session this year, is an indication of the comprehensive plan of the en- terprise. Each of the courses below will extend through the week at the hours indicated. The faculty list is not yet ready for announcement. 8:30 A. M. — Visual Aids in church, Y. M. C. A., and community work. 9:10 A. M. — The literature, organ- izations, sources of visual educa- tion. 9:50 A. M. — Slides and films in the classroom : Types of educational films in modern pedagogy applied to film lessons, teacher's leaflets, film correlations. 10:30 A. M. — Motion pictures in the business world — for sales and advertising executives. Recess, Music, Pictures 11:00 A. M.— The mechanics of cinema photography and projec- tors. The place of narrow and standard width equipment. Late {Continued on page 41) THE SCHOOL ON A SKYSCRAPER Eleven THE Camera's Eye IN CUBA HE loveliest land that human eyes have ever seen" was the authori- tive declaration of Christopher Columbus, pio- neer tourist and globe trotter, when centuries ago he blazed the trail for the un- ending stream of fortune and pleas- ure seekers that has since visited Cuba, as with prayers of thanksgiv- ing, he and his valient little band landed upon the shores of the "Pearl of the Antilles." And Columbus knew whereof he spoke. The passing of the years has confirmed his opinion in the minds of those who have followed his foot- steps over the interesting island that nestles close in the bosom of the Gulf but a few short miles from the mainland of the United States, yet so different in scenery, customs and language. Things have changed since those romantic clays. The pirates and the buccaneers are but a memory, but the turn of a corner may bring the modern explorer face to face with reminders of the past, for in these countries the people cling well to tradition, and the wheels of progress do not always turn fast along the line. The great chain that at night- fall was swung across the harbor entrance of Havana, from Punta fortress to Morro Castle landing to protect the city from the enemy's incursions is no more, though the old cannon that sustained it from each side of the channel are still there. By Henry S. Bennett THE OLD FORT AT HAVANA An Ideal Setting For Heavy Drama The tourist seeking diversion, the tired business man who wants a change and a rest, the writer in search of inspiration, and the artist with an eye for the picturesque, will each find much to satisfy. That new factor, the movie amateur, encoun- ters everywhere many interesting and unexpected subjects for his cam- era, and the reels that he will take back home will be a source of un- ending pleasure to himself and his friends. The transparent blue wat- ers of the Gulf, the fine atmosphere and the brilliant sunshine prevailing three hundred and sixty days of the vear, give him no bothersome prob- lems to solve in the handling of his machine. They, like the people themselves, are always smiling, ready to serve him. its marvelous The care-free, happy days of the annual carnival season have just closed, and many are they who have secured treasured reels of film that hold yards and vards of charming, laughing faces of Cuban girls in the most wonderful costumes, finely decorated floats and private cars, pa- rading closely packed along the fam- ous Prado and Malecon, the Queen's Necklace, a world-famous driveway. Tons of serpentines floating through the air, streaming from crowded bal- conies and covering cars and their occupants in a veritable battle-royal lasting throughout the afternoon un- night Laughter, frank fellow- THE CATHEDRAL FROM THE COLONADE Here "The Messengers Of Love" Might Meet til far into the good-natured banter, ship, and notable courtesy always, everywhere. The Country Club has contributed its share, for its beautiful setting, _olf course and attractive terrace where youth and beauty pass from the fox trot course and the Charleston to the tango and the Cuban danzon for hours at a time, attract an always interesting- crowd, and give variety to the scene. The children's fancy ball, an annual event, brings forth hundreds of little folks, marvelously costumed, each one prettier than the other, a living fairyland made real. The stately Yacht Club, with sailboats and speed- boats, private yachts and fine swimmers, beach par- ties and contests provides an always interesting se- ries of events. At the aristocratic Tennis Club, the University Stadium, the Jai Alai courts, one finds a constant variety of tourneys and contests, while baseball, basketball and athletic games are always popular at the many private clubs and private parks. Each camera is invited by the massive battlements of Morro and Cabanas Castles across the bay, with their interesting history and curious Spanish military Twelve MAJESTIC MORRO CASTLE No Cuban Movie Would Be Complete Without It architecture, draw-bridges and moats, now gone dry : the curious little boats that ply back and forth over the water ; maybe a shark-hunting party under the shadow of Morro's guns ; a panoramic view from Morro light, and another from the roof of the Sevilla- Biltmore hotel, taking in the Presidential Palace, nar- row, winding streets, curious old houses, wonderful carved doors that would resist a battering-ram. artis- tic colonial balconies, where one may perchance glimpse the face of a modern Juliet ; street types ; old churches and convents, where nuns and friars are far removed from the world and its frivolities ; the Cathedral, where the bones of Columbus once reposed ; stately arcades ; the old Palace where the Spanish Captains General ruled in state and with iron hand, and fronting it the curious little chapel, opened to the public but once during the year on Columbus Day, built upon the very spot where the first mass was celebrated in thanksgiving for his safe landing, a stone's throw from where his vessels anchored ; the Post-Office, an old convent that was occupied as barracks by English troops that took the city years ago, and never since devoted to its holy offices ; Santa Clara convent, the heart of Havana in the days of the Conqueror, Hernan Cortez, now the busy seat of Cuba's Public Works Department. Back to modern days ; the magnificent course at Oriental Park, where in a beautiful setting the sport of kings draws to the great grandstand and the ex- clusive Jockey Club a notable gathering of promi- nent people from everywhere, a constantly changing" and ever interesting sight; the open Patio of the Hotel Almendares with its famous tea dances ; the National Casino, remindful of the European resorts ; the parks, and monuments, and driveways, the resi- dential sections, where dwell in state the aristocracy of Cuba in elegant homes of Spanish and Italian architecture, with their lovely flower gardens and a glimpse of a patio and a playing fountain here and there. A pleasant ride to the country must not be missed, over good roads lined with wonderful trees that form a bower of scarlet flowers overhead, their roots squirming and twisting for many feet above ground, for all the world like great serpents in agony ; stately royal palms, cocoanut palms, groves of giant bamboo, fields of banana plants, orange, lemon and grapefruit trees, pineapples, tobacco, and sugar cane. Then a visit to a great sugar mill, where the juice of the cane, brought in from the fields, is converted into a third and more of the world's supply of sugar ; then to a cigar factory, where the finest cigars in the world are handrolled by experts just as they were by their ancestors years and years ago. from leaf grown in small fields as carefully tended as diamond mines are worked. Curious tropical fruits and vege- tables are everywhere ; picturesque native homes, the "bohio," so like those of Africa and Ceylon, with sides and roofs thached from the leaves of the palm, and before which, after the day's work is over, the native gathers his numerous family to pass the hours in honest diversion, dancing the native dances, sing- . ing folk-songs to the music of the guitar. And on feast days there are cock fights where bets are wagered and excitement prevails, as though it were a championship prizefight in the North. A native climbs a tall palm tree, hand over hand, a rope about his waist, to gather the leaves to build his house, or the curious bunches of palmiche nuts to fatten his hogs for the market, or maybe for home consumption at a barbecue on Noche Buena ( Christmas Eve ) or Nuevo Ario (New Year's). Then stretches of tropical landscape, thick jungles of precious woods, beautiful valleys, Yihales and the Yumuri. And in Santiago or Oriente Province, with its beautiful har- bor and its winding channel that made Hobson fam- ous in his effort to bottle up Cervera's fleet ; Canev, and San Juan Hill, where Our Teddy charged at the head of his Rough Riders ; the stately ceiba tree, un- {Continued on page 47) PATIO OF THE AMERICAN LEGATION Nothing Could Separate True Lovers On A Set Like This Thirteen NOW It Can Be Told What Happened When Montclair Made Its Own Movies By Charlotte Potter Geer ONCE upon a time there lived in a New Jersey Suburb a woman whose imagination rebelled against the changeless round of Bridge parties, amateur plays, dances and cake sales for the purpose of raising funds for local benevolences. Being blessed with a so-called artistic temperament, which is the world's best alibi for one who leaps before she looks, she conceived and sold to her friends the idea of producing an amateur motion picture. The organization that succumbed to her enthusiasm was the Montclair Women's Club, a hitherto sane and sensible group of ladies, much given to chastising the Legislature and ad- vising the Mayor. With few qualms and no complexes they endorsed the plan in toto and nobly set about forming a series of committees de- signed to put a move into movies. In committee, the plan seemed perfectly simple and simply perfect. There was to be a local news reel in which Montclair at work and play was to be snapped unawares. There was to be a children's comedy in which fond parents were to have unlimited opportunity to see their offspring do cute nothings before the kindly camera. The feature was to be a discarded scenario of an ob- COMBINATION SALAD Emily Orten and Carlos Fetterolf Agree On The Lettuce VE As )NA HARMON Tiffany Window solete movie drama procured from a friendly film company. "Lord and Lady Algy" was one of the dramas discussed for possible production. The moment when the director in- formed the central committee that no amateurs should attempt to emote in front of his particular megaphone was the first disillusionment of the production. He maintained that drama is to difficult for untrained movie actors and that a three-reel comedy would be far easier to pro- duce and cast. The five-reel drama was therefore abandoned and in its place the committee concentrated on a feature comedy and a one-reel fashion show plus the news reel and the children's two-reeler. In yielding to the director in this first clash the local group made an error which their emulators would do well to avoid. Slapstick comedy proved it- self much more difficult to put over than drama, and the script, which was the product of the director's brain, was not nearly as amusing in the filmed version as it was on pa- per. The complete absence of a plot bewildered the audiences and the titles lacked that subtle twist which brings a laugh from those who come to snoot. In the preliminary work of the committee was the selection of sev- eral homes whose interiors were commensurate with well known movie standards. Staircases, private ball rooms, mammoth conservatories and oak panelled libraries were se- lected and catalogued, and here arose disappointment No. 2. In these days when one's house is filled with every description of lamp it had not occurred to the amateur producers that any further lighting would be required. The discovery that a transformer, special cables, etc., must be installed in every interior to be filmed almost wrecked the movie. Eventually a club member donated the use of an empty building and bv renting some flats from a professional studio the interiors were accomplished in one week of intensive shooting. The Cooper-Hewitts and the baby spots and all the rest were rented for a huge sum, an electrician was en- gaged to tend them, the transformer was put in the temporary studio and {Continued on page 46) Fourteen DANGEROUS GROUND (Continued from April Amateur Movie Makers) Scene 29. Exterior. The rough. Close view of the rather silly- looking groom, who is standing holding the bridle of his own horse in his right hand and the bridle of Raeburn's horse in his other hand. Raeburn's horse, a high-strung, beautiful animal, is fidgeting about. The groom, however, pays no at- tention to this ; he is looking off toward Marlowe and Everidge and wondering what will transpire be- tween them. Just a flash. Scene. 30. Exterior. The rough. Close view of Everidge, who is standing at the same place whereon he paused before. He is awaiting Marlowe, who presently rushes into the scene, somewhat out of breath. Marlowe is most anxious not to lose Everidge's friendship. Clapping a friendly hand on Ever- idge's shoulder, he hastily exclaims : "Craig, in heaven's name, don't act as you are acting. I give you my word of honor I'm not in love with Virginia, nor is she in love with me." Everidge, who has been steadily glowering at Marlowe, with a deliberate movement thrusts Mar- lowe's arm aside, as he says : Title. "No explanations! Never speak to me again! And, remember, I warned yon to keep away from Virginia." He finishes speaking, and then abruptly swings on his heel and re- sumes his march toward the club- house. Marlowe is surprised and hurt. He stands looking after Ever- idge, wondering if he should call him back — if he should again at- tempt to patch up their former friendship. Scene 31. Close view and just a flash of the groom looking off as before. Of course, he cannot hear what has been said. But even his dull brain perceives that something dramatic is occurring, and he is, therefore, interested in it. Raeburn's horse is restless as before. Scene 32. Close view and just a flash of the group that consists of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Sitgreaves, their daughter Marigold, Count Calviari and the two other people. They are looking off toward Ever- idge and Marlowe. They also can- not hear what transpired, but never- theless they are interested. Calvi- ari is the only one of the group that is on the ground. He is stroking A Scenario for Amateurs By Anthony Paul Kelly the nose of his nervous horse with one hand, while he holds the bridle in the other. Scene 33. Close view of Raeburn, Virginia and Consuelo as before. Raeburn, who likes Marlowe, is in- dignant as he sees Everidge's ac- tion. He is still watching Everidge and Marlowe as he speaks and says : Title. "Any man with a temper like Craig Everidge's ought not to be at large! He ought to be kept in a strait-jacket, in a padded cell!" He finishes speaking and is quite emphatic as he does so. Virginia cannot help but smile as she, with a roguish light in her eyes, says : Title. "You know, dad, your tem- per is not that of an angel!" She finishes speaking. Raeburn, although he would be the last one to admit it, is in point of tempera- ment very much like Craig Ever- idge. He does not smile at Vir- ginia's remark as does Consuelo. Instead, he becomes surprised and indignant. He turns to Virginia and says : Title. "What! You know I'm not like that fellow! I never become angry without very great provoca- tion !" He finishes speaking in a very spir- ited manner — a manner that indi- cates that his pride has been wounded, that he is very much on his dignity and honor. However, his attitude has not caused Virginia to become conscience-stricken in even the slightest degree ; her smile does not diminish, and Consuelo, taking courage from Virginia, also smiles. Suddenly the three glance toward the groom, where a slight commotion is in progress. Scene 34. Close view and just a flash of the groom, who is holding the two horses. Raeburn's horse is rearing. The groom, instead of bringing it down gently, is angrily tugging at the bit, thereby making matters worse. Scene 35. Close-up of Raeburn as he observes what the ignorant groom is doing. He immediately becomes very angry ; his eyes flash. Play for laugh. Scene 36. Close view of the entire group. Raeburn rushes to the groom's side. He snatches the reins from the groom's hands, and then gently brings his horse to order. However, he is furious, and he thunders at the groom as he shakes his fist in his face, and says : Title. "You confounded idiot! Don't you even know how to han- dle a horse?" He finishes speaking. Raeburn's rage is so pronounced that the groom is momentarily flabbergasted with fright. Virginia laughs heart- ily at the contradictory nature of her father that has just been made manifest. Consuelo and the mem- bers of the group join in the laugh- ter. Brief scene. Scene 37. Exterior. Same angle as scene 31. Marlowe gives up hope of effecting an immediate reconcilia- tion with Everidge. He is some- what depressed as he starts back toward Virginia and the others. Scene 38. Close view of Raeburn, Virginia and Consuelo. Raeburn, Virginia and Consuelo look up as Marlowe enters the scene. Raeburn is quite himself again by this time. He asks Mar- lowe what Everidge said. Marlowe, who still carries his niblick, shrugs his shoulders and tells Raeburn, Virginia and Consuelo that he sim- ply couldn't do anything with Ever- idge, that he refused to listen to him. Raeburn, Virginia and Con- suelo perceive that Everidge's atti- tude has hurt Marlowe, who, being desirous of placing his niblick in his golf bag, asks to be excused, and then exits from the scene. They look after him for a moment, and then Raeburn, speaking to Virginia, says : Title. "Marlowe is the sort of fel- low you ought to marry! You like him — don't you?" He finishes speaking and looks ques- tioningly at Virginia, as he does so. Virginia, speaking very sin- cerely, replies : Title. 'Indeed, I do like him. But liking is not love." As she finishes speaking she turns to her father, in order to empha- size the latter part of her statement. What she has said and the manner in which she has said it angers Rae- burn, and he indignantly exclaims : Title. "Meaning, of course, that you love Craig Everidge? Well let me tell you, young lady, you'll never obtain my consent to any such crazy match!" Fifteen He finishes speaking and is thor- oughly aroused and determined as he does so. Virginia becomes silent and somewhat depressed by his statement, and the emphasis behind it. Raeburn continues to talk most earnestly to Virginia. He tells her that he positively forbids her to see Everidge again. Virginia realizes that the wisest course to pursue is not to argue with her fatber at the present time ; she simply listens as he talks. Title. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Sit- greaves-— and their daughter, Mari- gold. Scene 39. Close view of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Sitgreaves and Mari- gold. Marigold is at the side of them. She is talking pleasantly out of the scene to Count Calviari, while her father and mother are looking off toward a distant object that has attracted their attention. Of course, they are all mounted. Unlike Consuelo, who is timid and serious, Marigold, who is also about seventeen, is a rather bold and friv- olous but extremely pretty littlle creature. Title. A guest of the Sitgreaves — Count Calviari, a crafty, merci- less, fortune-hunting impostor. Scene 40. Close view of Count Cal- viari as he talks pleasantly to Mari- gold. An exchange of frothy badi- nage is taking place between them. Calviari is a Lew Cody type. Scene 41. Close view of the en- tire group. Raeburn finishes laying down the law. to Virginia, who has not spoken a word. Then realizing that they have neglected the others, Raeburn starts toward them, accom- panied by Virginia and Consuelo. Consuelo directs a fleeting, fright- ened and antagonistic glance toward Calviari, who repays her with an insolent smile. Consuelo then, with a beaming smile, greets the Sit- greaves. Marigold and the two other people. Raeburn mounts, while the groom holds his horse. Raeburn glares at the groom as he mounts. Virginia greets Count Calviari. Scene 42. Close view of Count Cal- viari as he takes Virginia's hand. Both seem highly nervous at being in the presence of each other. It is evident that there is something of a strong but decidedly secret nature between them. Calviari starts to raise Virginia's hand to his lips. Vir- ginia wishes that he wouldn't. Never- theless, she seems reluctant to with- draw her hand, which Calviari kisses fervently. As he does so, Vir- ginia, in an intense manner and sub- dued tone, exclaims : Title: "Quick, they must not sus- pect! I sent you a note!" She finishes speaking, and Calviari immediately becomes alert and cau- tious. He releases her hand. They both glance with forced casualness about. They are relieved at discov- ering that they have not been ob- served by the others. Scene 43. Close full view of the group. Calviari starts to mount his horse. Virginia smilingly directs her attention to the Sitgreaves and the two other people. Just a flash. Scene 44. Exterior. On the links. Close view of Marlowe and his caddy. Marlowe is placing his nib- lick into his golf bag. He glances at his watch, tells the caddy to wait, and then starts back to rejoin Vir- ginia and Consuelo. Scene 45. Close full view of the entire group — same as scene 43. Virginia and Consuelo wave to the group as they swing about and ride off, waving back at the two as they do so. When the group is some distance up the scene, Marlowe en- ters from the side. Virginia and Consuelo turn to him. Scene 46. Exterior. On the links, near the clubhouse. Everidge, walking toward the clubhouse, enters the scene from the camera, wondering whether Mar- lowe has obeyed his warning to keep away from Virginia. He stops and looks back ; he is angered by what he sees. Scene 47. Exterior. Long shot — taken from the angle that Everidge would see it from. Virginia, Consuelo and Mar- lowe can be seen some distance in the background, talking. Scene 48. Close-up of Everidge as he stands looking off toward Mar- lowe and Virginia. His jealousy gets the better of him again and de- termined to make Marlowe keep away from Virginia, he starts back toward the trio. Scene 49. Close view of Marlowe, Virginia and Consuelo. Virginia has placed her arm about Consuelo's waist, and she is speaking to Mar- lowe in a very serious manner. She says : Title : "Father has forbiden me to see Craig. However, I've invited him to the Lawn Fete I'm giving for charity tonight — and I can't very well take back that invitation." She finishes speaking, and it is evi- dent that she would like to have Marlowe advise her what is the best thing to do in her present predica- ment. Marlowe is at loss just what to say. He scratches his head and wonders. Before he can speak, Consuelo, with a little gasp of hor- ror, conveys the fact that she has espied the approach of Everidge. She directs the attention of the others to him. They immediately perceive that Everidge is still in a fighting mood, even more so than ever. As they, concerned and sur- prised, look off toward the approach- ing Everidge, cut to : Scene 50. Exterior. On the links. Brief shot of Everidge as he approaches the trio. He is sinister — deadly in earnest. Scene 51. Close view same as scene 49. The trio watch Everidge close- ly as he enters. Everidge's eyes are fixed on Marlowe. Everidge studies Marlowe for a few seconds, as if wondering if Marlowe is actually daring him to thrash him. Then Everidge, with an air of positive finality, says : Title : "/ won't warn you again, Marlowe !" He finishes speaking. Marlowe is no coward, but he is sane enough to avoid unnecessary trouble whenever, with honor, it is possible to do so. After debating within himself for just a moment as to whether or not he ought to go, he turns to Virginia and Consuelo and asks if they will excuse him. Virginia, who, under the circumstances approves of his departure, assents, as does Consuelo, and Marlowe starts from the scene toward the clubhouse ; the others look after him. Then Everidge turns to Virginia as if he were about to demand an explanation of her ac- tions. However, Consuelo, who does not want to remain in Ever- idge's company, tells Virginia that she is going to the clubhouse, too. Virginia understands, and Consuelo hastens from the scene to join Mar- lowe. She does not even glance at Everidge, and he feels the slight quite keenly. Scene 52. Exterior. On the rough of the golf course. Shot shows Marlowe on way to clubhouse, coming to the foreground. Consuelo, leaving Everidge and Vir- ginia in background. Consuelo calls to Marlowe, who stops and waits for her. She runs up, joins Mar- lowe, puts her arm through his, and together they continue on past the camera. Scene 53. Close view of Everidge and Virginia. Consuelo's slight. Virginia's disdainful attitude and the game, superior way in which Marlowe endured the indignity, causes Everidge to become con- sciencestricken. Genuinely remorse- ful, he turns to Virginia and says : {To be contniued in June) Sixteen Amateur Movie Makers COLOR SECTION FOR MAY Wayne Albee, \IcBride Studio, Seattle SEA SPRITE WHAT HAPPENS ON THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA WHEN YOU POINT YOUR CAMERA TOWARD THE WAVES Seventeen MORAINE LAKE Out Where Men Are Men But The Mountains Are Marvelous *£<> REELING the ROCKIES A Land Cruise Through The Canadian Northwest By Walter D. Kerst HREE days of steady clicking over the rails had brought us to the foothills of the Canadian Rock- ies, about which we had wondered and dreamed for many years. Our hearts beat faster as we rushed out to the open top observa- tion car with camera and tripod. I don't know whether it was anticipa- tion or the altitude that caused us to feel so "funny" inside. I have a suspicion, however, that the fact we had a movie camera with us had a great deal to do with it. The "open top observation" is an example of the service and courtesy extended by the railroads of Canada for the well-being of their passen- gers. The car is exactly what its name implies, a car with the top off, so that the glories, the beauties, and the immeasurable height of this great sea of mountains can be view- ed and studied in comfort. Eighteen Just a few hours away lay Lake Louise, supreme beauty spot of the Rockies. We heard much about this lake of lakes, of its many moods, its peculiar blue-green water, and its great depth, as the train chugged steadily onward towards this goal. By now the altitude was really beginning to affect us. for we were climbing, steadily and surely, through narrow passes with solid rock walls all about us. Then we would •emerge into an open valley for a short time, only to again be swal- lowed up by granite jaws. "All out for Lake Louise," came the welcome cry. In a few moments we had transferred to a trim gaso- line railway train of three cars, which was to take us till higher to the lake and its palatial chateau. Up, up we climbed, the put-put of the engine echoing through the dense forests all about us. The first view of Lake Louise was a never-to- be-forgotten experience. The feel- ing was indescribable. We had ar- rived in the cool of early evening, after the wind had died down, and a calm pervaded everything. There was not a ripple on the mirror-like surface, Mounts Lefroy and Vic- toria seeming to reach downwards into its bottomless depths, literally thousands of feet. There was a wild scramble for things cinematographic. Trembling- fingers made quick adjustments, which we prayed would be correct. Yet we realized that we could never fully capture this enchantment on a little ribbon of film. We had come thousands of miles for just this, and that thought saved us many post- mortems after we arrived home. At four-thirty the next morning we were down at the shore of the lake, again held spell-bound by its shifting patterns of color, light, and shade as the sun rose higher in the heavens. What a paradise ! In back of us lay the Chateau Lake Louise, resplendent in the sun, surrounded by its vivid red and yellow Iceland poppies, growing everywhere. And in front, coming to our very feet, lay the "Lake of Little Fishes," as the Stonev Indians knew it, in its setting of mountain, glacier and for- est, a perfect composition, something that is indeed rare in nature. It was noon when we rested from our labors. In the camera case we had several reels of movies. At least, we hoped we had them. Even an approximation would make us very happy. For our dreams had not been half so vivid as the reality itself. We were very tired as we prepared for our departure for the north of the Rockies. It was the emotional reaction, more than phys- ical exertion that made us so weary. But a deep sense of calm also per- vaded us. We had come, had seen, but had been conquered by the sheer beauty of this tiny, secluded spot. That night, as the train rolled northward to higher, rougher, more inaccessible peaks, we began to plan further camera activities. Work of a different type was ahead of us. Hard days on horse and a-foot were to be our lot. And, as we dropped off to sleep, we realized that a little movie camera, working with the pre- cision of a jewelled clock, would pre- serve forever these gems of the Creator's handiwork which we would, in all probability, never visit again. Mountains to the right of us ! Mountains to the left of us ! We were overwhelmed by the sight of these tremendous. whiteheaded giants, as the staunch locomotive en- ergetically pulled us up the long. winding grade to Emperor, way sta- tion for Berg Lake and mighty Mount Robson, monarch of all it surveyed. As the train came to a grinding halt, we anxiously scanned the plat- form for Stan, who was to conduct us on a four-day scenic camera hunt in this land of rugged splendor and beauty. How carefully we deposited our movie equipment in the buck- board, cautioning Stan to spare the whip, although not for a moment were we concerned about ourselves. Arriving at the ranch house, where we were to stay overnight, before we began our pony trail trip to higher altitudes at six the next morning, we were just in time to see the sunset on Mount Robson. The Alpen-glow, that exquisite, rose tint, was softly stealing up the glaciers on the mighty monarch's slope. It was but the work of a moment to unpack. Diaphragm was set. Iris adjusted, and color filter put in its holder just in time to record the swiftly moving color. In our minds we visualized the reproduction of scene on our film. How we would, on arrival home, try to approximate, by tint and tone, that beautiful color of glacier and sky. We were im- patient for the morning to come, when we should ride to Berg Lake at the very foot of the mighty giant. I must confess that we did not sleep well that night. We kept the midnight oil burning while we planned sequences of scenes, made quick sketches in our notebook for composition, and the hundred and one things we knew would have to be considered the following day. At five in the morning, the whin- nying of the horses in the corral brought us to our feet. Stan, hav- ing been greatly impressed the night >efore of the need for care, spent much time in loading our pack horse. Everything was packed for quick action ; tripod in the middle, camera in one saddle bag and accessories in the other. The sun had fully appeared by the time we started. Robson's hood was wreathed in clouds, a curtain as it were, readv to lift itself when we should be able to see it from another angle of the trail we were to take. It looked as if the stage had been prepared for us. As we crossed the old bridge over the glacial stream, swiftly flowing from a tiny lake hidden high up in the recesses of the mountains, a turn in the trail brought us to another view of the giant peak. How ma- jestic it was. with its stark, white cap set against a background of deepest azure hue. As the sun rose higher in the heavens the trail became steeper and narrower. As we came to the top of a rise, below us lay Kinney Lake, in its shimmering, glacial green, in- viting us to record its moods. More thoughts of tinting and toning filled our minds. If we could only ap- proximate it we would be satisfied. Since we were now at the thirty-five hundred foot level. I realized that we should begin to compensate for the thinner atmosphere by slightly cutting down the exposure. How glad I was that I had stayed up the night before so that I would be pre- oared for all such things. Soon we forded our first stream. We were going along the floor of a huge, gravelly flat, hemmed in on all sides by towering peaks, with Rob- son. still in view, above them all. A short way ahead of us we saw the (Continued on page 39) LAKE ADOLPHUS If Mother Nature Is A Vain Old Hussy This Mirror Justifies The Lady Nineteen Mediterranean MOVIES By Gardner Wells Photograph By James Boring's Travel Service. 'AND WHERE ARE THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE ACROPOLIS? ASKED THE OLD LADY EVER since the day when the first reader of "Innocents Abroad" put down the book with a sigh, and rushed to the near- est steamship office all the world has been flocking to the Mediterranean. At the height of the tourist season Cairo and Constantinople, Jerusalem and Athens are American cities. You meet friends in Naples or Nazareth as casually as on Fifth Avenue or Main Street and arrange rendezvous in cities two continents away, and weeks ahead. The dollar passes cur- rent everywhere, and those of a non- mathematical turn of mind are spared the torture of translating drachmas and piastres into cents. English is spoken by hotel clerks, guides, bar- tenders, storekeepers, and the man on the street. Travel is hardly more intricate than it is in America. Every American carries a camera and four out of five have movies. From Cadiz to Constantinople the native has learned to recognize the buzz of the box and to demand in- stant baksheesh if he stands any- where within hearing distance. A new profession has been created, and men or women with striking faces put on their most picturesque native gar- ments and hang about the points most fre- quented by tourists, to pose and swank before the never failing proces- sion of cameras — for a price. The Mediterra- nean idea of an Ameri- can is a man with un- limited money who points a camera at you and pays for the privi- lege. There were more cameras this winter than ever before. Three years ago cinematitis was confined to a few sporadic cases. Now it's an epidemic and nobody is safe. But the Meddy isn't all shot out in spite of the thousands of feet of it that have been brought back to Amer- ica in the little yellow boxes. If movie cam- eras were machine guns, the Pyramids would be in ruins, and the Sphinx a heap of dust, but there are plenty of shots that i made yet. And there are innumerable novel angles from which to shoot the same old things. Don't forget that the more differ- ent your travel picture is, the more interesting it will be — and the more interesting it is, the more envy it will cause in the breasts of your fel- low fans who have shot over the same ground. If you can make them sit on the edge of their chairs and say, "Why didn't I think of getting that ?" then you have a picture to be proud of. I find that when I am making a movie of a cruise, I must keep my ears open as well as my eyes. Many a title, or germ of a title, is con- tained in the casual remarks, naive or witty, of one's fellow passengers. For instance, on the Acropolis in Athens this winter a dear old lady asked me where the Four Horsemen of the Acropolis were. She was per- fectly satisfied when I told her that they had been taken down to be used in the movies. There's a germ of a title there. On another occasion, I was walking about one of the little towns in Malta with the ship's doc- tor. We were shooting the innumer- nobody has able goats that supply the island with milk, and while I was making a close-up of one family's Grade "A" being extracted from Nanny, the doctor murmured in my ear that this must be the origin of Malted Milk. Of course, I turned around and beat him cruelly about the head with my camera — but there is the germ of a title in his remark. If you go on a Mediterranean Cruise you must expect to miss a lot of the regular sightseeing. The interiors of mosques and museums, palaces and cathedrals are not for you, except for the briefest of glimpses. But you will not mind that very much. A cathedral a day is heavy diet for any one. A pas- senger told me last winter that he never would go on another cruise unless he had from the tourist com- pany a written agreement to take him into no museums. So stay on the outside of public buildings, wan- der about in the streets while your gang is within, and absorb local color THE DESTROYER Twenty through your lens. You won't re- gret it. You'll forget the inside of a mosque in a week, but your me- chanical memory will keep for you a celluloid record of the outside that will be always available. If possible, hire your own guide and automobile so that you can go where you wish. But don't over- look the fact that hiring or buying anything in Mediterranean countries has a technique all its own. If you work it right, you can rent a ma- chine much more cheaply than at home. The better actor you are. the cheaper the price — and the more fun you have. Act disinterested, as though you didn't really want a ma- chine. Ask the price, casually. When the driver tells you, start to walk off, remarking that you don't think you'll buy the car today. He'll call you back and ask, "How much you like to pay?" Then you've got him. Name a price far below what you really expect to give. That starts the battle. He'll get mad. and you'll get mad too. Wave your hands twice as hard as he waves his. talk twice as loud as he does, and twice as fast. At every break in the conversation start to walk away. He won't let you get far. Keep coming up a little in your price, and he'll Photograph By James Boring's Trave] Service. keep coming down. When you meet, the fight is over and you've both won. If you hire a guide, get your shopping over first, or he'll give you no peace, because part of his income is derived from the commissions which the shops pay him on your purchases. Once he knows you aren't go- ing to buy anything more, he will allow you to escape from the shop- ping district and show you some sets for your pictures. The guides are getting now so they know fairly well what the movie makers want and don't want, although their taste is rotten. They continually sug- gest hopeless shots and sometimes have to be thoroughly snubbed be- fore they realize that you know better than thev what vou want to do.' In some places it is essential that you have a guide to look out for your safety and keep you from get- ting into trouble. Anywhere in Al- geria, Tunis or Syria, especially in the native quarters of cities, an Ara- bic speaking guide will prevent un- pleasant incidents. He knows where to go ; and, what is more important, where n o t to go. And he can hear the conversation of the watching natives, favorable or otherwise, and give instant report on a change in the feeling towards you. In Cairo you need a dragoman, but in Palestine, Turkey and Greece you can go where you will and take what vou will, without molestation, al- ways provided you don't trespass on a Mohammedan holy place. I've seen people thrown out of the Mos- que of Omar on their ear. This doesn't mean that there is any actual danger anywhere. But by having a native with you. you will avoid having mud and other less savory objects thrown at you. W hen you've taken a couple of long shots and a close-up of some venerable old bird in front of a cafe, or riding a camel, give him the equivalent of a dime in our money when he comes up and demands the inevitable baksheesh. It will help the next one of us who passes that way. By Jar, Travel Ser STREET OF MYSTERY— ALGIERS Lovely Spot For A Movie Or A Murder A PLEA FOR OLD WINE IN NEW BOTTLES By Agnes Applesauce Of sheiks and such there is a dearth In Movyland today. But there are corners of the earth Where still they have their sway. They're not the kind with plastered hair And sex-appeal rampant Nor will they give a lady fair One casual amorous slant; These leather-skinned sheiks do their staff In climates warm and deserts rough. The matadors that thronged the screen Have flickered out and gone. And with them, all the bulls. I ween, Whose frenzied gore they'd drawn; Yet there are bulls and matadors In Spain today as then; The one still stabs, the other gores As briskly now as when Each photoplay to guard from flops Hung heros' ears with mutton-chops. Where is the rage of yester-year. And where last summer's dernier cri? Alas, the fashion's changed. I fear. Gone are the films I used to see. So here's a plea to amateurs To Spain and Algiers bound To film for me those ancient lures On their own stamping-ground. I crave a sheik and matador To worship as in days of yore. Twenty -one —I *r -*„ CATCHING A BIG ONE OFF DIAMOND HEAD REELING Hawaii's ROYAL Sport A MID-FEBRUARY a f t e r- noon, warm, sunny, glorious. Ideal cinematic weather, blue skies ; sea of jade and topaz ; white beach flooded with sunlight. Throngs of bathers in the water and on the sand ; spectators in summery frocks and sport clothes up on the lanai of the Outrigger Club, under the arbor at the Moana and dotted along the little pier which reaches out from the palm court two hun- dred yards or more into the sea. Al- together a typical afternoon at the height of Honolulu's winter season, which of late is being recorded by so many amateur movie makers. While bathers and spectators alike on the beach and on the club lanais are languid, indolent, steeped in the mellow warmth of the tropic winter sun, the little group in the pavilion at the end of the pier is a lively one. The cause of this animation, of the excited pointing of cameras to sea- ward, of the bursts of laughter and exclamation, is to be seen in the surf a hundred vards or so out from the pier. There, where the long swells roll in from the broad reaches of the South Pacific, strike the shal- low reef, raise their crests skyward and break in a crashing smother of foam — there, in glorious, fearless freedom the surf -riders, rough rid- ers of Waikiki's waves, do their stuff, and the cine enthusiasts are the daily historians of their flights through the spray. Every able-bodied citizen of Hawaii, and almost every visitor, has a fling at surf-riding, some time and in some form or other. Of all those who try. only a few attain skill or Twenty-two By Harold H. Yost even the ability to ride the smaller breakers on a board ; but there is always solace for the less gifted in outrigger canoe surfing, for with a skillful pilot in the stern-sheets any bunch of landlubbers can operate LET 'ER BREAK! one of these clumsily graceful craft and get all the thrill of that breath- taking shoreward rush through the water. As with other things, learning the how of surfing is half the fun of the game. You learn, if you are wise, in the shallow water near shore, when waves happen to be breaking that far in, or in the "Mali- hini surf" out by the abandoned div- ing stand in front of the Outrigger Canoe Club. The waves break quite gently there, without the ter- rific impact and the crash and roar of the "big surf." You begin by standing in breast-deep water, facing shoreward, the board pushed behind vou. Your place should be where waves are actually breaking, for the propelling strength of a wave is right at the break. Over your shoul- der you watch the swells until one higher than the rest rises and starts to curl over in the break. Then you snap the board forward, grasp it with both hands as it comes, roll on and start paddling like mad. If you've -landed squarely, and have enough forward momentum, or gain it by paddling, you're off ! The wave apparently seizes the board from behind and thrusts it forward in a mad rush through the water. When you've mastered the small ones you're ready to tackle the big time stuff. A paddle of a hundred vards or so from the small surf takes you out into the "canoe surf," out beyond the pier. There you pull vourself up and sit straddling your board. All round are other surfers on their boards, and further out to seaward, out at "first break," some canoes and perhaps a board or two. The long swells roll in and pass un- der vou. to break further inshore. Finally a swell comes which is high- er than the others. Somebody bawls "Let's go !" Behind you the canoe- ists, yelling like wild Indians, are digging their paddles into the water. As the mounting swell rises, vou flop flat on that board and paddle with every ounce of strength you have. In a moment the rear end of your board begins to lift. Up it goes until you are looking straight down into the water ahead of you. There, if it is your first try. you're likely to lose your nerve, slip off the board, and drop back. But if you keep paddling there is a sudden crash and a roar, the whole ocean seems to tumble about you in a smother of foaming water, and sud- denly you are shooting forward with a rush of wind and spray in your face and the feel of exhilarating speed in your every fiber. Then you get your practice, take your tumbles, gain skill and courage, and at last you learn to leap upright on your board as it takes that slip down the front of the wave, and to ride gloriously shoreward, past the watching group on the pier, past out- bound canoeloads, and — best of all — past your fellow surf-boarders, vet- eran and novice alike. Then at last vou are "one of the boys." entitled to exchange cheery greetings and even jibes with Duke Kahanamoku and other gods of the waves, and to jeer at the unskilled or unlucky. A great day. that ! There are stunts to be tried, such as riding backward, riding two on a board, and standing on one's head while coming in. The latter sounds impossible, but all who have seen the great Duke Kahanamoku in the surf have seen it done. They have also seen Duke carry a child on his shoul- ders through that thrilling beach- ward rush. Riding double may be done lying prone, which is compara- AND HERE'S WHERE YOU GET YOUR MOVIES OF THE SURF RIDERS HELL BENT FOR WAIKIKI tively easy, but the spectacular stunt is for two or three riders to bring their boards close together, join hands, and finally leap on to one board, all while traveling at a high speed before a wave. Fortunately for the average man and woman who lack time to master a surf-board, the thrills of surfing may also be enjoyed in an outrigger canoe. This is a heavy, solid craft, hewn from a log and having thick, high sides and thick bottom. Across the thwarts are lashed two poles ex- tending about four feet outboard. where is lashed a third pole, quite heavy and nearly as long as the ca- noe. This pole or outrigger rides in the water and maintains securely the equilibrium of the craft. The average good-sized canoe seats from four to eight people. And many are the reels of surfing which have been shot from these sturdy craft. There is one prerequisite to rid- ing in a canoe! That is willingness to wield a paddle, as and when in- structed. The order. "Everybody paddle!" shouted at vou from the stern, means just that. Steering a canoe with its single outrigger is a job requiring skill and strength, but the only man who can steer is the regular steersman in the stern, and he can do it only when his paddlers are doing their work. A good steersman can spot the right wave while it is yet only a swell on the horizon. He sees it and swings his canoe round into the proper position, headed shoreward. Then, as the big swell lifts astern, you hear that cry. "Everybody pad- dle!" and your paddle shoots for- ward, splashes, pulls impotentlv. shoots forward and in again, now with a better hold: and again, and again, faster and faster, until vou are gritting your teeth and straining to keep the paddle flying in pace with the boat. Suddenly the canoe leaps ahead, and your paddling be- comes a mere dipping in and jerk- ing out of the blade. There is a roar and a crash behind, a shower of spray from the prow, a moment in which you think the boat must lose its course or go under, and then vou're rushing along, paddle over Your knees, thrilled, happy, and probably yelling for the sheer joy of it. It is possible to ride the smaller waves in an ordinary canoe, too. and this is done by many, but it does not appear to be replacing the older forms of the sport, nor is it likely to. After all. there's no thrill like that of racing madlv before a bis: swell, having it overtake vou as it lifts a menacing crest of foam to overwhelm you — and then becoming a part of that relentless, onrushing wall of water, speeding with it and feeling yourself a part of it. "Waikiki is an institution, and the things which have done most to make it famous are its surf and the daredevil riders and tamers of that surf. There, in the subduing and handling of a slippery, capricious, lightning-fast surf-board, or in the piloting of a heavy, lopsided out- rigger canoe, is a new field of con- quest, a new thrill for our blase sportsman, a new thrill for our blase vouth — those of any age who be- lieve that there are no new thrills on earth. T iv enty -three Apply Bell 8C Howell Standar< The experience gained in over 20 years making Cameras and Equipment fo 0^3 The Facts About Using Standard (35 mm.) Film Fo/ many years Bell 8b Howell made Cameras to accommodate standard film only. These cameras were used, and are used, in making most of the professional motion pictures shown at best theatres all over the world. But when designing the first automatic movie camera for amateur use (Filmo), we sensed the inconveniences of professional standard film (35 mm.) for amateur use. So we co-operated in establishing a new amateur stand- ard, 16 mm. film. This smaller film gives the amateur the advantage of using both a lighter, more convenient camera and projector for use afield and at home. It cuts film and operating expense to a minimum. It greatly increases portability of all equipment. To amateurs who desire to enter the professional field through the use of standard film, we can offer the world's finest standard cameras, ranging in price up to $5,000. Before purchasing, however, make sure that 16 mm. equipment is not best suited to your re- quirements. Camera Using Professional Standard (35 mm.) Film This is the automatic camera used by newspaper film services and nearly all exploring expeditions. Used in professional productions by De Mille, Fa- mous Players-Lasky, Universal, Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Chaplin, Christie and many more leading producers. Simply sight through spy- glass viewfinder and press the button. "Follow focus" or adjust iris dial while camera is in action. All visible in viewfinder. Lens alone lists for $83.00. Interchangeable with fourteen other lens with ac- curately matched viewfinder pieces. No guesswork with this camera. Takes 100 feet daylight loading rolls, standard film, or 120 feet dark-room load. Double-speed or super-speed mechanisms optional. A thoroughly professional camera. Ask for descrip- tive circular. $%m9 Iris Vignetter Gives the circling "fade-in" or "fade-out" effect you've seen in theatre movies. Fits over the Filmo camera lens in operation. Opened and closed with a handy control lever. No remodeling or changes necessary to make it ready for use. It's ready when you get it. An invaluable device if you would avoid monotony in opening or closing your scenes. Price §10.00. Focusing Microscope Provides exact focus for any of the twelve lenses which may be used in Filmo Camera. Also a lens test for accuracy. Simply screw camera lens into microscope and focus image on ground glass in ad- justable eye-piece. Shows proper focus for sharp detail to every part of picture. Then replace lens in camera and "shoot." Price §12.00. Double-Speed Super-Sp The double-speed Filmo operates at both normal speed (16 exposures per second), and double speed (32 exp. per second). Adjustment to either speed made in a jiffy. The camera when operated at double speed takes pictures which slow the action down one-half. A great help in analyzing motion. Yet the normal speed fea- ture is retained for usual photog- raphy. Filmo Double Speed Cam- era with Taylor-Hobson Cooke F 3.5 lens and genuine leather carry- ing case $190.00 Scene Card Binder 98- r/gf/*£s HOW TO MAKE YOUR - OWN MOTION PICTURE PLAYS JACK 8ECH0I ,.T The Super-Speed Film eight times normal posures per second), the action down 8 tin tures are projected at ] The result is the excee' motion pictures, wh make the subjects floa very close analysis this camera is recommi Super-speed Camera including genuine lea case $255.00. Same, case, $240.00. The fast F 1.8 Taylor-H lens, in focusing mou mended for use with Price of lens Don't Fail Qet This B. This book was prepared esp< the amateur producer. It te simple, non-technical langua thing needed to know about motion picture drama. It contains also actual and scenarios of twelve clever lit written just for the amateur No owner of a personal motic camera should be without thi; your dealers, SI. 50. Or ask fc scriptive circular. for recording field and title data A vest-pocket size, black leather, loose leaf binder containing 50 numbered cards with spaces for recording date, roll number, stop used, film footage, light conditions, etc. Indispensable for correct titling when returning from a trip. Simply photograph each page number as you change subjects, keeping data on each. Price $1.25. Extra cards for binder per set of 50, 35c. Twenty -four BELL & H( 1828 Larchmont Netv York ' Hollywood to keep your Movies ever new iding Studios the world over, now yours through these amateur specialties Oh~S How Filmo Library Adds to the Enjoyment of Your Equipment Since the list of available Filmo Library subjects is growing too long to reproduce here, we are requesting that you write us for circular containing the complete list. In Filmo Library you have a choice of hundreds of subjects in 100 ft. reels, available at but little higher cost than raw film. The Screen Star series brings you many people you admire in theatre movies. The Adventure Series brings the thrills of big game hunting and deep-sea fishing. The U. S. National Park Series brings the beauty of America to your home. If de- sirable, you may splice parts of these subjects into your own films, getting many wonderful effects. Ask for Filmo Library circular. S-L-O-W Motion Golf Lessons No actual Golf Pro could teach you as do these Filmo Library Golf Lessons. Here is unvarying instruction in s-l-o-w motion; tireless pictures that will act for you over and over till the action is memorized. The com- plete series will include one lesson each on the Driver, the Brassie, the Spoon, No. 1 Driving Iron, No. 2 Mid-iron, No. 3 Mid-mashie, No. 4 Mashie-iron, Mashie, Spade-Mashie, Mashie Niblick, Putting-cleek and Putter. Lessons Nos. 1, 2 and 13 by Harry Cooper, on Driver, Brassie and Putter, are now ready. The price each is §9.00. Living Natural History Animal Life From All Over the World These films are revelations to all who love animals — and who does not? Filmo Library series offers (N-l) California Alligator Farm (N-2) Cawston Ostrich Farm (N-3) Pelicans of the Canadian Northwest (N-4) Trapping Big Tuna Fish. Price each, S6.50. Augmenting our regular series are the Ditmar Living Natural History Reels produced by Raymond L. Dit- mar. Those immediately available are: Reel 1, The Anthropoid Apes; Reel 4, Cat Animals; Reel 10, Social Rodents; Reel 11, Deer; Reel 18, Perching Birds and Birds of Prey; Reel 21, Various Orders of Wingless Birds; Reel 24, Harmless Serpents; Reel 25, Colubrine Poisonous Serpents; Reel 29, Frogs and Toads; Reel 32, Spiders; Reel 39, Depths of the Sea. Ask for illus- trated circular describing entire series. Three-Speed The three-speed Filmo, which takes pictures at the rate of 12, 16 or 24 pictures a second, was developed in response for many calls for such a model. Pictures taken at 12 expo- sures per second are accelerated one and one-half times on the screen. Sixteen exposures per second is nor- mal speed and does not change the action. Pictures taken at 24 expo- sures per second slows the action one-third only. This speed is useful in taking sport pictures where not desired to slow the action enough to become obvious. This new speed combination can be installed in any Filmo Camera. The conversion price is §15.00 6-inch, F 4.5 Telephoto Lens 33/4-inch, F 33 Telephoto Lens A wonderful lens for taking long range pictures of shy animals and birds from a great distance. Gets the baseball or football games from high up in the stands. Power of magnification is six times normal. Matched viewfmder and eyepiece in- cluded to make its use exact. Taylor-Hobson Cooke 6-inch focus, F 4.5 Telephoto Lens com- plete in focusing mount, including sunshade, matched viewfmder and eyepiece, $95.00. Ask for descriptive circular. For all around telephoto and general long range work, this lens is a gem. The F 3-3 aperture is the fastest ever offered in the telephoto series. Magnifies the object 3;4 times the size produced in regular 1-inch lens. While usually advisable to employ a tripod when using telephoto lenses, the 3'v" may be used without if the camera is held very steady. Taylor-Hobson Cooke 3 V_ focus, F 3.3 Telephoto lens in focusing mount, includ- ing sunshade, matched viewfmder and eyepiece. Price. S85.00 Ask for descriptive circular. This illustrates the handy form in which you receive Filmo Library films. One hundred feet of raw film costs $6.00. Filmo Library films cost only enough additional to cover printing, and production on special plays and subjects. Each film becomes your own to run separately or to splice into your films if you want to. Look for the "blue" carton. o^% Harry Cooper's Follow Through — as shown in the Filmo Library Q olf Lessons BENGAL TIGER Nahtral History Series yell Company renue, Chicago, Illinois London (B. & H. Co., Ltd.) ' Established 1907 GORILLA Natural History Series BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois I would like further information on the subjects checked here □ Eyemo Camera, D Iris Vignetter, □ Focusing Microscope, D Scene Card Binder, □ Double -Speed Filmo, □ Super-Speed, □ Three-Speed, □ Book on Pic- ture Plays, D Telephoto Lenses, □ Complete Filmo Li- brary, D Golf Lessons. D Natural History Series. Name _ Address City State _ Twenty-jive Apply Bell & Howell Standards to keep your Movies ever The experience gained in over 20 years making Cameras and Equipment for leading Studios the world over, now yours through thes, new The Facts About Using Standard (35 mm.) Film nda : stand- Fo.- many years Bell & Howell made Cameras to accommodate standard film only. These cameras were used and are used, in making most of the professional motion pictures shown at best theatres all over the world. But when designing the first automatic movie camera for amalcur use (Filmo), we sensed the mconveniences of professional s. film (35 mm.) for amateur use. So we co-operated in establishing a new amatet a™ 16 mm film. This smaller film gives the amateur the advantage of using both a fighter, more convenient came^and ™^™^™^ Tail e u^ gZSSZZSZSZZ %£Zi£g£& field through the use of standard film, we can offer the world's finest standard cameras, ranging in price up to S^.OOO. Before purchasing, however, make sure that 16 mm. equipment is not best suited to your re- quirements. <$y&rno Camera Using Professional Standard (35 mm.) Film This is the automatic camera used by newspaper film services and nearly all exploring expeditions. Used in professional productions by Ce Mille, Fa- mous Players-Lasky, Universal, Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-fvIayer, Chaplin, Christie and many leading producers. Simply sight through spy- glass viewnnder and press the button. "Follow focus" or adjust iris dial while camera is in action. All visible in viewfinder. Lens alone lists for $83.00. Interchangeable with fourteen other lens with ac- curately matched viewfinder pieces. No guesswork with this camera. Takes 100 feet daylight loading rolls, standard film, or 120 feet dark-room load. Double -speed or super-speed mechanisms optional. A thoroughly professional camera. Ask for descrip- tive circular. $$$9 Iris Vignetter Gives the circling "fade-in" or "fade-out" effect you've seen in theatre movies. Fits over the Filmo camera lens in operation. Opened and closed with a handy control lever. No remodeling or changes necessary to make it ready for use. It's ready when you get it. An invaluable device if you would avoid monotony in opening or closing your scenes. Price $10.0(1. ^M19 Focusing Microscope Provides exact focus for any of the twelve lenses which may be used in Filmo Camera. Also a lens test for accuracy. Simply screw camera lens into microscope and focus image on ground glass in ad- , justable eye-piece. Shows proper focus for sharp detail to every part of picture. Then replace lens in camera and "shoot." Price $12.01). e amateur specialties Double-Speed The double-speed Filmo operates at both normal speed (16 exposures per second), and double speed (32 exp. per second). Adjustment to either speed made in a jiffy. The camera when operated at double speed takes pictures which slow 1 lit- action down one-half. A great help in analyzing motion. Yet the normal speed fea- ture is retained for usual photog- raphy. Filmo Double Speed Cam- era with Taylor-Hobson Cooke F 3.5 lens and genuine leather carry- ing case $190.00 Super-Speed The Super-Speed Filmo operates at eight times normal only (128 ex- posures per second). Its use slows the action down 8 times when pic- tures are projected at normal speed. The result is the exceedingly s-l-o-w motion pictures, which seem to make the subjects float in air. For very close analysis of fast motion, this camera is recommended. Filmo Super-speed Camera (without lens) including genuine leather carrying case $255.00. Same, noLincluding case, $240.00. The exceptionally fastF 1.8 Taylor-Hobson Cooke lens, in focusing mount, is recom- mended for use with thn camera. How Filmo Library Adds to the Enjoyment of Your Equipment Since the list of available Filmo Library subjects is p.™.,;™ . i requesting that you write us for circular containing^ the complete"^^" repr0duCe here' we are In Filmo Library you have a choice of hundreds of subiects in 1 nnV „.i little higher cost than raw film. The Screen Star series brinalv™ reels available at but S-L-O-W Motion Golf Lessons No actual Golf Pro could teach you as do these Filmo Library Golf Lessons. Here is unvarying instruction in s-l-o-w motion; tireless pictures that will act for you over and over till the action is memorized. The com- plete series will include one lesson each on the Driver the Brassie. the Spoon, No. 1 Driving Iron No 2 Mid-iron, No. 3 Mid-mashie, No. 4 Mashie-iron Mashie, Spade-Mashie, Mashie Niblick, Putting-cleek and Putter. Lessons Nos. 1 , 2 and 13 by Harry Cooper, on Driver, Brassie and Putter, are now ready. The price each is S9.00. Living Natural History Animal Life From All Over the World Three-Speed The: r.in elatic ;-spted Filmo, which takes at the rate of 12, 16 or 24 1 second, was developed in nany calls for such a iken at 1 2 expo- ; accelerated ont- The thr response for i model. Pictu sures per second £ and one half tim__ Sixteen exposures per second is nor- mal speed and does not change the action. Pictures taken at 24 expo sures per second slows the action one-third only. This speed is useful sport pictures desired to slow the a obv This uEh to Pric of lei i to all who love animals — and who does not? Filmo Library series offers (N-l) California Alligator Farm (N-2) Cawston Ostrich Farm (N-3) Pelicans of the Canadian Northwest (N-4) Trapping Big Tuna Fish. Price each, $6.50. Augmenting our regular series are the Ditmar Living Natural History Reels produced by Raymond L. Dit- mar. Those immediately available are: Reel 1, The Anthropoid Apes; Reel 4, Cat Animals; Reel 10, Social Rodents; Reel 11, Deer; Reel 18, Perching Birds and Birds of Prey; Reel 21, Various Orders of Wingless Birds; Reel 24, Harmless Serpents; Reel 25, Colubrine Poisonous Serpents; Reel 29, Frogs and Toads; Reel 32, Spiders; Reel 3°, Depths of the Sea. Ask for illus- trated circular describing entire series. [ <£Hn\S: Scene Card Binder O O C' ■ ^JA|5 1 HOW TO MAKE YOUR - OWN MOTION PICTURE PLAYS Don't Fail to Qet This Book This book was W^'T^L'" the amateur producer. It t<"> '" ,m,ole non-technical lantn»[< "ei>- simple, nc making a thing needed to Know . motion picture drama. T, contains also actual aad complete scenario" o? twelve clever lit* P »». wrkten iust for the .mat"' ?"?"«■ wntun jum. > motion I"1 cure No owner o ape °°^t„,s b«*. A, camera should b« »■», ,„„„,„,. your dealers, >l-3»- for recording field and title data A vest-pocket size, black leather, loose leaf binder containing 50 numbered cards with spaces for recording date, roll number, stop used, film footage, light conditions, etc. Indispensable for correct titling when returning from a trip. Simply photograph each page number as you change subjects, keeping data on each. Price $1.25. Extra cards for binder per set of 50, 55c. Twenty- jour rcular. A .wonderful lens for taking long ran*. GP^ ,t,anum'nls and bird'; fr°m a grcai in th, ► h^L"b^1! or football games from high up in the stands. Power of magnification i* six time. normal. Matched viewfinder and eyepiece in- take its use exact. Taylor-Hobson .5 Telephoto Lens corn- matched CE "^"^.^"^"IL^unshade, for descri -luded 1 Cooke 6-inch focus^ Ask For all around telephoto and general long range work, this lens is a gem. The F 3.3 aperture is the fastest ever offered in the telephoto scries. Magnifies the object 3 , times tlie size produced in regular 1-inch lens. While usually advisable to employ a tripod when using telephoto lenses, the iH" may be used without if the camera^is held very steady. Taylor-Hobson Cooke 3 , r focus. F 3.3 Telephoto lens in focusiru; mount, includ- ing sunshade, matched viewfinder and eyepiece. Price $85.00 Ask for descriptive circular- Library films. One* hundred feet of raw film costs $0,(10. Filmo Librnrv films cost only enough addition.il to cover printing, nnd production on special plnys nnd subjects. Each film becomes your own to run sepnrntcly or to splice into your films if you want In, Look for the "blue" carton! Hurry Coo(.e Foiloiu T/n — us shown in ih Filmo Lib Qolf Lest BENGAL TIGER Na GORILLA ural Uiitory Semv Bell & Howell Company 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois Netv York Hollywood London (B. & H. Co., Ltd.) Established 1907 BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago. Illinois I would like further information on the subjects checked here D Eycmo Camera, i I [rig VigncHcr. I J Focusinit Microscope, D Scene Card Binder, fj Double -Speed Filmo, D Super-Speed, n Three-Speed, D Book on Pic- ture Plays. ■ I Tclcplixlo Lenncs, i I Complete Filmo Li- brary, 1 Golf Lessons, D Naturnl History Serici. Address Cty Stale Twenty li ELDERLY Character MAKEUPS By Alice Fleming Illustrated By Miss Fleming and Arthur Campbell Figure 1 A MA TE UR M 0 VIE MA KERS {~/*- herewith presents the first of a scries of special articles on practical make-ups frequently called for in amateur scenarios, in order to help our readers increase their fun and skill in producing photoplays. This series, through special permission, will be based on various chapters in the new and authoritative book, "HOW TO MAKE UP," by Alice Fleming, Copyright 1927 by W . U . Day, All Rights Reserved in All Countries. Figure 3 For An Elderly Woman USE Lockwood's Grease No. 24 or Stein's No. 27 as a ground grease for this char- acter. To produce shadows or hol- lows use Lockwood's Liner No. 8-D or Stein's No. 7 grease. Ap- ply this with your second or third finger — don't put it on too heavily. Remember there should be a line of twenty-six demarkation where the color of grease used for producing hollows and wrinkles end and the color of ground grease begins. Observe my picture (Figure 1) — it will show you how and where to paint the hol- ALICE FLEMING lows and wrinkles. Notice the hol- low which I have painted, the out- line of which runs from my ear to a point under my cheek bone, down to a point just above my jaw bone, then along my jaw bone to my ear. The surface so outlined should be evenly covered with the grease — not too thickly; grease so applied should look like a shadow, not a smear. This is true of all painted shadows. ARTHUR CAMPBELL To sink the eyes, paint shadows well into the cavity nearest the nose. Continue this shadow down each side of the nose to just above the nostrils and down along each side of the mouth to the jaw bone. Shadow over temples. Leaving a small space above the eyebrows, paint a shadow on either side of the forehead. To hollow the neck, paint a shadow about an inch wide down the front of the neck from a point below a supposed double chin. The outline of the shadow on the side of the neck should run from below the ear under the jaw bone forward — to within an inch of the front shadow — then parallel the front shadow to the base of the neck — then up in front of the cord on the side of the neck to starting point. Then shadow from the hair line to the base of the neck back of this cord. In completing the shadows suggested for the neck follow in- structions given for shadowing the cheek. High-light the hollows with Stein's Liner No. 15. Apply by {Continued on page 38) Figure 4 Movie Makers' PARADISE With Carveth Wells, Explorer, In the Land of The Lapps And The Lemming. Illustrated by Mr. Wells and Dr. Clyde Fisher of The American Museum of Natural History By Ruth Hamilton Kerr rS CINE SILHOUETTES IN THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN CARVETH WELLS, explorer who travels to the far ends of the earth in search of the un- usual, has discovered something new again ! He has found the movie maker's paradise where pictures can be taken all day and all night, and the ones taken at midnight are even better than those taken at noon. For in Lapland, the Land of the Mid- night Sun, the light compares with the most powerful Kliegs. and the current is never turned off. At the Explorers' Club where Mr. Wells makes his New York head- quarters the trophy room is also used as a projection room for the motion pictures made by the mem- bers. Pre-views of these pictures, usually taken under the most un- usual and startling circumstances by the renowned explorers who make up the club's roster, are always in- teresting. A private showing of the Carveth Wells Lapland film was no exception, and proved particularly so to the amateur movie maker. "When I first started to lecture about my travels in search of the strange and unusual." said Mr. Wells. "I very rarely told about the ordinary tourist sights. But when I described fish that climb trees and other equally startling things I have seen, my audiences simply would not believe me, so I had to become a movie maker and obtain the proof of my veracity with movies I take myself. "When Clyde Fisher and I made our expedition to Lapland." he con- tinued, "we were perfectly amazed to find that we could keep on taking pictures all day and all night. For- tunately we had learned to change films in a bag, learning the touch system, you might say. And there were none of the usual disappoint- ments that I have found in other latitudes, when we invariably ran into the most interesting sights long after sundown. As a matter of fact, the light at midday is almost too brilliant for good pictures. The rays from the midnight sun are almost horizontal, and shadows are intensi- fied. We learned from experience that we could get a more diffused light at night, when it was less bril- liant, and the timing was not so dif- ficult to determine." Two motion picture cameras were taken to Lapland, a large one and a small portable. Ten thousand feet of film were brought back to the United States, to be developed by the American Museum of Natural History. Of the original only 5.000 feet make Lip the film used by Mr. Wells in his lectures. "Our best pictures were made with the little camera." said Mr. Wells. "For those made when we were camping with our Lapp hosts and had time to rig it Lip, the big machine was preferable, bLit for 'tie-up' pictures made when the boat was upset, when we found the snowy owls, and when we ran into a vast horde of lemmings — all the 'action' shots in fact which make movies in- teresting— the little portable machine was invaluable. It is so light that it can be carried anywhere, and the only thing you must remember is not to 'panoram'." As a permanent record of the nomad life of the Lapps, as they follow after their herds of reindeer, these Lapland pictures are now in the American Museum of Natural History. They are the first and only pictures of any kind made of these little people, as they believe in a strict Lutheran creed which inter- prets the Ten Commandments liter- ally. The second commandment is no exception — "thou shalt not make any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water un- der the earth" — it is followed to the letter. In order to obtain any pic- tures at all Mr. Wells had to peti- tion the religious leaders, explaining that he wished to obtain records for a great museum in America. Per- mission was granted to travel through Lapland with one Lapp family, and take pictures of that one family only. It must be admitted that in many cases the camera was put in operation without their knowl- adge ! {Continued on page 43) A LAPP CHILD AND HER LAPP DOG Twenty-seven t Lights.' CAMERA/ Do you want to know how to make amateur motion picture dramas? Do you want to participate in PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE'S big $2,000 prize contest? PHOTOPLAY is the only national magazine with a special department of service for motion pic- ture amateurs. Each month the foremost stars, di- rectors and cameramen tell the professional — and correct — way to make pictures, to use your camera and to make-up. If you read The Amateur Movie Producer Department of PHOTOPLAY you have the benefit of the entire battery of Hollywood's film experts. jg^^^ \ i\ i Do you want to win recognition and a substantial reward with your amateur films? PHOTOPLAY is offering four prizes of $500 for the best 36, 16 and 9 mm. films submitted according to its rules, which appear in the current issue. Every- one has an equal chance, regardless of the price of equipment. Here is a chance for the movie ama- teur to achieve fame and a big prize at one and the same time. PHOTOPLAY, too, offers a plan by which you can earn a camera "and equipment free. Get a copy of PHOTOPLAY. It is on the newsstands now. Or address PHOTOPLAY, 750 N. Michigan Ave- nue, Chicago, 111. Twenty-eight Photograph By Herbert and Huesgen ILLUSTRATING THE MAGIC WROUGHT BY TELEPHOTIC LENSES Amateur TELEPHOTOGRAPHY TO every amateur photographer, there sooner or later comes a time when telephotography ex- ercises its inevitable appeal. Ama- teur cinematographers find this fas- cinating branch of photography is irresistible. The following com- ments are written in an endeavor to Both Teams With a 1 Inch Lens assist those who are entering this field. Doubtless, our readers know just exactly what a telephoto lens is for. but a word of explanation may not be amiss. A telephoto lens is essen- tially a lens of longer focal length than the lens on the regular camera. The optical principle employed in its construction, however, is different, with the result that the lens is much more compact and lighter than the regular type of lens of the same focal length. For instance, a six- inch telephoto lens, which is usually the most powerful lens employed on any 16 mm. camera, weighs approxi- mately one-half of what an ordinary six-inch anastigmat lens would weigh. There are certain other dif- ferences in these lenses which need not be dwelt upon here; suffice to say that the telephoto principle rs ideal for the purpose for which these lenses are used. The longer the focal length of the lens, the larger the size image that it gives. The size of the image is proportional to the focal length of the lens. In other words. a six-inch lens will show only one- sixth as much as the regular lens, but this portion of the view will be magnified to fill the whole frame. The selection of a telephoto lens depends primarily upon the purpose for which it is being used. If you wish to photograph distant moun- tains, you would not use the same lens that you would if you wanted to photograph your children from a comparatively short distance. Then again, if you are interested in wild By R. Fawn Mitchell life and wish to photograph birds nesting, or something like that, you need a different lens than you would for photographing a football game. The telephoto lens is invaluable for taking pictures of inacessible ob- jects, or rather, we should say, for obtaining a large sized image of in- acessible objects. About the best way of deciding this matter is to draw up a table showing how much view is included by the different lenses at different distances. A table giving this information, for all of the various lenses generally employed on 16 mm. cameras, will be found on the next page. A better idea of the difference in Just the Play With a 3 Inch the appearance of pictures taken with lenses of different focal lengths is shown in these pictures. It will be noticed that in this particular in- stance, the regular lens took in the Only the Star With a 3% Inch complete play, whereas the six-inch lens, at the other extreme, singled out one indivdual player. Once the owner has decided on the best lens to get for his particular re- quirements, the thing is "How is one to get the very best results from it ?" There is one point to be cleared up at this stage. Many people ask what will photograph the greatest distance. The exposure and the clearness of the atmosphere deter- mine the clearness of distant ob- jects in the picture. Of course, the more powerful the lens used, the larger the image of the object and therefore the easier it is to recog- nize it. It must be remembered that tele- photo work is admittedly more dif- ficult than regular work and it is im- perative that everything be just right or the results are apt to be a little disappointing. First of all, in photographing" a distant object, there is more atmos- phere between the lens and the ob- ject. It is obvious, therefore, that any smoke, mist, or dust will mate- rially affect the clearness of the re- sult. Our first rule, therefore, is that the air must be clear when photographing distant scenes. For close-ups, that is, when get- ting a large image of a comparative- ly small object, this, of course, does not matter. Close-up work with a telephoto lens comes under the same rules as ordinary work and needs no special comment except the care nec- essary in focusing the lens. Owing to the greater focal length, the depth of field, or the points between which the lens is sharp, is very small. It is best to use a tape to measure the exact distance, or an accurate dis- tance meter may be utilized to meas- ure from the object to the film. The Bell & Howell Company has devel- oped a very acurate device for this specific purpose known as the Filmo Focusing Microscope, which is de- signed expressly for amateur use. Practically all the work done with a telephoto lens is in taking distant objects, so as to obtain an enlarged image of something more or less in- accessible. It then behooves us to give special attention to this phase of the question, especially as the work becomes more difficult as the III A Real Closeup With a 6 Inch Lens distance increases and the more powerful the lens employed. It is hardly necessary to point out that, the larger the lens the greater the effect of moving it. A rigid tripod is the first essential and the most important. We have previously mentioned the importance of attempting telephotog- T w e n t y - n i n e Lenses Foca! Length Distance From Camera (Feet) Plane Angle 1 I1.? 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 15 25 30 40 50 60 75 100 150 200 300 400 500 1000 20m/m Horizontal 26°- 4' 49 73 .98 1.5 2 0 2.4 2 9 3 4 3 9 7.3 12.2 14.7 19.5 24 4 29.3 36 7 48.9 73.3 97.8 146 7 195.6 244.5| 489. Vertical l9°-54' 36 .54 .72 II 14 1 8 2.2 2.5 2 9 5.4 9. 10.9 14.5 18.1 21.7 27.1 36.2 54 3 72 4 108.6 144 8 181. 362. 25 m/m Horizontal 2P-22' 39 59 78 1.2 1 6 2 0 2.3 2.7 3.1 5.9 9 7 11.7 15 6 19 5 23.5 29.3 39.1 58.7 78.2 117.3 156 5 195 6 391.2 Vertical 16°- 9' 29 43 58 87 1 2 1 4 1.7 2.0 2.3 4.3 7.2 8.7 116 14.5 17.4 21.7 28.9 43.4 57.9 86 9 115 8 144 8 289.6 35 m/m Horizontal l5°-37' 28 .42 56 84 1 1 1 4 1.7 1.9 2 2 4 2 6.9 8.4 11.2 13.9 16 8 20 9 27 9 41.9 55.8 83.8 111.7 139.7 279.4 Vertical 1 1°-41" 21 .31 .41 62 81 1 0 1.2 1.4 1.6 3 1 5.1 6 2 8 3 10.3 12.4 15 5 20 7 31. 41 3 62. 82.7 103.4 206.8 50 m/m Horizontal 11°. 4' .19 .29 .39 59 78 98 1.2 1.4 16 2.9 4.8 5 9 7.8 9.8 117 14.6 19.5 29 3 39 1 58 7 78.2 97.8 195.6 Vertical 8°- 14' 14 22 29 43 58 72 .87 10 1.1 2.2 3 6 4 3 5.8 7 2 8 7 10.8 14.5 21 7 28.9 43.4 57 9 72.4 144.8 3" Horizontal 7°-20' 13 .19 .26 .38 51 64 .77 .90 10 1.9 3 2 3 8 5 1 6 4 7 7 9 6 12.8 19.2 25 7 38 5 51 3 64.2 128 6 Vertical 5°-26' 09 .14 19 .28 38 47 57 66 .76 1.4 2,4 2 8 3 8 4.7 5.7 7 1 9.5 14.2 19 0 28 5 38.0 47.6 95 0 3m; Horizontal 5°-52' 10 .15 21 .31 41 51 62 72 .82 1.5 2 6 3 1 4 1 5.1 6.2 7 7 10.3 15.4 20 5 30 8 41.1 51.4 102 7 Vertical 4 21' .07 II .15 23 .30 38 .46 .51 61 1 .1 1.9 2 3 3 0 3 8 4.6 5.7 7 6 11.4 15 2 22.8 30.4 38 0 76 0 4" Horizontal 5°-30' 10 .14 .19 .29 38 48 .58 67 .77 14 2 4 2 9 3 8 4 8 5 8 7.2 9 6 14.4 19.2 28 9 38.5 48.1 96 2 Vertical 4°- 5' 07 II .14 21 28 36 43 .50 57 II 18 2.1 2 8 3 5 4 3 5 3 7 1 10.7 14 2 21.3 28 5 35.6 71.2 6" Horizontal 3°-40 06 .09 .13 .19 2d 32 .38 .45 .51 96 1.6 1.9 2 5 3.2 3,8 4.8 6.4 9.6 12 8 19.2 25.7 32. 64.1 Vertical 2°-43' 05 07 09 14 19 ' 24 .28 .33 38 71 1 2 14 1.9 2.4 r2.8 3.5 4.7 7 1 9 5 14 2 19. 23 7 47.5 THIS TABLE SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF FIELD INCLUDED BY DIFFERENT FOCAL LENGTH LENSES raphy of extreme distance only when the air is perfectly clear. The most striking" difference between telepho- to and regular photography is the peculiar luminosity of the air, which is also known as aerial haze. This peculiar effect is due to the scat- tering of the light rays by the minute particles of dust, smoke, moisture, normally, or rather usually, present in the atmosphere. The effect is to decrease the nor- mal contrast and produce a flat re- sult. As a matter of fact one of the greatest problems in telephoto "Burton Holmes1 SNAP-SHOTS \ cfT^VEL Edited and Cfitled by r^—l$*i^fJ_^.00 DeVRY AUTOMATIC Standard Camera Loads in daylight with 100 feet standard size roll film. With one winding of spring motor it will take 50 feet. Can also be oper- ated with a hand crank or tripod. Operator can focus through prism directly on film. Also has reflecting and di- rect view finders. Standard equip- ment, F:3.5, 2" Anastigmat Lens in focusing mount. Weight of camera, 9 lbs. Telephoto or high speed lenses can be fitted and easily interchanged. Price $150.00. THE "W" IRIS VIGNETTER $10.00 For Cine Kodak Model B & Filmo Cameras From a closed position of the Vig- netter, a fade-in effect is had by slowly opening the iris on the scene being taken. The "W" Vignetter closes up en- tirely and per?nits a complete lade- out. The action is easy and positive and can be operated without jarring the camera, although the use of a tripod is recommended. Quickly at- tached to the Filmo, screwing into the lens in place of the sunshade. On the Cine Kodak it is fastened into the oblong lens mask. A short shoulder on the front of the Vignetter will permit the use of a color filter if desired. WE CARRY IN STOCK DuPONT 16 MM. NEGATIVE STOCK u/ittwrcHBys ▼▼110 West 32n-dSt, Opp.GimbcIs ** U. S. A. AGENTS FOR DEBRIE CAMERAS, made in FRANCE One 10 Days' FREE Trial for every Bell & Howell Owner Dallmeyer Telephoto Lenses will bring a whole new world within range of your Filmo* JUST as you would use a powerful binocular, your Filmo can now photo' graph distant views, as though they were within a few feet of the camera. For inaccessible bits of landscape, architectural subjects, nature studies and for "close ups" from a distance of children, animals or those apt to feel self- conscious, the Dallmeyer telephoto lenses stand supreme. You will discover for yourself many other fascinating uses. That is why we offer readers of AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS, without any obligation to buy, the free use of a Dallmeyer Telephoto Lens for ten days. If the results are not entirely satisfactory to you, simply take the lens back to your dealer. ^Instantly interchangeable with regular lens; also in special mounts for Eyemo and De Vry Cameras. DALLMEYER. TELEPHOTO LENSES Sole United States Distributors HERBERT & HUESGEN CO. 18 East 42nd Street (near Qrand Central) New York ■FILL IN THIS BLANK AND TAKE IT TO YOUR OWN DEALER- To. (Fill in name of your dealer here) In acceptance of the Free Trial Offer made by Herbert & Huesgen Co., please lend me for ten days' test on my camera, (filmo, eyemo or de vry) No A Dallmeyer Telephoto Lens inch focus. It is agreed that this free trial involves no obligation upon my part to purchase. Jvjame Address THE JUNE COVER This snow scene in an orange and palm grove depicted in the stylized manner of Jorge Palomino was not solely inspired by the desire to of- fer a cooling touch to our summer readers, for it records the actual phenomena observed by this editor while on a trip through Mexico. Whereupon we might remark that life is stranger than movies after all. In any event we feel that the jacket of this issue should compose well with a set which includes an electric fan and a mint julep. Elton Spence Bowman knows South Africa for he is a member of one of the pioneer gold mining fami- lies of Johannesburg. Karl Brown is one of the young- est but one of the most talented of the directors of the Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation, having won his way from the ranks of the cameramen. Weare Holbrook is a humorist whose contributions are frequently bright spots in the New ~rork Her- ald Tribune magazine section and other newspapers and magazines. Charles E. Keevil is an electric railway engineer of Chicago, whose hobby is amateur cinematography. Harry E. Maule is the editor of Short Stories, Frontier and the West magazines of the Country Life Press, and is widely known in the magazine and newspaper field. Boyd Phelps is a radio enthusi- ast who is sharing this hobby with amateur motion picture making. He is a physicist, inventor and a radio technician. Lieutenant N. G. Ricketts is an officer of the United States Coast Guard, at present stationed on the U. S. S. Modoc, which was recently reported in the press as guarding ocean passenger lines in the Atlantic from the menace of iceburgs. P. W. West is an amateur en- thusiast of New York City who divides his time between Wall Street and the cine camera. AN OPPORTUNITY Readers of Amateur Movie Makers are welcome to make practical pro- duction use of Dangerous Ground, which is completed in this issue, and which was generously furnished to this magazine by the Eastman Kodak Com- pany, which purchased the rights from the author and has thus given them to all users of amateur cine cameras. Two J0%-I7r @C1B 745452 ZZL &a mSZA "mm ^sm PUBLISHED BY THE AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC. "Heralding The Motion Picture Of Tomorrow" JUXE, 1927 Number 6 ...CONTENTS... Cover Design Jorge Palomino Contributors 2 slllymattergraphs 4 Editorials 5 Campus at Old Dartmouth, A Drawing Maitland Belknap 6 The Traveling Campus 7 How American Universities Publicize With Motion Pictures Broadway Hails the Amateurs Karl Brozvn 9 The Story of Stark Love — Saga of the Kentucky Hills The Ancient Mariner As Amateur Lieutenant N. G. Ricketts, U.S.C.G. 10 Backward Movies Boyd Phelps 11 Bettering Projection Dr. Kinema 12 Angles and Arches P. W. West 13 Notes On How to Film the Spirit of Old Europe Heirs to the Flathead Harry E. Maulc 14 A Wild West Trip With a Wild West Plot Building a Sixteen M.M. Printer Charles E. Keevil 15 Color Section for June 17 Straight Into the Camera, A Closeup of Speed, Spray and Sport Dangerous Ground, A Scenario for Amateurs Anthony Paul Kelly 18 Now It Can't Be Told Weare Holbrook 19 A Tragedy in One Breath With Amateurs in Africa Elton Spcncc Bowman 20 Sport with Shutter, Surf and Zulu Critical Focusing, Revieivs to Aid the Amateur 22 Exposure Data 23 A Simplified Exposure Guide for Your Files Clinic Edited by Dr. Kinema 26 Closeups and Swaps 30 Closeups Walter D. Kerst 46 Timken's Super Feature 47 Book Reviews 48 AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC. DIRECTORS President Vice-President Treasurer HIRAM PERCY MAXIM STEPHEN F. VOORHEES A. A. HEBERT Hartford, Conn. Architect, of New York City 1711 Park Street, Hartford, Conn. EARLE C. ANTHONY w F rnTTFn . ™ „ „,,,..,,,, President of the National Association ,„ p ^- E; C°TTE* , ~ _ LEE F- HANMER of Broadcasters ° • ork l"lty Director of Recreation, ROY D. CHAPIN C. R. DOOLEY RuSSe11 Sage Foundation Chairman of the Board of Directors, Manager of Personnel and Training, FLOYD L. VANDERPOEL Hudson Motor Company Standard Oil Co. of N. J. Scientist, of Litchfield, Conn. Managing Director ROY W. WTNTON, 105 W. 40th Street, New York City AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is published monthly in New York City by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. Subscription Rate $3.00 a year, postpaid; to members of the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. $2.00 a year, postpaid; single copies, 25c. On sale at newsstands and photographic dealers everywhere in the United States. Copyright, 1927, by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. Title registered at United States Patent Office. Advertising rates on application. Forms close on 15th of preceding- month. Editorial and Publication Office: 105 West 40th Street, New York City. JOHN BEARDSLEE CARRIGAN, Editor Special Filmo Camera and Accessory Case Only $30.00 Size 12X10X*) inches. Black leather with brass lock. A case of rugged construction and beauty. Genuine cowhide, hand stitched and lined with green plush. Accommodates 6-inch and 3%' inch telephoto lenses, fast lens, ray filters, view finders, exposure meter, 4 rolls film, camera, camera key, etc. Corbin hardware. Returnable at full value if not satisfactory. TRUE BALL TRIPOD HEAD Price $15.00 For the amateur who insists on professional results. Panoram or tilt as desired. Locked instantly in any position. NOW AVAILABLE 16 mm. Negative. Furn- ished in sealed tin containers, daylight loading. Extreme latitude in exposure insuring better pictures AND ALL THE PRINTS YOU WANT. Furnished in 100 foot reels $3.25. FILMS FOR SALE 16 MM. Send for our complete list of subjects avail- able. Comedies, Cartoons, Dramas and Travel Pictures. Motion Pictures Exclusively therefore qualified to serve you United Projector & Film Corporation 228 Franklin St. 1112 Keenan Bldg. Buffalo, N. Y. Pittsburgh, Pa. The difference between ama- teur films and modern flappers is that many of the films are under-exposed. * * * * / don't like these new f an- gled spring motor movie cam- eras because you can't pull any wise cracks about the guy who "turns a wicked crank." * * * * In Boston they don't call 'em "zvise cracks," they call 'em "Intellectual Rifts." T* *P *P 5|* We can hardly call filming a sober occupation because so many films are half -shot. * * * * Might we say a finished pic- ture is aristocratic because it is "titled"? *K % ^ % The direct positive method for amateur films should pro- duce a pleasant picture because you never get your subject in a negative attitude. * * =t= * A friend who was enthusias- tically telling us about his new lighting outfit said he called it his 18th amendment because it was the 18th new "doohickey" he bought for his movie outfit. We told him that was a good name for it, because his sub- jects coidd get all lit up "with- out breaking the law." * * * * If Noah had had a movie camera lie could have made some fine interior pictures after he made the Ark light on Mt. Ararat. It was not a Spotlight ; it was a Flood Light. % ^ ^ ^ We recently leaned on the showcase in our favorite deal- er's "hang-out" and broke the glass right in half; — but zve told him he had no kick com- ing because zve gave him a 50-50 break. c&he HOME MOVIE SCENARIO MORRIE RYSKIND C. F. STEVENS JAMES ENGLANDER A book every amateur movie maker will want to own — the first intelligent and auth- oritative, but non-technical, treatment of amateur photo- play production. 20 complete scenarios with titles and full directing notes. How to Organize a Home Movie Company Tips for the Director How to Make Cheap Sets Secrets of Lighting and Make-Up Acting A handsome work of permanent value — THE HOME MOVIE SCENARIO BOOK $2.50 At all camera dealers and bookstores, or jrom Richard Manson Publisher 535 Fifth Avenue, New York City Four THE CRITICAL PERSON who edits the editorials that the editorial writer writes for this magazine has put a positive veto on the "build thee more stately mansions, O my soul" type of contributions that formerly appeared on this page. We submit under duress and pro- duce this chop-suey sort of thing. Our inner urge runs to the Doctor Johnson kind of English and the John Erskine type of persuasive- ness. We have protested — but to no purpose — that we can give as many polysyllabic and sophis- ticated reasons why any adventur- ous amateur motion picture mak- er should have a membership card in the Amateur Cinema League as we can short and pointed ones. We were outvoted. YVTE AGREE WITH CARL *^ Van Doren who says that criticism is impertinent. We would like to poll the readers of this magazine and we should be will- ing to bet our tripod against a half dozen film cans that the im- pertinence of the critical person is resented by not a few of them. We feel sure that our erstwhile spacious style had a large leisure- liness about it, a sort of panoramic universality. But these are vain regrets. The critic reigns su- preme. A CHALLENGE HAS COME ■*■ *- to produce the early spring robin who descended in Bryant Park equipped with a movie cam- era. Investigation disclosed that the robin had been devoured in- continently by a crass and inar- tistic cat. Or, maybe, it was one of the Library lions. The cat has been held on suspicion and the Mona Lisa smile of the left hand lion has been photographed with the robin's camera. Both film and tragedy are awaiting further de- velopment. -nILMING MUSIC IS UND- JP er rather general amateur ex- periment. Films have often been set to music but these new experi- ments are endeavoring to set music to films. A scenario is written that interprets, pictorially, the particular musical composition chosen. Both film and music are timed together. Some of the scen- arios are in story form. Others try to give scenes and cinemato- graphic effects in the mood of the music. The hazard is made that a new art form — it might be called, for want of a better term, a film opera — will result from these trials and that the motion pictures and the music will be in- tegrated both in creation and in production. Two arts would be JUNE BUGS welded and neither would be sub- servient to the other. The effect- iveness of this Welding will occur to anyone who has seen the Dam- nation of Faust presented at the Paris Grand Opera where motion pictures are used with music. AN EXPERIENCED AMA- teur is at work on a scen- ario of pure motion. He believes that rustling trees, running water, whirlwinds, swiftly moving clouds, driving rain — difficult but not impossible to film — moving animals and birds, machinery in motion, vehicles under way and city crowds will present enough dramatic interest to make a narra- tive superfluous. From this type of camera adventuring will come the fullness of the eighth art. T^HAT CRITICAL PERSON J- also warned us not to be sentimental or poetical. Robins, music, rustling trees, running wat- er. These all verge on the danger line. Writing editorials is not our idea of making a living, anyway. We have a vocation to higher things. But our lesser self seems to be the most economically pro- ductive. It is highly probable that the stones that modern build- ers reject go into the concrete mix- er that provides an underpinning for the Good Intentions highway. T^HIS STRAIN, PLAINTIVE, X not to say cynical, is persist- ent. It is undoubtedly the fault of June. June is a month for many things, for madness, for brides, for bugs, for being knee- deep in, for graduating, for film- ing. It is also the month for melancholy if you have had your paragraphs clipped and your pe- riods pointedly pruned. And — ah, we achieve the happy ending — speaking of mar- riage; whether you intend to get married this June or did it some Junes ago and whether you will regret it or not or have regretted it or not — after all, it's your own personal affair and we are a bachelor — the one distinctive, undated, crisp and swanky thing to do this June — the one thing that will place you in the van- guard of vogue and in the very central closeup of film fashion — ■ is to Join The Amateur Cinema League Five . i i dampttH at QDlfc Hartmotttb Six The TRAVELING Campus How American Universities Publicize with Motion Pictures SINCE the college became aqua- tic with the Floating Univer- sity, students have added a new song to their collegiate hymnol- ogy and "Where is my Wandering Alma Mater Tonight" has been set to the most advanced jazz music wth an orchestration scored for tenor and baritone foghorns, ship's bells, am- phibious saxaphones and ukeleles. Now a new phenomenon has appear- ed and erstwhile staid and correct campuses have begun to wander over the land — not by ox-cart, Conestaga wagon, flat-cars or even converted army trucks, but by film. Information collected by Herbert L. Connelly, Alumni Secretary of Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, for presentation at the annual convention of the Association of Alumni Secretaries held recently at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, indicates that fifty- seven colleges of the United States are uniting graduate and campus by the use of motion pictures. The extent to which the execu- tives of collegiate alumni organiza- tions are interested in film contacts with graduates is apparent from the fact that an entire evening session of their annual convention was de- voted to a study of motion pictures as means of furthering alumni inter- est. The subject was presented by means of addresses and by showing films, both in 35 m.m. and in 16 m.m. widths. The Amateur Cinema League was represented by its man- aging director, Roy W. Winton. In presenting the results of his investigation into the extent to which films are used in alumni work, Mr. Connelly said he had questioned 225 institutions and had received re- sponses from 143. Of these 143 that answered the inquiry fifty-seven use motion pictures and eighty-six do not. But of the eighty-six non-users twenty are considering adopting this method of alumni approach. Answers indicate that twenty-nine alumni bodies make use of 35 m.m. width and eighteen make use of 16 m.m. width. Some of these use both widths. Thirteen institutions report having more than 2500 feet each, of film avilable, eighteen have 2500 feet each, nine have 1000 feet each and five have 500 feet each. Upwards of 90,000 feet of collegiate motion picture alumni film are in use. Five types of cameras are reported and at least five types of projectors. The development of collegiate amateur cinematographers has been slow. Thirty-eight colleges report the employment of "professionals" to make the pictures. The alumni secretary and his assistants are cam- era men in eleven instances. Faculty members and students have pushed ACTION— CAMERA ! ! Undergraduate Life Is Graphically Depicted In the Wesleyan Films buttons or turned cranks seven times each. Titling and editing seems to b e considered 1 es s hazardous. Twenty-two alumni secretaries or their assistants wield shears and title equipment as against eighteen pro- fessionals. Faculty members are more at home in this process of elim- ination and classification than stud- dents and are represented by nine titlers and editors while only four students aspire to this task. One institution indicates a remarkable instance of executive caution report- ing that titling and editing is done by the "president," presumably the president of the college, unless the president of the alumni body is more enmeshed in details than one would ordinarily suspect. In endeavoring to gauge the prob- able scope of alumni pictorial inter- est forty-nine secretaries have pro- vided films of athletic events, forty- eight have presented campus scenes, thirty-five have filmed alumni re- unions. This tallies closely with the popular sentimental concept of the "old boy" as concerned chiefly with the athletic prowess of his school, secondly with the "dear old campus" and eager to get back to his kid days in an occasional alumni reunion. Thirty-three alumni bodies have cap- italized the pulling power of faculty members, eight have filmed special' university events and two have ven- tured to challenge alumni interest with pictures of alumni officers. Amateur Movie Makers finds of. especial interest the fact that sixteen alumni bodies have filmed scenarios. One of these was described in the February number of this magazine. Discussions at the annual convention indicate that this type of alumni film will increase in popularity and in numbers. Scenario writers are divid- ed between faculty, students and alumni executives. Typical films in the hands of alumni associations are The Colgate Classic, a photoplay based on life at Colgate ; slow motion campus pic- tures of Duke University, designed for showing on a continuously mov- ing daylight motion picture machine ; a film showing college buildings and fraternity houses at Wesleyan Uni- versity ; a natural color film of scenes at Rutgers College. Columbia Uni- versity has recently filmed a photo- play in its own studio. Through a cooperative desire not to encroach upon the field of motion picture theatre owners the greater part of these alumni films have been shown without charge at alumni gatherings in the different cities where graduates of the college are to be found. Some secretaries report, however, that they have fin- anced the cost of the pictures, either in whole or in part, by admittance charge showings at the college. These showings are especially popu- lar where a scenario has been pro- duced and by college students. Some films have been made from funds se- cured by a fractional percentage of the fee charged for alumni banquets. In general motion picture budgets are established as a regular part of the alumni secretary's available funds. In some instances athletic events have been filmed and the films have been sold to news reel services, the college retaining the negative. The direct alumni purpose of the films is clear from the report that Seven A RUTGERS "LEG SHOW" The Varsity Filmed In Training Warms the Heart and Opens the Wallet When Viewed By the Old Grads. fifty-two colleges show these films at alumni meetings. Thirty-six use them for missionary work in second- ary schools. Fifteen have secured regular moving picture theatrical presentation. Forty-eight secretar- ies are personally in charge of the distribution of films and two have arranged for distribution through professional sources. Mr. Connelly's questionnaire also endeavored to get an indication of the results of these film efforts. Forty institutions report an enthus- iastic reception by alumni while thir- teen claim that the alumni are inter- ested. As to the secretaries them- selves, forty-five consider motion pictures worth the amount of time put on them in stirring up alumni interest. Eight are doubtful and two give a definite no to this question. No opposing voices made themselves heard at the convention to which over two hundred secretaries came. Of the fifty-seven colleges report- ing the use of alumni films five are colleges for women and the remain- der either colleges for men or coedu- cational. They are: The University of Alabama, Allegheny College, Am- herst College, Beloit College, Bos- ton University, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Brown University, Uni- versity of California, Carnegie In- stitute of Technology, Colgate Uni- versity, Columbia University, Cor- nell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, The College of Emporia, Grinnell College, Haver- ford College, Hobart College, Hood College, Howard University, Uni- Eight versity of Illinois, Iowa State Col- lege, University of Kansas, Lafay- ette College, Lehigh University, Uni- versity of Maine, Marquette Univer- sity, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Missouri, Mount Holyoke College, University of Nebraska, University of Notre Dame, Ohio State University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Oregon Agri- cultural College, Pennsylvania State College, University of Pennsylvania, Pomona College, Princeton Univer- sity, Radcliffe College, Rutgers Col- lege, Smith College, University of Toronto, Trinity College of Hart- ford, Conn., Tulane University, Union College, Vassar College, Uni- versity of Vermont, Washington University, University of Virginia, Wesleyan University, Western Re- serve University, Wittenberg Col- lege, College of Wooster, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Yale Univer- sity. Mr. Winton, speaking for the Amateur Cinema League, urging the use of motion pictures in alumni work and offering the services of the League to American colleges, said, "Until two or three years ago the motion picture as a visual appeal method was available only to organ- izers with comparatively large bud- gets. Within the last two or three years, however, this situation has changed, and it is now possible to se- cure cameras, projectors and films at a very low rate by making use of amateur equipment in 35 m.m., 16 m.m. and 9 m.m. widths, which is being distributed over the entire world. Information in the possession of the Amateur Cinema League indi- cates that close to 70,000 persons in the United States, alone, are engaged in this new activity." Thus the campus mountain has ac- tually come to the graduate Maho- met and another miracle of the movies is recorded. By this magic carpet the most venerable buildings, the most ancient oaks and sycamores and the most firmly embedded fac- ulty members have become mobile. Alumni are actually kept in visual communication with the changing conditions and increasing needs of their schools. Prospective students can get first hand — or, at least, first eye — information about the college they are considering. The institu- tions themselves, by an exchange of films, may modestly herald their rival achievements. Eventually these films will find their way into the amateur libraries and the absurd conceptions of college life which are held by many Americans will give way to a realistic picture of what collegians are doing. The discussion of the value of mo- tion pictures in education still goes on. While it is going on, the use of motion pictures in making educa- tion popular is actually on the in- crease. It is doubtful if, in another five years, any first class college will be without its films for the purpose to which the alumni secretaries are now directing them. They tell the story in the most simple fashion and have the most general appeal. BROADWAY Hails the AMATEURS The Story of Stark Love — Saga of the Kentucky Hills By Karl Brown I HAVE heard "Stark Love" re- ferred to as an experiment. Cer- tainly, it is far from that. It is no more of an experiment than life itself. When an author selects an un- usual bit of life for the theme of his story, then proceeds to expand that theme through touches of stark real- ism, you do not call it an experiment. Rightfully, you might call the story different, and so is "Stark Love," yet any story properly told is nothing more than an effective portrait of a people. In producing "Stark Love" for Paramount I sought only to present a vivid portrait of a people who never before had been adequately portrayed, either in story or in mo- tion picture. Once I had my theme it would have been a simple matter to have produced it in a studio with motion picture actors and actresses. My thought was, however, that if I fol- lowed the usual proceedure I could not truthfully mirror the rugged life of the Southern Highlander. I wanted a picture that was different and I was firmly convinced that I must not adhere to set principles if I were to attain mv aim. Paramount granted me permission to go into the mountains of the South where a primitive people lives with- out contact with civilized commun- ities. I went into the fastness of the mountains and lived with these peo- ple to whom a motion picture was something strange and unbelievable. My first task was to win the con- fidence of these people. They are extremely wary for they fear intru- sion by federal agents. Once they appreciated the purpose of my pres- ence among them they became man- ageable and soon I found them in- terpreting before the camera the real life of the mountaineer. In using amateurs in making "Stark Love" I think I achieved something which I could not have achieved had I used professionals. In this picture you see these primi- tive Americans as they really are, mentally as well as physically. You sense the characteristic working of the mountaineer mind. That is why "Stark Love" presents an effective portrait of these people, and is dif- ferent. "Stark Love" was a difficult pic- ture to make. You must remember that, like amateurs in general, we had no studio facilities. We did not WHERE MODERN METHODS ARE A MYTH These Hillfolk Live Just As Did Their Colonial Forefathers JUST AN AMATEUR Helen Mundy, Heroine of Stark Love have property men, carpenters, elec- tricians or other technicians at our beck and call. Once we were in the mountain region, remote from civili- zation, we remained there until the picture was completed. Obstacles would present themselves but we had to surmount these without recourse to the studio. In the first place we eliminated the use of makeup in the production of the picture. This in itself was an important item. In eliminating the use of makeup we accentuated the ruggedness of the people we were portraying. We also simplified the process of production. You can imagine the task had it been neces- sary for us to makeup our charac- ters each day. Here were a people to whom makeup was as strange as the motion picture itself. We knew when we went into the mountains we would have certain in- teriors to make. Lighting is an im- portant item in making such shots. A poorly lighted scene often ruins an otherwise good picture. To light these interiors we took with us a number of gas lights of the type D. W. Griffith used in his early days of motion picture production. Because of the theme of "Stark Love" it was necessary for us to keep the mountaineers in ignorance of it. To accomplish this we did not film the story in sequence. Nor did these people ever see the finished pic- ture. (Contina-ed on page 43) Nine The ANCIENT MARINER As Amateur By Lieutenant N. G. Ricketts, U. S. C. G. ! _„, i EN years ago the call of the sea ■ lAj got me and I gave up an irksome "Tr . clerkship in a marine insurance I 'K«r\ i office f°r some of the risks I IfTKiJfiS wrote about. It was my good J.NAkfP^Mq fortune to be able to enter the U. S. Coast Guard as a Cadet. There followed three years of study, broken only by summer practice cruises. These years of preparation have been followed by seven on cruising cutters along our Atlantic Coast. I have visited time and again practically every port from Eastport to Key West. Last year the ship to which I was at- tached cruised from Havana to Halifax, from the Gulf to the Grand Banks. Of course I have seen the shore and the ocean in every mood and condition. There have been nights of howling fury and nights of moonlight and glassy waters ; nights of stars and nights of fog and snow. There have been clear calm dawns and dawns with leaden heavens ; dawns of gold clouds and sunbursts and dawns of whitecaps and wind. The days have been varied also, ranging from the boiling heat of summer in Florida waters to the killing cold off Maine in the winter. They have been cloud blank- eted, smoky, misty, foggy ; snowy, rainy. Some have been boisterous and obscured by hail, sleet and haze, but many have been crystal clear. Then there have been vessels of every description ; motorboats, liners, motor ships, naval vessels, rum runners, yachts, dories, bugeyes, sharpies and schooners. Some of these had to be boarded, some helped, some arrested, and some just passed in the night. I first found out that life could be photographed about two years ago when I became navigator on the Yamacraw and was made custodian of the ship's camera. Much to my surprise I discovered that when I aimed this camera and pulled the trigger carefully and according to directions, as often as not I got pictures at the drug store when I called for my negatives and prints. When the druggist asked me to let him put some of the prints in his window I was still further surprised and commenced snapping i / / / ' 4B|l * T i I Ten MENACE OF THE SHIP LANES Many News Reels You Have Seen Of Beautiful But Deadly Icebergs Guard Shells Were Taken By the Ancient Mar SUNSET AND SHADOW The Sea and Ships Furnish the Set For This Amateur in earnest and building up an album as time and oppor- tunity offered. I wanted something that I could show to others which would explain my life to them and something that I could turn to when aged or disabled — turn to and live over with vividness the romance of the days gone by. Quite soon I saw that my pictures were costing me more than I could afford. I tried printing my own and then developing. After I got the habit I found the work easy and interesting; also it effectually slash- ed my costs. A small local demand for my views sprang up among the men. Occasionally I could sell an especially good print with news in- terest to a news picture company. Everything was going along fine until Headquarters sent an automa- tic narrow gauge moving picture camera to the ship as an addition to the photographic equipment. When I saw how easily it worked and what good movies it made I went (if I hadn't already gone) completely off Being Destroyed By Coast . - . . . iner {Continued on page 45) BACKWARD Movies By Boyd Phelps IT may not be commonly known, but reversed motion effects can be accomplished easily with the ordinary amateur camera without any extra equipment, dark room, or without interrupting the continuity of projection, as is the case when the projector is stopped and the same scene run backwards. In order not to reverse "lefts and rights'' rendering familiar scenes un- recognizable and printed signs un- readable, this simple procedure should be followed. Hold the camera upside down in making the exposure and when the film is received back from the finishing laboratory cut out this section and splice it back re- versed end for end. The film should not to be turned over so, therefore, the emulsion is scraped in the splic- ing process as in ordinary editing. In projecting the emulsion side of the film is closest to the lens just the same as the rest of the film on the reel and the focus stays perfect. While it is usually inconvenient to lie on one's back to use a reflecting finder on the bottom of the camera, it will be found easy to use the straight-away sight finder most com- mon on all makes of movie cameras. In general, instead of steadying the camera against the chin or cheek it is held against the forehead and the fingers arranged conveniently, as easily determined by practice sight- ing with your particular make of camera. With this simple explanation of the modus operandi a number of ac- tions to photograph may suggest themselves. A locomotive may be shown chasing and sucking down black clouds out of the sky which is then left refreshingly clear. The il- lusion is somewhat more complete and amusing if the locomotive is photographed running backward in a zigzag course among many parallel tracks and belching out occasional black puffs which stay nearby. Or a person smoking may produce a similar amusing result. Do not fol- low the example of the author and smoke yourself sick trying to get enough volume of smoke out of a cigarette and find later that the back- ground was not sufficiently dark to give much of an idea what it was all about. One common stunt often shown on the professional screen consists of circular ripples on water under a diving board appearing to close in on their center out of which a swim- mer rises feet first into the air, lands on the diving board and walks away. This can be improved upon by hav- ing the swimmer dressed in light BACKWARDS OR FORWARDS Gar Wood, Famous Motorboat Racer, Records His Victories With the Cine Camera flimsy clothes which blow in the breeze as do also his hair and necktie emphasizing their dryness as he walks onto the diving board back- wards and executes a backward som- ersault. In this as well as most of these backwards stunts a much bet- ter effect is produced if the actor walks into or out of the picture back- wards, for then the phenomenal ac- tions catch the audience off their guard. Incidentally walking back- wards is not done as easily as may be supposed, in a truly natural way without noticeable leg stiffness, back- ward bending, or the tendency to look behind as if being pursued, as the screen showing might indicate. Practice makes perfect, especially in accustoming the actor to the number of steps to bring him to his position, and where other objects are located about and behind him. Everyday scenes often make the most amusing incidents when revers- ed, such as a familiar waterfall, air- planes landing, or busy traffic scenes, showing pedestrians dodging back- wards narrowly escaping being run down by a car that has actually pass- ed, but which appears to be uncon- trollably backed up at a fast rate, with the driver not even looking that way ! Two cameras may be bound together, one upside down, and ex- posures made with both so that in projection the action resumes normal direction with what would seem a violent jerk to the actors. Minature playlets can be worked out, or some of these ideas can be used in a story of a more serious nature to enable an otherwise impossible stunt to be easily done. Jimmy, the neighbor- hood clown, may be shown purchas- ing a banana from Tony the peddler and walking away eating it, only to find it has given him cramps in his stomach, whereupon, according to the upside down camera, he pulls the last piece of the banana out of his mouth and by putting it up to his mouth several times builds it up to its original length, replaces the peel- ings which jump from the sidewalk to his hands, and sells the banana back to the peddler and both feel happy again. A somewhat more disgusting or laughable effect, as the case may be, is produced by photo- graphing a person by this process while eating a large meal. On the screen he appears to sit down in front of a lot of dirty dishes and first takes pieces of pie out of his mouth which all fit together on the plate in their right order, in fact the cuts be- tween adjoining pieces are erased with the fork, followed by meat, po- tatoes, gravy, several kinds of vege- tables, and soup, being taken out and placed in their right dishes until the audience wonders at not only the size of the actor's head but the filing system he uses to keep all these sep- arate. From the above suggestions a number of ideas should suggest themselves, if it is remembered that generally the simplest and common- est everyday actions look the fun- niest when reversed on the screen, and form an interesting diversion in an evening's program. SAFETY FIRST A. P. H. Said th ; Acetate of Cellulose To the Nitrate n a huff. ■'I like the fairn ess of your face, But damn your po wder puff." Eleven BETTERING Projection By Dr. Kinema I HAVE made up my mind that projecting is lagging behind ex- posing. In several instances late- ly I have seen perfectly good pic- tures ruined by deficient projecting. The trouble is a poor lens, with the blurry focus that a poor lens always gives, insufficient light, a bad screen and trying to get too large a picture on the screen. One of the films I went to see was made on a hunting trip last fall. There were wild life pictures of moose and deer that I have never seen equalled on the professional screen. This chap had made some perfectly splendid selections for his pictures, that is in composition, and he had used exactly the right stop, so that the shadows were beautiful in their detail and the highly lighted places were not over exposed. The picture taking, in other words, was very fine indeed. But when he pro- jected them he spoiled everything. First of all he had one of those old lenses in his projector which came out in some of the early projectors. Then he had a lamp that was all blackened with age. On top of this he had a piece of wall board painted white for a screen, and in order to make a large picture so we all could see it, he went back for enough to fill completely the big Kodak screen. The result was a washed out blur. I felt so keenly the wasted pos- sibilities that I made advances to his wife and finally worked up an ar- rangement to allow me to project his films on my projector. I believed with my fresh, white lamp, pushed up to four good healthy amperes with my rheostat, with a modern lens in my projector, with a stand six- teen feet from the screen, and with a nice clean silver screen without wrinkles in it, I would be able to show things in these films that the owner never suspected he had. We fixed it up and they came over to our house and we had a little ama- teur cinema dinner party. (They are becoming very fashionable lately, these amateur cinema parties). In- side of two minutes his wife was ex- claiming, and before the first reel had been run off the whole party were wild with enthusiasm. My friend who took the pictures was literally dumbfounded. He had three won- derful films and he had never dreamed it. I heard his wife tell him he must go downtown the next Twelve day and get fixed up on the project- ing business. I took some of my films over to a friend's house the other evening to add to several that others were to bring along for an evening's enter- tainment. Mine were some of my favorites in which I had made an effort to express my alleged artis- tic sense. In order to get the kind of a picture that I require it is un- avoidable that the film should be Photo By Boring Travel Service. SHADOWS CALL FOR LIGHT pretty dense. I like to take shadows and in order to bring them out, it takes lots of light. My friend does not appreciate the necessity for lots of light. He really does not seem to need it, because the pictures that he makes are almost always out in the open where the illumination is strong and very evenly distributed. He likes street scenes, for example, where everything is about a hundred feet distant, and evenly illuminated. On the other hand, mine are fre- quently of. smaller scenes about forty feet distant, and a good share of the scene is in shadow, to contrast with the more highly lighted parts. His reduced lighting power did not seriously affect his pictures. He would have done better with more light, but he did not seriously suffer from his moderate supply. When he hit my reels, however, the effect was anything but creditable to my abil- ities. Most of my favorite scenes were black patches in which not an atom of detail appeared. I confess I did a lot of squirming in my chair while my reels were being screened, and I made the mental resolve never again to permit another to project my films. I would fetch along my own projector the way a man fetches along his own tooth brush when he goes visiting. These same films of mine were shown a few days later at a club evening, where there was a long nar- row hall and some hundred people present. I looked the ground over with no small misgiving, because I realized that our sixteen millimeter stuff was not built to show to a hall full of people, and a long narrow hall at that. After studying the thing over I made up my mind to be criticised more for showing good, but small pictures, rather than poor but large ones. So I took along my small screen and set up my projector just sixteen feet from the screen. I used every bit of light I could command, and I took particular pains to see- that my screen was cleaned. When the audience assembled the room was filled and I wondered what those away back in the hall would have to say when they saw the size of the pictures. The last row of seats must have been considerably further back of the projector than the projector was back of the screen. I ran through seven reels that eve- ning. My wife, who sat in the last row, just to be able to report accur- ately, said there was no criticism at all on the score of size. The titles were all easily read and the pictures gained from the distance rather the reverse. They were brilliantly il- luminated, sparkled in fact, and all my favorite scenes came out beauti- fully. In fact, I had polished up my screen to such an extent, that some of the distant mountain scenes which I had agreed were too dark even with all the light I usually gave them at home, came out better than I had ever seen them. They were among my best pictures. Certainly, a dense film does make a beautiful picture when you get the light back of it and also get a screen that will return a fair percentage of the light that impinges upon it. Wherefore, I repeat, look into this projecting business. There's a lot in it. Angles and ARCHES Notes on How to Catch the Spirit of Old Europe in Your Film By P. W. West THE SOUL OF FLORENCE Is Expressed In This Striking Composition MANY will be the movie cam- eras that are taken to Europe this year, and varied will be the films which return. But with forethought, travel pictures can be made truly artistic, interesting and far superior to the usual stereotyped, disconnected recording of each place visited. The idea is not merely to expose hundreds of feet of film, but to seek to record the true atmosphere of a place in a few simple touches. Eu- rope cries out with artistry, and beautiful effects can often be ob- tained by using her old arches, gate- ways, trees and bridges as frames for your pictures. The Coliseum at Rome is nothing but stone pile in a strong-light panoram, but by point- ing the camera through one of the many arches, with their lines and shadows, it becomes a thing of rare charm. The Romans, since time for- gotten, have felt the beauty of the arch and the column, and nothing can better describe the eternal city through its various ages than some striking shots using these two means with care. It is usually advis- able to have some hu- man interest in the various locations to create movement and also to indicate the relative size of what is being pictured, but the interest should be some native son or outstanding type and never a band of tour- ists. Nothing becomes more leaden or gro- tesque than a finished print with tourists stamped all over it. Of course, they will be around, but a little care will eliminate most of them. Pictures of building after building or street after street soon be- come monotonous, and it is important to re- member that often the true spirit of a place is not conveyed in cover- ing broad distances. A quaintly dressed youngster in a doorway will often reveal more true atmosphere than several pages of a guide book. Endless tilts and panorams of Notre Dame in Paris will not stir half the attention to be won by a few out- standing details of its carved figures and gargoyles. It is quite necessary now and then to photograph famous spots. We have all seen pictures of the Eifel Tower, Westminster. Granada and endless others, but if one can work out new camera angles, or out of the ordinary effects on these familar subjects, he has brought untold in- terest to his movies. A travelogue can be tremendously helped by humorous touches. Pic- turing animals seldom fails to get the desired effect. Every visitor to Florence, for instance, has seen the donkeys with their queer carts and the house cats without number. It is surprising what antics they offer the alert camera. A very serviceable and worthwhile addition to travel pictures is the in- troduction, once in a while, of a bit of poetry or quotation from a well- known author, appropriate to what is being photographed. Many who have travelled through Italy come under the spell of Robert Browning, and often lines from his poems as titles mean much to the resulting movies. It is well to prepare a scenario before starting on a long trip. Then a definite idea can be followed care- fully. What an interesting reel can be made of children of various lands, or a study of conveyances from the little donkey cart to the wild taxis of Paris, or some outstanding note of each country A'isited. A FRAME FOR THE ALPS Scene From a Cine Silhouette of Switzerland Thirteen HEIRS to the FLATHEAD A Wild West Trip with A Wild West Plot By Harry E. Maule WHEN the idea for making a motion picture story as a photographic memorandum of our Western horseback trip first came to mind it was repelled with a certain degree of firm- ness because the writer had made these pack-train trips before and knew how strenuous they are and how difficult it is to work in any time for other activities. It would even be difficult enough to carry the camera during the day's riding where it would be handy for a few feet of scenery or human action. However, once in mind, the idea could not be downed and I knew I was lost when I made the mistake of mentioning it to some of the rest of the crowd. They all agreed with glee. Now I wouldn't trade my four reels of "The Heirs to the Flathead" for any other possession and, indeed, several other members of the party are having prints made for their own use and for preservation as a record of a fascinating- experience. To understand the background of our enterprise it may be well to state that in our party were nine "dudes" and four guides — thirteen in all. The "dudes" were made up as follows : two grown men and their wives, two boys nineteen years old, and three girls approximately twenty, seventeen and fourteen. We all started from our homes on Long Island and made the journey by rail to Belton, Montana, where we went for a month's camping and fishing with a pack outfit into the Flathead and Sun River National Forests, which are in the heart of the high Rockies in the magnificent country just south of Glacier National Park. Our guides consisted of the head guide, Frank Higgins, a horse wrangler, a general utility man and a cook. Inasmuch as most of us had been on similar trips with these same guides >'.*V ■fitter #$*** IF THERE'S "GOLD IN THEM MOUNTAINS" THEY'LL FIND IT Fourteen BRING ON YOUR VILLAIN The Mountain Waif Confidently Awaits the Worst before, we all view them as good friends. Consequently any motion pictures to be taken would include them in prominent parts. On leaving the railroad we traveled some sixty miles by automobile to the end of the Government supply road into the Flathead National Forest. There our guides had our outfit assembled, saddle horses, pack horses and groceries. We had left our store clothes at the hotel in Belton and went into the mountains in the clothes we would wear for the next month, saving, of course, the necessary changes which had to be washed along the trail. Thereafter, our traveling was done by horseback on narrow forest service trails, for there are no roads of any description in that country. For the next month the only human beings we saw, outside our own party, were a few forest rangers. All our duffel, groceries, personal belongings and tents, were carried by the pack horses. Our method was to ride all day for two or three days until we struck some particularly beautiful spot and then stop over for a couple of days to rest, fish and enjoy the scenery. We put up tents only when it rained. Thus, the poor nit-wit who couldn't resist the idea of mak- ing a motion picture story of this trip, got the bunch together going out on the Oriental Limited, and told them the general outline of the plot. Naturally the scheme was of twofold purpose — to have the fun of acting and directing a motion picture story and at the same time to make a day-by-day photographic record of our trip. The first problem, of course, was a tough one in scenario writing because we had thirteen people (counting the guides), all of whom we naturally wanted to appear in the story with equal prominence. More- over, knowing the kind of a trip we were going on I realized the difficulty of making any pictures, any time. I especially realized the problem of carrying the motion picture camera on my saddle, because in climbing those mountain trails added weight for man or beast is a torture, particularly for the man {Continued on page 4A) BUILDING A Sixteen MM. PRINTER By Charles E. Keevil AMONG the many users of 16 mm. film there must be quite a number, like the author, who would like to perform all op- erations from the taking of the pic- ture to the showing of the finished film. This article is intended to point the way to home finishing of 16 mm. movie film and describe the construction of a simple printing machine which anyone who is handy with tools can make with very little difficulty or outlay of capital. In this connection it may be said that this machine makes a print (or positive) for the projector by con- tact printing from a negative instead of chemically reversing the negative into a positive as is the usual prac- tice with 16 mm. film. By this method any number of prints of equal quality can be made from one negative, and small errors in expo- sure can be corrected in the printing process. For developing this film after ex- posure, some sort of developing rack will be necessary. This can be made of two strips of wood fastened to- gether at the middle to form a cross and with yA" lengths of l/%" dowel pins set in holes drilled in each leg of the cross about }i" apart. On this rack the film can be wound, starting at the center of the frame, around the pegs in a four-cornered spiral. The emulsion side must be on the outside to avoid damage where the film comes in contact with the pegs. With this rack three square trays will be required for de- veloper, hypo, and washing. These should not be larger than necessary so as to use the minimum amount of solution to cover the film. Another type of rack can be made by soldering ribbon antenna wire in- to hack saw cuts made in a cross of Ya" square brass rods, so as to form a spiral with about l/&" between turns. This should be given a cou- ple of coats of acid-proof enamel which is sold by all photographic supply stores for painting trays. The author uses a rack of this type, 10 inches in diameter, which holds 50 ft. of film and requires only one- half gallon of developer to cover it completely. Enameled pans from the 5 and 10-cent store make ideal trays for this type of rack. jppocket s_ e>p/ve j HA FT riG. i SPRING PRESSURE Pt-ATC i^r ■SHUTTER FIG. 3 DRIVE GEAR- MITRE GEARS CLAW E/LM GUIO£. ■SLOT IH PRESSURE PLATE POR CLAtV FIG. Z SLOT, TO TAKE PP/V//VG CRANK -APERTURE, CUT thru base plate: WORKING DRAWINGS FOR THE PRINTING MACHINE PRINTER FOR 16 MM MOVIE FILM CE KEEVfL. Fifteen Any of the standard motion pic- ture developer formulas can be used, although the author has found the glycin formula, given by Carl Louis Gregory in his book "Motion Pic- ture Photography," to be very good for both the negative and positive. It is given here : Glycin 2 oz. Sodium Sulphite 5 oz. Potassium Carbonate. .. 10 oz. Water 1 §aL If mixed with distilled or boiled water and kept in closed jars when not in use, the developer will keep for months. The beginner might well develop 4 or 5 inches off the end of his roll of film, noting the time required before attempting to develop the whole roll. After de- velopment, the film is washed and fixed the same as any still picture, after which it should be washed again to remove the hypo. It should then be wound on a drying rack which can be a square frame made up of four strips of wood about 3 ft. long. To transfer the film from the developing rack, loosen the ends and turn upside down in the washing water, then attach one end to the drying rack with a thumb tack and wind by revolving the rack. As the film runs out of the water onto the rack, it should be passed through a wad of wet cotton, to wipe off all particles of dirt or emulsion which is usually in the wash water. If this isn't done, all the specks of dirt will show up very plainly when mag- nified on the screen. When the film starts to dry it should be loosened on the rack as film shrinks in drying and will pull out of shape if left tight. When the negative is dry and the back cleaned of all water marks, it is ready to print. For this a prac- tical machine is one which will move the negative and an unexposed film in contact past a light, one picture at a time, the light being cut off while the film is being moved down. Such a machine can be built from easily obtained parts at a small cost and with only a few hand tools. A side view of this printing ma- chine is shown in Fig. 1 and the top view in Fig. 2. The frame is a piece of J/s" thick brass with two l"xl"xl/16" brass angles fastened to it with machine screws. No di- mensions will be given as they will vary with different gears used, which in turn will depend upon the film sprocket. This sprocket should be bought from one of the companies Sixteen making 16 mm. projectors, and, if it is an eight picture sprocket, the ratio of the drive gear and pinion will have to be 8 to 1. In other words, the claw pulls the film down one picture for every revolution of the pinion shaft so the gear ratio must be such that the claw will pass the film as fast as the sprocket feeds it. In addition to the main gear and pinion, two mitre gears will be needed to drive the revolving shut- ter. All these gears can be obtained from makers of small gears or even from some large hardware stores. The claw is the heart of this printer, so it will be described in some detail. It is what is known as a slip claw and is merely a piece of brass shaped as shown in Fig. 1, driven by a crank and held against the film by the claw spring which bears on a short machine screw in the claw. The lower end of the claw slides back and forth in a slot in the spring pressure plate, this slot being over the line of sprocket holes in the film. The claw when moving to the left drops into the film per- forations and moves the film, but in the reverse direction it slides back without moving the films, as they are held firmly under the spring pressure plate. For best operation, the front face of the claw should be at right angles to the base plate as shown, and the claw spring should bear against the claw only hard enough to hold the claw in place when the claw crank rotates. The radius of this crank should be a lit- tle less than the height of one pic- ture on the film so that the claw will travel more than one but less than two picture heights ; ^4" is very sat- isfactory for this dimension. The rest of the printer can be easily understood by reference to the drawings. The spring pressure plate . is made of spring brass or bronze and supported by an L shaped piece of brass fastened to the frame by two machine screws, one of which is in a slot to permit adjust- ment of the pressure plate pressure. The aperture is a hole cut in the base plate exactly the size of one film picture and located so as to "frame" the picture accurately. It is easiest to locate the aperture ap- proximately and then after cutting it, to frame the picture accurately by filing the claw until the picture on the film coincides with the open- ing. The revolving shutter shown dotted in Fig. 2, is made of sheet brass and is set to cut off the light from the film at the aperture while the claw is moving a new picture into position to be printed. A driv- ing crank (not shown in drawings) will be needed to fit in the slot in the end of the drive shaft so that the printer can be operated by hand. A motor could be attached if de- sired. The printer when completed, as shown in drawings, should be mounted on a box containing the printing light. A cigar box is suit- able and a flashlight bulb mounted about one inch from the aperture and with a radio rheostat to control its brilliancy makes a good printing light. A support for the negative and positive film spools should be placed in line with the film sprocket so that the films will feed into the printer. This completed, the ma- chine is ready to use. Before attempting to print a long film, it is best to print a test strip to determine the correct printing light for the particular negative at hand. First thread the negative un- der the printer sprocket, leave a loop, and feed under the pressure plate, then feed a piece of raw film about 5 inches long under the pressure plate with the emulsion sides of the two films together. Turn up the printing light and operate the print- er, turning the driving crank stead- ily at camera speed of two revolu- tions per second. Develop this test strip and fix it, using the same so- lutions that were used in making the negative. You can now tell if your printing time was correct or not; if not, change the rheostat adjustment and make another test strip, keeping this up until a satisfactory positive is obtained. After a little practice, one test strip will be all you have to make and even this can be dispensed with most of the time, when you become familiar with the printing light. After getting a satisfactory test strip, put a roll of raw film on the bracket and feed it into the printer with the negative. Then, with the rheostat adjusted as determined by the test print, run the entire scene by turning at a uniform speed. This print should then be placed on the developing frame and treated in the same manner as the negative. When dry, clean the water marks off the back and the film is ready for pro- jection. If these instructions have been followed, you will be able, after a little practice, to make prints which will delight you with their quality. Amatuer Movie Makers COLOR SECTION FOR JUNE STRAIGHT INTO THE CAMERA A Closeup Of Speed, Spray and Sport Seventeen DANGEROUS GROUND {Concluded in this issue) Title : "I suppose you think me a bully and a cad. Maybe I am. But I can't help myself. I am insanely jealous of you!" He finishes speaking. Virginia's slightly disdainful attitude does not alter ; she studies him steadily. Ever- idge, who is beginning to feel very wretched, indeed, speaks with great fervor and conviction and says : Title : "When we're married — when I know you're really mine, I'll change — become more tolerant ! Promise me you will keep your prom- ise to elope with me tonight!" He finishes speaking, and to allevi- ate his wretchedness, he takes Vir- ginia's hand. Virginia, perceiving that he is suffering quite keenly, feels sorry for him, and then, in answer to his request, she sudenly remembering the lawn fete that she is to give that night, and somewhat alarmed by the recollection, says : Title : "But my lawn fete ; I'd forgotten about that!" She finishes making her exclamation, and Everidge, with a slight show of exasperation, and speaking ardently, says : Title : "To the devil with your lawn fete; if you love me you 11 arrange it! And if you don't arrange it, I'll carry you off by force!" He finishes speaking, and is very much in earnest as he does so, so much so that Virginia is secretly thrilled by the ardor of his love, and his masculine force and impetuosity. Then her whimsical sense of humor asserts itself. With a roguish smile, she says : Title : "That initial L in your name must stand for Lochinvar — doesn't it?" She finishes speaking and smiles upon him as she awaits her answer. Her beauty and charm so infatuate Everidge that for the moment he can scarcely speak, and then, finding voice, he, with a smile, replies : Title: "No — it doesn't. It stands for Lovelorn-Loon!" As he finishes speaking, Virginia laughs, and as she laughs, he sud- enly clasps her in his arms and kisses her. Virginia is quite willing that he should do so, and as her arms steal about his neck, the scene fades away. Eighteen A Scenario for Amateurs By Anthony Paul Kelly Title: On the Sitgreaves Estate. Scene 54. Exterior. Midle distance shot. A portion of the grounds of the Sitgreaves Estate in the foreground ; a picturesque stable in the back- ground. Fade-in. Calviari, who is still in his rid- ing costume, is standing a short dis- tance from the camera and reading a note that he received but a few minutes before the scene opened. Grooms are handling the horses in the background, and Marigold and her mother and father are coming from the stable, in order to join Cal- viari. They are chatting pleasantly together as they do so. Scene 55. Semi-close-up of Cal- viari, as he avidly reads the note. Cut-in. Title : A note from Virginia asking him to meet her, in secret, toward evening. Calviari is pleased. It is evident that he intends to comply with Vir- ginia's request. Becoming conscious of the fact that the Sitgreaves are approaching him, in a manner that conceals his actions from them, folds the note and places it in his inside pocket. Scene 56. Exterior. Same angle as scene 54. The Sitgreaves do not suspect for an instant that Calviari is con- cealing anything from them, as he turns to them with a smile. Mari- gold slips her arm through Calviari's and starts to playfully chide him for temporarily deserting her. As they approach the camera, fade-out. Title : At dusk — near the border of the Raeburn Estate. Scene 57. Exterior. Beautiful woodland scene. Fade-in. Scene 58. Close view of Virginia and Calviari. Virginia, speaking very earnestly to Calviari, for she is apparently very much worried, says : Title : "If you and I are ever to be married, it must be soon. Craig is so jealous, that he. is becoming posi- tively dangerous." She finishes speaking, Calviari, who would like nothing better than to marry Virginia immediately, sug- gests : Title : "Why can't we elope right now?" He anxiously and hopefully awaits his answer as he puts the question to Virginia. It is evident that he would have her believe it is a simple and immediate solution to her perplexi- ties. However, Virginia is conscious of the fact that she must return to her home very soon, in order to pre- pare for the lawn fete. After a moment's consideration of the feasi- bility of Calviari's suggestion, she reluctantly shakes her head and says : "No, we can't do that. But I'll tell you what we can do." Then, as she explains to Calviari a plan of action that has come into her mind, cut to Title : The agreement to meet at ten o'clock that night — and elope while the lawn fete is in progress. Scene 59. Exterior — Long shot — same angle as scene 57. Virgnia is telling Calviari that she will meet him in the summer house that night at 10 o'clock, that then can then slip away and be mar- ried. Calviari is very serious as he agrees and signifies that he under- stands. Virginia glances at her wrist watch ; then realizes that she must go. They tenderly embrace and kiss each other, and as they do so, the scene fades away. Title: After nightfall — the lawn fete. Scene 60. Exterior — Lawn of the Raeburn Estate. Night. Full view. Fade-in. The fete presents a beautiful picture to the eye. It is very well attended, and by way of entertain- ment, a group of classical dancers are holding forth to the accompani- ment of a string orchestra. Scene 61. Exterior — Lawn. Close view of Virginia as she applauds the dancers. It is evident that she is very well pleased with what she has just witnessed. She looks up in surprise and delight as Marlowe enters the scene. Marlowe {Continued on page 34) NOW It Can't Be TOLD A Tragedy in One Breath By Weare Holbrook Scene : The 181st floor of the Fin- kelstein Arms apartment hotel, New York City. Time: 1947 A. D. (No, this isn't one of these H. G. Wells things. Sit down. ) MRS. ARTHUR JENNIFER Speaking : WHY, Mrs. Pethwick, of all people! You darling! Come in. No, no we weren't doing a thing. You're a dear to come way up here to see us. Arthur and I were just wishing — Oh, I forgot ; you've never met my husband, have you? . . . Arthur, this is Mrs. Pethwick. She and I used to go to school together, back in Trenton, and we hadn't seen each other for posi- tively ages, but the other day when I was down on the 96th floor waiting for an express, who should step out of the elevator but Mrs. Pethwick ! She's been living right down here on the 103rd floor for the past five years, and I never knew it. It just goes to show that it's a pretty small elevator, after all . . . No, take this chair, Mrs. Pethwick ; it's more comfortable. I really ought to apolo- gize for Arthur's appearance : he's been up on the roof this afternoon, tinkering with the old plane, and he hasn't had time to clean up. You know how men are . . . No, Arthur, don't go. Mrs. Pethwick has a husband of her own, and she understands . . . I'm afraid I don't look any too presentable my- " Arthur What Are You Groaning About?" self, for I've been cleaning house all morning. I tell Arthur that either we'll have to stop taking the Sunday "Times," or move to a larger apart- ment. It's amazing how stuff accu- mulates, and it's so hard to decide what to keep and what to throw away. I was rummaging through some old trunks in the store-room, and I came across things that I'd forgotten ever existed. There was the loveliest black satin petticoat ; I think it must have belonged to Ar- thur's grandmother, because it was very old-fashioned and came way down to the knees. And a little van- ity case that was an exact duplicate of one I saw in the Early Middle Coolidge room on the Munseypolitan Museum. And a set of contract bridge scores . . . Remember when we were all wild about contract bridge and mah jongg, Arthur? . . . But the most priceless relics I dug up were a couple of reels of old, old films. They were too quaint for words ! . . . Run into the bed- room and get them, Arthur ; they're on the table by the window. I want Mrs. Pethwick to see — No, on the table, darling Oh eood- ness, that man never can find any- thing! Excuse me for a moment. Mrs. Pethwick . . . Here they are . . . Arthur will slip them into the projector in just a minute. No, it isn't a bit of trouble, Mrs. Pethwick. The machine is all set; we were using it last night for "Rip Van Winkle." I think Jack Coogan is wonderful in those character parts, don't you ? . . . Hurry up, Ar- thur ; Mrs. Pethwick is waitng . . . There, that's better . . . This picture was taken years and years ago at Lake Hopatcong. before I met Arthur. Notice how flat and two-di- mensional everything looks. But really it's very clear, considering the sort of cinema cameras we had in those days . . . isn't that per- fectly killing? That's me. with the bobbed hair and the stockings .... Do you remember when we all used to wear stockings, Mrs. Pethwick — and what trouble we had with our garters ? It seems so ridiculous now . . . And that's Charlie Heffel- finger . . . Look, he's kissing me, the fat rascal ! . . . We (Continued on page 42) Nineteen With AMATEURS In AFRICA Sport with Shutter, Surf and Zulu By Elton Spence Bowman APETOWN lies nestling at the foot of Table Mountain which rears up to a height of 3500 feet, the last thousand feet or so being practically vertical. On Sundays and holidays, hundreds upon hun- dreds of khaki-clad figures, many with their movie cameras, may be seen ascending by the different routes which have been mapped out by the Mountain Club — -the novices by the comparatively easy paths and the experts, roped together and lit- erally hanging on by their eyebrows to its sheer face. What opportuni- ties to bring that old friend, the camera angle, into play! From the summit, the city seems to be lying almost below one and the view is, I expect, as fine as anything in the world. The Mountain Range runs, like a backbone, the length of the penin- sula, and a motor road has been built which hugs the sea coast almost from end to end. The view of the breakers crashing on the rocks hun- dreds of feet below is more than beautiful to the camera's lens. The coast line, where it is rocky, runs to gulleys, caves and enormous boul- ders and provides an ideal back- ground for the amateur producer whose ideas run to smuggling, pir- ates and dark dirty deeds. Situated about fourteen miles from Capetown lies Muizenberg, whose beach is perhaps one of the best in the world, the hard white sands stretching for miles along Fake Bay, and gradually shelving into the sea, making the bathing per- fectly safe and enabling one to go SO THIS IS AFRICA! Beauty Awaits the Cine Camera There SAND YACHTING out a long distance before being be- yond one's depth. The combers rolling in from the Indian Ocean, which sometimes develop into enor- mous breakers fully twelve to fifteen feet high, give the most wonderful surfing imaginable, and there is no more exciting sport to be filmed. We have four distinct types of surfing, the condition of which depends to a great extent on the tides and the skill of the bathers. The easiest is the surfing as done by the majority of persons with a small board four feet by one and a half feet, with which the surfers go out waist deep, and, jumping at the critical moment when a breaker is about a foot behind them, come in before it with exhilar- ating speed, the white foam bubbling all around them. The more expert catch these waves without a board by taking a comber before it has broken and getting the necessary start with one overarm stroke and then bring- ing the arms down towards their sides but just in front of them, act- ing much the same as runners on a sled. There is also the surfboat, a bouyant board about ten feet long by two and a half feet wide and eight inches deep, shaped much like the first British Tanks used in the war. This has reins attached to the front to enable the person who stands on it, usually a fair damsel, to steady herself, while in going out Twenty ALL THE SURF IS NOT AT WAIKIKI her male partner pushes from the back. Even going out is great fun, the oncoming breakers look as if they are bound to sweep the fair rider off the board, but just as this seems inevitable the boat clears the top of the wave at a steep angle, and the poor male accomplice gets the full force of the wave. On the return there is not much danger catching these waves waist deep. The man at the back pushes the boat and jumps aboard just as the wave reaches him, and, using his legs as a rudder, steers the boat safely to shore through a crowd of bathers at what seems like the speed of an express train. Sometimes two men expert at the game will go out as much as half a mile or more, the man on top using a long canoe paddle to help get the boat through the waves. When in deep water the human rudder will lie aboard and kick vigorously to help the boat along. This is when the sport really becomes thrilling, the going out sometimes taking half an hour and the rush in perhaps less than a minute. Imagine paddling out and seeing a huge comber twelve feet high coming toward them, every movement gaining height until it looks as if it were going to swamp them. With a last paddle they brace themselves and the man at the back takes a deep breath and shel- ters himself by submerging under the back of the boat, allowing it to take the force of the wave. The boat shoots through the top of the wave and the man below clambers on board and off they go again. When only swells are reached they turn and bide their time until they see a swell forming which experience tells them will be near breaking point when it reaches them. They then start paddling furiously and as the wave catches up, give one last stroke. The man on top leans slightly forward to get the nose of the boat down, and then, as it starts to slide down the wave, he puts all his weight on the extreme stern to pull the nose up, the rudder man the whole while keeping the boat straight. This is perhaps one of the greatest thrills one gets in a life time. The boat rushes down the wave and if success- ful shoots out in front of it, while the comber breaks with a crash behind it, and catching the boat, tosses it forward like a cork, the human rudder having his work cut out to preserve an even keel. The boat rushes to the beach in less time than it takes to tell. However, if the boat has come down the wave at too steep an angle and the man cannot get the front up, it takes a nose dive, throwing its crew in all directions, and when the pressure of water is too great, it shoots back the way it came and jumps fully three feet out of the water, ten feet of boat weighing well over two hundred pounds, while the bathers remain under as long as possible to prevent the boat hitting them, should it come in their direc- The last kind of surfing is only done by a few who are expert and who use a board very similar to those in vogue in Honolulu, eight feet six inches by fifteen inches wide and two inches thick. Here the surfer catches the huge waves much the same as the surf boat, he lies full length on his board and paddles with his hands and. as he starts to shoot down a big wave, he stands up, bal- ancing himself without any reins, and rides into land. A wonderful picture can be made of a surfer coming down one of these big waves the camera being as low down as possi- ble in a fast motorboat which races just ahead of the waves, or a telephoto lens can be used when the waves prohibit a close approach. Then there are the sand yachts which run on the beach, and provide interesting pictures. With a good wind they gain a speed of nearly forty miles an hour and give quite a thrill. It is a home-made contraption on the lines of an ice yacht, but having three motor- cycle" wheels instead of the usual runners. One can go for five miles on the one tack, and flying along on a moonlight evening, the moon's rays reflected on the wet white sands, the wind blowing in one's face and the silence only broken by the singing of the wheels on the sand, it is truly delightful. There is even a little wild animal life left on the (Continued on page 43) A RARE BAG This Trophy Now Adorns the Author's Home Twenty-one THE photoplays listed here are recommended to amateurs for study in their local theatres, and par- ticular characteristics of the pictures, which can be used by amateurs to advantage in filming their own pic- tures, are summarized belozv. Sug- gestions for this department will be welcomed by the Editor. PICTURES PREVIOUSLY LISTED May Devil- -Cine Silhou- Flesh and the ettes Metropolis — Models — Moving titles Potemkin — Cutting — Tempo THE KING OF KINGS PRODUCERS DISTRIBUTING CORPORATION Directed by Cecil B. DeMille Composition Guides. A conspic- uous feature of this film of the Life of Christ is the use of famous bib- lical paintings as the basis of many scenes, as indicated in the accom- panying illustration. While this is carried out on a very elaborate scale in the King of Kings, the method, simply employed, can be followed by amateurs to secure in- ' teresting and effective results, if paintings which harmonize with the scene to be depicted are chosen as guides. Entire short subjects have also been made with great success with one painting as a basis by P. D. C, released as Romance Pro- ductions and done in Technicolor. "The Vision," one of them, based on Millais, "Speak! Speak!" won the Riesenfeld medal for the best short subject of 1926. GAMILLE UNITED ARTISTS Directed by Fred Niblo Titleless Start. Eliminating the usual series of opening titles, Camille opens with a series of swift dissolves which move from the gen- eral to the specific, from a shot down at a moving mass of umbrel- las, to a salient bit of portraiture of the auctioneer hawking Camille's ef- fects. As noted in the Metropolis review last month, this gets the pic- BIMBO, COMEDIAN OF CHANG ture off to a flying start. In some of the dissolves the camera operates from the top of a swiftly moving umbrella, which is a unique and ef- fective camera angle. Alternating Close-Ups. In the separation scene Niblo has cre- ated an amazing emotional intensity by the swift juxtaposition of the lovers' faces in various poses of grief, eliminating the usual slow moulting close-up, for rapid, alter- nate glimpses of the tortured faces. This device can be utilized by ama- teurs with maximum effectiveness. SECRETS OF A SOUL UFA Directed by. G. S. Pabst Filming a Dream. An excellent device for visualizing a dream se- quence is the use of white back- grounds, as in this picture, giving the characters that stark outline which is often a terrifying part of dream experience. This picture re- pays a viewing for the amateur with frequent suggestions of simple and inexpensive methods of staging. CHANG FAMOUS PLAYERS LASKY Directed and photographed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack Animal Possibilities. That is a formidable heading to express the thought that there are limitless op- portunities to develop drama with (Continued on page 42) OLD MASTERS COME TO LIFE IN THE KING OF KINGS T w e n f y - 1 u> o EXPOSURE DATA A Simplified Exposure Guide for Your Files BEGINNING with this page on exposures A mateur Movie Makers will present a data page each month which will attempt to boil down the many sources of information on each subject, or section of a subject, so that a file of these data pages will give the amateur a summary of the infor- mation most vital to his success in a convenient and easily access- able form. THE following exposure guide has been made from personal data, from various exposure guides on the market, and from the guides furnished by the camera manufacturers. This guide is for use from April to September inclu- sive, between latitudes 40 and 45 de- grees, north, in any part of the world, for cameras using 16 milli- meter film. The guide has been found to be of practical use in the field and it is printed with the hope that other cin- ematographers will find it helpful in their work. Remember, any effort put into the study of exposure, from every angle, will repay many times in saving of film. A three and one-half by six inch loose-leaf note book serves admir- ably for such classification. The first page, for subjects in class one, is arranged as shown in the diagram, the other seven classifications being arranged similarly. Where the stop on the guide is marked, for example, F:16 minus, the pointer should be placed just a fraction this side of stop mark 16; where the dash ap- pears between two diaphragm stops, the pointer should be set midway be- tween the stops. Remember that any guide for cor- rect exposure must be used with judgment by the cinematographer. It is not automatic in operation. CLASS 2 1. Snow only. 2. Glaciers only. 3. Aeroplanes in sky. 4. Any small objects in sky such as birds, kites, etc. EXPOSURE Briglit Sun F:16 with 2X filter Cloudy Bright F:16-F:ll with 2x filter Dull Cloudy F:16-F:ll CLASS 3 1. Snow scenes with dark small objects. 2. Boats out on open water (sea scenes, objects 100 feet or near- er). 3. Distant landscapes. 4. Objects on boats not casting heavy shadows. 5. Scenes on beaches. 6. Sky at sunrise or sunset. EXPOSURE Bright Sun F :16 (usually with filter) Cloudy Bright F:16 Dull Cloudy F:ll-F:8 ' o o " CLASS 1 1. Sea only 2a. Expanse of wter only 3. Clouds only Bright '5ut> Clou d v Bright Dull Clou dy F:i6 with 4X filter r.'j6m;"u4 With 4X filter rm CLASS 4 1. Closeups of Jass 3. 2. People, etc., in the open, noth- ing to obstruct light. 3. Open landscapes: (objects at less than 200 feet when fore- ground is unimportant). 4. People and objects near water, no heavy shadows. 5. Athletic sports in the open. 6. Buildings light in color. 7. River scenes, no obstruction of light. EXPOSURE Bright Suit F:16-F:ll Cloudy Bright F:8 Dull Cloudy F:5.6 CLASS 5 1. Closeups of class 4. 2. Groups in garden, partial ob- struction of light by trees. 3. Scenes on well-lighted porches. 4. Any landscape with dark fore- ground (in shadow). 5. Buildings dark in color. EXPOSURE Bright Sun F:ll-F:8 Cloudy Bright F":5.6 " Dull Cloudy F:4 CLASS 6 1. Closeups of class 5. 2. Xear subjects with dark foliage background. 3. Flower studies. 4. Flower beds. 5. Any subject, all or part in shade. 6. Details of architecture. 7. Boating scenes out of direct sunlight. EXPOSURE Bright Sun F:8 Cloudy Bright F:5.6-F:4 Dull Cloudy F:3.5 CLASS 7 1. Closeups of class 6. 2. Subjects in dark doorways. 3. Plants and flower beds in the shade. 4. Buildings surrounding trees. 5. Subjects among scatteied trees. 6. Scenes on shaded porches. 7. Heavily shaded streets. 8. All closeups in the shade. EXPOSURE Bright Sun F:4 Cloudy Bright F:3.5 " Dull Cloudy Too dark to make pictures CLASS 8 1. Closeups of class 7. 2. Scenes in deep woods. 3. Plants and flowers in woods. EXPOSURE Bright Sn.i F:3.5 Cloudy Bright Too dark Dull Cloudy Too dark Twenty -three deep ••1 ' m ut of the Sky Comes this^Remarhul taken with the D WITH a DeVry standard automatic movie camera strapped to his chest, Heard McClellan, stunt parachute jumper, leaped from his plane and filmed the rush of sky and earth as he hurtled through space! A remarkable moving picture resulted — a picture made possible only through the positive action lock — an unmatched feature of the DeVry — which permits this camera to film automatically. The DeVry positive action lock is but one of the many outstanding DeVry features which lift this camera head and shoulders above other makes! The DeVry takes perfect pictures, pictures of feature-film quality. That is why Zane Grey, Marion Davies, Ty Cobb Prince and Princess Murat of Paris, Robert Dollar an hundreds of other famous amateur movie-makers ar enthusiastic DeVry owners. A Picture Worth Taking is a Picture Worth Saving! The DeVry uses standard film! Only with standan film can you insure real permanence for your movies Standard film gives you good halftone values, clea outlines and perfect delineation . . . allows you to shov your movies through standard projectors, in theatres o halls . . . enables you to sell footage of news events t< the national news weeklies and local theatres, all o whom want the names and addresses of DeVry owners LIFETIME CAMERA T w e n t y - j o u ; USING ( \ ^ Movie Vrtl More Important DeVry Features The DeVry holds 100 feet of film — is absolutely vibrationless — operates easily — has three view finders — has an instantly interchangeable lens mount — has a drawn steel metal case which will withstand all knocks and bumps — can be loaded anywhere in daylight — re- quires no tripod — and has a superb counterbalanced motor spring which runs off 55 feet of film on one winding at an absolutely uniform rate of speed. Send for FREE Book Despite its galaxy of special features, the DeVry sells for only $1 50.00. Send today for our new beauti- fully illustrated booklet, "Just Why the DeVry Takes Better Movies." JDewy Standard Automatic fJViovie Camera LIFETIME FILM c O U P o N THE DeVRY CORPORATION 1111 Center Street, Dept. 6 MM, Please send me your new free DeVry Takes Bettei- Movies" Chicago, book, "J Illinois list Why the City Stair... Twenty-jive ut of the Sky Comes this'Remarkahle Movie taken with the De Vri/ WITH a DeVry standard automatic movie camera strapped to his chest, Heard McClellan, stunt parachute jumper, leaped from his plane and filmed the rush of sky and earth as lie hurtled through space! A remarkable moving picture resulted — a picture made possible only through the positive action lock — an unmatched feature of the /),7'ri — which permits this camera to film automatically. The DeVry positive action lock is but one of the many outstanding DeVry features which lift this camera head and shoulders above other makes! The DeVry takes perfect pictures, pictures of feature-film qualitv That is why Zane Grey, Marion Davies, Ty Cobb, Prince and Princess Murat of Paris, Robert Dollar and hundreds of other famous amateur movie-makers are enthusiastic DeVry owners. A Picture Worth Taking is a Picture Worth Sating! _ The DeVry uses standard film! Only with standard film can you insure real permanence for jour mowes. Standard film gives you good halftone values, clea , outlines and perfect delineation . . . allows you to sm>^ your movies through standard projectors, in theatres halls . . . enables you to sell footage of news event ^ the national news weeklies and local _ theatres, i whom want the names and addresses of DeVry ow More Important DeVry Features The DeVry holds 100 feet of film — is absolutely vibrationless — operates easily — has three view finders — has an instantly interchangeable lens mount — has a drawn steel metal case which will withstand all knocks and bumps— can be loaded anywhere in daylight — re- quires no tripod — and has a superb counterbalanced motor spring which runs off 55 feet of film on one winding at an absolutely uniform rate of speed. Send for FREE Book Despite its galaxy of special features, the DeVry f 1 1 -nr only "50.00. Send today for our new beauti- 'ul'y illustrated booklet, "Just Why the DeVry Takes better Movies." UteViry Standard Automatic ■ , ■ 0 M i i ■ i ■. Ill PIcik tend me jtoui Del l*«k«B« ■l ZZ7V / 1( < ,it y- four Ingenuity A HOME-MADE iris diaphragm for a Cine Kodak, Model A, a splicing and editing table, and large screen projection of 16 mm. films are some of the recent inven- tions of Mr. Charles J. Luthe, Jr., camera man of the motion picture club of Roosevelt High School, Des Moines, Iowa. Mr. Luthe writes : "I have a Cine Kodak F 3.5, model A. I had al- ways wanted a circle vignette so as there were as yet none on the mar- ket that would fit my camera, I "hung around," so to speak, the local Kodak Store and finally found a cast off iris diaphragm from an old Victor camera. On the front of the Cine Kodak is a small flanged sleeve that fits in the lens opening. I took this off and put it on backwards, thus making the sleeve extend out from the front of the camera. "For the person who does much editing, a small table for this will speed the work up greatly. "I purchased a small typewriting table about 36" high and about 30" x 14" with a drawer. I then cut an oblong hole in the table near one side and put a piece of ground glass over the top with a light under it, thus relieving the strain on the eyes when trying to read a title or look at a picture. An erector motor geared up to the rewind saves turn- ing by hand." MISS BETTY MOFFETT FILMS CHARLES MOFFETT HOME MADE EDITING TABLE Vignetters ANOTHER device employed to considerable extent in profes- sional productions is the vignette. The author employs a simple device on his amteur camera which pro- duces splendid results and yet is neg- ligible in cost. The only article that need be purchased is an adjustable filter holder that will fit over the lens opening in front of the camera. "Procure two pieces of cut film, expose one and develop it to a light grey, and remove the emulsion from the other. Cut them to fit the filter holder. Now find the exact center of each disc and cut a small hole with a scissors or sharp-pointed in- strument so that each hole will have a diameter of about one quarter inch. The one which has been made of exposed film has now been com- pleted. Take the other, and with a straight-edge and sharp-pointed instrument, score a series of parallel lines across its face, the lines to be about one-sixteenth of an inch apart. Now score another set of lines at right angles to the first, so that the entire surface is laid off in little squares. Now place the ruled disc in the holder and over the lens and photo- graph a scene in the usual manner, without any exposure compensa- tion. The result will be sharp in the center with gradually increasing fuzziness to the edges, and the de- vice is capable of producing some beautiful effects. If the exposed disc be used, the scene will appear circular in the center of the screen, with the corners lost in darkness." Ralph C. Wildes, Tripods M UCH has been said of the ease with which the movie camera may be used without a tripod. Not disputing that fact, it would be an interesting experiment to shoot a few feet of film with a tripod and then without, splicing the resultant film in sequence in a reel, and care- fully comparing screen results. Al- most invariably the rock-steadiness of the tripod picture would be apparent. There are many lightweight, com- pact tripods on the market today that could be used satisfactorily. They would take up very little room in the traveller's kit, and in a lot of cases might mean the saving of a host of valuable scenes gathered from all parts of the world. With telephoto work, a tripod is, of course, a necessity. A. R. B. Exposure Data DATA on exposures and notes on tilting and angle shooting have recently been tabulated by Mr. Don- ald W. Gibson of the Lakeside Poul- try Farm, Lakeside, Michigan. Mr. Gibson writes : "At the pres- ent time I have some rather excep- tional 'shots' of cloud, sunrise and sunset pictures, as well as some in- teresting train 'shots.' I would be more than willing to send anyone the data on these scenes if they will send a self -addressed, stamped en- velope." THEY ARE CHILDREN OF ADMIRAL WM. A. MOFFETT Chief of the Bureau of Naval Aeronautics T w e nt y - s i x Why Not Do It Right? I T is easy enough to make motion pictures with any good amateur camera. It is easy enough to pre ject the result in your home afterwards without starting a family riot. ^ But are you satisfied with the results? •I Why not read The Amateur Movie Producer Department of PHOTOPLAY each month? The fore most authorities of the professional film world contribute authoritative advice in every issue. They tell you exactly how to get the most of your camera, how to get trick shots, how to use lights, screens and special lenses. •J In the June PHOTOPLAY, for instance, the man who filmed "The Big Parade11 tells you a whole lot about trick photography possible to your camera. A leading star tells you how to make up properly, with each stage of makeup photographed. •]J PHOTOPLAY, the only national magazine devoting a department to the movie amateur, tells you the professional way to do things. Since PHOTOPLAY is the preeminent magazine of the screen, it is able to give you the expert advice of the whole film world of experts. DON'T FORGET PHOTOPLAYS $2,000 CONTEST FOR MOVIE AMATEURS! Full Rules in Every Issue of PHOTOPLAY Get a Copy of PHOTOPLAY. It is on the Newsstands Now. Or Address PHOTOPLAY, 750 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, 111. Twenty-seven Title Writing THE business of title writing has tried to keep pace with the rapid changes in the industry. The once heavily verbiaged subtitles have gone, and in their place has risen the straightforward, concise statement of fact covering in a simple way an explanation in story continuity. Title writers should strive for brevity. The fewer titles employed and the more direct and succinct the statement, the more speedily does the story move to a climax. The real value of titles is over- looked by movie audiences. Titles not only serve as explanatory mat- ter and help bridge time, but also serve as great delineators of char- acter. Malcolm Stuart Boylan. Comic Cartoon Titles THE amateur cinematographer can brighten the titles of his comedy films by using a cartoon at the bot- tom of each title. The amateur can have these cartoon titles made for a moderate sum. Keep in mind that titles to be illustrated in this way should be short and witty, and a very brief description of the action that takes place should be given so that the artist may get the spirit of the scene. Here is a wonderful opportunity to burlesque the various members of the family, and the results, when seen on the screen, are most amus- ing. Ralph R. Eno. Panchromatic THE necessity for special movie makeup can be elimin- ated, it has recently been report- ed, by the use of a panchromatic film sensitive to all colors in the visible spectrum, providing the light includes all of the spectrum, and that a yellow filter is used to exclude the excess of blue rays. Panchromatic film is also said to have other advantages besides reducing or solving the movie makeup problem. However, its use is now practicable only for amateurs using 35mm. equipment, as panchromatic film is not yet available in other film widths. It is particularly well adapted for use in making indoor movies with Mazda illumination and makes possible a considerable increase in picture area with lighting equip- ment suited to cover only a small area with ordinary film. For the amateur with 35mm. equipment who uses panchromatic negative, the door is open to many new pos- sibilities. ANTI-AIRCRAFT? How Closeups Of Wildfowl Are Shot With Telephoto Lens By Stanley C. Arthur, Director, Division of Wild Life, Department of Conservation, State of Louisiana CLINICAL CAUTIONS Don't " panoram" or "tilt" unless you have to. * * * Hold the camera steady. Use an exposure meter or guide— your picture is made when the film has been exposed. * * * Load your camera carefully in sub- dued light. * * * Use a tripod for complete steadiness. * * * Don't make your scenes too long. * # * Watch your camera angles the viewpoint of the lens is most im- portant. Consider carefully the composition of your scenes. Study your lighting — carefully planned effects improve the quality of your film. Use close-ups freely — they often "make" a picture. Don't splice a very dark scene next to a very light scene — the shock to the eyes is terrific. * * * Don't " panoram" or "tilt" unless you have to. Stills THE professional director and cameraman, during the course of production, stop the action at various points and make their "still" photographs, to be used for publicity, reproduction, etc. Ama- teur movie makers will be wise to thus emulate the professional. Don't rely solely on getting "good enough" enlargements from sec- tions of your movie films, but use your still cameras as well. Nine chances out of ten your enlarge- ments will not be thoroughly sat- isfactory, and if the still camera is used, you can arrange your scene for good composition, a most im- portant point in picture making. W. D. K. Cartoons JUST now I am back lighting a frosted glass for title mak- ing and thus obtaining clear let- tered and cartooned subjects on the screen. — Walter S. Rogers. Grand Canyon? I HAVE never made any exposures of the Grand Canyon, although I have been there and know what the lighting is. I should have hesitated at choosing anything except the nearby objects, for I suspect that even F. 16 with a color filter would hardly escape over-exposure in mid- summer at this place. I wonder if anyone ever made a real good movie film of the views of the Grand Can- yon? I have lost lots of splendid opportunities on the sea beach in midsummer with F. 16 and a color filter, and I have often wondered about this Grand Canyon. For one thing, there is no motion in the Grand Canyon. A snappy surf run- ning on a beach or smashing over rocks makes a dandy picture, be- cause it has motion and action in it. But the Grand Canyon views are all on the order of six to fifteen miles away. What to do ? Someone who knows, please tell us about this. Lenses A CATALOG showing the com- plete line of well-known Goerz lenses and accessories, with several additions, has just been issued. It may be obtained free, upon applica- tion to the Goerz American Optical Company. F. 1.5 Results THE new Plasmat F. 1.5 lens, re- cently introduced in this coun- try, has been put to severe tests and met them successfully, according to Ralph R. Eno, art title builder, of New York City. Mr. Eno has found the following interesting facts : Made possible pictures which could not be obtained under ordi- nary circumstances ; great degree of correction ; pictures intended for sharp focus at six feet were sharply defined at four feet. Splendid for night exteriors, fire- works and electrical displays. In addition to the above tests, Robert J. Flaherty, maker of "Nanook" and "Moana," is trying out a three-inch Plasmat on night scenes about New York, using a spe- cially super-sensitized panchromatic film. Twentyeight 'Demand the Best — and you'll get D u Pont earsay converts many to the Du Pont Nega- tive Film; impartial judgment will con- vince you too. Simplicity of handling, Daylight loading, Fine grain emulsion with extreme lati- tude of exposure, Weather-proof cellophane container (ideal for ocean or tropical travel). Fur- nished m 100 ft. rolls at $9.00 which includes developing and one print; negative only for $3.50. his is the way all Profes- sional Movies are made. Keep your negatives for- ever, have as many prints as you wish for $3.75 per roll. Printing each scene by in- dividual light exposure insures maxi- mum quality for the entire film. Still enlargements made on printing paper. For further information ask your dealer or write: DU PONT PATHE Film Manufacturing Corporation 35 West 45th St., New York City 'Demand D u Pont — and you'll get the Best' Twenty-nine The Great Flood DURING the recent rampage of the waters of the Mississippi, in the Southland, Harry C. Wilson, of Memphis, Tennessee, made many thrilling movies of this terrible catastrophe. An idea of the devastation caused may be gained from the accompanying illustration. To quote from his letter "I got a very thrilling picture with a tele- photo lens, of rescuing a deer out of the Mississippi River. We landed on the levee at a place called Perry- land Landing, on a Friday afternoon. Our destination lay two miles dis- tant, by automobile. On Sunday morning, the back water behind the levee had risen so high that we were unable to use the auto and had to return in motor boats. The water had risen 30 inches in two days." The courage, fortitude, and sunny disposition of some of the negroes, harrassed by the flood, may be appre- ciated when it is known that, in ad- dition to his picture of the heart- rending disaster, Mr. Wilson ob- tained some excellent movies of some little pickaninnies doing the Black Bottom. What interesting films Mr. Wilson must have, several depicting such a natural drama, made during one of the greatest disasters the country has ever known, and which he can now see again and again be- cause of his amateur movie camera. Medical MR. Barclay Warburton, well- known amateur cinemato- grapher, who has produced both amateur and professional photoplays recently completed a reel of 35 mm. film of a major operation performed by Dr. John B. Deever of Lankenau Hospital in Philadelphia. He is re- ported to have performed a quarter million operations, a fact which makes this reel of unusual interest. Dr. Deever was formerly head of the department of surgery in the University of Pennsylvania, and is recognized as one of America's greatest surgeons. Mr. Warburton is at present con- templating the production of a ser- ies of medical films, which will be looked forward to with great inter- est. Movies for the Sportsman THE National Sportsman Maga- zine, of Boston, institutes with its June issue an Amateur Movie De- partment under the supervision of Mr. Arthur L. Clark. It is Mr. Clark's idea that the sportsman will soon count the movie camera a necessary part of his equip- ment, as important as his gun or his rod. It is indeed much more diffi- cult, and equally as thrilling, to "shoot" with a lens as well as a gun, and the value of the picture in years to come is inestimable, in living over the scene where "that big 'un was caught" or "that moose got away." World Wide MR. H. H. Hilscher, advertising manager of the American Mail Lines, San Francisco, Califor- nia, would like to hear from amateur photographers who have made pic- tures on the seven seas and the con- tinents surrounded bv them. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER BECOMES A CAMERAMAN AS ONE CINE CAMERA SAW THE MISSISSIPPI FLOOD The Youngest Set A RECENT amateur photoplay, conceived and produced by MacBurney Byers, age 11 years, of Aiken, S. C., was shown to an appre- ciative audience on the last day of the term of the Aiken Preparatory School. In his letter Master Byers writes "Some of the student body comprised the cast, and the story dealt with the heroine and her father making a trip to Texas. On the way, their stage coach is held up and robbed by ban- dits. Betty, the heroine, is captured and held for ransom. Meanwhile, her cowboy admirer learns of this dastardly trick, and sets off with a sheriff's posse to rescue her. Texas Kid discovers the outlaws' hiding place in the mountains, and after a pitched battle, in which he is slightly wounded, he conquers the bandits and turns them over to the sheriff. "After his wounds are healed, he accompanies Betty and her father on the rest of their journey, which cul- minates in a honeymoon." Thirty _ Adult amateurs, watch your lau- rels ! The youngest set will pass you by, if you don't get to it, and make that movie you have probably had in mind for many moons. In the Northwest MAKING two-reel pictures, with scenarios and casts en- tirely amateur, is a stunt now being carried out in twenty-two cities in Minnesota and the Dakotas, by Finkelstein & Ruben, Northwest Theatre operators. The picture makers stay from two days to a week in each city. The casts are selected by a newspaper from local people in each city. Peo- ple from all walks of life take part, their ages varying from six to seven- ty. In one city, more than two thou- sand made application, final selection bringing the number in the cast down to fifty. Exteriors were made, as a rule, in the morning, and regulation interior sets were established each day on the stages of the theatres. There the scenes were made in full view of the audience, giving those attending a liberal education on the inside work- ings of a motion picture studio. Of outstanding interest to the amateur interested in motion pic- tures, were the comments of review- ers of the finished film, marvelling at the excellent work done by the amateur actors. Better Pictures ANEW organization, the Aca- demy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, was formed in Holly- wood during the past month, spon- sored by leaders in the motion pic- ture industry, and receiving the offi- cial approval of the Will H. Hays organization. Douglas Fairbanks was chosen President. The Academy will help to bring about improvement in the quality of motion pictures. That this is so, is evidenced by the thoroughness with which its various departments have been formed, competent supervisors having been chosen for its produc- ing, acting, scenario-writing, direct- ing and technical departments. Plans' include the erection of an academy building, bestowal of awards of merit for distinctive achievements, interchange of con- structive ideas among members, and cooperation with colleges and univer- sities in their recognition of motion picture making as a distinct art. To those interested in the ultimate high plane that the motion picture can achieve as a form of expression, such a movement should be received with enthusiasm. It is to be hoped that the universities of this country, with unlimited facilities at their com- mand, will cooperate in such a move- ment to the fullest extent. From the Antipodes STEPS for starting an amateur movie club in Melbourne, Aus- tralia, are about to be undertaken by H. A. Tregellas of that city. Mr. Tregellas in a recent letter to head- quarters states that there are many 16 mm. camera users on the contin- ent, and that a club would be of great benefit to owners of amateur outfits. The Amateur Cinema League hopes to be instrumental in aiding in the formation of this club on the other side of the world, and its fu- ture activities and films should prove of tremendous interest to all readers of Amateur Movie Makers. Touring THE Bass Camera Company, Chicago, Illinois, sends word of the opening of its new store and headquarters for amateur cinemato- graphers. Amateur cinematograph- ers visiting Chicago are invited to make use of the special quarters set aside for the editing, splicing and titling of film, there being no charge for this service. Tourists having no mailing address in Chicago may use the company's address for receipt of mail. Portability WHEN Chief Samaquin traded Miles Standish the land on which the Sachem Rock estate of H. L. Moorehouse now stands in East Bridgewater, Mass., he would prob- ably have gotten an additional kick out of the proceedings if he had known that this historic spot was OUT TOLEDO WAY W. H. Pamplin, President of the Petit Movie Club, In the Directorial Chair, D. L. Lawrence at the Camera also to become one of the focal points of the amateur movie move- ment. Had he even been psychic enough to envision the fixed laundry tub and the unportable motion pic- ture projector of a few years ago, he would still have been pleasurably astonished if he could have viewed the scene in the accompanying illus- tration, which has just been sent to this department by Mr. A. C. Hay- den of Brockton, Mass. For the in- nocent looking party arriving at the Moorehouse mansion, ostensably with nothing more formidable than a violin case and a week-end kit, is in reality prepared for a four hours at- tack on the land of romance with an armory which includes the equival- ent of ten thousand feet of film, a curtain, curtain stand, projector, humidor, projector stand, and every- thing needed for the pleasant fray but a light socket. The "proud father" look which can be observed on Mr. Hayden's face, if you use your reviewing glass, is due to the fact that he is the inventor of all this super compactness. THE START OF A MOVIE SOIREE A. C. Hayden Arriving at the Historic Moorehouse Mansion In East Bridgewater, Mass., With His Portable Movie Outfit Thirty-on. Now Milwaukee! FROM Milwaukee, Wisconsin, comes word of the formation of the Cinema Guild under the lead- ership of Mr. Harold Francke. Mr. Francke went to Hollywood in 1923, to learn the producing game from the "inside." In his letter Mr, Francke says : "I wanted to produce pictures. I advertised for 'movie aspirants' and a large crowd was assembled at my residence. I suggested my plan to them. This was the birth of 'The Cinema Guild.' Things were well established when I left for Milwau- kee with the ambition of organizing another 'Cinema Guild' chapter. "In 1926 members of a dramatic club I belonged to joined me in or- ganizing the Milwaukee Cinema Guild. "A membership campaign is now on, new talent is joining right along. Soon we will have enough to cast 'Tuff Luck,' which we have been preparing to produce since the first part of the year. Our first attempt was 'Via Air.' It was a wonderful plot but we did not do justice to it, it being the first. Nevertheless, we are going to attempt 'Tuff Luck' on a professional basis. The climax of 'Tuff Luck' will be enacted on a stage by the moving picture cast. It is a mystery-comedy-drama of the present day." The League Electa More Swaps THE annual meeting of the League, which was held at League headquarters in New York City May 11, resulted in the re-elec- tion of the present League directors for another year. Reports of offi- cers disclosed a very healthy condi- tion of the organization. Due to the active efforts of League members in interesting friends in the movement, the membership has increased rapid- ■ j hiram percy maxim Again Chosen President of the Amateur Cinema League. ly. Amateur Movie Makers was re- ported as making a profit on its operations. Its editorial progress is, of course, known to all readers of these pages. The financial condition of both League and magazine was indicated as most encouraging. Following the annual meeting of members, the newly elected directors met and chose officers for the ensu- ing two years. The same officers were re-elected. Officers of the League are : Hiram Percy Maxim, president ; Stephen F. Voorhees, vice-president; A. A. Hebert, treasurer ; Roy W. Winton, managing director and secretary. League directors are the officers and Earle C. Anthony, Roy D. Chapin, W. E. Cotter, C. R. Dooley, Lee F. Hanmer, Floyd L. Vanderpoel. The executive committee consists of Messrs. Maxim, Voorhees, Hebert, Hanmer and Winton. To The Rescue THE amateur movie camera as- sumed a new role, that of helping, when it recently came to the assistance of Dr. C. B. Barker, one of the leading professional men of Guthrie, Oklahoma. Dr. Barker, confined to his home by illness for a long period, took up the hobby of moving pictures. Being of an ac- tive disposition, he had cast around for something worthwhile to occupy his leisure time. He bought a cam- era and projector and several books on the subject and soon became pro- ficient in the art. He has been able to produce many of the tricks that are seen on the screens in the movie theatres and he recommends this pastime as a study and diversion for shut-ins. HUNTING: "Hunting, Cana- dian Rockies to Florida." Name: B. V. Covert. Address : Lockpurt, New York. "Hunting Wild Turkey and Deer with a Movie Camera" — One Reel — 121 feet — 16 mm. Name : C. C. Fawcett. Address : Wylie, Texas. INSTRUCTIONAL: "Mining Lead." Three reels — 400 feet — 16 mm. Name : P. E. Plumbe. Address : 646 First National Bank Building, El Paso, Texas. MISCELLANEOUS: "An Au- tomotive Outing." Two reels — 800 feet — 16 mm. Name: S. P. McMinn. Address : 97 Horatio Street, New York, N. Y. "Cruise Around the World" — Eight Reels— 3200 feet— 16 mm. Name : A. Glaser. Address: 396 Broadway, New York, N. Y. "The Lebourg Kids Try a Bit of Comedy" and various pictures of children's activities — two reels — 900 feet — 16 mm. "The Use of High Explosives in Ditching" — One reel — 90 feet — 16 mm. Name : A. Lebourg. Address : Gadsden, Alabama. JULIA HOYT New York, Society Actress, Films Mickey, Her Menagerie. Thirty-two Screen No. 0. Reflecting Surface 22" xSO" ' , • , the Droiected picture Eastman Accessories Add to Home Movie Pleasures JTOR proper projection you must use a screen, oi course; but further than this the construction of the screen you use is of first importance. Eastman screens are "silver- surfaced", and scientifically designed to give the utmost quality and brilliance to projected pi There are lour models, of varying sizes, for every home movie need. Each model is conveniently shaped and easily carried to the scene of the program. Screen t*0-1 or No.eencased m carrying Screen No. 0, 22 x 30 inches, mounted in frame, with cover $10.00 Screen No. 1A, 30x40 inches, mounted in frame 15.00 Screen No. 1, 30 x 40 inches, rollable in case 25.00 Screen No. 2, 39 x 52 inches, rollable in case 35.00 Duplicates xN your picture library there are films which are of particular value to you because ol their historic family interest. These films should be stored for safe-keeping, and a duplicate used for every day projection. Eastman duplicates are of such excellent quality that it is impossible for anyone but an expert to distinguish them from the originals. And they are priced to place them within the reach of every amateur. Duplicate prints, 100-foot lengths $5.00 Duplicate prints, 50-foot lengths $3.50 Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., The Kodak city Thirty-three CU LLEN Filmo Case Still in Great Demand Made of heavy sole leather with plush lining. Compartments for 4 100 ft. Cine films, telephoto lens, fast lens, color filters, finders, etc. Very little larger than the regular case but a hundred times more con- venient. BLACK $20 TAN $25 Allowance made on your old case. C U L LEN for the new film which gives you a negative and a positive. 16 m/m film C U L LEN for the very latest in panoraming tripod tops. True-Ball Tripod top- C U LLE for your Wollensak Vig- netter, the perfect fade-in fade out. For Cine-Kodak or Filmo Price $10 C U LLE N has become a haven for advice, as- sistance, rapid finishing service, and all information. Write or call C U LL EN 12 Maiden Lane New York City We have the most complete line of amateur movie appa- ratus in the financial district. Thirty-four DANGEROUS GROUND {Continued from page 18) has evidently just arrived at the fete; he greets her cordially. Scene 62. Exterior — Another por- tion of the grounds. Close view of Everidge ap- plauding the dancers. He glances in the direction of Virginia, and is immediately annoyed by what he sees. Scene 63. Close-up of Everidge as he looks toward Virginia and Mar- lowe, ft is evident that he is be- coming convinced that Marlowe is deliberately trying to tax his patience to the utmost. Scene 64. Close view of Virginia and Marlowe — same angle as scene 61. They are unaware of the fact that they are being scrutinized so closely and so hostilly by Everidge. They are chatting in what appears fundamentally, a serious manner, but superficially, a frivolous one. However, it is evident that the con- versation is enjoyable to both of them. Scene 65. Close-up of Everidge — same as scene 63. Everidge determines to confront Marlowe. He exits from the scene. Scene 66. Full view. Everidge is wending his way toward Virginia and Marlowe, who have not as yet noted his approach. The dancing, of course, is still in progress. — Just a flash. Scene 67. Close view of Marlowe and Virginia — same angle as scene 64. Virginia and Marlowe chatting as before. Virginia happens to espy the approach of Everidge. She im- mediately becomes somewhat alarm- ed. Marlowe notes the change in her and becomes serious. Virginia, who is anxious to avoid a scene, clutches Marlowe's arm and says : "Oh, my God, here comes Craig! Don't let him find you here with me!" Marlowe understands. He agrees and exits from the scene, tell- ing Virginia that he will see her later. Virginia pretends to be un- aware of the approach of Everidge, as she, with a forced smile, looks after Marlowe. Everidge enters the scene from the side, opposite to that in which Marlowe left. Virginia turns, as if she were about to resume her watching of the dancers, and then feigns surprise at seeing Ever- idge— a surprise that is not devoid of delight. However, her dawning smile fades as she perceives Ever- idge's anger. Everidge is looking steadily after Marlowe. He then shifts his gaze to Virginia, and, speaking with subdued savagery, he says : Title: "Damn him! I told him not to speak to you again!" He finishes speaking and is on the very verge of brushing Virginia aside and going after Marlowe, when Virginia intercepts him, and with a slight show of exasperation, says : Title: "Don't be silly. He only wanted to tell me a joke!" She finishes speaking and is quite serious and irritable as she does so. Everidge, in a sullen and suspicious manner, says : Title : "What joke?" As he puts the question to her, Vir- ginia thinks of something that Mar- lowe said that amused her, and with a trace of a smile, as she recalls it, she says : Title : "He said that one of these classical dancers has so many splin- ters in her feet, that she ought to be doing a clog dance!" As she finishes speaking she smiles a beaming smile that she hopes will prove infectious. However, the stubborn Everidge still remains sul- len and he says : Title : "I don't see anything funny in that." He finishes speaking, and again Vir- ginia becomes rather serious. Ever- idge, with a sudden movement, places one of his hands on her shoul- der, and, speaking very earnestly, says : Title : "Look here! Are you in love with him?" He finishes speaking, and with his free hand he makes a slight but em- phatic gesture of indication in the direction of Marlowe. Virginia seems to be slightly but genuinely surprised and indignant. She ex- claims : Title: "Of course not! I'm in love with you!" As she finishes speaking, she adds a reassuring and loving smile to her expression, in order to prove to the best of her ability the truth of her statement. However, Everidge's earnestness does not alter. He fears that there is a nigger in the woodpile somewhere — that Virginia is not be- ing absolutely honest with him. He says : Title : "And you are going to elope with me at midnight?" As he puts the question to her he scrutinizes her very intently, as he anxiously awaits his answer. Vir- ginia cannot conceal a slight display of amusement at this fresh manifes- tation of Everidge's jealousy. She crosses her heart and hopes to die if she doesn't intend to elope with him ^m Something Entirely New BILLY WHISKERS Selling Like Hotcakes WORLD FAMOUS KID STORIES By Frances Trego Montgomery FEATURING the only trained goat outside of vaudeville in the world today. Actual movies, not cartoons or drawings, made especially for 16 mm. Home Libraries. Many millions of copies of the Billy Whiskers books by Frances Trego Montgomery have been sold for the last twenty-five years by every department and book store in the entire country. Positively the greatest kid novelty films and cleanest child entertainment you can buy. Billy Whiskers is remembered in every home by old as well as by the youngsters. These films have never been seen in any theatre as they were made especially for you at a production cost of over $25,000 for the series. Released first run at rate of two a month, starting in June. JUNE RELEASES No. 1. BILLY WHISKERS in No. 2. BILLY WHISKERS in THE LIFE OF A FIREMAN THE SODA WATER CLERK SEE a live, honest to goodness goat go through the flames and save the life of a child. See him as the fireman's mascot. See him play checkers with the Chief. See Billy Whiskers smoke his pipe. Code: Billy 1. Average 100 Ft. Price $8.00. SEE this famous goat butt his way into high society. See him take charge of the soda fountain and actually make a soda and drink it. See the big excitement he causes in the drug store. Code: Billy 2. Average 100 Ft. Price $8.00. Billy 2. All films shipped C.O.D. unless paid for with order which will be filled in order received. Better still, wire for them. 30% off to dealers. Give the children something else besides all educational, travel or natural history. Mix in some Billy Whiskers comedy or good vaudeville acts. Keep the amusement end of your program up. Watch Next Month's Announcement U. S. PERSONAL FILM TRADING COMPANY 20 EAST EIGHTH STREET Telephone Wabash 6539 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS at midnight. Although Everidge is pretty thoroughly convinced, the enigmatical smile that she wears on her lips and in her eyes baffles and torments him. Virginia watches the dancers, and Everidge tries to do likewise. Scene 68. Another portion of the grounds. Semi-close-up of Calviari, who, with hawk-like intentness, is watch- ing what is transpiring between Vir- ginia and Everidge. Someone in the group near by speaks to him, and Calviari recovers sharply, and with a forced smile glances toward the peo- ple who are near him. Scene 69. Close view of Calviari, the Sitgreaves and Marigold. Mari- gold had distracted the attention of Calviari by asking for a cigarette. Calviari takes out his case and offers her one. She takes it. Mr. and Mrs. Sitgreaves decline his offer of a cigarette, and Calviari takes one for himself. Scene 70. Close view of Virginia and Everidge — same angle as scene 67. Virginia, who knows it's getting toward ten o'clock, is wondering how she's going to get away from Ever- idge and meet Calviari. She is be- coming slightly nervous. As he watches the dancers, Everidge is un- aware of the fact that Virginia is occasionally glancing at him out of the corner of her eye — Just a flash. Scene 71. Close view of the Sit- greaves, Marigold and Calviari, same angle as scene 69. Calviari is offering a light to Marigold. She takes it. Calviari same angle as scene lights his own cigarette, and then, as he returns the lighter to his pocket he seizes the opportunity to glance anxiously toward Virginia and Ever- idge. He then takes out his watch and glances at it. As he does so, cut to \ Scene 72. Close-up of Calviari's watch. The time is a quarter to ten. Scene 73. Close view — same angle as scene 71. Calviari, who is now quite seri- ous and anxious, for he wonders if Virginia will manage to get away, puts the watch in his pocket, and as he does so, he, unobserved by the Sitgreaves, again glances toward Virginia and Everidge. Scene 74. Close view of Everidge and Virginia 70. Virginia, who is becoming quite nervous, glances at her wrist watch. She wonders how she is going to get away from Everidge. Scene 75. Close view of the Sit- greaves, Marigold and Calviari — - same angle as scene 73. Calviari is relieved when he sees Virginia glance at her watch. He is confident that she will manage to get away somehow. He asks the Sitgreaves and Marigold if they will excuse him for a few moments, and he then, intent upon going to the summer house, saunters from the scene. Scene 76. Exterior — Another por- tion of the grounds. Close view of Consuelo and George Raeburn. They are stand- ing side by side and watching the dancers. Raeburn glances about and is displeased when he sees : Scene 77. Close view of Everidge and Virginia, both of whom are un- aware of the fact that Raeburn is watching them. Everidge in an ex- pressionless manner is watching the dancers, but Virginia is becoming more nervous and anxious every moment, so much so that she is al- most on the point of becoming ex- asperated with Everidge for his un- conscious interference with her plans — Play for laugh — Brief scene. Scene 78. Close view of Raeburn and Consuelo — same angle as scene 76. Raeburn is so displeased at see- ing Everidge with Virginia, that he determines to go to them. He is just about to start from the scene, when Calviari, still smoking, strolls into it. He compliments Raeburn upon the event, as he extends his hand to him. Raeburn, who can scarcely take his eyes off Everidge and Virginia, mechanically takes Calviari's hand. Consuelo, hearing the voice of Calviari, glances toward Calviari and her father, and imme- diately a frightened expression comes upon her face. Scene 79. Close-up of Consuelo as she, with an expression of fright that is akin to that of a bird in the presence of a snake, glances at Cal- viari. Scene 80. Close view — same angle as scene 78. Raeburn asks Calviari to ex- cuse him, and exits in the direction {Continued on page 38) Thirty-jive Bell & Howell June Aids To operate Filmo, simply locate scene in spy -glass viewfinaer and press ihe button. The oper- ator has one hand free to "follow focus" or "dial iris'' with camera in operation. Iris stops and focus numbers are plainly visi- ble in viewfinder. The lens alone regularly lists at $83. It is a 47 mm. F 2.5 Taylor-Hobson Cooke an astigmat in micrometer focus- ing mount. Fourteen other lenses, with accurately matched viewfinder pieces are inter- changeable with this lens. There's no guesswork with Eyemo. The Finest Automatic Camera made for using standard (35 mm.) Film FnpHE Bell & Howell EYEMO Automatic L Camera, illustrated here, is recommended to all amateurs who wish to commercialize their pictures. When you aim at film markets you are entering the professional ranks and require a ; camera thoroughly professional in every respect. Eyemo is used in professional productions by Famous Players-Lasky, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, y| Paramount, Warner Brothers, International, Universal, Sennett, Fox, Kinograms and many more leading producers. It is the camera used by all exploring expeditions of importance, including the following: Byrd Polar, Amundsen -Ellsworth Polar, Bering Sea, Third Asiatic, Smithsonian-Chrysler to Africa, American Museum of Natural History to Africa and Mongolia, U. S. Department of Interior Geological Survey (Alaskan). With Eyemo you can panoram from scenes in sunlight to objects hidden in shadowed recesses and get them all. Film capacity is 100 feet stand- ard (35 mm.) film, daylight loading — or 120 feet darkroom load. The price is $264.00. Mark couoon for descriptive circular. y BELL & HOWELL Automatic Super- Speed The Super-Speed Filmo operates at eight times normal only (128 exposures per second ). Its use slows the action down 8 times when pictures are projected at normal speed. The result is the exceed- ingly s-l-o-w motion pictures, which seem to make the subjects float in air. For very close analysis of fast motion, this camera is recommended. Filmo Super-speed Camera (without lens) in- cluding genuine leather carrying case $255.00. Same, not including case, $240.00. The exceptionally fast F 1.8 Taylor-Hobson Cooke lens, in focusing mount, is recommended for use v/ith this camera. Price of lens $55.00 Camera Using Professional Standard (35mm.) Film &^19 Accessories For Use With 16 mm* Film 334-inch, F3.3 Telephoto Lens For all around telephoto and general long range work, this iens is a gem. The F 3.3. aperture is the fastest ever offered in the telephoto series. Magnifies the object 3% times the size produced in regular 1-inch lens. While usually advisable to employ a tripod when using tele- photo lenses, the 3?4" may be used without if the camera is held very steady. Taylor-Hobson Cooke 3%" focus, F3.3. Telephoto lens in focusing mount, including sun- shade, matched viewfinder and eye-piece. Price .. $85.00 Ask for descriptive circular. C| 6-inch, F 4.5 Ifl Telephoto Lens »lf A wonderful lens for taking long range pictures of shy animals and birds from a great distance. Gets the base- ball or football games from high up in the stands. Power of magnification is six times normal. Matched view- finder and eye-piece included to make its use exact. Taylor-Hobson Cooke 6-inch focus, F 4.5 Telephoto Lens complete in focusing mount, including sunshade. Matched viewfinder and eye-piece, $95.00. Ask for descriptive circular. A vest pocket size, black leather, loose "leaf binder containing 50 numbered cards witn spaces for recording date, roil number, stop used, film footage, light conditions etc. Indispensable for correct titling when returning from a trip. Simply photograph each page number as you change subjects, keeping data on each. Price $1.25. Extra cards for binder, per set of 50 35c. Focusing Microscope Provides exact focus for any of the twelve lenses which may be used in Filmo Camera. Also a lens test for accuracy. Simply screw camera lensinto microscope and focus i mage on ground glass in adjustable eye-piece. Shows proper focus for sharp detail to every part of picture. Then replace lens in camera and "shoot." Price $12.00 SWail coupon on next page for full information BELL & 1828 Larchmont Avenue Neiu York, Hollywood, London Thirty-six to Better Movies Interesting Additions to Filmo Library Each succeeding day adds hundreds of Filmo Library enthusiasts. You will become one too when you learn of the many good things being added to the fine listings already released. For example: Explorations in Plant and Flower Life This series represents the life work of Arthur C . Pillsbury , Yosemi tt National Park .California , specialist in plants and flowers. Parts of these pictures were taken under the microscope, showing various stages of flower and plant life, from the germination by pollen to the adult development. Painstaking hours, days and months were spent in photographing at various time intervals to show actual plant growth and development by means of motion pictures. Each reel is a magic revelation. Mark the coupon for complete information. Living Natural History by Raymond L. Ditmars As wonderful in presenting intimate motion picture histories of animal life are these reels by Raymond L. Ditmars, famous zoological expert. Those immediately available are: D-l,The Anthrapoid Apes; D-4, Cat Animals; D-10, Animal Engineers; D-ll Shedding the Antlers; D-18, Birds of Prey; D-21, Birds of Vanity; D-24, Harmless Serpents; D-25, The Cobra; D-29, From Tadpole to Frog; D-32. Insect Mimicry and Song; D-38, Life of a Spider; D-39, Devil-fish. Price each $12.50. Mark coupon for special circular. Four New Yosemite National Park Reels These films, to be released very soon, will bring to your screen the many glories of this beauti- ful Park you would have to travel thousands of miles to see. Mark coupon for definite announcements. RB-3 Bird and Animal Life in Yellowstone Park This film brings a charming combination of animal and bird life with the natural scenics of a great National Park. The scenery and habitat of Yellowstone birds and animals are wonder- fully well photographed. Price $7.00. Golf Lessons By Harry Cooper Unvarying s-l-o-w motion instructions in golf by a famous professional. Six lessons of the full series (one on each of 13 clubs) are now completed. E-l — Lesson in using the Driver. K-2 — Lesson in using the Brassie. E-3 — Lesson in using the Spoon. E-5 — Lesson in using the Midiron. E-ll — Lesson in using the Niblick. E-13 — Lesson in using the Putter. Price Each $9.00 This illustrates the handy form in which you receive Filmo Library films. Cne hundred feet of raw film costs $6.00. Filmo Library films cost only enough additional to cover printing, and production on special plays and subjects. Each film becomes your own to run separ- ately or to splice into your films if you want to. Look for the "blue" carton. Elk Shedding Antlers A rare picture obtainable in the Ditmar series &izgJ0 Combined Camera and Accessory Case A beautiful new carrying case that holds regular Filmo Camera and the follow- ing accessories in special compartments: Taylor-Hobson Cooke lenses 2 5 mm. F 1.8, 3% inch F 3.3. telephoto, and 6 inch F 4.5 telephoto; five matched eye- pieces and viewfinder objectives; four color filters, Filmo Exposure Meter and Iris Vignetter; two aperture brushes; auxiliary Finder Unit; Focusing Micro- scope, Scene Card Binder and refills; Camera winding key and two 100-foot rolls of 16 mm. film in their cartons. Made of rich brown cowhide, green plush lined. Size 5 5 s x 8 % x 14} > inches. Price, $50.00 HOWELL CO. Chicago, Illinois (B. & H. Co., Ltd.) Established 1907 Harry Cooper in Movie Qolf Lessons Mail This to BELL & HOWELL CO. I 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, 111. Please mail complete information on □ Eyemo Camera □ Super-Speed Filmo □ Telephoto Lenses □ Focusing Mount Q Scene Card Binder □ Combined Accessory and Carrying Case □ Filmo Library. Specially interested in □ Plant and Flower films □ Living Natural History □ Yose- mite Park Reels □ Yellowstone Park, No. RB-3. I Name. Address . City . State . Thirty-seven (li Direct SgSSn — you can do it with the complete Pathex Outfit — perfect pictures at the lowest price of all! Shoot your scenes, write your titles — Pathex develops all your films free — then proudly show them to your family and friends with the Pathex Motor Driven Projector. From the vast Pathex Library you can also show pictures of every description with your Pathex Projector. And Pathex is safe — be- cause all Pathex film is non-inflammable. PATHEX, Inc. 35 West 45 th Street, New York, N. Y. Demonstration at your dealer's or write direct to us for illustrated booklet AUTOMATIC ^MOTION PICTURE CAMERA AND PROJECTOR DANGEROUS GROUND (Continued jrom page 35) of Everidge and Virginia. Calviari now espies Consuelo, and, in a suave, debonair manner, he smilingly says : "Well, this is a surprise ! How are you tonight, Consuelo?" Consuelo tries to mask her fright and suc- ceeds to a certain extent, but not enough, however, to reply to Cal- viari's question. Scene 81. Close view of Virginia and Everidge — same angle as scene 77. Virginia is glancing resentfully at Everidge out of the corner of her eye, when both Everidge and Vir- ginia are surprised by the advent of Raeburn, who, upon entering the scene, simply pauses and glances in a hostile fashion at Everidge. Ever- idge, who has almost instantaneous- ly regained his poise, shoots a hostile glance in the direction of Raeburn, and then asks Virginia to excuse him. He bows and starts from the scene in the same direction from which Raeburn entered it. Raeburn immediately starts to reprimand Vir- ginia for associating with Everidge. Virginia tries to mask her vexation. Scene 82. Close view of Calviari and Consuelo — same as scene 80. Calviari asks Consuelo how she is enjoying the dancers. Consuelo does not deign to answer him. She has regained some of her customary poise, but it is evident that she is still frightened and uneasy. Ever- idge, lighting a cigar, enters the scene. Calviari sees him first ; he feigns enthusiastic delight. He says : "Well, Everidge, old man, how are you?" and extends his hand. Ever- idge feels somewhat flattered by Cal- viari's manifestation of pleasure at seeing him. He becomes quite cor- dial. He then bows to Consuelo and takes her hand. Consuelo is delight- ed and relieved at seeing him. She does not like Everidge very much, but she certainly likes him ten thou- sand times better than she likes Cal- viari. Calviari glances at his watch and then asks if they will excuse him. Both Everidge and Consuelo agree, and Calviari strolls from the scene. Everidge starts to tell Con- suelo that he is sorry for what oc- curred that afternoon. Consuelo covertly glances in the direction of Calviari. Scene 83. Close view of Raeburn and Virginia — same angle as scene 81. In keeping with her recent cus- tom, whenever her father is on the subject of Everidge, Virginia main- tains a discreet silence. Raeburn is quite hot under the collar and is be- coming hotter every second as he talks to Virginia. However, Vir- ginia's distress and Raeburn's anger are dispelled by the advent of the Sitgreaves into the scene. Marigold is not with her parents. Sitgreaves shakes Raeburn's hand and Virginia greets Mrs. Sitgreaves. Sitgreaves almost immediately engages Raeburn in conversation, and Virginia seizes this opportunity to excuse herself. Raeburn would like to keep an eye on her, but Sitgreaves, who is an earnest talker, engages the undivided attention of Raeburn. Scene 84. Exterior. Close view of Consuelo and Everidge. As a form of reaction to her meeting with Calviari, Consuelo suddenly becomes quite weak. Ever- idge notes the change in her and is surprised and alarmed. He asks her what is the matter. Consuelo re- assuringly tells him it's nothing, that she simply feels rather weak for the moment, that it will pass. Everidge asks her if she wants him to take her into the house. Consuelo says no. Everidge calls a servant. The servant enters the scene. Everidge tells him to get a chair. The ser- vant exits, and while waiting for the chair, Everidge supports Consuelo. Scene 85. Middle distance shot of the summer house. Calviari is anxiously waiting in the summer house, which should be a quaint affair that is open on all sides and surrounded by well- trimmed clumps of shrubbery. Vir- ginia enters the scene on her way toward the summer house. Scene 86. Close view of summer house. Calviari, who has evidently been waiting for some little time, is com- ing down to the foreground and ex- amining his watch, as Virginia ap- pears at the entrance to the summer house in the background. Calviari hears her and turns sharply. He is relieved, and then overjoyed. Vir- ginia rushes to him, and they fer- vently embrace. Calviari kisses Vir- ginia. Scene 87. Near summer house. Marlowe, who is partially con- cealed by a box-hedge, is intently watching Virginia and Calviari. It is evident that Marlowe is satisfied that he can observe without being observed. Scene 88. Close view of Virginia and Calviari — same angle as scene 86. Calviari releases Virginia. She says : Title : "I am ready! Did you bring the letters ?" She puts the question to Calviari. Calviari feels of the inside pocket Thirty-eight of his coat, in order to assure him- self, and then tells her that he did, and, speaking seriously, he says : Title : "Yes — But I will not give them to you until the ceremony has been performed!" He finishes speaking, and there is a slight trace of antagonism in his manner. He apparently would have Virginia believe that he resents speaking about such a matter at this juncture. However, Virginia is ob- durate. She says : Title : "Then let me see if they arc the originals and if you brought all of them." She finishes speaking and extends her hand. Calviari is annoyed. How- ever, he perceives that she is in earn- est, and with a slight show of irrita- tion, he brings out the letters and places them in her hand. Virginia starts to examine them. — It is a clear moonlight night, and, therefore, she will have no difficulty in reading them. Scene 89. Near summer house — same angle as scene 87. Just a flash of Marlowe watch- ing, as before. Scene 90. On lawn. Close view of Everidge and Consuelo. The servant enters with a chair. Everidge assists Consuelo as she sits down. He tells the ser- vant to bring some water, and the servant exits to do so. Consuelo is beginning to recover. She feels bet- ter upon sitting down. Scene 91. Close view of Raeburn and the Sitgreaves. Mr. Sitgreaves is still talking to Raeburn. Raeburn is decidedly annoyed, but tries hard not to show it. — Just a flash — Play for a laugh. Scene 92. Close view of Virginia and Calviari in the summer house. Virginia has started to examine the letters ; Calviari is taking out a cigar- ette. Scene 93. Close view — same angle as scene 89. Just a flash of Marlowe watch- ing. Scene 94. Close view of Everidge and Consuelo — same angle as scene 90. The servant has brought some water. Consuelo is sipping a bit of it. Everidge puts the glass back on the tray. The servant exits. Ever- idge asks Consuelo if she feels bet- ter ; she assures him that she does. Everidge tells her that he wants to see Virginia, that he will look about a bit, and then come back to her. Consuelo assents and thanks him, Everidge looks about for Virginia, and then not seeing: her and won- dering where she is, he strolls from the scene in search of her. Scene 95. Summer house. Close view of Virginia and Cal- viari. Virginia finishes examining the letters. While waiting for her to complete the examination, Cal- viari has been smoking a cigarette. As Virginia completes the exami- nation of the last letter, she hands the bundle to Calviari, and as she does so, she says : Title: "Yes — They are all here" She finishes speaking, and as Cal- viari, who is still somewhat peeved by the fact that she distrusted him, starts to take the letters, Marlowe stealthily enters the scene behind Calviari. Although aware of Mar- lowe's approach, Virginia pretends not to see him. As Calviari takes the letters, Marlowe from behind seizes Calviari's wrist, and with a sudden, dexterous movement twists Calviari's arm into a hammerlock. Calviari is stunned ; he gasps in agony and releases the letters, which the grim Marlowe gives to Virginia. Calviari straightens up, and as he does so. he glares in surprise and anger at Marlowe. Marlowe is en- raged ; he hates the type of man that Calviari is. Scene 96. Close-up of Marlowe as he, by way of explanation, speaking fiercely to Calviari, says : Title : "You're a blackmailer, a swindler, a szuine and a fraud, Cal- viari! I'll give you just forty-eight hours to get out of the country!" He finishes speaking. Cut to : Scene 97. Close-up of the enraged Calviari as he glares at Marlowe. Scene 98. Close-up of the fright- ened, anxious Virginia, as she watches, the letters clutched in her hand. Scene 99. Close view of the trio. Marlowe asks Calviari if he has made himself perfectly clear. Cal- viari, who seems to realize that the game is up, tells him that he has and that he agrees to do what Marlowe has suggested. Marlowe then re- leases Calviari. Calviari does not glance at Marlowe. Instead, he keeps his back to him, and his hatred for Virginia is clearly manifest, as he glances at her. Virginia defiant- ly eyes him. Calviari makes a sud- den lunge for the letters. He al- most gets them, but just as his hand closes over them, Marlowe seizes him by the collar and swings him about. Calviari makes a rush at Marlowe ; he hits Marlowe on the jaw. Marlowe is momentarily stag- gered by the blow. However, he sets himself and as Calviari again plunges at him, he hits Calviari a ^JMovies of the Mediterranean /\ N unusual travel film has just Qy~\. been completed. It covers the Mediterranean countries thoroughly and contains hundreds of those per- sonal touches that make a film really "alive" and interesting. The entire film is 2,000 feet long (16 M.M.) and represents the personal work of the internationally known photo- grapher— Gardner Wells. The following points are covered: Gibraltar; Algiers; Tunis; Malta; Cairo, including the Sphinx, Pyra- mids and some local color footage that is unique; Palestine, including Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tiberias, Naz- areth and Haifa; Constantinople; Athens, including some interesting shots of the American Near East Re- lief activities; Syracuse; Naples, in- cluding a few feet of shots in "for- bidden" Pompeii; Rome; and the Riviera. If you have been to the Mediter- ranean recently, the film will make a good background into which you may splice your own shots. If you are going to the Mediterranean, the film will give you many pointers on what to go after with your own camera. Duplicates of the film may be pur- chased as a whole for $100.00, or rented at a base rental of $10.00, carriage paid. Duplicates of the footage of any of the places visited may be purchased at 7c per foot. JAMES BORING'S TRAVEL SERVICE, Inc. 45 Astor Place, New York City "Assistants to the Traveling Movie Maker" Thirty-nine Fastest Lens Made 44% Faster Than F1.8 Hugo Meyer PLASMAT tfl This is the latest contribu- tion to photography by the famous Dr. Rudolph, creator of the Tessar and the Protar. €| The enormous aperture makes practical, at last, suc- cessful filming regardless of lighting conditions. There is perfect definition despite the great speed. It is especially adapted and recommended for daylight interiors. Made up to 3^2 incn focus. 1" For Filmo in focusing mount - - - - $54.00 2" For Filmo in focusing mount - - - - $75.00 Ask to see it at your dealers, or send for descriptive catalogue. HUGO MEYER & GO. Incorporated 105 West 40th Street New York straight right on the point of the jaw. Calviari is not only stopped, but he is hurled backward by the force of the blow. Scene 100. Near rear entrance to summer house. Calviari, trying to get his bal- ance, staggers back swiftly from the force of the blow. He fails to keep his balance and falls to the ground. He tries to get up, but unconscious- ness overtakes him, and he becomes inert. Scene 101. Close view of Marlowe and Virginia intently watching Cal- viari. Satisfied that Calviari is help- less, Virginia, in order to ascertain if he has been seriously hurt, directs her attention to Marlowe. Marlowe reassures her, and then Virginia, in an outburst of gratitude, embraces him, and just as she does so. Ever- idge enters the scene and pauses in consternation in the main entrance of the summer house. Virginia and Marlowe become conscious of his presence, and are horrified. Scene 102. Semi-close-up of Ever- idge as he glowers at Marlowe and then advances toward him. Scene 103. Close view of the trio. As Everidge advances toward Mar- lowe, Virginia rushes toward Ever- idge and says : "You must listen to me, Craig. Let me explain!" Ever- idge, however, thrusts her aside and takes a punch at Marlowe. Marlowe, to protect himself more than any- thing else, swings at Everidge. Everidge becomes enraged and ham- mers Marlowe mercilessly. Mar- lowe reels before the attack. Vir- ginia is horrified. She fears that Everidge will kill Marlowe. She tries to interfere, but failing to do so, she finally, in desperation, screams. Scene 104. Semi-close-up of the horrified Virginia as she screams. Tears are streaming down her face ; her hair has become disheveled. Scene 105. Close view of the trio — ■ at the summer house — same angle as scene 103. Marlowe fights back gamely, but he is no match for Everidge. Virginia screams again. Scene 106. Exterior — Lawn fete. — Full view. Virginia's screams have been heard by the guests, and consterna- tion prevails. They wonder where the screams are coming from. Scene 107. Close-up and just a flash of Raeburn, as he hears the scream. He recognizes it as the voice of Virginia ; he is horrified. Scene 108. Lawn fete — full view. The guests, in trying to locate the source of the scream, move about in a confused manner — just a flash. Scene 109. Exterior — summer house. Close view of the trio. Mar- lowe, who has received a bad beat- ing, makes one final rush at Ever- idge. However, Everidge meets him with an uppercut, and Marlowe goes down and out. Virginia is hor- rified, as she sees the fall of Mar- lowe. She then, infuriated by the outrageous injustice of Everidge's attack and with a sudden movement, she rushes to Everidge and tries to pummel him with her fists. Ever- idge is amazed, Virginia, with pas- sionate denunciation, as she indi- cates Marlowe, cries : Title: "You brute! You beast! You hurt the best friend any man ever had!" She finishes speaking ; she is al- most on the point of hysteria. Ever- idge tries to seize her wrists and calm her, but Virginia thrusts him back, and then angrily exclaims : Title : "Consuelo became infatuated with Calviari and sent him several foolish letters, which, if published, woidd disgrace her because of the false construction that could be placed on them!" She pauses for a moment, and then continuing in the same passion- ate manner, exclaims : Title : "Calviari blackmailed Con- suelo! In desperation she confided in me! I enlisted the aid of Clyde Marlowe- — and then pretended to be enamoured of Calviari, who wanted to marry me because he knew I am of age, which Consuelo is not!" She pauses for a moment to catch her breath, and then continuing, she exclaims : Title: "We got the letters tonight! And here they are to prove it!" She finishes speaking, and as she does so, she shows the letters, which are still clutched in her hand, to Everidge. Everidge is astonished by what she has revealed to him. He can scarcely believe that he has heard aright, and in amazement, ex- claims : Title : "But why didn't you come to me?" He finishes speaking and puts the question to her. Virginia, who has been terribly distraught by the strain she has been through, and who is still crying and furious and wretch- ed, answers his question by saying emphatically : Title : "Because you've got the tem- per of a maniac— a temper that would have spoiled everything !" She finishes speaking and is thor- oughly angry and bitter as she does so. Everidge's sense of guilt is causing him so much anguish that he can endure it no longer. He ex- Forty claims : "Forgive me, Virginia, please forgive me ! I didn't know !" He tries to take her in his arms. Virginia draws away, as if his touch were abhorrent to her. Her action merely intensifies Everidge's sense of contrition. He exclaims : "Listen to me, you must listen to me !" and he seizes her by the arms. Virginia tries to pull away from him. Ever- idge starts to tell her that he will never lose his temper again, that he didn't know, that he is terribly, ter- ribly sorry. Scene 110. Summer house — same angle as scene 100. Calviari is regaining conscious- ness. He is quite groggy, however, as he assumes an upright position. His head clears enough for him to realize that this is no place for him, and he starts to stagger away from the summer house — Play for laugh. Scene 111. Semi-close-up of Ever- idge and Virginia. Everidge has forced Virginia to listen to him. He is speaking very earnestly and very contritely, as he says : Title : "I swear to you on my sacred word of honor that I shall never lose my temper again!" He finishes speaking. Virginia has recovered somewhat — and Everidge is ardently hoping that she will for- give him. Virginia begins to relent. Scene 112. Semi-close-up of Mar- lowe, who is both a tragic and a comic spectacle. He is on the floor of the summer house and conscious- ness is beginning to return to him. He opens his eyes, blinks blearily and then starts to get up, for with con- sciousness there also returns an in- creasing amount of fighting spirit. Scene 113. Close view of the trio. Virginia is almost on the point of granting forgiveness to Everidge, when Marlowe rises unsteadily to his feet. Under the impression that he is still fighting, he lurches toward Everidge, who clasps his wrists and then, with great intensity of desire, Everidge exclaims : Title : "Clyde — Clyde — Old Pal — / didn't knozv! Please — Please for- give me!" He finishes making his plea. Mar- lowe, who is almost like a drunken man, grins rather foolishly for a moment — Play for laugh — Then Marlowe's head clears, and he be- gins to understand what is trans- piring. He thinks hard for just a second, and Everidge anxiously asks: "Will you forgive me?" Mar- lowe's noble nature asserts itself, and extending his hand, says : "You bet your life I will !" Everidge is intensely relieved. Virginia is also greatly relieved to see the two friends reunited in friendship again. Everidge, after embracing Marlowe, is on the point of asking Virginia to forgive him also, when they look toward the entrance of the summer house, and there appears a number of excited guests, who have espied the trio in the summer house. The group consists in part of Raeburn, the Sitgreaves, Marigold and Con- suelo. As Raeburn pauses and stands antagonistically eyeing Ever- idge, the other guests pause also, and Virginia for the moment is fearful that there will be another quarrel between Everidge and her father. — • The scene fades away. Title : When forgiveness Jiad been granted and explanations made, George Raeburn felt so overjoyed that he even consented to Virginia's marriage to Craig Everidge. Scene 114. Summer house — full view. Fade-in. Quite a number of the guests are present, and full explanations have been made. Raeburn is shak- ing Everidge's hand, and both are smiling. However, upon releasing Everidge's hand, Raeburn warns Everidge that he won't be responsi- ble for what may happen to him if he, Everidge, loses his temper again. Everidge becomes serious at this and vows "Never again !" slightly rais- ing his hand as he does so. Rae- burn believes in his sincerity, and slaps Everidge on the back. Ever- idge's left arm is about Virginia, who is smiling and happy. Con- suelo is beside Marlowe. Marlowe's left arm is about Consuelo. Ever- idge, speaking gratefully and smil- ingly to Marlowe, says : Title : "Clyde, old pal, you seem to be the only one of us zvho has been out of luck in all this." He finishes speaking, and Marlowe, as the others glance at him, with a very wise and joyous expression on his face, says : Title : "Not at all! Not at all! Con- suelo and I were married last week !" He finishes speaking and is thor- oughly conscious of the fact that his statement is going to create a sensa- tion, as he does so. It does, indeed, create a sensation. They gaze at him in amazement. Consuelo cud- dles close to Marlowe. Raeburn is astonished and then delighted. He rushes to Marlowe to congratulate him. However, before he can reach Marlowe's side, Everidge has let a whoop of delight out of him and hugged Marlowe. — General laughter prevails at this, and as the excited and laughing crowd of guests swirls about Marlowe and Consuelo, in or- der to congratulate them, the scene fades away. THE END. Wherever you go Take a Graflex Along When you and the folks start on the trip, be ready for every picture chance. Take the weather as it comes — early or late —Graflex, Series B, with its fast lens is equal to every emergency. New and changing scenes lend charm to touring. The reflecting mirror safeguards both focus and composition of the views you may not see again. Travelers appreciate the small size of the 3J^ x 4 3^ Graflex, Series B, illustrated below. The closed camera can be tucked in almost anywhere. Its focal plane shutter has a slow automatic speed of 1/5, and twent y-foursnapshot speeds rang- ing from 1/10 to 1/1,000. Ample exposure is assured by the wide lens opening, fA.5. Price, with Kodak Anastigmat fA.5, $80. Write for the new catalog For sale by Eastman Kodak Company dealers The Folmer Graflex Corporation Rochester, N. Y Forty-one Burton Holmes' FILM REELS of TRAVEL Edited and Titled by BURTON HOLMES 100 feet to roll for your 16mm. Projector Sold Outright for $6.50 per Roll No. 1 — Beauty Spots of Gla- cier Park. No. 2 — Lakes and Streams of Glacier Park. No. 3 — A Japanese Cabaret. No. 4 — Tying the Japanese Obi. No. 5 — Graceful Use of Chop- sticks. No. 6 — Wonders of the Yel- lowstone. No. 7 — Geysers of the Yel- lowstone. No. 8 — Animals of the Yel- lowstone. No. 9 — Kangaroos in Austra- lia. No. 1 0 — The Grand Canyon of Arizona. No. 1 1 — Seeing London — Part One. No. 1 2 — Seeing London — Part Two. No. 13 — Seeing London — Part Three. No. 1 4 — Seeing London — Part Four No. 15 — Seeing Paris — Part One. No. 16 — Seeing Paris — Part Two. No. 17 — Seeing Paris — Part Three. No. 18 — Seeing Paris — Part Four. No. 19 — Glorious Versailles. No. 20 — Bonnie Scotland. Oth er Travel Pictures from diff erent parts of the world will be released each month The Burton Holmes Lectures, Inc. 7510 N. Ashland Avenue Chicago, Illinois CRITICAL FOCUSING {Continued from page 22) such simple actors as dumb beasts, but it could not be more definitely proved than by this new jungle film. Although this drama was cast in far Siam, we wager there is as much of humor, pathos, fear, beauty, and so on to be wrought by a sympathetic amateur from the lives of everyday cats, dogs, horses, or what pets have you. Magnascope Again. The mag- nascope, which is a projection at- tachment that increases the screen image several times in size, and first used in "Old Ironsides," is also em- ployed in Chang in the scene where the elephant herd thunders into the picture, and seemingly out into the audience. Gilbert Seldes in the New Republic throws out the in- teresting suggestion that application of the magnascope principle may solve the problem of amateur pro- jection for large groups, providing a larger screen image without ma- terially increasing the projected grain, and thus maintaining the quality of the larger image. This will be investigated. WHITE GOLD PRODUCERS DISTRIBUTING CORPORATION Directed by. . . .William K. Howard Photographed by . . . Lucien Andriot Without Script. We are told that direction of White Gold started in the steriotyped manner with a script to follow. However, it seems there was something wrong with the script, so it was abandoned and the story allowed to develop on Mr. Howard's cine-pallette, as occasion, mood, and instinct of all involved might lead. While this may be a revolutionary idea in Hollywood, we imagine it may be the rule rather than the ex- ception with the amateur, for whom a complete continuity is a rara avis, and sometimes less than that. The point is that when it is well done, as in White Gold, the screened re- sult bespeaks a sincerity rare in the tailor made models. NOW IT CAN'T BE TOLD {Continued from page 19) were engaged then. That was before I met Arthur . . . Charlie Heffelfinger was the first man who ever kissed me, and I thought he was the most wonderful creature in the world. He is handsome, isn't he ? Notice what lovely curly hair he has . . . Arthur, don't turn it so fast. You're making Charlie act like an epileptc ... I used to adore to run my hands through Charlie's hair my "flower garden," I called it. Silly, wasn't I, . . . But I used to do the same with Arthur's, too, until he got so bald, — didn't I, dear? And I always tell him that it's more important to have brains inside your head than hair outside it . . . Though I don't mean to say that Charlie Heffelfinger wasn't brainy. He turned out to be a big success, and he's a U. S. senator now. Poor Charlie ! He was terribly broken up when I decided not to marry him. He finally married some Washington girl, but they say he and she don't get along, at all. . . I wonder how it would feel to be a senator's wife? Oh, well, there's Charlie and me in swimming together . . . Not so fast, Arthur, please! . . . . . . Arthur, what are you mut- tering about ? . . Actually, Mrs. Pethwick, I believe Arthur's jealous because I'm showing you these pic- tures of Charlie Heffelfinger . . . Never mind, Arthur, this reel's al- most finished, and then we'll have some pictures of you . . . Yes, indeed, the other reel is all made up of pictures of you, dear, — baby pic- tures that your mother must have taken . . . Oh, Mrs. Pethwick, you'll die laughing at them. There's one shot of Arthur playing with a kitten, that's just too cute. He had a little lace jacket on, and long golden curls like Lord Fauntleroy. To look at Arthur now, you'd never think he once had long golden curls, would you? I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it . . . Put on the other reel now, Arthur. I want Mrs. Pethwick to see the picture of you splashing in your little tin tub. . . . It's priceless, Mrs. Pethwick, a close-up of Arthur being bathed by his nurse. He had such a jolly lit- tle roly-poly tummy, and the darling- est — , , , , Arthur, what are you groaning about? Why, your face is all red ! Do you feel all right ? Are you sure? . . . As I was saying, Mrs. Pethwick, he had the dar- lingest — (S sssssss— BANG!) Heavens, there goes the fuse ! And not another in the tower. Isn't that a shame. Now you can't see all those lovely baby pictures. . . Arthur, how could you be so care- less? I saw you cross those frayed wires. I saw you do it ! Why, a five-year-old child would have had better sense than that . . . I'm dreadfully sorry this happened, Mrs. Pethwick, because now you won't get to see how cute Arthur really was when he was a baby. I'm sure Ar- thur didn't mean to be so careless . . . Arthur Jennifer, what are you grinning about ? Forty-two HEADQUAMTEMS for FILMO, CINE -KODAK PATHEX — DE VRY Complete stoc\s of all Cameras, Projectors & Accesories LUGENE, Inc. OPTICIANS 600 Madison Ave., N. Y. G. Near 58th Street TELEPHONE PLAZA 6001 THE CINE MINIATURE A handy pocket-size monograph published six times a year for the man who wants the plain facts about one thing at a time. It is unique among cinemato- graphic journals in the following vital points: Each number is a complete book in itself. Each num- ber deals with a different subject and tells all worth knowing about its subject. No other book gives as much helpful detail. Its information is fresh and original, simply written, without waste of words or space, by practical work- ers from actual experience. Always clear and to the point, comprehensive, not long-winded. It is carefully edited, well printed, and stitched so that it opens flat like a book for easy reading. Its pages are compactly filled, giving as much informa- tion as the average dollar book. Every person seriously interested in cinematography cannot afford to be without these helpful monographs. A complete set of all the numbers as published will offer the most comprehensive library of cinemato- graphic information in the language. A subscription offers the surest way of obtaining every number as published. Subscriptions received by photo and cine (Healers in any part of the world. Or, they may be sent direct to the publisher. 15c per copy — 90c per year — Two years $1.60 LEONARD GORDELL Cinematographic Publisher 1636 No. Washtenaw Ave., Chicago, 111. Attractive discounts to dealers who will carry and push it. HOW TO MAKE UP "RIGHT' ^JOU can now obtain the secret methods ^/ used by famous men and women players of the screen. The professional "Movie Makeup Manual" tells you in an understandable manner how to apply a straight makeup, the correction of ir- regular facial features and the use of crepe hair, nose putty, shadows, lines, etc., for character makeups. Gives valuable information regarding selection of paints and their photographic effects on various skins and on certain outdoor location. The author — H. B. Oldridge — has been Instruc- tor at the John Murray Anderson and other well known Schools also Private Instructor to many Prominent Players of the Screen. Sent to you for $1.00 Post Paid. O.LDRIDGE STUDIOS 28 West 47th Street New York City Qlastograph Film Laboratories, Inc. C[ Built especially for quality workmanship for all branches of sixteen millimeter and standard size motion picture films. NEW YORK OFFICE 130 WEST 46th ST. Bryant 7570 LABORATORIES 161 HARRIS AVENUE Long Island City, N. Y. Stilwell 4218 STARK LOVE {Continued from page 9) There were six of us in the com- pany which produced "Stark Love," and it was necessary for us to liter- ally burrow our way into the moun- tains. We cut a roadway through the forest, often blasting huge rocks. Finally reaching a location near a group of unused cabins, we estab- lished a military laid out camp. We purchased these cabins, tore them down, then reconstructed them, leav- ing one end of each cabin open so that we might procure the proper camera angles. The roofs also were eliminated to admit photographic light. In going among a primitive peo- ple the producer finds that one of the most difficult tasks confronting him is casting. It required six weeks to cast "Stark Love," and even then we were forced to get the boy and girl from nearby towns. Often we were blocked by religious opposition, and it is practically impossible to overcome this in a primitive people. Even with our cast assembled our difficulties were not at an end. As I stated before we had to win the con- fidence of these people. Also, before the camera they were stiff. Their natural reserve is invariably charac- teristic of them. We soon discover- ed that ordinary directorial methods would avail us nothing. After sev- eral attempts to film scenes we found that the wearing down process was necessary. Often times we would rehearse one scene three and four hours, thus breaking down the inhi- bitions. This breaking down process was not unlike animal training. We saw none of our work until we had completed the picture and re- turned to New York. We had work- ed hard and we had worked blindly. And what have we got to show for it ? We have, I believe, a remarkable phase of mountain life, truthfully told by amateurs, and a motion pic- ture that defies classification. WITH AMATEURS IN AFRICA {Continued from page 21) Peninsula in the form of a troupe of baboons, big grey-haired fellows, which frequent the mountains at the Southern end, and they offer another possibility to the amateur with a telephote lens, for it is impossible to get close enough to them to use an ordinary 3.5. They have their sen- tries always on the lookout and they give the signal long before one can get close to them. They are per- haps the most intelligent of all ani- mals. The old male baboons sys- tematically take turns watching at Kodak Corner They Say We Help Them It is distinctly gratifying to have so many of our cus- tomers say that our suggestions and advice have helped them improve their motion pictures. As an exclusively photo- graphic store, our information on home movies is strictly up to the second and may be accepted as authoritative. Perhaps we can help you. We like to talk pictures. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. J\/_\ Madison at 45th St. f pDAM New York City JL TITLES . EDITING . . EQUIPMENT . . y"»t"davj PHOTOGRAPHY ® CLARK CINE-SERVICE 2540 Park Ave. CAdillac 5260 DETROIT, MICH. EXTRA Captain Lindbergh in flight "The Spirit of St. Louis" in the air and close-ups of the Transatlantic Flyer at Garden City. 100 foot, 16 mm. reel of intense interest and real historical value. Sikorsky plane in flames. Byrd in a Fokker and close-up christening flight of the Bellanca. $10 delivered Produced by Gillette Camera Stores, Inc. 117 PARK AVENUE NEW YORK CITY Forty-three EEjsmma Let us train you to operate a movie camera properly. We will supply you with our pro- fessional movie camera FREE. (This camera was advertised in the last issue of this maga- zine for $100.) Don't waste valuable film until you ate pre- pared. This course will pay for itself in savings on film alone. We are training camera men for many of the leading amateur movie clubs. No former camera experience nec- essary. Carl Louis Gregory, F.R.P.S., au- rhor of many articles on cinematography in the leading amateur photographic journals -is; "' personally supervises your instruction. Learn At Home Or In Our Big New York Studios A few minutes a day at home or in our studios under our system of instruction will give you the necessary technique for excellent films. Don't delay sending for booklet describing our course of instruction and details of our FREE CAMERA OFFER. N. Y. Institute of Photography Dept. 105 10 W. 33rd Street New York City Mr. Amateur : We Are Specializing In Negative Developing and First Positive Printing 16 MM. Contact or Re- duction Printing. Parcel Post Work Promptly Executed Tremont Film Laboratories Corp. 1942 Jerome Ave., N. Y. C. -: VACATION MOVIES :- Produce movie records of your happy days. Let us get you started in Movieland. Experienced Photo' grapher will train you without cost to you. Our equipment is complete and it is at your dis* Dosal. Make use of our studio and setvice, 16m/m or 35m/m. We do everything pertaining to Motion Pictures. We enlarge your movies for still pictures. Ask for detailed list of Chicago 16m/m Library Subjects at $6.50 per 100 feet and others. Call Irving 6816 or write to ZENITH CINEMA SERVICE Otto Hangartner, Mgr. 5011 N. Sawyer Ave. Chicago, III. Films Reduced to 16 mm. TITLES for and EDITING of your personal movies. Prices and samples will be mailed on request. - STANLEY A. TOMPKINS Care op Kirby Incorporated 2 East 23rd Street New York City high vantage points with a view of the surrounding country, while the remainder play in the sunshine. It is my own ambition to get a picture of one of the mothers spanking her naughty offspring — yes, they do, just as an irate human being might slipper her child. North of Durban lies Zululand, where native life may be seen, un- affected by civilization, where the mighty Chaka once ruled, the Na- poleon of the negro races. The main road passes his old Kraal, and still the warrior, skin greased and shin- ing in the sun, assayai in right hand, a large shield of ox hide, animal skin around his loins, can be filmed, run- ning over the veld, the essence of physical perfection. The Bushveld is hard to picture in words. It is not the Dark Africa from which people conjure up vi- sions of dense undergrowth, palms, evil smelling swamps and so on. Africa, in fact, is really very open. In parts of South Africa, for in- stance, there are rolling plains tree- less for hundreds of miles. The Bushveld, however, is covered with trees, some large, some small, dif- ferent shapes, different kinds, some growing sparsely, some in dense mass, stretches of grass parkland, tall grass, short grass, ant hills of all kinds and shapes, everything dif- ferent and yet everything so much alike that it is positively dangerous to go out without a native guide. Five minutes out of camp and often one is completely lost. Most of us have had that experience, and what an experience it is. One might wan- der for miles and miles, not a sign of civilization, night coming on, wild animals, thirst and so on. It is indeed an unpleasant experience, and a time when imagination runs riot, and then one usually discovers he has walked in a circle and is bare fifty yards from camp. It is impossible to go into details of a shooting trip. To those who like the great outdoors, there is no finer holiday, nor finer experience. Every day one goes out, whether one sees any game, shoots anything with gun or camera or not, is an adventure of its own. But to ap- preciate it properly one should go with a person who knows the coun- try, who has made it his home, and live his life with him for a month ; a life completely different from the one to which one has been accus- tomed. Don't go as a tourist and have all the essentials of civilization brought out into the veld. Rough it for a month and record your experiences with a movie camera. HEIRS TO THE FLATHEAD (Continued from page 14) who needs all the freedom he can get for horsemanship. Our first problem, therefore, was to get a good pictorial record of our trip, but knowing full well that fic- tion is the only real truth to be found in this world of woe, I couldn't go on with the plan with any interest without tying it up to some kind of a story. The story — "The Heirs to the Flathead" — is the result and, bad as it is, it stands to- day as a completed picture of about 1,500 feet with main title, cast of characters, credit lines, close-ups, sub-titles and a logical (?) story carried from a beginning to an end. It is the pursuit type of plot. In order to meet our problem of using so many people as principals the dif- ferent members of the party were divided into different opposing groups. A guide was assigned to each group to act his part in the story. Without going into the de- tails of the continuity, it deals with the search for a lost mine by an heiress and her guardian, and the necessity for finding it before a cer- tain date. Naturally the villains were on to the game and were hunting it for themselves. Beside that there was a detective who was operating more or less on her own, a mountain waif, a lone prospector, and so forth, all needed to tie up the loose ends of the story. I took with me about thirteen hun- dred feet of film. I had never pressed the button of a motion picture cam- era until this one was put into my hands the day we left. Moreover, I had no book of instructions and no exposure chart. Fortunately the last morning on the train I found a man with a camera and told him my troubles. He gave me an exposure chart. However, I took that thirteen hundred feet of film trusting to luck and the exposure chart and never be- ing sure that a single foot of it would be good. I never saw any of it developed until after we got back to Long Island. Out of the thirteen hundred feet I don't think we have thrown away ten feet of film. It is not all perfect, of course, but there is mighty little that is definitely poor photographically. Most of the story was shot as near to chronological order as I could make it on the days when we lay over at camping spots, but there were a few times when I carried the camera on my saddle and got some especially good shots of the outfit in motion climbing mountains, and other scenic pictures. It was hard Forty-jour ENO'S ART TITLES THE BETTER KIND PIONEER EXCLUSIVE AMATEUR ART TITLE BUILDER SOMETHING NEW ! ! ! Introducing the first all hand lettered and designed Art Titles ever offered the Ama- teur, and naturally the most attractive. Everyone is anxious to try them. DO THIS ! Send S2.00 and copy for 3 titles (12 or less words) and let me make them up as examples of this new hand work. YOU'LL BE DELIGHTED! RALPH RENO 117 PARK AVE. NEW YORK. JUST OFF THE PRESS Here is a book written espe- cially for the Amateur Movie Maker, it covers Amateur Cine- matography from A to Z. CLOTH $2.75 PAPER $2.00 If you own a movie camera or projector or are contemplating buying one you need this book. Through All Photo Supply Dealers SUBSCRIBE TO cAmateur (fM.ovie (fJYlakers THREE DOLLARS THE YEAR 105 West 40th Street, New York City 130 WEST 46th STREET New York City. Tel. Bryant 4981 A Professional Laboratory Specializing in personal service to the AMATEUR Standard Size Negatives Developed Standard Size Prints or Reduced Prints for use in 16 M/M. Projectors. TITLES FOR ALL SIZES Mail Orders Qiven Prompt Attention to take the time to act and direct the story when we were so busy with the necessity of catching fish and the in- numerable things to be done around a camp. Yet there is not a one of us now who would have missed do- ing it. THE ANCIENT MARINER TURNS AMATEUR {Continued from page 10) my nut. I saw golden possibilities, so I sold the family treasures, bor- rowed at the bank, and poured out a thousand dollars for a standard gauge cine camera, more still cam- eras, supplies, equipment, books, correspondence courses in movies, etc., etc. The stuff crowded the clothes out of my stateroom on the ship. At home it nearly caused a family tragedy for it loomed large in the hallway, decorated (?) the parlor, filled a closet, and obstructed the apartment generally. But in six months I had netted $100 from the newsreels. In spite of my recklessness my ventures ap- peared to be earning their salt. Late- ly I have struck a slump. We haven't run into much of interest, evidently, for most of what I have sent in to the movie people has been turned down. I am not discouraged, however, for I have my negative and my experience. I realize that I have just begun to sail the seas of photo- graphic knowledge. I am fully per- suaded that somewhere ahead, some- where just beyond the horizon of the present are lying the golden isles of happiness for me. With the en- gines of cinematography installed to aid the sails of still photography I press ever onward content so long as I can make an inch of progress. I am thankful indeed for the new radio beacon of Amateur Movie Makers. It is going to be a fine thing to keep me in touch with the world and to help me to avoid the rocks and shoals along the route. It also serves to keep me in touch with the other craft that are now pushing forward in the same general direc- tion in ever increasing numbers. I can feel that they constitute a fleet not to be dissipated until they have accomplished the bloodless conquest of another new world. They sail on like an Armada that cannot be denied. VIGNETTER for Cine-Kodak Model B The gradual fading in or out gives your pictures a more artistic and finished appear' ance and lessens the abruptness of changes in the scenes when projected. This Vignetter closes up entirely, giving a complete fade-out. A patented feature permits it to be quickly attached to the kodak without special fitting. A Color Filter can be used if desired. Price S10.00. O P X I C AL COMPANY 949 HUDSON AVENUE Rochester, N. Y. ' ,„::■,■ '. , ~ in iiimimiinl ARROW BEAD SCREENS Made in Hollywood For Movie Makers We manufacture the most beautiful line of Motion Picture Bead Screens for the Home. Some as low as $7.50. Send for illustrated price list. Dealers send for trade quotations. ARROW SCREEN COMPANY 4600 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California The Ditmars Series of NATURAL HISTORY MOVIES Giant Tree Frog in 16 mm film, illustrating the life and habits of animals and birds from all over the world, now distributed exclusively by Bell & Howell Company 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, 111. See pages 36-37 (this issue) for further description and -write for illustrated circular Forty-five GOERZ LENSES in specially designed precision focusing mounts for Filmo, Eyemo, DeVry and other motion picture cameras will im- prove your pictures. They are being used by Professional Cinem.atograph.ers all over the World Goerz Iris Vignetter and Color Filter for Cine Kodak A and B and other M. P. cameras make a valuable addition to your outfit. Ask your dealer for Goerz literature. C. P. Goerz American Optical Co. 319 East 34th St., New York, N. Y. Results Assured with SUPERLYTE Mazda Outfits and Twin Arc Lamps Built for the AMATEUR MOVIE MAKER THE MAX MAYER COMPANY 233-239 West 42nd Street New York, N. Y. MOVIES of LINDBERGH'S FLIGHT for your 16mm projector Price $10.00 Mail Orders Promptly Filled C U L L E N 12 MAIDEN LANE NEW YORK CITY F o r t y - s i x CLOSEUPS By Walter D. Kerst RECENTLY having had an op- portunity to look at some repre- sentative sixteen millimeter amateur films, the writer noticed in most of them the absence of the closeup and semi-closeup view. It seems that the value of the closeups to a film is not appreciated enough by the average amateur cinemato- grapher. It would be interesting, from the photographic standpoint, to take a number of odd bits of film, closeup views, semi-distant and extreme dis- tant shots, and splice them in juxta- positon in a reel and project. In al- most all cases the much finer defini- tion and photographic quality of the closeup would stand out, when com- pared in this manner, with the dis- tant shots. There may be several rea- sons for this. Due to the area of six- teen millimeter film, objects at a great distance are almost microscopic in size, and when enlarged on the screen are not as good photographi- cally as when the subject is much nearer the lens. Then there is the question of atmosphere in distant views. Every cinematographer when shooting extremely long views should use a long lens hood. This recesses the lens deeply, keeping out the rays of light that come from the side and are not needed, and which take away from the contrast of the finished picture. A simple lens hood may be made out of a piece of tin, painted dead black inside and out, and fitted over the lens barrel. A good lens hood made for still cam- eras would serve admirably, and can be purchased at any photographic supply store. Of course one cannot confine all his picture making to closeups alone. That would become as monotonous as all long shots. Use your judg- ment. Use your distant view to get your setting over to your audience at the beginning of a sequence, and then move to your nearer views. Im- portant detailed action is often wast- ed because it takes place too far from the camera. Cut out the unessential space and show plainly what you are trying to portray. Remember, the easier you make the physical effort of looking at the picture, the easier it is for those looking to enjoy what is seen. Aside from the photogra- phic quality, the closeup often makes unnecessary the use of titles, which should be reduced to a minimum in any photoplay. The next time you get your reel back from the laboratory, have pro- jected it, and are thoroughly disgust- ed with your ability as a camera-man, cheer up ! The closeup will come to your rescue. The sixteen millimeter film is admirable for such work, and your closeups on your next reel, with a beautiful stereoscopic quality, and a definition equal to the profes- sional's film, will give you more en- thusiasm for this great sport than you ever possessed. Are You A June Bug? €| You can answer this question safely because it does not reveal any hidden complex or in- dicate a Freudian fury. It merely means that you will pounce upon and snap at those nice dotted lines below. The POUNCING FEE IS ONLY FIVE DOLLARS To the Date 1927 AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC., 105 West 40th Street, New York City. I accept the invitation of the Amateur Cinema League, Inc., to become an annual League member. My check for FIVE DOLLARS payable to Amateur Cinema League, Inc. is enclosed in payment for the dues, $2.00 of which is for a year's subscription to Amateur Movie Makers. It is understood that immediately upon my election I am to become entitled to all the privileges of the League. It is also understood that there are no duties or obligations con- nected with this membership other than those which I may voluntarily assume from time to time. Name TIMKEN'S Super-Feature Another Great Industry Joins the Movie Movement SWIFTLY the motion picture is penetrating the industrial field. Concerns all over ihe country are realizing the tremendous adver- tising value and the ease with which different operations can be explained by means of the motion picture camera. With the advent of amateur film equipment industrial concerns, that heretofore deemed the motion pic- ture a medium either too expensive or too complicated in production, are using it widely. In addition many firms which have scores of reels stored on their shelves are adapting them for amateur showing, which opens to them a vast new field for distribution. One of the more r-ent industrial productions is a "super-feature" of the Timken-Detroit Axle Company, of Detroit, Michigan. The film was produced in its entirety by Timken employees. The story is that of Timken Axles and it leaves the audi- ence amazed at the explicit and vivid manner in which details of a manu- facturing operation can be impressed upon its mind. In order to get ap- proximately a thousand feet of 16 mm. film, ten thousand feet was "shot." This is equivalent to 25,000 feet of standard size. The film shows the manufacture from beginning to end of a worm drive axle from the steel billet to Folding screen, opens 30x42"; set it on a table; use anywhere. DefrannePrismoScreen This is an introductory offer. Here is a compact folding screen of finest quality, built-in erecting device permits mounting on a table, no hanging necessary. Each screen complete with waterproof con- tainer. 30x42" projection surface. World's greatest value. Send for your screen. Guaranteed. Will ship on approval on receipt of $1.00 to cover transportation. BIG FREE CINEMA CATALOG. SEND FOR IT. Dealers write for prices. BASS CAMERA COMPANY 179 West Madison St., Chicago, 111. the finished product. Nor has the tremendous value of the close-up been neglected. The close-up shows, with maximum effect, the skilled work on parts that must be true to the thousandth of an inch ; where the variation of as much as the width of a hair is enough to con- demn the part to the scrap pile. Nor is such a production lacking in drama even though it is an indus- trial film. In it are shown flaming furnaces where giant iron fingers reach into the leading, curling flames and bring out glowing bits of steel which are then rushed by swinging cranes to huge forges. And so the film progresses. You arc taken into the chemical laboratory, and shown how, with retort ant. crucible, the chemists test, prove or reject. You are also shown how axles are drilled, machined, heat-treated, inspected and assembled. Imagine the tre- mendous value of the close-up in showing to a large group such in- tricate operations. The printed word and "still" picture will always have their place in the industrial field, but it is for the motion picture to spread the message of the industrial manu- facturer, as r.o other medium can. Such a film will be of great value to colleges and technical schools. It will reveal to students the process of manufacture that is real, something that is more than mere abstract theory or figures on paper. Students can learn mor_ about the worm drive in one hour from such a film than they could by weeks of intense study. This film is to be shown in a unique manner. A special motor coach equipped inside for the show- ing of movies has been designed for this educational duty. The coach will accommodate 20 comfortably. If necessary 35 or 40 people could be gotten into this "auditorium." It will travel over most of the United States and in its chairs will be seat- ed the manufacturer, the salesmen, the operator, the student and the distributor. Here with their own eyes they can see the evolution of Timken axles. In addition to the showing of the film, a worm drive unit is also carried. At the various showings of the film this worm drive unit will make a "personal" appear- ance, which will leave no doubt in the minds of the soectators of the methods used in the production and the use of Timken Axles. fc NEW DUPONT 16mm FILM Gives you a master negative from which positive prints may be drawn at any time. To acquaint you with its exceptional bril- liancy and extreme latitude we are making during the month of June the following SPECIAL OFFER 3 rolls 100' Cine Kodak Film and 1 roll 100' Dupont (Negative only) for $18.00 YOUR CHECK WILL BRING THEM POSTPAID llette .Stores, MAIDEN LANE PARK AVENUE AT4Is+.ST. NEW YORK LIBRARY FILMS Our latest library films are out now, get yours immediately. His Lordships Hunting Trip, cartoon comic 100 feet 16 m.m. film, $6.50 per roll; supplied in yellow and amber tints. Around Niagara Falls, scenic 16 m.m. 100 feet, $7.00, this is toned and tinted. There are more comirg. Watch our ad for surprise announcement. Whatever you may want in amateur movies ask us, we make it! CHEMI-COLOR CO. 405 Elm St., - Buffalo, N. Y. You Can Sell It Quicker With Film We prepare, analyze and supervize the ex- ecution of campaigns to stimulate the sale of merchandise of any character. Frederick R Watson Film Laboratories, Inc. 33 West 60th St., New York City Qet Your Cine Kodak Supplies From Us A HANDY LOCATION (41 East 41st St.) Around the corner from the Grand Central Station Mail Orders Off the Same Day PICKUP & BROWN, Inc. (41 East 41st St.) NEW YORK PHONE MURRAY HILL 0041 Forty-seven From J<\pdascope Libraries WHEN you plan to show your friends the movies you have made, don't forget that some well chosen entertainment subjects from the Kodascope Libraries will add the necessary variety to your pro' gramme and give it the finished professional touch. Whether your raste be Travel, Sports, Comedy or Drama, the Lib- raries offer a splendid assortment and an ample choice. The world's greatest stars await your summons. A glance at the catalogue will impress you with the wealth of talent you can command. For your most distinguished guests; for a children's party; for the lodge or club; for the church bazaar, or for any other occasion, turn first to the KODASCOPE LIBRARIES You will find them at the following addresses: Atlanta, Ga. , 183 Peachtree Street Boston, Mass., 260 Tremont Street Buffalo, N. Y., 228 Fran\lin Street Chicago, III., 133 Tsjorth Wabash Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio, 1407 Walnut Street Detroit, Michigan, 1206 Woodward Avenue Kansas City, Mo., 916 Grand Avenue Los Angeles, Cal., 3150 Wilshire Bivd. Minneapolis, Minn., 112 South Fifth Street New York, N. Y., 35 West 42nd Street Philadelphia, Pa., 2114 Sansom Street Pittsburgh, Pa., Keenan Building San Antonio, Texas, 209 Alamo Plaza San Francisco, Cal., 241 Battery Street Seattle, Washington, 111 Cherry Street Toronto, Canada, 156 King Street West And in Twenty-two Foreign Cities All Around the World LET'S GO TO THE MOVIES. By Iris Barry. New York : Pay- son & Clarke, Ltd. $3.00. An extremely personal view, this, of the motion picture industry, but also an extremely intelligent evalu- ation, obviously based on a long and sympathetic familiarity with the evo- lution of the eighth art. While such a Hunekerian intimacy with every- thing which has been done to date with the medium cannot help but arouse the envy of all of us who number in the majority the films we would have liked to have seen, Miss Barry's book presents a oleasant and effective exercise for overcoming this shortness of critical breath. The author is one of the founders of the London Film Societv, she is movie critic of the Spectator, the Daily Mail and the Weekly Despatch. Not highbrow yearnings for the unat- tained, but the lively reflections of a woman of the world intelligently in- terested in the motion picture, are the expressions of this lively volume. The English terminology for the va- rious props of the movie, we must admit are sometimes astonishing, but add piquancy to this cinema Wor- cestershire. MOTION PICTURES FOR IN- STRUCTION. By A. P. Hollis. 450 pp. New York: The Cen- tury Company. $3.00. Mr. A. P. Hollis, Film Editor of the De Vry Corporation, has pre- sented in his book a wealth of prac- tical information for all those who would use the movie as a visual aid in teaching. The first part of the book is devoted mainly to the prac- tical use of film in teaching and gives sample films and film lessons with teachers guides and explanatory data. Films are listed in library form, these libraries varying in size, presenting a wide choice of subject to the user. The last half of the book is given over to a comprehensive list of the best educational films, with full de- scription of their subject matter. The 450 pages of this volume should prove a most valuable text for the teacher, presenting, as is the book's aim, "constructive methods that have been worked out in teach- ing film lessons to children and to select and arrange in library form the best of the educational films available." Forty-eight THE MOTION PICTURE CAM- ERAMAN. By E. G. Lutz. Il- lustrated, 248 pp. New York : Charles Scribner's Sons. $3.00. This book on motion picture pho- tography should prove a welcome addition to the increasing library of books on the practical aspects of cin- ematography, especially for the ama- teur. Its pages are profusely illustrated with practical, understandable illus- trations that present much valuable information on all phases of the sub- ject. THE HOME MOVIE SCENA- RIO BOOK. By Morrie Rys- kind, C. F. Stevens and James Englander. 174 pp. New York: Richard Manson, Publisher. $2.50. Brevity having served wit, it is put to excellent uses in this book of short scenarios. That is one of their greatest charms. They are short enough to be practical, to meet the requirements of the medium as prac- ticed by amateurs, and are clever enough to stand the strain of brevity. Besides these twenty new scena- rios for the amateur the volume also contains a handbook on home movie production with chapters on The Home Movie Company, Directing, Acting, Sets and Lighting, Make Up, Scenarios, Titling and Editing, and a Glossary of Movie Terms. We recommend this book as a particularly happy gift to friends whose present film efforts are trials to the soul. THE TAKING AND SHOWING OF MOTION PICTURES FOR THE AMATEUR. By James R. Cameron. 238 pp. New York : Cameron Publishing Co., Inc. Paper, $2.00; Cloth, $2.75. This interesting book, just off the press, should find a ready market among the thousands of amateur movie makers. It treats in detail, with as much avoidance as possible of technical terms, what the movie really is, the choice of a camera, and all the cameras avilable to the ama- teur that are now on the market. A comprehensive glossary of elec- trical and mechanical terms is in- cluded in the volume, as well as sim- plified discussions on light, film, titles, editing and many other sub- jects Announcing Kodak Cinegraphs Kodak cinegraphs— the latest Eastman addition to home movie pleasures — are ready. Kodak Cinegraphs are ioo-foot lengths of 16 millimeter (standard amateur) Eastman Safety Film, which cover a wide variety of sub- jects such as drama, comedy, ani- mated cartoons, sports, travel and education. These highly entertain- ing and instructive pictures can be purchased outright from Cine- Kodak dealers at a standard price of $y. 50 per reel — but little more than the cost of the raw film. Each Cinegraph is complete in itself, and gives you four minutes of professional entertainment for the home screen. Cinegraphs will be issued month- ly. It will pay you to watch for them, for there are big things in store for owners of 16 millimeter projectors. For example, there will be a series of animal pictures, more of the ever-popular animated car- toons, comedies and dramas featuring some of screenland's most famous stars, adventure and travel pictures, and a host of other delightfully en- tertaining and instructive subjects. Charlie Chaplin June Cinegraph Releases ONE WEEK OF LOVE, featuring Elaine Hammerstein BEAU BRUMMEL, featuring John Barrymore THE ADVENTURER, featuring Charlie Chaplin GOING UP TO IGUAZU, a Travelogue FELIX IN HOLLYWOOD, an Animated Cartoon BOBBY JONES, Golf Champion GETTING GAY WITH NEPTUNE, a Sport Picture MOTHER GOOSE LAND, an Animated Cartoon New releases next month — watch for them Bobbx Jones At your dealer 's Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., The Kodak aty if* Only two simple operations necessary to take movies with Filmo: 1. Locate scene in spy-glass viewfinder 2. Press the button. The World's Highest Quality Amateur! ovie amera BELL 8C HOWELL o simple a child can operate it IN designing Filmo, the original automatic motion pic- ture camera for the amateur, Bell & Howell Company were guided by the requirements of making fine motion pictures rather than the alternative of building a camera to a price. The price of Filmo is highest, appealing to those who require the maximum of sharpness, depth and variety in their amateur movies. In Filmo you find exclusive features developed by over 20 years experience in making the cameras and equipment used by the leading motion picture producers all over the world. Every Filmo feature yields professional results -with strictly amateur ease. The lens is a Taylor Hobson- Cooke, 25 mm., F 3-5 aperture. All parts are built to precision, not exceeded even in the highest grade watches. Built to last a lifetime — an instrument in keep- ing with the finest things you possess. Exclusive Filmo Features 1. The spy-glass viewfinder. Elimin- ates necessity for using more than one viewfinder. Excludes all light except from object to be photographed. 2. Iris diaphragm dial figures visible in viewfinder. 3. Twelve different lenses for special purposes may be interchanged with regular lens. Write /or fully descriptive Filmo 4- A superior quality F 3.5 lens fur- nished as regular equipment. 5. Special mechanism for taking auto- matic s-l-o-w motion pictures optional 6. Extreme simplicity. 7. Distinctive. Ornamenta 8. Requires no tripod . Filmo is the orig inal automatic amateur movie camera bochlel, "What You See, You Get" BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois New York, Hollywood, London (B. &H. Co., Ltd.) ESTABLISHED 1907 The projector used by many leading industrial firms to show their own "sales" or "good will" movies. Shows your movies without flicker and with theatre clarity and brilliance. Runs for- ward, backward (for novelty eSects) or stops on any single picture. Seven lenses interchangeable for varying pictures to various requirements. Described in Filmo booklet, "What You See You Get." Write for it. V C.LAZELL NORTHROP PRESS. N.Y. ZAjL Taking and Showing Filmo Movies The Children deserve the finest MOTION PHOTOGRAPHY — use Filmo CHILDREN are the best amateur movie actors. They are unaffected, natural — not "camera conscious." And it is well known among professional producers that a child in a scene "steals" the picture; in other words — captures a major share of the ob- server's interest. All are reasons why your movies of children should be the very finest, especially if they are of your children. Filmo automatic camera is highest in price because it gives you every feature for precision and flexibility in amateur movie making. The lens is of highest quality — aTaylor-Hobson Cooke anastigmat 25 mm., F 3-5 aperture. Interchangeable with twelve others to get sharp pictures under practically all conditions of light and distance. Note other Filmo Camera and Projector features listed here. All come from Bell & Howell's long experience in making the cameras and equipment with which nearly all movies shown at best thea- tres are made. Write for descriptive Filmo booklet, "What You See You Get," and nearest dealer's name. BELL & HOWELL CAMERA and PROJECTOR Features 1. The spy-glass viewfinder. Eliminates necessity for using more than one view- finder. Excludes all light ex- cept from object to be pho- tographed. 2. Iris Diaphragm dial fig- ures visible in viewfinder. 3. Twelve different lenses for special purposes may be interchanged with regular lens. 4. A superior quality F 3.5 lens furnished as regular equipment. 5. Special mechanism for taking automatic s-l-o-w mo- tion pictures optional. 6. Extreme simplicity. 7. Distinctive. Ornamental. 8. Requires no tripod. Filmo is the original automatic ama- teur movie camera. 9. Built with utmost preci- sion; gives professional accu- racy with amateur ease. The Projector This is the automatic projector used by many leading indus- trial firms to show their own "sales" or "good-will" motion pictures. Shows your movies without flicker and with theatre clarity and brilliance. Runs forward, backward (for nouelty effects) or stofs on any single picture. Seven lenses inter- changeable for varying pictures to various requirements. Described in Filmo booklet, "What You See You Get." M BELL & HOWELL COMPANY New York ^ 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois Hollyivood *fc> London (B. & H. Co., Ltd.) ■*> Established 1907 lOVIE-FlAKEE Col LINDBERGH'S HISTORICAL FILMS By W. J. Ganz Co. IF you own a 16 mm. projector, you will certainly want to add these thrilling, historical reels to your Movie Library. Think of being able to sit comfortably at home and enjoy all the thrills of Lindbergh's Epoch-making flight, his reception abroad and his tri- umphant return on the "Memphis" to his own native land! Reel No. 1— Flight, New York to Paris $10.00 Reel No. 2 — Reception in Paris 10.00 Reel No. 3 — On the Memphis and Reception in Washington 10.00 Reel No. A — Reception in New York City 10.00 CINEGRAPH No* 8501 — Showing Other Flight Contenders. Showing the tragic effort of Rene Fonck, French War Ace, and the subsequent explosion and fire which killed two of his companions — the unsuccessful attempt of Commander Byrd and the crash of his plane. The take- off of the Bellanca plane, and the disabling of its landing gear; the start of the Nungesser-Coli flight; and Col. Lindbergh's take-off to France. C^lJNliCjrvAI JlT JNO. 8502 Showing reception of Col. Lindbergh abroad and in this country. Price $7.50 per reel ANNOUNCEMENT We are Distributors for A. C. Hayden Co. products: A. C. H. Automatic Panoram Attachment. A- C. PL Humidors for 16 mm. Reels. A. C. H. Folding Stands and Screens, and all other accessories. Griswold FILM SPLICER for 16 mm. Film ' I 'HE quickest and most simple operating film splicer on the •*• market today. Cuts and measures the film for the splice in one operation, eliminates the necessity for handling film after it is placed in the machine and always makes a perfect splice. Made of heavy metal. Will last a lifetime. Complete with scraper and 6 blades. $22.50 Also made for 35 mm. film at the same price. De Luxe COMBINATION LOCK CASE for Filmo Camera — Designed to hold Camera, Telephoto Lens and Eye Pieces, two rolls of film, winding Key and extra shoulder strap. The lock on case works on a safe-combination principle. nx No more worries about lost keys or meddling with contents. Once set your combination, and case can be opened only by one familiar with that combination. Well made of heavy cowhide lined with rich green silk velour. $22.50 We carry in stock DuPont 16 mm Negative Film. U/IU0CIGHByS ▼▼110 West 32n-dSt.,Newyork,N.y.«* One 10 Days' FREE Trial Dallmeyer Telephoto Lenses will bring a whole new world within range of your Filmo, Eyemo or De Vry. JUST as you would use a powerful binocular, your Filmo can now photo' graph distant yiews, as though they were within a few feet of the camera. For inaccessible bits of landscape, architectural subjects, nature studies and for "close ups" from a distance of children, animals or those apt to feel self- conscious, the Dallmeyer telephoto lenses stand supreme. You will discover for yourself many other fascinating uses. That is why we offer readers of AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS, without any obligation to buy, the free use of a Dallmeyer Telephoto Lens for ten days. If the results are not entirely satisfactory to you, simply take the lens back to your dealer. Instantly interchangeable with regular lens. DALLMEYER. TELEPHOTO LENSES Sole United States Distributors HERBERT & HUESGEN CO. 18 East 42nd Street (near Qrand Central) New York ■FILL IN THIS BLANK AND TAKE IT TO YOUR OWN DEALER- To (Fill in name of your dealer here) In acceptance of the Free Trial Offer made by Herbert 6? Huesgen Co., please lend me for ten days' test on my camera, (filmo, eyemo or de vry) No A Dallmeyer Telephoto Lens inch focus. It is agreed that this free trial involves no obligation upon my part to purchase. J\[ame Address. THE JULY COVER ULY being the month of »f fireworks, Amateur Movie Makers presents Jorge Palo- mino's conception of a flare of silver rockets bursting against the black canopy of night. Russell T. Ervin, Jr., is technician and cameraman of the Motion Pic- ture Club of the Oranges (Neiu Jersey ) , an expert electrician who has constructed his own arc lights. Evelyn Gerstein has contributed articles on motion pictures to the New Republic, The Nation, Theatre Arts and The New York Times and has a broad knowledge of professional motion picture production. Charles A. Harrison, one of the life members of the Amateur Cinema League, is head of the Harrison Radiator Corporation of Lockport, N.Y. Ray F. Hart, as a professional pho- tographer who has wholeheartedly adopted the cinema hobby, has had a wide and varied experience in searching out picture possibilities. Douglas Hutchins is a member of the staff of the New York Times. Paul Pridham is a resident of Okla- homa City and has carried his cine camera to both Europe and the Orient Eve St. John hails from Hollywood and is at present free lancing in New York. Ernest Schoedsack is the camera- man, who, in company with Mer- ian C. Cooper, filmed "Grass" and most recently, "Chang." Edward Steichen is the famous por- trait photographer of New York City. Marguerite Tazelaar is a student and writer in the field of cinema- tography, and a contributor to na- tional magazines and newspapers. Stanley A. Tompkins is a profes- sional photographer and cinema- tographer who has been associated with the largest photographic com- panies and has now established his own cinematic business in New York City. W. P. Winslow is a member of the Sales Department of The Cadillac Motor Car Company of Detroit, and an enthusiastic believer in the value of motion pictures to industry. Two \11L-* LX ©C1B 746859 £/ ^ MOam cm. tea iL^A ■ (gFaS v^ [$M§ ■#8Gcai PUBLISHED BY THE AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC. "Heralding The Motion Picture Of Tomorrow" / Volume II JULY, 1927 / Number 7 ... Qontents ... Cover Design Jorge Palomino Contributors 2 slllymattergraphs 4 Editorials 5 A Jungle Star, A Photograph Ernest Schoedsack 6 Are Elephants Art? Eve St. John 7 The Story Of Chang — Surprise Success Of The Cinema Season The Title — Mouth of the Movies Douglas Hutchins 9 Plantation Pictures Paul Pridham 10 The Land Of Cotton Through A Cine Camera Lighting Interiors Russell T. Ervin, Jr. 11 Nee Listener Jane Budden 12 A Scenario In Story Form And Announcement Of A Scenario Contest Movies for Music Charles A. Harrison 14 Taking the Mountain to Mahomet W . P. Winslow 15 Movies as Mirrors Dr. Kinema 16 The Three Reverent Marys, A Photograph Edward Steichen 17 Amateur Movie Makers Color Section For July Portrait of a Pioneer Marguerite Tazelaar 18 Illustrations By Edward Steichen Cinema Democracy Mina Brownstein 20 A Review Of The Little Screen Players Of Boston Critical Focusing, Reviews to Aid the Amateur Edited By Evelyn Gerstein 22 Focusing Data - Stanley A. Tompkins 26 A Simplified Focusing Chart For Your Files Small Town Movies Ray F. Hart 28 Closeups and Swaps 30 Clinic Edited By Dr. Kinema 34 Perfection the Goal J6 Reflections Of An Amateur After Seeing How Cine Cameras Are Made President AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC. DIRECTORS Vice-President Treasurer HIRAM PERCY MAXIM Hartford, Conn. EARLE C. ANTHONY President of the National Association of Broadcasters ROY D. CHAPIN Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hudson Motor Company / STEPHEN F. VOORHEES Architect, of New York City W. E. COTTER 30 E. 42nd St., New York City C. R. DOOLEY Manager of Personnel and Training, Standard Oil Co. of N. .1. Managing Director ROY W. WINTON, 105 W. 40th Street, New York City A. A. HEBERT 1711 Park Street, Hartford, Conn. LEE F. HANMER Director of Recreation, Russell Sage Foundation FLOYD L. VANDERPOEL Scientist, of Litchfield, Conn. AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is published monthly n New York City by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. I Subscription Rate S3. 00 a year, postpaid (Canada $3.25, Foreign S3. 50); to members ot the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. $2.00 a yey/, postpaid; single copies, 25c. On sale at photographic dealers everywhere. jPopwright, 1927, by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. I' Title registered at United States Patent Office. Advertising rates on application. Forms close on 15th of preceding month. >» Editorial and Publication Office: 105 West 40th Street, New York City. WALTER D. KERST, Technical Editor K. L. NOONE, Advertising Manager JOHN BEARDSLEE CARRIGAN, Editor sa*r. ^M** "Lands of Yesteryear" A Movie of the Mediterranean fey Gardiner Wells ONE of the most fascinating travel movies ever filmed is now ready for distribu- tion. It shows not only the places visited by tourists but is filled with intimate, per- sonal scenes that show the life of the peo- ple. Here you will see Impregnable Gibraltar, where traffic passes to the left, directed by imperturbable Eng- lish Bobbies. Colorful Algiers with its ancient, Arab civilization, its veiled women. Up-to-date Tunis, near ancient Carthage, whose excavated wonders have astonished the world. Quaint Malta, its harbor filled with the war vessels of England's fleet. Ancient Athens, its marble relics of an age long past, contrasting with the busy, modern city. Constantinople — most Eastern of Western Cities, most Western of Eastern Cities. Beirut, the gateway to those cities of dreams, Damascus and Bagdad. Bustling Haifa, port of the Holy Land. Jerusalem the Golden, where Christian, Arab and Jew alike have their Holy Places. The Holy Land — Bethlehem, the Mt. of Olives, Jericho, the Jordan, the Sea of Gali- lee, Tiberias, Bethsaida, Nazareth. Egypt — mysterious Cairo, the Pyramids and Sphinx, the native bazaars where the Bedouin bandit mingles peacefully with his more gentle home brother. Quaint Syracuse, where the horses wear feathers. Naples, with Pompeii and the famous Amalfi Drive. Rome smartest of. Italian cities. The Riviera, where all of Europe comes to play. All these you may visit with Gardner Wells in his "Lands of Yesteryear" — the pictorial record of his latest Cruise to the Mediter- ranean. You may rent the film if you wish, or purchase it outright. JAMES BORING'S TRAVEL SERVICE, Inc. 45 Astor Place, New York City "Assistants to the Traveling Movie Maker" Four If all the 16 mm. film shot up to date ivere spliced end to end — wouldn't that be an awfully silly thing to do? Apropos of "Chang,' 'the Si- amese jungle film, Art Title writes : "It was fairly dark in the jungle and a tiger was making right for me. I had no gun but my partner was up in a tree with his projector. When he perceiv- ed my predicament, he flashed a lion on my broad white hunt- ing jacket and the tiger turned and ran. Believe it or not. That's my story and I'll stick to it." ■y- * * « The Boston Sivain to the New York Girl: "My dear, I crave permission to cinemato graph- ically record your physiogno- my. New York Girl: "Nothing doing — but I see you got your camera with you and I'll let you take my picture." If Sandy McTavish prepared his own developer, would you call it Scott's Emulsion? Q. What is Color Separation? A. A Harlem Divorce. If a man in a bath tub told you the naked truth, would you call it a double exposure? The Laboratory man may be a fine, honest citizen, but he does a lot of shady work in the dark. When you come back from your fishing trip, show your friends the "Prints of Whales" you shot. The difference between the movie fan and the radio fiend is that you can give the radio fiend the air without offending him. BILLY WHISKERS COMEDIES World Famous Kid Stories BY Frances Trego Montgomery IN 100 Ft. Reels for Your 16mm. Projector No. 1 - - Billy Whiskers IN The Life of a Fireman No. 2 -- Billy Whiskers IN The Soda Water Clerk No. 3 - - Billy Whiskers IN In the Taxi Business No. 4 -- Billy Whiskers IN In Bad With the Police No. 5 - - Billy Whiskers IN Playing Circus No. 6 — Billy Whiskers IN A Peck of Trouble No. 7 — Billy Whiskers IN The Movies No. 8 -- Billy Whiskers IN A Christmas Present No. 9 — Billy Whiskers IN The Night Watchman SOLD OUTRIGHT FOR $8.00 PER REEL PARCEL POST G.O.D. Selling Like Hotcakes WE FILL ALL ORDERS ON DAY RECEIVED Dealers, projector and camera owners mail address and get on our mailing list. U. S. PERSONAL FILM TRADING COMPANY 5525 Broadway, Chicago, III. Telephone Edgewater 6295 JULY IS A TIME foi outdoor stuff and not inside stuff. But there must needs be skeptics to spoil our nice outdoor mood. One of those crapehangers and gloom- clouds said to us the other day, with that superior sort of know- ing look that always accompanies such remarks, "Say, just who is getting his, in your Amateur Cinema League?" OU R UNFAMILIARITY with current slang — we date back to the Victorian elegances — left us in doubt, momentarily, as to what the skeptical person had in mind. He elucidated. "There are no men left in the world," he said, "who will give their time and their energy to build up any kind of an organization unless they see some money in it for them. You claim to be 'amateur' but somebody is getting his." WE LABORED VAINLY to ,explain and we suddenly concluded that he was the type who never could understand the truth that to us is not at all amaz- ing. A second thought flickered past the shutter of our mind. We wondered if the types that would understand have ever raised the same question. We are sure they would not have raised it so slang- ily but are we so sure they have not raised it discreetly? TO SETTLE THAT QUES- TION we decided, on behalf of the League directors, to re-state what has been stated elsewhere. The Amateur Cinema League is incorporated as a membership body and has no capital stock. Whatever profits its operations may bring over its expenses — such as the profits of Amateur Movie Makers, which is owned, lock, stock and barrel by the League, — go straight into the League treas- ury to be used for the general ad- vancement of amateur cinemato- graphy. Those profits belong to all of the members of the League and cannot revert to any individual. EAGUE MEMBERS, League directors. League officers, with one exception, are giving their ser- vices to the creation of their or- ganization without any remuner- ation direct or indirect. No per- son interested in the sale or rental or commercial handling of ama- teur motion picture equipment or professional motion picture equip- ment of any kind can serve as either officer or director. ONE OFFICER alone is sala- ried— the managing director — and he gives full time to League business. The League and its magazine both have salaried staffs. No salaried person may make any profit direct or indirect from League or magazine operations, beyond his salary. This organiza- tion is completely an amateur enter- prise and is entirely non-commer- cial. lure Club Of \ew Ha OUTDOOR MOOD THAT IS NOW CLEAR. But. for the life of us, we do not seem to be able to get back to our outdoor mood. We still feel argumentative. Just what is a member of the League getting, if he is not getting any money from the organization? He gets, first of all, the comradeship of a pioneer recreation, the knowledge that oth- ers are feeling their way into the eighth art as well as himself. When scoffing friends and critical members of his family make him feel too self-conscious because of his hobby, he is comforted to know that there are a whale of a lot of others doing the same thing and that they all have the little yellow cards with "A.C.L." on them. He knows he is not alone. And he knows that this League of his is made of his own kind of people, the fine citizens of a great country, who are solid and substantial men and women. He knows that because he has met other bearers of the little yellow cards. HE KNOWS that League head- quarters is maintained to serve him by personal conference and by correspondence. He has — if he has done as we have hoped he would — come in to see us at Head- quarters and has swapped ideas on amateur motion pictures. We hope that every League member will get into our office. Many have come in and we want, very sincerely, to have them come. He has, in many cases, written of his problems to us and has got suggestions and new ideas. And Amateur Movie Makers comes to him every month and he gets a renewed inspiration for pleasure in his hobby. Come to think of it, a League member "is getting his," all right, but we don't mean what that skeptic meant. WE GIVE IT UP. We shall go out and sit in the park and look at the squirrels and try to get al fresco again. Just as a last word, the right kind of peo- ple are still welcome to the League. Send in your application and let us put the hall-mark of cinematic distinction on you with that LITTLE YELLOW CARD. Five A JUNGLE STAR One Of The Actors In Chang Whose Salary Was Paid In Pounds— Avoirdupois, Not Sterling. Six THE SIAMESE VILLAGE Before Its Wreck By The Elephants ARE Elephants ART? The Story of Chang — Surprise Success of the Cinema Season By Eve St. John THE impossible has been achieved. A motion picture has been made which pleases the critics, those bloodhounds of art. the educators, who rather chronically despair for the movies, and — as- tonishing in this combination — the production company itself. For though art is art and box office is king, these twain at last have met in Chang, the elephant epic of the Siamese Jungle. Changs, it may herewith be stated, are elephants in the Siamese argot, and although there are plenty of tigers, gibbons, boa constrictors and other jungle miscellany in this film, the big punch is contributed by a wild herd of mad- dened pachyderms who crush a na- tive village to kindling wood and then, expanded to gargantuan pro- READ What Its Producers Have Learned About Photographing Animals. It Will Help Every Ama- teur. portions, seemingly thunder out into the very audience. Here the mag- nascope, that new enlarging device, has been utilized, and the resulting elephants make ordinary mammals look like contented cows. Although it has become a movie maxim that pictures cannot be big box office successes if based on the elements which have gone into the making of Chang, the Rivoli theatre in New York, where it received its Broadway baptism, is turning them away. Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack, who spent two years in Siamese Jungles to make it, are being feted on every hand, and a cheer- fully opulent smile greets any men- tion of the film about the offices of the Paramount Famous Lasky Cor- poration. Yet Chang has no sex appeal, no flaming youth, unless it be four footed, and the only triangles were used in making tiger traps. Chang is frankly an animal picture, a native picture, a travel picture, all three combined. Any one of these factors has been in the past enough to cause sad shaking of box office bobs, as for all these together — ! But strangely enough every element of the public has welcomed Chang. Obviously there must be a reason for this seeming reversal of public favor. Wherein lies the distinction? True, animals, natives and travel are the material from which this film is woven, but all are fused and galvan- ized into gripping life by drama — Seven showmanship it is called by the pro- fessionals. It is the story of man's struggle for existence against the cruel forces of nature, so simply, yet so graphically told, that the very jungle growth becomes a living an- tagonist, shrouding still deadlier enemies. It is great drama, the most fundamental drama of life. And it is skillfully unfolded, leading through a rising crescendo of conflict to a crashing climax. So whether elephants are beauti- ful in themselves, or not, whether they suggest artistic possibilities, their handling as a theme by Cooper and Shoedsack is one of the artistic achievements of the cinema, and at least a niche (perhaps we should say a corral) has been created for them in the world of art. Five years ago "Nanook of the North" and Robert J. Flaherty were quietly making cinematic history, and creating what later came to be known as an utterly new genre for the movies. Almost simultaneously Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack, the latter once camera man for von Stroheim in "Greed," arrived at the same conclusion, — to wit, that there was infinitely more drama in the bare struggle of a race for survival than in a million hot- house fantasias based upon the eternal triangle. Neither of them had been an actor or scenarist. Major Cooper had never been in a studio. Schoedsack was a camera man by profession: Cooper a writer, adventurer, aviator, naval officer trained at Annapolis, and the barest amateur with a camera. They made a rare combina- tion of camera man and a story writer with an unerring sense of drama. Cooper and Schoedsack met dur- ing the war after the war between the Poles and the Russians. Cooper was commanding a Polish aviation outfit and Schoedsack was seeking films of the scrap. Later Cooper was second officer of the Salisbury scien- tific expedition when its cameraman quit at Singapore. He remembered Schoedsack and cabled for him. It was after they were shipwrecked in the Red Sea that they decided to pho- tograph the migration of the Kurds over Zardah Kuh, and it is this film which gained fame as "Grass." "Without even knowing it we were working along parallel lines with Flaherty who was the pioneer in this field of dramatic 'native pictures.' ' It was Major Cooper, relaxing for one of his six minutes of freedom Eight from film magnates, who turned spokesman. "We saw no reason why the movies should follow the same fun- damental dramatic structure of the other arts, drama, literature, music. They were too artificial, too far away from the soil and genuine vul- garity, which is the basis of all drama. Our idea was to superim- pose a family, a small group, an in- dividual, against a mass background, and to build our drama on a racial struggle. That was what we tried to do in 'Grass,' the first picture that we made. But it was never fully completed. We got as far as the racial background, the trek across the river and mountains, but there THE PASSING OF THE GREAT HERD was no single group to hold the in- terest. And that was only because at the end of nine months our funds had given out. We had to give up the expedition. We were financing it ourselves. "But in 'Chang' we didn't have that difficulty, thanks to the fore- sight and interest of Mr. Lasky. We had no restrictions and so we could develop the idea of the individual as the centre of interest, with the racial struggle as a background. But that doesn't mean 'Chang' is not an arti- ficial picture. We didn't sit down in the jungle and shoot everything that we saw. It is as carefully construct- ed as anything made in a studio. Only our material was not manufac- tured. We didn't create customs, but we chose what we wanted for the drama. "Animals are as difficult to work with, if not more so, than human actors. You can't train a gibbon. We had to pursue Bimbo, our monkey comedian, everywhere to ob- serve his habits long before shooting, and then we filmed the funny things he naturally did. The cat animals were probably the hardest with which to do anything. They rarely came out into the open except at night and we had to lie in wait for them. But animal pictures are essentially as dramatic and as full of human in- terest as any others. There is the same working up of suspense and climax, the same underlying comedy and tragedy that one finds in any well constructed play. The most pleasing thing to us about the suc- cess of Chang is the fact that this has now been proven and thereby whole new fields have been opened up to all who want to explore them." Nor do these unique producers, who can win critics and public alike, have any of the frequently observed distaste of artistic creators for com- mercial success. They believe that good drama is always salable, parti- cularly if it does not lose what is known as the "common touch." Were there dangers, discomforts, pain in wresting this record from the jungle? Not once were they men- tioned. Yet out of far Siam have drifted some of the details of the filming of this remarkable picture, of Shoedsack carrying on although burning with tropical fever, of an episode nearly fatal to the camera- man. Ambushed on the trunk of a tree to photograph a closeup of a leaping tiger, his life was saved only through quick shooting by his part- ner, for the tiger leapt three feet higher than any tiger had ever been known to leap. But the resulting film is one of the most thrilling pic- tures ever made. The maddened beast leaps into the very lens of the camera, and on the screen seemingly out into the audience itself. As to what they will film next it is impossible to discover. All they will say is that they are departing soon for parts unknown to make an- other picture, "somewhat different from Chang," although whether it is to be even of the same genre they will not tell. One thing is certain, that, although Chang burst on an un- prepared audience, all of movie America will be awaiting eagerly the next Cooper-Shoedsack achievement. The TITLE-MOUTH of the MOVIES As Told to Douglas Hutchins By James O. Spearing in the story and its characters Jim beheld a likeness of himself '" grunts Mr. Listener. A dull A caller arrives. He is Nelson Nabor, a boy friend of Lena who has come to say good-bye to her on the eve of her departure for a fashion- able girls' boarding school. Though Nelson is painfully shy, not one of the Listener family seems disposed to come to his aid. He makes several valiant attempts to start a conversa- tion with the pretty Lena, but her monosyllabic, though polite responses make it uphill work. Though Mrs. Listener shows a little annoyance at her daughter's dumbness, it never seems to occur to her to lend a hand — or rather, a voice. Finally, the hard-working Nelson, worn out by his futile endeavors to annihilate the Listeners' silences, has an idea. "Let's go down to Ward's and get an ice cream soda," he suggests to Lena, who smilingly assents; and the' two go off. "I'm glad we decided to send Lena to that school," remarks Mrs. Listen- in! "H' family. er to her husband, only comment. Silence. "H'r is nis his Twelve "It will bring her out — make her talk more." "H'm!" Long silence. Thirty miles from East Mellis, in the fashionable town of West Woodsy live the Talkers, a very conspicuous and popular family. On the after- noon that Lena Listener is not enter- taining young Nabor on her father's lawn, the Talkers are giving a garden party, ostensibly for their son Tom- my, who is about to leave town for his senior year at Yale, but really for Mr. and Mrs. Talker, pere and mere, who like to have hordes of young people about them. We see Tommy's agreeable parents circulating among the young people, as gayly and brightly amusing as any of their son's guests. At a little distance one would almost take Mrs. Talker for one of the young girls. Her skirt is modish- ly short, her hair is youthfully bobbed and she wields a wicked cig- arette. Mr. Talker, in golfing togs, is seen to join one group after an- other and in every group he becomes the center of attraction. There is much laughter. The next morning a Talker auto- mobile, a smart model with the top down, with Tommy in the driver's seat, pater and mater behind, comes into collision with the Listeners' so- ber old touring car, which is bearing Lena off to boarding school. The Talker car, coming too fast around a corner, is forced to make too wide a turn and side-swipes the Listener car, which has been keeping rigidly to the right of the road. Though the occu- pants of both cars get excited, it is found that no great damage has been done. The left front fender of the Listener car presents a slightly crumpled appearance and that is the extent of the mischief. The Talkers are very apologetic, very solicitous of making amends. Mr. Talker hands Mr. Listener his business card. It bears the inscription: Thomas A. Talker, Jr. Talker, Talker and Talker Investments Though Mr. Listeners' face is pure poker, one can see by its absence of expression that the social and finan- cial standing of three generations of Talkers of West Woodsy is not en- tirely unknown to him. He and his wife warm to the Talkers — as far as it is in their natures to warm to any- body— and do believe me, it is not entirely on account of the magic business card! These Talkers are so charming! Lena, however, has not come under their spell. After hav- ing taken one look at the crumpled fender, she has withdrawn to the back of the Listener car and there we see her leaning up against the spare tire and weeping softly. Her condition is due partly to hysteria, but mostly to chagrin at visualizing herself be- ing driven up to the portal of Miss Crandall's-on-the-Hudson in a car with a crumpled fender. Tommy is the first to discover her. He must be injecting something droll in his expression of sympathy for her, be- cause we catch a glimpse of laughter now mingling with Lena's tears. Her natural reserve has been swept away and she is really charming. The Talkers offer to take Lena on her way. Tommy is especially urgent. How delightful these Talkers are! They treat the Listeners like old friends. If Mr. Talker were less of a gentleman, he might be calling Listener by his first name! Mrs. Talker playfully pats Listener on both cheeks. ( She is the kind that can get away with that sort of thing! ) In the end, Lena is allowed to pro- ceed to her destination in the Talkers' car, where she occupies the front seat with Tommy. She is by this time as inarticulate as usual, but Tommy has "I USE TEA FOR FLAVORING ONLY" a "first impression" etched for life on the tablet of his memory. He has no idea that she is the complete dumb-bell that she is normally, and so he proceeds to fall promptly in love with her. When finally she is deposited at the door of Miss Cran- dairs-on-the-Hudson, Tommy asks if he may write to her. Surely, her shy eyes tell him. We left Mr. and Mrs. Listener on the road fifty miles back with a par- tially damaged car and a great deal to talk about, if they were the talk- ing kind. Mrs. Listener finally breaks the silence that descends on them with the departure of the Talk- er car. "I wish I were more like Mrs. Talker,' 'she says wistfully. "H'm!" expatiates her husband. Silence. "I'm glad we sent her to that school, anyway!" "Who?" Mrs. Talker?" "No. Lena." "H'm!" Positively, that is all that passes between them on the twenty-five mile ride back home. At Miss Crandall's-on-the-Hudson, days add up into weeks and weeks into months, and still Lena remains the shy, reserved little girl she al- ways has been. Groups of lively, chattering girls form, dissolve, and re-form, but Lena never seems to make herself one of their units. We catch a glimpse of her occasionally, sitting apart, listening in on one of these groups, and gravely making notes in a little book as she listens. Let's look over her shoulder and see what she has set down. Here it is: "What Every \oung Girl Should Know — A lively boy is a riot or a scream. A dull boy is a dud. I am a female dud." Finally, one balmy day in May, when the noisy excitements of one hundred and fifty girls intent on go- ing home are driving Miss Crandall crazy, good-hearted Goldie Gladhand finds Lena on a settee in a secluded part of the school grounds, dissolved in tears. An open letter dangles from one hand. "Has anybody croaked?" asks Goldie, solicitously, noting the letter and jumping to the conclusion that it contains bad news. (Only heaven and a hard-pressed Miss Crandall know how Goldie managed to get into this school! ) "Out with it. kid! It will do you good to spill it." So Lena tells her in broken ac- cents that Tommy Talker, with whom she has corresponded all through the year, has written to ask if he may- call for her on the last day of school and drive her home. Having got that out, she gives herself up to fresh lamentations. "Gosh!" utters Goldie. "Is he such a lemon as all that?" "No, he isn't — isn't — isn't!' 'expos- tulates Lena. "He's a riot! — he's a scream! — he's a peeeeeach! ' — trying hard to suit her vocabulary to Gol- die's understanding. (Continued on page 44) T b i r 1 1 en MOVIES for MUSIC By Charles A. Harrison ANEW idea, yet in corallary form, almost as old as the cinema itself, is the cinema- tographic interpretation of music. Almost since the movie theatres first opened some form of music has been supplied in an attempt to keep the minds of the audience in the spirit of the scene: at first a fiddle badly played, with a distuned niano, also badly played, was the usual accom- paniment of the film. Nowadays it is usually an equally barbarous in- strument that might be an organ if all the "tweeks," bells, whistles and automatic tremolos, etc., were dis- carded. Now, if you are going to search for music to suit a film, usually a hopeless attempt, because the spirit of the music can hardly be expected to follow the changing scenes, why not reverse the order and make a film to follow the spirit of the music? Here is truly an opportun- ity for endless artistic expression. In one of the recent editions of the Illustrated London News were some simple pictures drawn by an artist while listening to music. In two cases at least these were admired by the composer as being the idea in his mind (An aria of Debussy's was an example) . Shortly after seeing these I was listening to a set of records of Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata for Violin and Piano, recently issued by the Victor company, and I was trying idly to see what mental pictures pre- sented themselves to me. Not one but a dozen scenes came easily to my mind and easily wove themselves in- Fourteen to a plot, then it occurred to me, "What an admirable idea for a film." One should not perhaps use the word "plot" in this sense for I pictured rather a number of inter-connected scenes. However, these could with ease be woven into a simple plot, for the feeling of the scenes should be given latitude and the story, being incidental, should be simple in or- der that it should not detract from the general feeling of the music by causing the mind to follow it to the exclusion of the music. No titles, no explanations would be necessary. Listen to and become familiar with the music. Get your ideas and later hear it again, while following the parts of the written music and making notes. Then time the records and work out your scenes to conform. Of course to take Beethoven as I have here is to try to run before you can walk, for in Beethoven is the profoundest and most varied feeling that probably has ever been ex- pressed in music, but it is also beau- tiful beyond conception and lends itself to infinite interpretation. In Will Durants' "Story of Phil- osophy," Schopenhauer is quoted, "Music is by no means like the other arts, 'the copy of ideas,' but it is the 'copy of the will itself,' it shows us the eternally moving, striving, wan- dering will always at last returning to itself to begin its striving anew. This is why the effect of music is more powerful and penetrating than the other arts, for they speak only of shadows, while it speaks of the things itself." Schopenhauer recognized that the feeling of music may be in- terpreted in a thousand different ways yet each might be equally true. That is why this opens such an enor- mous field to us, with room for plenty of blunders, but also a goal in which the film by being shown with the music would give at least a chance for really true and original artistic expression. I have as I said worked out rough- ly a film to accompany the Kreutzer Sonata which I will probably never produce owing to the difficulty in amateur production of anything worthy of the music without a great deal of experience, but it is not my ideas on any particular piece of music that I wish to put before you in any case, for here is a field so full of possibility, that only with the inspiration of original ideas of the individual can we hope to pro- duce something of real value. If you want to be converted listen to the "theme and variations" move- ment of the Kreutzer Sonata. If you do not already know it play it until you do, then imagine the profound peace and completeness of it, and try to interpret it in terms of trees and cool evening breezes or rippling brooks or anything else that it seems to mean to you, never forgetting the human element. Then having glimpsed the possibilities try some- thing simpler, for like all things worth while I fear it will take a lot of striving before achievement. TAKING the Mountain to MAHOMET By W. P. Winslow THE FACTORY IN FILM MOTION SEVERAL years ago the Cadil- lac Motor Car Company fore- saw the tremendous strides the motion picture industry was making, strides that have put it in fourth place among our great industries. We believed in the potentialities of this medium and proved our faith by investing in two pictures. We received the cooperation of the Metropolitan Motion Picture Com- pany, here in Detroit, in working out our ideas: resulting in two pictures of contrasting types. One is an ex- position of factory methods; the other is designed to show the grace and quality of the finished product — the Cadillac motor car. Both pic- tures are based, however, upon a de- sire to emphasize the perfection of craftsmanship, and the selection of the best in raw materials that go into the Cadillac; designed, in brief, to stimulate public confidence in the product. The first picture was completed two years ago; the second, a year ago. Both have received country- wide circulation in schools and col- leges; both have resulted in letters from visual departments congratulat- ing us upon the superior presenta- INDUSTRY Is Also Experimenting With Motion Pictures And The Experience Of The Cadillac Motor Car Company In This Field Will Be Of Interest And Value To The Many Executives Of Great Companies Who Are Numbered Among Amateur Movie Makers. tion of our subjects. We have let- ters on file stating that — although films with no rental charge are plen- tiful and may be had for the asking — it is not so easy to procure enough high class films to supply the de- mands. As soon as schools definitely finish with films they return them to the motion picture company, which in- cludes distribution facilities in its service to us. The charge is a nomi- nal one. They repair, if necessary, and re-issue. No film stays dormant. Close check is kept of the copies in circulation and, in rare instances, re- THE CADILLAC REVIEWS EARLY PAGES IN AMERICAN HISTORY SCENES IN OLD NEW ENGLAND turn of a print has been requested. Needless to say, with all the requests on file, there is no need of including any school where listlessness is ap- parent in the replies. Sometimes a film is forwarded from point to point within the cir- cuit if there is no likelihood of a damaged film being rent on. For- merly concerns with money invested in films complained because "schools ruined the films" but that is a thing of the past. A genuine desire to co- operate with the departments of visu- al education (in some cases we have re-edited a film to suit the require- ments of a particular department ) has resulted in the schools meeting us half way in the matter of care and return of films. Although both of our pictures have had wide circulation, the second of the two, perhaps, fits in with the cur- riculum of the schools to better ad- vantage from their point of view. Probably this is because we arranged this travel picture, "Early Pages In American History," so that it may be shown in three separate periods, or in a three-reel continuity. This fits (Continued on page 41) Fifteen MOVIES As MIRRORS THE more I travel around and see amateur films, the more I am impressed by the fact that a person's films always indicate his characteristics. For example, I know some ten or fifteen men who own amateur motion picture outfits, and who really do quite a bit of thinking about their pictures. Each one of them produces a different kind of a film. That is to say, the basic idea back of each film is utterly dif- ferent in every one of them. Several of my friends have taken Mediterranean Cruises, several have taken Caribbean trips and some have taken trips to Florida and to South- ern California this winter. Each of them has set off with the intention of doing something worth while in re- cording his trip in film. I have seen miles and miles of these films when they have been finished, and I have been intensely interested in noticing the different characteristics of each. One man will evidently start out with the idea that the outstanding point is to make his film accurately record the details of the trip. He will see to it that every single place he goes is photographed and the date he was there recorded on the film. His pictures, when he shows them af- ter his return, faithfully record his trip. Every man, woman and child in his audience would be willing to take oath that the facts as set forth on the film are correct. But not one of them would like to be asked to sit through the film again. His film is not interesting, and he himself is not interesting, and when you know him you know that he would take just that kind of a film. And his ex- posures are pretty fair. He has been as painstaking in selecting his stops as he has been in getting the record accurate. But his film is nothing but a record. Another man starts out with the outstanding determination to get con- tinuity. He believes everything must be subservient to continuity. One scene must lead into the next. This means that all the detail necessary to move from one point to the next has to be shown in tiresome detail. Who cares what kind of a car was ured, or how they got from the hotel door to the car door? Or whether or not the car is clearly shown to be run- Sixteen By Dr. Kinema ning with the whole party neatly packed away in it? When he gets home and projects his film, his au- dience feels as though it had been looking at a cinematic railroad time- table. He may have exposed his film well and got some really good photo- graphs. But the whole thing is lost. The pleasure giving effect is sunk in a maze of continuity detail. Then there is the parsimonious chap, who begrudges every click his camera makes. He sees his film go- ing, and, realizing that he paid six dollars for a reel of it, he wants to use it sparingly. He usually forgets to take the rubber protecting cap off his lens and wastes a lot of film any- way. His pictures are a shy 300 feet long on a cruise that lasted three months, so you see he made a hun- dred foot reel last a month. Nat- urally his pictures call for a diplo- matic sort of comment, when you shake hands to go home. His close nature, well known to his intimates, sticks out in his films like a sore thumb. Then there is the nervous man. He shoots hundreds of scenes. He shoots everything he sees, evidently. He must have his camera pointed most of the time. He has no idea of any- thing at all except to shoot. His foot- age on any subject is the same. When he shows you his films you get a kaleidoscopic jamboree of every- thing, with just a flash of each. You see nothing clearly and your eyes are nearly burned out of your head trying to focus on the flitting scenes. He shows just exactly nothing of his trip. What an intensely restful experi- ence it is, then, to go to the fellow's house who chucks everything in the way of accuracy, records and con- tinuity out of the window, labels his films. "Some Charming Vistas We've Seen," and rolls out before you a series of beautiful pictures with just a suggestion of the travel idea, and with a very clearly defined dramatic effect throughout. It is simply fascinating, and you think of schemes to get him to show them to you again. This last man evidently places beauty as his outstanding aim. He sees the beautiful. He evidently never loses a beauty spot, and I feel very certain that many of his scenes might not appear worth photograph- ing to the ordinary being. But he will take what probably was a quite dreary building, find a spot where he can view it through a vista of trees of some sort, manage to get a big heavy black object of some kind on one side, perhaps the trunk of a tree, and when it is projected, show- ing only the field which the lens cov- ers, he has a little gem that stirs you deeply. Then he has the knack of just sug- gesting in his title what the picture is to be. And when it flashes on the screen you are surprised and delight- ed. And further, he manages to get a real dramatic touch in many views in which no people at all may be shown. He will intrigue you with a series of outdoor views until you ac- tually feel the delicious physical fatigue of hiking in the great out- doors. He will lead you gradually to a delightful cabin, and there he will warm you with a glimpse of a warm fire and a glass of something that steams, and then as he has you nestling in the comfort of a big chair before a blazing fire, there will be a title that suggests "good night," and the reel will finish by showing a glimpse out a window of a low hanging moon on a snow covered meadow, with just the right combin- ation of trees and an old barn to give you the idea of silence and cold, crisp air, with a nice warm room from which to view it all. This last chap's pictures invaria- bly charm me. And I happen to know that they charm everybody. He himself is a very charming fellow, but I suppose the very last thing on earth that enters his life is the artis- tic. He could not paint a picture to save his life. He does not know the names of the great artists. He is an ignoramus in art matters. But he has the artistic sense. He loves the beautiful, and he gets a profound pleasure out of creating something that is beautiful. Yet he is a manu- facturer of those most unbeautiful things — kitchen utensils! Amateur Movie Makers COLOR SECTION FOR JULY By Edward Steichen, Courtesy Vanity Fair THE THREE REVERENT MARYS A GROUPING Which Illustrates The -*■ ^- Fine Dignity And Good Taste That Characterizes The Great Produc- tion "The King Of Kings." Which Erects A New Model For The Religious Application Of Motion Pictures. TN This Photograph, Which Was Not -■-■ Made With A Motion Picture Cam- era, But By A Small Kodak. Still Pho- tographic Art Sets A High Standard Which Would Repay The Study Of Pro- fessionals As Well As Amateurs. Seventeen PORTRAIT PIONEER By Marguerite Tazelaar Illustrations By Edward Steichen Through The Courtesy of Vanity Fair THE Story Of Edward Steichen s Achievements In The Field Of Still Photography Should Prove In- Valuable To The Amateur Motion Picture Maker In Showing The Man- ner In Which Serious Experimenta- tion In This New Field May Lead To Fame. Read Steichen s Prophe- cies On Motion Picture Photography And His New Idea For The Amateur Experimenter. KALEIDOSC A Design IN a small studio on the outskirts of Paris, a number of years ago, a man worked with quiet ear- nestness with a camera. Alone, and with only the rudest equipment, he experimented. Day after day, week after week, he patiently groped his way, trying to get from the dark re- cesses of his instrument the image that glowed hazily in his mind. He used the simplest, almost prim- itive models. One was a cup and saucer which he photographed more than a thousand times, hoping al- ways to realize a still life that would be less stereotyped, conventional, dead, than any he had ever seen. He tried out different camera angles, and effects of light and shade. He used timing experimentally, and tirelessly adjusted lens and focus until one fine day he was satisfied to pack up his belongings and put his labora- tory experiments into practice. He believed he had come a little nearer to what he had set out to do: per- fect himself in the technique of pho- tography in order to express beauty as he saw and felt it. Because the camera and its possi- bilities have been, up to a few years ago, practically an unexplored field for the artist, this man had to make his experiments do for textbooks. That he has succeeded in hewing out a path, not only for himself, but for others as well, is evident today in the results that those long, tedious months of grind have brought. EDWARD STEICHEN lOPIC MATCHES By Mr. Steichen Some of these results will be found in the finely conceived studies of sets, and production in action taken on Hollywood "sets" recently, as well as the individual and arresting por- traits of various stars. In small let- ters at the bottom of such prints will be found the name, Edward Steichen. Steichen began his career as a painter. He studied at art schools both in New York and Paris. To his credit he has now, as he puts it, several years of his life cooped up in collectors' rooms, while one of his paintings hangs in the Metropolitan Art Museum. He is no longer a painter, but an artist in what he be- lieves to be a much broader sense, in that his work can reach out to so many more people, and can be, gen- erally speaking, of so much greater use than a canvas in a parlor. "My motivating impulse as a pho- tographer," says Steichen, "is purely objective. Unless this effort, when achieved, can reach people, it will be dead. It must gain its vitality by being projected into the lives of many, and this is being brought about through the use of modern mechanics, in short, through indus- trialism. "Everything in the future must come out of industrialism. We are living in an age in which all things have to stand the test of usefulness. Eighteen But you can mould creative impulse as satisfyingly in that form as did any of the painters and sculptors of the past, with their paints and clay. Look, for instance, at the automobile. It started as an ugly thing propelled by a motor. It has reached perfec- tion in grace, beauty of line, and speed. It has supplied a need to mil- lions, as well as comfort, and at the same time has naturally and easily acquired beauty. "Or take architecture," he contin- ued, "with the adjustment to an age of industry, finance, and ever increas- ing population, it has wrought out of ugliness a beauty which has yet to be equalled in the creativeness to be found in the Manhattan skyline.' Sitting in his plain, and yet strik- ing workshop, high up in a New York building, he talked easily with rapid, clipped sentences. Big, rug- ged and bony in build, dressed in a rough tweed suit and a soft blue shirt, he somehow symbolized the simplicity and democracy that is so much a part of him. He can best be described as a man of contradic- tions. He is an artist and a dreamer. Yet he is a hard worker, a shrewd craftsman, and a firm believer that there is nothing on earth without in- terest if you are attracted to it. "I'd as soon drive a taxi as do anything else, if I found I had an enthusiasm about taxis." Or, whimsically, "I'd probably have made a good plumber, if I'd got interested in plumbing early enough. "It's all accident the things you get started in. There's no such thing as a born painter or musician. Why, AN ARTIST'S VIEW OF THE MECHANISM OF A MOTION PICTURE In The Foreground The Cameraman And The Director — In The Background The Players. what would a natural pianist do if there had never been any pianos in- vented? He'd find another way to express his natural bent. "When I first left school I went into a lithographic shop to work. At that time they were doing some ad- vertising posters for a concern. Among the pictures were some pigs. I thought they were the most lifeless animals I had ever seen, in fact, I almost forgot what a real pig was like after looking at these picture pigs for a time. So one day I went out to a county fair and took my camera along. I tried several times to get the pigs in natural positions. When I developed my prints I found among them a blurred picture of a pig that I'd taken when I accidently stumbled over my tripod. I set it aside thinking it wouldn't do. Later another worker in the shop picked (Continued on page 46) Nineteen CINEMA Democracy By Mina Brownstein THE Little Screen Players of Bos- ton Are A Cross Section Of Their Community And With Them The Average Citizen Has Surmounted The Barriers Which Have Grown Up Between Movies In The Making And The Public. Their Achievements Are Now Being Emulated In A Score Of Cities And The Time Can Not Be Far Distant When Every Com- munity Will Have Its Amateur Mo- tion Picture Group. BEVERLEY HALL A Star Who Pays Her Own Salary THERE has been much discus- sion of the possible perma- nency of the amateur film movement. Like every new growth which has its derivation in the cliches of an old and rooted condi- tion, it has been both blamed and lauded by the genre from which it arises. Production, exhibition and distribution professionals in the mo- tion picture industry have flicked it an inquisitive eye, some with praise, others with deprecation or neutrality. Whatever its ultimate fate may be, however, we merely offer for ex- amination the story of the Little Screen Players of Boston, an ama- teur organization founded in May, 1923, with high hopes (which have not yet been deflated), now the proud possessors of two edited films, one already exhibited in 1925 under the title of "IT," the other, a comedy now being titled for release in the Fall; perhaps the first amateur or- ganization to exhibit for commercial audiences. The Little Screen Players were the outgrowth of years of rumination on the part of Herbert F. Lang, their director, and are directed, cast and staged, and even filmed by a group whose sole claim to moviedom is an inordinate interest in the silver screen and an unbounded faith in its ulti- mately becoming the debtor of the amateur experimenter, a group now turned so proficient as to rouse fears in the director's mind of possible departure to the ranks of the profes- sionals. As an example of the mis- takes, successes, and fears that must beset any group of amateurs engaged in production the story of the Little Screen Players is incomparably im- portant. Organized as it is with a minimum of experienced assistance, (only its director, a still photo- HERBERT F. LANG, DIRECTOR grapher by profession, a few of the actors and a cameraman, have had any contact with large studios), it is of necessity given to much blunder- ing and, happily, to much experi- mentation. The first production, "IT," which took eighteen months to shoot, and which ate up twelve thou- sand feet of standard size film, was cut before its final showing to four thousand feet. The story was cramped and interrupted, but the lesson learned, according to Mr. Lang, is irrevocable and indelible. What is most notable about the organization is its membership. Un- til now, much of the news about ama- teurs has included the usual footnote about college students, aesthetic critics, and undiscovered geniuses who are going to capitalize the letter "A" in "art." Here is a group from among whom it is possible to pick Twenty THE LITTLE SCREEN PLAYERS ON LOCATION the average man and woman, the stenographer, school teacher, clerk, civil engineer, photographer and storekeeper. The members of the Little Screen Players are ordinary folk whose time is not their own. They give up all their Sundays and holidays, once crammed with picnics and card parties, to be hustled about and shouted to by their director. They pay a dollar a month for the privilege, receive no wages, get al- most no publicity, and are, most of them, doomed to small parts, mob scenes and understudying. All Bos- ton has offered to help. Wealthy folk have lent their valued heirlooms and estates. The police force has volun- teered assistance in any shots where the workings of the law will be need- ed. The town turned out for one scene, laid somewhere near the water front, which necessitated a mob of 10,000 people. If the moving pic- tures have so far been called the most democratic of the arts, they might also develop, in the future, as the most communal of the arts, rem- iniscent in more ways than one of the old miracle plays, the first the- atricals known in pre-Elizabethan England, the base, too, from which modern drama stems. In these days of rights for the many, the Utopian might well become excited at the mention of the possibilities which amateur motion pictures cradle. Mr. Lang, the director of the group, is himself a versatile young man. He has an aviation war rec- ord, and is at present engaged in the cinema department of the Bachrach studios in Watertown, Massachusetts. In 1923 he journeyed to Long Island to view the technique of the only available film genius in the vicinity, David Wark Griffith, and it was while watching Lillian Gish under the tutelage of the man who made film history with the "Birth of A Na- tion," that he definitely decided to throw in his mental energies with amateur endeavor, thinking thus to combine the perfection of the profes- sional with the freshness of the non- professional. He was thoroughly convinced that like the legitimate stage, the motion picture could take a fresh breath, as it were, from the intelligent amateur. From his asso- ciates at the studio, he gleaned an interested group who promised to as- sist in the technical processes. He started without money or equipment, without even the necessary studio and group of patrons. Howard Brown, a cameraman as- sociated with the Technicolor Lab- oratories and Phonofilms, on hearing of the new organization, made haste to tender his application. Richard Foley of Jamaica Plain, hearing of the experiment left his Marionette Theatre to proffer his services. The little theatre of his own for which he designs his marionettes is now offer- ing possible material for a screen version of Punnochio and his adven- tures. Morandi Bartlett, of Wollas- ton, for years interested in amateur theatricals offered his aid. The com- pletion of the technical staff came with the acquisition of a few more cameramen and electricians, and the way was clear for the would-be actors. The townspeople of Boston and thereabouts who responded are still being slowly sifted and trained. Screen tests are paid for by the ap- plicants, thus alleviating an added (Continued on page 42) HARRY C. SKINNER IN PENSIVE CHARACTER T w e n t y <■- o n e CRITICAL FOCUSING Reviews to Aid the Amateur PICTURES PREVIOUSLY LISTED AND RECOMMENDED Camille; Titleless Start — Tempo — Alternating Close-ups. Chang: Animal Possibilities — Mag- nascope. Flesh and the Devil : ettes. King of Kings: Cine Silhou- Composition — Lighting. Metropolis: Moving Titles — Use of models. Potemkin: Tempo — Cutting — Real- istic Detail. Secrets of the Soul : Filming a Dream. White Gold: Without scenario — Economy of setting. SEVENTH HEAVEN WILLIAM FOX COMPANY Directed by Frank Borzage „. i i t (Ernest Palmer Photographed by. . jj A Valentine Use of Moving Camera: In the staircase sequences, the effect of height is enhanced by the use of a moving camera always placed at an angle somewhat below the climbers, so that several levels are shown si- multaneously. (This is much the same device that was used so well in the stage production of "Desire Un- der the Elms," with the front wall of the house removed. ) As the top stage of the film staircase is reached, the tempo is aggravated. An un- usual webbish bit of composition is obtained in a shot down into the coils of the staircase, from the top. The same stunt is resorted to in the glimpses down into the sewer. Taxicab Army: This is probably the only phase of war traffic that has hitherto escaped the hands of movie makers. By the variety of his cam- era angles and the acceleration of tempo, Mr. Borzage has managed to give it something of the significance and stride of the lorries in "The Big Parade." Lighting : In the approach to battle front sequences, both lighting and composition are extraordinarily beautiful in the manner of Flemish Twenty-two Edited by EVELYN GERSTE1N THE Photoplays Listed Here Are Recommended To Amateurs For Study In Their Local Theatres, And Particular Characteristics Of The Pictures, Which Can Be Used By Amateurs To Advantage In Filming Their Oivn Pictures, Are Summarized Below. Suggestions For This De- partment Will Be Welcomed By The Editor. pastorals; yet they are never too suggestive of still pictures. BEAU GESTE FAMOUS PLAYERS LASKY Directed by Herbert Brenon Photographed by J. Roy Hunt Unusual Scenario: This is a well composed script, directly adapt- ed from the novel of Percival Wren, which, despite the fact that it has nothing to do with sex or love or tri- angles, has been made into a box- office success. Composition and Lighting: De- spite the frequency with which des- ert scenes are ground out in Holly- wood, Mr. Hunt has managed to avoid the conventional line-up of desert silhouettes. Although he has made no radical departures techni- cally, his desert scenes are always smoothly and adroitly composed, and his lighting is excellent through- out. MR. WU METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Directed by William Nigh Photographed by John Arnold Composition: Again, as in "The Big Parade," Mr. Arnold has resorted to arches and frames to enclose his compositions, in this instance, inten- sifying the strange, exotic atmosphere and air of unreality of the legend. Al- though it never quite loses the feel- ing of the studio, each individual composition, whether framed or not, has poise and beauty that is none the less effective because it happens to be artificial. Lighting: Much of the loveliness of Mr. Wu is due to the excellent use that Mr. Arnold makes of dif- fused lighting. He is one of the few camera men who know how to use it without exaggeration and obtrusive- ness. A CRAZY WINTER WORLD From "The Beloved Rogue," Which Illustrates Model Possibilities. CONVOY FIRST NATIONAL (ROBERT KANE PRODUCTION) Directed by Joe Boyle Photographed by Ernest Haller News Reel Inserts: Thrilling shots of actual world war naval battle films, are inserted in the action of this picture, and prove the point of greatest interest in the film. This device, frequently used by profes- sionals, is equally practicable for the amateur. From the news reel com- panies you can secure the footage de- sired of any great news event which has been filmed, and by inserting such shots, appropriate to your film, greatly increase its interest. THE NIGHT OF LOVE SAMUEL GOLDWYN PRODUCTION UNITED ARTISTS DISTRIBUTION Directed by George Fitzmaurice Photographed by. .George S. Evans Shadow Emphasis: Shadows of the characters and of various proper- ties are used with great effectiveness in this picture to emphasize moods and action. In the accompanying il- lustration the shadow of the instru- ment of torture is more gruesome than the device itself. Thought on this point will suggest practical ap- plications. Photography: Study of the pho- tographic excellence of this picture will repay the amateur. This pic- ture and Flesh and the Devil repre- sent two of the outstanding achieve- ments for the year in artistic pho- tography. A MILLION BID WARNER BROTHERS Directed by Michael Curtiz Photographed by Hal Mohr Use of Double and Triple Ex- posure: This film shows what can be done by the use of camera tricks with a routine amnesia story, already shown on the screen some years ago. By his swift juxtaposition of shots of a moving train, of flashbacks, and of a wedding that is taking place simul- taneously, Mr. Curtiz has given psy- chological significance and emotional power to an ordinary coincidence scene. As the train rushes through the night, by his moving shots of sec- tions of the engine, of the rails and the ground rising to meet it as it tears through space, he has conveyed an overpowering sense of speed and power. Again, in the triple exposure of the flashbacks he suggests the swiftness and unreality of life. The film is filled with bits of virtuosity, especially in the derangement and loss of memory sequences in which the villain sees distorted visions of the girl, and a partial insanity is suggested by a mere technical device. Such films as this take the taboo off the cinema as a medium incapable of psychological expression. Tempo and Cutting: The sus- pense of the train journey is height- ened enormously by swiftness of tempo and the dexterity of the cutting throughout this sequence, notable in the entire film. Use of Shadows: Mr. Moler has also used gigantic shadow projected takes place in one or two sets and with only three actors. As in so many of Ufa's best, there is an ad- mirable lack of extraneous detail. Everything depends on the camera motif, and the power of the director to concentrate on it, in this instance, the circular staircase which gives title to the film and determines its ligne. It is a genre film, detailed with extraordinary simplicity and poignancy. THE MAGICIAN OF TALOO Produced and directed by Ewald Schumacker Animated Silhouettes: These A GRIM SHADOW FROM on the wall ahead of Warner Oland to suggest the menacing aspect of the man. The shadow shrinks as he goea out of the story. BACKSTAIRS UFA FILMS Directed by Leopold Jessner Economy of Setting: Practi- cally the entire action of this film "THE NIGHT OF LOVE" silhouettes, evolved by the German artist, Schummacker, who spent two years over them, are manipulated in much the same way as were the stuffed models for "The Lost World," in addition to the regulation silhou- ette treatment of shadows and lights. They are often quite amusing and lyrical; in one sequence, there is a suggestion of depth conveyed by the use of half tone silhouettes. T w e n t y - t h r e < More Good News for the Bell /^>^ue true amateur is generally more enthusiastic about his hobby than the ^1 r\ professional who must make work of it. The amateur movie makers ^-^ we know about — and there are thousands — can never be content with just "ordinary" amateur movies. Constant improvement, greater variety, effective but simple innovations— are constantly demanded. Bell & Howell experience answers this demand. Over twenty years of supplying cameras and equipment to world's leading studios for professional motion picture making tells us what you want. First of all, precision. Then strictly amateur simplicity. You find both in the new devices, for gaining new effects, listed in this space from month to month. If you are an owner of Filmo Camera, Projector and equipment you are assured of the finest results possible to amateur movie making. The New B. & H. Iris Vignetter The new Filmo Iris Vignetter closes up entirely, permitting a complete fade-out. This is accomplished by a small shutter which drops over the pin-hole size opening remain- ing when the iris shutter is closed to its limit. There is an audible "click" when the iris reaches the completely closed position; also when the completely open position is reached — in this way telegraphing to the operator that further rotation of the"thumb- and-finger" dial is unnecessary. It is provided with adjustable iris positions, as a "fade" or close-out varies in size dependent upon iris stop used at time of making shot. Vignetter quickly attached to Filmo camera by screwing into lens in place of sunshade. Positive in action — and will accommodate a color filter. Price $10.50 Mark coupon for further information. Minusa This is the you have be< where. Sets u silvered surfa out the worl light. To set spring roller firmly in plac as a base. "W takes up scr< leatherette c< in appearana Mark coupon Cinophot, the Precision Photometer This is an improved type of exposure meter which gives definitely exact readings under any and all conditions. Arranged to give direct readings for motion picture cam- eras without any calculation other than those cared for by the scales upon the instrument itself. Through use of this simple and precise meter you will secure excellent pictures always, and save many a foot of film you might otherwise waste through improper exposure. The price is $12.50. Mark the coupon for complete descriptive information. Twenty -jour UsetheB.&H.t^, if you want to use standard (3 Eyemo is the portable automatic standar exploring expeditions and newspaper can glass viewfinder and press the button. O with camera in operation. Iris stops am alone regularly lists at $83.00. It is a 47 meter focusing mount. Fourteen other le interchangeable with this lens. A simpl curacy. Price $264. Write for descriptive BELL & HC 1828 Larchm New York <» Hollywood sl Howell Box Screen Opened Up Box Screen Closed The B. & H. »ox Portable Screen ie-up-let's-go" portable movie screen dting for. Always ready to go any- a jiffy. Easily carried. Has the same id in motion picture theatres ihrough- Dtains excellent results in semi-day- Den box cover and pull screen up from frame adjustment then holds screen thout sag or wrinkle, the box acting packing down, spring roller quickly The box cover is hinged. Box has ng with nickel trimmings. Beautiful se of screen 3x4 feet. Price $21.00. further information. 2P Standard Automatic n.) film and commercialize your movies era used by nearly all leading professional studios, len. To operate Eyemo, simply locate action in spy- >r has one hand free to "follow focus" or dial iris is numbers plainly visible in viewfinder. The lens F 2.5 Taylor-Hobson Cooke anastigmat in micro- villi accurately matched viewfinder pieces quickly se standard automatic camera of professional ac- to circular. Movie Maker SEE FLOWERS GROW in the "Pillsbury Flower Dramatics" Series tfltirig LIBRARY Many of the mysteries of flower and plant nature hidden from the layman are brought to the screen in this remarkably beautiful series of 100-ft. 16 mm. Filmo Library Films. Mr. A. C. Pillsbury is a noted naturalist of Yosemite National Park, California. Through patient observation, his camera has caught flowers flirting, dancing, shak- ing their heads, jostling each other. You see real buds swell, burst and bloom. The action of growth that actually takes hours and days, you see within the space of a few minutes on your own screen. Only through Filmo Library are these 16 mm. films for your projector released. S*l*0'W Motion Many of the Pillsbury flower scenes are necessarily taken in s-l-o-w motion, to record movement imperceptible to the naked eye. Many, too, are taken through the microscope to show you exactly what changes take place. Eight subjects of Pillsbury series are now ready for release, each film carefully titled and numbered. Mark the coupon below to receive early announcement and prices by mail. Ditmars Living Natural History Series Addition of this famous series to the pre- viously prepared Filmo Library animal pictures has made our complete zoological series the marvel of all nature lovers. The space of a specially prepared ci.cular is re- quired to list and describe the various sub- jects obtainable — such as "Cat Animals," which includes the Lion, Tiger, Jaguar, Leo- pard, Ocelot and Species of Lynx. "Animal Engineers" shows the life and activities of Prairie Dog and American Beaver. There's a long list of other films as captivating. Mark coupon for it. Bengal Tiger Write for the Complete List of «^toLIBRARY SUBJECTS To be prepared for any entertaining emergency with your 16 mm. Projector, keep a number of Filmo Library films always on hand — with a lately revised list of sub- jects for further choice. Indicate your interest in the complete Filmo Library by marking the coupon and fully descriptive information will be mailed you, together with nearest dealer's name. WELL COMPANY BELL &. HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois Please send name of my nearest Filmo dealer and complete information on the following: □ New B. & H. Iris Vignetter □ Minusa Portable Box Screen □ Cinophot Exposure Meter D Evemo Standard Automatic Camera □ Pillsbury Flower Film's □ Ditmars Animal Films Q Complete Filmo Library t Avenue, Chicago, Illinois London (B. & H. Co., Ltd.) Name. Established 1907 City. .Slate . T w e n t y - } i v e More Good News for the Bell & Howell (~pOHE true amateur is generally more enthusiastic about his hobby than the CO Professional who must make work of it. The amateur movie makers ^-^ we know about— and there are thousands — can never be content with just "ordinary" amateur movies. Constant improvement, greater variety, effective but simple innovations — are constantly demanded. Bell & Howell experience answers this demand. Over twenty years of supplying cameras and equipment to world's leading studios for professional motion picture making tells us what you want. First of all, precision. Then strictly amateur simplicity. You find both in the new devices, for gaining new effects, listed in this space from month to month. If you are an owner of Filmo Camera, Projector and equipment you are assured of the finest results possible to amateur movie making. The New B. & H, £$£& Iris Vignetter The new F, Into Ins Vigne ter closes up entirely, permitting a complete fade-out. This is accomplished by a small shutter which drops over the pin-hole size opening remain- ing when the iris shutter is closed to its limit. There is an audib e • cHck" when the ins reaches the completely closed position; also when the completely open posiUon is reached-in this yvay telegraphing to the operator that further rotat on S 'the°thumb and-finger dial is unnecessary. It is provided with adjustab T rfs notions a"? a Vgnette^^ vignetxer quic m> attached to F //wocamera byscrew nginto lens in olaceof sunshade Positive m action-and will accommodate a color filter Price « \ in Yc\ Mark coupon for further information. * Box Screen Opened Up Box Screen Closed The B. & H. Minusa Box Portable Screen Thisisthe"pick-me-up-let's-go" portable movie screen you have been waiting for. Always ready to go any- where. Sets up in a jiffy. Easily carried. Has the same silvered surface used in motion picture theatres through- out the world. Obtains excellent results in semi-day- light. To set up, open box cover and pull screen up from spring roller. The frame adjustment then holds screen firmly in place without sag or wrinkle, the box acting as a base. When packing down, spring roller quickly takes up screen. The box cover is hinged. Box has leatherette covering with nickel trimmings. Beautiful in appearance. Size o screen 3x4 feet. Price $?1 00 Mark coupon for further information. ' Cinophot, the Precision Photometer This is an improved type of exposure meter which eives definitely exact readings under any and all conditions Arranged to Rive direct readings for motion picture cam- eras wihout any calculation other than those cared for bv the scales upon the instrument itself. Through use of this simple and precise meter you will secure excellent nictures always and save many a foot of film you might otherwise waste through improper exposure. The price is $12 50 Mark the coupon for complete descriptive information Use the B. &H. cxgrnp Standard Automatic if you want to use standard (35 mm.) /,/m and commercialize your movies Eye™ is the portable automatic standard I ca.nera usee I by yearly all leading professional studios, exploring expeditions and newspape •cam" en i u operate Eyemo. simply locate action in spy- glass viewfinder and press the button. Operafor has one hand free to "foil m f. cus" or dial Ss with camera in operation Ins stops «£-»«*« ^ visibleTnviewfinde^Tl e len meTe^n^ '^^^%^^%^^ S- aUt°matiC C3mera °f S* Movie Maker SEE FLOWERS GROW m the "Pilhbury Flower Dramatics" Scries &S19 LIBRARY te^r^nl^i^jXaTr ,,,dd"; f ""■ — » Library Films remarkably beautiful senes of 100-ft. 16 mm. Filmo a few minutes on your own screen. Only through Fill,,,, 1 ibr, ■ ' , ' | ,' " films for your projector released. S " mm' S'Lo'W Motion Many of the Pillsbury flower scenes are necessarily taken in s-l-o-w motion, to record movement imperceptible to the naked eye. Many, too. are taken through the microscope to show you exactly what changes take place. Eight subjects of Pillsbury series are now ready for release, each film carefully titled and numbered. Mark the coupon below to receive early announcement and prices by mail. Ditmars Living Natural History Series Addition of this famous series to the pre- viously prepared Filmo Library animal pictures lias made our complete zoological series the marvel of all nature lovers. The space of a specially prepared circular is re- quired to list and describe the various sub- jects obtainable — such as "Cat Animals," which includes the Lion, Tiger, Jaguar, Leo- pard, Ocelot and Species of Lynx. "Animal Engineers" shows the life and activities of Prairie Dog and American Beaver. There's a long list of other films as captivating. Mark coupon for it. Bengal Tiger Write for the Complete List of ^ggj^LIBRARY SUBJECTS To be prepared for any entertaining emergency with your 16 mm. Projector, keep a number of Filmo Library films always on hand— wilh a latelyrevised IJBl "l ub jects for fui ther choice. Indicate your interest in the complete Filmo Library by marking the coupon and fully descriptive information will be mailed you, together with nearest dealer's name. BELL & HOWELL COMPANY BELL&. HOWELL CO. 1628 Larchmont Avenue, Ch Please send name of my nean I F information on ih-.- following Q N 8 Minima Portable Bo* Sere n I i /■.v...».M.iti'l:if'l Aulorriril-i ( i rilnw D Dilm.ir . Arum., I 1-iJir. New York 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois Hollywood London (R. & H. Co., Ltd.) Established 1907 ty-livt FOCUSING DATA By Stanley Tompkins T HIS data page shows the effect which the diaphragm opening has on increasing or decreas- ing the depth of the field which is in sharp focus as it is closed down to F:16 or opened up to F:1.9. This field is called the depth of focus. The chart is presented with the hope that amateurs will study their lenses to know what they can and cannot do. It brings focusing down to a science. With the demand for increased speed it was necessary to develop lenses which would admit more light in a given time and this brought about the fast lenses that we have to- day, such as the F:3.5, F:2.7, F:1.9 and F:1.5. By opening up the lenses to admit more light, two factors are introduced: spherical aberration, which has been taken care of in manufacture, and shortening of the distance in sharp focus, especially at the near distances, which is impos- sible to overcome. As the lenses are opened more and more to permit a fully timed negative under adverse light conditions, this becomes more noticeable, until it reaches a point with the F:1.8 lenses where a dis- tance of only two to four inches is really sharp when the focusing scale is set at two or three feet. EACH Month Amateur Movie Makers Will Present A Data Page Which Will Attempt To Boil Down The Many Sources Of Infor- mation On Each Subject, Or Section Of A Large Subject, So That A File Of These Data Pages Will Give The Amateur A Summary Of The Infor- mation Most Vital To His Success In A Convenient And Easily Accessible Form. In the accompanying table there are listed in the vertical direction the complete range of diaphragm open- ings which are most generally used in motion picture work. Across the top the various footage settings are given and in the body of the table are the limits which are absolutely in focus for each of the coordinated points. These are for a one inch lens only and change somewhat with lenses of longer focal length, al- though the general relation holds good throughout. To use the table proceed as fol- lows: Suppose the diaphragm set- ting is f :4 and the object to be photo- graphed is approximately 15 feet distant, then the nearest point which will be in sharp focus is 10 feet and the farthest 30 feet. If, however, you wish to have a point 6 feet from your camera in focus you simply go further down the column under the 15 feet setting until the near point is included and then by looking to the left you will find that the correct diaphragm stop is f :11. In shooting outdoor scenes in the summer the depth of focus is not a factor that has to be reckoned with, as most of the pictures are taken at f :8 and fill and even with the prin- cipal subjects 6 or 8 feet from the camera there is between 5 and 10 feet in sharp focus and a consider- abl distance besides which is not suf- ficiently out to be objectionable. When working at short range un- der adverse lighting conditions the decrease of depth of focus really be- comes noticeable as, for instance, when the lens is opened to f:1.9 there is only a field of 14 inches when the focusing scale is set at 6 feet instead of 5 or 10 feet with the diaphragm set at f :8 or f :11. There are certain times when the short distances in focus add mate- rially to the picture. When you wish to focus the attention particularly on one object then it is better to throw objects both in front of and behind the principal object out of focus as the eye will then naturally focus it- self on the central point of interest. Then too the beauty of some scenic shots is enhanced by having the main point of interest in sharp focus as this reproduces the actual conditions when looking at the scene itself. TABLE FOR A 1 INCH LENS FOCUSING SCALE SETTINGS IN FEET AND INCHES 2 3 4 6 3 io 12 15 25 50 IOO 1.9 1' 11 • 2'1 2' 10 - 3'2 3'9 -4'3 5'5 - 6'7 7'1 '- 9'1 8'7 - 11'9 10' - 15' 12' -20' 18' -40' 28'- Infinity 39' ■ Infinity 2.5 1' 11 - 2'1 2' 94 - 3'24 3'8 -4'4 5'3 - 6'9 6'9 - 9'7 8'3 - 12'9 9'6 - 16' 11' -22' 16' -52' 24'- " 33' . " £3.5 I' 10* - 2'ii 2' 9 - 3'3 3'6 -4'6 5'1 -7'1 6'5 - 10'2 7' 10 - 14'3 9'1 - 19' 10' 6 - 26' 14' -85' 20'- " 26' " P ^ \i 104- 2'2 2' 8 - 3M 3'54- 4'8 4' 11 - 7'6 6'2 - 11' 1 7'4 - 15' 8'6 - 20' 10' -30' 13' -Infinity 18'- " 23' . " 0 5.6 < 1' 13 - 2'2 2' 7 - 3'4 3'5 -4'8 4' io - in 6'2 - 11'6 7'3 - 16' 8' -22' 9' -36' 12' 6 - " 17'- " 21' " 1' 10 - 2'24 2' 7 - 3'5 3'4 -4'9 4'9 -7'11 5' 10 - 12'6 6'11 - 18' 8' -25' 9' -42' 12' - " 15'- " 19' . " £ 6.3 I S 1' 94 - 2 '3 2' C - 3'G 3'2 - 4'11 4'6 -8'6 5'8 - 14' 6'6 -21' 7' -33' 8' - 75' 10 '5 - " 13'- " 15' . " 1' 9 - 2'4 V 0 - 3'8 3' 1 - 5'3 4'4 - 9'3 5'1 - 15'5 5' 9 -27' 7' -42' 8' - Infinity 1U' - " 12'- " 14' . " Q 11 1' 8 - 2'5 V 3 - 4'1 2' 10 - 5'11 3'9 - 13' 4'1 -31' 5'2 -75' 5 '6 • Infinity 6' - " 7'G - " 9'. " 10'- 16 1' G - 2'10 V -5'3 2'5 - 8'5 3'0 -37' 3' 3 - Infinity 3'8 - Infinity 4' . " 4'6 - " 5'6 - " 6'- " 7'- 22 1' 5 - 3' V 11 - 6'9 2'3 - 12' 2'9 -80' 2'11 - " 3' - " 4/ . " 4'6 - " 5' - " 5'6 - " 6' " T w e n t y - s i x * 2,000 for Amateur Movie ENTHUSIASTS PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE is offering $2,000 in prizes to makers of amateur movies. ^ Everyone has an opportunity to win. The contest is divided into classes, so that, no matter how inex- pensive or how costly the outfit, everyone has an equal chance of winning. $500 prizes are offered for the best films in the 35, 16 and 9 mm. classes and a $500 additional prize is offered for the best film sub- mitted in any one of these divisions. ^JThe contest is now open. €fl Get a copy of PHOTOPLAY today and read the contest rules and the contest suggestions. 6.50 per Roll No. i- -Beauty Spots of Glacier Park. No. 2- -Lakes and Streams of Glacier Park. No. 3- -A Japanese Cabaret. No. 4- -Tying the Japanese Obi. No. 5- -Japanese Table Manners. No. 6- -Wonders of the Yellow- stone. No. 7- -Geysers of the Yellowstone. No. 8- -Animals of the Yellow stone. No. 9- -Kangaroos in Australia. No. 10- -The Grand Canyon of Arizona. No. 11- —Seeing London — Part 1. No. 12- -Seeing London — Part 2. No. 13- -Seeing London — Part 3. No. 14- —Seeing London — Part 4. No. 15- -Seeing Paris— Part 1. No. 16- -Seeing Paris — Part 2. No. 17- -Seeing Paris — Part 3. No. 18- -Seeing Paris — Part 4. No. 19- —Glorious Versailles. No. 20- —In Bonnie Scotland — Part i No. 21- -In Bonnie Scotland — Part 2 No 22- ^The Sunny South of Eng- land. No 23- —Glimpses of English Town and Country. No 24- —Bustling Brussels. No 25- —In Rural Belgium. No. 26- —Artistic Antwerp. No. 27- —Beautiful Bruges. No 28- —Old Amsterdam — Part 1. No 29- —Old Amsterdam — Part 2. No 30- —The Isle of Marken. Other Travel Pictures from different parts of the world wi 11 b e released each month The Burton Holmes Lectures, Inc. 7510 N. Ashland Avenue Chicago, Illinois PERFECTION the GOAL Reflections of An Amateur After Seeing How Cine Cameras are Made ATRIP through the camera in- spection department of a cer- tain large concern making 16 mm. cameras would leave no doubt in the amateur's mind as to the care and the accuracy with which these machines are manufactured. The cameras come to the inspec- tion department from the manufac- turing and assembling division. All parts are checked up carefully, the slightest defect in any part causing rejection of that particular machine by the department. The final test, that of proper focus of lens, and seeing that the image is sharp, is the most thorough of all. A wire netting, with 1*4 inch square meshes, and lighted by six Cooper Hewitt mercury vapor lights, is first photographed at very close range, about two feet. A card bear- ing the serial number of the machine being tested is photographed before each picture of the netting is made, so that a record of the testing of the lens in that particular machine may be kept. The next picture of the net- ting is made at, say, five feet, the next at 8, then 10, 12 and so on. All these different shots are made with the lens open to its fullest aperture, thus making the test a very severe one, as the depth of focus is much less with the lens wide open, than when it is stopped down. This also eliminates the possibility of a lens" being set in the camera at incorrect focus but getting by the inspection because the diaphragm was made small, which might possibly hide an error in incorrect placing of the lens. In addition to the shots of the wire screen, exteriors containing lettering on buildings are also taken, and the sharpness of the resultant image carefully checked. These test strips of film are developed immediately after they are made, and they are then taken into the projection room and projected. The reel on which tests from dif- ferent machines are wound is pro- jected once, the operator noting the serial number before each shot, and also the sharpness of the image. Af- ter this is run through, it is rewound and run again, those tests found not satisfactory are checked off against the proper serial number of their machine, the others marked 0. K. The results of these tests are then filed as a permanent record of every camera sent out. Nor is there less precaution taken with the projectors. They are tested minutely for even illumination on the screen and sharpness of image. As with the cameras, they are reject- ed if the slightest bit short of being what they should. All of this work naturally takes a great deal of time and money but it does show what the manufacturer is trying to do for the amateur cinema- tographer. He realizes that the movie maker appreciates the best in qual- ity, and is sparing nothing in his ef- forts to give him just that. After such care and thought has been put into the manufacture of these little instruments of beauty and precision, it is no wonder that the number of people making this sport their hobby is fast increasing. With a minimum of effort on their part they can live over again scenes that could never be recreated and bring back memories dear to them, in a most startling and vivid manner. CTVS^J) FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE 105 West Fortieth Street New York City E^^pMg You may enter my subscription to AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS for one year, beginning with the issue, for which I pay herewith $ (United States $3.00, Canada $3.2?, Foreign $3.50). ~N.ame Street City . T b i r t y - s i x THE TITLE— MOUTH OF THE MOVIES (Continued from page 9) ness. When a motion picture actor opens and shuts his mouth, and says nothing that we can see or hear, the scene is incomplete, therefore inar- tistic. Then the actor is momentar- ily wiped off the screen and the words he is supposed to have spoken, come on in the form of a title. But they are not accompanied by the ac- tor speaking them, so the title is in- complete, therefore inartistic. "Aside from that, spoken titles chop up scenes, forcing them to stop and start like an asthmatic Ford. Suppose, however we begin a picture with a narrative or editorial title that starts the story. It tells as much of the story as we wish it to, and is in itself complete. Then the story is picked up in pictures and carried through a pictorial sequence without titles as far as it can go. When it is necessary to use words again for the sake of strength or clearness, the sequence ends, and another title takes up the story where it leaves off. After this title, the story is again picked up in pictures and carried until another title is necessary. Thus the story flows smoothly from words to pictures, to words to pictures, and so on to the end. "Then there is the split title. It may be either editorial or spoken, though usually it is spoken. It is one title put on the screen in two parts. It begins as any other title, but before the sentence is completed, it ends in a dash, then the second part of the title comes on. In the case of spoken split titles the actor speaking the title may be flashed be- tween the two parts. Sometimes the second follows the first immediately to emphasize either the first or sec- ond part or where the title is so long it makes reading all at once difficult. "The trick title is any title in which trick photography is used for emphasis, comedy effect or for any other reason. "Last of all is the dialect title. It is not often used, as it is too hard to read. The main thing in titles to re- member, is that they must be easily and quickly read, and must be clear. "In a discussion of titles, one in- evitably comes face to face with the problem met by pictures like 'The Last Laugh.' I do not believe the day will come when there will be title- less pictures, as a general thing. All titleless presentations are of necessity simple characterizations. The title- less production limits one to such very simple stories that with the large scale production of today, it would be impossible to supply enough stories to keep the studios going. However, there is a tendency to reduce the number of titles in the length of a picture. When it is pos- sible, The Last Laugh' type should be emulated. In short I believe in as few titles as possible, but as many as needed, for clearness. "I do not believe that the talking picture will ever replace the silent title picture because the appeal of the picture is visual, and if the voice is added to it. we have a double appeal which is weaker than one. In all the arts the strength of unity is usually achieved by concentration on a single appeal. Also the movies go so far from the stage in picturing ex- tensive exterior scenes, covering acres and even miles of territory, that it is impossible to accompany them by sound. If these are silent and yet mixed in a picture with talking scenes the effect is likely to be jarr- ing. Talking pictures would almost necessarily be limited to the produc- tion of plays virtually as produced by the stage. Such pictures would bear the same relation to the stage that the phonograph record bears to the original rendition of the artist or orchestra. And they could not make any claim to being an independent art. "There is, however, a very good field for the devices of this kind. They can be used to record the musi- cal accompaniment of pictures. They enable audiences in small towns to have advantage of such accompani- ments arranged by the most capable directors and played by the orches- tras. "Another reason that the spoken title reproduced in sound will not be generally accepted, is that actors in a motion picture scene seldom speak the exact lines used in a title. Owing to the circumstances under which pictures are made, it is not often pos- sible to have actors follow a fixed dialogue. All pictures require edit- ing and rearranging after they are shot, and this necessitates changes in the titles. And, some of the very best screen actors are in the movies because they haven't voices suitable for the stage. The very fact that they can't use their voices, develops in them a sharper, more expressive pantomine, distinctly suited to the motion picture camera. "Amateurs should keep in mind that brevity is the soul of the title. A title stays on the screen long enough for the average person to read it. The more words it has in it, the longer it stays on the screen. As many people read very rapidly, they finish reading any title before its footage is run out. Then they have Cullen's Special Filmo Camera Case Still in Great Demand Made of heavy sole leather with plush lining. Compartments for 4 100 ft. Cine films, telephoto lens, fast lens, color filters, finders, etc. Very little larger than the regular case but a hundred times more con- venient. BLACK $20 TAN §25 Allowance made on your old case. Griswold Film Splicer Model R 2 PRICE $22.50 A most efficient high-speed outfit; in- dispensible to the club or individual doing extensive splicing. True Ball Tripod Top A twist of the handle locks in any de- sired position. Action is smooth; Ab- sense of gears eliminates all possibility of loose play. Price S15 Du Pont Trial Offer Get acquainted with this new 16 mm. film which gives you a negative as well as a positive point. Special 30 ft. Trial Roll $3.00 Return this film to us for developing and printing. No charge. Mail orders filled on all items C U LL EN 12 Maiden Lane New York City We have the most complete line of amateur movie appa- ratus in the financial district. Thirty-seven BASS Cinema News Better to serve the amateur and profes- sional with all that is new in Cinema Apparatus . . . The ripe experience of 17 years concentration in this special- ized field is yours without extra charge. A Lens With a Three Fold Purpose at a Lower Price Ultrastigmat for a Filtno A lens for interior work ... A high speed Tele' photo lens for sports, races. A lens for closeups and long range. Code Abtel Bass offers this most useful lens in a 50 mm. 2 in. size micrometer mount, ready to use on your Filmo, including masking frame Price $66.50 Save Ten Dollars or More Folding screen, opens 30x42"; set it on a table; use anywhere. DefranneTmmo Screen Hundreds sold since our announcement. A truly wonderful value. Fine for an extra screen. Code Prisca complete as described. .$9.85 Sensational Minima Pocket Arc Lamp A 4 amp. Pocket Arc Lamp yielding intense ac- tinic light. Measures *) Vix^^/ix^/*" . Opens like a book. Op- erates on 110 volt A. C. or D. O; tripod socket; burns three minutes. Ideal for motion picture, home portraiture, title making; no smoke, no dust, no danger. Code, Minarc — Minima Pocket Arc, complete with rheostat cord and plug, 12 carbons, each. .. .$18.00 Set of three Minima Arcs, complete with 36 carbons $48.60 Write or wire for 60 page Bass Book of Cinema Apparatus BASS CAMERA COMPANY 179 West Madison Street Chicago, 111. T b i r t y - e i g h t to sit and wait. The story stops for them until the slower readers have finished the title, and it has passed on. This weakens the story for them and the slower readers lose some- thing because they don't like to labor through a long title. Narrative and editorial titles should never be more than twenty words long and it is bet- ter when they are shorter. Broken titles can be even shorter than nar- rative titles. "It is advisable to express one thought in a title as an audience is capable usually of receiving only one thought at a time. If it is neces- sary to express two thoughts at the same time, it is better to have two titles, one dissolving into the other, than to attempt to put both thoughts in one title. "I believe that the commercial screen will profit greatly by the in- crease of the motion picture ama- teur, as practically all of the artistic improvements in still photography have come from amateurs. The com- mercial manufacturer is concerned with turning out a standard product for profit, and accepts nothing until someone has proved its value. On the other hand the amateur in any field is an enthusiastic explorer. He is in it for the fun of the thing, and is eager to try anything new, and many failures count as nothing against one successful achievement." PLANTATION PICTURES (Continued from, page 10) the doctor, whose advice was not to give it to them, he stored it all away, only to have it consumed by fire when his house was destroyed several years later. The new house is a rambling white Colonial affair exact- ly like the old one, save that it has a refrigerated air system, ceiling fans, and all the conveniences that make living on a plantation delight- ful even in summer. Our first picture on this clear, bright, still day was a field of staple cotton that had not been picked at all. The plants were about twenty- four to thirty inches high and the cotton in this particular field of a very high grade. The wind had blown the full bolls so that in places the cotton looked like bunches of grapes and heads of wisteria blos- soms, it had so lengthened out. The plant itself was entirely brown and the field was so clean that a weed or a blade of grass was not visible any- where. Later we drove nearby and "took" an empty field which was picked clean and the brown plants looked forlorn, shorn of their white glory. We drove on several miles to a field full of pickers and "shot" them. Young and old, from fifteen to fifty, all wore great long canvas bags. These have a canvas strap over the shoulder, and the bag, about a foot and a half wide, extends for several yards on the ground behind them as they walk along deftly pick- ing the cotton with nimble fingers, putting handful after handful into the bag, which gradually work them- selves down to the bottom as more are put in on top. The negroes have a rhythmical swaying motion as they lean from side to side gathering off the bushes on either side of the fur- row they are walking in, until they look like black phantoms swaying in the sunlight with great gray tails slowly swishing along behind them. They are dressed in cotton, blue den- im or khaki with a woolen scarf or sweater to keep them warm; shabby clothes, mismated shoes, of untidy and slovenly appearance such as could only be achieved by a Southern darky. I wished then that we could have gotten a film of them at a "bap- tizing," for no one can equal their gorgeous attire in quantity or color, or their emotional religious fervor at such a function. As the negroes near the edge of the field they dump the contents of their bags into a great sheet of burlap and tie the four corners together, so that it may be loaded on a wagon and hauled to the weighing house. This rude building is a one room shack of planks about two inches apart, built well up on a foundation from two to four feet off the ground, as a protec- tion against floods. Outside is a weighing block with a big basket to hold the cotton so that it may be weighed before it goes to the gin. At the back of one of the cabins we came upon eight negroes and several children, some wee tots of three and four, "tramping" the cotton. One old "uncle" looked like "befoe de wah" and another old mammy had her kinky head carefully tied up in a bandanna. We kept them in con- versation so that they would go on with their stamping on the cotton, to make the burlaps hold more, and not stop to stare at the camera. When we explained to them we were taking movies, a broad grin spread over their ebony faces, showing their glistening white teeth, and one old fellow pulled off a pair of cumber- some goggles so that we could get a better closeup. Drawn up at one side of the cabin was a high narrow wagon with small wheels, a team of mules hitched to it, to carry the cot- ton to the gin in the settlement by the station. "You know niggers are all nat- urally meant to be lazy and spend- thrift and almost good for nothing," the planter told us in his Louisiana drawl. "Not long ago I paid one fellow two thousand dollars. He bought two Fords and in six months' time he was broke. But this cabin belongs to one of the few thrifty nig- gers." He indicated the one where we watched the "tramping." It had panes of glass rather than openings, like so many cabins which are simply boarded up in winter. A few straggly chrysanthemum bushes were blooming riotously in the yard. There was a fire place inside where they burn wood in winter, the venti- lation from the fire place being ade- quate for this small room. In the barnyard surrounding two sheds were several guinea hens, chickens, a few turkeys and pigs and a couple of mules (jug-heads in the vernacular. ) At one side was a patch of sugar cane which the darkies grow for their own pleasure. A tall, slender cafe-au-lait negress cut several stalks of this lovely garnet colored cane for us. It is a silvery mauve over the garnet and where the joint occurs it is pale gold. After cutting this in small pieces and peeling it, we chewed it native fashion. A sickeningly sweet water oozes forth at the first bite and there is only an unmasticable tough pulp left which you cannot swallow. Cane is not profitable to grow in quantities, except in the extreme South, but the negroes must have theirs for pleasure. Near the cabin we "took" a bunch of pickaninnies rolling hoops. Their costumes were ludicrous. No shoes, and a straw hat on one, while another had carefully buttoned shoes with the toes completely out. One baby was munching half of a baked sweet potato and his chapped little face was well "gummed up" with it. Later in the developed film it was very amusing to watch him waving at the camera, while his little brother doffed his hat to wave too, though their eyes and whole attention were so evidently riveted upon the direc- tor in an opposite direction from the camera. It was a serious business to them, this having their picture taken by one of the "big boss" friends. Thus ended our plantation pic- tures. Home again our cotton movies developed perfectly. And through them many Northerners will be able to see the land of Uncle Tom's Cabin come to life. LIGHTING INTERIORS (Continued from page 11) overcome by careful placing of each light in relation to the moving play- ers or objects. Some of the interiors in "Hey- Hay!" were taken in a conservatory fitted up to resemble a living room. One end of the room had a glass roof about four feet wide which helped as overhead lighting. The same end of the room had large win- dows which we covered with light curtains. Many scenes were taken shooting directly into these curtained windows with both sets of arcs work- ing and reflectors so placed as to re- flect as much light as possible from the various sources. It might be well to mention to be careful not to get the reflectors so close to your set that part of one might appear in the pic- ture. A good procedure to follow in making interiors on negative film is to immediately develop a test strip of about three feet or so of negative. Obtain three glass hydrometer jars about 18 inches high and ly^ inches inside diameter. Fill the first one with developing solution, the crys- tals for which can be obtained in tube form in most stores handling photo supplies. Use the other two jars for "washing" and "fixing" the strip of film. You will find that you can usually make a good test of a scene before the director is ready for you to shoot the action. Of course, this test is done in a dark room and you will find the dark preserve room which most people have in the cel- lar, a good place to do the testing with a photographic red light. The solutions in the jars can be kept for a few weeks if they are tightly corked. It is best, I have found, to take all interiors in the daytime so as to util- ize what light comes in from outside, which helps to kill many objection- able shadows. You will find that you will be able to take almost any interiors which are required for a short story if you have two of the 20 ampere twin arcs, excepting spacious interior sets which are out of the question. A good picture is made up mostly of short shots, semi-close-ups and close- ups so that you probably do not need the big sets anyway. The excellent photographic qualities of the arc light will give you more photo light value for current consumption than most sources except the mercury vapor light which is quite expensive and would not be handled very well by the amateur. Only use your lights when focusing and actually shooting cMake better Movies at lower cost with, AUTOMATIC CAMERA Motor Drive Projector The CAMERA equipped with F3.5 lens — is sim' pie and automatic — just a few seconds to load— aim and press the button — that's all! The PROJECTOR motor driven, enables you to show your own and Pathex Li- brary films. Operates from or- dinary lighting current. 500 ASSORTED REELS in the Pathex Library offering a vast range of subjects, all up-to- date entertainment for young and old. YOUR FILMS are developed free. Noti'Inflammable FILMS Dnly are sold for use with Pathex. Demonstration at your dealers or write to us for illustrated booklet. PATHEX, inc. A Subsidiary of Pathe Exchange, Inc. 3 5 West 45th Street, New York, N. Y. Thirty -nine s on AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is growing in popularity. Our readers increase from month to month. For the benefit of our readers'1 friends whose predatory designs on k the family library copy must be discreetly curbed, we list, here, the photographic dealers of the country, in whose excellently equipped salesrooms our magazine is offered to the public. And we recommend that you not only go to buy AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS at these friendly haunts of motion picture makers, but that you also let these dealers help you to increase the pleasure you get from our mutual sport. Abercrombie & Fitch, 45th St. and Madison. New York City A. S. Aloe Co., 513 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo. Reid S. Baker, Inc., 1322 F St., N. W., Washington, D. C. Bass Camera Co., 179 West Madison St., Chicago, 111. A. L. Bollinger Drug Co., Frankfort and Stilz, Louisville, Ky. Z. T. Briggs Photo Supply Co., 916 Grand Ave., Kansas City, Mo. Buffalo Photo Material Co., 37 Niagara St., Buffalo, N. Y. Central Camera Co., 112 So. Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Clark Cine-Service, 2540 Park Ave., Detroit, Mich. Aimer Coe ii Co., 105 No. Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Aimer Coe 6? Co., 18 So. La Salle St., Chicago, 111. Aimer Coe if Co., 78 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, 111. Abe Cohen's Exchange, 113 Park Row, New York City Columbia Photo Supply Co., 1424 N. Y. Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C. William C. Cullen, 12 Maiden Lane ,New York City Curtis Art Co., 2 5 West Main St., Waterbury, Conn. Detroit Camera Shop, 424 Grand River W., Detroit, Mich. Geo. C. Dury & Co., Nashville, Tenn. Eastern Motion Picture Co., 2114 Sansom St., Philadelphia, Pa. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 183 Peachtree St., Atlanta, Ga. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 223 Park Ave., Baltimore, Md. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 38 Bromfield St., Boston, Mass. Eastman Kodak Stores Co., 133 North Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 318 Brady St., Davenport Iowa Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 626 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 1235 Washington Blvd., Detroit, Mich. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 808 Locust St., Des Moines, Iowa Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 643 So. Hill St., Los Angeles, Calif. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 112 South Fifth St., Minneapolis, Minn. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 213 Baronne St., New Orleans, La. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Madison at 45th St., New York City Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 419 So. Sixteenth St., Omaha, Neb. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 1020 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 606 Wood St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 345 Washington St., Portland, Ore. 545 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. 1415 Fourth Ave., Seattle, Wash. 126 Sixth St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 1029 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc.. B. K. Elliott Co., Ford Optical Co. , Fowler & Slater Co., 806 Huron Rd., Cleveland, Ohio Francis A. Frawley, 178 Cedar St., Bangor, Maine J. C. Freeman & Co., 376 Main St., Worcester, Mass. Fritz &? Hawley, Inc., 816 Chapel St., New Haven, Conn. S. Galeski Optical Co., 209 Granby St., Norfolk, Virginia W. D. Gatchel & Sons, 431 Walnut St. W., Louisville, Ky. Gillette Camera Store, 117 Park Ave., New York City Gross Photo Supply Co., 325 Superior St., Toledo, Ohio Haanstad's Camera Shop, 404 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Harvey t? Lewis Co., 865 Main St., Hartford, Conn. Herbert & Huesgen Co., 18 East 42nd St., New York City Hirsch 6? Kaye, 239 Grant Ave., San Francisco, Cal. Honolulu Photo Supply Co., P. O. Box 2999, Honolulu, T. H. Huber Art Co., 124 Seventh St., W., Cincinnati, Ohio J. L. Hudson Co., Department 290, Detroit, Mich. Hyatt's Supply Co., 417 North Broadway, St. Louis, Mo. Iver Johnson Sporting Gds. Co., 155 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Leavitt Cine Picture Co., 3150 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Cal. H. Lieber Co., 24 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, Ind. Andrew J. Lloyd Co., 300 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Lugene, Inc., 600 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. Lyon &? Healy, Wabash Ave. at Jackson Blvd., Chicago, 111. Marks ii Fuller Co., 36 East Ave., Rochester, N. Y. E. G. Marlow Co., 1807 Main St., Dallas, Texas Memphis Photo Supply Co., Memphis, Tenn. E. B. Meyrowitz, 1516 Washington Blvd., Detroit, Mich. E. B. Meyrowitz, 520 Fifth Ave., New York City E. B. Meyrowitz, 26 East 57th St., New York City Miami Photo Supply Co., 242 N. Bayshore Drive, Miami, Fla. Milwaukee Photo Materials Co., 427 Milwaukee St., Milwaukee, Wis. George Murphy, Inc., 57 East 9th St., New York, N. Y. New York Camera Exchange, 109 Fulton St., New York, N. Y. B. B. Nichols, Inc., 731 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif. Pathescope Co., 260 Tremont St., Boston, Mass. Pickup & Brown, 41 East 41st St., New York, N. Y. Pinkham &? Smith Co., 15 Bromfield St., Boston 9, Mass. C. E. Robinson Co., 406 University St. , Seattle, Wash. Schoenig ii Co., Inc., 8 East 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Schwabacher-Frey Co., 73 5 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. Scientific &? Cinema Supply Co., 804 Eleventh St., Washington, D. C. Shaw Supply Co., Tacoma, Washington Smith 6? Butterfield Co., 310 Main St., Evansville, Indiana Starkweather ii Williams, Inc., 47 Exchange Place, Providence, R. I. Wm. F. Uhlman, 716 Francis St., St. Joseph, Mo. Watry 6? Heidkamp, 17 W. Randolph St., Chicago, III. L. B. Wheaton, 368 Main St., Worcester, Mass. Willoughby Camera Stores, Inc., 110 West 32nd St., New York, N.Y. Zimmerman Bros., 330 West Superior St., Duluth, Minn. Zimmerman Bros., 380 Minnesota St., St. Paul, Minn. AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS $3.00 a Year (Canada $3.25; Foreign $3.50) 25 Gents a Copy (Canada and Foreign 30 Cents) Forty a picture as the cost of the current for two lamps is not a small item. It will be best to run a line of about No. 8 cable to the main board in the house or location where you are taking pictures. Connect these wires through a 40 amp. switch to the main line on the distribution board. Consult your local lighting company or electrician as to the ad- visability of drawing 40 amps, through the meter. Do not attempt to run both lights on the house wir- ing but it is usually the case that it is possible to run one light from a single circuit and the other light from a second circuit. TAKING THE MOUNTAIN TO MAHOMET (Continued from page 15) it in with the platoon system, so much in vogue now, as well as the other type of study plan. For in- stance, the first is entitled, '"The Voy- age of the Mayflower" (we used amusing animated drawings in this, by the way, of an athletic whale) ; the second, "A Revolutionary Pil- grimage"; the third, "Philadelphia and Valley Forge." The second picture is liked espe- cially by teachers of history, of course, whereas the first picture brings in comments from instructors of engineering, physics, trade schools etc. But both pictures received auditorium showings, and seem to interest all ages. We believe that motion picture presentation finds the mark with the speed and directness of an arrow; but, like the arrow, too, it must be handled expertly if it is to find its goal. We believe that the pictures prepared for us achieve the impres- sions we desire to foster in the minds of the public: perfection in crafts- manship, the best in materials, result- ing in a finished product that leads, not follows, in the industry. While printed advertising, how- ever well presented, has to run the gamut of accompanying stacked mail, competing for the addressee's attention, the motion picture has the entire attention of the individual or group of individuals at whom it is aimed. Motion picture presentation does not have the limitations of the still photograph. It is unlimited by time or space — it is sometimes called the fifth estate, as the public press is called the fourth. It can picturize in a few minutes the efforts of years. It can assemble in that continuity which is coherence, points of interest that widely diverge: locations, per- sonnel, processes of manufacture, the A REGULAR department devo- ted to amateur movies for the outdoorsman now appears each month in Nation- al Sportsman. Nature photog- raphy with the movie camera opens a new field of interest to the sportsman — re- quiring special equipment and technique. No make up or direc- tion here — your sportsman catches his subject off guard. In this department will be discussed the little tricks and devices for attracting subjects to the camera — the methods of catching action — and the thousand and one topics of enthusiastic inter- est to sportsmen- movie-fans. Send $1.00 Today for one year's sub- scription to National Sportsman Magazine 108 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE BOSTON, MASS. CATCH the graceful swoop of the swan dive — make sure of the group on the dim forest trail. Both scenes are easy for the versatile Graflex illustrated below. You can rely on its all-round pho- tographic ability. Shutter speeds are 1/5 to 1/1000 with any time desired. Light-weight and small-sized, it is never a burden when you are on the go. The reflecting mirror shows you the picture before it is taken- — a feature that as- sures sharp focus and pleas- ing arrangement. -XA x 3M Revolving Back Graflex, Series B, has the big, fast lens, Kodak An- astigmat/.4-5, and is priced at $85 complete. For sale by Eastman Kodak Company dealers The Folmer Graflex Corporation, Rochester, N. Y. Forty-one Kodak Corner Your interests are ours At the Kodak Corner you will find courteous, competent salesmen who are sincerely interested in your photographic endeavors. Whether it's a matter of Cine-Kodak equip- ment, or movie-making information, they will gladly assist in solving your problems. They are home-movie specialists and they speak from ex- perience. Our stock of supplies and appa- ratus is up-to-the-minute. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Madison at 45th St. ©All New York City See Lindbergh's Flight in Your Own Movie THE stirring incidents of Roosevelt Field, on the New York to Paris flight, are ready for you in 16mm. film for projection in your own home. Close-ups of the famous flyer and of details of his plane as well as a stirring por- trayal of his hazardous take-off as he escapes death by inches. Not history in a book, but his- tory in a movie enacted before you and your children at a turn of the switch. On the same reel are: The crash of Commander Byrd's great plane. The near catastrophe of the Bellanca ship. The tragedy of Rene Fonck's take-off. The departure of Nungesser and Coli. Lindbergh, The Epic Trans-Atlantic Flight, 100 foot (16mm.) $7.50 Lindbergh Abroad and in Washington, 100 foot (16mm.) $7.50 Lindbergh's Reception in New York, 100 foot (16mm.) $7.50 United Projector & Film Corp. 228 FRANKLIN STREET Buffalo, N. Y. product itself in use, in motion, from all angles. Even the most expensive advertis- ing space may be casually thumbed over, its impression instantly deleted by the next page that happens to "catch the eye." Nothing short of a nodding head can block the motion picture form of presentation from reaching its objective: and if the picture is interesting, the viewer's head will not "nod." A thousand and one things may distract attention from a photograph, a booklet, or even the salesman in his interview; the attention of the viewer of a motion picture is held almost involuntarily to the scene on the screen. EDITOR'S NOTE IN addition to the possibilities outlined by Mr. Winslow for standard distribution many in- dustries are reducing standard film to 16m/?i. prints for distri- bution to the rapidly groiving audience of home projector owners. The scores of thou- sands of families already en- rolled in this great film audi- ence probably represent the greatest concentration of buy- ing power which can be direct- ly reached by any one method. Truly interesting films, such as those described by Mr. Wins- low, are welcome additions to the home movie show. Devel- opment of this field will be watched ivith keen interest by every amateur. Then, too, the motion picture bridges language chasms. Even a child can understand a picture! And although good titles are a valuable aid to the picture, if well planned the picture will get most of its mes- sage across the language bridge it makes, even if the viewer knows no word of English. We have only to read the complaints of British manu- facturers who state that American films are . creating a demand for American goods, not only in the col- onies but in the home-land as well! An English shoe company was forced to change its methods because the colonies, India, for instance, de- manded shoes like the American cin- emas pictured. Another example was that of an automobile concern that had been selling five or six cars a month, which after the showing of a certain motion picture in which the car was featured began to sell five and six cars a day. Many other interesting incidents are recorded of such effects. Lastly, from a standpoint of econ- omy, the motion picture advertising film is about the cheapest medium we have, and at the same time the most potent, comparatively speaking. It has this advantage over every other form of advertisement: it immedi- ately sets into operation the greatest force in the world today — the power of thought — and tends to direct it, to influence it, by almost indelibly im- printing upon it the precise impres- sion the manufacturer, the advertiser desires to convey. There is no sense of coercion in the mind of the viewer; he feels at liberty to form his own conclusions, but nevertheless there is no doubt but that uncon- sciously he is influenced by the pic- tured representation he sees. Finally, to the vast public all over the world, who cannot come to see for themselves that which the adver- tiser would delight to show them, the motion picture takes the "mountain to Mahomet." CINEMA DEMOCRACY (Continued from page 21) expense on the club budget. Beverly Hall, the present leading lady was chosen to replace Miss Harriet Krauth of Medford when Miss Krauth, after being tested and screened by Mr. Lang, was selected in the Paramount contest as good ma- terial for the Paramount training school for junior stars. Miss Krauth, now known as Jeanne Morgan, is be- ing starred in "Fascinating Youth." She has signed a five year contract with F. B. 0. As illustration of the enthusiasm which such communal activity en- genders, Mr. Lang tells of an experi- ence which the Little Screen Players all faced together when, in filming "Hold On A Minute," their latest comedy, it was found that production could not continue without a well equipped studio. Until this catas- trophe was noted, barns, doorways, estates and small shacks had been used, "on location." There were nineteen interiors needed, skipping about exasperatingly from hotel lob- by to church, from business office to bedroom. The director was at his wits' end. Nor was he relieved on finding that eight miles from the State House, the Atlas Film Studio, once used by Griffith for filming some of his sequences in "America," was available for rental. The studio, though equipped with all the neces- sary apparatus, rented for the breath- taking sum of one hundred dollars a day. "It meant two months' dues," Mr. Lang says, "but we knew there was no way out. On the Sunday when Forty-two Your Films developed as negatives make possible a decid- ed correction of your light exposures and yield better prints. Careful and immediate attention given to the development and print- ing of both 16mm. and standard motion pic- ture films. Frederick R Watson Film Laboratories, Inc. 33 West 60th St., New York City TITLEIT AN EDITING SERVICE FOR THE CINEMA AMATEUR Specializing in Mail Orders For detailed information address TITLEIT Box 4605 Kansas City, Missouri Why Not Study Your Hobby 1 AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS presents for sale: MOTION PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE AMATEUR by Herbert C. McKay $2.50 MOTION PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY by Carl L. Gregory $6.00 MOTION PICTURE PROJECTION by T. O'Conor Sloane $5.00 SCREEN ACTING by Inez and Helen Klumph $3.00 PHOTOPLAY WRITING by William Lord Wright $3.00 MOTION PICTURE DIRECTING by Peter Milne $3.00 Send your order accompanied by the price of the books you desire to AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS 105 West 40th Street New York City We deliver them to you postpaid. ANIMATED A6* LEADERS As the Theatres a Send for illustrated use them -*^- catalogue PLAIN & ILLUSTRATED TITLES %. \ *- THE PROFESSIONAL KIND VN FAADAHME,inc. vS 145 W. 45 ST. N.Y. BRYANT 6796 we decided to film our interiors, nine- teen sets arrived, at eight o'clock sharp. The actors were already there. It was a matter of minutes versus dollars. We worked feverishly, now in somebody's bedroom, now in the kitchen, now in a church vestibule. By 2.30 Monday morning, after twenty hours of unceasing grind un- der blinding Kleig lights, the picture was nearly done, the reward intan- gible but definite enough to satisfy all the actors and astound the own- ers of the studio. We had certainly broken professional records." To reimburse the treasury, the Little Screen Players resort to the usual methods, card parties, dances raffles. They solicit no funds except from those who will in return either offer their services or assistance by standing in readiness to view the film when released. The group aims ultimately to ac- quire a club house and studio, a mirage yet on the horizon, but hardly destined to remain unrealized. As noted by Mr. Lang, "These untrained people, when allowed to act natural- ly, film very creditably and convinc- ingly." Had Mr. Lang been scienti- fically inclined and versed in the lat- est psychological theory about men's participation in, and patronage of, the arts, he would perhaps have ad- ded, "one need only scratch a human being to find an actor." Which is, it seems, the most stable basis on which to organize any ama- teur motion picture group, the uni- versality of suppressed desires. We are not jesting. There is hardly a man or woman alive who has not gone through the exquisite make be- lieve of adolescent hankering for the stage. The instinct to mimic, imitate, to sublimate one's shortcomings by pretending to be someone else, is one of the most inherent cogs in man's mental machinery. No matter what his vocation, he can generally be coaxed into making theatricals his avocation. And a most interesting develop- ment in the annals of the Little Screen Players short existence is that several people have become highly proficient and eventually profession- al. When the proficiency and talent trained by amateurs is no longer snapped up by professionals, but conserved by the amateurs them- selves, the Cinema Muse will be slat- ed for a new Sunday dress. The Little Screen Players may be addressed, care of Herbert F. Lang, 6 Summit Road, Watertown, Massa- chusetts, and are eager to answer any inquiries from groups throughout the country. WE Take the Mountain to MAHOMET The industrial motion pictures created for the Cadillac Motor Car Company, described in this issue, were produced by us. For ten years we have spe- cialized in the production of the industrial group of motion pic- tures : Advertising - Sales Service - Educational Our service is complete: from the preparation of the scenario to the finished picture. Our system of distribution covers every state in the Union. We have produced motion pictures for: The Cadillac Motor Car Company The Chrysler Corporation The Buick Motor Car Company The Hudson Motor Car Company The Oakland Motor Car Company The Lapeer Trailer Corporation The Electric Refrigeration The Detroit News and many others Can we offer any better in- dication of the efficiency of our productions than to point to "repeat orders"? and to a rapid- ly growing business? We gladly send a representa- tive to you to discuss a type of picture suited to your require- ments. The Metropolitan Motion Picture Co. M. J. Caplan, President Sam Caplan, Vice-Pres. A. B. Jewett, Gen. Mgr. Largest Producers in Michigan Film Exchange Building DETROIT, MICHIGAN AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS will find every make of cameras, projectors and supplies in our Motion Picture Camera Shop 2308 Cass Avenue, Detroit Arthur Caplan, Manager 24-hour service: Editing, titling, developing, printing. The Metropolitan Motion Picture Co. Forty-three - \,ic v"'orld, wt0S- BOOK *50.to , 250.aWeek ^hotograpl You can quickly qualify for big- paying positions in Motion Pic- ture, Portrait, Commercial or News Photography, or start your own business. No experience needed. CAMERA FREE — Learn at home or in our great New York Studios. Earn while learning. Write today for Free Book, Job Chart and Free Camera offer. New York Institute of Photography Dept. 105, 10 W. 33d St., New York 130 WEST 46th STREET New York City. Tel. Bryant 4981 A Professional Laboratory Specializing in personal service to the AMATEUR Standard Size Negatives Developed Standard Size Prints or Reduced Prints for use in 16 M/M. Projectors. TITLES FOR ALL SIZES Mail Orders Qiven Prompt Attention Help Your Camera to Bring in Distance WoIIensak Telephoto lenses magnify dis- tant objects clearly and distinctly. They broaden the range and possibilities of araa- teur movies. The ultra anastigmatic corrections, light weight and compactness make them espe- cially popular with amateur movie enthu' siasts. 3" Focus f4.5 $65.00 3%" Focus f3.3 $75.00 6" Focus f4.5 $85.00 6" Focus made to fit Eyemo and DeVry Cameras. Supplied with case, lens cap and com- pensating finder for Filmo cameras. Literature on request. orxicAL COMPANY 950 HUDSON AVENUE Rochester, N. Y. NEE LISTENER (Continued from page 13) "Then why don't you nail the in- vite and bless your stars?" asks the bewildered Goldie. "Oh, I can't— 1 can't!" "Why not?" "Because he'd find me out!" "Find out what?" "That I'm a dud of the gentler sex!" (Lena's ideas of sex-singular- ities are pre-Civil War.) "Well, you're the kangaroo's com- plex! See here, kid, you're going to clinch that invitation; and then, you're going to set to work to com- mit to memory the classiest 'line' in all literachoor. Ever hear of Lloyd Mayer? No? Well, he writes for "Life," and believe you me, he knows us girls from boyish bob to Spanish heels! He peers down into us girls' souls, so's they're just naked to him. I've saved all the stuff he ever wrote. You memorize it! — get my drift?" So Lena writes Tommy a note of acceptance which Goldie of the vigi- lant eye sees is posted. Then she sets to work to memorize Lloyd Mayer's unabridged "Just Between Us Girls." Teachers and pupils alike often catch sight of her with a pile of "Lifes" at her side, memoriz- ing— memorizing. She sometimes recites to Goldie who tells her how to put the "kick" into it. She sends a little note home to her mother. Dear Mother, You and Daddy need not call for me on the last day of school. Tommy Talker (whose car you remember bumped into ours the day I entered school last September) is going to drive me home. Don't look for us before four-thirty on Wednesday. Would you have tea served in a sort of nice way? And Mother, dear, couldn't you have your hair curled? I love you. Your loving daughter, Lena. P. S. Please write Miss Crandall that a boy is going to call for me. They're terrible fussy here. I love you. Your loving daughter, Lena. At the time this letter is brought to Mrs. Listener, she and her hus- band are out on their lawn in ex- actly the same positions as those in which we saw them at the opening of this narrative. They are not the kind of people to change seats much. Mrs. Listener folds up the newspaper she has been reading, places it on the table and takes up her knitting. "London hostesses are serving rum with tea," she remarks. "Perhaps I could now!" says Mr. Listener. "Could what?" "Go tea!" The postman comes across the lawn and hands Mrs. Listener Lena's letter, which she reads. She then hands it to her husband, remarking: "Good thing I've just learned how to serve tea fashionably." It is the last day of school at Miss Crandalls'-on-the-Hudson. A line of modestly, but modishly dressed, un- made-up girls file past Miss Crandall on the school porch, shaking hands with her, and bidding her au revoir in the correct way. Among them is Lena Listener with a smart hat pulled down well over her brow to conceal a flamboyant henna wash. Past Miss Crandall, Lena is seized on by Goldie Gladhand, who pulls her into a bit of shrubbery behind the school. Lena drops off her modest skirt, disclosing another underneath whose hem comes well above her knees. She slips off her walking shoes and steps into high-heeled pumps. Goldie then paints a pouting Cupids' bow on her lips — and there stands Miss Lena Listener, a finish- ing school product of which Miss Crandall would be proud! — one doesn't think! Now we see Tommy Talker driv- ing up to the school's side entrance. Lena leaps into the seat at his side. "Have a butt?" she asks, extending to him an open cigarette case. Tom- my, struck completely dumb for the first time in his life, declines. Lena, however, takes one, lights it, inhales deeply. Then the poor lamb doesn't know any better than to cough! "For heaven's sake!" hisses Gol- die, the conscientious stage-manager, from the side of the car away from Tommy — "Dont cough!" All the way home, Lena talks, talks, talks. Lloyd Mayer spouts from every pore. Tommy is utterly bewildered. By the time they draw up to her father's house in East Mellis, Lena has become so much a girl of the period that the level of her feet on the speedometer is higher than that of her hatless head. Mr. and Mrs. Listener cross the lawn to greet them. Lena is no less astonished at their appearance than Tommy. In place of the simple, smooth and becoming coiffure that Lena knows her mother by, Mrs. Listener is heavily topped by a mar- cel wave that looks like a wig. Her skirt is up to her knees and her heels are high enough to make her ankles Forty-four Further information and prices may be obtained by writing to STANLEY A. TOMPKINS Care of Kirby Incorporated 2 East 23rd Street New York City WANTED Subjects of Every Description in Standard or 16 mm. NEGATIVES OR FIRST PRINTS Camera and Projector owners send name and address and register for valuable information. Representatives Wanted Everywhere International Educational and Scientific Film Library 830 North Genesee St. Hollywood, Calif. TRICK WORK By Herbert C. McKay is the subject of the next number of THE CINE MINIATURE 15c per copy, 90c per year, two years $1.60 At your dealer, or LEONARD GORDELL 1636 No. Washtenaw Ave., Chicago, III. Read What the Critics Say: Photo-Era: This book is the last word in practical, specific and really serviceable informa- tion for the begin- ner in amateur kin- e m a t o r a phy — every owner of an amateur mo* tion-picture camera needs and should have this book be* fore the summer va* cation season ar- rives. Cine Miniture : A more comprehen- sive book for the Sg|4 j'Vl\X^' beginner in amateur /■Aft $ ^s^0^ cinematography has yet to be written. Amateur Movie Makers : Should find a ready market among the thousands of amareur movie makers. Motion Picture News: Here is a book we recommend to all who are interested in amateur cinematography. Motion Picture Magazine : Fills a very definite need at this time. Belt & Howell Co.: Will be found invaluable to all actual or pros- pective amateur cinematographers — most inter- esting and instructive book. Pathex, Inc. : Amateur cinematography covered in an instruc- tive and entertaining manner. De Vry Corp.: The book will find a useful place in promoting the growth of amateur movies. SEND FOR YOUR COPY NOW PAPER $2.00, CLOTH $2.75 THROUGH ALL DEALERS OR DIRECT Cameron Publishing Co., Incorporated 38 Oriental Blvd., Manhattan Beach New York City wobble when she walks. Mr. Listen- er wears a golf-suit which he imag- ines is of a piece practically with that worn by Mr. Talker at the time of the accident. It was not designed, however, by a conservative tailor. His grave, rather saturnine face looks out of place above it. He knows it looks out of place; it makes him un- comfortable; and he is distinctly not as genial and hail-fellow as he prom- ised his wife he would be. However, she makes up for it. She gushes over Tommy, playfully patting him on the cheeks in ghastly imitation of Mrs. Talker. It is rather painful. Tommy's embarrassment grows. He utters hardly a word. Then tea is served on the lawn. There is no cream pitcher in sight. On the serving tray are sliced lem- on, sugar and a bottle of rum. Lena, who is helping with the serving, looks at the rum in a puzzled way. Mrs. Listener whispers an explana- tion. With a grateful look to her mother, Lena asks Tommy how many fingers of rum he'll have in his tea. "None — none!" says that bewil- dered young man. "I have mine weak with just lemon." "Mother," says Pa Listener, as she is about to pour for him — "just a spoonful of tea — and the rest from the bottle. I use tea for flavoring only," he explains politely, to Tommy. But Tommy isn't listening. He is watching Lena pour half-a-cup of rum into half-a-cup of tea for her- self. She takes one swallow, makes a wry face, and when she believes she is unobserved, pours the decoc- tion on the ground. The geniality which Mrs. Listener would have liked to see her husband manifest on the arrival of the young people now belatedly gushes forth. He slaps Tommy on the back till the latter winces. It is quite ghastly. Mrs. Listener is not slow to realize that her husband is off key, and she draws him away, though the latter shows he is still strong for this geniality stuff and would be willing to proceed. The youngsters are left alone. Lena is sitting at one end of the ham- mock trying to keep from crying. Tommy is sitting in one of the wicker chairs with his elbows on his knees, looking at the ground. Gently, Lena leans her forehead against the side of the hammock and begins to cry miserably. Tommy is at her side in a twinkling. She tells him the whole wretched story. When all is finished Tommy manifests so much relief that he is inclined to laugh. "In other words, it was the gift of gab that you pinned your faith to?" Lena nods. "To be like you." PPF C5 .11 1 j c? s isi mn iHH BBS S Laboratory Finishing of the Highest Quality Reduction Printing from 35mm. to 28 mm. or 16mm. by the pioneers of the narrow width field. Thirteen years of experience in our own carefully planned Motion Pic- ture Laboratory, with the finest machinery and equipment and a large force of skilled specialists, enables us to do the best wor\ in the shortest time and at miw imum cost. Capacity One Million Feet per Month Dupe Negatives (35mm.) on special duping stock by the firm which has made mil- lions of feet of the finest dupe negatives ever produced. The Pathescope Co. of America, Inc. 33 W. 42nd St., New York Laboratory, Long Island City JL TITLES . EDITING . . EQUIPMENT . . v"»t»ldavJ PHOTOGRAPHY CLARK CINE -SERVICE 2540 Park Ave. CAdillac 5260 DETROIT, MICH. SERVICE in New York City Our movie experts will gladly give you instructions and dem- onstrations on all kinds of equip- ment. We have a complete line of Cameras, Projectors and acces- sories. LUGENE, Inc. OPTICIANS 600 Madison Ave., N. Y. C. Near S8tk Street TELEPHONE PLAZA 6001 Forty-jive If you are getting ready for that Vacation Trip do not forget to bring your photo- graphic outfit up to date. GOERZ LENSES on your M. P. or still camera will give you the assurance that your vacation pictures will have Snap and Detail. You can perpetuate the pleasures of your trip ii you bring home good pictures and such pic- tures are obtained with Goer? Lenses. Our Iris Vignetter and Color Filter for Cine Kodak A and B are valuable additions. As\ your dealer for Goerz literature or write to us. C. P. Goerz American Optical Co. 319-A East 34th St., New York, N. Y. ARROW BEAD SCREENS Made in Hollywood For Movie Makers We manufacture the most beautiful line of Motion Picture Bead Screens for the Home. Some as low as $7.50. Send for illustrated price list. Dealers send for trade quotations. ARROW SCREEN COMPANY 4600 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California The Ditmars Series of NATURAL HISTORY MOVIES GORILLA in 16 mm film, illustrating the life and habits of animals and birds from all over the world, now distributed exclusively by Bell &. Howell Company 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, III. See center spread (this issue) for \ further description and write for illustrated circular ^r Forty-six "God gave you two ears but only one mouth," comments Tommy. "What about that?" Though God gave Tommy a sim- ilar equipment, still his tongue has not been functioning normally in the last few hours and so it now calls for compensation. On and on and on Tommy talks. Lena listens rapt- ly — silently. She doesnt' even so much as say, "Yes? Go on! — I'm listening!" That is, with her voice. She says it, as naturally quiet women the world over say it — with their eye- lids. The technique is simple. One keeps one's gaze constantly on the talker, so that when the latter turns to meet the gazers' eyes, he cannot fail to find them shiningly, luminous- ly, fixed upon him. Then lids drop slowly and lift again. It is affirma- tion. It is "I think so, too, darling! Go on! I am listening — listening!" Once when Tommy turns to look into the eyes of his listening Lena, his gaze travels down to her mouth where Goldie Gladhand's art-work is still on exhibition. He slowly takes Lena's handkerchief from her lap, obliterates Goldie's handiwork as best he can, and presses his lips to the real mouth of the future Mrs. Tommy Talker, nee Listener. PORTRAIT OF A PIONEER (Continued from page 19) up the negative and holding it to the light said, 'Say, how'd you get the artistic effect here? That's just the thing they want.' After my attention had been called to it, I too, thought it was artistic, and I went out and took all sorts of pictures of pigs, using any device I could think of to get new and different effects. I tipped the camera, smeared the lenses, purposely stumbled, and did get some interesting results. But you see the original suggestion was en- tirely accidental, and the results I got came from my interest in work- ing the thing out after my attention had been • called to the possibilities there. "As to the movies, I believe they are contributing something of dis- tinction and artistry to the history of this period. They are one of the ex- pressions of industrialism, just as the radio is, and the new radio-vision will come to be. They are entertain- ment for the world; their value lies in the fact that they can reach the people throughout the world. I think a man with a good idea may not be able to carry that idea through alone, but if it is a good one it will be used somewhere in the making of a picture by the industry. It will be absorbed by them and he will have the benefit of working it out with the best technical aid available." It is conceivable that very soon the larger and more forward looking companies will employ highly trained photographic artists, to com- plement, as it were, the work of the director and technicians, Mr. Stei- chen believes. For while the director is the focal point of importance in making a picture today, he is to a large extent dependent upon the ar- tistry and delicacy of the mind behind the camera. His still photograph of a scene in the King of Kings, which accompanies this article, illustrates Mr. Steichens' thought. Although only a kodak snapshot, it is far su- perior to the motion pictures of the same scene, taken under the same conditions and at the same time. Therein lies evidence of the powers of photographic artistry and, if you will, proof that the mighty movie minds have much yet to learn from the great still photographers. Pioneer artist in the field of pho- tography, Steichen has not regretted those early years of trial and error, for they have yielded to him not only new ways, and the remedying of old mistakes, but have helped others who have taken their cameras and camped on the trail of beauty. One of Mr. Steichen's most recent achieve- ments is worth noting here for it is related to the whole experimental field of photography — his new meth- od of making designs for silks. It occurred to him to take a sentimental subject, such as a flower, and photo- graph it on various backgrounds. By experimenting a little, he found he could use other simple things, such as mothballs, matches and match boxes to work out patterns. From the photographs the designs were made on silks. "Will American women stand for such radical ideas in their wearing apparel," he asked himself. The an- swer is that the women are going wild over the new prints. The silk houses can not keep pace with the demand. But of prime importance to the amateur movie maker are the possibilities opened by this idea for interesting experimental films of such simple objects in motion, dis- played in various effective light ar- rangements. (In the lighting lies the secret.) Who has forgotten the charm called into being by the sim- ple kaleidoscopes of our childhood? And may not the transfer of this principle to motion picture create startling vision of unsuspected beauty on the silver screen! Among the ranks of amateur movie makers today, there must be many other pioneers who will join Steichen in breaking ground. ENO'S ART TITLES THE BETTER KIND PIONEER ART TITLE BUILDER EXCLUSIVELY jor the AMATEUR NEVER BEFORE have hand'lettered art titles been offered to amateurs. You'll never realize the difference until you TRY THIS Send $2.00 and copy for 3 titles (12 or less words) and let me make these up as samples of my work. YOU'LL BE DELIGHTED! RALPH RENO 117 PARK AVE. NEW YORK. LINDBERGH'S RETURN Reception At Washington Positively the Best Views of Him, His Mother, President and Mrs. Coolidge Ever Taken for One Hun- dred Foot Sixteen MM. Film. Selling Like Hotcakes RUSH YOUR ORDER Price $8.00, Parcel Post, C. O. D. DEALERS GET BUSY U. S. Personal Film Trading Go. 5525 Broadway, Chicago, 111. Produce movie records of your happy days. Let us get you started in Movieland. Experienced Pho- tographer will train you without cost to you. Our equipment is complete and it is at your dis- posal. Make use of our studio and service, 16 mm. or 3 5 mm. 16 mm. titles 3c per word and up. We repair, build and remodel motion picture cameras and projectors, also Kodaks, Lens fitting. Precision machine work by experts. Rates to dealers. Mail orders given special attention. All work guar- anteed. Call Irving 6816 or write to ZENITH CINEMA SERVICE Otto Hangartner, Mgr. SOU N. Sawyer Ave. Chicago, III. RShe HOME MOVIE SCENARIO All the important facts one must know in order to make a movie play — with twenty corking plots, $2.50. At all camera dealers and boo\stores, or from Richard Manson, Publisher 535 Fifth Avenue, New York City SMALL TOWN MOVIES {Continued from page 28) ager. For exciting pictures of any race the following recipe will be found always potent. Fasten your camera on a six inch board, about two feet long, drive some nails through it at both ends, and plant it on the track with the camera pointing upward at an angle of about 15 de- grees. Then let the drivers see how close they can come to it, or if their cars are high enough, let them run over it while in motion. When pro- jected, the effect of this film is in- evitable. Most of the audiences is sure it has been run over. This should be done, however, with a fully insured camera. Not all drivers are cinematographically reverential. Football games have proved excit- ing, though much cutting was neces- sary before release. For stories of animals nothing is more alive than a kennel full of pup- pies. Every small town has its police dog fanciers, and S , boasting as it does of stock imported directly from Germany, was background. 1 took as thread of a story, "From Puppyhood to Police Force: the Tale of a Dog," strung together feeding, intelligence and working scenes with plenty of close-ups, making a very interesting picture. My next ambition is to film S from the air. The lact attempt made with Gerry Marfleet, a friendly aviator, was not like anything but a wild nightmare. For the small town enthusiast, material and action may be limited, but this very restriction has some astounding results. GLOSEUPS AND SWAPS (Continued from page 32) pany in their group of experimental educational pictures, news of which was carried in these columns last month. While Mrs. Flaherty is busily engaged in New Mexico, Mr. Flaherty will go to Tahiti for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer organization, to produce a picture with a South Sea island setting, a subject which he is splendidly equipped to handle, as all those who saw his "Moana" will realize. Amateur News AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS would like to hear from all of its readers about the things they are doing with their cameras. There are many whom we have not heard from who have probably had most inter- esting experiences with their outfits, news of which would be welcomed in the pages of the magazine. V It Takes Knowledge ... to turn out motion pictures 100% right. We should welcome the privilege of sharing our knowl- edge with you. 16 mm. Lindbergh Films The Trans- Atlantic Race Gillette film $10.00 Eastman film 7.50 Paris Reception 10.00 Washington Welcome 7.50 New York Reception 7.50 \ Gillette ^ Camera Stores MAIDEN LANE AVENUE AT4Ist.ST. IEWYORK A Safe Bet "SUPERLYTE PHOTO LIGHTS" for MOVIES AT HOME Every Wise Dealer Knows them and Sells them THE MAX MAYER CO., 233 West 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Qet a And get the utmost out of your Filmo Take pictures on dark days — or indoor shots. No focal difference with the va- rious stops. Critical definition despite the enormous speed. 1" for Filmo in focusing mount 54.00 1" for Filmo in standard mount 51.00 Can be fitted to almost any motion pic- ture camera; focal lengths up to 3V2 inch. At Your Dealer Or Write To HUGO MEYER & CO. Incorporated 105 West 40th Street New York Factory: Goerlitz, Germany Forty-seven From K^pdascope Libraries TV 7 HEN you plan to show your » » friends the movies you have made, don't forget that some well chosen entertainment subjects from the Kodascope Libraries will add the necessary variety to your pro- gramme and give it the finished professional touch. Whether your taste be Travel, Sports, Comedy or Drama, the Lib- raries offer a splendid assortment and an ample choice. The world's greatest stars await your summons. A glance at the catalogue will impress you with the wealth of talent you can command. For your most distinguished guests; for a children's party; for the lodge or club; for the church bazaar, or for any other occasion, turn first to the KODASCOPE LIBRARIES You will find them at the following addresses: Atlanta. Ga., 183 Peachtree Street Boston, Mass., 260 Tremont Street Buffalo, N. Y., 228 Franklin Street Chicago, III., 133 Horth Wabash Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio, 1407 Walnut Street Detroit, Michican, 1206 Woodward Avenue Kansas City, Mo., 916 Grand Avenue Los Angeles, Cal., 3150 Wihhire Blvd. Minneapolis, Minn., 112 South Fifth Street New York, N. Y., 35 West 42nd Street Philadelphia, Pa., 2114 Sansom Street Pittsburgh, Pa., Keenan Building San Antonio, Texas, 209 Alamo Plaza San Francisco, Cal., 241 Battery Street Seattle, Washington, 111 Cherry Street Toronto, Canada, 156 King Street West And in Twenty-two Foreign Cities All Around the World Forty-eight Film Library THE U. S. Personal Film Trad- ing Company has entered the ranks of those concerns selling in- teresting library films, with the re- lease of their films based on the well- known Billy Whisker stories. Their vaudeville act series have already been released through the Bell & Howell Filmo Library. Many new and novel subjects are promised for the near future. New Swaps MELODRAMA: "Youthful Folly." A burlesque drama. Two reels — 900 feet— 16mm. Name: J. V. Martindale. Address: 189 Rugley Road, Brook- lyn, N. Y. MISCELLANEOUS: "Oil on the Old Farm." Two reels— 120 feet— 9mm. Name: Dick Dupre. Address: Attalla, Ala. SCENIC: "Zoo Animals, San Diego to Honolulu, and Hawaiian Scenes." One reel — 100 feet — 16mm. Name: John Bross Lloyd. Address: Wynnewood Farm, Kin- derhook, N. Y. "Flordia and Cuba." Four reels — 400 feet — 16mm. Name: D. C. Ozmun. Address: 666 Washington Blvd., Chicago, 111. New Subjects for 16mm. Film Home Libraries FOR OUTRIGHT SALE ONLY Each Subject Is Complete And Is Supplied on Safety Film 1. Life of Christ 3-400 ft. reels. The Wonderful Passion Play, beautifully done. Price, com' plete $70.00, each part $24.00. 2. Sinking of Ships During World War. 2-400 ft. reels. Actual war pictures taken from German subs, showing allied ships being torpedoed and sunk. Price complete $47.00, each part $24.00. 3. Burial of Unknown Soldier. MOO ft. reel. Our national hero buried in Arlington Cemetery. Views of late Presidents Wilson and Har- ding. Price $6.00. 4. A Dog's Tale. MOO ft. reel. Comedy Cartoon. Price $6.00. 5. Busted Love. 1-100 ft. reel. Charlie Chaplin Comedy. Price $6.00. 6. How to Toe Dance. 1-100 ft. reel. Instructions in the art. Price $6.00. 7. How to Play Golf. 1-100 ft. reel. Joe Stein, America's coming golf champion, shows how. Price $6.00. These Are Our First Releases — Others to Follow. If your dealer cannot supply you, order direct and films will be sent postpaid on receipt of remittance. Paramount Mfg. Co. Dept. 16 68 Fayette Street Boston, Mass. ON THE OFF-CHANCE 1$ That your friends who are members of the Amateur Cinema League have failed to recommend you for member- ship, the application blank below is at your service. To the Date 1927 AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC., 105 West 40th Street, New York City. I accept the invitation of the Amateur Cinema League, Inc., to become an annual League member. My check for FIVE DOLLARS payable to Amateur Cinema League, Inc. is enclosed in payment for the dues, $2.00 of which is for a year's subscription to Amateur Movie Makers. It is understood that immediately upon my election I am to become entitled to all the privileges of the League. It is also understood that there are no duties or obligations con- nected with this membership other than those which I may voluntarily assume from time to time. 'hlame Street City. State. ADJUSTABLE «nd FOLDING STANDS** CURTAINS -a PROJECTORS ^^ 1 -:.,'» ^ . & i I* ,& \ ** ¥ -& JH PROJECTOR STAND, any model. Price without Humidor, $18.00 HUMIDOR. All Humidors attachable to Stand. Moisten felt in bottom to condition all Films. Price $12.00 CURTAIN STAND and CURTAIN Special cloth, dark green back, does not show wrinkles. 4x5 ft. and 3x4 ft. REEL A simple turn of the little pin, will hold the loose end of your film, 7-inch reel, 75c each. The Perfect Panoram A. C. H. Automatic That takes the landscape and water view as all would like to see them. Each object passing slowly and clearly before you with no strain on your eyes, caused by an unsteady hand and fast moving objects. Only an A.C.H. Automatic can do this, which op- erates from the camera spring. A SAVING TO YOU It will save you many times its cost in films and disappointments . Price A.C.H. Automatic Panoram with Case $3 5.00 CARRYING CASES FOR THE FOLLOWING Projector Stand and Curtain Stand with 3x4 Curtain, case only Price $20.00 Kodascope C and our Humidor, case only ... Price $15.00 Filmo Projector and our Humidor, case only. .Price $18.50 One person carrying everything in two cases for four hours entertainment. MEETING ALL EMERGENCIES OUR CASE FOR Filmo Camera, Tripod, Automatic Panoram and Six Rolls of Film, case only Price $17.00 .00 Price of Stand with Curtain either size $30.00. Stand alone $16.00 / / CRITICAL FOCUSING Reviews to Aid the Amateur June and July Recommendations Beau Geste: Unusual scenario — Composition — Lighting. Camille: Titleless start — Tempo — Alternating Closeups. Chang: Animal possibilities — Mag- nascope. Convoy: News reel inserts. Flesh and the Devil: Cine silhou- ettes. King of Kings: Composition Lighting. A Million Bid: Double and triple exposures — Tempo and cutting — Use of shadows. Mr. Wu : Composition — Lighting. The Night of Love: Shadow em- phasis— Photography. Seventh Heaven : Use of moving camera — Lighting. * White Gold: Without scenario — Economy of setting. The Way of All Flesh Paramount.Famous.Lasky Directed by Victor Fleming Photographed by Victor Milner Simplicity of Story: Despite its identity of title, this has nothing fur- ther to do with Samuel Butler. The story, drawn from the life of the cashier class in the Milwaukee of pre-prohibition days, boasts no plot complications, no melodramatics. Its amazing power rests wholly on the fidelity of its naturalistic detail, on the saliency of its characterizations and the subtle use of the camera. Still another instance of the ability of the cinema to portray realism, even more effectively than the novel. Absence of Titles: Due to the cinematic minded Emil Jannings who is only officially credited with being the "star," but whose directorial touch is obvious throughout the en- tire film, there are practically no titles. From the opening sequence in which the camera glances down upon the cat and the milk bottles upon the door step, all exposition and plot are developed wholly through the potency of the camera and the pantomime of the players. Twenty-six Edited by EVELYN GERSTEIN THE Photoplays Listed Here Are Recommended To Amateurs For Study In Their Local Theatres Because The Particular Characteris- tics Noted Below Can Be Used By Amateurs To Advantage In Filming Their Own Pictures. The Editor ' Would Be Pleased To Receive Sug- gestions Of Similar Helpful Instan- ces Which Have Been Observed By Our Readers. Photograph By Metro Goldwyn Mayer CAUGHT IN THE SPIDER'S NET Effective Framing Of A Ship Scene In Captain Salvation Use of Moving Camera: In the carnival scenes the drama is intensi- fied by the use of a moving camera which pursues the actors on the mer- ry-go-round, and regulates the tempo of the picture. Amateurs will do well to study this film, because more than any other shown this season, it exempli- fies the cinema possibilities in a sim- ple tragedy and in genre details, which in themselves make drama, es- pecially when exposed by a camera. Captain Salvation Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Directed by John S. Robertson Photographed by. . William Daniels New England Setting: Similar settings are possible to many ama- teurs, especially during the summer when New England homes of the pre-steamboat days are more or less open for inspection, and are at their loveliest. This film is best when it works with natural settings rather than with models, and the photo- graphy of the scenes on the rocks, with the lovers silhouetted against a stormy sky, is unusually beautiful. Use of Moving Camera: In the shots in the crow's nest and above and below it, during the great chase of the hero by the villain, and vice versa, the moving camera, shifted in and out of the cables and ropes is as much an actor as any of the prin- cipals. There are some effective shots down in the hold of the con- vict ship of convicts glimpsed through their bars. Old San Francisco Warner Brothers Directed by Alan Crosland Photographed by Hal Mohr Use of Models: In the earthquake sequences, Mr. Mohr has worked a marvelously realistic series of scenes, both of the earthquake and the fire that followed, through the use of models. The Vitaphone, recording the confusion of a terrified mob, en- hances the horror by adding auditory chaos to visual. The models are used both in long focus and in close-up, and in both instances they are amaz- ingly effective. Lighting and Composition: This is the same Hal Mohr who worked as camera man in "A Million Bid" uurii and did such effective things with double and triple exposures. In this instance he has concentrated on dif- fused lighting and on the use of a moving camera in his Chinatown se- quences. These latter are some of the most effective underground scenes yet known to the "movies." Heaven On Earth Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Directed by. . {Josef von Sternberg (and Phil Kosen Photographed by John Arnold Framing: Again John Arnold, camera man for the "Big Parade," "Mr. Wu," and "The Show," has used his frame effects, in this instance, in his pastoral sequences, with the trunks of giant trees as the frames. Although this picture never achieved a first-run house, it has some of the most beautiful pastoral scenes that the "movies" have yet done. Light- ing and composition throughout are worth study. The Unknown Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Directed by Tod Browning Photographed by M. Gerstad Lighting, Composition: As is his custom, Mr. Browning films his sinis- ter tales in a foggy light, so that his scenes rarely come out into full day- light. He is a master at this sort of melodrama, the tone of which he sets by his skill at lighting and in his choice of backgrounds. Practically none of his backdrops are identifi- able; they never suggest Hollywood or any known place. They are usu- ally the walls of a barn, or of some nondescript building. Types: Probably no one in the movies is more adept at choosing types for his mobs and chief actors than Tod Browning, whether it is for Spain, Chinatown, or Bloomsbury. Amateurs will study his pictures to advantage in this respect. Photograph By Paramount EYES OF THE DOOMED Clever Emphasis in "The Way Of All Flesh," With Emil Jannings The First Auto Warner Brothers Directed by Roy del Ruth Photographed by David Abel Original Story: Here was an idea that any amateur might have started with, the cinematic possibilities of the first automobiles, and the demise of the horse. Even the brief "shots" of early autos are inherently amus- ing, as well as the costumes of the period. The Loves of Sunya United Artists Directed by Albert Parker Special Cameraman . Dudley Murphy Use of Double and Triple Ex- posures: Although this form of cinematic diversion is not within the reach of all amateurs, for this alone, this film demands seeing. Dudley Murphy of "Ballet Mecanique" fame, who began as an amateur, now en- gaged as special camera man, has been given free reign here in the crystal gazing sequences. With amaz- ing rapidity he has catapulted his camera through space, gathering in half glimpsed and distorted images of objects to augment the unreality of the scenes, to suggest the wildness of a dream, its incoherence and crazy rhythms. Moon of Israel F. B. 0. Directed by Michael Curtiz New Framing Idea: Amateurs will find particularly interesting a novel use of foreground obstacles to give greater depth to the scenes. In one instance the action takes place behind three palm trees that cut across the whole front of the scene. Again, foreshortened waving reeds fill the screen and one watches the drama behind them. Another bit of action is seen almost dimly behind barred iron doors. By this method a third dimension is strongly sug- gested. Photograph By Metro Goldwyn Mayer A CINEMA REMBRANDT Exquisite Lighting In Lon Chaney's "The Unknown' Twenty-seven HOLLYWOOD At HARKNESS Yale Students Are First to Film Famous Novel MARKING the first time any of the major Eighteenth Cen- tury novels has been filmed either by professionals or amateurs, The Purity Players, composed of students of Yale College, recently completed and made public presenta- tion in New Haven of a film inter- pretation of "Tom Jones," the great- est novel of Henry Fielding, long considered a landmark in English literature, and one of the three great- est plots in fiction. The lectures on "Tom Jones" given by Professor Chauncey B. Tinker, one of Yale's most distinguished scholars who lectures annually on Eighteenth Century literature, in- spired these Yale seniors to attempt this tremendous task. As a proof of their appreciation for his having opened to them the charm, the beauty and the wisdom of the Eighteenth Century, this undergraduate film has been dedicated to him. As reported in "Closeups" in Amateur Movie Makers for July, the Purity Players, founded in March 1925 by S. Winston Childs of Nor- folk, Connecticut, had previously been mainly concerned with amateur productions of less serious nature. This year, however, Mr. Childs felt that they should produce a picture which would do credit to Yale and to their organization. And so, soon after the Mid- Year examinations were over, Childs and Eric H. Haight of New York City, began their task THIS Amateur Picture Version Of Henry Fielding's "Tom Jones," Has Been Termed "One Of The Best Things Done At Yale In Years," And Sets A High Standard For Other Groups To Emulate. of adapting Fielding's long and in- tricate novel to a form suitable for cinematography. After a month spent on the scenario it was appar- ent that, because of the many plots that evolve within plots, and because of the constant shifting of the setting, clear continuity would be difficult to obtain. However, by the end of April, the Purity Players were ready to start on the actual filming, and the script was handed over to Will- iam M. Hinkle, Vice-President of the Yale Dramatic Association, who was to direct the production. Since his entrance Hinkle has been closely identified with drama at Yale, and has attained popularity with the undergraduates through his out- standing performances in the recent productions of the "Dramat" and the Playcraftsmen, notably in "L'Aiglon" and "Bold Bad Men." But no less remarkable is his ability to visualize dramatic action in the written line, and his clear conception of the ca- dence or emphasis which cinemato- graphic work requires. Second only to the historical significance of the plot of "Tom Jones" is Fielding's faithful and familiar mirroring of English life in town, country and army in the Eighteenth Century. The reflection of this elusive atmosphere has been the successful work of J. Jerome Hill II, of St. Paul, through his discerning taste and selection of rich costumes of the period and in the artistic composition of the scenes. The cast was drawn from members of the Senior Class, twenty-five of whom had main parts, while approxi- mately fifteen were supers or extras. For the most part the collegiate Gothic architecture of the magnifi- cent Harkness dormitory and other college buildings was used for set- ting, although a small portion of the film was taken at the summer home of Childs in Norfolk, Connecticut, and in a house in New York City. An amateur camera was used throughout the production and very remarkable photographic results were obtained by this small machine. Childs, assisted by Curzon Taylor of New York City, had charge of the filming. For the interior scenes, which form a large part of the pic- ture, four lights were used and were found to be very helpful. A special 1.9 lens was used together with an iris vignetter to give the "fade-out" which has been so necessary in pro- fessional work. Some difficulty was experienced in making up the char- acters. When starting little make-up (Continued on page 48) Left, G. Sinclair as Tom Jones and L. S. Bigelow, Jr., as Molly Seagrim Above, Yale Seniors as English Soldiers Right, S. Winston Childs as Squire Western Twenty-eight *2,000 in Prizes For Movie Amateurs f Of course you have read all about PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE'S $2,000 Amateur Movie Contest. V "Nite-Sun" Flare For Taking Night Exteriors A FTER Seven Months of Continuous Experimenting The World's Leading Manufacturers Of Flares Have Developed The "NITE-SUN'' FLARE For Use By O Amateurs For Beautiful Night Photo- graphy. Or For Whenever Light Condi- tions Are Unfavorable. Our Professional Flares Are Used Throughout The World 0 By Motion Picture Companies For Night And Other Difficult Scenes. YOU Can Now Get These Same Wonderful Effects With Amateur Cameras And "NITE- SUN" FLARES. PRICES Dozen Each Half Minute $6.00 .60 One Minute 10.00 1.00 One and One-Half Minute.. 15.00 1.50 Two Minute 20.00 2.00 Stands Each $6.00 WRITE FOR FREE BOOKLET / V Outlining These Fascinating New Opportunities / Dealers Write For Particulars L C.NEWMAN CO., Inc. 320 BROADWAY NEW YORK, N. Y. THE MOVIE AS TENNIS MENTOR {Continued from page 12) service, or stroke. This is accom- plished by having the racquet, in the course of its swing, leave behind it a sharply dotted line. At the end of such a stroke, the progress of the racquet is shown as long as the en- tire picture remains on the screen. It is remarkable, in viewing these pictures, to note the widely varying twists, sweeps and finishes of the strokes as played by the different tennis experts filmed. The sus- pended action portion of the film work brings to a halt upon the screen the player in various positions of action. It is possible to do this in the laboratory by taking the cut de- sired and repeating it fifteen or more times. This gives time for the stu- dent to see the advantages of certain positions of the hand, or of the feet, or methods of holding the body while receiving or returning the ball into play. While neither suspended action nor line analysis had ever been shown before in connection with tennis movies, it has been in use for over a year in various lines of scientific study and practice, particularly in medicine and surgery. In these fields it may easily be seen to what good use they can be put. For the begin- ner in the game of tennis, however, they are an invaluable aid in learn- ing correctly the fundamentals of the sport. As is the case in the ma- jority of the lines of athletic en- deavor, the game begins, to para- phrase an old expression, at home, usually under the doubtful tutelage of the sand lot, or the older brother. This often explains the dub in sport activities. Now, however, with line analysis and the suspended anima- tion features added to pictures, the serious pupil can see the correct way of doing things, and correct his errors. The Lawn Tennis Association is convinced that the films, although the cost was large, represent one of the best investments ever made by the Association. Already from all parts of the country, testimonials are be- ing received at its executive offices from colleges, whose grateful coaches are singing the praises of the films for having ironed out the mistakes of their team players. From other colleges come letters stating that not merely have the members of the team profited by the viewing of the films, but that they have stimulated inter- est in the sport, and inquiries have been made by the non-playing stu- dents as to the correct way of laying Forty-two ENO'S ART TITLES THE BETTER KIND PIONEER ART TITLE BUILDER EXCLUSIVELY for the AMATEUR NEVER BEFORE have hand'lettered art titles been offered to amateurs. You'll never realize the difference until you TRY THIS Send $2.00 and copy for 3 titles (12 or less words) and let me make these up as samples of my work. YOU'LL BE DELIGHTED! n n n_ n n n n n rT\ RALPH R.ENO 117 PARK AVE. NEW YORK. ARROW BEAD SCREENS Made in Hollywood For Movie Makers We manufacture the most beautiful line of Motion Picture Bead Screens for the Home. Some as low as $7.50. Send for illustrated price list. Dealers send for trade quotations. ARROW SCREEN COMPANY 4600 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California PR GH5 ^m BHiiP SB ID SB'S' 2 5 w, Laboratory Finishing of the Highest Quality Reduction Printing from 3?mm. to 28 mm. or 16mm. by the pioneers of the narrow width field. Thirteen years of experience in our own carefully planned Motion Pic ture Laboratory, with the finest machinery and equipment and a large force of skilled specialists, enables us to do the best wor\ in the shortest time and at miw imum cost. Capacity One Million Feet per Month Dupe Negatives (35mm.) on special duping stock by the firm which has made mil- lions of feet of the finest dupe negatives ever produced. The Pathescope Go. of America, Inc. 33 W. 42nd St., New York Laboratory, Long Island City out courts, the price of racquets, and other healthy signs that the game is rapidly gaining new adherents each time the films are shown. The Association rents these films to various organizations. A deposit fee of forty dollars is required, and exhibitions are listed upon the dates requested. The films are then shipped by express in fireproof cans and when they are returned to their executive offices, a rebate of fifteen dollars is allowed, bringing the cost to twenty-five dollars for the exhibi- tions. Thus the new national game is gaining ground all over the country through movies. Mr. Pate believes that the game is only in its infancy, and that the future will produce men, and in view of the progress of wom- en in this sport it might be safe to include them also, who will be able to give Bill Tilden a handicap and beat him in straight sets. Such a statement as this most certainly im- plies implicit confidence in these new developments. It is but another in- stance of what the camera can do in a strange field. The amateur can now take his own sport pictures, and ac- complish enviable results in any- sport line, Mr. Pate contends, and viewing the work of the amateur pho- tographer in other fields of endeavor, this statement holds an undeniable element of truth. BLIND SHOTS AT WILD LIFE (Continued from page 14) spend several days in this blind if necessary; it didn't make the picture any better, but it made the taking of them a lot easier and we got more pictures. In this blind there are openings at several heights on all sides, each fitted with a sliding door and there are shelves that can be slid in quickly at just the right dis- tance below each opening to support the camera in position. A heavy tripod top is used to hold the camera upright in such a way that it may be moved quickly from one opening or side to another. Thus the hands are left free to open or close the sliding doors or make adjustments on the camera. Cross lights must always be avoided so all openings are kept closed except the one or two in use, and these must never be opposite each other. As a rule the amateur will not want or require such an elaborate blind. A portable tent is often used and the color seems to make no dif- ference. One friend uses a folding cot bed (the heighth of luxury) with /raut //// /nima OROm Hand Arc Lamp $18. Complete A 4 amp. Arc Lamp of sensational value. Measures ^Vi" x 41/2 " x j1/*". Opens like a book . . . safe . . . operates on 110 volt A.C. or D.C. Carbons burn 30 minutes. One lamp for stills, two for movies. Order today. Free to you — 60 page Bass Book of Cinema Apparatus. 1001 items to gladden the heart of amateur or professional. BASS CAMERA COMPANY 179 West Madison Street Chicago, 111. IMPROVE your motion pictures by reading THE CINE MINIATURE series of bi-monthly hand-books for the amateur cinematographer. 15c per copy — 90c per year — two years $1.60 LEONARD GORDELL 1636 No. Washtenaw Ave., Chicago, 111. Dealers: Write for discounts and circulars. Motion Pictures Snap Shots — Time Exposures when it comes to results — you cannot beat a yEPT 35mm. $40.00 Use a „ j j s^ze camera for standard resuits ENLARGEMENTS in all sizes from your standard 35 mm. motion picture negative 4x5 15 cents 5x7 20 cents 8 x 10 50 cents Wyko Projector C-orporation 130 West 46th St. - New York, N. Y. Dealers Everywhere Forty-three Kodak Corner You couldn 't do better at Hollywood If you're looking for information on home movies, you won 't have to go far to find it. Here at the Kodak Corner we have courteous, compe- tent salesmen who will answer your questions and illustrate each point by an actual demonstration with a Cine-Kodak or Kodascope. Our stock includes the latest models of cameras, projectors and accessories, and a complete assort- ment of Kodak Cinegraphs — con- densed photoplays for your home movie library which are sold outright at $7.50 each. JVe like to talk pictures Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Madison at 45th St. New York City WANTED Subjects of Every Description in Standard or 16 mm. NEGATIVES OR FIRST PRINTS Camera and Projector owners send name and address and register for valuable information. Representatives Wanted Everywhere International Educational and Scientific Film Library 830 North Genesee St. Hollywood, Calif. for the Home Projector Owner After giving the matter considerable thought we have decided to open a 16 mm. film exchange thereby opening a channel by which film owners may have a means of exchanging their surplus subjects for ones more desirable at a very small cost per reel. If you, like most owners, have a bunch of films of which you have no further use this is your chance to exchange for something of value. Should this prove interesting to you send us a stamped self addressed en- velope and receive our booklet explain- ing all. Address HOME FILM EXCHANGE Dept. 2, 5523 Broadway, Chicago, 111. a canvas canopy over it, but this is not well suited for use with cameras which must be held on a level with the eye. Frequently good pictures can be secured from the comfort of an automobile or a canoe, and for many subjects no blind at all is needed. The writer enjoys roaming about looking for locations where game is likely to come. Like most amateurs he is out for pleasure and wants to travel light, but he also wants pictures and wants them rock steady. As a rule he carries a tripod, but this also makes a blind when his coat is thrown around it and fastened with one button at the top. Then a piece of canvas with a slit in the center for the lens is hung between two trees or bushes. The lower ends are pinned to the coat to prevent flapping in the wind and the blind is ready. There are opportunities for nature photography on all sides, some easy, others more difficult. There is a fascination about it all, opening new fields to the amateur which any may find if time is taken for it. To watch a wild bird or animal, unaware of your presence, at close range is an experience that you will long remember. To photograph it in motion is an experience that you can never forget. The film and your friends won't let you. SIDELIGHTS ON SPORT- LIGHTS (Continued from page 21) his friends. He sees active years ahead. Mr. Rice says frankly that the amateur movie maker can learn much from the professional about scenario construction and filming technique. If the amateur cinematographer wishes to perfect his sport filming as he wishes to perfect his golf, Mr. Rice advises him to give great care to the selection of his action, with especial alertness for quick motion and con- tinuity. For the present he withholds full approval of the amateur's film products as the best medium for self instruction in sports; he senses, how- ever, the amazing growth of amateur movie making and he thinks that "we may all get so well acquainted with our fumbles that we'll all be cham- pions before long." This is a genial, if somewhat Delphic statement. Mr. Rice ended our discussion by reverting to the broader issues. "Sport filming," he concluded, "of- fers the best beginning for the ama- teur motion picture maker because it has naturally the elements that photo- plays have to get artificially. It has action, outdoor lighting, climax and dramatic value. "Sport films are sound instruction. I should like to see every public school in this country equipped with its own amateur motion picture ap- paratus so that its athletes might have visual training. "I suppose, though," was his last word, "that amateur movies, like everything else, could not exist with- out the exceedingly valuable quality of human vanity." FLOWER FILMING By Arthur C. Pillsbury (Continued from page 23) able location to attract their insect mates, that might be flying about them. A picture of a flower, no matter how beautiful, nor how well it is colored, does not tell its life story. It requires the "Lapse Time" motion pictures to do this, and to get enough film for an hour and twenty minutes' lecture, a single camera would have to run day and night, for two years. While I am writing this two of my cameras are running now, and a third one is looking into the eye of a tan- dem microscope, registering the germination of the pollen of one of the flowers. Tomorrow still another will, with the aid of other micro- scopes, show the circulation in one of the tiny hairs on the stem of the same flower. Before I am through with that flower many of its now unknown life processes will be pic- tured in a way which, described with the pen, would take hours to read, yet you will be able to see it all in possibly two or two and a half min- utes, far better than the pen could describe. When I first started this work, I had one camera and made all of the additional equipment. I found a very heavy bridge iron capital "H" shape for the camera to slide on, using a home-made carriage. I hung it on an axle in the middle and with a long screw at one end the camera could be raised and lowered, and slid back and forth, and clamped in place. Now I have four complete outfits, perhaps the finest in the world. Cam- eras with motors for each unit and microscopes for two of them. I hope to keep all four going from now till New Years, giving me the film for a four month's lecture trip, and to earn the money for many new devices that will come up in the meantime. With this description, you should be able to start your own "lab." Go to it, and when you discover some- thing new, write and let me know. Forty-jour Further information and prices may be obtained by writing to STANLEY A. TOMPKINS Care or Kirby Incorporated 2 East 23rd Street New York City Wonderful 16 mm. Film Subjects For Outright Sale 3— BURIAL OF UNKNOWN SOL- DIER. 1-100 ft. Reel. $6.00. Our national hero buried in Arlington Cemetery. Views of late Presidents Wilson and Harding. 4— A DOG'S TALE. 1-100 ft. Reel. $6.00. Animated Cartoon Comedy. 5— BUSTED LOVE. 1-100 ft. Reel. $6.00. A Hilarious Charlie Chaplin Comedy. 7— HOW TO PLAY GOLF. 1-100 ft. Reel. $6.00. Joe Stein, golf pro- fessional, shows how. // your dealer cannot supply you, remit direct and your order will be sent promptly postpaid. Write for complete list. Paramount Mfg. Go. Dept. 16, 68 FAYETTE ST. BOSTON, MASS. 9L TITLES . EDITING . . EQUIPMENT . . v"it»ldav| PHOTOGRAPHY ~& CLARK CINE-SERVICE 2540 Park Ave. CAdillac 5260 DETROIT, MICH. 35mm or 16mm Films (Personal Film Library) BILLY WHISKERS SERIES. In nine single 100 ft. reels, each reel a complete subject all now ready for distribution, wonderful comedies for young or old. CIRCUS SERIES. In six reels, each reel a com- plete subject; genuine amusement for the entire family and especially entertaining to the little folks. STAGE PRESENTATIONS SERIES. In six reels, each reel complete in itself, containing acts that could only be seen at the largest theatres throughout the country. SPECIALS LINDBERGH'S RECEPTION IN WASHING- TON. Actually the best reception picture taken and has had a tremendous sale. SAMPSON SILVERTON. The perfect man who can actually increase his height and arms length at will; seeing is believing. Remember when you buy a Personal Film Library film you are getting something made especially for the 16 mm. projector and not scenes cut from old movie films and made from duped negatives. We don't handle these. Send us your name and address and get on our mailing list and receive our full programs as re- leased. Price is $8.00 per reel at your dealer or if he has not got them we will mail Post Paid direct on receipt of price. U. S. Personal Film Company 5525 Broadway, Chicago, 111. FLOWER FILMING By E. A. Reeve (Continued from page 22) the film records the fact that they open and close once each day for several days before finally dying. Some flowers open at dawn,, others at noon, and still others in the eve- ning and at night. In fact, Mr. Pills- bury needs no watch when in the woods. He can tell the time of day accurately by the flowers which are opening. Among the amazing pictures which Mr. Pillsbury has filmed are several of bouquets of wild flowers, appar- ently as still as death to a human eye, but shown by Mr. Pillsbury's camera to be bowing and scraping, flirting and dancing, pushing each other aside, rising and falling, open- ing and closing, and in one par- ticular case revolving like a wind- mill, all attempting to attract the in- sects that bring them pollen from other flowers and take away their own. The humble forget-me-not proved to be the most active of all wild flowers under the speed camera. It is in constant motion, dancing a wild little dance all of its own. Mr. Pillsbury's films have been carefully planned to show the nat- ural environments of flowers as well as the close-up speed camera pictures of the life of the plant. These nat- ural environment pictures are very beautiful indeed, taking the film au- dience to the most remote and in- accessible spots in the Park, many of which are seldom visited by tour- ists. The films also include a num- ber of microscopic studies which help to clarify the understanding of the growth and reproduction of plants. Those who see these wonderful films are reminded of the astounding tricks of the Hindu Fakirs, who are reputed to cause plants to blossom and grow before the eyes of the on- lookers. Mr. Pillsbury accomplishes this by the honest method of motion picture photography. Botanists of renown have watched these pictures and have been delight- ed with the revelations about plant life which they contain. They speak of the series as the first and only ex- periment where science has been en- abled to look into the actual life of the plant and go on to state that the films prove beyond doubt that plants live and act like humans and ani- mals. The delight of scientists is no greater than that expressed by those untrained in botany. Unexcelled edu- cational opportunities for children are provided in these films. Better Pictures Wollensak Natural Glass 2X Color Filters permit greater freedom in movie photog- raphy, they render better color values and produce beautiful results in cloud, landscape and flower studies. High speed lenses supplied with movie cameras today necessitate a filter as part of the equipment. They prevent overtiming and consequent spoiling of film when photc graphing under unusually bright lighting con* ditions, such as beach, tropical and snow scenes. Made in sizes to fit all mo- tion picture lens equipments. Prices $2.50 to $5.00 Literature on request OPTICAL COMPANY 951 HUDSON AVENUE Rochester, N. Y. 130 WEST 46th STREET New York City. Tel. Bryant 4981 A Professional Laboratory Specializing in personal service to the AMATEUR Standard Size Negatives Developed Standard Size Prints or Reduced Prints for use in 16 M/M. Projectors. TITLES FOR ALL SIZES Mail Orders Qiven Prompt Attention Your Films developed as negatives make possible a decid- ed correction of your light exposures and yield better prints. Careful and immediate attention given to the development and print- ing of both 16mm. and standard motion pic- ture films. :son Film Laboratories, Inc. 33 West 60th St., New York City Forty-jive PROFESSIONAL CAMERA at an amateur price Only $150. Film your pictures on stand- ard size film. Show your club productions in a theatre or large auditorium. Repay your club expenses and se- cure projecting equipment without extra cost. The INSTITUTE STANDARD Professional Motion Picture Camera Costs less than a high-grade amateur camera. The pictures can be shown in any theatre or movie house. All metal construction hand- somely finished, light-weight and portable. Complete with carrying case. Variety of models for every taste and purse. Write for FREE CATALOG and full particulars Showing four Jens mount attachment New York Institute of Photography Dept. 18 14 West 3 3rd Street, New York City TITLEIT AN EDITING SERVICE FOR THE CINEMA AMATEUR Specializing in Mail Orders For detailed information address TITLEIT Box 4605 Kansas City, Missouri COLORED MOTION PICTURES BY MEANS OF The AMERICAN AUTOMATIC 'COLORATOR' PATENT PENDING 15 different colors at your fingertip, automatically in- terchanged at the touch of button. ADAPTED FOR FILMO, EASTMAN and other 16 mm. projectors. Mechanism is entirely enclosed in dustproof housing, i thus insuring against finger marking or damaging color ;lenses. The "COLORATOR" is light in weight and compact, yet durably constructed and, finished in crystallized black enamel, it harmonizes with the beauty of your projector. Guaranteed for two years. Price $19.50 AT YOUR DEALER Manufactured by American Cine Products Co. ARGYLE and SAWYER CHICAGO, ILL. AIR CINEMATOGRAPHY (Continued from page 9) mum thus reducing the camera speed necessary to stop movement, and he it is who at the crucial moment "cuts the gun" or in ordinary parlance closes the throttle so that vibration will be at the minimum when the "snap" is made. He cannot do as much in cinematography as the pro- cess covers a longer period. Thus, though he may reduce speed and thus reduce vibration, he can not "cut the gun" for long without losing too much altitude. These expedients, fortunately are seldom necessary with the small film covered in mo- tion picture work. The best approach in filming an aerial shot of a ground subject is the direct one — that is, one in which the object gets bigger and bigger on your film as you glide swiftly to it until just as you are about to "crash" a "zoom" carries you over the obstruc- tion and the picture out of the frame. Such a shot is in general only pos- sible in one of the more modern multi-motored planes or in seaplanes of the "pusher" type where the pro- pellor is at the rear and the cockpit out in front. With the usual single motored plane of the "tractor" type where the passenger cockpit is to the rear of motor and propellor, the for- ward view is impossible. Your angle of view then is the angle, something less than 90 degrees, between the wing and tail. If you are after a particular subject it is obvious that the pilots' cooperation is necessary. At best your view is that of one pass- ing rather than approaching the sub- ject. The only way of approaching the subject in a similar manner to that of the former plan described would be a steep sideslip; an un- comfortable maneuver for the prac- tised airman, an almost impossible position for the amateur desiring good results. With the cooperation of the pilot assumed what must you do to get good results? First as to your ex- posure. It has been often stated and always erroneously that exposures must be reduced in air work due to the "greater illumination." This is absolutely false as a moment's thought will convince you. Your ob- jective or subject, if you prefer, is on the ground and has the same il- lumination that it has on the ground. What you photograph "through" does not effect the situation. You will use the same exposure you would use for the same object at the same dis- tance on the ground. As to filters, use them always for aerial work if you can, whether or not you use pan- chromatic film. The amber filter when used in the air has a secondary function to its normal one of elimin- ating or reducing the predominating blue light. It will cut haze. If your flight is made on one of those days when ground haze is present use a 1 or 2X filter and your result will show no trace of haze, but will give as perfect a picture as could have been obtained under the best of con- ditions. I am a great believer in the color filter. In my still cameras it has long been my custom to use at least a Wratten K-l gelatin filter be- tween the elements of the lens at all times. It can do no harm with al- most any subject other than increase slightly the exposure necessary and it often is the making of an otherwise dull picture. Although I have not adopted this for my cine camera, I am considering it, and doubtless will make it my practice as soon as I have made the necessary tests. With your aperture settled and the proper al- lowance made for the filter used, what remains in the way of adjust- ments? Nothing but the distance which in all cases will be infinity for air work. It might be noted here that use of any but lenses of the shorter focal lengths is impracticable at present for ground shots from air- planes, though they may be used from large dirigibles. As to the actual filming from the air. Discard the idea of a tripod. In addition to the fact that they are hard to lash in any permanent way to the plane, it is almost impossible to keep the objective in the finder even with a "universal" or ball and socket tripod top. It is impossible with an ordinary panoramic top. The neces- sary movements of the plane coupled with the "bumps" encountered in flying are too rapid and sudden for one to follow or anticipate. Special mountings made on the fuselage of the plane itself are better but for the amateur with a comparatively small roll of film to shoot, the best idea is to shoot it automatically, with the in- strument hand-held. For this pur- pose the machines, where the finder must be looked through rather than into, are best. Then the camera is braced against the forehead, the el- bows spread out and braced on the plane if possible, the body is braced in the best way possible and "the fun begins." Other than the firm posi- tion such a finder and camera gives one there is another advantage which one may use after a bit of practice. While observing and framing the ob- jective in the finder one may soon accustom oneself to watching outside objects with the other eye which aids greatly in scenic work and is particu- larly valuable in bringing the subr ject back in "frame" whenever a "bump" throws one off. Forty-six Bill The New SUPEMLYTE LANTEKN Gets the Picture •Jit Takes The Light Of A 500 Watt Mazda Lamp And Concentrates It Into The Limits Of The Useful Area Of Il- lumination (An Eight Foot Circle At A Distance Of Five Feet) More Than Doubling The Effective Luminous In- tensity. It Is Perfectly Safe On Your House Current, Uses Less Electricity Than Your Electric Iron, And Weighs But Two and One Half Pounds. PRICES Lantern $12.00 Tripod 4.50 Mazda Lamp 3.20 Carrying Case 6.50 The MAX MAYER GO. 233 W. 42nd St., New York c&he HOME MOVIE SCENARIO All the important facts one must know in order to make a movie play — with twenty corking plots, $2.50. At all camera dealers and boo\stores, or from Richard Manson, Publisher 535 Fifth Avenue, New York City ANIMATED PLEADERS As the Theatres ± Send for illustrated \ use them JEk. catalogue \PLA1N <5< ILLUSTRATED TITLES %* \ \ *~ THE PROFESSIONAL KIND VI FAADAHME,inc. VS J 145 W. 45 ST. N.Y. BRYANT 6796 On one point I must warn you. There is movement enough in motion pictures. Keep that movement at a minimum. Don't "panoram" from an airplane if you can help it; let the pilot do it. Get your camera fixed in your hands and braced in every possible way, stop breathing and, unless your subject seriously threatens to leave the frame, make no movement. The forward movement of the plane may cause you to shift around gradually to follow your sub- ject, but let this movement be from the waist; keep the upper part of the body rigid. It may be that you will have an opportunity to film other aircraft from the air. To those who live near the air centers this will be always possible. Many scenes which will work in with your home-made scenarios can be obtained in this way. The taking of aircraft from aircraft is much simpler than the filming of ground subjects from the air. In the first place a three dimen- sioned medium permits perfect maneuvering to place your subject where you want it in the finder. Even more important is the fact that your relative speed is reduced to zero or near that while with ground photo- graphy one has a speed of sixty miles and upward to contend with. As mentioned before, your camera should be stationary or as near sta- tionary as possible with respect to your own aircraft. The ordinary shifting about of the aircraft sub- ject as it strikes the "bumps" will give ample movement. If you have the opportunity to film a military air formation of the customary "V" type, try to film it from above and for- ward or below and forward, as this view will give the least distortion. Even a perfect formation will appear distorted or "poor" if "shot" from the wrong angle. The filming of air- planes in echelon as shown in the accompanying photo is comparative- ly easy. The pilot places his plane in position as a continuation of the line on the lower side and the sub- ject frames perfectly. Aero-transport will soon be com- monplace in this country. As you get more and more pleasure from your cinema camera, don't neglect the boundless opportunities and pleasures of air work. 3 Projection Rooms 3 M. P. Specialists At Park Avenue and 41st Street One block jrom Grand Central Station You are cordially invited to use our rooms to project films for friends. Gillette Camera .Stores. MAIDEN LANE Inc. NEWYO. SERVICE in New York City Our movie experts will gladly give you instructions and dem- onstrations on all kinds of equip- ment. We have a complete line of Cameras, Projectors and acces- sories. LUGENE, Inc. OPTICIANS 600 Madison Ave., N. Y. G. Near 58/A Street TELEPHONE PLAZA 6001 ATTENTION Filmo and Cine Kodak Users We beg to bring to your atten- tion our different high-grade Mo- tion Picture Specialties such as GOERZ IRIS VIGNETTERI (New model, completely closing, for Filmo, Cine Kodak A & B) GOERZ COLOR FILTERS (2x &4x rating for every kind of lens) GOERZ CINE LENSES (In special precision mounts, focal length from 1" to 6" speeds F/2 to F/4.5 for Filmo, Eyemo, DeVry and other M. P. Cameras) GOERZ REFLEX FOCUSER (A new device for Filmo, enabling instant checking of field and focus while using long focus lenses from 3" up) If your dealer cannot supply you with information about these de-pices, Ivrite to us direct. IcJe Xvill gladly answer your inquiry. C. P. Goerz American Optical Co. 319-AEast 34th St., New York, N. Y. Forty-seven From Kpdascope Libraries WHEN you plan to show your friends the movies you have made, don't forget that some well chosen entertainment subjects from the Kodascope Libraries will add the necessary variety to your pro- gramme and give it the finished professional touch. Whether your taste be Travel, Sports, Comedy or Drama, the Lib- raries offer a splendid assortment and an ample choice. The world's greatest stars await your summons. A glance at the catalogue will impress you with the wealth of talent you can command. For your most distinguished guests; for a children's party; for the lodge or club; for the church bazaar, or for any other occasion, turn first to the KODASCOPE LIBRARIES You will find them at the following addresses: Atlanta, Ga., 183 Peachtree Street Boston, Mass., 260 Tremont Street Buffalo, N. Y., 228 Franklin Street Chicago, III., 133 North W 'ahash Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio, 1407 Walnut Street Detroit, Michigan, 1206 Woodward Avenue Kansas City, Mo., 916 Grand Avenue Los Angeles, Cal., 3150 Wihhire Blvd. Minneapolis, Minn., 112 South Fifth Street New York, N. Y., 35 West 42nd Street Philadelphia, Pa., 2114 Sansom Street Pittsburgh, Pa., Keenan Building San Antonio, Texas, 209 Alamo Plaza San Francisco, Cal., 241 Battery Street Seattle, Washington, 111 Cherry Street Toronto, Canada, 156 King Street West And in Twenty-two Foreign Cities All Around the World Forty-eight HOLLYWOOD AT HARKNESS (Continued from page 28) was employed, but the Players soon found that an exaggerated amount was necessary to clearly distinguish features. As the film was taken in different segments, not in any way following the plot, one, therefore, has the amusing effect of a highly made- up actor appearing on the set to make an exit with pale and almost undistinguishable features, as shots were juxtaposed in the editing. William M. Hinkle, who directed as well as acted, had charge of the editing, while Childs wrote the sub- titles, which followed as clearly as possible the original text of Field- ing. After three successive cuttings, due to the loss of several scenes from under-lighting, the continuity of the picture was not as clear in places as could be wished, and numerous sub- captions were required. An important item of course was the expense, as far as the Purity Players were concerned. Childs esti- mated the entire cost as little over a thousand dollars, including the ex- pense necessary for the costumes and settings. The services of the players, the time they expended, not incon- siderable, is of course not calculated in the estimate. Childs owns the negative of the reels, although a print has been offered to the Yale Library to be placed in the Archives. Howard Barnes of the New York World has said, "the best cinemato- graphic result of the whole film is achieved when Tom is being led by a band of soldiers to London's gloomy dungeon after wounding an Irish Lord in a sword duel. The whole scene is fashioned out of illu- sion. Hinkle placed a sentry on the top of a stone wall girding a small moat inclosing Harkness dormitory; then stationing the camera in the nar- row depths of the moat itself, he screened the pacing shadow of the sentry thrown into high relief against the opposing wall — deep in the back- ground. Tom preceded and followed by soldiers descended zig-zagging steps to the camera level, with the pacing of the sentry's shadow high above the wall and the slight mov- ing of the soldiers on the lower level. Tom is hurled through the iron grilled door of his prison cell and the gates clang shut on him." Professors of the English Depart- ment were unanimous in their praise of the film. William Lyon Phelps said, "It is splendid. It is one of the most helpful under-graduate ef- forts I have ever witnessed, and won- derfully spontaneous. "Professor R. D. French called it "one of the best things done at Yale in years." The SUPERLAB CORPORATION Greets The of America and OFFERS AN ALL SATISFYING SERVICE For 16 mm. or 35 mm. NEGATIVE DEVELOPING POSITIVE PRINTING TINTING and TONING TITLING and EDITING Produced With An Ultra Modern Equipment By Famous Profes- sional Technicians. flYOUR NEGATIVES Are Priceless For They Can Seldom Be Secured Again. The Pictures You Get On The Screen Are Entirely Dependent On The Quality Of The Negative From Which They Are Made. And Your Best Negative Is Only As Good As The Laboratory Makes It. Therefore Only The Finest Labora- tory Service Is Adequate. q SUPERLAB Is Faultless. Through A New Method Of Treating Negatives, Which Precludes Chance Of Chemical Injury, The Amateur Is Given The Fin- est Workmanship Available To The Professional Field. «IYOU CAN ENTRUST Those Irre- placeable Negatives To SUPERLAB With Implicit Confidence. SEND YOUR FILMS TO SUPERLAB THROUGH YOUR DEALER Dealers Are Invited to Become Repre- sentatives For Superlab Service. Write For Particulars. SUPERLAB CORPORATION 233 West 42nd Street New York City Wisconsin 4020 Laboratories — Palisade, N. J. Preserve Your Favorite Films ^store your original prints for safe-keeping. Project Cine-Kodak Duplicates — their quality is excellent and their cost is small Cine-Kodak Film is so con- structed that duplicates are easily- made from original prints. The duplicates are made direct from the original by reversal process, and they show the excellent quality and freedom from grain- iness which are characteristic of that process. While Cine-Kodak Film is built to withstand innumerable trips through your Kodascope projector, it will, like all things earthly, wear out in time. It is well to bear this in mind when you make a particularly interest- ing family reel — a reel that, twenty years hence, will be price- less. In most cases this favorite reel — for the verv reason that it is interesting and of sentimental value to you now — is the one that is most used. If you possess such a reel or reels, you will do well to have duplicate prints made just as soon as you have projected it once or twice to determine its quality. The duplicate will then be free from scratches and every frame will register accurately. The original can then be placed in a safe-deposit vault or other place of safe-keeping, and preserved for posterity, while the duplicate can be used for everyday showing. And the price of Eastman du- plicates— $5 for ioo feet and $3.50 for 50 feet — places them within the reach of everyone. Duplicates are made at Rochester, New York, and San Francisco, California. Ask your Cine-Kodak Dealer Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., U.S.A. 4 f>3$0asm 1 , ffr i ■ - i % ; V - in jour hands -f/iis Camera Captures Life ! ..-^ w f» -aa> "t ' MJMUJJ.-IJ.t Automatic yy -1^4^: PROJECTOR. e- creates if/ BELL & HOWELL >..IJM4JJ,H.B Automatic MOTION PICTURE CAMERA IN the beautiful month of August, on the threshold of Autumn, your out-of-door movie making activities will find fullest expression in your use of the Filmo Camera. For it is the camera adaptable to all con- ditions of distance, light and speed. It comes already equipped with the finest lens — a Taylor Hobson-Cooke anastigmat 25 mm., F 3.5 aperture. This lens is quickly interchangable with twelve others, up to a 6-inch telephoto, for capturing distant subjects or getting the picture under seemingly impossible light conditions. At your option you may choose the Super-speed, Double-speed or Three-speed Filmo for taking s-l-o-w motion pictures. Most of the flexi- bility of operation found in the larger Bell & Howell Cameras (with which nearly all theatre movies are made) is found in Filmo Camera. Only two simple operations required. Find your scene in the spy-glass viewfinder and press the button. Filmo Projector, likewise, has out- standing features of superiority and simplicity. Write for descriptive Filmo booklet "What You See, You Get" and nearest dealer's name. BELL & HOWELL COMPANY 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago ' New York, Hollywood, London (B. & H. Co., Ltd.) ' Established 1907 C. LAIELL NORTHROP PRESS. N. Y. Saving CiveslVitk Celluloid ' -TintingData-Wfovies ana Millions (Mmemdfloar~ynedvtofTitling~yrst^ 'Touchdown! & 'What you see — you get" To get every play you require a Motion Picture Camera THERE is but one amateur motion picture camera hav- ing all the adaptability required to take football movies under all conditions of light, speed and distance. That is the Bell & Howell Filmo, made by "the movie people." With a Filmo to your eye you can shoot over the heads of the crowd and catch every play. The spy-glass view- finder and its telephoto auxiliary for closer magnification locates the action instantly and follows your hero down the field as easily as you would follow him with the naked eye. The regularly furnished Taylor-Hobson Cooke F 3-5 lens is lightning fast. It gets the picture for you, even on cloudy days. Or you can quickly replace it with a3?4 inch telephoto lens that will take close-ups of ac- tion at the other end of the field, without requiring a tripod. Take a Filmo with you if you want to get the whole game. To take s-l-o-w motion choose the Double-speed, Three-speed or Superspeed Filmo. The adaptability found only in Filmo, among amateur movie cam- eras, comes from Bell & Howell's twenty years of experience in making the cameras used almost ex- clusively in the professional movie studios of the world. Your Filmo dealer stocks the telephoto lenses interchangeable with regular Filmo lens to get movies of distant scenes. See him, or write us for complete information on any Filmo movie question Bell 8c Howell Co. 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, 111. New York, Hollywood, London ( B Sc H Co., Ltd.) Established 1907 cAnnouncing — hayden spring film clips which prevent the end of films from curling, and tell you where the end of film is. No more oval shape films. Flat films keep the picture sharp and in focus. Made r ^t A of aluminum and bronze wire. Will not rust in damp Humidor. Fits any reel. DEMAND YOUR REELS NICKED FOR SAME. NO EXTRA CHARGE. We will license any reel maker under our rights to nick the reels for lc a reel. Re- member they are adapted to the four as well as the seven inch reels; also made for professional size films and reels. PRICE OF HAYDEN SPRING FILM CLIP 25c The New Hayden seven inch reel is made of aluminum and designed as shown in new booklet. They fit all 16 mm. projectors and rewinds, and come all nicked ready for the HAYDEN SPRING FILM CLIPS. PRICE OF HAYDEN SEVEN INCH REEL, 75c ADJUSTABLE ««d FOLDING STANDS h* CURTAINS «"d PROJECTORS ■.s.\7^>y^ ^M mm PUBLISHED BY THE AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC. "Heralding The Motion Picture Of Tomorrow" Volume II SEPTEMBER, 1927 Number 9 ... Qontents ... Cover Design, The Shutter r Jorge Palomino Contributors 2 Editorials 5 Trees, An Art Title Background Photographed by Walter D. Kerst 6 The Fine Art of Title Writing W. T. McCarthy 7 The Philosophy of Screens Harold R. Hoover 10 Cameras Afloat Heber Cushing Peters 11 Saving Lives With Celluloid Herman Goodman, B.S.M.D. 13 Amateur Films As Aids In Medicine The New Text Books of Sport Dwight R. Furness 14 Movies and Millions Ralph R. Eno 15 Tinting Data Walter D. Kerst 16 Color Section for September 17 A Gothic Closeup, A Photograph Films for the Church Cecil A. Stokes 18 A New Role For The Amateur Griffith Was Right Howard E. Richardson 20 The Closeup Is Presented As Piece de Resistance Of The Cinema Critical Focusing : 22 Reviews To Aid The Amateur The First Movie Makers* Cruise William Walker 26 Closeups 29 Clinic Edited by Dr. Kinema 33 A Cutting and Reviewing Box Raymond W. Stephens 40 \ esident \ X Presidetl HIRAM PERCY MAXIM Hartford, Comnj£^, THO\"i AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC. DIRECTORS Vice-President Treasurer EARLE C. ANTHONY President of the National Association of Broadcasters ROY D. CHAPIN Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hudson Motor 'Company A. A. HEBERT 1711 Park Street, Hartford, Conn. LEE F. HANMER Director of Recreation, Russell Sage Foundation FLOYD L. VANDERPOEL Scientist, of Litchfield, Conn. STEPHEN F. VOORHEES Architect, of New York City W. E. COTTER 30 E. 42nd St., New York City C. R. DOOLEY Manager of Personnel and Training, Standard Oil Co. of N. J. Managing Director ROY W. WINTON, 105 W. 40th Street, New York City AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is published monthly in New York, N. Y., by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. Subscription Rate $3.00 a year, postpaid (Canada $3.25, Foreign $3.50); to members of the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. $2.00 a year, postpaid; single copies, 25c. , On sale at photographic dealers everywhere. Entered as secona-class matter August 3, 1927, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Advertising rates on application. Forms close on 5th of preceding month. Cop/right, 1927, by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. /Title registered at United States Patent Office. Editorial and Publication Office: 105 West 40th Street, New York, N. Y. ; R D. KERST, Technical Editor K. L. NOONE, Advertising Manager Editor JOHN BEARDSLEE CARRIGAN V AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is growing in popularity. Our readers increase from month to month. For the benefit of our readers1 friends whose predatory designs on k the family library copy must be discreetly curbed, we list, here, the photographic dealers of the country, in whose excellently equipped salesrooms our magazine is offered to the public. And we recommend that you not only go to buy AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS at these friendly haunts of motion picture makers, but that you also let these dealers help you to increase the pleasure you get from our mutual sport. Abercrombie H Fitch, 45th St. and Madison, New York City A. S. Aloe Co., 513 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo. American Photo Supply Co., S. A., Av. F. 1, Madero 40, Mexico D.F. Anderson Supply Co., Ill Cherry St., Seattle, Wash. Reid S. Baker, Inc., 1322 F St.. N. W., Washington, D. C. L. Bamberger ii Co., Market St., Newark, N. J. Bass Camera Co., 179 West Madison St., Chicago, 111. A. L. Bollinger Drug Co., Frankfort and Stilz, Louisville, Ky. Z. T. Briggs Photo Supply Co., 916 Grand Ave., Kansas City, Mo. H. W. Brown ii Co., 87 Wisconsin St., Milwaukee, Wis. Buffalo Photo Material Co., 37 Niagara St., Buffalo, N. Y. E. S. Burtis, Stamford-in-the-Catskills, N. Y. Camera Exchange, 7 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, Georgia. Central Camera Co., 112 So. Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Cinema Supply Co., Inc., 804 Eleventh St., Washington, D. C. City Camera Co., 110 West 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Clark Cine-Service, 2540 Park Ave., Detroit, Mich. Aimer Coe ii Co., 105 No. Wabash Ave.. Chicago, 111. Aimer Coe ii Co., 18 So. La Salle St., Chicago, 111. Aimer Coe ii Co., 78 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, 111. Abe Cohen's Exchange, 113 Park Row, New York City Columbia Photo Supply Co., 1424 N. Y. Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C. William C. Cullen, 12 Maiden Lane .New York City Curtis Art Co., 25 West Main St., Waterbury, Conn. Dayton Camera Shop, 1 Third St. Arcade, Dayton, Ohio. Detroit Camera Shop, 424 Grand River W., Detroit, Mich. Devoe ii Raynolds Co., Inc., 34 E. 42nd St.. New York, N. Y. Geo. C. Dury ii Co., Nashville, Tenn. Eastern Motion Picture Co., 2114 Sansom St., Philadelphia, Pa. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 183 Peachtree St., Atlanta, Ga. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 223 Park Ave., Baltimore, Md. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 38 Bromfield St., Boston, Mass. Eastman Kodak Stores Co., 133 North Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. 318 Brady St., Davenport Iowa 626 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. 1235 Washington Blvd., Detroit, Mich. 808 Locust St., Des Moines, Iowa 643 So. Hill St., Los Angeles, Calif. 112 South Fifth St., Minneapolis, Minn. 213 Baronne St., New Orleans, La. Madison at 45th St., New York City 419 So. Sixteenth St., Omaha, Neb. 1020 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 606 Wood St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 345 Washington St., Portland, Ore. 545 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. 1415 Fourth Ave., Seattle, Wash. 607 Fourteenth St., N. W., Washington, Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., D. C. B. K. Elliott Co., 126 Sixth St., Pittsburgh, Pa. Jos. C. Ferguson, Jr., 1804 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Ford Optical Co., 1029 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Fowler ii Slater Co., 806 Huron Rd., Cleveland, Ohio Fowler H Slater Co., 347 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, O. Fowler ii Slater Co., Union Trust Bldg., Cleveland, O. Fowler ii Slater Co., 156 Larned St., W., Detroit, Mich. Fowler ii Slater Co., 7 Wick Ave., Youngstown, O. Franklin Printing ii Engraving Co., 226 Huron St., Toledo, Ohio. Francis A. Frawley, 178 Cedar St., Bangor, Maine J. C. Freeman ii Co., 376 Main St., Worcester, Mass. Fritz ii Hawley, Inc., 816 Chapel St., New Haven, Conn. S. Galeski Optical Co., 209 Granby St., Norfolk, Virginia W. D. Gatchel ii Sons, 431 Walnut St. W., Louisville, Ky. Gillette Camera Store, 117 Park Ave., New York City Gross Photo Supply Co., 325 Superior St., Toledo, Ohio Haanstad's Camera Shop, 404 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Edwin A. Hahn, 111 Columbia St., Utica, N. Y. Hanley Photo ii Radio Shop, 116 East 10th St., Kansas City, Mo. Harvey ii Lewis Co., 865 Main St., Hartford, Conn. Harvey ii Lewis Co., 333 Main St., Springfield, Mass. Herbert ii Huesgen Co., 18 East 42nd St., New York City Hirsch ii Kaye, 239 Grant Ave., San Francisco, Cal. Honolulu Photo Supply Co., P. O. Box 2999, Honolulu, T. H. Huber Art Co., 124 Seventh St., W., Cincinnati, Ohio J. L. Hudson Co., Department 290, Detroit, Mich. Hyatt's Supply Co., 417 North Broadway, St. Louis, Mo. Iver Johnson Sporting Gds. Co., 155 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Leavitt Cine Picture Co., 3150 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Cal. H. Lieber Co., 24 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, Ind. Andrew J. Lloyd Co., 300 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Lugene, Inc., 600 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. Harold E. Lutes, 958 Fifth St., San Diego, Cal. Lyon ii Healy, Wabash Ave. at Jackson Blvd., Chicago, 111. Wm. Mcintosh (Sheffield) Ltd., Change Alley, Sheffield, England. Marks ii Fuller Co., 36 East Ave., Rochester, N. Y. E. G. Marlow Co., 1807 Main St., Dallas, Texas Memphis Photo Supply Co., Memphis, Tenn. Metropolitan Motion Picture Co., Film Exchange Bldg., Detroit, Mich. E. B. Meyrowitz, 1516 Washington Blvd., Detroit, Mich. E. B. Meyrowitz, 520 Fifth Ave., New York City Miami Photo Supply Co., 242 N. Bayshore Drive, Miami, Fla. Milwaukee Photo Materials Co., 427 Milwaukee St., Milwaukee, Wis. Morse's Photo Service, Rhodesbilt Arcade, Lake Wales, Fla. Mortimer's, 300 Park Ave., Plainfield, N. J. George Murphy, Inc., 57 East 9th St., New York, N. Y. New York Camera Exchange, 109 Fulton St., New York, N. Y. B. B. Nichols, Inc., 731 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif. Pathescope Co., 260 Tremont St., Boston, Mass. Pickup ii Brown, 41 East 41st St., New York, N. Y. Pinkham ii Smith Co., 15 Bromfield St., Boston 9, Mass. Schoenig ii Co., Inc., 8 East 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Schwabacher-Frey Stationery Co., 735 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. Shaw Supply Co., Tacoma, Washington Smith ii Butterfield Co., 310 Main St., Evansville, Indiana Starkweather ii Williams, Inc., 47 Exchange Place, Providence, R. I. F. W. Twogood, 700 Main St., Riverside, Cal. Wm. F. Uhlman, 716 Francis St., St. Joseph, Mo. Watry ii Heidkamp, 17 W. Randolph St., Chicago, 111. L. B. Wheaton, 368 Main St., Worcester, Mass. Willoughby Camera Stores, Inc., 110 West 32nd St., New York, N.Y. Zimmerman Bros., 330 West Superior St., Duluth, Minn. Zimmerman Bros., 380 Minnesota St., St. Paul, Minn. AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS 105 WEST 40th STREET, NEW YORK CITY $3.00 a Year (Canada $3.25; Foreign $3.50) 25 Gents a Copy (Canada and Foreign 30 Cents) four WE HOPE you had a good vacation with plenty of camera and not too much citro- nella. Personally, we didn't have any; we mean not only citronella, but vacation. We have not been able to escape from the feeling that we should stay on the job, which we must admit is a pleasant one, of thinking up new ways of telling more people about the joys of membership in the Amateur Cine- ma League. We think we have got the idea across, but the prospect of brisk Autumn has lured us into a promise to add a thousand mem- bers a month by the persuasiveness of this page. We did so, trusting that our readers are not only gentle but generous. Is it too much to trust, also, that they know they double their motion picture mak- ing pleasure by League-ing along with the rest of us? THE TITLE WAR is on vig- orously. Both sides have been heard from in those illustrated pages and color sections and things that form the tail to this scintillat- ing editorial kite which we are re- peatedly assured is the really inter- esting part of Amateur Movie Makers. We are tempted to emu- late Pilate with his Roman hand- bath and be snootily aloof, but the matter lends itself to quipping, so quip we must and shall. We pre- dict, with a mixture of sadness and prophetic frenzy, that some fine night we shall see a photoplay whose working title was simply "?" and whose exploitation title will be"!". There will be no sub- titles;— away with such Coolid- gian antiquities (or, since we are well satisfied with the present re- gime, we should say early Coolid- gian antiquities) — and the picture will have a sort of super-continu- ity. It will start in and keep right on picturing, let the eye-strained tears fall where they may. Now and then there will be a few blank feet to give beholders a chance to wipe their amazed orbs and to cat- alog their sensations and recollec- tions of the last ten minutes. It can be seen that we have a linger- ing fondness for titles — especially those pretty ones with our Title Series as backgrounds — but we realize that even editorial writers must be progressive. Photograph by Walter D. Kerst SPIRES AND SPIDER WEB ANOTHER PROPHECY— among our ancestors were Cassandra and Isaiah. Booth Tarkington has inspired us to peep two hundred and fifty years forward. In that day the New York Terald - Worbune will say editorially, "An innovation is an- nounced at the Synadram of the Cinema at 550th Street and Met- rox Avenue which critics herald as a revolution in the art of the photoreel. Human beings will ap- pear on an improvised ante-screen which is said to be similar to an airplane loading platform and the film program will be stopped for a few minutes while men and women actually speak and act. This seems to us completely lack- ing in what old writers called "box-office." In other words it completely lacks getaction." IMPOSSIBLE? Then consider the implication of Russia's sub- stitution of films for the spoken word in education. We shudder to think what our merry movies would become if they got too pur- poseful. A censorship on amateur filming would soon arise and no- body could spend his reels in riot- ous button pressing. We should have to justify all our casual foot- age by propagandic titles boosting the ins and knocking the outs. Our friends would come to our film evenings to view and would re- main to shoot — but not, alas, with a camera. IT SEEMS TO US that, even if safe from Soviet Subtlety, mo- tion pictures threaten real danger for students. School marms and marsters may soon be "birching by movies." and student triflers will be kept after hours to see reels of instructive movies. Films are curl- ing their way into education. In fact, there is a fourth R. We now have Reading, Riting, Rithmetic and Reels. But we are saved for there is a pleasant fifth — Recrea- tion. THIS PAGE is all at cross pur- poses, like the bridge in the center of it. And that suggests something. Since bridges enjoy the contemporary fame of newspaper headlines chiefly as places from which people have been dared to jump, how about issuing a dare to join the League? How many would take it? Those in the af- firmative please respond by hunt- ing for the dotted line on another of these prolix pages ! Five The FINE ART of TITLING THE subject of titles has been of major interest to me ever since the purchase of my camera, something more than a year ago. As I wanted to make titles with distinct character, I began to experiment. I purchased a dozen cards known com- mercially as show cards. Most of them were black but for experiment some were gray and some were mottled. I also purchased a bottle of "Speedball" white ink and some "Speedball" pens of various fineness and went to work. I experi- mented with different sized letters at various distances from the camera and with various sized cards. Ornamental borders of various de- signs were tried, drawn mechanically, that is with a ruling pen and also free hand. The freehand ones were the most effective. But I have now gradu- ated from the border stage to a much more attractive one. After wasting a great deal of paper, ink. time, film and energy, and at that it was hardly wasted be- cause the results arrived at have been splendid, I have at last reached a cer- tain uniformitv of method in making titles that takes a minimum of time with a maximum of satisfaction. For the benefit of those who. like myself, want to do there things. I shall go into details that may seem unnecessary but that, if followed, will open up a new source of pleas- ure and satisfaction. During all this experimentation. I spent so much time at it that my wife began to tell our friends that she had heard of "golf widows" but that she had become a "motion picture widow." I use a stand with a board in a ver- tical position to which the camera is attached by means of a screw which is a duplicate of the thumb screw of the tripod. In other words the camera is held in a vertical position and points toward the floor instead of horizontally. Below this is arranged a horizontal shelf underneath the camera lens, which has two strips attached, run- ning the vertical way of the picture, each seven inches either side of the center of the lens. See Figure 1 By W. T. McCarthy Illustrated by the Author A New Use For Frontispieces FOR the background of this artistic title Mr. McCarthy used the frontispiece of Febru- ary Amateur Movie Makers. Building on this clever idea, also suggested by Mr. Heber dish- ing Peters, Amateur Movie Mak- ers will print in each issue, as a new feature, a full page photo- graph especially chosen as an at- tractive and suitable title back- ground. This month's frontis- piece inaugurates the series. A forest study by Walter D. Kerst, it should be appropriate either for a single or repeated title background for outdoor films, with which this summer has en- riched the libraries of most of our readers. Permission is here- by granted both to amateurs and to commercial title makers to reproduce the pictures in this title series. The dimensions given in the dia- grams are for the standard one inch lens in focusing mount. The distance away the lens should be from the title card, and the size of the card, depend on the type of camera used. The directions of the manufacturers will serve as guides, and personal ex- periment will further determine the means of securing best results. (Next month Amateur Movie Makers will present a data page on making titles with all types of amateur cameras, giving exact measurements and dia- phragm stops to be used. In all cases, it is suggested that short test title strips be made, saving for this pur- pose a few feet of film at the end of a roll, exposed in the usual way.) For lights I took six inch boards and made two boxes eighteen inches by twelve inches with one side miss- ing and had an electrician wire them for five seventy-five watt blue lamps each at a cost of four dollars for the whole outfit including ten feet of wire and plug. See Figure 2 Then, with shellac I lined the en- tire interior with tinfoil rubbing it down smooth. This gave me lights with good reflectors. (This lighting equipment should be ample for a well timed film. In case your test strip shows underexposure, additional lights or reflectors can be added.) I then mounted these each side of the shelf mentioned above, taking care that the upper edges just cleared the field of the lens and I was ready for my titles. See Figure 3 Now, most of us have had some sort of a camera before we bought the "movie" outfit and most of us have taken some special pictures of which we were very proud. Here, then, is the opportunity to use such pictures very effectively. If you still have the negatives, have en- largements made to about six inches by eight inches or a little less. If you haven't the negatives, have photostat prints made of about that size. Any size inside the above dimensions will do. Cut pictures out of magazines and periodicals, photographs, rotograv- ures from the Sunday papers, copies of drawings, all sorts of pictures of artistic value and post cards of places visited. If they are too small or too large have photostat copies made in black and white of the size mentioned above or smaller. Tell the photostat man to emphasize the blacks even at the expense of the light portions, in fact pictures with a pre- dominance of darks are preferable. Now take a sheet of black show card, the standard size being twenty- two inches by twenty-eight inches, and cut it through the exact middle in both directions. This will give you four pieces, eleven inches by fourteen inches each. Now measure off the ex- Seven act middle of these in both directions and draw a line lightly with a soft pencil dividing the card in half in each direction, then with your white ink draw a line about an inch long at each edge. This will guide you in placing the card in the proper posi- tion before the camera. See Figure 4 The actual field covered by the lens at a distance of two feet is ap- proximately six and one-half inches by nine inches, so I usually line off my cards in this way, very lightly and with a soft pencil, as it aids in placing the pictures on the cards. Now, with just a touch of good library paste or of Higgins vegetable paste at each corner of your picture, mount it on the black card. In time you will accumulate a "library" of such cards with pictures of all sorts appropriate for any title. For years I have used a four by five inch Graflex camera which was my constant companion on automo- bile and fishing trips. I have some very fine pictures taken in the woods. So, when I have titles to make for a fishing trip I dig through my title "library" and select a card with a suitable subject and use it in the ac- companying title. It does not have to be a picture of the subject to be titled but something appropriate to it. To go further into the matter I re- turned some time ago from a vacation in Bermuda. Twenty-three hundred feet of film was exposed, and for the purpose of titles I collected interest- ing post cards, in black and white where possible as they make the best photostat copies, but colored ones will do. I also cut various pictures from steamship and tourist company literature on Bermuda with the result that I have an extremely interesting set of titles. CAML2A' -LLLV- OF -TITLL - E>OARD- • riG.*i< I have even cut from art magazines fine pictures of antique book covers and beautiful oriental rugs in color, pasted them on cards and used them as they were with wonderful results in titles where no picture would Eight really be appropriate. Heavily mot- tled show card surfaces are also splendid for the same purpose. For the titles themselves I went to a commercial photographer and at five cents apiece purchased two dozen eleven by fourteen inch used nega- tives. box- LINLD • WITH- TINFOIL •£' HAS 3- 75 -WATT- 5LUL- BUL55 These were put in the laundry tub at home with half a package of wash- ing soda and the tub filled with boil- ing water. After half an hour of soaking the plates were free of the emulsion. The loose emulsion was scooped out, the glass rinsed a couple of times in fresh water, rubbed dry and polished with old newspapers and I was ready for titles. My previous ex- perimenting had shown me that small letters three-eights of an inch high or even less and capitals one-half inch high gave the most pleasing effect for titles in general, with a spacing of one-half inch or a little less between the lines of lettering. This of course, is varied under different conditions. A sheet of heavy paper fourteen in- ches wide, just the width of a glass plate, but any length vertically, was then laid off accurately, by means of a drawing pen and ink, with rows of guide lines based on these figures. Next, two vertical ink lines were drawn defining the extreme width of field taken in by the lens to insure all the lettering being contained in the picture. See Figure 5 The next step was to secure a small drawing board, about two feet in length. On this was laid a glass plate in the most convenient position and along the uppermost edge a wood strip (A) was made fast. Then, at each end of the plate was fastened another strip (B) about the same thickness as the glass. The thickness of strip A is immaterial but that of B should be thin in order not to ob- struct the hand when lettering. Lines (C) were drawn on the board at the center of the plate in both directions and I was ready for the finished titles. See Figure 6 Paint stores, art stores and photo- graphic stores could not tell me what to use for lettering on glass. Then I tried the "Speedball" white ink and discovered to my surprise that it dries as quickly and flows as easily on glass as on paper and that good let- tering is more easily accomplished on glass than on anything else. There are no fibres to divert the pen, and a steady hand, and of course some ability to letter, are all that is needed. Compose your title, determine the number of lines it will take and the number of words in each line. Start with line number one; count the letters in the line, allowing about one and one-half letters for spacing between words, and start at the verti- cal center line of your sheet of guide lines, always lightly with a soft pen- cil, and sketch in half the line. Then, if this has been done to the right of the line, go back and sketch in the balance of the line of lettering. Al- ways work from the center line and you will find that if your letters are anywhere near uniform the line will balance. Proceed with the following lines in the same way. When the title has been sketched in complete, center the sheet between the strips on the drawing board, place a plate over it, being sure to keep it tight against the top strip and start with your pen and the white ink. After a little practice you will be astonished how rapidly titles can be made and if your talent runs that TITLL. 50AP.D- WITH - ' LIGHT -60XE.5 -IN-PLACL- way ornate capitals can be used. Al- ways keep in mind, however, that a reasonably heavy line gives the best results, though you can make them with a uniform line or a shaded one as may suit your purpose. This lettering is good on a dark background but some of the pictures used for background may have large areas that are light or white. In such cases the white lettering will not stand out prominently enough and to give good results must be heavily shaded with black. "Speedball" black ink can be used for this but I would advise keeping two pens in use, one for white, and one for black. The shading must be heavy, at least twice as heavy, but need not be so precise as the lettering. 14" * 3i- . V -White-mark PlCTURJt » Mounter on CAU>. Vs CenteMini. Cmuj. «F1G-V Pic FQ Timc^ l BACK GROUND One thing of vital importance to keep in mind is to always have clean pens. If it becomes necessary to lay one down for a minute or two, clean it with a brush and water before re- suming. When you are ready to photograph your title, place the card with the pic- ture to be used as background be- tween the strips on the shelf beneath the camera with the center lines "C" in line with marks "E" on shelf. Place the glass plate with the letter- ing, in any desired position over the card. It is now ready to be photo- graphed. Focus the lens and set the dia- phragm. Experience is the best teach- er in the matter of exposure, and the strips of test film made with various diaphragm stops and lighting will prevent much wasted effort. Set the camera at normal speed and expose for about eight seconds for the first ten words and about a half second for each additional word. This of course can be varied if you wish but is sufficiently close for the average title. It is also unwise to give any title, even of one word, less than four seconds at normal speed because the projection of it will be too abrupt. By all means use a "vignette" at- tachment if possible as the effect is improved many times by its use. Of course, when this is used additional time must be given to each title and a few experimental ones will teach you the best allowance to make. The advantage of using glass is that the lettering can be washed off and the glass used over and over again, also the pictures used for background can be used repeatedly, which cannot be done when the let- tering is done directly in the pictures. The guide strips on the shelf which holds the titles to be photographed are placed in a vertical position for the following reason: it is often nec- essary to make a title containing many more lines of descriptive mat- ter than could be included in the range of the lens or on one card, without unpleasant crowding of words and lines. Consequently, be- gin your title near the top of the glass and put it all on regardless of the height of field your camera will cover. Center your card background and fasten it with a thumb tack on the edge. Place your glass with the top of the title at a pleasing distance from the top of the card and start the camera. After a few seconds slowly and evenly move the glass up- ward until the bottom of the title is an inch or two beyond the bottom of the background. If the camera is one with which single exposures can be made the same result can be obtained by mov- ing the title about one-sixteenth of an inch at a time and making a single exposure each time. Now as to the size of the glass recommended; it is much larger than the card, but this is desirable, first Ink.- lines hexing- extreme- •width of -field- of lens ■ Sheet -or -paper.- with -inked- GUIDE- LINES- fOH- LET7E.2.1MG- Can-be-used- REPEATEDLY • AV POKIL SKETCHED- TITLES CAN-bE- because of long titles just described, second because in handling it is im- possible to avoid finger marks. These of course always occur near the edges and the liberal margin allowed per- mits much less careful handling. A photographer's plate drying rack is a good thing to use to stand the plates in, before and after letter- ing. I have suggested a drawing board on which to make the titles but this is not necessary. Any old kitchen table with a wood top can be used. _rA___£ k (UA5S- PLATE. DRAWING- BOA2J5- WITH- GLASS PLATE- IN- PLACE- UNDEB.- WHICH -SHEET -OF- PAPEB WITH GUIDE- LINES -CAN BESLIPPED limited. This screen hangs on (ha wall like re. The frame is polychrome blue, shaded ver. The screen surface is silvered the name used in theatres. It is as flat as n pane of giant The projection surface is 22 x 30 in inches. Frame is equipped with two e; of frame may be turned at right angle a table or Door. A beautiful, everlasti Price of Filmo Framed Mot. and as rigid becau non-warping vene callcdtheNewFilr es. The size over o cts for hanging on v o frame and serve a ; screen for the horr i Picture Screen c is permanently mounted c board. This new screen la ramed Motion Picture Screen, ncluding frame, is 26 x 34 Two gilded bars on bottom base for standing screen on plctc MARK AND MAIL THIS $1H.75 BELL &. HOWELL CO., 1828 Larchmont Ave, Chicane III. I would like further information on (he subjects checked hoi J Filmo Library [ j Helen Wills Mov.e Tennis Lemons I | Character Ti.1, Writer ] Trans-Lux Daylight Screen | i Dremophot | Adjustable Filmo Carrying Strap J Telephoto Lenses U Filmo Framed Screen. Name Address City. State nh THE PYRAMIDS ARE WAITING Photograph by Arthur Dailey The First MOVIE MAKERS' CRUISE A New Idea for the New National Hobby THE skyscraper pile of the pyra- mids bears convincing testi- mony to the theory that there is nothing new under the sun, but this winter these same inscrutable monu- ments will be visited by something absolutely and genuinely new — the first amateur movie makers' cruise in the history of the world, an ultra modern idea called into being by the international popularity of amateur cinematography. Amateur movie making on this cruise will be its raison d'etre, with all other plans revolving around this central purpose, instead of a side is- sue, frequently hampered by other considerations, as is so often the case on ordinary tours without cinematic motivation. And that amateur movie makers have thus received the recog- nition which the requirements of their hobby makes essential is due to the activity on this score by the Ama- teur Cinema League. This central clearing house of amateur movie making experience, being in touch with thousands of world travelers through its membership and the read- ers of Amateur Movie Makers, was keenly aware of the special needs of cinematic travelers. Therefore the question of planning special tours with movie making as the primary consideration was taken up with vari- ous travel agencies. The importance of this rapidly growing phase of world travel was immediately appre- ciated by James Boring's Travel Ser- vice of 45 Astor Place, New York Twenty-six By William Walker City, a fine and reliable travel agency with a record of many successful tours. It immediately undertook the planning of a tour which would ful- fill every dream of the cinema en- thusiast. The Mediterranean cruise was de- cided upon as ideal for the initiation of this new plan, providing winter travelers with idyllic climate, light- ing conditions perfect for photo- graphy, and kaleidoscopic variety of cinematic subjects, places and peo- ples. And so on February 8th, 1928, the movie makers' own cruise will start from New York City on the specially chartered new White Star Liner "Doric." Gardner Wells, whose unique travel articles, written from the view- point of the cinematographer, have Photograph by Gardner Wells THE GLORY THAT WAS GREECE LINGERS STILL been published in Amateur Movie Makers from time to time, will be in charge of the tour. Every cinematic opportunity on the route of the "Doric" is intimately known to him, as he annually visits the Mediter- ranean countries to make motion pic- tures and gather new lecture mate- rial. Thus the tour will be guided by an expert who will share with cruise members all his knowledge of the places visited, their local color, and the fascinating native customs. The ship itself will be specially equipped for movie makers. A salon will be fitted with complete projec- tion apparatus, as a theatre for the showing of the pictures made en- route. Lights and reflectors will be available for the making of interiors or night scenes. In the movie makers clubroom Mr. Wells will give fre- quent informal talks on movie mak- ing problems, and discuss cine pos- sibilities of the ports about to be visited. The Amateur Cinema League,, naturally, has no other interest in this new plan than to encourage a valuable service to the traveling amateur. Inquiries concerning it should be directed to James Boring's Travel Service. However, the League has made a thorough investigation of the agency and of the plan and will be glad to serve the members of the League and readers of Amateur Movie Makers in answering any in- quiries which they might wish to make. $2,000 in Prizes For Movie Amateurs flOf course you have read all about PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE'S $2,000 Amateur Movie Contest. *I Full rules and details appear in the Amateur Movie Department of PHOTOPLAY each month. «IThe contest judges number HIRAM PERCY MAXIM, presi- dent of the Amateur Cinema League, S. L. ROTHAFEL, manag- ing director of the Roxy Theater in New York City, NICKOLAS MURAY, the well known photographer, JAMES R. QUIRK, editor and publisher of PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE, and FRED- ERICK JAMES SMITH, managing editor of PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE. •I Everyone has an equal chance for a prize. $500 is offered for the best films submitted in the 36, 16 and 9 mm. divisions, with an added prize of $500 for the best film submitted in any one of these divisions. «lRead the rules and GET BUSY. •JFame and a substantial prize await you. The winning films will be shown in a New York theater and probably in other cities of the country. •IfAre you reading PHOTOPLAY'S monthly department de- 1 CSS ' voted to amateur movies? It is full of interesting advice and / *$* information. ! PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE Twenty-seven Cine-Kodak Duplicates Store your original prints — Project Cine'- Kodak duplicates The movies you make today grow in value with the passing of the years. Ten, fifteen or twenty years hence, they will be priceless— realistic moments of the past that you can live and enjoy again, whenever your fancy may direct. Naturally, you want these movies so preserved that when they are placed in your projector years from now, they will be just as perfect as they are today. Cine-Kodak duplicates make this possible. They are of such excellent quality as to be virtually indistin- guishable from the originals— and their cost is within the reach of every owner of 16 millimeter motion picture equipment— $5.00 for 100-foot lengths, and $3.50 for 50-foot lengths. Cine- Kodak duplicates are made at Rochester and San Francisco Ask your Cine-Kodak dealer Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., The Kodak aty Twenty-eight Accessories IN a recent issue of the Motio i Pic- ture World there appeared a no- tice editorially to the effect that the amateur movie fad was growing rapidly and that it is now possible to purchase more accessories for the 16 millimeter cameras than you can get for a Ford car. One of our members, Dr. Nathan T. Beers, of Brooklyn, N. Y., seems to be entirely in accord with the World, for he sent us the following ditty : "Your magazine is simply great. It's writ by movie scholars; But every time I read the ads It costs me eighty dollars." Transatlantic AN ordinary reel of amateur mo- tion picture film is back from perhaps the greatest adventure a film ever had. It was the first film to fly across the Atlantic. This modest little 100-foot roll of film made the trip on the "America" in Commander Byrd's Cine-Kodak. Lieutenant George 0. Noville, the "America's" radio operator, handled it while Byrd was engaged in navi- gating. Noville took principally views of the shores along which the "Amer- ica" flew. The adventurous film even went out on the wings with Noville and his camera to make "shots" across the nose of the motors as they churned steadily through the thick- ening sea air. Then the fog fell, and for nineteen hours eyes and film alike could see nothing. Finally came the forced landing in the water. The film lay in the wrecked ship until it could be salvaged. It emerged with its metal spool rusted and a few salt water stains on the film. But when it was developed the first trans- Atlantic movie was clear. Opportunity THE Home Film Exchange has re- cently opened an office at 5523 Broadway, Chicago, Illinois, for the purpose of buying, selling, renting, and exchanging 16 millimeter films. All amateurs who are interested have been requested to get in touch with them. The Land of Windmills STILL furthering its international activities, the League welcomes to its membership Dr. W. Nolst Trenite of Rotterdam, Holland. Dr. Trenite writes that amateur motion picture making is in its very beginning in Holland, 16mm. equipment having been introduced only about a year ago. He hopes that the movement will eventually become world-wide, and, to that end, is spreading the word of the League in his locality. Photograph by Pathcx EILEEN RAY Proving That Blondes Prefer To Reel Their Own Convenience SEVEN new stations for processing amateur motion picture film are being opened in Asia and Europe this summer. They are located at Barcelona, Florence, Lausanne, Lis- bon, Vienna, Calcutta, and Kobe. These seven new stations are in ad- dition to thirty-one others previously in operation all over the world. There are now very few places on the face of the globe where the horde of movie enthusiasts cannot find a processing station for quick service on films. Little Cinema Theatres BY September 15th there will be in operation four more little film theatres in New York, Brooklyn, Baltimore, and East Orange, New Jersey. That will make a total of six in New York City alone. On the heels of this news comes the announcement from the Fifth Avenue Playhouse management, in New York, that they will have eight new theatres of this type in operation in various cities by January 1st, 1928. This means that the amateur work- ing with standard equipment will find an ever-increasing opportunity for exhibition of his worthwhile ef- forts. Organized amateur clubs should plan their productions with an eye to obtaining a showing in one of these theatres. We hope that eventually 16 millimeter amateurs will find large screen projection no obstacle to the exhibition of their films in theatres of this type. It is reasonable to assume that at an early date this will come to pass. Professional Praise IN a recent editorial in the Motion Picture World, a professional trade journal, is a discussion of the effect that the home movie will have on attendance at the professional mo- tion picture house. Many have predicted that the home movie will cut down theatre attend- ance but the view is held by the Edi- tor of the World that it will increase amateur cinematogr-aphers' interest in all motion pictures, and their at- tendance at theatres, because it will broaden their appreciation of the technical problems involved in the making of a film. That we are of the same opinion is evidenced by the Critical Focusing section of Amateur Movie Makers. Nearly every professional produc- tion, good or bad, contains some in- teresting bit of technique that the amateur can adopt for his purpose. The next time you visit your local theatre, if you look for them you will find many things of interest that here- tofore have escaped your attention. Twenty-nine Hands Across the Sea BECAUSE letters from his old home in Norway indicated the belief that practically the whole of the United States had been inundated by the Mississippi flood and that gang warfare and shootings were a normal part of American life, Olaf Skram- stad, county highway engineer at Fergus Falls, Minnesota, has taken representative motion pictures to Nor- way with him on a visit. This is the first time motion pictures have been used by a returning resident to de- scribe America to the "old country," so far as is known. Mr. Skramstad took the pictures himself with one of the new amateur motion picture cameras and photo- graphed the beautiful lakes of the Otter Tail country in Minnesota, farmers at work in the fields and other characteristic scenes, his fam- ily and friends in America who had come from the same town in Nor- way. In Norway, in turn, he intends to take movies of relatives of his Fergus Falls neighbors and to show them in America when he returns. Historical Shots THE following celebrations, to take place in New York State during September and October, may be of interest to members in the vi- cinity, who would like to record them with their cameras: September 10th; Kingston, N. Y.; pageant memorializing the birth of the first state government September 18th; Albany, N. Y.; dedication of Municipal carillon. October 7th; Bear Mountain Bridge; pageant at Fort Montgomery. October 8th; Bemis Heights, N. Y.; huge outdoor pageant on the battle- field of Old Saratoga. Photograph by Eastman Koda\ Co. THE GOLDEN THRONE A Bit of the $20,000,000 Show At the Kashmir Durbar Unusual THE coronation of Sir Hari Singh, the Maharajah of Kash- mir, who wore jewelry worth $20,- 000,000 for the occasion and rode a gigantic elephant bearing a throne of solid gold, is now available on film to the owners of home projectors through the Eastman Kodak Com- pany's Cinegraphs. Mr. Herford T. Cowling went to Kashmir by invita- tion of Sir Hari Singh to photograph exclusively, and for the first time in history, the vastly brilliant event. The Maharajah's coronation was in Jam- mu, the winter capital of Kashmir, late last year, and there were a quar- ter of a million Hindus and Moslems at the ceremony. Great value is at- tached to this subject as it is the only film record in existence of such a spectacle. BIRDS OF A FEATHER The Motion Picture Club Of New Haven On Location Professional Comment THE National Board of Review, in the June issue of its maga- zine, prints an encouraging word for amateur cinematography. To quote from the article: "The interest in amateur cinema- tography is rapidly gaining ground and is a movement which deserves every encouragement both as an ideal recreation and in its possible artistic and even scientific aspects. "It is estimated that there are al- ready scores of thousands of amateur cinematographers in this country. Their number is being augmented every day, for the pleasures of cinematography are within the reach of everybody of even moderate means. A large number of machines are already on the market which are being perfected all the time. "Quite aside from the recreational side, the recording of travel experi- ence or the pleasure of having an in- timate motion picture record of one's family or friends, the educational and artistic aspect of private cine- graphic activity deserves special con- sideration. A motion picture camera in the hands of an amateur will tend to give him a more concrete sense of the significance of motion and of the part that it plays in cinematics. This is really the core of the aesthetic problem in picture making, still al- together too little understood, largely a matter of hit or miss. There is little time for abstract or dilatory ex- perimentation in commercial studios where rapid and economic produc- tion is always at a premium. Here- in lies a big opportunity for the gifted amateur. The gradual accu- mulation of experience in many minds may quite possibly lead to valuable contributions to the art of motion pictures." Thirty UNIQUE LIGHTING EQUIPMENT for MAKING AMATEUR MOVIES Making Amateur Movies is the most fascinating branch of photography today. The degree of success, however, is governed almost entirely by LIGHTING FACILI- TIES. Perfect pictures are EASILY POSSIBLE when our Portable Arc Lamp is in- cluded in your equipment. THE "PERKINS DA-LITE" PORTABLE The "Perkins Da-Lite" Port- able makes A m a t e u r Movies a REAL SUCCESS. Showing method of carrying "PERKINS DA-LITE." The tilt- ing yoke becomes a HANDLE. SOME IMPORTANT FEATURES The " PERKINS DA- LITE" Portable com- prises: 1 — A sturdy, compact lamp, weighing only 91/2 ^s. 2 — Entirely self-contained — no additional acces- s o r i e s or separate parts necessary. 3 — Thoroughly depend- able and may be relied upon AT ALL TIMES to furnish sufficient light for perfect film- ing. 4 — Equipped with a SPE- CIAL built-in RE- FLECTOR which greatly increases the lighting efficiency. PRICE 360.00 This small, compact lamp, with AUTOMATIC, CONTINUOUS FEED, is self-contained. It merely requires setting up and connecting with an ordinary wall socket. No further attention is necessary. THE "PERKINS DA-LITE" PORTABLE fur- nishes a maximum amount of light, using 10 amperes and operates on any 110 volt line. The carbons are 8mm. x 12 in. white flame — An IDEAL lamp for filming motion pictures of banquets, parties, wed- dings, etc. Make movies of the children; of home scenes; of visiring friends and relatives — recording, for the years to come, priceless memory treasures of today's happy events. A heavily nickeled, folding tripod stand is included in the outfit. THE "PERKINS DA-LITE" LAMP measures, when folded, 13" high x 8%" wide x 4%" deep. In general construction it is so simple as to admit of as- sembling, ready to operate, IN LESS THAN 30 SECONDS. Your Amateur Movie Outfit is incomplete without this highly important auxiliary. Front view of the "PERKINS DA- LITE" PORTABLE, with cabinet open. No carrying case is required. Ask your dealer for descriptive matter, or write us direct. The PHOTOGENIC MACHINE CO. YOUNGSTOWN, O. Makers of the Standard Light of the Photographic World Thirty-one A Mediterranean Cruise Tour for The Amateur Movie Maker Sails from New York February 8, 1928, on the specially chartered new White Star Liner "Doric" ACH YEAR Gardner Wells tours the countries bordering the Mediterranean to make motion pictures and obtain new lec- t ture material. At the suggestion of the Amateur Cinema League he has agreed to take with him this year a limited number of persons interested in amateur motion picture photo- graphy, who will share with him his knowledge of the places visited, local color and native customs. The Movie Makers Mediterranean Tour will travel with James Boring's 1928 Mediterranean Cruise while at sea, but will be independent of the main party while on shore. Because membership in the tour will be strictly limited, it will be possible to take it to many places in- accessible to larger parties. Under the leadership of Mr. Wells, members will wander about the native quarters of Eastern cities, filming fascinating bits of local color — so necessary in a well balanced travelogue — and will lunch and dine in quaint and intimate restaurants. The party will make many side trips into the interior by train and motor car, sometimes for an afternoon, some- times for several days. The great cathedrals, the mos- ques, the museums — all the usual sightseeing places — will not be neglected, but care will be taken to see that they are visited at the time of day when the light is right for photography. FTER EACH day ashore, each extended side trip, tour members will return to their own comfortable "B" Deck rooms on the DORIC. One of the spacious public rooms on the ship will be reserved for the exclusive use of tour members. This club room will be equipped with complete projection apparatus, and here Mr. Wells will give frequent in- formal talks covering the ports ahead from the camera- man's point of view. Members may also join in the gen- eral social life of the ship, which will include dancing, standard motion picture programs, and lectures on the general historical interest of the places visited. Lights and reflectors will be available at a nominal price for those who wish to take interiors and night scenes on the ship. All details of travel will be taken care of by James Boring's Travel Service, Inc., managers of the cruise, who will relieve tour members of all the cumbersome details of travel. On this tour the amateur cameraman will be assured of bringing home interesting and well balanced travel pictures. Because membership in the Movie Makers Mediterranean Tour will be strictly limited, applications will be accepted in order of receipt. Film Madeira, Gibraltar, Granada, Algiers, Blidah, Tunis, Carthage, Malta, Athens, Constantinople, Beirut, Baalbek, Damascus, Tiberias, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Dead Sea, Suez Canal, Cairo, Luxor, Alexandria, Syracuse, Naples, A malfi, Sorrento, Capri, Monte Carlo, Nice. James Boring's Travel Service, Inc. ' •.. 45 Astor Place, New York City. Please send me full par- ticulars of the Movie Makers Mediterranean Tour. JAMES BORING'S TRAVEL SERVICE Inc. 45 Astor Place New York City "Assistants to the Traveling Movie Maker" Name. Personal Direction of GARDNER WELLS WRITE TODAY FOR BOOKLET DESCRIBING THE TOUR Thirty-two CLINIC* Edited by Dr. Kinema With News of the Industry for Amateurs and Dealers ANEW 16 millimeter camera this month joins those now be- ing offered to the amateur movie maker. It is known as the Victor Cine Camera and is a product of the Victor Animatograph Com- pany of Davenport, Iowa. There are said to be many unique features in- corporated in its makeup. The camera weighs four and three- quarters pounds and measures three and a quarter by eight by six inches. It is designed for both normal and slow motion pictures, as well as for intermediate speeds, the various speeds attainable being normal, for natural action pictures; ultra-speed, for slow motion pictures; half speed, for pictures in poor light; stop mo- tion for single exposures. The camera is hand-held and is op- erated by a Duplex spring motor in a detachable unit. The operating but- ton and speed regulator are combined and can be quickly set for any speed. The speed control is automatic and maintains its rate constantly. The operating button may be locked in position, enabling the cameraman to get into the picture. Three windings of the spring are sufficient for exposing a hundred feet of film. An automatic stop prevents excessive winding or unwinding, elim- inating any danger of damage to the spring mechanism. In addition, there is a crank for hand cranking, valua- ble for title and trick work. This same crank winds the spring, drives the camera by hand, and serves as a key to open the doors. Double door locks prevent accidental opening of the camera which would fog the film. The lens is an F-3.5 Velostigmat, of one inch focus, equipped with iris diaphragm. The lens mount is so de- signed that all cine lenses of one to six inch focal length are interchange- able. The lens supplied is in a focus- ing mount and may be set for dis- tances of three feet to infinity. One view finder, which is compensating and telescopic, serves for all the len- ses of varying focal lengths. DESIROUS of extending its practical service to mem- bers, the League offers a con- structive and suggestive exam- ination of amateur films at League Headquarters. Special attention will be paid to the tech- nical side of the amateur's work, and constructive suggestions given where needed. To expedite handling of the films, members are requested to notify the League in advance that they have a film for examina- tion. Upon receipt of the re- quest, the League will notify the member when to send his film. Address all correspondence per- taining to this service to Techni- cal Editor, A mateur Movie Makers. THE FIRST LADY OF THE LAND FILMS THE PRESIDENT An exposure meter is an integral part of the camera. The shutter al- ways covers the aperture when the camera stops, thus preventing wasted film between scenes. An automatic film measure, always indicating the amount of unexposed film remaining in the camera, requires no setting. The threading of the film can be accomplished in thirty seconds. A vignetter and color filter may be at- tached to any of the standard lenses. The camera is guaranteed for two years against any defects in material or workmanship. Two Way Film ANEW reversible film stock makes its appearance on the market this month under the banner of the Du Pont-Pathe Film Manu- facturing Company. In connection with it, the company is offering a new service. If the amateur has some scenes of unusual value which he wishes to preserve, he may obtain, for a moderate additional charge, one hundred feet of the reversible film made into a negative and one hundred feet of positive, instead of the revers- ible film alone. Or, if he desires, he may have his film reversed only, which is to be included in the orig- inal price of the film. Sky Filter A GRADUATED sky filter made of optical glass, ground and pol- ished on both sides, is a recent addi- tion to the fast growing line of cine accessories, by Burleigh Brooks of New York City. The Ramstein Iris sky filters, as they are known in the trade, are con- structed of two pieces of carefully selected glass, one yellow and one white. These are wedge shaped and fused together, no cement being used. The finished product shows an even gradation from the white to the yel- low. To use the filter, the plate is moved up or down until the fore- ground is clear and the yellow part covers the sky portion of the image. No increase in exposure is necessary. If desired, just the yellow part may be used. This increases the exposure about three times. The filter may also be used in a horizontal position, for taking views where there are heavy trees on one side of the picture and clear sky on the other. The yel- low part holds back the intense light of the sky, thus equalizing the ex- posure. These filters are made in all sizes from twenty to sixty millimeters, and are said to give excellent results with ordinary film that is not special- ly sensitized for color rendition. Thirty-three The Victor Cine- Camera THE FIRST AND ONLY CAMERA Taking Both Normal and SLOW-Motion Pictures (Uses Cine-Kodak and any 16 m/m negative and positive film) Through an entirely new and ingenious principle, a hitherto impossible range of speeds with stop-action for single exposures, is obtained with one mechan- ism. New duplex spring motor in- sures uniform speed with no vibration, yet winds easily, quickly and silently. Mechanism of infallible ac- curacy produces professionally steady pictures at all speeds. Starts and stops smoothly and silently, but instantaneously. Lenses of many speeds and focal lengths are interchange- able— Dallmeyer, Goerz, Cooke, Zeiss, "Wollensak. The regular equipment includes F:3-5 Velo- stigmat, 25 m/m focus, in micrometer focusing mount. New type of universal, clear-vision view finder compensates for angular variations of different focal length lenses, 1 to 6 inch focus. No finder attachments, no extra finder lenses needed. Compact, small, light in weight, the Victor Cine- Camera may be held and operated in one hand. Price Complete $125.00 Most complete of all 16 m/m cameras — Many new features — and Slow Motion. Victor Animatograph Company Davenport, Iowa, U. S. A. Makers of Motion Picture Equipment since 1910 Projector Improvement THE DeVry Corporation an- nounces many new features on its portable projector, using 35 mm. film. There have been a number of developments in portable motion pic- ture projectors in the last few years, and these are incorporated in all of the later models. Some of the fea- tures referred to are the stop-on-film shutter, which enables the operator to stop at any point on the film and produce a stereopticon effect. This is made possible by means of a spe- cially designed glass shutter which retards the heat rays and permits a good portion of the light rays to get through the film. This is a very valuable feature in school work or in connection with lectures. Another useful addition has been the tilting device to allow the raising or low- ering of the machine without the use of books or other such articles in order to get the picture properly cen- tered on the screen. A third valued addition is the utility light which is attached to the cord of the machine and enables the operator to prepare the film that is to follow without the annoyance of turning on the general lights. All of the above improvements can be put on some of the older type ma- chines at very small cost and this work can be incorporated while the machine is being carefully checked over and serviced. Medium Size Reel A FIVE inch reel is the latest con- tribution of A. C. Hayden of Brockton, Mass., to amateur equip- ment made at the instance of Harvey and Lewis of Hartford, Conn. These reels are designed to hold 250 feet of 16 mm. film, which allows for two complete 100 foot reels and for titles and leaders. This provides a reel for subjects which are longer than the standard "shooting" reel, but not long enough to warrant a seven inch reel. For amateurs who like to keep such subjects separately, the new "five inch" will prove a wel- come library accessory. A New Idea ANEW service, whereby one may have motion pictures of de- ceased loved ones and of those too far distant to be reached by the ama- teur's camera, by the reproduction of still photographs on motion picture film, is offered to amateur cinema- tographers by Ralph R. Eno, expert title builder. In this way the family album can be shown in its entirety, making, in many cases, a complete family history. Thirty-four New McKay Book THE New York Institute of Pho- tography, through the Falk Publishing Company, has added to its list of supplementary texts a "Handbook of Motion Picture Pho- tography." This book contains the exact in- formation needed by those who wish to make a serious study or profession of motion picture photography. The text matter is concisely presented, thereby including a large amount of material. This handbook is the work of Her- bert C. McKay, A. R. P. S., Director of the New York Institute of Photog- raphy. It is Mr. McKay's seventh contribution to the technical litera- ture of photography. Light Filter ALIGHT filter, the Koloray, that can be immediately attached to 16 millimeter projectors, for showing films in a single color, as well as combinations of colors, has recently been placed on the market by Beck- ley and Church, Inc., Rochester, N. Y. The colors are amber, blue, green and red. Any two of them may be used in conjunction so that it is possible to show the greens of a for- est with the pink sky of sunset, or the ambers of a woodland scene with the blue sky of a perfect day. We may eventually approximate movies in natural colors through the use of filters in projection. The ad- vanced amateur should find this an interesting field for experiment. ON THE CHINESE WAR FRONT Photograph b> De Vry Paramount'Kodascope Cleaner & Preservative AN important announcement for amateurs by Kodascope Libra- ries is of a contract recently executed by them with Paramount-Famous- Lasky Corporation, by which practic- ally any but the most recent Para- mount feature pictures, become avail- able for reproduction by Kodascope Libraries, Inc. This is in conformity with their policy of securing the very best pos- sible pictures for the enjoyment of their patrons. The Paramount reputation is world- wide, and the addition of such stars as Clara Bow, Bebe Daniels, May McAvoy, Greta Nissen, Gloria Swan- son, Wallace Beery. Ronald Coleman, Ricardo Cortez, Raymond Griffith, Raymond Hatton, Adolphe Menjou, Antonio Moreno, etc., will bring add- ed delight to thousands of owners of 16 mm. equipment, who will soon be able to have such famous features as ' The Covered Wagon" right in their homes FILMS are given five times their ordinary life by the use of Film- ite, a new and patented film cleaner, it is claimed by Movieads Inc., its dis- tributors. This statement is based on the use of the cleaner over a ten months' test period in the continuous advertising projectors of this com- pany, for use with which it was orig- inally developed by Mr. J. Franken- berg of that company. In these tests it was found that under the rigorous running conditions of these contin- uous devices the number of possible runs of a single film was increased by the use of Filmite from 800 to 4600 times. These results are secured, it is said, by a property of Filmite which pro- vides an invisible film over the emul- sion and prevents scratching, as well as by the fact that it keeps the films properly conditioned against brittle- ness. Used as a cleaner, it's makers say it removes dirt and oil on one ap- plication; dries immediately; does Cullen's Special Filmo Camera Case Still in Great Demand Made of heavy sole leather with plush lining. Compartments for 4 100 ft. Cine films, telephoto lens, fast lens, color filters, finders, etc. Very little larger than the regular case but a hundred times more con- venient. BLACK $20 TAN $25 Allowance made on your old case. ft W ftvo way Fill We have it! Ask us about it! True Ball Tripod Top A twist of the handle locks in any de- sired position. Action is smooth; Ab- sence of gears eliminates all possibility of loose play. Price $15 New Yorkers! Our projection room is an amateur's clubhouse and laboratory combined. Projectors, arc lights, splicers, etc., al- ways at your disposal. You'll meet other movie-makers — from delvers to fanatics. Advice and assistance galore. Drop in and get acquainted! C U LLEN 12 Maiden Lane New York City We have the most complete line of amateur movie appa- ratus in the financial district. Thirty-five not harm the emulsion, is non-inflam- mable and can be used by anyone. Old and brittle film is also said to g= \ cllUC be rejuvenated by use of Filmite. Films are said to be kept in better condition when it is used instead of water in humidors. The product will be distributed through dealers, and direct to amateurs. Also a cleaning and rejuvenating service will be in- augurated at a central station. World's Greatest A New Arc AN arc lamp, weighing only nine and a half pounds, operating on any house current with absolute safety, is offered to amateurs by the Photogenic Machine Company of Youngstown, Ohio. The "Da-Lite" Portable, as it is known, can be set up in thirty sec- onds. It uses ten amperes on a 110 volt line. The use of a reflector of unique design increases the lamp's efficiency to a surprising degree, con- sidering the low current consumption. When folded the light measures 13 inches high by 8% inches wide, by 4% inches deep. Darkroom Light A LITTLE pocket flashlight, which gives a white, orange or ruby light, at a moment's notice, is a recent invention of Mr. H. C. Peters, a member of the League. Mr. Peters describes his light as follows: "While movie cameras are usually dependable there are times when things go wrong and when access to a photographic dark room would save many feet of film as well as some priceless shots which it might be impossible to secure again. With the little flashlight you carry your own dark room with you, as any dark closet will answer the purpose in an emergency and any necessary adjust- ments to the camera may be made without injury to the film. The ruby light is secured by two gelatine discs back of the lens; one colored purple and one colored orange. In case an orange light is desired it is only nec- essary to remove the purple disc; in case a white light is desired it is only necessary to remove both discs." High Flying AVIATION thrills galore mark the latest Highlites of the News, the home movie news reel. A burning aeroplane, parachute jumps, aero- plane crashes and other spectacular shots enliven this personal film tab- loid. in Professional MOVIE CAMERA" Make professional film with the Institute Stand- ard — the first profes- sional motion picture camera at a low price. J^lew, improved model does work equal to fin- est studio cameras. Complete with carrying case $150 INSTITUTE STANDARD won world-wide success. Compact, light-weight, portable. Ideal for in- dustrial, educational and news films. All profes- sional features: standard-gauge film; f 3 . 5 two inch cine anastigmat lens in accurately calibrated mount. Equipped with 200 ft. magazines, ad- justable to 400 ft. WRITE for free descriptive booklet. Explains money-making opportunities. Liberal allowance for your present camera: any style, movie or still. New York Institute of Photography Dept. 18 14 West 33 rd Street, New York City from your personal films Write for our prices on titles and editing TITLEIT Box 4605 Kansas City, Missouri Make Money in Photography! We train you quickly at home. No experience necessary. Spare time or full time. Photographs in big demand by magazines, newspapers, adver- tisers, etc. Portrait Photographers make more money today than ever before. Commercial Photo- graphy also pays big money. New plan. Nothing else like it. Write todav for details and new FREE book. Opportunity in oJXlodern Thotography. 1 American School of Photography Dept. 1496 3601 Michigan Ave., Chicago, 111. © HERE'S VBiTERPAVJ TITLES . EDITING . . EQUIPMENT . . PHOTOGRAPHY CLARK CINE-SERVICE 2540 Park Ave. CAdillac 5260 DETROIT, MICH. THIS IS NEW! 20,000,000 Feet of Film At Your Disposal THIS Library of STOCK SCENES con- tains shots of every country, industry, important personage, historical event, etc., in existence. We will furnish you with the desired footage of anything you want, to in- clude in or complete your own pictures. 16 MM.— 35 MM.— 9 MM. WAFILMS, INC. 130 W. 46th St. New York Thirty-six A GROUP of INDIVIDUALS who have been promi- nently connected with the development of the professional and ama- teur motion picture in- dustry. Announce the formation of HOME FILM LIBRARIES, Inc. 1 his company will specialize in the rental of Comedies, Westerns, Animated Cartoons and Children's Pictures. Re- duced from standard releases to the 16 mm. size. The films will approximate 750 feet negative length and the rental charges will be moderate. A leading dealer in each local- ity will act as distributor, main- taining a library in his store. These Regional Libraries will be in operation by OCTOBER 1st. Before that date we will make detailed announcement listing the subjects offered and the locations of each library. A few dealer franchises are still available. For in- formation address HOME FILM LIBRARIES, Inc. 100 EAST 42nd STREET New York, N. Y. FILMITE PATENT APPLIED FOR The Only Thoroughly Tested Film Preservative and Gleaner For Reversal, Negative And Positive Films MULTIPLIES THE LIFE OF YOUR FILMS FIVE TIMES THIS astonishing fact has been incontrovertibly proven by ten months' demonstration, during which it was established that FILMITE increased the life of films used on continuously running advertising machines (the most grueling film test which could be conceived) from the usual 800 runs to the astonishing total of 4600 runs per film. Filmite Removes Oil and Dirt Instantly Filmite Does Not Harm Emulsion Filmite Is Non-inflammable Filmite Cleans Both Sides of Films Filmite Dries While Cleaning Filmite Can Be Used Bv Anyone Filmite Rejuvenates Dried Out and Brittle Film FROM YOUR DEALERS OR DIRECT Dealers Write for Particulars MOVIEADS, Inc. 507 Fifth Avenue New York City LABORATORIES 136-138 WEST AVENUE, LONG ISLAND CITY A REGULAR department devo- ted to amateur movies for the outdoorsman now appears each month in Nation- al Sportsman. Nature photog- raphy with the movie camera opens a new field of interest to the sportsman — re- quiring special equipment and technique. No make up or direc- tion here — your sportsman catches his subject off guard. Photo by H. S. Adams In this department will be discussed the little tricks and devices for attracting subjects to the camera — the methods of catching action — and the thousand and one topics of enthusiastic inter- est to sportsmen- movie-fans. Send $1.00 Today for one year's sub- scription to National Sportsman Magazine 108 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE BOSTON, MASS. T h irty-seven NOW READY Seventy High Class 16m*tru EMPIRE FILMS On Safety Stock GUARANTEED PERFECT PRINTS FOR ONLY $4.50 Per 100 Feet Subjects Include Comedies, Juveniles, Sports, Scenics, Westerns and Specials ASK YOUR DEALER Or Write For Subject Catalogue We are also fully equipped for Developing, Printing, Reducing and Titling 16 mm. (Cine Kodak, Filmo, Victor) or Standard film (De Vry or Eyemo). Highest quality work by professional laboratory. EMPIRE SAFETY FILM CO., Inc. 723 Seventh Avenue New York City bryant 5437 - 5736 - 2180 EMPIRE SAFETY FILM CO., Inc. 723 Seventh Avenue New York City Please Mail Me An Empire 16 mm. Subject Catalogue Name Address City State I Am Also Interested In Your Laboratory Service EH SAVING LIVES WITH CELLULOID (Continued from page 13) and surgery. Thus will be recorded the experimentation through which will come the advances in these fields. And their film records will spread new knowledge and new skill with a rapidity hitherto undreamed. Their films will come to the schools and colleges. Medical students will no longer have to depend on imagina- tion alone to fill out the word pic- tures of their teachers. Before their eyes will unfold the technic, the re- action of the patient, the sorcery of the operator's hands, all the links in the chain of successful routing of disease and death. j ] - J' \ ANIMATED DRAWING FOR MEDICAL INSTRUCTION Motion pictures for the medical student are destined to bring the study of medicine and surgery to a new and higher pitch. After all the operating room is not suited for a class room. Modern asepsis keeps the eyes of visitors far from the field of the scalpel. But the eye of the mo- tion picture camera can record with- in a few inches of the knife. What may be blurred, out of focus vision to the top rows in an operating the- atre can be brought, enlarged a thousandfold, almost under the noses of a motion picture audience. The clinic and the hospital will be links in the chain from the doctor's office to the student. Whatever is done may be recorded. With the moving picture camera at hand, the lights available, the patient prepared and the doctor ready there results a last- ing, graphic, truthful record of all that transpires. Many legal compli- cations of medical and surgical prac- tice could not exist if doctors were prepared with such records. And then Thirty-eight SUPEMLYTE LANTERN Gets the Picture f The Light Of A 500 Watt Mazda Lamp Concentrated Into The Limits Of The Useful Area Of Illumination (An Eight Foot Circle At A Distance Of Five Feet). More Than Doubles The Effec- tive Luminous Intensity. Perfectly Safe On Your House Current. Uses Less Electricity Than Your Electric Iron. Weighs But Two and One Half Pounds. PRICES Lantern $12,001 $19.70 Tripod 4.50 \ Mazda Lamp .. 3.50 J Complete Carrying Case for 1 or 2 lamps. .$6.50 At Your Dealers The MAX MAYER GO. 233 West 42nd St., New York City COLORED MOTION PICTURES BY MEANS OF The AMERICAN AUTOMATIC 'COLORATOR' PATENT PENDING 15 different colors at your fingertip, automatically in- terchanged at the touch of button. ADAPTED FOR FILMO, EASTMAN and other 16 mm. projectors. Mechanism is entirely enclosed in dustproof housing, thus insuring against finger marking or damaging color lenses. The "COLORATOR" is light in weight and compact, yet durably constructed and, finished in crystallized black enamel, it harmonizes with the beauty of your projector. Guaranteed for two years. Price $19.50 AT YOUR DEALER Manufactured by American Cine Products Co. ARGYLE and SAWYER CHICAGO, ILL. the opportunities for self advance- ment, for review of what has gone before, for detection of lost motion, for improvement of technic, all these are available in the magic celluloid strips. The historical interest of such films will increase with time. Imagine being able to throw on the silver sheet the films of early and epochal operations! Those who follow us will be as grateful to us for such a heritage as we would have been to our predecessors. Equipment for this work should be the best that the market affords. In my experience the major requirement is light. There cannot be too much light. Light precludes electricity and in my experience hospitals and offices are not yet prepared for the require- ments of cine lighting. This is a mechanical difficulty which can easily be overcome in future by proper planning, and the inclusion of adequate sources of energy for lighting. The outlet plugs for the cine lights should be independent of other light circuits, so that they will always be available for the taking of motion pictures. With care, practice and the proper equipment, motion pictures will not only increase the opportunities of present science, but will hasten new development. It has been my pleasure to project my own movies to audiences of physi- cians and surgeons in my office, in hospitals and at state and national conventions. There is always the keenest interest. It is a significant fact that over ten per cent of the members of the Amateur Cinema League are physicians and surgeons, the largest individual group which is experimenting with amateur motion pictures. Perhaps it is only natural, however, that the motion picture should have so readily been accepted in a profession which knows the value of translating sensations into sights, as already practiced in medi- cine through the x-ray, the electro- cardiograph and a host of other piece of modern apparatus. The possibilities of the motion pic- ture in medicine and surgery are un- limited. I confidently look to the amateur movie makers in these fields so vital to humanity, to realize these opportunities in full. FOR SALE:-T^neMKdoeldak1 equipped with F 3.5 lens. $75.00 each. Can- not be told from new. EASTMAN KODAK STORES, Inc., 38 Bromfield Street Boston, Mass. 16mm FILMS for HOME PROJECTORS The greatest pictures on the market to-day. Not old movie reprints but brand new produc- tions made especially for the home projector. Perfect photo- graphy, with beginning and ending, all subjects complete on 100 ft. reels. BILLY WHISKERS COMEDIES Greatest trained goat ever filmed in pictures. No. 1 — Life of a Fireman No. 2— Soda Water Clerk No. 3 — In the Taxi Business No. 4— In Bad With the Police No. 5 — Playing Circus No. 6— A Peck of Trouble No. 7 — In the Movies No. 8 — A Christmas Present No. 9 — The Night Watchman FAMOUS CIRCUS SERIES Great subjects for the little folks No. 11 — Shaw's Circus, Animals No. 12 — Evolving Zeiglers, Un- usual No. 13 — LaRue's Comedy Circus, A Special No. 14 — Walford's Troupe, Ani- mals No. 15 — European Wonders, Ring Act No. 16 — Valdo's Dogs and Ponies, Animal HIGH GLASS STAGE PRESENTATIONS No. 17 — Great Volcano Act, Un- believable No. 18 — Spanish Goldinies, Some- thing Neiv No. 19 — Rodrigues Troupe, Tumb- lers No. 20 — Cornalla Presentation, A Special No. 21 — Freddie Bader, Bicycle Act No. 22 — Lucas & Inez, Iron Jaw Act This is only a few of the many subjects we have in course of preparation, write for our full list. Dealers get busy as this is something you have long need- ed. They are different. Price is $8.00 per subject at your dealer or parcel post prepaid on re- ceipt of price. U. S. PERSONAL FILM TRADING COMPANY 5525 Broadway, Chicago, III. Thirty -nine SOMETHING NEW FOR 16 MM PROJECTORS "Dictures made on standard width negatives by **■ professional camera men especially for the 16 mm Projectors — and never shown before! IN AND AROUND NEW YORK SERIES PART 1 Fifth Avenue Homes of Millionaires PART 3. The Financial District The Sub-Treasury; Washington Monument; Wall Street; Trinity Church; Two Graves In Trinity Church Yard; Alexander Hamilton, First Treasurer of the United States, and Robert Fulton, Inventor of the Steamboat, Etc. PART 2. Points of Interest in New York City Grant's Tomb; Soldiers & Sailors Monument; St. Thomas' Church; Washington Arch; Broadway; The Roaring Forties; The Theatrical Dis- trict, Etc. PART 4. Historical Places Around New York Fraunce's Tavern, Built in 1719; Fort Castle William, Governor's Island, Built 1812; The Little Church Around the Corner; Greenwich Village; Statue of Liberty, Bedloe's Island; The Aquarium, Formerly Castle Garden; Bowling Green; Statue of Abraham De Peyster, Mayor of New York, 1691 to 1695, Etc. $7.00 Each or $27.00 for the four HERE ARE FIVE OTHERS A Trip Around the World Visiting New York, England, France, Germany, Turkey, Egypt, India, China, Japan Hawaii and San Francisco by steamship, air and rail — in four minutes. Produced by WAFILMS, INC. Flashes of Action Containing Forty Stunts of Speed In Every Form, A Thrill every Other Second. Produced by WAFILMS, INC. A Trip to Coney Island The Playground For Ten Million People Thousands Bathing On the Beach; The World Famous Board Walk; Shooting the Chutes; The Flying Boats; The Circus and Many Other Novelties. Willie Takes a Trip to Bermuda A Comedy Scenic This Splendid Scenic Combined With a Side Splitting Comedy The Hazard of Helen An Exciting Railroad Story Featuring Helen Gibson Each Picture About 100 Feet in Length — $7.50 Each FOR Twenty Years I Have Been Making Dramatic, Educational and Industrial Pictures. This Experience Guarantees First Quality Work. Order Direct From Me If Your Dealer Cannot Supply You SPECIAL PROPOSITION TO DEALERS USE COUPON BELOW TO OBTAIN FULL LIST OF OUR NEW PRODUCTIONS. WILLIAM WRIGHT, 11 West 42nd Street, New York, N. Y. Please Send Me Advance Information On Your Forthcoming New Pictures Made Especially For All 16 MM Projectors. Name Street and Number City and State Name of Dealer A CUTTING and REVIEWING BOX By Raymond W. Stephens THE illustration shows a cutting and reviewing box, which may be cheaply built by any car- penter. The film passes under a magnifying glass and over a window, behind which is set an electric light. The illuminated enlargement makes titles legible and pictures clear, ren- dering cutting and rebuilding of 16 m.m. film an inviting pastime instead of drudgery in the dark. The box has five %" wooden members, namely: a face, two sides, a base, and an electric light cleat. The back is open. Dimensions of completed box are: Face 7^"xl9"; Base 7y2"xl0"; Depth at top, front to rear, is 2". The face tips back, its top being 5%" from a perpendicular line in- intersecting its bottom. The electric light cleat is parallel to the base, its bottom being Vi" above the window. A hole is drilled through the cleat to take the socket for the electric light set behind the window. An aperture is cut through the face board for the glass window. The aperture measured on the face is 6V2" long, and its width is exactly the same as the film. The aperture is channeled out wider in the rear to permit the insertion of the glass from the rear. The glass should be about %" from the surface of the face. Camera supply stores will fur- nish, and should cut to size, the frosted glass, allowing about *4" extra over the dimensions of the sur- face aperture. The window is 2^4" from right side of face and its bot- tom is 7*4" above base. Use Bell & Howell or Eastman reel winders, with cranking member set to operate with left hand, leaving right free to handle and cut film. To determine location for winders, put on 400 ft. reels with film, and align so that the film will cover the win- dow. Set cranking member as high as possible, and the lower member so that a 400 ft. reel thereon will just clear table. The spools act as film guides. The axle for the spool is a 3" stove bolt, itself bolted through a block, which block is screwed to the face board. The spool has a 1/16" clearance from the face board so that the film may be slipped under with the right hand. Hardwood spools, turned on a cabinet shop lathe, the exact width for the film, are preferable; but if not obtainable, invade the sewing basket. Forty The magnifying glass is the key- stone of the combination. With the film in a fixed plane, and the magni- fying glass permanently set so that the film is the focal point, the eyes may be close or distant, and the worker may assume a comfortable posture with both hands free. Set magnifying glass as close as possible to upper level, thus increasing clear space below for handling film. The glass shown in the illustration is im- ported by the American-Thermo Ware A. (wholesalers) N. Y. City, and is Reader No. 2671-3" ($5.50 retail). If this reader is not obtain- able, get ordinary 3" magnifying glass and set handle permanently on a block screwed to face-board at such distance that the film surface is the focal point and so that magni- fier centers on window. To splice use regular splicing board. Start the beginning of your picture or scene, shiny side toward you, images head up, and wind on to upper reel, letting film run under spools. At suitable points readily recognizable through the magnifying glass, cut out or insert film, joining loose ends with Oakville ring paper clips, size No. 0. These clips are an essential adjunct to the box. They are about 5/16" in diameter, do not indent or mar film, and run under the upper spool and on to the upper reel smoothly. You finish this stage with the final picture on the upper reel in proper sequence, but tail end out. Now move this reel to the splic- ing board and splice as you re-wind, ending with a leader. This operation complete, head end is out and com- pleted film is ready to show. To further illustrate the film action, it might be said that the upper reel on the box corresponds to the take-off reel on the projector and the crank- ing member of splicing board cor- responds to the rewinder on the pro- jector. UPERLAB Treasures Your Confidence €fl In Entrusting To Us The Little Roll You Take From Your Camera After Your Painstaking Ef- forts We PLEDGE YOU All Our Skill And Scrupulous Care In Securing For You The Maxi- mum That Modern Photo-Chemistry Can De- velop Therefrom. NEGATIVE DEVELOPING POSITIVE PRINTING TITLING and EDITING TINTING and TONING Produced With Ultra Modern Equipment By Famous Professional Technicians INSIST ON SUPERLAB SERVICE AT YOUR DEALER'S Dealers Write For Particulars SUPERLAB CORPORATION 233 W. 42nd Street Wisconsin 4020 New York City palisades,' n. j. Your Program is Not Complete Without — HIGHLITEC FROM THE NEWS w The World in Your Home! A news reel for all 16 mm. Projectors Issue No. 3 Released August 15 "AERO THRILLS" The most spectacular film ever produced! NEWS -- SPORTS ■- INTERNATIONAL EVENTS // your dealer cannot supply "HIGHLITES" order direct from: W. J. GANZ COMPANY, 507 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. Please send me full details and advance information on future releases of the new semi-monthly NEWS REEL for FILMO. CINE-KODAK, Victor and other 16 mm. projectors. Name _ - Name of nearest dealer Street and No „ — _ City and State _ Forty-one /raut ///, /n/ma ORG* Hand Arc Lamp Complete A 4 amp. Arc Lamp of sensational value. Measures 5Vi" " Wi" x iVt" ■ Opens like . safe . . . operates on 110 volt A.C. Carbons burn 30 minutes. One lamp two for movies. Order today. Free to you — 60 page Bass Book of Cinema Apparatus. 1001 items to gladden the heart of amateur or professional. BASS CAMERA COMPANY 179 West Madison Street Chicago, - Illinois When cutting any substantial number of pieces of film for rear- rangement, assign to each a descrip- tive name and a number, either be- fore or during the actual clipping, writing the names and numbers on a sheet of paper. If the length of film cut is 15 feet or over, wind on a regular 100-ft. reel, and stick to reel surgeons' adhesive tape to carry number. Less than 15 feet should, after cutting, be coiled around the index and second finger, placed in a pill-box and numbered. When ready to assemble final film, refer to number sheet and arrange pill-boxes and small reels in proper sequence. Then wind film on to upper reel of box, keeping the heads up and the shiny side out, joining the loose ends with the paper clips, and verifying titles and commencement of scenes through the magnifier as you go. AT LAST!! A MARVELOUS NEW FIELD FOR AMATEUR MOVIES The "Nite-Sun" Flare For Taking Night Exteriors AFTER Seven Months of Continuous Experimenting The World's Leading Manufacturers Of Flares Have Developed The "NITE-SUN" FLARE For Use By Amateurs For Beautiful Night Photo- graphy. Or For Whenever Light Condi- tions Are Unfavorable. Our Professional Flares Are Used Throughout The World By Motion Picture Companies For Night And Other Difficult Scenes. YOU Can Now Get These Same Wonderful Effects With Amateur Cameras And "NITE- SUN'' FLARES. PRICES Dozen Each Half Minute $6.00 .60 One Minute 10.00 1.00 One and One-Half Minute.. 15.00 1.50 Two Minute 20.00 2.00 Stands Each $6.00 WRITE FOR FREE BOOKLET Outlining These Fascinating New Opportunities Dealers Write For Particulars I. C.NEWMAN CO., Inc. 320 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, N. Y. Cine Art Home Library Announcing — A complete series of Photo-plays that are produced specially for 16 mm. Projectors. DEALERS WRITE FOR OUR ATTRACTIVE DISCOUNTS Here is a list of subjects now available — N e w releases each month — "AIR RACE ACROSS THE PACIFIC" Showing, the planes, pilots, "take-off '," etc. A thrilling picture "WILDWEST" "Wild horses, bull dogging, steer riding, it is pac\ed with thrills and "spills." Champion Cowboys in Action. THE GRAND CANYON IN FOUR REELS The greatest scenic of the year. HOPI INDIAN LIFE IN TWO REELS Made in their Native Haunts in Arizona. MT. LASSEN IN ERUPTION CALIFORNIA HIS- TORICAL MISSIONS IN EIGHT REELS Each 100 Ft. Price $12.50 WRITE FOR DESCRIPTIVE FOLDERS 922-23 Hunter Dulin Building San Francisco, California Forty-two THE BEST NEGATIVE DEVELOPING POSITIVE PRINTING YOU SHOULD HAVE IT YOU WILL GET IT from Frederick R Watson Film Laboratories, Inc. 33 West 60th St., New York City Do you Want Movies . . . . . .on your home screen of Vice-President Dawes, the Prince of Wales and Prince George, Secretary of State Kellogg, Prime Minister Baldwin, Al Smith and many others? If you do, send for the 400-foot reel, "Peace Bridge Dedication." This historical event is completely filmed on 16 mm. stock, with close- ups and informal glimpses of all the notables present! Price $35. 100-foot reels at $10 each also available. F. MILLER 100 Gibbs Street Rochester. ?iew Yor\ TITLES TINTING TONING New! Our latest type of art title for the sportsman's hunting films! You will like them. Toning in Brown, Blue, Green, 3 and 4 cents a foot. Green may be had in grey, olive and emerald shades.. Tinting in any standard color, 2 cents a foot. Duplicating and supplying negative of your valuable films. Dupes can be had on yellow, amber and rose film at no extra cost! Titles and dupes for 16 m.m. film only, tone and tint colors on 35 or 16 m.m. films, 35 m.m. film slightly higher. Samples of colored film and title clippings on request, ask for them. CHEMI-COLOR CO. 405 Elm Street, Buffalo, N. Y. aHomelVfone I JeenarioBook n -t& ■1 ,'""" ' A NEW BEST SELLER! Second Printing — $2.50 — : at all dealers : — RICHARD MANSON, Publisher 535 Fifth Avenue, New York City MOVIES AND MILLIONS {Continued from page 15) popular belief that is, in the main, true. It probably indicates a high degree of personal energy and zest for living that declines to be stifled by the removal of the financial urge that keeps most of us active. At all events, many of my clients are of this type. These movie makers want to be "right on the spot" when anything of interest takes place. They achieve a sort of vicarious participation in ex- citing events by filming them. But they are not interested in the "follow through." They make my best "pa- tients" as a film doctor. One man I know takes 25 or 30 rolls of movie film with him to the races. A boy accompanies him bearing apparatus of all kinds, much like a golf caddy. Once these rolls have been "shot" this man calls for me and gives me his "stuff," as he calls it, to be re- vamped, edited and titled. He is out with still more rolls after other thrills while I am at work on the old. Compared to the temporary faddists the thrill hunters are numerically fewer but vastly more active. The majority of my wealthy cli- ents, however, are serious cinematog- raphers. They are the type of peo- ple who want to do well whatever they undertake and who will put forth the necessary effort to get good results. They want to better their technique and no new invention escapes them. Many of them own professional equipment and bring a careful professional technique to their amateur filming. They work for quality. I know one man who has equipped his former study as a thoroughly furnished cinematogra- phic studio and whose work is as good as that of many expert profes- sional camera men. Not all of these serious wealthy movie makers can give the time to doing the whole pro- cess necessary to turn out a finished film, but they are all interested in developing, printing, editing, titling and do as much of this as they can. With them the film doctor becomes a sort of clinical demonstrator and lecturer. They want to know how to do all that he does. A few sidelights. Wealthy ama- teur motion picture makers are gen- erally filming their wealthy friends. I have helped one man do this fre- quently in his studio. The filmed are divided into two distinct types. Some of them are sophisticated pho- tographic subjects because they have been pictured so often in magazines and newspapers that they have a camera manner that is easy and cas- ual. Many of them are weary of being Burton Holmes' FILM REELS of TRAVEL Edited and Titled by BURTON HOLMES 100 foot rolls for your 16mm. Projector Sold Outright for $6.50 per Roll No. 1 — Beautv Spots of Glacier Park." No. 2 — Lakes and Streams of Glacier Park. No. 3< — A Japanese Cabaret. No. 4 — Tying the Japanese Obi. No. 5 — Japanese Table Manners. No. 6 — Wonders of the Yellow- stone. No. 7 — Geysers of the Yellowstone. No. 8 — Animals of the Yellow stone. No. 9 — Kangaroos in Australia. No. 10 — The Grand Canyon of Arizona. No. 11 — Seeing London — Part 1. No. 12 — Seeing London — Part. 2. No. 13 — Seeing London — Part 3. No. 14 — Seeing London — Part. 4. No. 15 — Seeing Paris — Part 1. No 16 — Seeing Paris — Part 2. No. 17 — Seeing Paris — Part 3. No. 18 — Seeing Paris — Part 4. No. 19 — Glorious Versailles. No. 20 — In Bonnie Scotland — P't 1. No. 21 — In Bonnie Scotland — P't 2. No. 22 — The Sunny South of Eng-. land. No. 23 — Glimpses of English Town and Country. No 24 — Bustling Brussels. No 2? — In Rural Belgium. No. 26 — Artistic Antwerp. No. 27 — Beautiful Bruges. No. 28 — Scenic — Mirrors of Nature. No. 29 — Scenic — Reflections. No. 30 — Scenic — Sparkling Waters. No. 31 — Isle of Marken. Other Travel Pictures from different parts of the world wi 11 be released each month THE BURTON HOLMES LECTURES, INC. 7 510 N. Ashland Avenue Chicago, Illinois Forty -three Your Filmo Deserves Formula of Dr. Rudolph FASTEST LENS MADE! Focal lengths to 3x/2 ln- Can be fitted to almost ANY cameta 1 in for Filmo in focusing mount — $54.00 See Your Dealer or Write Us HUGO MEYER & CO., Inc 105 W. 40th St. New York Factories — Goerlitz, Germany Sans; las ■■- ■_ HUH"' " Mi HH1 MflH ___ . B^B 'BLJf P* Laboratory Finishing of the Highest Quality Reduction Printing from 35mm. to 28 mm. or 16mm. by the pioneers of the narrow width field. Thirteen years of experience in our own carefully planned Motion Pic- ture Laboratory, with the finest machinery and equipment and a large force of skilled specialists, enables us to do the best wor\ in the shortest time and at min- imum cost. Capacity One Million Feet per Month Dupe Negatives (35mm.) on special duping stock by the firm which has made mil- lions of feet of the finest dupe negatives ever produced. The Pathescope Go. of America, Inc. 33 W. 42nd St., New York Laboratory, Long Island City photographed and consent from courtesy. The other type is the per- son who is fundamentally "camera shy" and who is acutely uncomfort- able if his cinematic friends want to use him as a subject. The only suc- cessful method by which this particu- lar client of mine can film these un- willing actors is to get them into cos- tume to disguise them so they look as little like themselves as possible. They are vastly interesting photogra- phically when a costume releases the inhibitions of daily dress. Now for a cinematice miracle. I suspect this may be the reason why I accept the title of film doctor with a deeper sense of humor than many who use it in referring to me. I feel that I can safely record this neuro- logical by-product of my occupation without becoming involved with the laws governing medical licenses. A certain man of great wealth was suf- fering so much from nervous depres- sion that he had practically arrived at the stage of waiting for death to release him. His physician, an ac- quaintance of mine, prevailed upon the nervous sufferer to take up ama- teur movie making. The sick man did this and got a wonderful equip- ment of all kinds of apparatus which he used actively. He is now a dyed- in-the-wool amateur fan. He has so forgotten his nervous depression that he is nearly back to normal. This may answer the much discussed ques- tion of what the movies are good for, even if it leaves unsolved the other question of what is good for the movies. If this discussion has shed a some- what impertinent light upon some of my good clients, whom I have, nat- urally, kept anonymous, I hope that it has done so good-humoredly and in a friendly spirit because "these mil- lionaries" as my questioner called them are the kind of fellows a dis- cerning college boy would refer to as "good eggs." I look to some of them for the experiments in cinematogra- phy that will create for all of us the "eighth art." THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCREENS {Continued from page 10) light, dark, anything and everything may serve to screen life's illusions for us and to preserve them. Screens should vary and should be fine or coarse as we need them. ATTENTION Filmo and Cine Kodak Users We beg to bring to your atten- tion our different high-grade Mo- tion Picture Specialties such as GOERZ IRIS VIGNETTER (New model, completely closing, for Filmo, Cine Kodak A 6? B) GOERZ COLOR FILTERS (2x & 4x rating for every kind of lens) GOERZ CINE LENSES (In special precision mounts, focal length from 1" to 6" speeds F/2 to F/4.5 for Filmo, Eyemo, DeVry and other M. P. Cameras) GOERZ REFLEX FOCUSER (A new device for Filmo, enabling instant checking of field and focus while using long focus lenses from 3" up) If your dealer cannot supply you "With information about these devices, Xvrite to us direct. 'We Ivill gladly answer your inquiry. C. P. Goerz American Optical Co. 319-AEast 34th St., New York, N. Y. Motion Pictures Snap Shots — Time Exposures yEPT 35mm. $40.00 Sept Features 1. MOVIES — Snapshots or Time Exposures at will. 2. SIZE is 3x4x5 inches. 3. WEIGHT is 4 pounds. 4. TRIPOD unnecessary. 5. SIGHTING— direct. 6. BUTTON operates mechanism. 7. LOADED IN DAYLIGHT. 8. FILM is standard width. 9. LENS is high grade Anastigmat lens, speed F 3.5. 10. RESULTS are the same as obtained by Professional Motion Picture Camera. 11. 250 Separate pictures on each roll of film costing $1.00. 12. PROJECTION is made with any stand- ard projector. 13. PRINTS can be made in any size. Wyko Projector Corporation 130 West 46th St. - New York, N. Y. Dealers Everywhere F or l y - } o u r Have Your Films Colored Special Tinting and Toning of 16 MM Films is one of the professional features of our service to amateurs. Ask for information and prices. 130 WEST 46th STREET New York City. Tel. Bryant 4981 SERVICE in New York City Our movie experts will gladly give you instructions and dem- onstrations on all kinds of equip- ment. We have a complete line of Cameras, Projectors and acces- sories. LUGENE, Inc. OPTICIANS 600 Madison Ave., N. Y. G. Near 58th Street TELEPHONE PLAZA 6001 Why Not Study Your Hobby? AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS presents for sale: HANDBOOK OF MOTION PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY by Herbert C. McKay $3.00 MOTION PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE AMATEUR by Herbert C. McKav $2.50 MOTION PICTURE PROJECTION by T. O'Conor Sloane $5.00 SCREEN ACTING by Inez and Helen Klumph $3.00 PHOTOPLAY WRITING by William Lord Wright $3.00 MOTION PICTURE DIRECTING by Peter Milne $3.00 Send your order accompanied by the price of the books you desire to AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS 105 West 40th Street New York City We deliver them to you postpaid. ENO'S ART TITLES THE BETTER KIND PIONEER ART TITLE BUILDER AND FILM EDITOR EXCLUSIVELY for the AMATEUR NEVER BEFORE have hand'lettered art titles been offered to amateurs. You'll never realize the difference until you TRY THIS Send $2.00 and copy for 3 titles (12 or less words per title) and let me make these up as samples of my work. YOU'LL BE DELIGHTED! en n 'i . RALPH R.ENO 117 PARK AVE. NEW YORK. Motion picture projection screens — to be specific — have been de- veloped in great number. They lack perfection and perhaps always will lack it. It is certain, however, that progress is being made in coating these screens. A flat surface, coated with flat white or enamel and al- lowed to set slightly and to become "tacky" at even depth, can be cov- ered completely with transparent or slightly opal — or other tinted — small beads. This increases the illusion and increases our comfort. Sheer silk or satin stretched on a plate glass mir- ror allows the mirror to reflect some of its rays back into the textile. Plush on a frame also offers a good screen. I welcome experimentation in screen development because in screens lies the perfection of motion picture viewing and of motion picture projection, provided the films, them- selves, are rightly made. THE NEW TEXT-BOOKS OF SPORT [Continued from page 14) also allow individuals to see them- selves as few see them and that is through the unerring eye of the mo- tion picture camera. A few years ago, Mr. Charles A. Ziebarth, secretary of the Bell and Howell Company, took up golf, and as many others have done, he sought the aid of professional golfers. Look- ing back over this period of indi- vidual instruction, Mr. Ziebarth is reminded of his experience with doc- tors, who, when you first visit them, ask you where it hurts and how you feel before they tell you what's wrong. So he found with most golf professionals. They first ask the pupil what is wrong with his game before they suggest the necessary cor- rectives. During this period of coach- ing, Mr. Ziebarth improved his play- ing somewhat, but it was not until he reverted to motion picture studies of himself, which he compared with pictures taken of professionals, that he made much progress in improving his game. In fact, he attributes his gain in score from 110 to 84 to the instruction received from his films. From his excursions to the links, Mr. Ziebarth has secured many reels of pictures of golf champions. These form a reference film library and he compares them with those taken of himself. Through this comparison and through careful study of indi- vidual pictures, he is able to tell just where he is lacking in form. In the study of these films he has been aided by the criticism of professional golf- New developments in home movies At the Kodak Corner you will be sure to get authoritative information on newdevelopmentsinhome movies. Whether it's a new model camera or projector, a novel idea in staging a picture, or the latest Kodak Cine- graph releases, you '11 find them here. And our salesmen will gladly exhibit or explain. Amateur movie makers call this store the"home movie headquarters" because they invariably find what they want on our shelves. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Madiion at 45th St. New York City Special Filmo Camera and Accessory Case Only S30.00 Size 12x10x5 inches. Black leather with brass lock. A case of rugged construction and beauty. Genuine cowhide, hand stitched and lined with green plush. Accommo- dates 6-inch and 33/4-inch telephoto lenses, fast lens, ray filters, view finders, exposure meter, 6 rolls film, camera, camera key, etc. Corbin hardware. Re- turnable at full value if not satisfactory. United Projector & Film Corp. 228 Franklin St. 1112 Keenan Bldg. Buffalo, N. Y. Pittsburgh, Pa. Forty-five Triax Tripods Strongest and most rigid metal tri- pod made, opens automatically, weighs but one pound. Made of dur-aluminum,- U shaped legs give strength. Supports 100 pounds. Price $5. Ramstein Graduated Sky Filters Equalize the exposure between the sky and foreground as well as cor- rect for color, brings out the clouds and detail in the distance. The only optically perfect graduated filter, contains no gelatine or cement. Send diameter of lens. Write for details on the above and ask your dealer for free trial. Sole Agents BURLEIGH BROOKS 136 Liberty St., New York MAKE CINE PICTURES Successfully with THE INGENTO PORTABLE ARC LAMP The biggest light bargain that has ever been offered you. An 8-ampere, 110-volt, self-feeding arc lamp that can be used on alternating or di- rect current. Connects to any home or store outlet or hanging socket. Gives the light of two 1000- watt nitrogen bulbs. The ideal in- expensive outfit for the cine operator. Use one for close-ups and two for general lighting. Takes stills in one-fifth of a second INDOORS with an ordinary f8 lens, and proportionately faster with faster lenses. The aluminum reflector and handle fold back for compactness. The handle tilts lamp to any angle. Size folded, 6x5x2 inches. Weight 45 ounces. Price each $15 net, complete with 15 feet of extension cord. Folding stand which raises lamp to 6 feet $2.50 net extra. BURKE & JAMES, INC. 223 W. Madison St. Chicago ARROW BEAD SCREENS Made in Hollywood For Movie Makers We manufacture the most beautiful line of Motion Picture Bead Screens for the Home. Some as low as $7.50. Send for illustrated price list. Dealers send for trade quotations. ARROW SCREEN COMPANY 4600 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California WANTED Subjects of Every Description in Standard or 16 mm. NEGATIVES OR FIRST PRINTS Camera and Projector owners send name and address and register for valuable information. Representatives Wanted Everywhere International Educational and Scientific Film Library 830 North Genesee St. Hollywood, Calif. WE DARE YOU! f^Page five of this number of Amateur Movie Makers explains why. Could ever eager pen find more ready dotted lines? To the Date 1927 AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC., 105 West 40th Street, New York City. I accept the invitation of the Amateur Cinema League, Inc., to become an annual League member. My check for FIVE DOLLARS payable to Amateur Cinema League, Inc. is enclosed in payment for the dues, $2.00 of which is for a year's subscription to Amateur Movie Makers. It is understood that immediately upon my election I am to become entitled to all the privileges of the League. It is also understood that there are no duties or obligations con- nected with this membership other than those which I may voluntarily assume from time to time. N.ame Street City . State. ers who see in the films more than they do in watching him on the links. The viewing of many golf films has shown Mr. Ziebarth that there are four fundamentals to the swing. The first motion which the camera records after the club has been brought to a rest along side the ball is a drag or movement of the hands before the club starts to move away from the ball. This action really starts at the hips, showing that first the body moves, then the hands, and finally the lower end of the club. It doesn't seem to make much difference how the club is carried back of the shoul- ders. The next motion is the one that starts the club on its downward swing. The pictures show that this action again starts at the hips, just before the club has reached the top of its swing. As the club comes down the right arm straightens out, so that when the ball is hit the elbow is practically straight. The fourth char- acteristic of a good golfer is noticed in the steadiness of the head through- out the swing. The films show that the best golfer does not raise his head until long after the ball has been hit, or until pulled up by the arms. This is due to the pivotal nature of the swing, and the fact that the head acts as the pivot. The action in golf pictures is so swift that for the best analysis of the swing, pictures should be taken above normal speed, even as high as eight times normal. However, even pictures taken at normal speed will be help- ful. Pictures taken from the front and back are most satisfactory. At the artillery school at Fort Sill during the war, superspeed motion pictures made it possible for an American battery to eliminate un- necessary motions in handling a French 75, and so better the time of the crack French instructors in the handling of their own gun. What records in the realm of sports vvill follow after golf and tennis, swimming and other sports have given up their innermost secrets to the movies! Dempsey & Tunney IN TRAINING N. Y. Fire Department N.Y. Police Department 16 mm.— 100 Foot Reels $7-50 NEW RELEASES MONTHLY Dealers Write for Details General Film Library M. J. KANDEL 117 West 46th St., New York Telephone Bryant 4417 Forty-six Introducing LITTLE SUNNY The biggest light value ever offered you AN 8 amp. 110 volt A. C. or D. C. arc lamp that attaches to any house socket. Folded he's only 6V2 x 5 x 2 inches. He's yours for only $15 complete with 15 feet of cord and 6 double length carbons which burn for 1 hour each. Folding stand, which raises lamp to 6 feet, $2.50 extra. You can get by with 1 lamp but we recommend using two for movies. Send remittance now. After you've had him a week, you can return him if you're not perfectly satisfied and we will cheerfully re' fund your money. LEONARD WESTPHALEN 438 RUSH ST. CHICAGO SHOULD THEY not be represented — those dear ones not available for your family movies? DO THIS Send me $3.00 and a clear snapshot or portrait and I'll make an exact repro- duction on film ready to splice into your family reel. Photo returned in perfect condition as received. £ n n n n n n THOSE VACATION DAYS are good for Fireside Nights at Home Aid your tricky memory of "what's where" by having them TITLED AND EDITED by STANLEY A. TOMPKINS Care op Kirby Incorporatso 2 East 23rd Street New York City BUY, SELL, EXCHANGE or RENT 16 mm Films We do it. Send your name and address for full particulars. HOME FILM EXCHANGE 5523 BROADWAY (Dept. 2) Chicago, 111. CAMERAS AFLOAT {Continued from page 12) have never crossed the line and who desire to be initiated. Next day Nep- tune and his company come aboard. Headed by the ship's band they march down the deck to a pool made of a huge canvas tub filled with sea water. Here Neptune holds court. Among Neptune's retinue is his "wife" (a seaman dressed as a wo- man), an astronomer and a high priest. Following is a corps of bar- bers armed with immense powder puffs and bags of flour for use on the ladies; whitewash brushes and pails for lathering the men; huge razors, shears, combs, and brushes, and other fearful and wonderful instru- ments of barbarity. The astronomer carries a binocular made of two wine bottles lashed together. An unsus- pecting tyro is asked to look at the sun through this. His surprise and discomfort are complete when he finds his eyes full of brine as the bottles are half filled with "see" wa- ter. The Captain and some other of the ship's officers are first decorated by Neptune. Then the initiation be- gins. A candidate is shaved, sham- pooed, nails manicured with enor- mous files, powdered and "per- fumed," and then unceremoniously dumped into the pool where four strong blacks stationed in it see that he is properly ducked at least three times, and possibly more if his breath holds out. In the meantime various antics are performed by the members of Neptune's Court and a good time is had by all, especially the spectators. The horse-play, live- ly action and general hilarity make good material for the movie camera. To this is usually added fine light that aids good exposure. That night diplomas are presented to all. the passengers testifying that they have crossed the line. A shot of this di- ploma may be used for an illustrated title of the event. To get good pictures aboard ship one must study the backgrounds as carefully as his pictures. One should avoid sky, sea and white paint for backgrounds, if possible. When im- possible to avoid any or all of these use a light filter. Looking into an open doorway aboard ship gives a good non-reflecting background. Pic- tures taken from an upper deck look- ing down are usually good. Pic- tures taken fore and aft along the deck film well. In strong lights one should be careful not to overexpose the films. When in doubt use the AN INTELLIGENT EDITING SERVICE INCLUDING TITLING & SPLICING is now offered at a MODERATE PRICE We have converted one of our Park Avenue projection booths to this department, which is equipped to carry out your written in- structions or to edit film under your per- sonal supervision. Gillette 16 MAIDEN LANE Camera Stores PARK AVENUE AT 41st ST. NEW YORK THOUSANDS of amateur cinematographers are improving their work by reading THE CINE MINIATURE bi-monthly hand-books. 15c per copy — 90c per year — two years $1.60 LEONARD CORDELL 1636 No. Washtenaw Ave., Chicago, 111. Dealers: Write for discounts and circulars. DO YOUR THINKING ON PAPER NOT ON FILM VERA STANDING SCENARIO EDITOR Suggestions - Criticism 'Assistance Write me for information. 38 east 35th ST. NEW YORK, N. Y. Reach Farther with Your Movie Camera Multiply the possibilities of your movie camera by equipping it with a telephoto lens. Distant objects dif- ficult to get with your regular lens can be photographed as though only a short distance from the camera. Wollensak Telephoto lenses are superbly corrected anastigmats and indispensable in the equipment of movie enthusiasts. Made in 3", 3%" and 6" foci to fit Bell & Howell Filmo Cameras. Supplied with case, lens cap and compensating finders. READY FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY Literature on request OPTICAL COMPANY 952 HUDSON AVENUE Rochester, N. Y. Forty-seven From Kodascope (Libraries WHEN you plan to show your friends the movies you have made, don't forget that some well chosen entertainment subjects from the Kodascope Libraries will add the necessary variety to your pro- gramme and give it the finished professional touch. Whether your taste be Travel, Sports, Comedy or Drama, the Lib- raries offer a splendid assortment and an ample choice. The world's greatest stars await your summons. A glance at the catalogue will impress you with the wealth of talent you can command. For your most distinguished guests; for a children's party; for the lodge or club; for the church bazaar, or for any other occasion, turn first to the KODASCOPE LIBRARIES You will find them at the following addresses: Atlanta. Ga., 183 Peachtree Street Boston, Mass., 260 Tremont Street Buffalo, N. Y., 228 Fran\lin Street Chicago, III., 133 T^lorth Wabash Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio, 1407 Walnut Street Detroit, Michigan, 1206 Woodward Avenue Kansas City, Mo., 916 Grand Avenue Los Angeles, Cal., 3150 Wilshire Blvd. Minneapolis, Minn., 112 South Fifth Street New York, N. Y., 3 3 West 42nd Street Philadelphia. Pa., 2114 Sansom Street Pittsburgh, Pa., Keenan Building San Antonio. Texas, 209 Alamo Plaza San Francisco, Cal., 241 Battery Street Seattle, Washington, 111 Cherry Street Toronto. Canada, 156 King Street West And in Thirty Foreign Cities All Around the World smaller aperture. If in doubt as to whether to use f:8 or f:ll, one should use f :11. Where the light is soft and diffused, overexposure is less likely to occur. In soft lights one should not hesitate to open up sufficiently. One should study light conditions carefully and the results he gets from judging them. After all there is really no substitute for good judgment. Stereoscopic effects or third di- mensional pictures may occasionally be obtained from aboard ship. These should be tried for when conditions are favorable as the stereoscopic ef- fect lifts a picture out of the com- monplace into the unusual. The view should have objects in fore- ground, middle distance and back- ground. A position high enough to look somewhat down on rather than di- rectly at the picture is desirable. The ship should be moving slowly and steadily as when going into or out from the dock. The camera should be held rigid. Resting it against some part of the ship's structure is recommended. One should let the scene float past the lens with the mo- tion of the ship. DON'T PANO- RAM! If light conditions happen to be favorable and your film prop- erly exposed, you will probably be surprised and greatly pleased when you see such an exposure projected. Sunsets at sea are good subjects if one is fond of them. Clouds at or near the horizon as the sun in sinking are desirable. With the sun partly obscured, but shining brightly behind a cloud, the effect is often charming. A series of short shots of about a foot in length taken one minute apart will give the effect of the sun sinking into the ocean. The camera must be held rigid in one spot all the time. With partly ob- scured sun the aperture should be set at f:16 and shot taken directly at the sun using no light filter. When no clouds are at the horizon and the sun commences to dip into the water, aperture should be set at f:ll and 2 x light filter used and shot taken directly at the sun. For moonlight path effects on the sea one should use f :16 and 2 x light filter after five o'clock. Before five o'clock f :16 and 4 x light filter should be used. A sailing vessel in the foreground cross- ing this path of light adds charm. When made by a movie camera, a pictorial record of a cruise around the world, if properly filmed, care- fully edited, and well titled, is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. It repays many times all the trouble and expense necessary to produce it. ii Produce Professional Color Effects In Home Movies [ttach a KOLORAY to your 16 m/m projector and show your pictures in shades of amber, blue, green and red. Two-color combina- tions, too. You can produce the effects of moonlight and sunset. You can show the greens of the ocean or forest with a sunset sky; or the soft ambers of the woodland against the blue sky of a per- fect day. The color possibilities with KOLORAY are almost limit- less. The illustration shows KOLORAY attached to a Model A, Kodascope and a Filmo Projector. KOLORAY is made for Kodascope, Mod- els A and C, and for Filmo 16 m/m Projectors. It can be attached in 30 seconds. No machine work or alteration needed. Price $7.50. At your local dealer's or sent post- paid. BECKLEY and CHURCH INC. Cutler Building - Rochester, N.Y. Descriptive literature on request. K OLORA "Professional color effects for home movies" Y Forty-eight Safety NEGATIVE and POSITIVE in the GREEN Weatherproof PACKAGE $Q00 100 ft. Neg. Developed 100 ft. Pos. Printed and i»oW' Two wag Fjji^ MINIMUM PRICE MAXIMUM QUALITY The new red package at $6.00 contains 100 ft. of Safety Film. Shoot it in your usual manner; if at an ordinary scene, we will reverse it without additional cost. But if your shot is one of exceptional interest — your family, the thrilling moment of a touchdown, the biggest fish of the season — mail it to us with $3.00 additional and we will develop it as a negative and print a positive for you. The latter method also en- ables you to get a good reprint for $3.75 at any time. You can make ordinary pictures at $6.00 with the option of a negative or for the better pictures which you wish to add to your permanent library, use the green package at $9.00. Any additional information ask your dealer or write: DU PONT PATHE Film Manufacturing Corporation 35 West 45th Street, New York City REVERSAL TSAFETYl I FILM J in the RED Weatherproof PACKAGE $/:oo The 100 ft. Roll Laboratories : NEW YORK Demand DuPont — and you'll get the best CHICAGO Demand the best — and you'll gel DuPonl Kodak Cinegraphs I An Indian Durbar INDIA ! Land of the Maharajahs ! Only in motion pictures is it possible to portray adequately the almost unbelievable glamour of such an oc- casion as the coronation of the Maharajah of Kashmir! Events of unsur- passed splendor, such as the scene at the coronation stone and the ceremonial process- ion that followed, defy the descriptive powers of a genius. Yet all this splendor, this ostentation, this indescrib- able finery has been per- petuated on 16 millimeter film, and brought to the privacy of your own home on a Kodak Cinegraph. Seated in your favorite easy chair, you can enjoy the wonderful spectacle of this, the last of the purely native ceremonies just as it was en- joyed by the scan t half-doz- en whites who were privi- leged to be present. I The Lindbergh Flight THE national tour of Colonel Charles Lind- bergh is calling forth an unprecedented de- mand for the three splendid Cinegraphs showing, in thrilling detail, the major events of his re- No. 1505 Cinegraph Releases to date An Indian Durbar No. 1505 Lindbergh — the Epic American Trans-Atlantic Flight 8501 Lindbergh Abroad and in Washington 8502 T\ Lindbergh Captures New York 8 5°. 3 Beau Brummel 8078 The Adventurer 4021 One Week of Love 8026 Felix in Hollywood 7°33 Going up to Iguazu 1044 Bobby Jones No. 1 1092 Bobby Jones No. 2 1092B Getting Gay with N eptune 1047 Mother Goose Land 7°47 Peck's Bad Bov at Church 8045 Felix in the Swim 7020 Housekeeping at the Zoo 304.I Easy Street 4024 Chumming with the Animals 3041 Fishing 7001 Tennis, Reel 1 1506 Tennis, Reel 2 1507 Battling a Lion 4501 Niagara Falls 1508 Felix out of Luck 7062 With Lawrence in A rabia 1509 y markable flight to Paris. The first reel shows, in addition to his dramatic take-off, the unsuccessful efforts of several others to begin the flight. The second reel depicts the receptions accorded him in Paris, Lon- don, Brussels and Washing- ton, while the third shows his return to New York. As interest in aviation, inspired by his national flight, sweeps the country, these reels grow in value. And, twenty years hence when, perhaps, trans-Atlan- tic passenger service will have become a reality, they will be priceless. Add them to your libra- ry, now. Nos. 8501, 8502 and 8503 Price $7.50 each, at your dealer \r Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., r/^AW^cv/y Announcing Another Hayden Product Electric Viewer, Splicer and Rewind All in One Wonderful For Editing Films HAYDEN 7" REEL . HAYDEN 5" REEL . HAYDEN SPRING FILM CLIP PRICE 75 cents PRICE 50 cents PRICE 25 cents i,".l ADJUSTABLE and FOLDING STANDS/- CURTAINS ««<* PROJECTORS PROJECTOR STAND, any model. Price without Humidor, $18.00 HUMIDOR. All Humidors attachable to Stand. Moisten felt in bottom to condition all Films. Price $12.00 CURTAIN STAND and CURTAIN Special cloth, dark green back, does not show wrinkles. 4x5 ft. and 3x4 ft. Price of Stand with Curtain either size $30.00. Stand alone $16.00 i The Perfect Panoram — A. C. H. Automatic That takes the landscape and water view as all would like to see them. Each object passing slowly and clearly before you with no strain on your eyes, caused by an unsteady hand and fast moving objects. Only an A.C.H. Automatic can do this, which op- erates from the camera spring. A SAVING TO YOU It will save you many times its cost in films and disappointments. Price A.C.H. Automatic Panoram with Case $3 5.00 Case, 3x4 Curtain, Projector and Curtain Stands, complete $68.00 Also Camera and Projector and Humidor Cases // not available through your Dealer, write the Manufacturer A. G. HAYDEN CO., Brockton, Mass., U. S. A. OUR NEW 2 4 PAGE BOOKLET NOW READ Y— L ET US SEND YOU ONE FREE SHOW-AT-HOME MOVIE LIBRARY. INC. SEVEN TH1RIV FIFTH A V E N V E NEW YORK C ITY Bringing the Worlds Greatest Stars to theTtome/ NOW— at last— there is available a complete, comprehensive, amaz- ing variety of motion pictures for the home projector pre- senting the world's greatest stars and famous stories. SHOW- AT-HOME Movie Library, Inc., is now closing franchises with all leading dealers for a service that will delight and thrill home movie fans. With the great variety of fine motion pictures produced by the Universal Pictures Cor- poration as the backbone of its offerings,SHOW.AT-HOME presents a new era in motion pictures for the home. Ask your dealer today if he has arranged for a SHO W. AT> HOME franchise! Be ready to take early ad- vantage of the feast of enter- tainment that is in store. And remember — SHOW- AT. HOME'S policy is "The best and only the best is suitable for the American Home — the wholesome things of life, entertainment that thrills and amuses, yet is in keeping with the spirit of the American home." The well-established policy of Carl Laemmle, president of Universal Pictures Corpo- ration, is your guarantee of the quality and the fitness of SHOW-AT.HOME produc- tions. Qet the details from your dealer today I There* § Never a Dull Hour in the HomeThat Uses SHOW- AT-HOME Movie Library'. Three ^SfiS^ NO KEYS TO LOSE with the DELUXE Combination Lock Case For Cine Kodak ]ac\ or Tan Leather Once you set your combination, the case can be opened only by one familiar with that com- bination. Case holds Cine-Kodak Model B and 2 rolls of 100 ft. Cine-Kodak film. Well made of heavy cowhide, lined with rich jreen silk velour $15.00 ARROW PORTABLE Motion Picture Screen Screen Ready for Use Screen Rolled in Case for Carrying Composed of millions of tiny round glass beads, firmly embedded on a strong fabric in a pure white composition. Has a wonderful reflective surface and will not glare like the silver metal- lic surface. Can be easily cleaned with soap and water. Complete with dustproof mahogany finished case into which it is drawn by a metal spring. PRICES Ho. 1 — Size 33!/2x3!/4x4 — picture surface 22x30 in. Weight 6 lbs $15.00 Mo. 2 — Size 45I/2ic4I/2x5 — picture surface 30x40 in. Weight 15 lbs $25.00 Mo. 3 — Size 57x43/4x5 — picture surface 39x52 in. Weight 18 lbs $35.00 110 West 32ILdSLNcwyoik.N.y.' Herbert T. Angell is an amateur and traveler who combines his hobbies with salesmanship, acting as manufacturers' representative for cameras and accessories in the great tourist centers which he hap- pens to be visiting. Don Bennett has charge of the six- teen millimeter activities of the Educational Film Division of the Stanley Advertising Company. Edgar Bohlman 1*5 at present assist- ant director of the "Fair of the Iron Horse," which has been ar- ranged by the Baltimore and Ohio Railway to celebrate its Centenary. He has had wide experience in scenery and costume designing for the theatre. H. Syril Dusenbury is chairman of the motion picture committee of the California Camera Club. He is an experienced amateur and one of the pioneers of the Amateur Club movement. Russel T. Ervin, Jr., is cameraman and technician of the Motion Pic- ture Club of the Oranges, N. J. Vera Standing is author of many scenarios, and was associated with the production of the Eastman Educational Films. She is at pres- ent engaged in motion picture editing. Edward F. Stevenson is president of the Visugraphic Pictures Corpora- tion, a concern devoted to the pro- duction of industrial and educa- tional films. Other Contributors mentioned pre- viously in this column include: Walter D. Kerst, Dr. Kinema, Jorge Palomino and Carlos Tejeda. V\(pw a Word to Our 9{ew leaders 5 YOU will share the fas- cinating experiences and re- ceive the expert help of these contributors and many others regularly by becom- ing a member of the Ama- teur Cinema League or by subscribing to Amateur Movie Makers. ~ ~ ~ See the Centerspread for Coupon Burton Holmes' FILM REELS of TRAVEL Edited and Titled by BURTON HOLMES 100 foot rolls for your 16mm. Projector Sold Outright for $6.50 per Roll No. 1- -Beauty Spots of Glacier Park. No. 2- —Lakes and Streams of Glacier Park. No. 3i — A Japanese Cabaret. No. 4- —Tying the Japanese Obi. No. 5- —Japanese Table Manners. No. 6- —Wonders of the Yellow- stone. No. 7- -Geysers of the Yellowstone. No. 8- —Animals of the Yellow stone. No. 9- -Kangaroos in Australia. No. 10- —The Grand Canyon of Arizona. No. 11- -Seeing London — Part 1. No. 12- -Seeing London — Part. 2. No. 13- —Seeing London — Part 3. No. 14- —Seeing London — Part. 4. No. 15- —Seeing Paris — Part 1. No 16- —Seeing Paris — Part 2. No. 17- —Seeing Paris — Part 3. No. 18- —Seeing Paris — Part 4. No. 19- —Glorious Versailles. No. 20 — In Bonnie Scotland — Ft 1. No. 21- —In Bonnie Scotland — P't 2. No. 22- —The Sunny South of Eng-. land. No. 23- —Glimpses of English Town and Country. No 24- —Bustling Brussels. No. 25- —In Rural Belgium. No. 26- —Artistic Antwerp. No. 27- —Beautiful Bruges. No. 28- —Scenic — Mirrors of Nature. No. 29- —Scenic — Reflections. No. 30- —Scenic — Sparkling Waters. No. 31- —Isle of Marken. Other Travel Pictures from different parts of the world will b e released each month THE BURTON HOLMES lectures, inc. 7510 N. Ashland Avenue Chicago, Illinois Four rcr-s'27 'CI B754231 ' ~i ^kiMUU* C&L rs/A sum G22M§ ifpM PUBLISHED BY THE AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC. "Heralding The Motion Picture Of Tomorrow" Volume II OCTOBER, 1927 Number 10 ... Qontents ... Cover Desicn, Chart of the Movie Makers' World Jorge Palomino Contributors 4 "They Say," Comment From the Press 6 Helpful Hints 7 The Modern American Family, An Editorial 9 Magic Shore, A Photograph Warren Boyer 10 Filming in Florida Herbert T. Angell 11 Adventures of an Amateur in the American Tropics Your Summer Films Dr. Kinema 13 How You Can Make Them More Interesting This Fall An Amateur Visits Hollywood H. Syril Dusenbury 14 And Discovers Unique Ways to Improve His Filming Simplified Scenery for Photoplays Edgar Bohlman 16 How Modern "Little Theatre" Stagecraft Can Be of Aid to the "Little Cinema" Industrial Filming By Don Bennett and Edward F. Stevenson 18 The Giant, An Art Title Background for Travel Films Walter D. Kerst 20 Title Data Walter D. Kerst 21 Street of the Cypress, A Drawing Carlos Tejeda 23 Movie Makers' Mexico Carlos Tejeda 24 On Location at Cuernavaca Where Beauty and Romance Await the Amateur Actors as Amateurs 26 The Rochester Community Players Produce a Photoplay Billy Starts School, A Timely Home Scenario Vera Standing 27 Critical Focusinc, Reviews to Aid the Amateur 28 Closeups, Amateur Activities 33 Amateur Clubs Edited by Arthur L. Gale 35 The Clinic Edited by Dr. Kinema 37 News of the Industry, For Amateur and Dealer 39 A Homemade Arc, For Interior Filming Russel T. Ervin, Jr. 44 AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC. DIRECTORS President Vice-President Treasurer HIRAM PERCY MAXIM STEPHEN F. VOORHEES A. A. HEBERT Hartford, Conn. Architect, of New York City 1711 Park Street, Hartford, Conn. EARLE C. ANTHONY w F rnTTFR r pc „ „.KTX,CD President of the National Association ,n P ,W\ %• COTTER LEE F. HANMER of Broadcasters 30 E' 42nd St- New York ""7 P'^f,0' of Recreation. ROY D. CHAPIN C. R. DOOLEY RuSSe11 Sage Foundation Chairman of the Board of Directors, Manager of Personnel and Training, FLOYD L. VANDERPOEL Hudson Motor Company Standard Oil Co. of N. J. Scientist, of Litchfield, Conn. Managing Director ROY \V. WINTON, 105 W. 40th Street, New York City AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is published monthly in New York, N. Y., by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. Subscription Rate $3.00 a year, postpaid (Canada $3.25, Foreign $3.50); to members of the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. $2.00 a year, postpaid; single copies, 25c. On sale at photographic dealers everywhere. Entered as second-class matter August 3, 1927, at the Post Omce'at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. WCopyright, 1927, by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc/ Title registered at United States Patent Office. Advertising rates on application. Forms close on 5th of preceding month. Editorial and Publication Office: 105 West 40th Street, New York, N. Y. Telephone, Pennsylvania 3756 WALTER D. KERST, Technical Editor _ K. L. NOONE, Advertising Manager Editor JOHN BEARDSLEE CARRIGAN 0 Turn Night Into Day \ with "NITE-SUN" FLARES ' ' 1 AHE short days of fall and winter will •*■ prove no handicap to your filming if you are supplied with "Nite-Sun" 0> Flares. Ideal for beautiful night photog- raphy or for whenever light conditions are unfavorable. 1 A1 Proven by Amateur Use Announced in August as opening a mar- velous new field for amateur movie mak- ing, "Nite-Sun" Flares have now been used with exceptional success and satis- faction by hundreds of amateurs. PRICES W *;i Half Minute $6.00 .60 One Minute 10.00 1.00 One and One-Half Minute 15.00 1.50 Two Minute 20.00 2.00 Stands Each $6.00 WRITE FOR FREE BOOKLET i Dealers Write For Particulars I. G. NEWMAN CO., Inc. 320 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, N. Y. s ORDER THE LATEST REEL OF HI G H L I T E FROM THE NEWS from your dealer — NOW ! "THRILLS and SPILLS ON LAND and SEA" ISSUE No. 5 Battling the Ocean Waves: Ablaze at Sea Western Rodeo: Broncho Busting Bull Dogging: Over the Hurdles at the Steeplechase Hair Raising Spills - Auto Races SLOW MOTION — QUICK ACTION New Price $7.50 W. J. GANZ COMPANY, 507 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. Please send me full details and advance information on future releases of the new semi-monthly NEWS REEL for FILMO. CINE-KODAK, VICTOR, DEVRY and other 16 mm. projectors. Name Name of nearest dealer Street and No _ : _ _ City and State Comment From the Press THE following constructive edi- torial on the intelligent attitude producers and distributors should have towards amateur movie making recently appeared in the Film Daily, a trade journal of the profession. "When radio began to sweep the nation, the ever-present calamity shouters had a great old time. It was all over but the shouting. Pictures would give way to the new craze and, therefore, the only recourse was to dig a deep, wide hole in the ground, clamber in and throw dirt in your face. "Some showmen fought radio. Others — and they were smarter — played with it rather than against it. In the light of the experiences that followed, the entire situation did not work out so badly. In isolated spots, radio may have cut a wide swath into attendance at theaters. We are prone to doubt it. "It was not long ago that two majors — Rothafel and Bowes — de- clared that radio was helping their grosses and building goodwill for their respective institutions, the Roxy and the Capitol. They were all sold on it. Backed by years at the "mike," their opinions very properly carried weight. The New Fad "Which brings us to the point at issue. Amateur picture-making has caught the public's fancy. Any ob- server, be he moderately keen, knows how a new plaything catches on. This will explain why the enthusiasm over home-made production will grow. Up at Kodak Park where a number of sane business men run the Eastman works, there is an apprecia- tion of the potentialities of this new market. Herbert Yates over at Con- solidated is not asleep at the busi- ness switch — by any manner of means. They are out after these new commercial laurels. "The exhibitor might well step on his own toes and grab time by the forelock. Amateur producers won't hurt theater business in our opinion. Contrary, their interest in mat- ters photographic will heighten the desire to attend picture shows. Many theater owners won't agree. However, here's a practical solution. "If the exhibitor will snap into it and cooperate with the movement, rather than fight it, he will not only come out on top, but further up the ladder of profits than before. If we were in the theater business we would do this: Six Produce Professional Color Effects In Home Movies 'ttach a KOLORAY to your 16 m/m projector and show your pictures in shades of amber, blue, green and red. Two-color combina- tions, too. You can produce the effects of moonlight and sunset. You can show the greens of the ocean or forest with a sunset sky; or the soft ambers of the woodland against the blue sky of a per- fect day. The color possibilities with KOLORAY are almost limit- less. The illustration shows KOLORAY attached to a Model A, Kodascope and a Filmo Projector. KOLORAY is made for Kodascope, Mod- els A, B and C, and for Filmo 16 m/m Projectors. It can be attached in 30 seconds. No machine work or alteration needed. Price $7.50. At your local dealer's or sent post- paid. In ordering, please be sure to specify the kind and model of Projector on which Koloray is to be used. BECKLEY and CHURCH INC. Cutler Building - Rochester, N.Y. Descriptive literature on request. K OLORA "Professional color effects for home movies" Y "First, get a list of amateur "movie" makers from the local cam- era dealers. Secondly, establish a contact. Thirdly, turn over the the- ater one morning — or more as the demand may be — and permit the public to exhibit their own films in the house with a definite purpose in mind. "We would give the camera en- thusiasts pointers on focusing and camera handling. We would have the projectionist pass on information regarding the operation of the pro- jector, the handling of the lights, threading the film and the like. "We would form a club, the by- word of which would be cooperation. We venture to say that the manufac- turers who are gunning for this type of business will give the exhibitor any and all kinds of aid. "Unless the indications are en- tirely amiss, the movement will sweep on without a check. Don't frown on it, but smile at it. If the theater owner is smart, he can turn this development into a new source of revenue. The opportunity is there.'" Helpful Hints Tinting and toning will save many an over-exposed scene. Weak, washy film, due to over - exposure, can be saved by intensifying in bichloride of mercury so- lution. Dense, under-exposed film can be reduced with Far- mer's reducer. Remember that brightness of screen picture depends on area covered, not on distance of projector from screen. Use a smooth small-grain screen for near, small pic- ture projection, and an aluminum or diffusing surfaced screen for long throws. Splice opaque piece of film as leader and trailer on all your reels. There will then be no blinding flashes of white light at the be- ginning and end of your showings. Use a color filter in a bril- liant, tropical sun. Your pictures will be improved 100%. Load and unload your cam- era in subdued light and prevent edge fog. Speed Distance X OUR movie camera will get seem- ingly "impossible" shots when Dall- meyer equipped.* Clear, fully timed scenes in the rain, in deep shadow, early in the morning, late in the afternoon — that's the Dallmeyer Ultra Speed (f-1.9; 1" or 2"). "Close-ups" of distant objects; just as you would see them through a telescope — that's the Dallmeyer Telephoto (4", f-4; or 6", f-4.5). * Interchangeable with regular lens. FEEE TRIAL If you own a Filmo, Eyemo or DeVry, you are invited to try the fascinating results of a Dallmeyer lens for 10 days, without obliga- tion. Every dealer is authorized to lend you a lens for this test, 01 one will be mailed you without cost. Specify camera model. DALLMEYER. LENSES Sole United States Distributors HERBERT & HUESGEN CO, 18 East 42nd Street, New York Between Fifth and Madison Seven One of the Exclusive Accomplishments of The VICTOR CINE CAMERA Normal Speed Scenes may be interspersed with SLOW'Motion Shots in the Same Film. SLOW'motion pictures have here' tofore been produced by special SLOW'motion cameras, limited to that service only. The Victor Cine' Camera is the first and only 16m.m. automatic camera taking both SLOW'motion and normal pic' tures. A. turn of a button changes from Dne to the other. Aside from the more serious service, motion analysis, athletics or other speed events, SLOW'motion scenes inject variety into any of the pictures that you take. Other valuable and exclusive features of the Victor Cine'Camera: — com' pensating view finder, level, built-in exposure meter, interchangeable len' ses, automatic film measure, single exposure, mechanism lock, hand operat- ing crank, and thirty'two other features. As\ your dealer for a demonstration or write direct to the manufacturers. Victor Animatograph Company DAVENPORT, IOWA, U. S. A. Eight THE WRIGLEYS AT HOME Photograph by International Hews Reel The MODERN AMERICAN FAMILY AMATEUR motion picture making has sailed along, so ^ far, without any suspicion of reform motive, moral purpose or effort to remake a "naughty world." We have the horrible suspicion that, like Moliere's un- conscious prose maker, amateur cinematography is doing some- thing uplifting without being aware of it. It begins to look like the American Home is going to be saved in spite of itself by the Home Movie Camera. FAMILY LIFE is being revised wherever the whir of the pro- jector is heard. Personal movie making had the good luck to get started among the parents instead of among the children. It was Dad's hobby and — since it was his hobby — he enjoyed it rather shyly and did not try to make a moral agent out of it. Mother be- came gradually converted and she and Dad had a whole series of re- awakened companionships through their common interest in reels. BUT TRUST the kids not to let anything get by them! The rapid generation saw its fath- ers and mothers "hipped" on this new craze and resented being left out. So the youngsters took it up. It had the approval of the older folks. In fact, they approved it so much that they were not particu- An Editorial larly keen to share it. They want- ed the kids to keep away and not to disturb them in their filming. THE vigorous growth of Amateur Movie Makers has been obvious to all our friends in these first eleven months of publication. Definite comparisons, however, being matters of statistics, and early copies being filed safely away for their future historical in- terest, we hope it will not be considered vainglorious to set down the fact that another in- crease of eight pages in the size of this October issue has very nearly doubled its size since De- cember. Also its advertising has won such favor with read- ers and advertisers alike that this has more than tripled in volume in the same period. For both the Amateur Cinema League and Amateur Movie Makers, we wish to express our deep appreciation to our read- ers whose wholehearted support of this magazine and its adver- tisers has made this remarkable progress possible. NOW HERE are the elements of the soundest kind of so- cial reform. Never have homes been more intelligently saved — and without any preaching. The power of curiosity has again been demonstrated. The kids are stay- ing at home nights with the pro- jector. They just had to see what fun there was for the old folks. It's hard to keep them out of the drawing-room long enough for Dad to get elbow space to re-wind his films. A MODERN American family, •*• ^- if equipped with movie ap- paratus, need no longer be the de- spair of the sociologists and the moralists. It is re-united and on a sounder basis. Father who used to "sit round all day" and to sit up most of the night wondering where Agnes and Bill were, is the family high priest of the new cine- matic mysteries. Mother and the kids and grandkids — unto what- ever generation — assist at the rites. And — this is said, of course, with due modesty — their esoteric cult is the Amateur Cinema League and their book of wisdom is AMA- TEUR Movie Makers. Nine ilagtr i>tjorp Photograph by Warren Boyer PLAYMATES From an underwater photoplay Photographs by H. R. Bezant FILMING in FLORIDA Adventures of an Amateur in the American Tropics By Herbert T. Angell LORIDA is a para- dise for the ama- teur movie maker. Every day is movie day in Florida, and practically every hour of every day. Due to the lack of moisture in the air, even the rainy days are sunny most of the time. Drizzily, foggy days are unknown. There are unlimited subjects avail- able on every hand, waiting to be filmed. Of course, in the winter sea- son there is an abundance of life and action in the tourist centers. Sports of all kinds supply endless subjects. There are golf and tennis tourna- ments where the world's best play- ers may be caught in action. Speed boat races where the fleetest craft give you all the action you can ask for as they round the stakes. Bathing, aquaplaning, surf riding, diving and swimming contests are to be seen along a thousand miles of ocean and gulf coast. Horse and dog racing, alas, are out of the picture for the present, although there is always hope of more liberal legislation. PLUMBING the depths of Ponce de Leon's "Fountain of Youth" with an amateur motion picture cam- era, and catching the mighty Tarpon on movie film, are two of the fasci- nating exploits related by Mr. Angell. For the more adventurous and those who prefer nature to human activities there are endless oppor- tunities. In the back country there are immense areas of pine wood and jungle where wild deer, bears, pan- thers, bobcats, alligators, turkeys and other native citizens may be caught on the restless film. A trip to the Seminole Reservation during the winter season is well worth the difficulties and hardships attendant thereon. The quaint cos- tumes and customs of this remnant of a strange race make pictures of exceptional interest. Without a guide and interpreter, however, there is great difficultv in securing the natural action desired. There people are shy of strangers and Darticularly timid about getting in front of the camera. In my camera work of last season there are two reels of film from which I derive repeated pleasure. One is a series of studies of the great natural springs which are to be found in the north central part of the state. Of these springs the largest and in many ways the most interesting is Silver Springs near Ocola. This spring, or group of springs, prob- ably has the greatest flow of water of any spring in the world, estimated at over twenty-two million gallons per hour. Boats of considerable ton- nage may proceed up the river which flows out of the spring, docking with- in the spring itself, affording one of the few cases of a stream navigable to its very source. The water is brilliantly clear and colorless. Glass bottom boats are available for trips over the springs, and I have many feet of film looking down to the openings in the rocky formation at the bottom, from twenty to eighty feet below the surface. These pictures in most cases are en- livened by fish, bubbles, moving sand and the play of light reflected on the bottom from the surface ripples. My pictures were taken at noon on a bright day and I used my F 3.5 lens to full capacity and half-timed my shutter, eight to the second. The tim- ing of these exposures was something Eleven of a problem as I had no precedant to go by. For once my wild guess was about right, and the results were very gratifying. In taking pictures in this way it is essential that the glass bottom of the boat be clean and that over head light be excluded as far as possible to avoid reflections. Other springs of lesser flow, but in some cases of rarely picturesque setting, are Wekiwa Spring near Apopka and DeLeon Springs and Blue Springs near Deland. No trip through Florida is complete without a visit to these springs. The other reel, and perhaps the one recalling the happiest hours of camera work depicts the story of the national Tarpon Tournament at Ven- ice which was held in June. There is probably no more spec- tacular or thrilling sight in the realm of sport than the first lofty leaps of this silver-plated finny ath- lete as he trys to expel the strange tugging thing which was in his last morsel of breakfast. Within a few seconds after the strike he comes out of the water like a projectile, shaking his head and returning to the water with a re- sounding splash. Sometimes this leap will be repeated several times. It was my aim and ambition to get a few feet of film showing com- plete leaps. It is not difficult to catch the fish in air if you are in his vicinity, but, to start the film before he has left the water and re- cord the entire leap to the settlement of the spray from the last jump, is a task to test the patience and skill of any amateur cinematographer. The first hour of day light is the time when the tarpon is likely to strike most readily. Therefore, the CHAMPIONS Angler and Catch At Tarpon Tournament Venice, Florida fishermen breakfast at four o'clock, embark on the mother boat at five and reach the feeding ground an hour later just as the sun is coming up. On sighting a school of tarpon each fisherman with his guide gets into a fourteen foot skiff and starts out for the fish. The rod used varies from nine to twelve ounces with the proper thread line, and the bait is a small live rockfish or catfish. After the first day's trial I found it impossible to get results of a sat- isfactory nature from the mother boat and, of course, to work from one of the skiffs was impossible dur- ing the tournament. I finally found a good natured and skilled fisher- man who was willing to withdraw from the tournament for a day and fish from a power boat. With his cooperation I got good results. As soon as he felt the fish strike the bait he would shout "Fish," and I would aim my camera at the point where the line cut the water and press the button. In this way I would get two or three feet of film before the fish made his entrance. Some- times the fish turned out to be a shark or grouper in which case I got nothing but an expanse of the Gulf of Mexico. Owing to the early hour at which we started making exposures my diaphragm aperture varied all the way from F 3.5 to F 1.6 with a color filter. The mid-day light on the Gulf of Mexico is so intense and the re- flected light so strong that it is al- most impossible to under expose a film. As a general rule the light in Florida will be found nearly twice as fast as in New England. Florida winter light is faster than New Eng- land summer light by at least fifty percent. This statement is not based on scientific data, but merely the re- sult of my personal observation. But, wherever you go with your cine camera in Florida, you will find de- light in the perfect conditions for filming, and when you project your films you will agree with me that "every day is movie day in Florida." Twelve FLYING FISH A study in speed at Miami, Florida, as seen by the amateur camera YOUR SUMMER FILMS How You Can Make Them More Interesting This Fall HIS is the season for sorting out one's films and getting them in order. We have all shot a lot of film during the Summer. It has all been screened and we have be- come familiar with it, and we begin to realize it needs something or other done to it. Some of it is wonderful. Each one of us harbors a conviction that we attained at least one master- piece this Summer. A good bit of it belongs in that discouraging class known as "fair to good." Some of it is, candidly, only "fair to poor." Finally there is that, which, however painful it may be to acknowledge it, is rotten. What's to be done? It requires a strong man with a stout heart to throw away film. The first year of an amateur's experience in cinema- tography, if he is a normal human be- ing, finds him utterly incapable of throwing away film. It simply can- not be done. Late in the year the stronger of us will "lay aside" the bleary over exposures. Still later, when we are old at the game, we become brutalized, and we ruthlessly throw into the ash barrel everything that is not really good. And so, when Fall comes, and we run over in our mind the films we have made during the Summer we begin thinking about this difficult question of sorting. There are a few bits of helpful advice that may be given to those of us who are fac- ing this situation for the first time. By Dr. Kinema First of all, it is a good thing to have an understanding with one's self as to just what it is we are trying to do. Is it to accumulate film, any old kind? Or is it to create a series of interesting reels? If the former, then hang on to all the old poor stuff, buy humidor cans by the gross, but don't ever venture to ask even your best friend to look at it. You will lose his friendship. If the latter, then tighten up your belt, square your shoulders, set your jaw and resolve firmly to chuck everything that is not interesting. Deep down in your heart you know what really is interesting. A scene does not have to be photographically perfect. If the action is striking it can be over exposed or under ex- posed or shaky, or out of focus and still be interesting. However, if it is photographically a knock-out, any old action is very likely to be inter- esting, because of its superlative bril- liance. If it is beautiful — artistically beautiful — then it is always interest- ing. If it is artistically beautiful and photographically perfect too, it is a thriller and worth ten times its weight in gold, and then some. This question of being interesting can be regarded from another angle. in sorting over one's films. You can play a bit of a trick sometimes and make a reel interesting by the way you combine certain pictures. When I first faced the difficult job of sorting out a lot of miscellaneous films I had about everything that there was in the way of subjects. Travel pictures, friends standing on the front porch, the dogs, the cats, the babies, the farm, the canoe club, the yachting cruises, Lindbergh, a fire, traffic jams, reversed scenes, the col- lege reunion, the company's outing, the garden club, and all the rest of it. I began by establishing one reel which should be only my ultra-ultra best. I titled it, "Favorite Bits" and I put in it only my masterpieces. The latter will come at the most un- expected times to all of us. I added to this reel as I went on, and today it is my show piece. Whenever friends come in or I am asked to show some of my pictures this 400 feet of selected film invariably knocks them cold. I'm terribly in love with it, myself. Next, it seemed the thing to do to build up all my marine pictures into a series of reels. Whether they came in a travel reel or a cruise or how, they went into "Down to the Sea in Ships," and when the yacht club wants an evening of pictures they always ask for these reels. Next, I established an "Interesting Places" reel, and into this went all the queer odds and ends that were good photographically and reason- ably interesting to people. Of course, everything is titled so the audience always knows exactly what they are looking at. A title can work won- ders in a reel of this type. Then came "My Animal Friends", and into this went the dogs and the cats and the horses, and the geese and all the zoo shots. All the winter scenes were put into a "Winter" reel. The pretty miscel- (Continued on page 46) Thirteen Photographs by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer "\"\7" THO is there that has never \X/ heard of Hollywood? It is ▼ ▼ known all over the world as the undisputed capitol of the movies. It is the place where sooner or later, all aspirants for the movies finally land. To us, particularly, it is the home of the professional camera man, or as he prefers to have you call him, the cinematographer. It is this re- nowned city that we are about to visit. We will wander through some of the larger studios and watch the cine- matographers at work, hoping there- by we may gain some ideas that will aid us in our own hobby. Of course the professional has almost unlimit- ed resources at his command, to aid him in his work, but nevertheless, many of his methods can easily be modified and adapted to our own use. A visit to the studios will open our eyes and make us realize that there is something more to taking movies than merely turning a crank or pressing a button. Did you ever try to get into a movie studio? Perhaps you are one of the small minority who have suc- ceeded in pulling the proper strings to raise the latch handle and secure admission. Entrance into the profes- sional studio has purposely been made difficult not because of any de- sire to maintain secrecy but simply because the profession does not want to be bothered with tourists while it is at work. To-day it is even more difficult to get into a movie studio than it is to get out of jail! How- ever, in this case, our long friend- ship with many cinematographers who have sprung from the ranks of the amateurs, will make it easy for Fourteen MANY are the methods and de- vices of the professionals which the amateur would employ with profit if he were but familiar with them. With the other amateurs of the country in mind Mr. Dusen- bery visited the great Hollywood studios for Amateur Movie Makers and has set down many practical suggestions gleaned at the movie capitol. CAMERA ANGLES A suggestion for variety in amateur films us. In fact, we are invited to come in and observe them at work when- ever we visit Hollywood. At all events, almost before we re- alize it, we find ourselves in the midst of the hustle and bustle of one of the largest movie studios in Hol- lywood— in fact it is one of the larg- est in the world. It contains a num- ber of huge buildings which are called stages and in each stage are several groups or companies each working independently. Each com- pany has its own staff of camera men, directors, electricians, technical advisors, and actors. Actors are mentioned last, because to the cam- era man, the actor is of least im- portance! Each of these companies is busy at work on a scene. The scenery itself is called a set. Dozens of these sets are built in a stage and carpenters are always to be found at work tearing down old sets and building new ones. After wandering through several of these sets, stumb- ling over electric cables, lumber, and stage props, we finally locate one of our friends at the crank of a husky professional camera. His camera, in comparison to ours, seems huge. He turns a crank while our own camera is spring driven on the pressure of a button. Nevertheless, both cameras take movies and work on the same general principles so there is really no reason why we can not apply some of his methods to our own work. Our friend is glad to see us and we find him very talkative and only too glad to tell us about his work. The scene before us is a cafe. Real food is being served in tempting style. Some things however seem strange to us. For one thing, we notice that all the tables are covered with pretty pale pink table cloths and the waiters wear coats of a pale pink tint. Why the pink, we wonder? Why not white as is used in all the cafes we are accustomed to visit? We are informed that this shade of pink photographs white. If white were actually used under the strong lights, it would reflect so much light that the whites in the finished pro- duction would appear glary and chalky. To soften this brightness pink is used. In this way a much more pleasing effect is obtained on the screen. This information made us recall how glary some of our own pictures were, especially those taken in the direct sunlight of ladies dressed in white. In future we are going to suggest to our friends that they wear pink, or in fact any light tinted dress, in preference to white, if they want their picture taken. Next we notice that our cinemato- grapher has erected two screens that almost come together and it is through the small crack remain- ing open that the lens of the camera projects. It appears as if he is try- ing to hide his camera, but it is for an important reason. On the tables in the cafe scene before us, there is much glass ware. All glass, at certain angles, acts like a mirror and will reflect light. It often hap- pens that some piece of glass ware is placed in such a position that it reflects light or even an image of the camera itself, directly into the camera. To see the re- flection of the camera and camera man in the complet- ed picture would of course spoil the entire illusion, therefore the camera is most carefully screened with dull black screens whenever any- thing is being taken that might possibly reflect light back into the camera, or act like a mirror and reflect un- wanted images. We are greatly impressed by the sturdiness of the husky tripod on which the cam- era is mounted. For best results, we learn, the camera should be as firm as a rock. Holding a camera in the hand is all very well for a person who doesn't care whether his fin- i s h e d picture vibrates on the screen or not, but to secure good sharp pic- tures of profes- sional quality, a tripod is very necessary. Every camera, regardless of make, will give better results when mounted on a good strong 1 1 -:A Electri WEATHER A LA CARTE A made to order storm in Hollywood CHARIOTS. ANCIENT AND MODERN' How races are filmed for the movies tripod, one that is heavy enough so that it won't vibrate when the camera is in operation. The improved re- sults will be more than worth the trouble of carrying and ting up the pod. While we inspecting t professional pod, the assistant camera man takes a tape line out of his pocket and measures the distance from the camera to the leading lady. He measures it care- fully and accu- rately and re- ports the result to the camera HELPING OUT THE SUN ity is used to supplement natural daylight man who in turn adjusts the focus setting of his lens accordingly. We recall that the lens on our own camera is adjustable as to distance, but we always esti- mated or rather guessed at the distance to the subject we were taking. The profes- sional explains to us that it is very essential that the leading lady appear sharp and clear when the picture is projected on the screen. She is the center of attention and must clearly stand out. To be sure of an accurate focus the distance is actu- ally measured with a tape measure. It flashes through our minds that more than once we have been disap- pointed in an otherwise good picture because it was just a wee bit out of focus. It looked a bit blurry and lacked that professional clearness that we always see in the big movie theatres. We mentally resolve that in future whenever we use a camera with an adjustable focusing lens, we will get a tape measure and actually measure the distance instead of gues- sing at it or even, as we sometimes have done, forgetting to set the focus at all. We are all anxious to get the best possible results yet at times we are just a bit careless in operating the camera. Why not work carefully and thoroughly so that we can al- ways get one hundred percent pic- tures on our projecting screen? The assistant camera man even goes so far as to measure the dis- tance between the subject and the kleig lights. "For this particular scene," ex- plains the camera man, "we must have absolutely even illumination on both sides of the subject. In other (Continued on page 55) Fifteen set- tri- are h e tri- FACADE OF THE PALACE PLATE ONE Simplified SCENERY/^ PHOTOPLAYS How Modern "Little Theatre" Stagecraft Can Be of Aid to the "Little Cinema" MODERN stage designs, as ori- ginated by the art theatre and later adopted by the commer- cial theatre, can be used with equal effectiveness in the production of photoplays, whether commercial or amateur. The influence of the modern art of the theatre is already to be discerned in the settings of the more progressive commercial directors, but it is for the amateur that these advanced methods of producing the desired scenic atmosphere probably hold the greatest import, because of their extreme simplicity and inexpen- siveness. The modern tendency of stage de- sign has been toward simplicity, not particularly for economy, but for directness of expression and to create a single idea or mood in harmony with the action of the play. It, there- fore, is obvious that similar methods are logical in the making of photo- plays. The new cult of scenic sim- plicity has to date been most widely employed for motion pictures in some of the imported German films. In making amateur photoplays this method is particularly appro- priate, as such amateur films are Sixteen By Edgar Bohlman usually short in length, as compared with commercial productions, and since such short photoplays usually embrace but one basic idea, the set- ting should be in harmony with this central idea and expressive of it. It merely depends on how eloquent and expressive the stage craft employed be if the maxim effect possible is to be secured. Since the pioneering in modern scene design has been largely the work of the experimental theatre, the motion picture maker who wishes to avail himself of the experience in this field should study the solutions of scenic problems offered by these art theatres, or the commercial pro- ductions inspired by them. And since this source will be so suggestive of possibilities, it will probably be most helpful in this discussion to detail how such stage settings may be adapted for the cinema. The designs illustrated are from a stage model for the settings of "Much Ado About Nothing." Due to the great number of scenes in a Shakespearian drama it is necessary to arrive at a skeleton or permanent setting, which, by slight change, ad- dition or elimination of parts, to- gether with the help of lighting ef- fects, will serve as appropriate pic- torial background for the entire se- quence of action. This skeleton set- ting, furthermore, to be in harmony with the entire play, no matter how it may be varied in detail, must ex- press in its psychological effect on the audience, the spirit of this par- ticular comedy. Since "Much Ado About Nothing" represents a mad whirl of life, the permanent setting in this case is con- ceived as a central pivot, formed of six wings hinged together, a wheel of arches around which, and from which, the action of the entire play radiates. The varying spirit and the exact pictorial necessities of each scene are therefore expressed by simply altering the position of the hinged wings, by changes in lighting with consequent variation of shadows, together with a minimum of proper- ties, such as wreaths, banners, or fur- niture, suggestive of the character of the scene. Plate Three represents a ballroom scene. It shows the simplest arrange- ment of the model in which each wing radiates geometrically from the axis, suggesting an ornamental pavilion. In this instance a backdrop, further suggestive of a lofty ball- room, is used in supplement. To enrich the scene, festoons are en- twined around the pillars. The light- ing should come from the sides so as to give an effect of plasticity to both setting and actors. Used in this way, a particularly striking scene can be arranged by having the guests of the ball join hands at a moment of hilarity in the action and dance around the pavilion, winding in and out of the structure in the figures of an elaborate and effective May Pole dance. Plate Two represents an orchard scene at night. The same formation of the model is retained, as in Plate Three, and the effect of tree trunks is secured by the method of lighting. A flood of light is concentrated on the lower part of the back drop or cyclorama so that the spectator seems to be looking through the trunks of trees, silhouetted against the wall of a palace, lighted by a brilliant moon. If desired a few branches may be used to further suggest the forest feeling. The distinctive top of the permanent set can for this scene be eliminated by the use of a masking drop. Through this suggested grove of trees the audience will see only the forms and shadows of the moving characters. Plate One shows the model placed to give the illusion of the facade of the Ducal Palace. It is used perfectly flat for this purpose, making a straight line in plan. It is moved far back against the cyclorama with a full blaze of light thrown upon it. To further enhance the detail, ban- ners are hung from the front and potted trees are placed on either side in order to accentuate the formal symmetry of the building. 1 - V ii nss ORCHARD AND MOONLIGHT Plate Two By the methods illustrated in these three scenes an infinite variety of set- tings can be arranged with the simplest of accessories. In fact the greatest variation in the effects per- ceived by the audience will be the result of changes in lighting, all of which can be achieved with the use THE BALLROOM Plate Three Here the permanent setting is used as a Pavilion, festooned with flowers of the simplest of flood lights. Subtlety and nuance may be evoked by the use of dimmers and the light- ing of individual figures with baby spot lights. From this discussion it will be evi- dent to the producer of an amateur photoplay that such skeleton or per- manent settings, of which the one de- scribed is merely an example, offer a simple and effective solution of scenic problems, when used with the necessary accessories and proper lighting. Such settings, many differ- ent types of which will be seen in art theatre productions, can be in- expensively made of beaver board on frame work. Since the best amateur filming results are secured with closeups, these settings need not be large. They can be extended, how- ever, by the use of neutral curtains or drops. And since artificial lighting is not always available to the amateur, it is also possible, with care, to use these same methods for natural day- light filming. In short the use of realistic set- tings is not only expensive and dif- ficult for the amateur, but far more artistic effects can be secured through the combination of clever photo- graphy and atmospheric settings. In suggestion lies the secret. Through its adroit use the amateur may con- tribute to the cinema the same ad- vances in artistry which the little theatres have given to the commer- cial stage. In development of the thoughts so briefly outlined in this article lies much of the hope for de- velopment of the cinema into a dis- tinct art form. Seventeen Photograph by Stanley Educational Film Division THE PROHIBITION BLUES As played on a soft drink bottler for home projectors FOR some years makers of in- dustrial motion pictures have flourished as a worthwhile branch of the industry. Equipment equal in quality to that used in mak- ing the largest productions was avail- able to the industrial producer. The only drawback to the widespread use of industrials was the weight and bulk of the projection machinery with which the client's representa- tives were equipped. When sixteen millimeter film was first brought out for amateurs it was greeted with laughter by the indus- trialists. "Just a toy," they said. This attitude changed to one of jeal- ousy as executives, purchasing an outfit with which to photograph the family, discovered that they could take fair pictures of their plants and in that way carry their messages right into the offices of prospects. The attitude of jealousy soon passed however, as the amateurs discovered that the industrial producer, with his professional equipment, could pro- duce better results than they could SELLING WITH SIXTEEN Enormous factories or distant lands can be taken to the prospect's very office by amateur film and daylight screens INDUSTRIAL By Don Bennett and THE history of widespread adop- tion of amateur motion picture equipment for industrial purposes will be of interest to amateurs as it reveals unique applications of the in- struments of their personal hobby. themselves, and also present a more effective story as the result of pro- fessional experience. The present day practice, which has stood the test of time, is to photograph industrial films on the standard width stock and reduce the desired prints for use in the lighter and more compact pro- jection equipment. It was not long before someone conceived the idea of using movies in a window display, and as sixteen millimeter film is only made in a safety base, it was the only film ap- proved by the Underwriters Labora- tories for use in unprotected loca- tions. This same development brought about a great change in in- dustrials. Heretofore the picture simply presented the product or pro- cess in great detail with little or no attempt at a story. But with a win- dow machine, presenting the product direct to the buying public, it was necessary to include salesmanship in the picture and, as interest is the car- dinal point of salesmanship, the easi- est way to create interest was to in- (Continued on page 52) Eighteen FILMING E. F. Stevenson FUTURE developments in the in- dustrial motion picture field, as prophesied by Mr. Stevenson, hold deep import for all owners of ama- teur projectors, and for our readers who are executives of great corpora- tions. NATION wide use of home pro- jectors has opened up a tre- mendous new field for the distribution of industrial films with educational and entertainment value. Such a distribution, if wisely planned and executed, will not only be of benefit to industry, but a service to home projector owners as well. To the home projector owner it will mean that a new world of splendid films, expertly made to instruct while they entertain, will be opened up to his family at a nominal cost, or at no cost at all, for the concerns which adopt this "service" method of carrying their message to the public will be glad to send their films for mailing cost, or perhaps even free. To the manufacturer or merchant it will mean the opportunity to carry his plant or his product into thou- sands of homes and in time into mil- lions of homes. It will mean that he can talk to the entire family for fifteen minutes or more through the effective medium of motion pictures, which will visualize his story as spoken or printed words never do. Photograph by IJisuzraphic Pictures Corpn. THE ROMANCE OF MACHINERY As realized in Metropolis, the great German photoplay, can now be brought to the home via industrial films Since the amateur movie makers of today are the highest type of Ameri- can citizens, men and women of means and of culture, his message will be received by people who will be able to appreciate its every value, and. who, if they so desire, have the funds to avail themselves of what- ever he has to offer. Nor, since such films have been prepared for various commercial purposes, should the amateur fear SILVER SERVICE ON THE SILVER SCREEN The beauty and charm of many industrial films make them ideal for home entertainment Photograph by Stanley Educational Film. Division that thev will prove to be merely ad- vertisements. Millions have been spent by American industries in pre- paring films for their various needs. They have called on the best profes- sional talent, and the finest equip- ment has been used in their prepara- tion. It has been essential in their making that they should be interest- ing, if people were to be interested in seeing them. Therefore a large pro- portion of such films are human documents, tracing the history of great industries, telling the fascinat- ing stories of how products are made, (Continued on page 52) TITLE SUGGESTIONS On the facing page, THE GIANT, an art title background for your own use. Above: center, how art backgrounds look when titled; left, conventional border; right, special border. Below: le/t, cartoon title; right, plain title. TITLE DATA HE five different types of titles are as follows: The broken title, the trick title the spoken title, the narrative title and the comedy title. (See "The Title— The Mouth of the Movies" by James 0. Spearing, in the July issue of Amateur Movie Makers. Materials needed for various types of titles: a. Black and White Titles: 1. Black cardboard of good grade, even in tone, and really "black" (Many so-called blacks are dark gray), or 2. Title boards, with grooves into which celluloid letters are fitted. 3. Celluloid letters, procured through your dealer. These are fairly expensive, but can be used again and again. 4. Gummed white paper letters. These are pasted on the black card- board and cannot be used again. Procurable at Ticket & Tablet Co., 35 West 45th Street, New York, N. Y. 5. A good white ink or paint, ap- plied with pen or brush makes an excellent title if you are good at let- tering; be sure letters are opaque in order to get a good white. (Johnson's Snow White Ink is ideal.) 6. Borders around titles — admits of many variations — material used — brush white paint or ink. By Walter D. Kerst EACH month Amateur Movie Makers presents a data page which attempts to boil down the many sources of information on each sub- ject, or section of a large subject, so that a file of these data pages ivill give the amateur a summary of the information, most vital to his success in a convenient and easily accessible form. b. Art Titles: 1. Photograph used as background for titles — have photograph dark enough so that white letters can be read easily. 2. Pastel drawing used as back- ground— gives very soft tones on film — suggests atmosphere of the picture. 3. Cartoon drawings — for comedy titles — help tell the story. 4. Animated title— this can be done with many objects — dolls, let- ters, cartoon figures, etc. — makes a novel title. 5. Moving title — this is used when there are too many words in a title to go in the given space. After the first lines of the title are on the screen long enough to be read, the title moves slowly upward, bringing the remaining lines in view. (See: "The Fine Art of Titling" by W. J. McCarthy in the September issue of Amateur Movie Makers). How to Make Titles with the Filmo: 1. With Arc Light — Place arc light slightly nearer the title board than camera: camera should be between 30" and 36" distant from board, dependent on how it looks in the finder. Center board in finder. Then move it 1}4" to the right. This will assure centering the title on the film, because of the finder being mounted to the left of the lens, and the finder not registering accurately at such close range. It is advisable to use lens in focusing mount; if focusing mount is not available, unscrew regular fixed focus lens mount one complete turn so as to properly focus on title. Lens is now set for 30". Operate arc light on 20 am- peres of current; set diaphragm at F. 5.6, camera at normal speed. 2. With Incandescent Light — Two 250 watt lamps, 18 inches away from board and 12 inches from edge of the card. Use stop F:4.5 or F:5.6. Set camera at normal speed. 3. With B & H Character Title Writing Outfit the instructions are furnished with equipment. 4. In daylight — Title board should measure 10Vi"xl31/2" in size; letters from l/2" to 1V2" high; about 3/32" wide. Place camera 28" from front of title board, measure from the lens; center title in finder; move board l1^" to the right. Exposures; F:16 when board is in the bright sunlight; F:ll when light is hazy; F:8 when also using Filmolite. Use Twenty-one one foot of film for each five words of title. For one, two or three words, use a half to % of a foot. How to Make Titles with the Cine-Kodak : 1. Cine-Kodak Model B, F:6.5 lens — 20 mm. focal length — The dimension of the card, the bulletin board or the photograph should be 12V2 inches high by 17 inches wide. Set up the title card indoors or out, as the case may be. In photograph- ing outdoors in direct sunlight use stop F:8. In photographing indoors with the card in a patch of sunlight use F:6.5. Be sure to fully wind up the spring, then place Model B on a firm support, a bureau or table, with the lens exactly 30 inches from the card. The finder will not correctly frame the titles. Frame this way: Sight the Cine-Kodak by eye along the line on the top (where the door is attached to the camera) to a point IV2 inches above the center of the title and % inch left of the center. Since there is no focus to set you are now ready. Just press the lever, counting one second for each word, always oper- ating the camera for at least three seconds. 2. Cine Kodak Model B— F:3.5 — 25 mm. focal length lens. Direc- tions same as above except portrait attachment should be used; camera front 33" from title. 3. Cine Kodak Model A. Title cards should be 11" x 14", lens covers a field 9" x 12", when the camera is set at the proper distance (30 inches) for photographing. Letters in all titles should be about %" to %" high and about Vg" in thickness for lines making up the letters. If too narrow lines are used letter will "fill" and look dull when projected. Exposure outdoors — F.16. Artificial light: Two 250-watt lamps; 18" away from board and 12" from the edge of the card. Cam- era should be 30" from title; stop F.5.6; focus for 4 feet; crank 2 turns per second; one turn of crank for each word in title. 4. Cine Kodak Model B— F 1.9 For each title obtain a piece of black cardboard (9 x 11 inches) and either write or print the title on it with a small brush and white ink, being careful that the letters do not come closer than one and a half inches from the edge of the card. The most satisfactory results are obtained when the capital letters are made about five-eighths of an inch high and the small letters about three- eighths of an inch. When the ink is dry, tack the title card securely to a wall outdoors, in the direct sunlight. Place the Cine Kodak with the front twenty-four inches from the card, and level with the center of the title. Mark a point in ink exactly in the center of the Sight Finder lens. Frame the title by aiming the Cine Kodak so that a pencil mark two and a half inches above the center of the title appears above and just touching the ink spot on the finder lens. In doing this, look as nearly as possible through the center of the sight. Erase the pencil mark on the title before photo- graphing, but do not move the title or the camera. Set the focusing scale at two feet, and the lens diaphragm at F.ll. How to Make Titles with the Pathex : The Pathexgraph is a small device to be attached to Pathex Camera for the purpose of titling any view or subject just before photographing the same. To make titles: Insert a piece of white cardboard, 2 by 2 inches, in the card holder. Write titles very legibly with black ink or very black lead pencil on a white card and with- in the frame of the vignette. The vignette is a guide frame for the proper placing of the lettering. When title is written, lift and remove white card and replace it in card holder with writing facing lens. (The vignette is now hidden from lens by white card). Lens aperture of camera must be set two points wider than the subject you are to photograph. For instance, if the light and subject to be photo- graphed requires, as given in ex- posure chart, an aperture of 10, use for making title aperture 5. One turn of handle of camera is enough for each title. If you are using Pathex Automatic Drive on your camera, allow the same to run just one second. After film has been developed, by using the notcher, the title will remain projected on the screen sufficiently long enough to be easily read. After the title has been photo- graphed, bring down card holder to horizontal position — set lens aperture on camera in accordance with direc- tions on exposure chart and photo- graph object. To open camera without taking off Pathexgraph, raise horizontal part of frame until guides are disengaged from sides of camera. How to Make Titles with the Devry : Set the title about 32" from the front of camera. Standard letters are about 30 pt. type with the capitals %" to V2" high. It is not essential that the letters be strictly regular like those made by professional show card sign painters. The cards may be placed upside down in front of the camera for easy reading when focusing direct on the film, and the surface of the cards must be strictly parallel with the surface of the film in the aperture. The easiest lighting for the ama- teur to begin with is that obtained outdoors on a clear day. If this is not convenient and the photographer de- sires to work indoors, the card may be placed in the sun parlor in such a way that the light from the windows will fall on the card rather than the lens. If a sky-light is available, this also constitutes a good light On clear days the above forms of exposure may be successfully used without artificial lighting. In rooms) with ordinary lighting, artificial light should be used to reinforce the day- light— two 400 or 500 watt projector lamps. The lights should have re- flectors back of them to screen the light from the lens and from the eyes of the photographer, and reflect more of the light on the cards. Place the lamps one on each side of the title card, at about half the height of the card, in such a way as to secure even lighting of all the letters. The direct-on-the-film finder re- quires the use of a small magnifying glass, such as a jeweler uses. Place the glass with the lens side to the eye, directly over the opening at the side of the camera. Turn the open- ing in the lens to its highest point F 3.5, in order to get as much light on the film as possible, for clear vision with the magnifying glass. The above directions apply when the amateur wants negative titles from which he can make any number of positives. Where only the one print will be required, it is more economical to use positive film in the camera for titles. In that case use black ink on white cardboard for copy. The letters will then de- velop white in the dark room, and the film can be attached directly to the positive picture prints. How to Make Titles with the Victor-Cine Camera: These titles are made by means of a device attached to the camera. Ex- plicit directions for using this device with the New Victor are not available at this writing, but will b published in next month's "Clinic." How to Make Titles with the Eyemo, the Institute Standard and Sept Cameras: Follow the same general directions as given for the other types of cameras, making allowance for the size of title cards and distance of camera from card. Twenty-two One of the beautiful motion picture locations in Cuernavaca, Mexii T w e n t y - 1 h i : e e THE CATHEDRAL OF CUERNAVACA MOVIE MAKERS' MEXICO On Location at Cuernavaca Where Beauty and Romance Await the Amateur UTSTANDING o f Mexican towns in beauty and interest to the amateur movie maker, who is also a winter traveler, is Cuerna- vaca, nestling 4,600 feet above sea level, and located only forty miles by motor car, or seventy- five miles by railway, from Mexico City. Owing to the varied display of vegetation, the ever changing scenery between the valleys of both cities, and the sublime appearance of mountains and volcanoes that offer the camera of the traveler an un- equaled show of majesty, the jour- ney to Cuernavaca is extremely in- teresting and enjoyable. In the valley of Cuernavaca, tucked in among the mighty vol- canoes, Ixtlacihuatl ("white woman" in the Aztec tongue), Popocatepetl ("smoking mountain"), and the mas- sive Ajusco, lies this camera para- dise, odd and quaint under a deep blue sky. It greets the eye with the exuberant green of palm, laurel and cypress, through which are glimpsed the red tile roofs of the houses, erect- Twenty-four By Carlos Tejeda Illustrated by the Author ed along narrow, uneven streets in the manner of a Spanish village. Hoary with age stands the antique palace of the Conqueror Cortez, one of the romantic spots of the town, which no cameraman could resist. The musty old Cathedral and other churches built by the Spaniards in the XVII Century constitute other mystic and graceful features of Cuer- navaca. They vividly suggest pic- tures of evening twilight, peace per- vading the dusky surroundings, and the grave chiming of the nearby church bell, casting a veil of medi- tation over the spirit of II Penseroso. Across the street from the Cathe- dral, and totally enclosed within high walls, is the old Jardin Borda, named after the powerful miner and millionaire who created it. Within, the visitor experiences a sense of grandeur and solitude, created by the tropical wealth of vegetation around him which expresses itself in trees of colossal height and multitudinous flowers that pervade the air with their essence, while here and there soft whispering fountains give an old fashioned and romantic character to the spot. A beautiful panorama of the valley is beheld from a "mira- dor," a sort of informal watch tower, erected in one of the corners of the garden. Here, indeed, are a multitude of opportunities for filming the ex- quisite. During the last century the Em- peror Maximilian, his wife and Em- press, Carlota, and their retinue dwelt for some time in Borda's Gar- den. The royal couple grew very fond of this beautiful place that basks under a sky diaphanous as the Andalusian heavens. An American enterprise now has a lease on the property, which it has transformed into a very good hotel, the Borda Gardens Inn, most desirably located in the midst of this small forest. One of the old ponds has been trans- formed into a swimming pool, but happily the precious traces of past centuries, and an intentional care- lessness that is suggestive of both poetry and history, have not been effaced. Fascinating subjects for the cam- era are also to be found in visiting the typical industries of Cuernavaca. Here are to be seen and filmed the manufacture of pottery, sandals, hats, baskets of very good taste, and native jewelry, the best specimens of which are neck chains of a bright red bead from a tree called "colorin." Among the interesting spots in the neighborhood of Cuernavaca is Xochicalco, or ''place of flowers," twenty-five miles away. Before the time of Cortez there was a town on this spot erected by the native race of the Toltecs ( Ulmecas ) . It is in ruins at present and a great number of mounds may be seen under which lie temples and palaces. Some of these have been unearthed and the purity of their architectural style, as well as the ornaments and bas-reliefs give evidence of high aesthetic gifts, and invite the traveler's cine camera. The ruins of Xochicalco have been visited by archaeologists from all parts of the world, as this spot is the cradle of aboriginal Mexican civili- zation. The founders of Xochicalco, the Toltecs, were the masters whose influence was greatly felt by the Maya, Aztec, Totonac and Zapotec civilizations, and Xochicalco, being a purely Toltec town, is one of the oldest in the New World, as well as the most beautiful and genuine from an artistic viewpoint. The "Caves of Cacahuamilpa" are another attraction, located forty miles from Cuernavaca by motor car. These caves are the subject of numberless legends. Bandits in flight, after having committed evil deeds, have hidden in their fathomless depths. Shepherds and explorers have been lost in their labyrinths and died there, starved and frenzied. Lovers have there attempted to live again the idyl of Paolo and Fran- cesca and have not seen the light of day again, only their skeletons have been found, twined in a farewell em- brace. Thus run the countless stories. In truth, there is no danger lurk- ing in the caves at present, and twice a week groups of excursionists ar- rive from all parts by automobile and are conducted by guides through the famous caves. Light furnished by first rate electric reflectors enhances the beauty of the vaults, enabling photographers and cameramen to make advantageous use of their cam- eras. The tourist finds the entrance to the caves in a cavity on the moun- tain, and, as he enters, the span be- tween the ground and the roof of the CARLOS TEJEDA cave widens gradually, until he comes to spots where the Cathedral of Saint Patrick of New York City could stand without reaching the roof. In order that the tourist may appreciate the magnitude of this masterpiece of nature, the guide oc- casionally fires rockets that explode without touching the rock, thus piercing the darkness and revealing SPANISH COLONIAL FOUNTAIN In the Jardin Borda the astounding height of the vault. Forming weird pictures, the stalac- tites and stalagmites drop from the darkness above and emerge from the darkness below, in a white, ghostly confusion, like some awesome scene from Dante's Inferno. They ape im- mense organs; gothic cathedrals of unbounded size; a silent procession of monks climbing up a hill, crowned by mysterious darkness; a high throne, occupied by an imagined royal being, rearing itself in ghastly majesty; phantoms which bring to minds dreadful tales; ferociously fanged beasts, like Cerberus, hiding in concealed nooks; feudal fortres- ses, dark and sinister. To the present the end of the labyrinths has not been discovered, although a span of eight miles has been explored, con- stituting galleries and vaults con- nected by passes so narrow that it was necessary to crawl through them. However, as new vaults are discov- ered, they are fitted with lights and a comfortable entrance. When the tourist finally retraces his steps, and nears the exit, he catches a glimpse of dazzling bluish light, like the dawn of a new day. It is the sunlight breaking into a thou- sand colors through the crystal prisms of the stalactities. Luminous life returns as he steps outside. Eager eyes embrace the free spaces. Behind is left a fascinating but awful night- mare. Many other spots near Cuernavaca invite the cinematographer and the pleasure seeker. There is still the Amacuzas River, born in a gap in the bosom of the mountain, the love- ly waterfall of San Anton, and a score of other matchless sights. In short Cuernavaca and its surround- ings are endowed with hidden spots as beautiful, and with details as artistic, as their panoramas are gifted with majesty and grandeur. Twenty -five AEROPLANES AND EVERYTHING ACTORS as AMATEURS The Rochester Community Players Produce a Photoplay NE more group has gone in for amateur photoplay producing. "Fly Low Jack and the Game," a three-reeler made by the Rochester Community Players on amateur standard film, is having its first public showing October 13th at the Community Players' Theater. The Community Players are a group of enthusiasts for the "legitimate drama," with a membership widely rep- resentative of Rochester life. Being in "The Kodak City," they, least of all, could elude the bacillus amateurcine- maticus, and they turned their dramatic talents to mak- ing a movie as an experiment. "Fly Low Jack and the Game" was directed by Mrs. Harold Gleason and photographed by Harris B. Tuttle and Allan H. Mogensen. Mrs. Gleason had had her in- troduction to amateur photoplay making in a comedy produced by members of the faculty of the University of Rochester and shown at a faculty entertainment this spring. The Community Players' movie is rather a pretenti- ous affair; and yet the making of it was simplicity itself. Most sensational, there is an aeroplane crash that equals — at least so think the amateur producers — any- thing that has come out of Hollywood. An able and willing flyer's maneuvers and the wreckage of an old plane did the photographic trick. Also there was a polo game, with the principal actors mounted. But it was easy enough to borrow horses for the occasion on the sidelines of a game actually in prog- ress without relation to the picture. There are lawn scenes, beautiful interiors taken at f. 1.9, a drawing room scene taken in evening clothes on a sun porch at 8:30 in the morning, a swimming pool scene with the aged uncle falling in with his wheel chair, and many other "thrillers" after the best movie manner. The story was original with the Rochester Community Players. It concerns the efforts of two wartime aviators to persude the rich and gouty uncle of one of them to finance their projected polar flight. The principal actors were Mrs. Harris B. Tuttle, Mrs. Angela Cobb Sessions, Mrs. Allan H. Mogensen, Wil- bur W. O'Brien, William W. Winans, Jr., and Howard T. Cumming. Harris B. Tuttle and Allan H. Mogensen were the cameramen. THE BIG SWIMMING POOL SCENE Twenty-six BILLY STARTS SCHOOL A Timely Home Scenario By Vera Standing PERHAPS your Billy, or Helen or Dick began their schooling this fall, and, if so, why not re- inact that mem- orable occasion before your ama- teur camera? Or perhaps some of your friends are the proud parents who have just weathered that de- lightful family crisis. You can make them supremely happy by acting as their cameraman. All that is neces- sary, in either case, is to adapt the following continuity to your own needs. Or, if you so desire, you can write a new one with this as a model. Under stress of the actual oc- curance it would not, perhaps, have been wise to attempt such a filming. The general excitement on such a momentous day would not permit of careful planning and execution of even the simplest scenario. But once your revival of the rush for school is on the screen you will forget com- pletely that it was not absolutely the true moment, as long as you have kept the action and the characteriza- tion natural. Remember, every single time the relation of camera and scene changes, if only to bring the camera closer or remove it to a distance, you have an entirely new scene on the screen and in the continuity. If you introduce more action into this continuity, notice particularly whether you can put it into a scene already there or whether you have to interpolate a brand new one and remember them all as a re- sult. Spoken titles are always follow- ed by a bit of the scene in which the person is speaking, if only to show him finish moving his lips. ^ ou shoot the whole scene, with the right per- sons visibly speaking, and not until you are editing the print do you in- sert the print of the title into the right place. The first and smaller figure for suggested footage is for 16 mm. or 9 mm. film, (which work out the same in footage) and the second and larger figure is for 35 mm. film. In each case, however, the running time will be approximately the same, as each 'I Guess These Will Have to Do Me For Today' film projects at the rate of sixteen frames per second. The first footage given in each case is not always iden- tical with the second in number of frames, but nearly so. Here's luck! Cast of Characters Billy, six years old. Rob, his older brother, ten or twelve years old. Beth, his older sister, about eight or nine years old. Mummy Daddy Mrs. White, a neighbor. Julie, her little girl, about the age of Beth. Interior — A pretty suburban dining room or breakfast porch. (The lat- ter will minimize lighting prob- lems.) Exteriors — The front of the house and the street on which it is situated. Another street, with a school build- ing. Scene 1. Dining room. Medium shot. Table in the foreground, door to one side in the rear. Daddy and Beth and Rob are al- ready at breakfast. Daddy is read- ing the paper while he eats. Billy comes running in and stops beside Daddy, while Mother follows after and sits down at her place. Daddv drops his paper as Billy reaches up to him. (3% ft.-8 ft.) Scene 2. Dining room. Semi-closeup. Camera on same side of table as characters. Daddy bends toward Billv as the latter says excitedly. Spoken Title 1. Daddy, I'm go- ing to start school to-day. (2-5) Daddy pretends to be dreadfullv surprised, and carefully measures Billy to see if he is big enough. Then he gives Bill a big hug. Mummy comes partly into the scene and draws Billy gentlv to- ward his chair, between his par- ents. (5-12.) Scene 3. Dining room. Medium shot. Camera behind and a little to one side of characters. Mummy ties on Billy's napkin and points to the clock on the opposite wall. (2-5.) Scene 4. Dining room. Clock. Close- up. The hands of the clock point to eight-thirty. (2-5.) (Continued on page 50) Twenty-seven AN EERY SCENE FROM DR. MABUSE Photograph by Ufa The Joy Girl Fox Film Corporation Directed by Allan Dwan „, iii George Webber Photographed by. . . William Miller Depth Through Lighting: In several shots fine depth is secured by brilliant natural sunlight flooding the background while the foreground is a shaded portico. The action varies between the lighted and shad- owed portions of the scene. Economy of Sets: Located at Palm Beach this photoplay is astoundingly economical in sets. Out- door scenes predominate. Indoor scenes are the interior of a modest cottage, a hotel bedroom, the interior of an expensive summer home and the interior of a fashionable dress- making and millinery shop. Presum- ably these are built sets although the high light of the summer and the ease of naturally lighting any inter- ior with present-day equipment would make a similar scenario entirely use- able by amateurs. Net Results Stanley Educational Slow Motion: Much has been written in this magazine about the possibilities of slow motion photog- raphy in recording and teaching va- rious sports. This film is a good ex- ample of such analysis and can serve as a model of this type of filming. Camera Angles: Variety in film- ing such pictures is well illustrated by scenes from unusual angles, vary- ing from shots made with the camera on the ground looking up, to tower shots looking down on the court. Twenty-eight THE photoplays listed here are recommended to amateurs for study in their local theatres because the particular cliaracteristics noted below can be used by amateurs to advantage in filming their own pic- tures. High Hat First National Pictures, Inc. Directed by Joseph Creelman Photographed by. . .William Schurr Photograph by First Rational GIDDIAP NAPOLEON Snowstorm a la Hollywood in High Hat Movie Burlesque: Many secrets of professional picture making are revealed in this burlesque of the in- dustry and therefore it is a particu- larly helpful picture for the study of amateurs. Tricks: Among the methods re- vealed are the stunts by which the professionals simulate rainstorms, and snowstorms, and also the use of models for miniature work and of moving backgrounds are well illus- trated. Lighting: The correct use of arcs and spotlights is shown clearly throughout this picture. Dummy lights and cameras are used as prop- erties on the sets, and the scenes, of course, are lighted by duplicate lights and the picture taken with du- plicate cameras. The Cat and the Canary Universal Pictures Corporation. Directed by Paul Leni Photographed by . Gilbert Warrenton Stereoscopic Illusion: By plac- ing objects between the camera and the scene, as, for example, a candle- stick, or a big vase, the illusion of three dimensions is cleverly sug- gested. This device is analogous to- framing the scene through arches or doorways, but its application is un- usual and highly effective. In one instance in which the heroine had in a title just said that she felt as if she- were in a cage, she is photographed through the barred back of a chair,, with excellent psychological effect. New Title Device: The lead title opens with a gray cobwebby leader. Then a hand sweeps across the screen, wiping away the cobwebs- and clearing the lettered title so it may be read. This clever effect could easily be imitated, and other mate- rials could be used, such as sand, or wet plaster. Shadows: Again the power of shadows to create atmosphere and carry suggestion are adroitly used throughout this picture, in this case: to increase the feeling of mystery and terror. The Gothic architecture of the sets lends itself particularly well to this purpose, and, also, by its eery character brightens the effect. Dissolves: In the opening se- quence of this picture dissolves, dou- ble and triple exposures are used with consummate cleverness, and they tell the history of twenty years in a few feet of film, a re- markable use of these devices and an economy of execution which is seldom equaled. INSIDE STUFF IN HIGH HAT And this is a birdseye view of the works What Price Glory Fox Film Corporation Directed by Raoul Walsh Photographed by.... Barney McGill Close-Ups: Seldom have close-ups been used so effectively as in the se- quence designed to express the hor- rors of the war front, in which one close-up dissolves rapidly into an- other. Without the use of the con- ventional long shots of battlefields a more powerful impression of actual modern warfare is given by this se- ries of close-ups than hitherto achieved in films. While the deft PITY THE SAILORS When this model starts to rock in High Hat Photograph by First J^lational Photographs by First National THE DELUGE Delivered as ordered for High Hat technique of dissolving one scene into another is still difficult for ama- teurs it is not impossible, but even without the dissolves such a series of close-ups, touching on the salient points of the story to be told, would prove a clever and effective variation in amateur filming. Underworld Paramount-Famous-Laskey Directed by. . Joseph Von Sternberg Photographed by Bert Glennon Short Closeups: To give a run- ning impression of the crowd at the crooks ball a series of very short closeup flashes is used. Thus one gets a series of definite impressions in rapid succession, which leave a total- ity of impression that is panoramic. Use of such very short flashes for the same purpose can be adopted by amateurs whenever a crowd is ger- mane to the action. (Continued on page 53) i~~ ■ m i - -„ a w Twenty-nine Annual membership in the Amateur Cinema League is $5 which includes a one year subscription to AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS at the special rate to members of $2 a year. Life membership one hundred dollars, paying all dues and subscriptions for life. Subscription for AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS to non-members of the Amateur Cinema League, $3 a year (Foreign $3.50; Canada $3.25). Around the Wor To the thirty countries named on this map Am asm to its readers and to Amateur Cinema Lea THIS WORLD-WIDE LE n Eleven Months i Movie Makers has spread amateur enthusi- lembers since its first appearance last December. JE WANTS YOU TOO Please send me further, information concerning the Amateur Cinema League and Amateur Movie Makers. Name Address "„',',' j t ' ■ '* * ■■• f-MATBUR MOVIE MAKERS luiii.lnj .loll.,,,. ,,,,.,. || ",' " s" '' "■■"■ ' "' mS§gj; North Africa and Asia Minor — many unusual and interesting spots that are missed by the ord - -1 nary tourist. Note the list of places we will visit. One fee includes all expenses, on board and on shore. All arrange- ments for hotels, special trains, motors, guides, etc., have been made in advance, relieving you of all de- tails. Come with Gardner Wells on hi: sixth picture making trip to Medi terranean countries. The party will be small — and the demand for reservations great. To avoid disappointment, send the coupon or write for full particulars NOW. James Boring and Gardner Wells will both accompany the Cruise. Funchal, Madeira, Gibraltar, Spain, Algiers, Tunis and Carthage, Valetta, Malta, Athens, Constantinople, Be- irut, Syria, Pale- stine, Egypt, Syra- cuse, Sicily, Naples and Rome, Monte Carlo and the Riviera. James Borings Travel Service, inc. 45 ASTOR PLACE NEW YORK CITY Personal Direction of GARDNER WELLS "Assistants to the Traveling Movie Maker" Thirty-eight GARDNER WELLS James Boring's Travel Service, Inc., 45 Astor Place, New York City. Please send me particulars of the Movie Makers' Mediterranean -Cruise under your personal direc- tion, sailing from Hew Tor\ February 8th, 1928. Name Address City State "^Nfc^S mm NEWS c INDUSTRY for AMATEURS and 1 DEALERS Devry in 16 Millimeter THE DeVRY JUNIOR, the long awaited sixteen millimeter pro- jector of the DeVry Corpora- tion, manufacturers of the DeVry standard cameras and projectors, is now ready and Amateur Movie Makers has the privilege of making the first announcement and publish- ing the first photograph of this new amateur product. Weighing only seven pounds and selling for $85.00, it is reported as throwing an unusually brilliant pic- ture five feet wide and four feet high at a distance of twenty-five feet. This is made possible because the 200 watt lamp is supported by a perfect optical system, including a specially ground reflector and an F 2 lens, features hitherto included only in the most expensive projectors. The low- price is said to be made possible by the DeVry system of precision- volume production. Threading is simplicity itself on the DeVry Junior. The film is simply slipped around two rollers, through the gate and in less than thirty sec- onds the picture is ready to project. The motor is universal for either A.C. or D.C. current, and is said to run so steadily and quietly that those in the room are scarcely aware of it. Speed is adjustable to suit variations in voltage. It may also be cranked by hand for special effects, for re- versing the picture, etc. It has both automatic and hand rewind. The machine is so compact it can be packed in a space ten inches high, seven inches wide and eight inches from front to back. The DeVry Junior may be sum- marized as a machine which puts high grade, brilliant pictures within reach of the average home, and also provides, at low cost, a 16mm. pro- THE NEW DeVRY JUNIOR PROJECTOR jector, brilliant enough to be used in school and club rooms for group projection. Photograph by Pathex Hy Mayer Famous cartoonist gets the amateur bug For Filmos New accessories listed in the cata- logue just issued by Bell & Howell include: the Dremophot Exposure Meter, the New Bell & Howell Iris Vignetter, the Heartform Tripod, the Ramstein Sky Filter, the new Filmo Framed Motion Picture Screen and the Filmo Selective Color * Screen Attachment for Filmo Projectors. These additional features extend still further the possibilities for pleasure and perfection in amateur cinemato- graphy for users of Bell & Howell products. Reel News AVAILABILITY of the features of three of the greatest pro- fessional producing companies is a vital development in the amateur industry revealed by the advertising pages of this month's Amateur Movie Makers. Kodascope an- nounces the release of Para- mount - Famous - Laskey productions through its rental libraries. Show-At- Home Movie Library, Inc., inaugu- rates distribution of Universal Pic- tures Corporation and other high- class features on a rental basis. Pathe Exchange. Inc., makes its bow to the amateur market with the announce- ment of Pathegrams, which will draw on Pathe features and short subjects for its releases to be sold outright. No more definite recognition of the immense growth of the home motion picture movement and its importance in future plans of the motion pic- ture industry could be given than the placing of the products of these im- mense organizations at the service of the amateur. This movement is not a sudden step but comes as the result of long and careful investigation of the possibilities of the home mo- tion picture field. Other great pro- ducers are now vitally interested in the possibilities of this latest motion picture distribution development, and it is probable that in the near future all of the great national film organi- zations will be represented in the field of home films. Another important library develop- ment is the organization of a new ren- tal service to be known as Home Film Libraries, Inc., with branches in principal cities. Films of 750 feet length will be rented at moderate rates, and leading dealers will act as distributors. Operation will begin October 1. Thirty-nine A SPECIAL FEATURE For the 16 mm. Projector Prey of the U'35 A Trip Around the World Visiting New York, England, France, Germany, Turkey, Egypt, India, China, Japan, Hawaii and San Francisco by steamship, air and rail — in four minutes. Produced by Wafilms, Inc. 100 Feet -- $7.50 Flashes of Action Containing stunts of speed every form, a thrill every o every form, a thrill second. in every other Produced by Wafilms, Inc 100 Feet $7.50 The Race for a Siding One of the "Hazards of Helen" Railroad Stories. During the ac- tion of the picture you see a re markable feat of daring. Helen jumps from the top of a rapidly moving box car upon a runaway engine. EXPLOITS OF THE GERMAN SUBMARINE U-35 This is a German official war pic- ture of very great historic value, and no film library should be with' out it. You see the actual shelling and sinking of several allied steam- ships, life on the submarine, and other scenes that portray the perils of the sea during the Great World War. 100 Feet -- $7.50 CHARLIE CHAPLIN With Chester Conklin and Mabel Normand IN THE BRAWL Here is a comedy scrap that is a scream from start to finish. Conning Tower of the U-35 and One of Her Victims Mysterious India An interesting compilation of the many exotic peoples and palces in this little known land. Produced by Wafilms, Inc. 100 Feet $7.50 Evolution of Aviation 1909-1927 Containing news of all the im- portant first flights in history — Wright Brothers, Harry Houdini, Katherine Stinson, Lincoln Beachy, Grieve-McKen^ie, N. C. 4 Flight, Lindberg, Etc. Produced by Wafilms, Inc. 100 Feet $7.50 100 Feet $7.50 100 Feet $7.50 A Trip to Coney Island The Playground For Ten Million People; Thousands bathing on the beach; the world famous Board- walk; shooting the chutes; the fly- ing boats; the circus and many other novelties. 100 Feet -- $7.50 Pictures made on Standard Width Negatives by Professional Camera Men especially for the 16 mm. Projectors — and never shown before ! Order Direct From Me If Your Dealer Cannot Supply You. WILLIAM WRIGHT 11 West 42nd Street, New York, N. Y. WILLIAM WRIGHT, 11 West 42nd Street, New York, N. Y. Please Send Me Advance Information On Your Forth- coming New Pictures Made Especially For All 16 MM Projectors. Name Street and Number City and State Name of Dealer Forty Completing the new library offer- ings for October, Movie Gems, pro- duced by the Movie Craft Film Co., enters the outright sale field with "deluxe motion pictures for home en- tertainment," featuring in its first re- leases a group of unusual sports films. Survey of the library field, which has become such an important factor in the amateur motion picture situ- ation, reveals that there are now twenty-three libraries of various types conveying their messages to the nation through the pages of Amateur Movie Makers, owned by the ama- teurs themselves, and the only direct medium through which they can be told of such offerings. Of these libraries, nineteen offer subjects for outright sale, three have rental ser- vices and one is a film exchange. An alphabetical list of the sale libraires includes: Cine Art Produc- tions, Cinegraphs (Eastman Kodak Co.), Empire Safety Film Co., Filmo Library (Bell & Howell Co.), Gen- eral Film Library Highlites From the News (Wm. J. Ganz Co.), Bur- ton Holmes Lectures, Inc., F. Miller, Movie Gems (Movie Craft Film Co.), Paramount Manufacturing Co., Pathegrams (Pathe Exchange, Inc.), Stanley Educational Film Division, United Projector & Film Corpora- tion, U. S. Personal Film Trading Co., Show-At-Home Movie Library, Inc. (featuring Universal Pictures), Wafilms, Inc., Gardner Wells (James Boring's Travel Service, Inc.), Wil- loughbys, and William Wright. The rental libraries are Home Film Libraries and Kodascope Libraries (featuring Paramount Pictures), and Show-at-Home Movie Library men- tioned above. The Home Film Ex- change advertises a film exchange. This rapid broadening of the library field is of first importance to the amateur as it means a wider field of selection for projector owners, as well as assurance of progressively better films for the home. Editing Aid EACH month sees some new dev- ice of value to the amateur movie maker developed by A. C. Hayden of Brockton, Massachusetts. (Continued on page 42) New Professional Releases for Your Home Library VITALUX Releases are big productions in everything but gauge of film! Professional direction — famous film stars — rollicking comedies — splendid educational and topical pictures — expert photography — all on 16 mm. Eastman safety film. No finer en- tertainment for your friends — or for yourself! Six Big October Releases! "Phoebe's Fellows" — comedy with Dorothy Devore $7.50 "All Aboard" — Comedy with Bobby Vernon 7.50 "Willie's Wallet" — Comedy with Henry Murdock, and "Down On The Farm" — Educational 7.50 "Sweet Revenge" — Comedy with Charlotte Merriam 7.50 "Summer Showers" — Comedy with Neal Burns 7.50 "Two Of A Kind" — Comedy with Henry Murdock and "Boy Scouts of America" — Educational 7.50 If your dealer cannot supply you, send check or money order to the address below. We will gladly mail films prepaid. Also send for list of November and December releases. AUTOMATIC MOVIE DISPLAY CORP. 130 WEST 46th STREET New York City, N. Y. Cullen's Special Filmo Camera Case Quality Plus Usefulness Made of heavy sole leather with plush lining. Compartments for 4 100 ft. Cine films, telephoto lens, fast lens, color filters, finders, etc. Very little larger than the regular case but a hundred times more con- venient. BLACK $20 TAN $25 Allowance made on your old case. The Dremophot I f -DREMOPHOT For correct exposure. We have tested all the various ex- posure meters and have found this to be by far the best for your movie work. True Ball Tripod Top A twist of the handle locks in any de- sired position. Action is smooth; Ab- sence of gears eliminates all possibility of loose play. Price $15 r New Yorkers! Our projection room is an amateur's clubhouse and laboratory combined. Projectors, arc lights, splicers, etc., al- ways at your disposal. You'll meet other movie-makers — from delvers to fanatics. Advice and assistance galore. Drop in and get acquainted! C U LL EN 12 Maiden Lane New York City We have the most complete line of amateur movie appa- ratus in the financial district. Forty-one "AMERICA GOES OVER" Famous Battle Pictures of the World War now Available for Home Movie Projection! FOR the first time the United States Government has released movies taken by the U.S. Signal Corps at the front. This, the only officially released picture-record of America's part in the great conflict, is now on sale at our store. Actual close-ups of zero hour attacks, airplane battles, the massing of forces for the big offensive. Romance . . . glamor . . . pathos . . . history in the making! The entire picture (xooo feet of Eastman 16 m/m film) for only $150. Also 5 Kodak Cinegraphs costing $15 each O-00 feet which may be purchased separately) on the following subjects: "Chateau - Thierry and the Aisne- Marne Operation", "The St. Mihiel Drive", "The Meuse- Argonne", "Flashes of Action", "Our Navy in the World War". Stop in today and inquire about them. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Madison at 45th St. KODAK* New York City Improve Your Picture Average SUPERLAB SERVICE will help you Take your next negative to your dealer--for SUPERLAB Developing and Printing Or send direct to us with name of your dealer SUPERLAB CORPORATION 233 West 42nd Street New York City Wisconsin 4020 Laboratories — Palisade, N. J. During September he has perfected a combination Rewind- Viewing-Splic- ing unit, which will be of great aid to amateurs who enjoy editing and titling their films. The features of this device provide a method of mak- ing a quick change of reels, so that you can take out one piece of film from a reel and put on another reel in a very short time. Also the films can be moved in either direction without change of reels from one spindle to the other. The rewind arrangement allows the film to be turned up one frame at a time or to be rewound from spool to spool in either direction at high speed. The means for viewing the film is pro- vided by an ordinary twenty-five candle power lamp, under the bed where the splicing is done, a magni- fying glass being placed above the lighted frame of the film which en- larges the picture five times. This is adjustable for different eyesights. When you come to the part of the film to be cut and spliced, both sides of the cut are made at once by sim- ply pressing a lever. Then the film is scraped, cemented together and put under the proper pressure to make a good splice. This completes the operation. The film cannot be spliced the wrong way, as you cannot put the reels on the wrong way, and the pic- ture is always right side up when passing the viewer. The machine is very compact and easily carried. Home News Reel THRILLS and Spills on Land and Sea," is the title of the most re- cent release of "Highlites from the News", No. 5, produced by William J. Ganz Company. It shows a mine layer tossed about like a little cork; a burning tanker and rescue of the crew; a steeplechase with a lot of spills; a Western Rodeo with cow- boy stunts and a hair raiser in slow motion; a terrific race of motor cars, a skid and the driver thrown in the air while the car somersaults several times. These "be" thrills. Also through the activity of the Ganz Company Illinois fans did not have to worry about shortage of seats or high prices for the recent Demp- sey-Tunney match. Having secured exclusive 16 mm. rights on the match this concern placed 100 feet reels of this event with local dealers almost as soon as the result was announced by the newspapers. Because of the Federal laws restricting the distribu- tion of fight films from one state to another, the films were distributed through Lyon & Healy, Inc., of Chi- cago, to whom the state's rights for Illinois were granted. World War ACTUAL submarines sinking, printed from captured German film, and combat by artillery, tanks, aeroplanes and infantry are a part of the stirring events included in an Eastman Kodak Cinegraph, just re- leased for use on amateur projectors. The film, five reels in all, is a complete record of America's part in the Great War, and was produced exclusively on 16mm. film having been edited from 2,000,000 feet of official Signal Corps Motion pictures. General Pershing, one of the ablest of judges, said that it was the best pictorial record of the war he had seen. The film is to be distributed either as a whole — 2,000 feet — or as sepa- rate 200-foot Cinegraphs A Plea for Vigilance INASMUCH as toy projectors will soon make their annual holiday appearance it becomes necessary to warn League members and readers of Amateur Movie Makers that they must insist that such projectors be equipped with non-inflammable film and thus prevent both amateur and professional motion picture showing from totally undeserved dis- credit. Professional exhibition of motion pictures has been surrounded by ev- ery safeguard. Of course amateur films are all made on safety stock and no danger exists in their use. Amateurs should insist that these fine examples be followed by the toy manufacturers and sellers. Flam- mable films shown without adequate safeguards can be dangerous and especially so in the hands of chil- dren, and it is said that flammable films are often sold with toy pro- jectors and without precautionary warnings, which leaves the burden of precaution entirely on the shoulders of the public. Whenever an accident, therefore, results motion picture films are immediately placed on the defensive and both professional and amateur development is retarded by the shaken confidence of a small por- tion of the public. The managing director of the Ama- teur Cinema League will appreciate a letter from any League member or any reader of these pages giving in- formation of any toy projectors equipped with flammable film being offered for sale in any place. The League wishes to take every proper action to safeguard projection from undeserved criticism, caused by the appearance of flammable films for use in toy projectors. Forty-two "Better Movie" Suggestions from "The Movie People" Title Borders for Bell & Howell Character Title Writer Now your movie titles can have much of the ar- tistic variety and finish of those seen in theatres. Bell &? Howell Title Borders are furnished in sets of twelve different patterns. All are die-cut from a leather-finish paper stock that photographs beautifully. Used with Bell 6? Howell Char- acter Title Writer, described below. A Title Border is placed over the black Title Writer card. Title is then lettered or scene pasted on the card, inside the border. When filmed, the border gives a beautifully grained gray leather effect, contrasting with black background and white lettering. Price, per set of 12 Title Borders 75c. Invaluable for Movie "Interiors" LL FOR over twenty years Bell 5? Howell cameras and equipment have been used in producing nearly all featured movies shown in best theatres. From this vast spc cialized experience comes Filmo Camera, Projector and many simple, high-quality ac cessories for making better movies of your own. Write for Booklets Bell & Howell Character Title Writer This is, in reality, a miniature movie stage, illum- inated by two powerful electric lights. Back of the lights a clamp is provided for fixing the cam- era firmly in place. Upon the "stage" all manner of effects may be produced while they are photo- graphed. Animated cartoons, the autographs of friends, titles illustrated by pictures cut from magazines and many other unique movie varia- tions are possible through this accessory. Price, complete, ready to use, $45. Attractive carrying case included. Mark coupon for descriptive cir- cular. The Halldorson Arc Lamp This lamp is the simplest and finest available to the amateur for producing scenarios or taking family movies in the home. All parts of the Halldorson Arc Lamp except tripod fold into a com- pact carrying case which, when opened, is really the lamp itself. No other lamp has this compact, self-incasing feature. Abso- lutely safe to use in the home or studio. The arc gives steady blue-white light most effective for interior photography. Hall- dorson Arc Lamp, complete as illustrated $65.00 Extra carbons are only 10 cents each. Mark coupon. BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois New York, Hollywood, London (B & H Co., Ltd.) Established 1907 Ramstein Sky Filter for partial picture screen' ing against sky, water, beach, snow or other hriU liant areas The construction of the new Ramstein Sky Filter is such that any bright part of the picture can be screened, still allowing full exposure to dark objects, foregrounds or other parts of the scene requiring greater exposure. Made of two pieces of carefully selected opti- cal glass, one yellow and one white. Both are of tapering wedge shape, fused together as one piece, evenly graded from white to yellow. Any intensity of this graduation may be used as light conditions may require. Ramstein Sky Filter for regular Filmo lens, price $3.60 New Filmo Framed Screen This new screen hangs on the wall like a picture. The frame is polychrome blue, shaded with sil- ver. The screen surface is silvered — the same type as used in theatres. It is flat as a pane of glass, and as rigid, because permanently mounted on a non-warping, veneered board. Equipped with eyelets for hanging on wall, and gilded base bars (pivoted) for standing on table. Price, complete - $18.75 MAIL for further information BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, 111. Please mail me further information on items checked here: □ New Title Borders □ Ramstein Sky Filter □ Character Title Writer □ New Filmo Framed Screen □ Halldorson Lamp. Name Address.. City State. Forty-three COLORED MOTION PICTURES BY MEANS OF The AMERICAN AUTOMATIC 'COLORATOR' PATENT PENDING 15 different colors at your fingertip, automatically in- terchanged at the touch of button. ADAPTED FOR FILMO, EASTMAN and other 16 mm. projectors. Mechanism is entirely enclosed in dustproof housing, thus insuring against finger marking or damaging color lenses. The "COLORATOR" is light in weight and compact, yet durably constructed and, finished in crystallized black enamel, it harmonizes with the beauty of your projector. Guaranteed for two years. Price $19.50 AT YOUR DEALER Manufactured by American Cine Products Co. ARGYLE and SAWYER CHICAGO, ILL. JUST RELEASED! On 16mm film The "DEDICATION OF THE PEACE BRIDGE" over the Niagara River at Buffalo, N. Y. and Ft. Erie, Ont. Beautiful views of the massive span. Close-ups of the notables officiat- ing— Vice Pres. Dawes; Gov. Al Smith; Sec. of State Kellogg; H. R. H. The Prince of Wales; Prime Minister of Great Britain, Stanley Baldwin, etc. Attractively titled. 100 feet - - - - $7.50 "NIAGARA FALLS" Beautiful scenes from unusual points, made both in daylight and at night. A very beautiful scenic record of this "wonder of the world." 100 feet - - - - $7.50 United Projector & Film Corp. 228 Franklin St. Buffalo, N. Y. 1112 Keenan BIdg. Pittsburgh, Pa. A HOME MADE ARC For Interior Filming By Russel T. Ervin, Jr. WITH opening of the Fall film- ing season amateurs will look with increasing favor on indoor movie making, and those with a me- chanical leaning can make practical arc lights by the method herein de- scribed. ONE of the twin arcs used in the amateur motion picture play "Hey-Hay!" was built by the writer who would suggest that only those mechanically inclined, at- tempt to build the lamp which is de- scribed here. If the following direc- tions are followed, a practical lamp can be built for not over ten dollars. J24- ybi.rs'-.^ Z4 Volts 5,8 OHMS smso-iT] — 63 '/ vo UTS / IIO v. Line S-8 ohms Fig. 1 shows the wiring diagram, some of the values as to current, and the voltage drop across some parts of the circuit. It will be seen that the two sets of carbons are connected in series and then in turn to the rheo- stat which is designed for either 10 or 20 ampere operation. When the switch shown is open, the resistance of 5.8 ohms or one leg of the resis- tance allows 10 amps, to flow. Now when this switch is closed we have two like resistances in parallel and as the sum of two resistances in parallel is: ll^+lfL, equals lR-t. (Rj and R2 equal resistance in ohms of each leg. R-t equals total resis- tance in ohms). But Rx equals R2. therefore R-t is equal to half the re- sistance of one leg or 2.9 ohms which allows a current of 20 amps. The rheostat should be made up of "Advance" or any good resistance wire. The writer used No. 18 B.N.G. wire which has a resistance of 0.184 ohms per foot so that for each leg of the rheostat 5.8/0.184 equals 31.5 feet or say 32 feet for each leg or a total of 64 feet is needed. Be sure and use a good resistance wire with a zero temperature coefficient or else excessive current is liable to be drawn before the wire heats up. The carbons used are soft core, % in. diameter and the holders are made so that there will be 4 inches space between each set and about 4 inches vertically between holders. The latter are made of % in. extra heavy brass pipe about 1% inches long. The two lower holders have wing nuts with 3/16-24 thread tapped in side of holder for holding carbons. The two top carbons are held in place by a heavy strip of phosphor bronze screwed to each holder so that the carbon may be moved up or down and still stay in place to maintain the arc. The resistance wire may be wound on a 5/16 in. round rod and you & m i-' spiral will then have a long when the forming rod is removed This coil can then be wound between two parallel rods upon which are porcelain insulators or bushings about one inch in diameter so that a small heating grid is formed, like those you have seen in trolley car heaters. The writer made the rheo- stat in this manner with the two sets of insulators about six inches apart and supported so that there was plenty of space for air circulation. A cheap and good stand can be made by using a heavy wood base either square or round and obtain- ing a piece of % and V± inch iron pipe and a !/2 inch pipe flange which is screwed to the wood base. The pipes should be about three feet long and at the top of the % inch pipe a thumb screw is used to hold the i/j. inch pipe at different heights so that the light may be raised or lowered. A thumb screw is also used at the top of the % inch pipe to hold Forty-four Use Cine- Kodak Duplicates and Store Originals ClNE-KODAK duplicates so closely approach the originals in quality, that it is virtually im- possible to distinguish between them, even when they are viewed side by side. All the delicate gradation of light and shade, all the clarity, all the beauty, all the picture quality that is apparent in the original, is caught in the duplicate. None but an expert can tell the difference. You want to enjoy today the pictures you make today; but to- morrow— twenty years hence, when they have become living, priceless memories of the past — you'll enjoy them a hundredfold. Store your originals and use Cine-Kodak duplicates for pres- ent day showing. Your children and their children will benefit. Cine-Kodak duplicates only cost $5.00 for 100-foot lengths, and $3.50 for 50-foot lengths. And the satisfaction that comes with the knowledge that your valuable films are preserved for posterity will well repay this slight cost. Ask your dealer , or write to us direct Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., The Kodak cuy Forty -jive NOW READY One Hundred High Class 16 m*m* EMPIRE FILMS On Safety Stock GUARANTEED PERFECT PRINTS FOR ONLY $4.50 Per 100 Feet LATEST RELEASES: OFFICIAL WAR FILMS: Doughboys in the Great Battles of Gantigny - Chateau Thierry - St. Mihiel - Argonne Forest - Zeppelins Raid over London - German Submarines Actually Sinking American and Allied Merchant Ships - Also Films Covering Activities of All the Allied Armies. A Marvellous Film Record for All Ex-Service Men - Ser- vice Men's Organizations - Patriotic Clubs - Homes. ASK YOUR DEALER Or Write For Our 100 Subject Catalogues We are also fully equipped for Developing, Printing, Reducing and Titling 16 mm. (Cine Kodak, Filmo, Victor) or Standard film (De Vry or Eyemo). Highest quality work by professional laboratory. EMPIRE SAFETY FILM CO., Inc. New York City 723 Seventh Avenue BRYANT 5437 5736 - 2180 EMPIRE SAFETY FILM CO., Inc. 723 Seventh A venue New York City Please Mail Me An Empire 16 mm. Subject Catalogue Name Address City State I Am Also Interested In Your Laboratory Service \Z\ a % inch diameter steel rod which fits into short length of pipe shown in Fig. 2 on the base board of lamp which is made of % inch bakelite. Use only asbestos covered flexible wiring in connecting the lamp and rheostat together and do not use smaller than No. 14 gage. The rheo- stat can be mounted either on base of stand or on back of base board of lamp itself. However, do not for- get to have a piece of sheet asbestos Ys in. thick between rheostat and base on which it is mounted. In lighting the lamp with this type of manual control, it is neces- sary to push each carbon down by hand until both touch and then pull each upper carbon up until about % inch arc is formed. Have the switch on rheostat open in starting and then close it when ready to shoot the scene. The light will burn for about four or five minutes before going out when the length of the arc in- creases due to the burning away of the carbons. Of course, every time the current is turned on the carbons must be stru ck as described. The maximum light is obtained when the arc is about Yg inch long so photo- graph as soon as possible after strik- ing arc. YOUR SUMMER FILMS (Continued from page 13) laneous shots of brooks and old houses and landscapes went in a "Summer" reel. All the front porch stuff went into an "Our Friends" reel. The strictly family shots went into "Family Album" reels, of which I have no less than five. These are priceless, since they go back some years and already the early ones look old-timey. This sorting out kept me busy a good many evenings and used up bottles of splicing cement and reels and reels of titles, but it was good fun doing it, and gave me a library of reels which are not entirely un- interesting if I do say it. Of course, there were many serious moments with myself when it came to some of the "fair to poor" stuff. I brutally cast into the discard all the rotten stuff without hesitation. The other was not so easy. But after a few wrenches I was able to avert my eyes and drop it into the waste basket with a sad sigh. It is now gone the way of all poor stuff, and my library is surely the better for it. If any fellow amateur wants to keep himself out of mischief during the Fall evenings, and has a real de- sire to make his collection of films interesting, let him lay in a supply of splicing cement and start sorting and arranging the Summer's collec- F o r t y - s i x A tion of film. It will not hurt him a bit, it will take his mind off his troubles and it will create a series of films that his friends will always enjoy seeing, and it will teach him many things about the beauty of cinematography of which he now does not dream. THE CLINIC {Continued from page 37) Monographs PUBLICATION in the amateur motion picture field which merits the interest of our readers is the Cine Miniature. It is unique in its policy of presenting but one sub- ject in each issue, but in covering that subject completely. Each sub- ject is discussed by an expert in the field under consideration. It is is- sued six times a year and a file of these monographs constitute a valu- able addition to the amateur's cine library. Cooperation MANY dealers have helpfully offered to send subscription blanks for Amateur Movie Makers to their lists of customers. This assistance in spreading knowledge of the magazine and the League is deeply appreciated. To make this cooperation more mutually helpful any dealer who desires a large num- ber of blanks for such a mailing will be supplied with them, imprinted with the proper firm name and ad- dress. Please address orders for the imprinted blanks to Promotion Man- ager, Amateur Movie Makers. Iron Horse Fair CORDIAL invitation to all ama- teurs to film the Fair of the Iron Horse, as the Centenary celebra- tion of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- road Company is termed, has been given by Edward Hungerford. its di- rector. Every facility for accom- plishing this purpose will be pro- vided the amateur, according to Mr. Hungerford. The Fair will begin in Baltimore on September 24th and continue until October 8th. Christmas SIMPLE home scenarios, based on the festivities of the Christmas season, are wanted for publication in the December issue of Amateur Movie Makers. Our readers are urged to experiment in writing such holiday photoplav outlines and to send them in before November 5th, so they may be shared with fellow read- ers. Thereby pleasure will be added to the Christmas of many other amateur movie makers, as well as providing immediate and pleasant activity for the thousands of fortunates whose Christmas stocking will this vear be enriched with cine cameras. The Reward of Perfect Lighting is PERFECT PICTURES THAT wonderful sharpness of detail and those subtle tones and shadings you've admired in professional movies are the result of proper lighting. And with the right kind of lighting you can take pictures just as clear, just as beautiful — right in your own home. With Fotolite, you can have a lamp that is unsurpassed for the brilliance and clarity of its light. A lamp which is widely recognized as the most compact and highly efficient lamp for home use. ^ ^ Fotolite consists of a specially made 500 watt bulb, encased within a specially designed aluminum reflector (patent applied for). Each lamp has a light value of 5750 candle power. This light power is constant and uni- form, making clear results absolutely certain. Fotolite lamps can be plugged in on any electric light socket. Each lamp is equipped with ten feet of electric cord. They can be used on either A.C. or D.C. currents, 105 to 120 volts, or in series on 220 volt current. Two reflectors with a F. 1-8 lense are required for group up to 3. Three lamps for group of 4 to 6, and an additional lamp when a F. 3-5 lense is used for either A.C. or D.C. current. No special wiring or installation required. J/Jr/~t / \ Read the descriptions at the left. Then select jT A I the number of Fotolite lamps you need. j W I Fotolite is sold by the better dealers through- 5/ $%■ out the country. If your dealer cannot supply you, order direct. Two No. 5 lamps, held in any posi- tion by heavy nickel -plated stand. Over feet high. When assembled, folds into 24 inch space. Complete, a s illustrated, with bulbs, S28.00. With one No. 5 lamp and bulb, S16.00. Q i No. 5 Hand Fotolite, com- pletely wired. Equipped with special 500 watt bulb. Price, S10.00. Without bulb, S6.00. Testrite Instrument Co. 108 East 16th Street, New York, N. Y. Fotolite { FOR THE HOME AND STUDIO } Forty -seven Where Eager Demand Meets Gracious Supply AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is growing in popularity. Our readers increase from month to month. For the benefit of our readers'1 friends whose predatory designs on k the family library copy must be discreetly curbed, we list, here, the progressive dealers of the country, in whose excellently equipped salesrooms our magazine is offered to the public. And we recommend that you not only go to buy AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS at these friendly haunts of motion picture makers, but that, you also let these dealers help you to increase the pleasure you get from our mutual sport. Abercrombie c? Fitch, 45th St. and Madison, New York City A. S. Aloe Co., 513 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo. American Photo Supply Co., S. A., Av. F. 1, Madero 40, Mexico D.F. Anderson Supply Co., Ill Cherry St., Seattle, Wash. Reid S. Baker, Inc., 1322 F St., N. W., Washington, D. C. L. Bamberger &? Co., Market St., Newark, N. J. Bass Camera Co., 179 West Madison St., Chicago, 111. Beckquist Photo Supply House, 885 First St., Muskegon, Mich. A. L. Bollinger Drug Co., Frankfort and Stilz, Louisville, Ky. Z. T. Briggs Photo Supply Co., 916 Grand Ave., Kansas City, Mo. H. W. Brown & Co., 87 Wisconsin St., Milwaukee, Wis. Buffalo Photo Material Co., 37 Niagara St., Buffalo, N. Y. E. S. Burtis, Stamford-in-the-Catskills, N. Y. Camera Exchange, 7 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, Georgia. Central Camera Co., 112 So. Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Cinema Supplv Co., Inc., 804 Eleventh St., Washington, D. C. City Camera Co., 110 West 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Clark Cine-Service, 2540 Park Ave., Detroit, Mich. Aimer Coe & Co., 105 No. Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Aimer Coe & Co., 18 So. La Salle St., Chicago, 111. Aimer Coe & Co., 78 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, 111. Abe Cohen's Exchange, 113 Park Row, New York City Columbia Photo Supply Co., 1424 N. Y. Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C. William C. Cullen, 12 Maiden Lane ,New York City Curtis Art Co., 25 West Main St., Waterbury, Conn. Dayton Camera Shop, 1 Third St. Arcade, Dayton, Ohio. Detroit Camera Shop, 424 Grand River W, Detroit, Mich. Devoe 6? Raynolds Co., Inc., 34 E. 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Geo. C. Dury 6? Co., Nashville, Tenn. Eastern Motion Picture Co., 2114 Sansom St., Philadelphia, Pa. 183 Peachtree St., Atlanta, Ga. 223 Park Ave., Baltimore, Md. 38 Bromfield St., Boston, Mass. 133 North Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. 318 Brady St., Davenport Iowa 626 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. 1235 Washington Blvd., Detroit, Mich. 808 Locust St., Des Moines, Iowa 643 So. Hill St., Los Angeles, Calif. 112 South Fifth St., Minneapolis, Minn. 213 Baronne St., New Orleans, La. Madison at 45th St., New York City 419 So. Sixteenth St., Omaha, Neb. 1020 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 606 Wood St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 345 Washington St., Portland, Ore. 545 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. 1415 Fourth Ave., Seattle, Wash. , N. W. , Washington, Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores Co., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc . Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 607 Fourteenth St, D. C. Eastman Kodak Stores, Ltd., 610 Granville St., Vancouver, B. C. B. K. Elliott Co., 126 Sixth St., Pittsburgh, Pa. Erker Bros., 608 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo. Jos. C. Ferguson, Jr., 1804 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Film 6? Slide Co. of Canada, Ltd., 156 King St., W., Toronto, Can. Ford Optical Co., 1029 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Fowler 6? Slater Co., 806 Huron Rd., Cleveland, Ohio Fowler fi? Slater Co., 347 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, O. Fowler (i Slater Co., Union Trust Bldg., Cleveland, O. Fowler £r Slater Co., 156 Larned St., W., Detroit, Mich. Fowler & Slater Co., 7 Wick Ave., Youngstown, O. Fox Company, 209 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas Franklin Printing 6? Engraving Co., 226 Huron St., Toledo, Ohio. Francis A. Frawley, 178 Cedar St., Bangor, Maine J. C. Freeman & Co., 376 Main St., Worcester, Mass. Fritz 6? Hawley, Inc., 816 Chapel St., New Haven, Conn. S. Galeski Optical Co., 209 Granby St., Norfolk, Virginia W. D. Gatchel & Sons, 431 Walnut St. W., Louisville, Ky. Gift and Art Shop, 115 W. Bridge St., Owatonna, Minn. Gillette Camera Store, 117 Park Ave., New York City Griffin ii Howe, 234 East 39th St., New York, N. Y. Gross Photo Supply Co., 325 Superior St., Toledo, Ohio Haanstad's Camera Shop, 404 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Edwin A. Hahn, 111 Columbia St., Utica, N. Y. Hanley Photo &f Radio Shop, 116 East 10th St., Kansas City, Mo. Ralph Harris & Co., 30 Bromfield St., Boston, Mass. Ray Hart, 8-10 East 4th St., Sterling, 111. Harvey &? Lewis Co., 865 Main St., Hartford, Conn. Harvey ii Lewis Co., 1503 Main St., Springfield, Mass. Herbert 6? Huesgen Co., 18 East 42nd St., New York City Hirsch 6? Kaye, 239 Grant Ave., San Francisco, Cal. Honolulu Photo Supply Co., P. O. Box 2999, Honolulu, T. H. Huber Art Co., 124 Seventh St., W., Cincinnati, Ohio J. L. Hudson Co., Department 290, Detroit, Mich. Hyatt's Supply Co., 417 North Broadway, St. Louis, Mo. Iver Johnson Sporting Gds. Co., 155 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Alexander Kagen, 641 Penn St., Reading, Pa. Leavitt Cine Picture Co., 3150 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Cal. H. Lieber Co., 24 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, Ind. Andrew J. Lloyd Co., 300 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Lowe 6? Farley, Newsstand, Times Bldg., New York, N. Y. Lugene, Inc., 600 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. Harold E. Lutes, 958 Fifth St., San Diego, Cal. Lyon & Healy, Wabash Ave. at Jackson Blvd., Chicago, 111. Wm. Mcintosh (Sheffield) Ltd., Change Alley, Sheffield, England. Marks 6? Fuller Co., 36 East Ave., Rochester, N. Y. E. G. Marlow Co., 1807 Main St., Dallas, Texas Memphis Photo Supply Co., Memphis, Tenn. Metropolitan Motion Picture Co., Film Exchange Bldg., Detroit, Mich. E. B. Meyrowitz, 1516 Washington Blvd., Detroit, Mich. E. B. Meyrowitz, 520 Fifth Ave., New York City Miami Photo Supply Co., 242 N. Bayshore Drive, Miami, Fla. Milwaukee Photo Materials Co., 427 Milwaukee St., Milwaukee, Wis. Morse's Photo Service, Rhodesbilt Arcade, Lake Wales, Fla. Mortimer's, 300 Park Ave., Plainfield, N. J. George Murphy, Inc., 57 East 9th St., New York, N. Y. New York Camera Exchange, 109 Fulton St., New York, N. Y. B. B. Nichols, Inc., 731 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif. Parrish ii Read, Inc., 308 Market St., Camden, N. J. Pathescope Co., 260 Tremont St., Boston, Mass. Pickup & Brown, 41 East 41st St., New York, N. Y. Pinkham & Smith Co., 15 Bromfield St., Boston 9, Mass. Schoenig g? Co., Inc., 8 East 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Schwabacher-Frey Stationery Co., 73 5 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. J. H. Seamans, 7052 Jeffery Ave., Chicago, 111. Shain's Drugs, 119 W. Maple Ave., Birmingham, Mich. Shaw Supply Co., Tacoma, Washington Smith ii Butterfield Co., 310 Main St., Evansville, Indiana Starkweather & Williams, Inc., 47 Exchange Place, Providence, R. I. Twelfth Street Garage, 81— 12th St., Wheeling, W. Va. F. W. Twogood, 700 Main St.. Riverside, Cal. Wm. F. Uhlman, 716 Francis St., St. Joseph, Mo. United Projector & Film Corp., 228 Franklin St., Buffalo, N. Y. Watry ii Heidkamp, 17 W. Randolph St., Chicago, 111. Webbs Photo Supply Store, 94 So. First St., San Jose, Cal. L. B. Wheaton, 368 Main St., Worcester, Mass. Williams, Brown & Earle, Inc., 918 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Willoughby Camera Stores, Inc., 110 West 32nd St., New York, N.Y. Zimmerman Bros., 3 30 West Superior St., Duluth, Minn. Zimmerman Bros., 380 Minnesota St., St. Paul, Minn. AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS 105 WEST 40th STREET, NEW YORK CITY $3.00 a Year (Canada $3.25; Foreign $3.50) 25 Cents a Copy (Canada and Foreign 30 Cents) Forty-eight AMATEUR CLUBS {Continued from page 35) Syracuse, New York; Wesley an Uni- versity, Middletown, Connecticut and Melbourne, Australia, asking for in- formation on the origins of other clubs, and possible methods of get- ting under way. In Vienna, in Rot- terdam, in Kobe, Japan, in Moscow, in India — several cities — and in Paris cine-amateurs are discussing local or- ganizations. Not only local but na- tional bodies appear to be forecast in foreign lands. International vistas are not so dream-like as they were a year ago. Professional HEY HAY," the latest release of the Motion Picture Club of the Oranges, was recently shown at the Oxford Theatre, in East Orange, New Jersey, appearing on the same program with Manon Lescaut and the Eastman Color Filter Overture. A Chaplin comedy completed the of- fering. A Flying Start THE Movie Club of Western Mas- sachusetts in Springfield hurd- led many of the slow motions and uncertainties of organization by a rousing first meeting. An amateur film contest, a two-reel comedy to commence in October and a semi- monthly club dinner are the ambi- tious features it has mapped out. This recent pioneer will give its eld- ers something to think about. Chicago and Technique HE Movie Makers Club of Chi- cago announces, in an attractive monthly program publication, a series of informative talks by tech- nical experts in cinematography. Antipodal Activity OUR departmental title photo- graph this month shows the Mosman Cine Club, of Sydney, Australia, on location at Balmoral Beach. This photograph was taken at the fourth fortnightly meeting of this live organization. City Films THE Movie Makers Club of Chi- cago has originated an activity for local cine clubs. It is producing a city film to be made up of shots of Chicago filmed by club members. The Philadelphia Amateur Moving Picture Club is planning an expan- sion of this idea. If any club wants to aid the civic development of its community here is a real service to be offered to the municipality, the chamber of commerce, the schools and other civic associations. T A \ SMASHING 'JP% - SUCCESS! Stanley EDUCATIONAL FILM DIVISION PRESENTS VINCENT RICHARDS America's Foremost Tennis Champion IN "NET RESULTS" A One-Reel (400 foot) Feature Film of the "Battle of the Courts" FOR 16 MM PROJECTORS NEW- AMUSING— UNIQUE- INTERESTING and INSTRUCTIVE The First Tennis Picture of its kind ever presented — a story of the development of the game. Tennis Fifty Years Ago — with the players in costume of that time playing the game in the old-fashioned way. From the age of elegance to the age of speed. Slow Motion Analysis — Unusual shots from in front of the guns. The Game of today — Fast — Crashing — Powerful Strokes as played by Richards, Master of skill and strategy. See the championship match at Forest Hills. UNIVERSALLY PROCLAIMED THE SHORT SUBJECT HIT OF THE YEAR! READY FOR YOU NOW! ENJOY THIS UNUSUAL FILM. Give your friends a real treat — Laugh while you learn about this great sport from a great champion. Complete one reel (400 foot) 16 MM subject with humidor can. Price, $35.00 DEALERS — Wire or Write at once for this Popular Film and our Special Proposition. STANLEY Educational Film Division, Distributors 220 WEST 42nd STREET, NEW YORK CITY THE BEST NEGATIVE DEVELOPING POSITIVE PRINTING YOU SHOULD HAVE IT YOU WILL GET IT from Film Laboratories, Inc. 33 West 60th St., New York City LITTLE SUNNY an 8-amp. 110 volt A C — D C arc lamp, size folded 7 x 5 x 2Yi inches, weight only 50 ounces complete with cord. 'V/'OUTL like him; he's a bright boy; makes movies 16 per second of subjects in light costumes at 6 feet distance, dark costumes against dark backgrounds 8 per second same distance at f 3.5, at f 1.9 same exposures at 10 to 15 feet from subjects. We recommend using his friend Reflector to lighten up the shadows. Reflector is 36 x 58 inches and packs into a roll 2x18 inches, with 6 foot stand, weight 45 ounces. Little Sunny complete with 15 feet of cord and 6 double carbons is yours for $15.00; 6 foot stand $2.50 extra. His friend Reflector with 6 foot stand $5.00 postpaid. While you can get by with one, we recom- mend using two lamps, one from front to flat light and one from the side to high light. Send your remittance now; if you don't like Little Sunny or Reflector you can return them within ten days and we'll cheerfully refund your money. LEONARD WESTPHALEN 438 Rush Street - Chicago Forty -nine COERZ CAMERAS LENSES We can offer at this time to the Movie Amateur who wishes to sup- plement his motion pictures with "stills" of larger size some high- grade Goerz Camera models at greatly reduced prices. Equipped with the genuine Goerz Lenses, of course. The number of these specially priced cameras is limited, therefore we advise writing immediately for our special list. We manufacture a full line of Cine Lenses, Color Filters, Vignetters and Trick Devices and our engineering de- partment is ready to work out special problems for the professional as well as the amateur cinematographer. Write for descriptive matter. C. P. Goerz American Optical Co. 319-AEast 34th St., New York, N. Y. Motion Pictures Snap Shots — Time Exposures 35mm. $40.00 Sept Features 1. MOVIES — Snapshots or Time Exposures at will. 2. SIZE is 3x4x5 inches. 3. WEIGHT is 4 pounds. 4. TRIPOD unnecessary. 5. SIGHTING— direct. 6. BUTTON operates mechanism. 7. LOADED IN DAYLIGHT. 8. FILM is standard width. 9. LENS is high grade Anastigmat lens, speed F 3.5. 10. RESULTS are the same as obtained by Professional Motion Picture Camera. 11. 250 Separate pictures on each roll of film costing $1.00. 12. PROJECTION is made with any stand- ard projector. 13. PRINTS can be made in any size. Wyko I rojector Corporation 130 West 46th St. - New York, N. Y. Dealers Everywhere Fifty BILLY STARTS SCHOOL (Continued from page 27) Scene 5. Dining room. Medium shot. Table in the foreground. Beth and Rob are eating and argu- ing amiably. Billy stops in the mid- dle of a mouthful of cereal to ask a question, but Mummy keeps him at his meal. Daddy gets up from the table and kisses Beth and Rob good-bye. As he turns to Billy, the latter climbs up on his chair. Daddy puts his arms around him and says, Spoken Title 2. Be sure to tell me what you did in school, when I get home to-night! (5-10) Billy says, oh, yes, he surely will, and Daddy smiles at Mummy over Billy's shoulder. Then he and Billy hug each other hard, and Daddy goes out, while Billy climbs down again. Mummy tells the three chil- dren to go and get ready, and they all leave the room. (10-25.) Scene 6. Front yard. Long shot. Front porch in the rear. Mrs. White and Julie walk up the path and into the scene. Mummy comes out to greet them. (3V2-8-) Scene 7. Front porch. Medium shot. House door in the scene. Mummy is talking to Mrs. White. Beth and Rob come out, ready for school. Beth and Julie compare pencil boxes, and Rob tells Mum- my that Billy isn't ready. Mummy calls through the screen door to Billy, who comes out a moment later, with his cap on, and his arms so full of books he can hardly hold them. (5-12.) Scene 8. Front porch. Different an- gle. Semi-closeup. Mummy is bending over, full of laughter, as Billy hangs on to this bunch of his story books and says, Spoken Title 3. I guess these will have to do me for to-day. (4-6) Mummy is convulsed as she takes two books from Billy and looks at them. (2V2-6.) Scene 9. Front porch. Closeup. Mummy's hands hold two books with their titles plainly visible. (Peter Rabbit or other stories usually read aloud to little boys.) (2-5.) Scene 10. Front porch. Steps and part of path in scene. Medium shot. Mummy induces Billy to give her all the books. Mrs. White looks at her wrist watch and says the chil- dren must hurry. Beth and Julie run down the steps and out of the scene. Mummy kisses Billy and tells him to take Rob's hand. Billy hangs back, but Rob says, "Aw, come on, kid," so they go down the steps hand in hand, with Mummy and Mrs. White behind them. (6- 15.) Scene 11. Street. Front of house and sidewalk leading out of the picture into the distance. Long shot. Beth and Julie are half-way down the block. Other children are going in the same direction and join the two girls. Rob and Billy are com- ing down the path from the house, while Mummy and Mrs. White have stopped a little below the front steps. Billy turns as he reaches the sidewalk, and darts back to Mum- my. (3y2-8.) Scene 12. Front yard. Medium shot. Mummy holds out her arms as Billy runs into them and throws his arms around her neck. He looks back at Rob and shakes his head, but Mummy pushes him from her and reassures him. Then she takes him by the hand and leads him to Rob. (5-12.) Scene 13. Street. Sidewalk receding at an angle. Semi-closeup. Mummy closes Rob's hand tightly over Billy's, and gives them both a push, telling them to hurry up, or they'll be late. (SY2-8.) Scene 14. Street, a little farther up. Medium shot. Billy and Rob come along the side- walk toward the camera. Billy is trotting to keep up with Rob. He has lost all his fear, and is talking excitedly, while Rob nods and grins. (4-10.) Scene 15. Street. Long shot. Mummy and Mrs. White are stand- ing on the sidewalk watching the children. As the two boys reach the corner, in the distance, Billy turns and waves his hand. Mummy waves frantically back. (2%-6.) Scene 16. Street. Medium shot. Mummy is waving to Billy, who is not in the scene. (2-5.) Scene 17. Street. The children as Mummy sees them. Long shot. Billy stops waving as Rob hurries him around the corner and out of sight. (2-5.) Scene 18. Street. Medium shot. Mummy winks a tear out of her eye and smiles at Mrs. White, who smiles back and links her arm into Mummy's. They turn and walk up the path toward the house. (4-10.) Scene 19. Another street. School house in the distance. Long shot. Billy and Rob walk into the scene and hurry toward the school. Other children are going into the build- ing. Rob points the schoolhouse out to Billy, and they both begin to run. They finally reach the building when all the other chil- dren have disappeared, and they go in, too. (8-20.) The total footage for 16 mm. or 9 mm. film is 76 feet of scenes and 11 feet of titles, or 87 feet in all. For standard film, it is 185 feet for scenes and 21 for titles, or 206 in all. Either film will run about three and one-half minutes on the screen, but you will be surprised at what a long time that seems. CLOSEUPS (Continued from page 33) charge was made for the showing in the Hamburg Public Hall, and the receipts were devoted to the worthy purpose announced on the placards which advertised the event. In this instance the cause of music was served, and, at the same time, the residents of Hamburg were given the unique opportunity of viewing part of Mr. Maxim's beautiful collection of personal films. William Wright TNTERESTING information con- -*- cerning the motion picture expe- rience of Mr. William Wright, foun- der of one of the new 16 mm. li- baries, has just come to our attention. Mr. Wright was producer of the fa- mous Yale Chronicle Films, for the Yale University Press, and spon- sored by the Council's Committee of Yale University. As these films are outstanding among the educational films produced to date, they are a tribute to his ability in this field. Mr. Wright entered the motion picture business in 1907 with the Kalem Company, and was treasurer and gen- eral manager of this famous old com- pany for a number of years. On pur- chase of the Kalem Company by the Vitagraph Company, another of the biggest pioneers, Mr. Wright became manager of production for the Vita- graph Brooklyn studio. When Vita- graph transferred its activities to its Hollywood studio, Mr. Wright rented the Brooklyn studios and devoted sev- eral years to supervising the invest- ment of a million and a quarter dol- lars in the Yale Chronicle Films. On completion of this work Mr. Wright spent several months investigating the 16 mm. field and for the last three months has been actively engaged in the production of 100 foot subjects for this growing market. Game Hunters : 234 E.39 NEW YORK Rendez vouS HERE fine hunting rifles are made to order by hand and world- traveled sportsmen come in person for special equip- ment and expert service. The only shop of its kind on the con' tinent. "An original source of outfitting satisfaction." G. & H. Rifle 'Scope Mount Miles ahead of the previous best. Lighter (l/7th), more compact and rigid, much quicker. Only one adjustment screw. 'Scope on or off instantly by simple lever lock; shifts forward or back with ease; removed without affecting adjustment. Windage scale on rear base. Price on application. Zeiss "Zieklein" Telescopes, 2'/txl8, in stock; mounted correctly on all suitable rifles. G & H. View Finder For Eyemo and Filmo 16-mm. motion picture cameras. Magnifies 3 diameters, showing field much clearer than regular finder. Permits holding camera waist-high, steady against body — especially valuable for telephoto lens without tripod. Has Bausch & Lomb plano-convex lens. Price in- eluding installation, $15.00 Goerz Reflex Focuser HEW — Goerz Reflex Focusing Finder for Filmo Camera. Screws into lens thread, replacing lens mount for 3" or longer focus lens. Useful also for close work with 2" or 1" lens. Magnifies 10 times; insures sharp focus always. Movable prism operates into and out of reflecting position behind lens with simple movement of finger control. Simple, highly efficient, quick. Price, $27.50. G. & H. Special Carrying Case For Cine Kodak and Filmo 16-mm. and Eyemo and DeVry 3 5 -mm. motion picture cameras. Built for banging about of camp and trail; best for use everywhere, instead of the regular case. Outer lined with Yi-indi deadening felt, covered with best saddle leather; strongly reinforced. Special rings and straps for back or shoulder, and for saddle cantle, as desired. Furnished free with Eyemo or n . _. _ Filmo camera bought from us. Price if ordered separate, Specialists To Sportsmen $32.50. Our specialty is Griffin fe? Howe hand made rifles. We also outfit completely for hunting, exploring, camping ex- peditions. Full lines of Zeiss Ikon Cameras and Zeiss and Hensoldt Binoculars. All motion picture film; DuPont Two-way 16-mm. Developing and printing all motion picture film responsibility handled. Eiderdown Sleeping Robes and Eiderdown Coats; Blanket Coats and Parkas; Best Hunting Shoes; Bedrolls and Air Mattresses; Duffle Bags and Packsacks; Cooking and Mess Kits; Medi- cine Kits; Cutlery, Compasses, Aneroid Baro- meters; Best Leather Gun Cases and Scabbards; all Rifle and Shotgun Ammunition. Catalogs on Request. Consultation Invited. GRIFFIN 6? HOWE, Inc., Dept. M, 234 East 93th St., Hew Tor\ City DO YOUR THINKING ON PAPER NOT ON FILM VERA STANDING SCENARIO EDITOR Suggestions - Criticism -Assistance Write me for information. 38 EAST 35th ST. NEW YORK, N. Y. UNDERWOOD TITLING & EDITING SERVICE for PATHEX 9M/M FILM Titles — per word $0.02, Minimum charge per title $0.25, Minimum charge per order $1.00. Editing — Two 30ft., Reels, spliced and edited on a 60ft. Reel, according to your instruction. The charge for this service is $1.00 including 60ft. Reel. The C. R. Underwood Company 3838 Kennedy Ave., St. Louis, Mo. F i } t y - on e Remove Abruptness from your Movies Abrupt starts and stops detract from the finished appearance of your picture. With a vignetter it is possible to smoothly link up the various scenes and present a com- pleted movie, professional in appearance. The Wollensak Vignetter closes up en- tirely and permits a gradual and complete fade-out or fade-in from the scene being photographed. It is easy and positive in action and will accommodate a color filter. A patented feature permits it to be fastened to the Cine-Kodak with /3.5 or fl.9 lens equipments without special fitting. Readily attached to all other sub-standard sue cam- eras. Price $10.00. orxic.A.:L COMPANY 953 HUDSON AVENUE Rochester, N. Y. CjffltP Bins nffiS- SH Kb- fiS S3 CD B HI 52 Ira 111 Me Laboratory Finishing of the Highest Quality Reduction Printing from 3 5 mm. to 28 mm. or 16mm. by the pioneers of the narrow width field. Thirteen years of experience in our own carefully planned Motion Pic- ture Laboratory, with the finest machinery and equipment and a large force of skilled specialists, enables us to do the best wor\ in the shortest time and at min- imum cost. Capacity One Million Feet per Month Dupe Negatives (35mm.) on special duping stock by the firm which has made mil' lions of feet of the finest dupe negatives ever produced. The Pathescope Go. of America, Inc. 33 W. 42nd St., New York Laboratory, Long Island City INDUSTRIAL FILMING By Don Bennett (Continued from page 18) troduce characters and a story built around the use of the advertised product. How well this idea succeed- ed is shown by the fact that one manufacturer of a toilet article uses almost a hundred window projectors with a highly trained force to handle them. A New York bank is using this same type of machine to pub- licize its new branch office. At the Motor Boat Show last January in New York, six exhibitors used mo- tion pictures to attract people to their booths. The narrow width film made all this possible. Nowadays, instead of a salesman tucking an album under one arm and a brief case under the other, he starts out with a little black box, contain- ing his manufacturing plant, show- ing it most effectively by means of motion pictures, convincing his pros- pect that his product is \ it, and creat- ing the "buying idea" as nothing else will. The field is not limited. Every- thing from a toothpick to Florida real estate has been recorded on a narrow piece of film and shown in such a way as to leave no doubt as to the value of what is offered. The widespread use of sixteen mil- limeter film has not affected the dis- tribution of standard width industrial films over the old routes. If any- thing it has helped it because the public is more "movie-conscious" than ever before. The day is not far distant when magazine advertisers, instead of the familiar line at the bottom of their ads, "Send for latest booklet," will substitute, "Send for our latest movie." INDUSTRIAL FILMING By Edward F. Stevenson {Continued from page 19 many are dramatic representations of products in use, and not infrequently delightful comedies serve as the base of such films. In short the protec- tion of the home projector owner against blatant advertisements with- out value to him lies in the fact that this newest possibility of the motion picture will appeal to the most pro- gressive, to men who realize that their films must be of real interest, and this psychological fact will auto- matically provide the highest class of films, both entertaining and educa- tional. Definite proof of this as- sumption is found in the manner in which the radio has been used by big concerns. Their programs have been demonstrated to be the best put on the air. This is because it is realized they must be superior if they are to receive the attention desired. Finally, as the only direct way in which the home projector owners can be told of the availability of such films is through the columns of this magazine, there is also an additional protection. It might be required that such films be reviewed by a film committee of the Amateur Cinema League, and approved before they could be offered to the public through its columns. How often in the motion picture theatres, after you have seen in a news reel, perhaps, a short scene of the making of an exquisite watch, the casting of a bronze statue, min- ing for diamonds, or some other fas- cinating occupation, have you wished that the theatres showed more pic- tures of that sort? There are very few of us who are not interested in the how and why of the cilivization of which we are a part. And since we are living in the greatest indus- trial age in the world's history, with miracles of science taking place on every hand, why should we not use the motion picture, a miracle in it- self, to bring the whole world into our own home for our instruction and our pleasure? It is exactly that which the home projector now makes possible. And this possibility is rap- idly being realized by those who di- rect modern industry. It will not be long before they are offering you, as a home projector owner, rolls of film, instead of booklets, and out of these little strips of celluloid will rise before you, as though touched by the Geni's lamp, all the wonders of the modern world. The importance of this possibility to the men with a message for the public cannot be overestimated. The motion picture, the most powerful medium of expression discovered since the invention of printing, has been largely a shackled giant. The conventions of the motion picture theatres have limited this avenue of expression largely to photoplays. Educational, scientific and industrial films have been confined to showings before school, club, church and or- ganization groups, for the most part, and to special showings of limited extent. But home projectors, which are rapidly becoming as essential in the modern home as telephones, phonographs, radios, and automo- biles, offer the means whereby the motion picture can truly became an instrument for universal expression, the only limitation of which will be the tastes and desires of the in- dividual. Fifty- two /raut //// ORPang /n/ma ORG* Hand Arc Lamp $18. Complete A 4 amp. Arc Lamp of sensational value. Measures ^Vi" x 4V2" x 3!/4". Opens like a book . . . safe . . . operates on 110 volt A.C. or D.C. Carbons burn 30 minutes. One lamp for stills, two jot movies. Order today. Free to you — 60 page Bass Book of Cinema Apparatus. 1001 items to gladden the heart of amateur or professional. BASS CAMERA COMPANY 179 West Madison Street Chicago, - Illinois TITLES for 16 mm. films My laboratory does nothing else. Let me give you the best titles which it is possible to produce on the small film. Write or call for circular and samples. STANLEY A. TOMPKINS 2 East 23rd Street New York City Telephone Caledonia 5643 HEDWIG Insures Maximum Results In Processing Standard and 16 m. m. Films — Also Title Work. Served The Cinema Art For Twenty Years. Write for further information to Hedwig Motion Picture Laboratories, Inc. 48 Congress A venue Flushing, N. Y. ENO'S ART TITLES THE BETTER KIND PIONEER ART TITLE BUILDER AND FILM EDITOR VACATION MEMORIES endure with the use of brush hand let- tered art titles. Your money can not buy titles which carry more grace and style! Cheap looking titles are an abomination to any reel and "the better kind" cost little more. Beautiful bor- ders to suit. You owe it to yourself to TRY THEM Send $2.00 and copy for 3 titles (12 or less words per title) and let me make these up as samples of my work. BRYANT 3749 nnnnn nnnn n"\ RALPH RENO 117 PARK AVE. NEW YORK. CRITICAL FOCUSING (Continued from page 19) Twelve Miles Out Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Directed by Jack Conway Photographed by Henry Sharp Introductory Titles: From the moment the titles introducing this story are flashed on the screen, the atmosphere is established. The be- ginning titles are shown double ex- posed on a background of huge waves in motion, dashing over a rock-bound coast. The atmospheric effect is ex- cellent and prepares the spectator for the unfolding of the play. While double exposure is not simplicity it- self with the amateur camera, it is possible, and with it many interest- ing things can be done. Color For Emphasis: In a se- quence on board ship, a sunset scene is double toned in strong blue, red and violet. The emphasis gained for this particular scene through this use of color is easily adaptable to all types of amateur films. College United Artists Directed by James W. Home r>i u j i (Bev Jennings Photographed by . . . ..-,_ TT . b b r J /Bert Haines Use of Slow Motion: A certain scene in this story of college life shows the hero, a freshman, being tossed high into the air in a blanket held by a group of students. It so happens that the tossing is taking place just outside of the second story room of the female supervisor of the fair co-eds, who, at the time of the hazing, is disrobing. The toss of the blanket is just enough to bring the hero at his highest point in the air, exactly opposite the room. The en- raged supervisor hurls an umbrella at the bouncing freshman, endeavor- ing to banish him from the, scene. But he is not to be outdone, and as he starts to descend from each flight into the air he opens the umbrella, holding himself stationary in mid- air for a second, then floating calmly downward, only to be pitched sky- ward again. At the point of the opening of the umbrella, a slow mo- tion shot of the scene is cut in, and repeated several times as he makes his downward trip. His ascent is pictured with normal speed. The ef- fect is most humorous, and could be used by amateurs in many different ways, by cutting in slow motion shots of the same scene with the normal speed shots. Clever Ending: Instead of the usual clinch and fade out ending, this picture shows the hero and the girl of his heart entering the church, A New Idea In RENTING 16 mm. PICTURES FOR THE HOME MEANS lower prices specially selected films more convenient distribution The tremendous growth of home moving pictures in the last year has created a demand for a new method of Library distribution. To fill this need, a group of men prominent in the industry have formed a company whose sole function is the procuring of quality films and the establish- ment of convenient dealers* to distribute those films at a rea- sonable rental price. You soon will be able to rent films from the store you deal with for all other photographic supplies. The rental charge will be only seventy-five cents. The films average 750 feet negative length. The subjects in- clude Comedies, Animated Car- toons, Westerns and Children's Pictures. Our catalogue will soon be ready. The coupon is for your convenience. *Some dealer franchises are still available. If you are in- terested, write us. Home Film Libraries, Inc. 100 East 42nd Street, New York City. Please send me your new catalogue and the name of the dealer nearest to: Name Address City Fifty-th ree World's Greatest -^\7 oTi -ip* inProfessional __ V dlUC MOVIE CAMERA Make professional film with the Institute Stand' ard — the first profes* sional motion picture camera at a low price. \e w , improved model does work equal to fin- est studio cameras. Complete with carrying case $150 INSTITUTE STANDARD won world-wide success. Compact, light-weight, portable. Ideal for in- dustrial, educational and news films. All profes- sional features: standard-gauge film; f 3 - 5 two inch cine anastigmat lens in accurately calibrated mount. Equipped with200 ft. magazines, ad- justable to 400 ft. WRITE for free descriptive booklet. Explains money-making opportunities. Liberal allowance for your present camera: any style, movie or still. New York Institute of Photography Dept. 18 14 West 33 rd Street, New York City TITLES for PATHEX 2 cents per letter. Minimum order 50c. CHARLES A. BOSSERMAN 614 S. Central Avenue Glendale, Calif. SPEEDY SERVICE 35 mm. or 16 mm. films de- veloped and printed, titles made and films colored. Immediate and Direct Service U\£M£MBU. 130 WEST 46th STREET New York City. Tel. Bryant 4981 Bathing Beauty and Motion Picture Parade at Long Beach, Calif. A 100 ft. classy, snappy reel that you will want to run and run and run. The Cream of All Beauty Parades. Remit with order only $7.50 International E and S Film Library 830 No. Genesee St., Hollywood, California ANIMATED & LEADERS As the Theatres * Send for illustrated use them ■**■ catalogue ^PLAIN 145 W. 45 ST. N.Y. BRYANT 6796 which immediately dissolves into their coming out of the church. This scene dissolves into one years later with our hero, and his wife, with their two children, in their home. This further dissolves into another scene years later, our hero, stooped and gray, and his family of four about him, and then a final dissolve into two tombstones in a cemetery with the words "The End" fading in over the scene. With the exception of the lap-dissolves, this idea can be used in many different ways by the amateur and presents a finis note that is a welcome relief from the usual stereotyped thing. Recommended in August and September Blood Ship: Lighting — Fog Captain Salvation: Setting — Moving camera. First Auto: Original story. Heaven on Earth: Framing. Loves of Sunya: Multiple ex- posure. Madame Pompadour: Costume possibilities. Man Power: Machinery — Night work with flares. Moon of Isreal: New framing idea. Old San Francisco: Models- Lighting and composition. Prelude in "C" Sharp Minor: Amateur film synchronized with music. Prince of Head waiters: Titles. Tartuffe: Lighting — Clever light device. Unknown: Lighting and com- position— Types. Way of all Flesh: Story simplicity — Absence of titles — Moving camera. Way to Strength and Beauty : Beauty of the body. Smile, Brother, Smile First National Pictures, Inc. Directed by. . . .John Francis Dillon Photographed by . Charles Van Enger Trick Photography: The picture opens with the hero, arrayed in flashy clothes, proceeding through a hotel lobby. The camera is moving backwards, the hero following it. As he comes to the desk, the movie changes to a full screen size "still" picture of the same scene, which im- mediately begins to decrease in size as the camera moves away from it and discloses first, two hands hold- ing a catalog from a correspondence school on salesmanship. As the cam- era continues to move away it dis- closes the hero as a shipping clerk, picturing himself as the character in the still picture in the catalog, dream- ing of the day when he, too, shall be the star salesman of his firm. After the moving camera stops the action of the scene continues. This interesting photographic trick can be done by the amateur, with many variations, tieing it in with many different story plots. It can be done by 9 and 16mm. workers as well as those who use standard width film. WHY EXPERIMENT? With a "'Cameralite" anyone can take indoor scenes covering 30 square feet, 16 pictures per second and get full ex- posures. Can be connected anywhere. At your dealer, or direct: M. J. Wohl & Co., Inc. 40th Ave. and 10th Street Long Island City, N. Y. UNUSUAL SUBJECTS for your 16 mm. Film Library Outright Sale Only 1— LIFE OF CHRIST. 3-400 ft. reels. The wonderful Passion Play portraying the com- plete biblical version. Members of the clergy, clubs and individuals desiring most interesting picture of all times should not overlook this beautiful production. Price Complete, $70.00. Each Part $24.00. 2—SINKING OF SHIPS DURING WORLD WAR. 2-400 ft. reels. An amazing picture actually taken from German Sub showing allied shipping torpedoed and sunk. Of in- tense and vital interest. Invaluable from an historical standpoint. Price Complete, $47.00. Each Part $24.00. If your dealer does not carry these in stoc\, remit in full with order and we will ship postpaid. Write for additional subjects. Paramount Mfg. Go. Dept. 16, 68 FAYETTE ST. BOSTON, MASS. Fifty -four TELLING THE SCREEN STORY [The Cine Miniature No. 41 By AUSTIN C. LESCARBOURA Former Managing Editor, Scientific American A complete guide for the man that wants to know how to put his story in motion picture form — number jour in The Cine Minia- ture series of instructive cine- matographic handbooks. 15c PER COPY 90c PER YEAR TWO YEARS, $1.60 At all dealers, or LEONARD CORDELL 1636 N. Washtenaw Ave. Chicago, 111. f JcenarioBook r_ A NEW BEST SELLER! Second Printing — $2.50 — : at all dealers : — RICHARD MANSON, Publisher 535 Fifth Avenue, New York City Why Not Study Your Hobby 1 AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS presents for sale: HANDBOOK OF MOTION PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY by Herbert C. McKay $3.00 MOTION PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE AMATEUR by Herbert C. McKay $2.50 MOTION PICTURE PROJECTION by T. O'Conor Sloane $5.00 SCREEN ACTING by Inez and Helen Klumph $3.00 PHOTOPLAY WRITING by Wiliiam Lord Wright $3.00 MOTION PICTURE DIRECTING by Peter Milne $3.00 MOTION PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY by Car! L. Gregory $6.00 Send your order accompanied by the price of the books you desire to AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS 105 West 40th Street New York City We deliver them to you postpaid. MAKE REAL MOVIES FROM YOUR PERSONAL FILMS Write for our prices on Titles and Editing % TITLEIT Box 4605 Kansas City, Missouri AN AMATEUR VISITS HOLLYWOOD (Continued from page 15) words, the subject must be equi-dis- tant from the lights on either side. To make certain of this, the distance is measured with a tape and the lights which are of equal candle power are moved about so as to make them actually equi-distant from the subject." This, we think, is carrying things just a bit too far. For our purposes, we can get very good results with- out splitting inches, so we leave our friend and his cafe set and wander out of doors and down the street to another not far away. It isn't easy to convince the genial gate guard that we are entitled to enter and we lose considerable time before we are able to gain admission. In the yard just before us as we pass through the gate, we get into a tropical storm. In Hollywood, weather of all kinds is made to order to suit the require- ments of the particular picture in question. Here we find a battery of hoses spraying water into the air while hugh fans similar to airplane propellors blow enough wind to give the appearance of a violent storm. Supplementing the hoses are pipes suspended in the air between tall poles. These pipes are perforated and spray moisture in all directions. It certainly is an elaborate storm. It is so wet that the camera man and his assistants all wear oil skins to prevent getting drenched. The com- bination of the sprays of water and gusts of wind give such a wonderful effect that it is hard to believe that it is all artificial. Of course we can't do anything as elaborate as that at home in our own garden but the idea occurs to us that, with the aid of our garden hose and a couple of sprinkling cans held by assistants on ladders, we could photograph a little rain scene that would be quite different from any picture we have previously attempted. With our friends equipped with rain coats and umbrellas, it would make a very novel picture. On the next set, just adjoining where John Barrymore is working, we see another company at work. Each company is a complete unit with its own camera man, director, and technical staff. For the moment, we do not see the camera, but as we glance around, we locate it aloft on a balcony directly above the actors. Such a location strikes us as a very unusual place for the camera. Before we have the opportunity to ask what MEYER RINO-PLASMAT Formula of Dr. Rudolph The Fastest Lens In The World Its depth of focus is truly remarkable It is made in 20 mm. up to 3 J/2 inch focus and can easily be fitted to most M.P. Cameras. 1 in. in focusing mount instantly adaptable to FILMO . . $54.00 HUGO MEYER & CO., Inc. 105 W. 40th St. New York Factories — Goerlitz, Germany Yes— SUPEMLYTE LANTEENS Do make fine exposures without the need of daylight ONE LANTERN covers 6 ft. wide at 4 ft. distance, larger areas require additional lamps in proportion. Write us in detail for the information you seek on lighting, together with your dealer's name. Each inquiry receives a personal and expert reply. TRY IT. The MAX MAYER GO. 233 W. 42nd St., New York Fifty-five fflf'ilUlLU FOR RENT WORLD WAR MOVIES "America Goes Over" We are renting the FivcReel East- man ' War Department Super - Pro- duction at a Moderate Charge from our Park Avenue Store Gillette Camera \Stores/ lnc.y# Have Your TRAVEL PICTURE EDITED By a TRAVELER Gardner Wells James Boring's Travel Service, Inc. 45 Astor Place New York L TITLES Complete editing and titling V ms T ERB AXJ serv'ee- ( 16 mm. or stand- ' ^»!v* ard. ) Cinematography. CLARK CINE-SERVICE 2540 Park Ave. CAdillac 5260 DETROIT, MICH. MOTION PICTURES of every description Shots and stock scenes of most anything LARGE CATALOG LISTING of short subjects for the home in standard or 16 mm. Special Exchange Arrangement Metropolitan Motion Picture Company 108-110 West 34th Street New York City SHOULD THEY not be represented — those dear ones not available for your family movies? DO THIS Send me $3.00 and a c!ear snapshot or portrait and I'll make an exact repro- duction on film ready to splice into your family reel. Photo returned in perfect condition as received. BRYANT 3749 RALPH RENO 117 PARK AVE. NEW YORK. this is all about, the director volun- teers the information. "Some people have the idea," he tells us, '"that the subject must be directly in front of the camera. This is especially true with amateurs and seems to date back to the old days of snap shot photography with a still camera when objects appeared dis- torted and out of plumb if they were not directly in front of the camera. It seems to me that every amateur I have seen at work places his cam- era directly in front of the subject. He forgets all about what we call 'camera angles.' A novel glimpse now and then (without overdoing it) from an unusual view point will re- lieve an otherwise monotonous scene and greatly add to the general effect of the finished picture." We now leave this stage and again find ourselves out in the open air. This particular street is really a "set" representing a European village street. In fact we would think that we were actually in Europe were it not for the electrical paraphernalia that we see strewn about. Electric- ians, property men, technical assis- tants and actors swarm the street. Batteries of spot-lights and flood- lights make us realize that we are still in Hollywood. On second thought, it seems queer to see spot- lights and flood-lights used in the open air in broad daylight. It is a bright day yet the camera man is asking for more light. "I have to have at least two more 'broads' in that corner," he calls to the electrician. "Broads" we learn is studio lingo for flood-lights and are in direct con- trast to "spots." Both styles of lights are commonly used even in the open air scenes in bright day light to supplement natural sun light. Very often shadows do not fall just as the camera man would like them to. In such cases he gets artificial lights and has the electrician place them so that the shadows do fall in their proper places. When a hat shades the face of an actor a light is so placed to enable clear photography of the de- tails and expressions of the face, without making its presence known to the audience. Actors in dark doorways, under trees, or in heavy shade are made to appear clearly on the screen by the use of artificial illumination. We observe that every- where out of doors large reflectors are used to aid the daylight. These reflectors consist of very large sheets of wall-board which are either cov- ered with tin foil or painted with bright aluminum paint. These reflec- tors are used to throw the light into otherwise dark corners. We are yet to see the professional camera man who is able to get along without sev- eral reflectors but for some reason or another we rarely see an amateur ucing them. They are easily made and we are going to make two or three for our own use on our return home. While it is next to impossiblie for us to obtain electrical equipment for use out of doors, we can easily substitute reflectors and, for our pur- pose, get excellent results. Now our subjects can pull their hats down as far as they like without darkening the face, because our reflectors will illuminate them sufficiently to make them appear clearly on the screen. In the next street of our studio, we see the director and the camera man in consultation. They hold up a piece of blue colored glass every now and then and look through it at the set. We fail to see what good it does them to look at the scenery through a piece of blue glass, so we ask what it is all about. "That piece of blue glass," he obligingly explains to us, "is not an ordinary piece of stained glass but a special tone of blue and is called a 'monotone-filter.' Photographic film does not have the same degree of sensitivity to all colors as does the human eye. Red, you know, photographs black, while light blues, such as the sky for example, photo- graph white. When you look through a monotone filter, however, you see everything just exactly as the camera sees it. In other words varicolored objects are reduced to a single color, hence the term monotone-filter. When an actor puts on a bright costume or makes up his face in some special character make-up, it is tested with a monotone filter before being photo- graphed so that we will know just how it will appear on the finished film. Scene painters constantly view their work through one of these fil- ters to see how the sets they are working on will photograph." The director and the camera man, having completed their consultation, prepare to start the action. The di- rector explains to the actors that this scene is supposed to be taken in dense fog. He is telling them just how to act and to grope their way about, as vision is difficult. This ap- pears to be very strange to us as it is a clear bright day and we see no equipment in sight to make a foggy or smoky atmosphere. We wonder how the effect of haze is made and the camera man tells us that he is using a "fog-filter" on the lens of his camera. This he says is a piece of especially prepared optical glass mounted in a tube that slips in front of the camera lens much like the F i f t y - s i x HEADQUA1RTEES for FILMO, CINE-KODAK PATHEX - - DE VRY Complete stoc\s of all Cameras, Projectors &? Accessories LUGENE, Inc. OPTICIANS 600 Madison Ave., N. Y. G. Near 58th Street TELEPHONE PLAZA 6001 The New REXO CINE EXPOSURE METER The Ideal Meter for Cine Cameras This meter is quickly set for any exposure under all conditions of light. It will pay for itself many times in the saving of film. Once tried, always used. One glance will show you the proper ex- posure to make. The Rexo Cine Meter makes each and every exposure count. Films properly exposed will project perfectly. Rexo Cine Exposure Meter, list each 75c. At All Dealers or Direct Upon Receipt of Price. Burke & James, Inc., Chicago NEW RELEASES HOW THE MOVIES ARE MADE A Day In Hollywood Taking you behind the scenes in the big movie studios, and showing how films are made from the photographing, through the laboratory to the theatre screen. A DAY AT CONEY ISLAND All the excitement and fun of the thrilling chute the chutes, aeroplane, roller coaster and other thrilling rides in Steeplechase Park. DEMPSEY AND TUNNEY IN TRAINING Famous fighters preparing for the big battle. In Preparation HISTORY OF THE WORLD WAR We can also furnish stock film scenes on every conceivable subject. Dealers Write for Details General Film Library M. J. KANDEL 117 W. 46th St., N. Y. Bryant 4417 136 Ramstein Gradu- ated Sky Filters Equalize the exposure between the sky and foreground as well as correct for color, brings out the clouds and de' tail in the distance. The only optically per- fect graduated filter, contains no gelatine or cement. Send diameter of lens. Write for de- on the above and ask your dealer for free Sole Agents BURLEIGH BROOKS Liberty St., New York familiar color-filter. With this de- vice in place on the camera, the illu- sion of fog is perfect. It is all very simple, indeed, when we know how! We watch the fog scene being photographed and marvel at the way the actors move about, on such a bright day, to give the effect of fog. At the conclusion of this scene, which by the way is taken over and over a number of times before the exacting director is satisfied, we de- cide that it is time for us to be homeward bound. Before taking final leave, however, we are introduced to this director and ask him if he can give a bit of advice to the amateur. He willingly responds. "The big fault with you amateurs as I see it, is that you do not plan your pictures. You are in too much of a hurry. You should make haste slowly. Think carefully before you take a picture. Remember that you only take a picture once and, once taken, it is shown over and over many times. Use a tripod wherever possible even if your camera works automatically. You can not get qual- ity on the screen unless you work for it. Plan your work. Think about what you are doing and make every foot of film mean something. If your roll is unsatisfactory when you get it back from the finishing laboratory, you should find out why. Analyze your own mistakes and learn how to avoid them. If the trouble is in ex- posure, get a good exposure meter. If it's the focus, get a tape measure and measure your distances. Re- peated mistakes are a sign of gross carelessness. Once you get your film back from the laboratory, edit it carefully. Cut out all the unwanted portions. It's easy to cut and splice film. Don't be afraid to cut as much as half of it away. We often take twenty or thirty thousand feet of film in a single picture which is edited and cut down to seven or eight thousand feet. Even with the most careful work, some cutting is neces- sary, so don't be so satisfied with your results that you think cutting unnecessary. It rarely, if ever, hap- pens. Just remember one thing, elab- orate equipment isn't essential but careful planning is. Plan your work and your pictures will immediately improve." This is really excellent advice to tall of us. Often we grab our camera and without thinking, use up half a roll of film before we know it. Then when we see the finished picture we regret it. Let's take more time and think a little more about what we are doing before we say the magic word "CAMERA!" The New Wonder Movie | That is setting a new k standard in 16mm. films § First Releases — Now Ready Unanimously acclaimed "The Finest Product on the Market To-day." The subjects chosen are well diversified and contain all the elements of high class enter- tainment produced in a pro- fessional manner by experts of the industry. Based on a new idea employ- ing new camera technique with action in every foot and a real thrill in every subject, they are an outstanding sen- sation in the 16 mm. field. A Revelation In Home Movies Amateur Movie Enthusiasts See these films at your near- est dealer — A real treat awaits you. If he cannot supply you, write us for de- scriptive booklet enclosing dealer's name. Dealers Stock these films and pep up your 16 mm. business. Write or wire immediately for complete details of our proposition to you. MOVIE - GEMS De Luxe Motion Pictures for Home Entertainment sold on their merit at a price that's right. The MOVIE CRAFT FILM CO. 2025 BROADWAY New York City Endicott 2732 Fifty-seven NOW YOU CAN HAVE PARAMOUNT PICTURES In Your Own Home Pola Negri in 'The Spanish Dancer Above: Gloria Swanson in "Manhandled" Below: Adolphe Menjou in "The King on Main Street" In accordance with our established policy of securing the very best possible pictures for the enjoy- ment of our patrons, we take pleasure in announcing that many of the most famous Paramount Pictures are now being added to the Kodascope Libraries. The Paramount reputation is world-wide and the addition of such stars of Clara Bow, Bebe Daniels, May McAvoy, Greta Nissen, Gloria Swanson, Wallace Beery, Ronald Coleman, Ricardo Cor- tez, Raymond Griffith, Raymond Hatton, Adolphe Menjou, Antonio Moreno, etc., will bring added delight to thousands of owners of 16 m/m equipment, who will soon be able to have such famous features as "The Covered Wagon" right in their own homes. YOU WILL FIND KODASCOPE LIBRARIES at the following addresses: Atlanta, Ga., 183 Peachtree Street Boston, Mass., 260 Tremont Street Buffalo, N. Y., 228 Franklin Street Chicago, III., 133 North Wabash Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio, 1407 Walnut Street Detroit, Mich., 1206 Woodward Avenue Kansas City, Mo., 916 Grand Avenue Los Angeles, Cal., 3150 Wilshire Boulevard Minneapolis, Minn., 112 South Fifth Street New York, N. Y., 33 West 42nd Street Philadelphia, Pa., 2114 Sansom Street Pittsburgh, Pa., Keenan Building San Antonio, Texas, 209 Alamo Plaza San Francisco, Cal., 241 Battery Street Seattle, Washington, 111 Cherry Street Toronto, Canada, 156 King Street West And in Thirty Foreign Cities All Around the World F i f t y - e i g ht United States Government Releases World War Movies Famous Battle Pictures made by U. S. Army Signal Corps now available for Home Movie Projection. Complete Five-Reel Picture and Five Kodak Cinegraphs out Oct. i THE World War Movies are released at last. Now from the confidential archives of the War Department come the pictures you have waited 10 years to see. The first official film of the United States Army Signal Corps. The only officially released picture-record of America's part in the World War. Made for ;- ■ <* S j-"*"*^1' x;»»_-~i;> ' General Pershing says; "The Jf'ar picture 'America Goes Over,' compiled by the Eastman Kodak Company for ex-soldiers and veteran associations from official War Department films, is the best pictorial record of the war I have seen. Legion Paris trip, Ex-Service Men and the Public. Taken in action. Made un- der actual service conditions in France. Compiled and edited by military experts. A film in which you, your- self, or someone near and dear to you, were probably one of the actors. Now, through the co-oper- ation of the Eastman Kodak Company with the United States Government, a special de luxe edition of these sen- sational pictures is available for Home Movie Projection on the famous Eastman 16 m/m film. What these World War Movies Cost The entire picture (2,000 feet of Eastman 16 m/m film, the equivalent in picture length of 5,000 feet of standard film), taking 1 hour and 15 minutes to show, is now available in a special de luxe edition for the low price of $150. For those who want only special sections of the pic- ture, 5 Kodak Cinegraphs, costing $15 each (200 feet, which may be purchased separately) are available on the following subjects: "Chateau-Thierry and the Aisne- Marne Operation," "The St. Mihiel Drive," "The Meuse-Argonne," "Flashes of Action," "Our Navy in the World War." The World War Cinegraphs are released now. Get them from your nearest Kodak dealer. See the picture record of America's part in the World War. Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., m Kodak cny ■j Ilor rriaklnxi better movies of uour own 4 FOR the past twenty years nearly all featured movies shown in best theatres have been made with Bell & Howell professional cameras costing up to $5000. Filmo, the camera designed by Bell & Howell expressly for you, retains the essentially characteristic features of these large B & H cameras. Thus the amateur using Filmo inevitably gets pictures of professional quality, with greatest operating ease. Think of it — only two simple opera' tions ! Look through the spy 'glass view- finder, press the button, and "what you see, you get." There are fourteen different lenses for FILMO, all interchangeable. An F 3.5 lens (Taylor-Hobson Cooke) pro- duces the best results under normal light conditions. It takes but a moment to substitute the 300 per cent faster F 1.8 lens for taking movies indoors, or out-of-doors when the light is poor. FILMO may be purchased with this (Taylor-Hobson Cooke) F 1.8 lens if you prefer. Remember that with FILMO the lens you first select is instantly in- terchangeable with others you may wish to add later, including the 6 inch telephoto for getting the long shots. With all telephoto lenses furnished by us, you get accurately matched view finder lenses that fit the FILMO spy- Filmo Projector glassy-vie wfinder, giving accurate re- sults under all circumstances. "What you see, you get," always, with a FILMO. No other camera so provides for all photographic conditions and emergencies. Filmo Projector, for showing your movies, offers equal points of superior- ity. The "nine -to -one" mechanical movement produces pictures that are absolutely flickerless. All other pro- jectors have four-to-one or six-to-one movements. Filmo is the only Projector you can run backward for novelty effects, or to re-run portions of the film. Stops on any single picture for pro- longed showing. Ask your dealer. Write us for the new descriptive booklet "Filmo — Home Movies of the Better Kind," or complete Filmo Accessory Catalog listing many ingeniously simple devices for making better movies. BELL ii HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, 111. New York, Hollywood, London (B &? HCo., Ltd J Established 1907 NOVEMBER 1^27 PRICE V)i W: "What you see, you get hy Filmo is called the lifetime Movie Camera FILMO was born a perfected instru- ment for taking personal movies for you. It is, in direct lineage, heir to all the features of precision and adaptability found in the Bell 6? Howell professional cameras with which most of the featured theatre movies are made. Twenty years of special- ized thought and experience are back of this one camera, Filmo. And what a camera it is! Fourteen cameras in one Filmo can be purchased already equipped with the extremely fast Fi.8 Taylor- Hobson Cooke lens for getting sharp pic- tures indoors, out-of-doors after sundown, on dark days, or in the rain. For average use, however, we recommend the Taylor- Hobson Cooke F 3.5 with which Filmo is regularly equipped. Keep the 300 per cent faster F1.8 handy in your carrying case for the exceptionally difficult picture. Then simply screw out the F 3.5 and replace it with the F 1.8. Fourteen differ- ent lenses, up to a 6-inch telephoto, are as easily interchangeable in Filmo. This exclusive Bell 6? Howell feature makes Filmo really fourteen cameras in one. The spy-glass viewfinder Note how the spy-glass viewfinder seems such a natural part of Filmo ! It is the only dependable type of finder to follow and "frame" moving objects accurately. Its lenses are removable, to be replaced with accurately matched magnifiers furnished with Telephoto lenses. Filmo is thus professionally accu- rate, always. Other Filmo features With a simple turn you can vary the speed in Filmo camera. Or with an optional mechanism take s-l-o-w motion movies. Many of the country's famous football coaches find Filmo slow pictures of great aid in teaching then- teams. The superspeed Filmo secures every action detail. Simply look through the spy-glass viewfinder and press the button. What you see, you get, in two simple operations. Filmo is known as the lifetime camera, not only because it is built to last a lifetime, but because it is made to take sharp, beauti- ful pictures under all the photographic conditions you will ever meet. Ask your dealer. Write us for the new descriptive book- let" Filmo — Home Movies of the Better Kind." Filmo Projector also offers remarkable superior- ities. Shows absolutely flic\erless movies. Runs forward, backward (for novelty effects) or stops instantly for prolonging any single picture in the film. Free book- let describes its many features. New York BELL &. HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois Hollywood London (B & H Co., Ltd,) Established 1907 You can RENT these 300 ft complete photoplays from your photographic dealer. The coming of Home Film Libraries means that you can rent excellent, up-to- the-minute releases for the very reasonable price of 75c a reel. And you can get them from your own photographic dealer. Leading photographic houses over the country are establishing themselves as distributors for these new films. Think what this means for home projection. New pictures for every showing. Continual variety at negligible cost and utmost convenience. And all these films are adapted especially for children. For grown-ups too, they are just as entertaining, but the idea of pleasing the youngsters was our first thought in building the library. Below we list a few recent releases. But we suggest that you write for our new catalogue and get the complete list. FELIX WINS AND LOSES KRAZY KAT'S MOUSE TRAP ALICE'S MYSTERIOUS MYSTERY FOUR MUSICIANS OF BREMEN Hedda Nova and Mitchell Lewis in A JUNGLE HEROINE Colonel Wm. Selig's THE LAST MAN Tweedy in THE UNTAMED Wm. S. Hart in A KNIGHT OF THE TRAIL Bud Duncan in THE HERO VILLAIN Billy Franey in TARRED AND FEATHERED Home Film Libraries INC. 100 EAST 42nd STREET, NEW YORK CITY 16 M. M. RELEASES Owing to the advanced closing date of Amateur Movie Makers, we are able to list only those dealers who were fran- chised prior to October 5th. wBk PROVIDENCE PHILADELPHIA SPRINGFIELD- WORCESTER NEW HAVEN-BRIDGEPORT Starkweather c? Williams Inc. Williams, Brown &" Earle Harvey & Lewis Company Harvey & Lewis Company NEW YORK CITY BUFFALO REPUBLIC OF MEXICO PLAINFIELD NEW YORK CITY Wm. C. Cullen Buffalo Photo Materials Co. American Photo Supply Co., S. A. Mortimer's Gillette Camera Stores, Inc. WRITE FOR OUR NEW CATALOGUE Three mm REEL OF THE MONTHl | CLUft. ^ HaUljmtFtte Photograph by H. Armstrong Roberts A PRISON PATTERN Douglas Fairbanks in Over the Andes Photographs by United Artists ed bu ecu for median ONE of the hardest things for the amateur movie maker is to decide just what he wants to photograph. To plan the subject matter carefully, and put it in a form that is simple and logical is of vital importance. Let us consider briefly how the commercial producers go about it, and adopt the simplest and least re- stricted method for our own use. After a story has gone through the various forms of treatment, the final form is called a continuity. This gives detailed instructions of camera angles, such as close-up, medium shot, etc., also camera technique to use, such as fades, dissolves, split screens, trucking or follow shots, etc., also the action or business of the players. Scene for scene the story is worked out for the director and he is expected to follow it. All the large companies use this method to stabilize production, save time and cut down the overhead ex- pense. When you stabilize, you make things uniform. Many of our present day pictures are, therefore, just like the cans of the 57 varieties you see on the grocers' shelves. It's sad but true. There are courageous souls, how- ever, and one splendid example is Douglas Fairbanks. He believes that the director he chooses has creative ability and a mind of his own, capa- ble of functioning clearly and logi- cally. Therefore, he did away with By Kenneth W. Adams T'O all who have felt the need for written guides for various phases of their filming activities, but have been appalled by complicated scenario forms, the plastic plan sug- gested in this article should offer a comfortable solution. Equally prac- tical for filming the baby's bath or the Thief of Bagdad, the method is explained in detail by a motion pic- ture expert long connected ivith Paramount-Famous-Laskey Corpora- tion. the dogmatic continuity sheet and re- placed it with a simple Scene Plot and Action Plot outline. The Scene Plot names briefly each scene, whether interior or exterior, and gives a list of the people who work in that scene. The Action Plot gives a brief ac- count of the highlights of the action that takes place in each scene. It is left to the director's artistic sense to choose the camera technique and camera angle that will bring out the full value of each scene. These Scene Plots and Action Plots for a large production are actual blueprints, hung on the wall like a map. At the end of each day, red pencil checks mark the progress and leave a visual record of what is done and what remains to be shot. This Scene Plot and Action Plot method, I believe, can be of service to the amateur movie maker. It will help decide just what, when and where he wants to shoot, and elimi- nate waste footage. Let us consider the scope of his activities under a few general headings, and apply this method of control to: 1. Family and Home; 2. Travel; 3. Sports; 4. The Photoplay. Let us look at the Family and Home in this way. What interesting things have you observed about each one of your family, including the dog, in or about the house? When and where do these things occur? This falls under the heading of Scene Plot. What are the characteristics or actions of your observation, that would be of interest to record? This falls under the heading of Action Plot. Make a written record of these and keep on gathering them. Then ar- range them in a harmonious, smooth flowing continuity of theme and shoot as the opportunities present them- selves. Remember you can re-arrange this continuity of theme in cutting and editing. Can you see the pos- sibilities, the pleasure of observing what everyone else has overlooked, to uncover the human interest scenes in which we play a part in every day life and pay money to see in a pic- ture house? Remember the mainstay of the commercial producer is human interest. Let us catch that in our own pictures. Travel, perhaps, stirs our imagina- tion much more than the home. We are keyed up to observe what other- Thirteen wise would pass by unnoticed. To be prepared let us lay out our Scene and Action Plots in advance to as- sure a smooth and harmonious con- tinuity of theme. Let's assume we're going on a jour- ney. We know that our first destina- tion is one particular seaport, and we have made up our mind as to what points of interest we are going to visit. Let us classify them in our Scene Plot. We have read or been told that certain activities go on at these various points of interest, so let us classify them in our Action Plot. Now, as we go from place to place, we know what we are look- ing for, and whatever else happens unexpectedly we include in our schedule for the place where it occurs. When we come home we'll have an assembly sheet that will be of great help in cutting, titling and edit- ing our story. Travel is fascinating. It brings us in contact with people and places. It humanizes us. So let us try and get into our story, human interest. Sports, let us divide roughly into two groups, one, the kind we en- gage in with our friends or the kid- dies, two, the sports we witness in amateur or professional exhibitions and competitions. The first, I believe, is more inter- esting because we are directly in- volved. Let us sit down and think of the games we play. Where are they played and what are the different locations needed? (Scene Plot.) What are the high lights in each step of the game that makes it so interesting and absorbing? (Action Plot.) Let us write out a little story about a game. Build up suspense, lead up to a climax and have a smashing fin- ish. Our Scene Plot and Action Plot will give us complete control from beginning to end. There are a great many sports that are not games; that have no objec- tive outside of healthful, happy re- creation. The spontaneity of these are often times much more amusing and contain a wealth of human in- terest that cannot be foreseen. For these write out your Scene and Action Plot as you go along. Then when you come to cut and edit your story, you will have a helpful assem- bly sheet that gives a smooth, har- monious continuity to your theme. With the second group we can sel- dom get close enough to shoot any continuity of theme. Conditions are not under our control and that makes it difficult. I would say we can use this group to help us enjoy the first more. With our camera we can re- cord much more than the eye can catch. For example — the follow through of a golf club, the swing of a tennis racket, or a beautiful jack- knife dive. Let us study and analyze these actions and correct our own faults. The Photoplay is perhaps the aim of many amateur movie makers. Here we can apply to the fullest extent what studious and farsighted com- mercial producers have found to be the simplest and yet least restricted method of procedure. First write your story in the sim- plest, most direct manner, using the present tense. Everything in your story is happening right now and you have complete control of all the ac- tion and are a part of it. When that is done, plot out the scenes of your story in the Scene Plot. Group all the interiors under one head and the exteriors under an- other. Group the interiors and ex- teriors, so that, for example, when you are in the garden, and the gar- den scenes occur several times in the story, each time with different action and actors, you will have them all to- gether and eliminate confusion and jumping around. The same for the interiors. If you are shooting in the CINEMATIC BEAUTY Scenes from the Blac\ Pirate which was produced by the "Scene-Plot, Action-Plot" Plan sun parlor, finish everything you have to do there for the entire story. Then under each scene write the names of the people who have busi- ness there. Group the scenes one below the other down the left side of the paper and on the right side, corresponding to each scene, write the action. For example: (Continued on page 55) Fourteen A PREP SCHOOL PHOTOPLAY Movie Making Is Now the Most Popular Sport at this Florida Boys' School EXIT THREE BOOTLEG- GERS" is the title of the photoplay recently complet- ed by the boys of the Indian River School, at New Smyrna, Florida. It is an amateur picture if there ever was one, yet such a pronounced suc- cess, according to all who have viewed it, that it promises to be the first of many which the boys of In- dian River will produce. And this is such good healthy activity that I am not surprised to hear that similar productions are being planned by many other private and public schools. This is a new means for the dramatic expression of growing By William A. Buell Since a good rescue is admittedly a sure-fire success on the screen, the next question was how to weave this situation around our available ma- terial. Bootleggers thrive on deserted beaches — so they would make a good bers of the Coast Guard, sufficed for costumes. The necessary dummy cases for the "stuff" were constructed in the school shop, to identify the profession of the villains. With this general outline to follow, the English class of the school worked out the following scenario. While putting ashore a small car- go, the bootleggers are by chance ob- served by a young boy at play with his dog among the dunes. He slips away to warn the Coast Guard. The villains continue loading up the con- traband to move it to a cache in the woods. Meantime the heroine, who is the daughter of the chief of the Coast Guard, and her friend are enjoying a pleasant ride in the woods. They round a bend and children, and opportunity for such expression is vitally important to their well-rounded development. To the ever present interest in dramatics is added the fascination of "making movies," so I predict that as one of the leisure-time activities of our schools amateur movie making is here to stay, and I, for one, am de- lighted that this is the case. An inventory of movie assets de- termined the nature of the scenario of this first production of ours. There was a perfect beach, pine groves and palms some thick jungle and the ruins of an old Franciscan mission. There were plenty of horses, cars of vari- ous descriptions, a few boats, a va- riety of bungalows, and enough talent for a small cast. While the ruins were a tempting invitation for a plot dealing with the early Spanish set- tlers, it was decided to avoid compli- cation and adapt these assets to present day circumstances. elow: PART OF THE CAST gang of villains. The hero could be recruited from the ranks of the U. S. Coast Guard. So argued the boys of the school. And the daughter of the school director, a popular favorite, would make an ideal heroine. She had a friend visit- ing her for the winter, so thus the cast was complete. Some old clothes for the gang, riding habits for the ladies, whites for the mem- find themselves in the midst of the smugglers. In the attempted seizure the heroine is captured and dragged (Continued on page 58) Fifteen BRIDAL LOVELINESS As expressed by Norma Shearer Photographs bv Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer FILMING the FALL BRIDE What the Well Dressed Projector Should Wear After a Wedding MR. TINKER had two friends who suddenly developed an unusual fondness for each other's society. He ran into them constantly, and tried to talk as usual about handicaps and stances and nib- licks, but they hardly seemed to hear or see him. They left him talking to himself while they uttered weird expressions like "shooting at six- three," "dupes," "speeding up the ac- tion," that made him think them bud- ding bandits. Of course Mr. Tinker soon learned that they were the very new owners of amateur movie out- fits. Mr. Tinker snorted. Kid stuff! Tin locomotives, rubber stamp print- ing presses! He knew that a "real" movie camera cost a thousand dol- lars, when it didn't cost two. But one day Mr. Tinker fell. He was really buying six rolls of still film for his sister, when the clerk led him by slow, insidious degrees into looking at a motion picture outfit. Mr. Tinker went home that night, his pockets stuffed with booklets, folders, pamphlets from every manufacturer known. Mr. and Mrs. Tinker, his sis- Sixteen By Vera Standing ter, and the two little Tinkers spent a hectic evening studying the stuff. For a week Mr. Tinker almost made the amiable clerk regret his good-nature, by popping in every noon, at the very busiest moment, and asking a flood of questions. Most of them the clerk had heard before, but he gave Mr. Tinker credit for thinking of several new ones. And he was well repaid when on Saturday Mr. Tinker pur- chased a regular outfit and all the accessories in sight. Mr. Tinker studied and practiced religiously. He shot all kinds of bits of action around the place. But they didn't seem to amount to much, al- though some of the shortest were the best. Then his sister decided to be a Fall bride. Ah, this was the great chance for a dramatic reel from life that would be cherished by the former Miss Tinker and her chil- dren's children. Mr. Tinker got all choked up as he expatiated on the relation of modern science to ro- mance. The film was sent off, the film came back. Mr. Tinker thought it would be particularly touching to have the honeymooners and the wedding guests present at the very first viewing. He wouldn't even desecrate it by running it off privately for himself. Poor lighting and even some mistakes on his part would not matter, the real thing would be there. It was pretty sad. Everybody said it was a lovely picture, but not with what you would call enthusiasm. Mr. Tinker knew that they didn't mean it, for they were bored to death, and so was he. For fifteen minutes they watched themselves step from cars and walk to the church and into the church and out again and into the cars and around a lawn. They said, "Doesn't Dorothy look natural," and, "Look at the grin on Walter," and that was all there was to that. It was fierce. What made Mr. Tinker maddest was that otherwise it was a fine piece of work. The background, a little old stone church in the suburbs, was lovely, the summer sunshine fell at a most pictorial angle, the exposure and timing were fine. Everybody could recognize everybody perfectly. But it was deadly dull. Nothing happened, and there was nothing new to look at. Mrs. Tinker thought edit- ing and titling would help. So. Mr. Tinker cut and spliced, and cut and spliced and swore, and had a whole cut-out puzzle on the floor. He had some bridesmaids stepping out of the church after driving off in their cars, and somebody walked by twice in succession in the same direction. The only possible element of order in the darned thing was chronological, and when he got it back in that sequence it was as he made it in the first place. As to titles, he could put in the the names of those who appeared, and add a few unmotivated remarks, but that was all. So back it went into the can, to be thrown out some day in crumbs. The Tinkers refused to show it to anyone else, for they had an instinctive good taste in movies and as hosts as well. They felt it would be an awful strain on anyone's friend- ship to have to sit through such a performance without even the fun of recognizing one's self on the screen. Mr. Tinker has learned a lot since then. He knows that shooting an event of this kind, which is real, and can- not be repeated, or even rehearsed from the movie point of view, is of exactly the same nature as shooting a news reel. He knows that a lone cameraman can get a few vital shots, like the bridal pair stepping from the car, entering the church, being show- ered with rice, only by planning for them beforehand, thinking of nothing else at the time, rushing for the effec- tive angle before the others reach the spot, shooting plenty of footage in each case, and getting the victims to stop if possible for a brief close-up when it won't jam the real perform- HERE COMES THE BRIDE Memories of "the happiest day" are now preserved for her on amateur film ance. In between, if he has any breath left, after changing reels and watch- ing the sun go behind a cloud, he can grind off some nice long shots of the whole setting and the crowd from various angles. All this means snappy head and hand and foot work, and may result, together with the ti- tles that different shots will at least excuse, if they do not demand them, in as much as a fundred-foot reel of completed picture. It will be short, but it will be effective, and best of all, will mean something all the time. Now the Tinkers have some delight- ful pictures like that, which some people even beg them to show again, so that a new spectator can see them. That's a test, believe me! There's five hundred feet of a Hallowe'en party, because part of the party was acting out some stunts. And there's three hundred feet of the family trim- ming the Christmas tree, with some lovely close-ups of lights and orna- ments that are really artistic. There's a bobsleigh ride, with a big spill in the snow — that was staged! — and a record of a lively day at a summer camp. That too had to be pre-ar- ranged, because by the time some- thing funny happened it was too late to shoot it. Instead, they kept track of a number of comic incidents and then acted them all over again dur- ing the course of a day, for their now very professional cameraman. And they have a lot more pictures already outlined, to shoot when the right sea- son comes around once more. Seventeen REELING A RESORT A Fashionable Summer Colony Routs Boredom With Amateur Movies WE call ourselves the In- Famous Players. The other resorters in the White Mountains of New Hampshire call us the "Sugar Hill Gang," because our "studio" is the famous Sunset Hill House at Sugar Hill, New Hamp- shire. For two summers our produc- tion company, recruited from the guests of this inn, have treked over these beautiful New England hills at the beck and call of our director, who in less exalted moments is also my husband, Count Armand de Mon- tagny. I am only the cameraman. And although we may lay claim to the distinction of being the first ama- teur movie club in the White Moun- tains, I am afraid that we have now "corrupted" the entire country- side. The guests of the other beauti- ful summer hotels which dot this summer paradise have seen what fun we were having and are following suit with organizations of their own. The whir of cine-cameras was heard in those hills more frequently last summer than the whir of the native wildfowl. Not the least of our achievements has been the routing of the bridge players, the complete demoralization of the rocking-chair chorus, and we have made heavy inroads among the inveterate golfers. Following the film has proven the most exciting diversion of them all, and the deadly boredom which is a fre- quent characteristic of many summer hostel- ries is conspicuously lacking at Sugar Hill. By Countess Armand de Montagny Our first production in the summer of 1926 was titled "The Boob," but this was far surpassed by our second, filmed during the summer just past, and which was released just before the close of the ceason, as "Take the Heir," a full length feature photo- play. Nor could our "world premiers" suffer for lack of a news-reel, so each season we have also produced, in odd moments, "Tell Tale Topics," based on the news of the colony, famous personalities, and the other features of the complete news-reel. Five principles and fifteen regular extras, with mobs as needed, were re- cruited from the guests of the hotel. A cosmopolitan cast they made, hailing from Maine to Memphis, Tennessee. And over them all Count de Mon- tagny ruled with an iron hand, for an iron hand is needed, indeed, to keep together a care-free happy crowd of summer coloniets. But the rule of the In-Famous Players was soon firmly established. If a mem- ber of the cast neglected histronic duties for the bridge table or the links — the part was assigned to an- other from the eager waiting list. A few convincing examples and not even a winning streak at the card table could keep one of the players from his post, when the hour arrived or Camera. Our last production, "Take the Heir," is probably not a great con- tribution to the new art of the cinema. It wasn't intended to be. It was planned to provide a film vehicle for a lot of fun, both in its making and in its later showings. It concerns the woes of two very rich young things, a boy and a girl, who are pur- sued by scores of admirers with mari- tal intent. Strangers to each other, they each decide to escape the unwelcome attentions by masquerad- ing in the habiliments of the opposite sex. So Algy Millionbucks becomes Miss Polly Primrose, and Gloria Gotrocks becomes Mr. Topnotch. However, the usual meddlesome friend, who has a wager with Algy that he will marry a debutante in spite of his aversion for them, com- plicates the situation by whispering to the girls at the resort where the impersonators are staying, that there is a rich young man among them. He also tells the boys that a wealthy heiress has arrived. Needless, to say, the situation becomes hilarious when the members of their own sex begin to make violent love to each of them. Finally, in desperation, Gloria snatches off her man's wig and confides in Polly (Algy in dis- guise) that she is a woman after all, and {Continued on page 60) STARS OF THE "IN- FAMOUS PLAYERS" In Ta\t the Heir TkllTaue Topics or July hms Sum* Hull NM Paoouoto mt ,"m Mtamou* Puwam Center: Countess de Montagny at the camera Below: Titles from the resort News Reel Eighteen sag; ' >^~ii'if i ; tTO "LET THERE BE LIGHT!- TA? PERILS At the very most I hoped to catch a glimpse of the Spirit of St. Louis in its hangar, where it was resting during this triumphal visit of Colonel Their arrival was the signal for the exciting drama of the day. A fleet of motors drew up and from them stepped Colonel Lindbergh, Henry Ford, Edsel Ford and a party of friends. Seemingly from nowhere a large and excited crowd gathered immediately, although the events _ "-»'"vy^ \ s \>* >, x v Photographs Courtesy of the Detroit News. 7\/fUCH has been written of the J- 'J- possibilities for news gather- ing on film by the thousands of ama- teur cameramen now scattered in every corner of. the world. This dramatic story relates a genuine inci- dent of such news gathering by an amateur who happened to be on the spot when a nationally significant event took place unannounced and unknoivn to the professional news reel men. The day may not be far distant when co-operation betiveen the great army of amateurs and the news- reels may enrich the film-news of the world. NO one in Detroit knew that Henry Ford had decided to essay his first aeroplane flight as the guest of Colonel Charles Lind- bergh on a recent sunny morning, which is now historical because of that unheralded event. Nor had I been taken into the confidence of these two famous men. But there was some indescribable urge in the air which drew me to the Ford Air- port at Dearborn with my cine camera. Thirty-two COLONEL CHARLES LINDBERGH Lindbergh to the city of his birth. If luck should be with me I hoped to even get a few feet of film of this storied airship. In this, to my de- light, I succeeded far beyond my ex- pectations. Upon my arrival I had no difficulty in approaching the air- liner. It was being overhauled by the mechanics and guards were watch- ing over the plane, but they made no objection to my filming, and the camera was at once set to clicking. Nearby stood one of the little "flivver" planes which the Fords are sponsoring. It looked so tiny beside the big trans-Atlantic ship that I added a few feet of it, to provide con- trast when I should edit my film. Outside the hangar I heard the roar of approaching planes, and hurry- ing out I was just in time to film three large United States Army planes swooping to earth before the hangar. which were to follow in such rapid succession had been unannounced. The news spread like wildfire that Colonel Lindbergh had invited Mr. Ford to make his first aeroplane flight with him in the famed Spirit of St. Louis. That Mr. Ford had never flown before, although one of the most enthusiastic friends of commer- cial aviation, was also news to most of us. We were thrilled with the thought that he would also be the first passenger to be carried in this most famous of all aeroplanes. But first there was to be an excit- ing preliminary to the main flight of the day. The Baby Ford Plane was wheeled from the hangar and Mr. Harry Brooks took it for a demon- stration spin in the air. On his re- turn he invited Colonel Lindbergh to try out this miniature plane from which such great things are expected in the development of commercial aviation. After brief instructions, for he had never flown a machine of this type before. Colonel Lindbergh put on his helmet and flying jacket and climbed into the pit. In doing so his legs seemed too long for the cramped space in the little plane, which caused amusement and laugh- ter among the onlookers and brought a merry twinkle to Colonel Lind- bergh's eyes. Then suddenly he was off, and the plane soared into the clouds, handled with such ease and grace that he might have been flying in this very plane all of his life. For a moment he was lost to sight, and then back again he came, Ian dins moment with my camera. The roar of the departing and returning planes was always accompanied by the whir of my film. So ideal were the condi- tions that I secured splendid close- ups of both Colonel Lindbergh and Mr. Ford. I realized, with a thrill of conquest, how few amateur camera- men had been able to get close en- ough to Colonel Lindbergh, through the crowds which always accompa- nied his public appearance, to secure good pictures, even with telephoto lenses. And then it was that I realized. I alone, of the big crowd which, even here, had seemingly sprung from the air, had a motion-picture camera. So unexpected had the developments of the day been that not even the omni- present news-reel men. who seem to sense dramatic occurances, often be- fore they have happened, were there. AFTER THE FLIGHT Mr. Ford thanking Colonel Lindbergh on returning from his 6rst trip in the air. Edsel Ford, climbed in for his own first flight. Both acclaimed their ex- perience as "great" and so Mr. Wil- liam B. Stout, designer of the great tri-motored monoplane, also being built by the Ford Motor Company, suggested that the whole party take a flight in it together. Off they soared, and this flight became an aerial review of the far-flung Ford possessions, his home at Dearborn, and the various great industrial plants of his gigantic company. Built of metal, even to the wings, the great plane in mid-air looked like a huge silver bird sparkling in the bright sunlight. Proudlv and safely it bore its distinguished passengers through the clouds, the most beloved of America's youth, and the world's richest man. On landing, and after exchanging farewells, Colonel Lindbergh climbed into the cockpit of a large army plane, the fourth in which he had flown on this eventful dav, and winged away toward Sefridge Field. with consummate grace directly be- fore us. Next came the great event of the day, which set the linotype machines of the nation humming, and was broadcast from coast to coast in streamer headlines. Henry Ford made his first flight! Since there was no provision for passengers in the Spirit of St. Louis, a chair was placed in the plane for the honored guest, and away they soared, the worlds greatest aviator and America's great industrialist. Excited and thrilled as I was at witnessing this unexpected drama, I did not f orset to record each climatic I, of all the thousands of camera owners in the city of Detroit, had had the good fortune to be on the spot. In newspaper parlance, I had scored a scoop on them all! And later I was to have the further thrill of being sought out by the professional news- reel men themselves, with a view to securing my films for the news reels of the country. And I an amateur of but two months standing! But the excitement was not yet over. Mr. Ford alighted, beaming with smiles, which I caught on my singing film. And then his son, D-8.S. The Fords in automobiles, their first industrial triumph, sped away in the opposite direction, with increased fervor, as a result of their thrilling experience, for their new devotion to the cause of aviation. And, I, probably the most thrilled of them all, turned homeward to pre- pare for my long journey back to Philadelphia, with my priceless film record of this historic day. Thirty-three nnouncirjp. ,.— ™ii. the latest improvemet in home movies 16 e mm. DeViry Here is an announcement of decided interest to all amateur movie makers — a new 16 mm. motion picture projector made by DeVry — a projector with many new features — a projector guaranteed to give better results — at a price amazingly low. The new DeVry 16 mm. pro- jector is a distinct advancement in the building of home movie equipment. Home movie lovers who have seen it are enthusiastic in their praise, marvel at its lightness and simplicity and acclaim it the finest home movie projector ever offered to users of 16 mm. film at such low cost. For more than two years DeVry engineers have worked to perfect this new 16 mm. projector — to make it the outstanding projector for home movies — to simplify construction and operation — to secure better illumination than heretofore thought possible in this type — and they have succeeded. The DeVry 16 mm. projector has fewer work- ing parts than any other; can be threaded in a moment; the aperture gate opens and shuts by pressing one spring and idlers automatically ector lock to prevent film jumping ofl DeVry 16 mm. projector is ligh pies less space than any other universal motor and mechanism in operation. Motion pictures projected w sharp, brilliant, flickerless — the daylight. The F2 50 mm. lens, cial reflector provide better illu any other projector priced so 1 focal lengths and lamps of difl stantly interchangeable. No other projector i amazingly easy to operate. It has automati adjustable speed control and a host of other new DeVry produces results equalled only by twice the price. See this new DeVry Projectc — or write the DeVry Corporation — Dept. 11-M Chicago, for illustrated leaflet. A=*s==t5^==7<^^^-^ /&=^fc=^==^=7ac^^ THE WORLDS FINEST CAMERA FOR AMATEURS The DeVry Automatic 35 mm. Movie Camera is the only truly practical camera for critical amateurs. Used and highly praised by Hollywood's most famous cameramen, the DeVry combines all the features so necessary to professional quality, personal movie making. The price is only $150.00. THE FAMOUS TYPE J PROJE (For 35 mm. film) There are more DeVry standard port- able projectors in use than all other makes combined. Ideal for churches, schools, lodges, halls, etc. Holds 1000 feet standard film — projects a bril- liant picture 12 feet ivide — completely auto ma tic — self contained. Price $195.00, Thirty-four ocket. The new ight and occu- projector. The •ptionally quiet new DeVry are ay be shown in lamp and spe- n than that of 5es of different attages are in- ile, so quiet, so and framer — features. The rs retailing for r camera store Center Street SPECIFICATIONS AH metal construction — black lacquer finish — Weight — 7 pounds — Size 9H" x 7" x 6%" — Universal motor operating on A.C. or D.C. — Positive claw movement — Adjustable speed — F 2. 50 mm. lens, interchangeable with other focal lengths — Perfected optical system — Automatic rewind — Hand crank for use where desired — Film idlers lock in position — Lamp 200 or 100 watt — instantly interchangeable. Framer operates during projection. T h irt y-f iv e ; Anncuncin &^ the latest improvement in home movies The OeVry 16mm. Projector Here is an announcement of decided interest to all amateur movie makers — a new 16 mm. motion picture projector made by DeVry— a projector with many new features — a projector guaranteed to give better results— at a price amazingly low. The new DeVry 16 mm. pro- jector is a distinct advancement in the building of home movie equipment. Home movie lovers who have seen it are enthusiastic in their praise, marvel at its lightness and simplicity and acclaim it the finest home movie projector ever offered to users of 16 mm. film at such low cost. For more than two years DeVry engineers have worked to perfect this new 16 mm. projector — to make it the outstanding projector for home movies — to simplify construction and operation — to secure better illumination than heretofore thought possible in this type — and they have succeeded. The DeVry 16 mm. projector has fewer work- ing parts than any other; can be threaded in a moment: the aperture gate opens and shuts by pressing one spring and idlers automaticallv THE WORLD'S FINEST CAMERA FOR AMATEURS The DeVry Automatic 35 mm. Movie Camera is the only truly practical camera for critical amateur*. Used und highly prainod by Hollywood's most famous cameramen, the DeVry combines all thefeaturesio necessary la proj 'eaaionalqualitytpersonal movie making. The price is only $150,011. lock to prevent film jumping off the DeVry 16 mm. projector is lighlei pies less space than any other 16 universal motor and mechanism arc in operation. Motion pictures projected with t sharp, brilliant, flickerlcss— they er~ daylight. The F2 50 mm. lens. 2(10 cial reflector provide better illumin anv other projector priced so lav. I focal lengths and lamps of differ^ stantlv interchangeable. No other projector is so amazingly easy to operate. It has automatic r*j adjustable speed control and a host of oilier new DeVry produces results equalled only by pro j twice the price. See this new DeVry Projector rt- —or write the DeVry Corporation— Dept. H-M ' Chicago, for illustrated leaflet. procket. The new height and occu- projector. The eeptionally quiet DeVry may be shown in tt lamp and spe- ion than that of of different wattages are in- nple, so quiet, so id and fra «l features. The tors retailing for kur camera store 1 Center Street ^^^^^Msfczfe^^ THE FAMOUS TYPE J PR0JECTfl (Far .1.5 I n. film) There arc more DeVry standard port- able projector, in u,c than all other make, combined. Idealjor nhurehel, .cW, lodge., hall,, etc. HoUU 1000 feet standard film—projo liani picture IS feel fide- ■rataph- „„, atic-.clt contained. P $195.1111. brU- All melal Size <) l i" v ■ rath other focal I -Hand crank for SPECIFICATIONS iction — black lacquer finish — Weight — 7 pounds — — Universal motor operating on A.C or D.C. — Positive idjustable speed— F 2. 50 mm. lens, interchangeable ■ii"ths— Perfected optical system — Automatic rewind use where desired— Film idlers lock in position— Lamp qp or HH) watt — instantly niunnjiifi. Framcr operates during projection able. Thirty-four Thirly-jivc A "GLAD-TO-EATER" COMEDY The Petite Movie Makers Club of Toledo, Ohio, in action with W. H. The Significance Of the Club Movement THE amazing growth of ama- teur motion clubs all over the world marks the third impor- tant epoch in the history of amateur cinematography — the epoch of ama- teur achievement. The wide sale of personal and home movie equipment marked the first phase; it brought amateur pos- sibility to motion pictures. The formation of the Amateur Cinema League marked the second phase; it established amateur consciousness in motion pictures. The Amateur Cine- ma League is world-wide in its scope, its membership, its contacts and its activities. It has put amateur cinema- tography on the modern map. It is the center of inspiration. Everyone in it — of its international thousands — knows he is a part of a great world movement. Each of the first two developments was an immediately productive step in the progress of this wide-spreading world activity of individual amateur motion-picture making. Now, the local clubs, that are appearing like magic all over the six continents and the islands of the seas, are turning amateur effort into a useful social and civic medium to realize the vast Edited by Arthur L. Gale future possibilities of co-operatiive amateur cinematography. This is true because men and women become most effective in their intentions when they band together. To become completely effective they must unite locally and in working groups. By Wire Hot from the Coast comes tele- graphic news of the formation by the amateurs of Northern Califor- nia of a club to be known as the Amateur Movie Makers of Cali- fornia, with Charles S. Morris of San Francisco as temporary chair- man. Fine headway is being made in enrolling the many amateurs of the populous Bay regions. Word has also come that the club move- ment is actively stirring in Los Angeles. T How exciting it would be for us today if we could watch — with our present knowledge of their future ef- fect on civilization — the development of the pioneer free schools, the pioneer public libraries, the pioneer Pamplin directing. daily newspapers and the pioneer radio clubs, We have that opportunity today to watch, to take part in and to promote the pioneer amateur motion-picture clubs that will translate into social application for the progress of civili- zation this great new human agent of individual motion-pictures. Rose City Organized HE Portland (Oregon) Cine Club recently held its first meeting and we may now expect the famous Oregon roses and the luscious Oregon apples — to say nothing of the serviceable Oregon hops — to be im- mortalized anew in film. Ray La- Fever, an enthusiastic member of the Amateur Cinema League, was chosen as temporary chairman. A commit- tee was selected to draw up by-laws and exchanges of amateur film were arranged. The three hundred cine amateurs in the Oregon metropolis promise high-grade results from their new organization. How About Pendleton? AGE the Round-Up City! Pendle- ton, Oregon, is the only place in the United States, so far as we know, where every owner of amateur mo- tion-picture equipment is a member of the Amateur Cinema League. A Pendleton club seems a logical ex- ( Continued on page 48) T b i r t y - s i x STARS of the AMATEUR FIRMAMENT Left — Malcom Harvey, leading man in "Hold On a Minute," the recent release of the Little Screen Players of Boston. Cen- ter— Wynn Terry and F. Paul Kaiss, featured players in "The Gypsy Prince," of the Etna Film Producers of Baltimore. Right — Mildred Sachse, one of the stars of the Motion Picture Club of the Oranges, making up for the feature, "Hey Hay." FEATURING EVERYBODY The New Star Clusters of Home Hollywoods HAUNTING the studios is a thing of the past as a means of satisfying screen ambitions. Anxious parents, the last address of whose offspring was "Somewhere in Hollywood," can now rest in peace be- cause Bill and Jane are pretty sure to be "down at the Movie Club" and, most likely, father and mother are there with them. The amazing development of amateur motion picture clubs all over the world has given a strong impetus to photoplay production by you and me and everyone. In the Amateur Clubs department of this number of Ama- teur Movie Makers you will read of these local bodies. They are of two general types. One type of club is a group of individual camera men and camera women who compare their films and discuss the latest technique. Other clubs are out and our amateur producing com- panies, organized on the professional model, with direc- tors, assistant directors, camera men, scenario writers, electricians, and all the rest of it. Some clubs combine both phases. These photographs present some of the amateur film stars of the club circuit. How many of these names will be featured in glowing electric lights across the front of Photoplay Palaces five years from now? The answer is this: What have the bush leagues done for professional baseball? And here is another question. What is a pro- fessional star, after all, but an amateur who has stuck to it? This is the new revelation of the movies: Everyone Can Be a Star in His Own Amateur Photoplay. Thirty-seven Do You Know How To Make Your Amateur Movies in the Professional Manner? Courtesy Pathe Reading Photoplay's Amateur Movie Department? Of course! Nowhere else will you find the problems of the amateur cinematographer treated from the broad and comprehensive viewpoint of the professional movie maker. Many of the foremost men in the world of the photoplay, such as D. W. Griffith, believe that the hope of progress in professional movie making rests with the amateur. Photoplay tells you all this every month. It presents all the interesting activities of amateurs and of amateur film clubs. It gives you expert advice on how to make your pictures in the professional way. You will find scores of short cuts to striking effects by reading its columns. In fact, you can't get along without the amateur department of Photoplay. Besides all this Photoplay presents all the events and personalities in the colorful world of professional motion pictures. Be sure to read all about Photoplay's $2,000 Amateur Movie Contest. You still have time to enter. All the rules and informa- tion about the contest in every issue of Photoplay. photoplay magazine ON ALL NEWSSTANDS - or address: 750 N. MICHIGAN AVENUE, CHICAGO, ILL. Thirty-eight A FAMED LOCATION ON THE MOVIE MAKERS MEDITERRANEAN TOUR Will Your Scenario Win This Tour? The BEAUTIFUL WEST INDIES AWAIT THE WINNER ADDING still an- other unique at- traction to the fascinat- ing plans for the Movie Makers' Medi- terranean Tour, the first in cinema history, which will embark from New York on February 8th, the ama- teurs of America are herewith invited by James Boring's Travel Service to submit travel scenarios which could be filmed by the members of this won- derful tour during their journeyings. The magnificent award for the winning scenario will be a twenty-one day cruise through the West Indies, or its cash equivalent of $425, if applied towards the Movie Makers' Medi- terranean Tour. The full details of this prize offer and rules for the contest are con- tained in the box on this page. Amateur Movie Makers is delighted to have the opportunity to cooperate in offer- ing such a splendid award, in connection with a program of such major interest to every movie maker. Nor does the problem of enter- ing the contest involve Rules for the Travelogue Scenario Contest with the cooperation of JAMES BORING'S TRAVEL SERVICE, INC. 1. The contest is open to everybody except professional photoplay writers, officers of the Amateur Cinema League, members of the staff of Amateur Movie Makers or the Amateur Cinema League, and members of the staff of James Boring's Travel Service, Inc. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO GO ON ANY CRUISE OR TO SIGNIFY YOUR INTENTION TO GO ON ANY CRUISE IN ORDER TO ENTER THIS CONTEST. 2. This contest is for the best scenario submitted according to the fol- lowing conditions: a. It must not call for longer than one hour of screen showing. b. It must be written upon a travel background and the action must take place in the places visited by the MOVIE MAKERS MEDITERRANEAN TOUR conducted by James Boring's Travel Service. Inc. FULL AND FREE INFORMATION CONCERNING THESE PLACES IN THE MOVIE MAKERS MEDITERRANEAN TOUR CAN BE SECURED BY WRIT- ING TO JAMES BORING'S TRAVEL SERVICE, INC., 45 ASTOR PLACE. NEW YORK CITY. c. The scenario must be so written that all shots to be taken on shore in the various ports to be visited on the MOVIE MAKERS MERITERRANEAN TOUR will be exterior shots. No interiors allowed off ship. Interior shots will be allowed on board ship. d. Each scenario must be accompanied by a synopsis of not more than 500 words. e. The subject of the scenario may be melodrama, comedy, drama or tragedy. /. Scenarios must be typewritten. Also synopses. g. Scenarios must be addressed to SCENARIO CONTEST EDITOR, AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS. 105 WEST 40th STREET. NEW YORK CITY. h. Contest entries must be in the hands of the Scenario Contest Editor by ending of January 5, 1928. 3. Any number of scenarios may be submitted by one person. 4. The judges for this contest will be Frederick James Smith of Photo- play Magazine, J. B. Carrigan, Editor Amateur Movie Makers; Gardner 'Wells of James Boring's Travel Service, Inc., and two others to be selected by them. 5. The decision of the judges will be based upon : a. Actability of scenario. b. Interest of the scenario. c. Proper use of local color settings as outlined in 2 above. 6. No_ responsibility is assumed by the contest managers for lost manu- scripts. Scenarios will not be returned unless requested, and postage is sent to cover return. 7. The winner will be announced in the February number of Amateur Movie Makers. 8. The prize for this contest is A FREE CRUISE TO THE WEST INDIES, to start February 11, 1928 (a 21-day cruise), as conducted by the James Boring's Travel Service, Inc., and as sold by them for §425.00. This may be converted into a cash equivalent toward the purchase of a reservation for the MOYTE MAKERS MEDITERRANEAN TOUR, to start February 8, 1928 (a 62-day cruise), if so de- sired. Full information concerning these two cruises may be obtained by writing James Boring's Travel Service, Inc., 45 Astor Place. New York City. any extraordinary diffi- culties. Everyone is eligible. Full details are outlined in the con- test rules on this page. For the information of the many amateurs who are planning to go on the first Movie Makers' Mediterranean Tour, but who might possibly not be inter- ested in working out a cruise scenario, the scenario which is ad- judged best in this con- test is being secured merely so that it will be available if they wish to make such a production a feature of their trip. This will only be undertaken if the cruise members do desire it, but if a group does so desire they will be given every facility, without interference with the general plans for individual filming activity for cruise members already an- nounced. Read the rules care- fully. You will see they are so broad gauged that no one will have difficulty in enter- ing the contest. Ama- teur Movie Makers is happy that, as a re- sult of this contest, some one of our read- ers, perhaps it will be you, is to spend three weeks of the coming Winter under the warm Southern skies of the magic West Indies. Tb irty-ntne NEW BELL & HOWELL Accessories to improve your Fall and Winter movies Over twenty years experience in fur- nishing most of the cameras and equip- ment used in professional motion picture studios the world over has fitted Bell 6? Howell, as no other firm, to guide the amateur in the selection of camera, projector and accessories to produce the very finest motion picture results. 1. New Halldorson Cinema Mazda Light 2. New F 1.8 Speed Lens 3. New 6-inch Telekinic F 5.5 Lens New Taylor-Hobson Cooke F 1.8 Speed Lens The Taylor-Hobson Cooke F 1.8 lens is ideal for taking interior scenes, pictures after sundown, illuminated night scenes out of doors, pictures in well lighted public buildings — in short, every picture in light less potent than that of the aver- age bright days, when the F 3.5 should be used. This is a new, improved model, especially well corrected to eliminate flare with use of smaller apertures. The front element is fixed, permitting easy use of the Filmo Iris Vignetter without employing tripod. A lens of extreme speed. New Taylor-Hobson Cooke i-in. focus, F 1.8 lens in focusing mount, price $55.00 The New Halldorson Cinema Mazda Light— 1000 Watt for interior cinematography This is the ideal lamp for home use. One lamp, set 5 to 8 feet from the subject, provides ample illumination for all close-ups and short shots, using Filmo Camera equipped with F 3.5 or F 1.8 lens. To operate the lamp it is only necessary to plug into any lamp socket and turn on the switch. The silvered reflector can be tilted to direct light beam in any desired direction. When not in use, the lamp packs down into its neat, leather finished case. A special canvas case is furnished for tripod. Halldorson Cmema Mazda Light complete, including a 1000 watt globe, reflector with fittings, 12 feet of cord, carrying case and 4 section tripod stand with canvas case $37-50 Same, but with mounting for use on table or chair instead of tripod stand $31.00 New 6 Inch Telekinic Distance Lens only #65.00 with matched riew finders Lest the name "Telekinic" should puzzle you, we will explain that it is derived from the two Greek words — tele, meaning "far-off" and \ineo, meaning "motion." This, then, is the lens for getting "far-off motion." It is a wonderful new F 5.5 lens for capturing movies of shy animals and birds, football games from high up in the stands and other average shots which must be made from a great distance. The power of magnification is six times normal. Magnifying viewfinder lens and eyepiece furnished make certain that "what you see, you get." You will find this very compact telephoto lens, made by Taylor- Hobson Cooke, to be far superior to others of equal or even greater price made by less skilled manufacturers. Price complete, in focusing mount, with sun- shade, matched viewfinder and eyepiece $65.00 For more information on any item shown mail the coupon With this handy little accessory you can edit your films to gain just the continuity you want and make your movies more interesting on the screen. Examination o£ every inch of film made easy. Cut out any unwanted portions and insert subtitles. The splice made by this machine is absolutely transparent and velvet smooth. Will not show in projection. Price, which includes everything needed for rewind- ing, cutting and splicing 16 mm. film $14.00 I BELL 8C HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, 111. Ncit> York, Hollywood, London (B & H Co., Ltd.) Established 1907 Namt. Bell 6? Howell Co. 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago 111. Please send me complete information on accessories checked here □ New I Halldorson Cinema Mazda Light * n | □ New T.-H. C. F 1.8 Speed Lens naar"s I □ New 6-inch Telekinic Lens : □ Combination Rewind and Splicer City Scare I Forty CLOSEUPS Amateur Activities The Amateur Collects THE sale of two duplicate reels of film at $50.00 each and of another at S35.00 are among the recent cinematic successes of League member Charles S. Morris, of San Francisco. California. Mr. Morris was on the ground at a large fire in his city. An insurance company which had insurance on the building paid him S35.00 for a copy of his film. The aeroplane race to Hawaii that ended so tragically for many of the contestants was covered by Mr. Morris' all-seeing lens. He made many feet of film of all the competing planes and their pilots, many of the pictures being the last ever taken of them. These he also sold. These fruitful results of an amateur with a nose for news should inspire others to go and do likewise. Besides the financial remuneration, which would help pay the cost of his hobby, the amateur would have the satisfaction of fascinating work well done, done so satisfactorily that it is wanted by someone else to whom it is invaluable. And the fear of professionalism need not enter his heart. Occasional sale of a film does not mean that one has made his avo- cation a vocation. BIMBO The comedian of Chang in an intimate pose. 16mm. on the Increase THE large number of concerns using 16mm. films and pro- jectors for display purposes was most noticeable at the recent exposition of the Chemical Industries in New Y ork City. It is a sure sign that industry in general is coming to appreciate the value of the movie as an advertising medium and a real sales producer. New Calendar THE world movement for a sim- plified calendar has a special interest for cinematographers as it was originally sponsored by Mr. George Eastman, who has been so closely associated with the develop- ment of the whole photographic field, and most recently with amateur cine- matography. Latest news in this great movement is that it is favored by business in general and recently Mr. Eastman made public letters from 5C0 business men, many of whom are the executive heads of the largest corporations, insurance com- panies, banks and labor organiza- tions in the United States, stating they will support the proposed calen- dar improvement. Interesting Advice PHOTO ERA MAGAZINE has the following thought for still- photographers on the subject of cameras: "We are all familiar with the radio-announcer's request to "please stand by.' I am led to adopt the same wording in reply to those of my readers who have written to me with regard to motion-picture cam- eras. Some of these good friends appear to have arrived at a point where they are considering selling their reflecting-camera or high-grade folding camera and in its place pur- chasing one of the amateur 'movie cameras which are now 'all the rage. From my own experience and obser- vation, I cannot blame them for be- coming enthusiastic over the modern amateur motion-picture cameras. There is certainly a thrill about their use and the subsequent projection of the reel on the screen which is lack- ing in the still picture. "However, after giving the matter some thought, I am led to suggest that the users of still cameras 'stand by' for a time before they jump from the still camera to the 'movie' cam- era. It seems to me that the present situation does not call for a decision to use one or the other exclusively. (Continued on page 54) FROM AN AMATEUR NEWS REEL Right: Art Goeble, winner of the Dole Flight to Hawaii. Above: A fire in San Francisco. Left: Martin Jensen, winner of the second prize in the Hawaiian flight. Forty -one SAFETY NEGATIVE WEATHERPROOF CONTAINER Exterior wrapper of cellophane; taped tin container; ideal for ocean or tropical travel; permits you the convenience of stocking a personal supply. QUALITY Consistent DuPont quality in- sures for you greater depth and contrast — a decided advantage. ADDITIONAL PRINTS You preserve your negative un- touched and obtain clean-cut positive prints at any time; when a particularly popular roll wears, or in the far future years when certain pictures will become price- less to you. Additional positive prints are $3.75 per roll. $9.00 100 Ft. Neg. Developed 100 Ft. Pos. Printed 16 M/M DAYLIGHT LOADING STILL ENLARGEMENTS The negative film permits still enlargements to be made on printing paper. Keep a still print album of your particularly beau- tiful, interesting, or personal shots. EXPOSURE Owing to extreme speed you will notice that far greater latitude of exposure is obtainable. An exposure chart in every box. PROFESSIONAL METHOD The professional method is to make positive prints from origi- nal negatives — identically the same method which DuPont Negative film brings to you as an amateur. $3.50 Negative only, no processing. DU PONT Iff P A T H E Film Manufacturing 35 West 45th St. Wf tiff Corporation New York City Demand the best — and you'll get DuPont. Forty-two Demand DuPont — and you'll get the best. ts4£ways/ NEWS of the INDUSTRY Welcoming Mr. Bodine THE Bell & Howell Company, manufacturers of professional and amateur (Filmoj moving picture equipment, recently appoint- ed Mr. H. 0. Bodine to take charge of their New York Office and serve as Eastern Sales Manager. This position was formerly held by F. A. Cotton who not long ago met with a very unfortunate accident which proved fatal. Mr. Bodine needs no introduction to the photographic industry, having been actively and prominently con- nected with this fascinating profes- sion throughout his entire business experience of 25 years. Dealers and users of Filmo equipment will find Mr. Bodine thoroughly conversant with every factor of the game. Developing a lively interest in photography in his youth, Mr. Bodine had landscapes and genres accepted and hung in principal photographic exhibits and salons of the world. This successful amateur work led to his entering commercial photography as a profession, in which endeavor he gained a broad, practical experience in commercial, portrait and scientific photography. The development of the American Photographic Salon was materially aided by Mr. Bodine's ability, as was the organization of the Photographic Dealers' Association of New York, and the Photographic Dealers' Asso- ciation of America. In the manage- ment of the first International Ex- position of the Photographic Arts and Industries at Grand Central Palace, New York City, 1914 and of the International Photographic Ex- hibition, Grand Central Palace, 1923, Mr. Bodine was a prime mover. His business experience has in- cluded the following connections: A WEB OF LIGHT Beautiful scene from World War Cinegraphs Sales Manager of Raw Film Supply Company, New York City; Advertis- ing and Sales Manager of the follow- ing firms: Wollensak Optical Com- pany, Rochester, N. Y. ; Herbert & Huesgen, New York City; Afga Prod- ucts, Inc., and Gevaert Company of America, New York City. H. O. BODINE Becomes Eastern Manager for Bell 6? Howell Through this intensive experience in photographic activities, Mr. Bo- dine is exceptionally well qualified for his new position. Home Film Libraries LOW rental and the accessability of its dealer-branches are two of the features of the new organiza- tion of men well known in the motion picture industry who have founded Photograph by Eastman Koda\ Co. Home Film Libraries, Incorporated, with central offices at 100 East 42nd Street, New York City. Photographic supply houses throughout the country are being se- cured as distributors, with the idea of making the rental of the films as convenient as possible for customers. A dealer franchise will establish an exclusive territory and is so drawn up as to make the proposition most attractive as a store feature. The library will consist at the start of thirty reels, averaging 300 feet (16 mm. size in length) and will, of course, be added to frequently. The subjects include comedies, animated cartoons, western and animal dramas. Each subject has been carefully chosen with particular consideration for its appeal to children. The films are entertaining to adults, but the pleasure of the children is considered primarily before a film is placed in the library. A new catalogue of the first releases has just been issued. The rental has been placed at sev- enty-five cents a reel so that an eve- ning's entertainment can be secured for approximately three dollars. Johnston's "Snow White" Ink SNOW WHITE INK," a product of J. W. Johnston of Rochester, N. Y., has been found to be espe- cially good for title work, can be used with either pen or brush, and gives an absolutely smooth, opaque white. Mr. Johnston, feeling the need for a good white ink, devoted ten years of his life to experimental work in order to evolve the product he wanted. This ink has been accepted by the Eastman Kodak Company and Bell & Howell Company as their standard ink. Forty-three Santa Claus on Film APPROACH of Christmas brings the announcement of two Christmas specials, "Santa Claus" and "The Night Before Christmas" by R. J. Cummins, 220 West 42nd Street, New York City. "Santa Claus" was filmed by Cap- tain and Mrs. F. E. Kleinschmidt, who journeyed to Alaska and spent an entire year working on the pro- duction. Thousands of reindeer were used, and castles of ice and snow built for Santa and his pal Jack Frost. The actual Alaskan back- ground, with its limitless fields of ice and snow makes a perfect setting for Santa's home. "The Night Before Christmas" tells the story of how the poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," now known as "The Night Before Christmas" came to be written one hundred years ago by Dr. Clement C. Moore. The settings, costumes and histori- cal data are accurate and the picture shows Dr. Moore as he read the poem to his own children in his home at Chelsea, Old New York, and then swings into the story of the poem it- self as it is known by children the world over. New Service FILM records of weddings and re- ceptions are to be a specialty of the Stanley Educational Film Divi- sion, Inc., of 220 West 42nd Street, New York City. This service will em- ploy standard film and reductions will be made to 16 mm. for use with home projectors. The equipment, editing and titling will all be car- ried out by Stanley. Romantic History THE first carrying case for Filmos made by Cullen of 12 Maiden Lane, New York City, was designed two years ago at the request of an amateur who was preparing to make a trip around the world on his honey- moon. Before his return, orders for similar cases began to come in from friends who had viewed this original product. The demand, in fact, re- quired quantity production of the cases and their inclusion in the regu- lar Cullen stock. An early addition to this line will be a carrying case of new design, adapted to the Filmo which is equipped with a duplex finder, thus making it unnecessary to remove the finder. It will be known as the Cullen Duplex Case. Clever Tripod ANEW tripod of exceptional merit has just been announced by Burleigh Brooks, 136 Liberty Street, New York City. It is almost ten inches taller than the average tripod. The length extended is fifty- six inches, closed only sixteen inches and weighs but little more than a pound. This tripod is made by the makers of the popular Triax tripod and has the feature of opening auto- matically in three seconds. The legs are exceptionally rigid and will sup- port 100 pounds. This is possible be- cause they are constructed with U shaped legs of dur-aluminum metal. AVIATOR AS AMATEUR Art Goeble, winner of the Hawaiian flight, takes lesson in cinematography from Alvin Knechtel, expert cameraman of Hollywood For Christmas HOLLYWOOD has not forgotten Christmas. Word has come that Cine Art Productions of 1442 Beach- wood Drive, Hollywood, has been busily engaged in the production of two Christmas features for home pro- jectors, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and the "Story of Santa Claus," and through its connection with one of the largest laboratories in the United States, has spared no effort in producing something which would delight the family audience, and which could not be seen in any theatre. The marvels of miniature photography are called into play and Santa Claus is seen manufacturing the toys for little children in his mythical work shop in the far north. He is then shown delivering the toys on Christmas Eve, as related in the poem by Dr. Clement C. Moore. The cast for the pictures was chosen from professional motion picture people in the world's film capital, and the set- tings were specially designed to carry out these Christmas stories. Specials for Eyemo and Filmo NEW cases for Eyemo and Filmo cameras, built specially to withstand the hard usage incurred on camping, hunting and exploring trips, are offered to the amateur by Griffin & Howe, Inc., of New York City. The cases are strongly reinforced, lined with one-half inch deadening felt and covered with best saddle leather. They have special rings and strips for back packing or shoulder carry- ing, and for attaching to rear of saddle on horseback trips. In addition to the special cases, a finder for Eyemo and Filmo cameras is announced. This finder is equipped with the Bausch and Lomb piano convex finder lens, which shows the field covered, magnified three times, on a mirror at the rear of the finder. The finder, being a reflecting type, permits the camera to be held waist high, against the body, which insures great steadiness and is ideal for use with a telephoto lens without a tri- pod. Cameramen THE New York Institute of Photo- graphy announces that in prac- tically every state of the Union one of its graduates is serving as a Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer newsreel camera- man. The M-G-M newsreel is the youngest in the country and in order to build up a live-wire organization solicited the aid of the New York In- stitute in its search for competent cameramen. Forty-jour Photograph by De Vry Corporation Save Your More Valuable Films Store originals for safe keeping and project Cine-Kodak duplicates WHILE every movie that you make is intensely interest- ing to you and yours, certain films have unusual value be- cause of the subjects or incidents that they show. Movies of the children are one example — movie records of the old folks, or of extended trips, both here and abroad, are others. Such pictures as these you will want to guard for the future. And yet, of course, you will want them for present-day showing as well. Cine-Kodak film and the reversal process make this all a very simple matter. Cine-Kodak duplicates so closely ap- proach the originals in quality that it is virtually impossible to distinguish between them, even when they are viewed side by side. All the delicate gradations of light and shade, all the clarity, beauty and picture quality that are apparent in the original are held in the duplicate. None but an expert can tell the difference, and frequently he is deceived. Another outstanding feature peculiar to the reversal pro- cess is that, in both original and duplicate, there is a conspicu- ous absence of any "grainy" effect on the screen. The reversal process does away with this disappointing result. This marked lack of graininess in the original is just as apparent in the duplicate. Between the two, in this very essential quality, no difference whatever exists. And the cost for duplicates is little. Because it is not neces- sary to print from a negative, expensive intermediate steps are done away with. The result is a substantial saving. Spe- cifically, Cine-Kodak film and the reversal process provide the most economical means known of securing both original and duplicate. No other method or material can compete with it in the home movie field. When films have out-of-the ordinary interest, project duplicates — preserve originals. Price, Cine-Kodak duplicates — $j for 100-foot lengths and $3. 50 for 30-foot lengths. Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., n* Kodak cuy Forty-five Essential to AH Movie Cameras All modern, high speed movie camera lenses should be equipped with a filter for best results when photographing beach, tropical, snow scenes or where there are unusually bright lighting conditions. Wol- lensak Natural Glass (not gelatin type) 2X Color Filters are indispensable for this pur- pose. They prevent overtiming and con- sequent spoiling of film. Better color values and greater freedom in producing cloud, landscape and flower stud- ies are also obtained with Wollensak Natural Glass Color Filters. Made in sizes to fit all motion picture lens equipments. Prices #2.50 to #5.00 Literature on request. OTTICAl COMPANT 954 HUDSON AVENUE Rochester, N. Y, READ Sj3ortsf Afield America's First Outdoor Monthly Magazine ESTABLISHED 1887 for the best outdoor stories by such famous writers as BOB BECKER — CAL JOHNSON — EDGAR A. GUEST— EL CAPITAN— JOE GOD- FREY, JR.— OZARK RIPLEY. Our 50,000 Readers Say that Sports Afield's Departments are the best in the field — including — FISHY FISH STORIES WATERCRAFT— MOTORCAMPING BINOCULARS FOR SPORTSMEN CAMPS, RESORTS & TRAVEL AT THE TRAPS KENNEL AND LAIR Our #2,000.00 Fish Foto Contest has attracted thousands of new readers — if you have any photos of your catch, send to us for entry blanks. Our Advertisers Get Results Send $2.00 jor 1 year subscription — with each subscription we will send you a Gold Autostrop Razor Set Complete. Sports Afield Magazine 542 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, III. Scheibe Filters A BLUE glass filter, known as the Monotone Filter, is offered to amateur cinematographers by G. H. Scheibe, photo-filter specialist, of Los Angeles, California. This filter is not used on the camera, but is used as a viewing filter to examine the scene to be photographed. The blue glass translates the colors in the subject into monotones of gray, black and white, thus enabling the camera- man to see exactly what he will get on his film. In addition to this filter there is Scheibe's fog filter, for producing foggy weather effects; a white iris filter; a graduated iris filter; a sky filter; a diffusing screen and a dif- fused iris. THE PATHEX SUPER-REEL Super-Reel for Pathex ANEW "super-reel" attachment, enabling the user to show four- teen of his personally made films, or six ordinary reels of 60 feet each, without re-threading, is now available to Pathex owners. The new reel per- mits of rewinding on the projector itself. A new "super-rewinder" is also offered. With this device, the work can be done easier and faster than on the projector. New Attachments by Goerz THE Goerz Reflex Focuser for long focus lenses, the Focusing Base and Finderscope, and the Goerz Mask Box and Title Device are now ready for use with the Victor and Filmo cameras. Certain of these new devices provide a most accurate means for focusing, the importance of which has long been recognized by the Goerz Company. Portable Arc Lamp THE Leoti portable arc lamp, for making interior movies, weighs 18 pounds and gives 12,000 to 24,000 candlepower of lights. The lamp can be worked from any ordinary lamp socket and requires no special prep- aration or wiring. It is a single arc of simplified construction, using small carbons at 12% amperes of current. The lamp is finished in baked crystallized black enamel and aluminum. The reflector has folding doors to regulate and control the light. Opto Kit A KIT of four units which will appeal to every amateur who loves the outdoors, and particularly as helpful accessories in nature photography, has been assembled from its products by the Wollensak Optical Company of Rochester, N. Y. The kit contains a six power pocket telescope, a microscope which mag- nifies fifty times, a vest pocket mag- nifier for enlarging objects five times, and a pocket compass. With such an equipment the scope of outdoor film- ing is pleasantly enriched. Fastest Rewind A METHOD by which 400 feet of film can be rewound in twenty seconds, and a hundred feet in about seven to nine seconds has recently been devised by Mr. I. Newman, of Abe Cohen's Camera Exchange, New York City. The device consists of a belt and a pulley which is attached to the projector when ready for re- winding. The motor is thrown in re- verse, the starting button pulled, and in a few seconds the film is rewound. The attachment is designed for the Filmo projector. 1000 Watt Incandescent ANEW 1000 watt Halldorsen in- candescent lamp, operating on nine amperes of current, is announced by the Bell & Howell Co. When used alone, with no other lights on the cir- cuit, it is safely carried on the or- dinary 10 ampere house fuses. With other lights on the same circuit, 15 ampere fuses are inserted. Closeups, three to six feet distant, can be made with one light with an F:3.5 lens. The bulb is backed by a brilliant, silvered reflector, which can be tilted to direct the beam of light at any necessary angle. Maximum height of lamp extended is ten feet. The com- plete light, when packed for carry- ing, weighs fifteen pounds. Trend of the Times SPREAD of the amateur movement is again indicated by the enroll- ment of the Marshutz Optical Com- pany of Los Angeles among cine F or t y -s i x DISPENSE WITH DAYLIGHT Substitute the SUPER LYTE For Indoor Movies Or Stills Complete $19.70 Holder Tripod Lamp PICKUP & BROWN, 41 East 41st St. Representing ShowAt-Home Movie Library Write or phone for details Murray Hill 0041 INC. New York, N. Y. ran 4aH9"1 BE CD B El H ! ; ■■mm H H m \ Rj Laboratory Finishing of the Highest Quality Reduction Printing from 35mm. to 28 mm. or 16mm. by the pioneers of the narrow width field. Thirteen years of experience in our own carefully planned Motion Pk' ture Laboratory, with the finest machinery and equipment and a large force of skilled specialists, enables us to do the best wor\ in the shortest time and at min- imum cost. Capacity One Million Feet per Month Dupe Negatives (35mm.) on special duping stock by the firm which has made mil- lions of feet of the finest dupe negatives ever produced. The Pathescope Go. of America, Inc. 33 W. 42nd St., New York Laboratory, Long Island City SUBSCRIBE TO cAmateur (fl&ovie (fJKlakers THREE DOLLARS THE YEAR 105 West 40th Street, New York City camera dealers, with the inaugura- tion of a complete cine department, in addition to its optical and aural ser- vices. The department will be in charge of Mr. Frank M. Luce, photo- graphic specialist. Dr. Kinema Says: THE more I travel around and talk with amateur cinemato- graphers the more I am impressed by the fact that the people who are not using their cameras because they "have taken everything" are never members of the Amateur Cinema League nor readers of Amateur Movie Makers. I have come to the conclusion that it is we League members who are really keeping this amateur movie ball rolling and that it is answer to our requests and desires expressed to our headquarters, to dealers, to man- ufacturers and to inventors that the amateur movie industry is increasing by leaps and bounds in scope and in volume. The reason that we members con- tinue to enjoy the game, year after year, is that we read Amateur Movie Makers, that we discuss our cinematographic problems with League headquarters and our fellow members, that we take active part in the local movie clubs all over the country. These things keep us sup- plied with new ideas and enthusiasm. I am strictly an amateur as I have absolutely no financial interest in any way in cinematography and I claim to be one of the old-timers, but, nevertheless, I cannot, somehow, at- tain that enviable condition of hav- ing taken a picture of everything there is to take. My trouble is in finding ways and means for buying the new films I need without letting the wife know how much I am spend- ing. If she realized what I blow in on film and titles and the new knick- knacks that come out every month she would divorce me. Our League and our Amateur Movie Makers are the finest things that ever happened for both us ama- teurs and for the amateur movie in- dustry. They keep us all in contact. In several stores I have visited, I find the clerk pulls down a copy of Amateur Movie Makers to look up the price of things. The magazine has already become a trade directory as a sort of by-product of its real job - — to satisfy amateur desire for infor- mation. Every blessed thing the art affords at this date is in its advertis- ing pages and people have come to realize it. I get excited as a kid when the first of the month draws near and the next issue becomes due. I am all the time, in the "Clinic", Cullen's Special Filmo Camera Cases New Duplex Case Made especially to carry the Filmo camera with Duplex Finder at- tached. Thus a tremendous ad- vantage is gained in time saving and convenience: always ready for ordi- nary or telephoto shots. Made iden- tically the same as our other case with slight additional space for added accessories. BLACK $22 TAN $28 Regular Case Made of heavy sole leather with plush lining. Compartments for 4 100 ft. Cine films, telephoto lens, fast lens, color filters, finders, etc. Very little larger than the regular case but a hundred times more con- venient. BLACK $20 TAN $25 Allowance made on both for old case. True Ball Tripod Top A twist of the handle locks in any de- sired position. Action is smooth; Ab- sence of gears eliminates all possibility of loose play. Price $15 New Yorkers! Our projection room is an amateur's clubhouse and laboratory combined. Projectors, arc lights, splicers, etc., al- ways at your disposal. You'll meet other movie-makers — from delvers to fanatics. Advice and assistance galore. Drop in and get acquainted! C U LLEN 12 Maiden Lane New York City We have the most complete line of amateur movie appa- ratus in the financial district. Forty-seven TRIAX TRIPODS Open Automatically in 3 Seconds. Made of Dur-alumi- num, U shaped legs gives exception al strength and rigidity. Will support 100 lbs. The new 5 section model is almost 10" taller than the aver- age, extended 56" closed 16", weighs less than two pounds. Ideal for movie cam- eras. S Price, postpaid or S through your dealer $7.50. 4 section model, height 47", $5.00. Canvas case, $1.50. Sole A ?^o Increase in Exposure RAMSTEIN SKY FILTERS Equalize the exposure between the sky and foreground as well as correct for color, brings out the clouds and detail in the dis' tance. The only op- tically perfect gradu- ated filter, contains no gelatine or cement. Send diameter of lens. Made of pure optical glass, white and yel- low, fused together, then ground and pol- ished. Write for de- tails on the above and ask your dealer for free trial. Now available at new re- duced prices. gent BURLEIGH BROOKS, 136 Liberty St., N. Y. WEDDINGS and RECEPTIONS Photographed wherever you wish on standard film and reduced for use in 16 millimeter projectors. We provide all equipment, edit and title the finished film. Stanley quality is the result of fifteen years' experience in the production of educational and industrial films. No obligation incurred in requesting information Stanley Educational Film Division Inc. 220 WEST 42ND STREET, NEW YORK CITY Philadelphia Rittenhouse 7100 NEW YORK WISCONSIN 0610 Are YOU on the Amateur Cinema League Map} The League has invaded 31 countries on this map. Have you invaded the League? ENTER HERE To the Date 1927 AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC., 105 West 40th Street, New York City. I accept the invitation of the Amateur Cinema League, Inc., to become an annual League member. My check for FIVE DOLLARS payable to Amateur Cinema League, Inc. is enclosed in payment for the dues, $2.00 of which is for a year's subscription to Amateur Movie Makers. It is understood that immediately upon my election I am to become entitled to all the privileges of the League. It is also understood that there are no duties or obligations con- nected with this membership other than those which I may voluntarily assume from time to time. T^dme Street City . State . advising members to do or not to do this or that. Now I am going to visit this department for one month to advise the movie industry. If man- ufacturers and dealers want sales to increase and if they want every camera sold to keep at the joyful job of picture taking, it's up to them to see that they get every camera owner into the League so that he will be a steady reader of Amateur Movie Makers and so that he will get that enthusiasm that means more business from him for the whole industry. Note : Will Rogers did not inspire this. Dr. Kinema. AMATEUR CLUBS (Continued from page 36) pectation, especially with the excep- tional opportunity of annual filming of one of the world's great entertain- ments. Seattle Next? ROBERT G. LAMB, Amateur Cinema Leaguer from the great Northwest seaport, writes that the time is ripe for organization in Seat- tle. He reports that the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, one of the most active business organizations in the country, will co-operate in effect- ing a Seattle club of movie amateurs. A Real and Reel Eat THE Movie Club of Western Massachusetts, whose head- quarters are Springfield, will banquet cinematically October 18, Hiram Percy Maxim, President of the Amateur Cinema League, will bring the greetings of the national body. Gardner Wells, world traveler and Amateur Cinema League member, will lecture on "Travels with a Movie Camera." Several hundred Western Massachusetts amateurs are expected to eat through a menu whose realities have been covered by reel-alities, as every dish is disguised by a cinema- tographic name. Toledo in Comedy and Dance Study THE comedy cast of the Petite Movie Makers Club of Toledo, Ohio, under the direction of its presi- dent, W. H. Pamplin, photography by Ira Lawrence, of the Amateur Cinema League, is producing a series of one-reel comedy subjects featuring the adventures of two tramps. Our departmental photograph, this month, shows a riotous moment from the To- ledo side-splitter. Serious work is also to the credit of this live club. A film study of dance rhythm has been completed within the last few weeks, using the grounds of the Toledo Yacht Club as setting. Forty-eight PATHEGRAMS Motion Picture Films for All 16mm. Projectors PATHEGRAMS bring to you the latest and finest in Home Motion Pictures, a new film service available every, where. PATHEGRAMS are made in 100 ft., 200ft. and 300 ft. lengths (approximate) on 16 millimeter film and can be used in all existing makes of 16 millimeter projectors. PATHEGRAMS are produced by the Pathe organization, with all its wonderful resources and facilities and its thirty years of experience in motion pictures. Pathegrams cover every type of subject, giving you an un- equaled library for your projector. PATHEGRAMS releases embrace a wide variety of Comedies, Dramas, Grantland Rice Sportlights, Will Rogers Travelesques, Mack Sennett, Hal Roach and "Our Gang" Comedies, Cartoons, Scenics, Pictures on Animal Life, Science, Art, Travel, How Things Are Made, and a monthly Pathegrams Review, composed of several interesting features. PATHEGRAMS are printed on superior quality non-inflammable film. PATHEGRAMS will be released monthly. Be sure you are on the mailing list so that you will receive the monthly list of new releases. PATHEGRAMS RELEASES NOW READY 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 1001 1002 2505 COMEDY Play Safe (Monty Banks), 2 Reels Introduce Me! (Douglas MacLean), 2 Reels Safety Last (Harold Lloyd), 3 Reels Tire Trouble (Our Gang), 2 Reels Raggedy Rose (Mabel Normand), 2 Reels. Madame Mystery (Theda Bara), 1 Reel. . It's a Gift (Snub Pollard), 1 Reel The Early Bird (Glenn Tryon), 1 Reel. . . Flirty Four Flushers (Madeline Hurlock & Billie Bevan), 1 Reel The Plumber's Daughter (Alice Day) . . . 1 Reel Smith's Candy Shop (Raymond McKee, Ruth Hiatt & Mary Ann Jackson) 2 Reels REVIEW Pathegrams Review Number One, 1 Reel . Pathegrams Review Number Two, 1 Reel . ANIMAL LIFE The Spirit of Play, 1 Reel Price 13.50 12.50 21.00 14.00 13.50 7.00 7.00 7.00 6.50 6.50 13.50 7.00 7.00 6.00 DRAMA Price 4501 Satan Town (Harry Carey), 2 Reels 13.50 4502 White Mice (Jacqueline Logan & Wm. Powell), 2 Reels 13.50 SPORTS 1501 Golf Form, 1 Reel 6.00 1502 Swimming Form, 1 Reel 6.00 1503 Baseball Form, 1 Reel 6.00 1504 Tennis Form, 1 Reel 6.00 1505 Boxing Form with Gene Tunney, 1 Reel.. 6.00 CARTOON 3501 *Jack the Giant Killer, 1 Reel 6.00 TRAVEL 501 With Will Rogers in Dublin, 1 Reel $ 6.50 502 Hiking Through Holland with Will Rogers, 1 Reel 6.50 503 Niagara Falls, 1 Reel 6.00 * Films for Children. Pathegrams Are Sold Outright — Not Rented Price $6.00 and uP ACCORDING TO SUBJECT AND NUMBER OF REELS // not available through your Dealer, write direct to us. PATHE EXCHANGE, Inc., pathegrams department 35 West 45th Street, New York City Forty-nine Another Important Advantage Offered by The VICTOR CINE CAMERA is the convenient Location of the View Finder and of the Operating Button. When in position before the eye the Victor Cine-Camera is easily and comfortably held in the right hand, with one finger in complete control of the start and stop. Because of the position of the view finder the Victor Cine-Camera does not interfere with the headgear of the operator. No finder at- tachments or supplementary finder lenses are needed for "■close-ups" or long range shots, nor when using telephoto lenses. The level visible in the view finder prevents "up-hill" pictures. The operating button starts and stops the mechanism instantly, quietly and without vibration. Regulator for SLOW-motion, normal and half-normal speeds, duplex spring-motor drive, interchangeable lenses, built-in exposure meter, vibrationless mechanism of infallible accuracy — these and other dis- tinctive features make the Victor Cine-Camera the most complete of all 16 m/m motion picture cameras. Price $125, Complete Uses Cine- Kodak and other 16 m/m film in 100 or 50 foot spools. Daylight loading. As\ your dealer or write direct for further information. Victor Animatograph Co* 340 Victor Bldg., DAVENPORT, IOWA, U. S. A. Billboard Handbook THROUGH the courtesy of Miss Elita Miller Lenz, editor of the Little Theatre department in the Bill- board, there has come to our atten- tion the Billboard's Little Theatre Handbook. This is written by little theatre pioneers and has excellent information for producing movie clubs and valuable hints for Little Screen enthusiasts. Finance! SCREEN tests — for which there are always hundreds of eager appli- cants— have provided a steady and excellent source of income for the Little Screen Players of Boston, writes Herbert F. Lang, of the Ama- teur Cinema League, their director. Knowing the desire of screen-am- bitious young men and women to have screen tests available in getting an opening in the professional movie world, the Little Screen Players have given careful screen tests for $15.00 each, advertising this service in the local press. "Make your tests on Sundays of fifty feet each (standard width)," ad- vises Mr. Lang. "Back-light all of your subjects, using out-of-door sun- light if possible. Use soft-reflected light or, better, no reflection at all. If you time-out or properly expose for the face, which should be evenly lighted in half-tone, very flattering results will be achieved. It will be necessary to apply only a very light make-up, if you follow this method." "Make your tests only on a sunny day, otherwise your lightings will be flat and the feature modeling very poor. Young ladies, particularly the kind that gentlemen prefer, respond beautifully to this lighting treatment. This plan will also secure new talent for your club. Five tests a week means a fifty-dollar profit and with fifty dollars — well, just take another glance through the advertising pages of this number of Amateur Movie Makers." Vive La France! FRENCH amateurs will soon have a national rallying place. The French Photographic Society (So- ciete Francaise de Photographic) is organizing a sub-section, within its cine-section, which will be especially reserved for amateur motion-picture makers. Ceylon Is Stirring R. W. SEPION of the Royal Mo- tor Works, Colombo, Ceylon, is inquiring concerning the Amateur Club movement. The coral strands of India invite amateur club activi- ties. Fifty wbh? TWO BEAUTIFUL' STORIES THAT VILL DELIGHT THOUSANDS YEAR AFTERs YEAR- \y ws '* ' H i, %\ V; W and vever (jtovj old. 1 OPCy" .V ^ CLEMENT C. MOORE WROTE THE IMMORTAL POEM- CINE ART PRODUCTIONS SPENT THOUSANDS, OF DOLLARS TO PRODUCE IT ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR HOME LIBRARY. IWas the night before Christmas A beautiful motion picture based on the poem, told in a way that will delight the heart of every child. A Christmas present that will live through the years to come. No. 125 Length 400 feet mounted on reel with humidor Price $30.00 Code PRU STORY OF SANTA CLAUS Old St. Nick at work in his top shop — his tiny reindeers speed him across the frozen snow and silently on Christmas Eve he steals down the chimney and fills the stockings with toys. Your children will be as de- lighted to see this picture as the two in the story when thev awoke on Christmas Morn. No. 126 Length 100 feet Price $7.50 Code PRC ft WE CAN FURNISH AIL SUBJECTS in 16 WHANO 35km SHE. IF YOUR jDEALEfc CANNOT SUPPLY YOU. MUTE US. &&-£& CINE ART PRODUCTIONS HOLLYWOOD, CAL. 1442 BEACHWOOD Of F i f t y - o n e Visit Us at Your Own Dealer Amateur Movie Makers is published in New York City as a matter of business conveni' . ence. Our headquarters, over the whole world, are located in the stores of our dealers. In those stores you will find someone to tell you about Amateur Movie Makers and to make Amateur Movie Makers available to you by the month or by the year. YOUR DEALER is your real contact with us as well as with every other worth while thing in our new sport of movie making. Let him show you his new offerings which you will read about in these pages. He is your friend and ours and we recommend you to each other. HERE ARE OUR DEALERS: Abercrombie if Fitch, 45th St. and Madison, New York City J. F. Adams, 459 Washington Street, Buffalo, N. Y. A. S. Aloe Co., 513 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo. American Photo Supply Co., S. A., Av. F. 1, Madero 40, Mexico D.F. Anderson Supply Co., Ill Cherry St., Seattle, Wash. Reid S. Baker, Inc., 1322 F St., N. W., Washington, D. C. E. S. Baldwin, 32 Maiden Lane, Albany, N. Y. L. Bamberger if Co., Market St., Newark, N. J. Bass Camera Co., 179 West Madison St., Chicago, 111. Beckquist Photo Supply House, 885 First St., Muskegon, Mich. A. L. Bollinger Drug Co., Frankfort and Stilz, Louisville, Ky. Z. T. Briggs Photo Supply Co., 916 Grand Ave., Kansas City, Mo. H. W. Brown if Co., 87 Wisconsin St., Milwaukee, Wis. Buffalo Photo Material Co., 37 Niagara St., Buffalo, N. Y. E. S. Burtis, Stamfoid-in-the-Catskills, N. Y. Camera Exchange, 7 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, Georgia. Central Camera Co., 112 So. Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Cinema Supplv Co., Inc., 804 Eleventh St., Washington, D. C. City Camera Co., 110 West 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Clark Cine-Service, 25 40 Park Ave., Detroit, Mich. Aimer Coe if Co., 105 No. Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Aimer Coe if Co., 18 So. La Salle St.. Chicago, 111. Aimer Coe if Co., 78 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, 111. Abe Cohen's Exchange, 113 Park Row, New York City Columbia Photo Supply Co., 1424 N. Y. Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C. Co-Operative Photo Supply Co., Inc., 381-383 Minnesota St., St. Paul, Minn. William C. Cullen, 12 Maiden Lane ,New York City Curtis Art Co., 25 West Main St., Waterbury, Conn. Dayton Camera Shop, 1 Third St. Arcade, Dayton, Ohio. Detroit Camera Shop, 424 Grand River W, Detroit, Mich. Devoe if Raynolds Co., Inc., 34 E. 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Geo. C. Dury if Co., Nashville, Tenn. Eastern Motion Picture Co., 2114 Sansom St., Philadelphia, Pa. 183 Peachtree St., Atlanta, Ga. 223 Park Ave., Baltimore, Md. , 38 Bromfield St., Boston, Mass. 133 North Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. , 318 Brady St., Davenport Iowa , 626 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. , 1235 Washington Blvd., Detroit, Mich. , 808 Locust St., Des Moines, Iowa 643 So. Hill St., Los Angeles, Calif. 112 South Fifth St., Minneapolis, Minn. 213 Baronne St., New Orleans, La. Madison at 45th St., New York City 419 So. Sixteenth St., Omaha, Neb. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 1020 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 606 Wood St., Pittsburgh, Pa. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 345 Washington St., Portland, Ore. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 545 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 1415 Fourth Ave., Seattle, Wash. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 607 Fourteenth St., N. W., Washington, D. C. Eastman Kodak Stores, Ltd., 610 Granville St., Vancouver, B. C. B. K. Elliott Co., 126 Sixth St., Pittsburgh, Pa. Erker Bros., 608 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo. Jos. C. Ferguson, Jr., 1804 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Film if Slide Co. of Canada, Ltd., 156 King St., W., Toronto, Can. Ford Optical Co., 1029 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Fowler if Slater Co., 806 Huron Rd., Cleveland, Ohio Fowler if Slater Co., 347 Euclid Ave.. Cleveland, O. Fowler if Slater Co., Union Trust Bldg., Cleveland, O. Fowler if Slater Co., 156 Lamed St., W., Detroit, Mich. Fowler if Slater Co., 7 Wick Ave., Youngstown, O. Fox Company, 209 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas Franklin Printing 6? Engraving Co., 226 Huron St., Toledo, Ohio. Frasher's, Inc., 158 E. 2nd St., Pomona, Cal. Francis A. Frawley, 178 Cedar St., Bangor, Maine J. C. Freeman if Co., 376 Main St., Worcester, Mass. Fritz if Hawley, Inc., 816 Chapel St., New Haven, Conn. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Eastman Kodak Stores Co., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., S. Galeski Optical Co., 209 Granby St., Norfolk, Virginia W. D. Gatchel if Sons, 431 Walnut St. W., Louisville, Ky. Gift and Art Shop, 115 W. Bridge St., Owatonna, Minn. Gillette Camera Store, 117 Park Ave., New York City Griffin if Howe, 234 East 39th St., New York, N. Y. Gross Photo Supply Co., 325 Superior St., Toledo, Ohio Haanstad's Camera Shop, 404 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Edwin A. Hahn, 111 Columbia St., Utica, N. Y. Hanley Photo if Radio Shop, 116 East 10th St., Kansas City, Mo. Ralph Harris if Co., 30 Bromfield St., Boston, Mass. Ray Hart, 8-10 East 4th St., Sterling, 111. Harvey if Lewis Co., 865 Main St., Hartford, Conn. Harvey if Lewis Co., 849 Chapel St., New Haven, Conn. Harvey if Lewis Co., 1503 Main St., Springfield, Mass. Herbert if Huesgen Co., 18 East 42nd St., New York City Hirsch if Kaye, 239 Grant Ave., San Francisco, Cat. Honolulu Photo Supply Co., P. O. Box 2999, Honolulu, T. H. Huber Art Co., 124 Seventh St., W., Cincinnati, Ohio J. L. Hudson Co., Department 290, Detroit, Mich. Hyatt's Supply Co., 417 North Broadway, St. Louis, Mo. Illinois Camera Shop, Weinberg Arcade, 34 S.Prairie St., Galesburg.IU. Iver Johnson Sporting Gds. Co., 155 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Alexander Kagen, 641 Penn St., Reading, Pa. Leavitt Cine Picture Co., 3150 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Cal. Leavitt Cine Picture Co., 564 Market St., San Francisco, Calif. H. Lieber Co., 24 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, Ind. Andrew J. Lloyd Co., 300 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Lowe if Farley, Newsstand, Times Bldg., New York, N. Y. Lugene, Inc., 600 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. Harold E. Lutes, 958 Fifth St., San Diego, Cal. Lyon if Healy, Wabash Ave. at Jackson Blvd., Chicago, 111. Wm. Mcintosh (Sheffield) Ltd., Change Alley, Sheffield, England. Marks if Fuller Co., 36 East Ave., Rochester, N. Y. E. G. Marlow Co., 1807 Main St., Dallas, Texas Memphis Photo Supply Co., Memphis, Tenn. Metropolitan Motion Picture Co., Film Exchange Bldg., Detroit, Mich. E. B. Meyrowitz, 1516 Washington Blvd., Detroit, Mich. E. B. Meyrowitz, Ltd., 1A Old Bond St., Cor. of Picadilly, Lon- don, W. I., England. E. B. Meyrowitz, 520 Fifth Ave., New York City Miami Photo Supply Co., 242 N. Bayshore Drive, Miami, Fla. Milwaukee Photo Materials Co., 427 Milwaukee St., Milwaukee, Wis. Morse's Photo Service, Rhodesbilt Arcade, Lake Wales, Fla. Mortimer's, 300 Park Ave., Plainfield, N. J. George Murphy, Inc., 57 East 9th St., New York, N. Y. New York Camera Exchange, 109 Fulton St., New York, N. Y. B. B. Nichols, Inc., 731 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif. Parrish if Read, Inc., 308 Market St., Camden, N. J. Pathescope Co., 260 Tremont St., Boston, Mass. Pickup if Brown, 41 East 41st St., New York, N. Y. Pinkham if Smith Co., 15 Bromfield St., Boston 9, Mass. Schoenig if Co., Inc., 8 East 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Schwabacher-Frey Stationery Co., 735 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. J. H. Seamans, 7052 Jeffery Ave., Chicago, 111. Shain's Drugs, 119 W. Maple Ave., Birmingham, Mich. Shaw Supply Co., Tacoma, Washington Sheffield Photo Co., 6 Norfolk Row (Fargate), Sheffield, York's, England. Smith if Butterfield Co., 310 Main St., Evansville, Indiana Starkweather if Williams, Inc., 47 Exchange Place, Providence, R. I. Tampa Photo if Art Supply Co., 709-11 Twiggs St., Tampa, Fla. Twelfth Street Garage, 81— 12th St., Wheeling, W. Va. F. W. Twogood, 700 Main St., Riverside, Cal. Wm. F. Uhlman, 716 Francis St., St. Joseph, Mo. United Camera Stores, Inc., 14611 E. Jefferson, Detroit, Mich. United Projector if Film Corp., 228 Franklin St., Buffalo, N. Y. Watry if Heidkamp, 17 W. Randolph St., Chicago, 111. Webbs Photo Supply Store, 94 So. First St., San Jose, Cal. L. B. Wheaton, 368 Main St., Worcester, Mass. Williams, Brown if Earle, Inc., 918 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Willoughby Camera Stores, Inc., 110 West 32nd St., New York, N.Y. Winstead Bros., Inc., 244 Pine, Long Beach, Cal. Zimmerman Bros., 330 West Superior St., Duluth, Minn. Zimmerman Bros., 380 Minnesota St., St. Paul, Minn. AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS 105 WEST 40th STREET, NEW YORK CITY $3.00 a Year (Canada $3.25; Foreign $3.50) 25 Gents a Copy (Canada and Foreign 30 Cents) Fifty-two Junior Melodrama FRAMED" is the working title of the photoplay which the Amateur Movie Club of the Roose- velt High School of Des Moines, Iowa, is now producing. Outdoor scenes have been taken during early fall; indoor shots will be of interiors with great depth on a dance floor. A Des Moines tea-room is being uti- lized by the club. Adequate interior lighting will be provided by using six twenty-five ampere arcs. Close- ups of the leads against the weaving background of the dancers are furn- ishing interesting camera angles. Photographs in this department are of members of this enterprising pro- ducing unit. Using Means at Hand A FINE example of employing settings "as is" comes from the Paramount Motion Picture Club (Junior Department) of Manheim, Pennsylvania. "The Glorious Fourth" produced by this club, tells the story of an historic Fourth, using the events of last year's Independence Day as -a setting. This film will shortly be shown in Manheim theatres. Again, the Paramounters have writ- ten a scenario round a fisherman's daily meanderings, showing the streams and lakes near Manheim. The reflection of light on water and the movement of trees in the breeze provide a cinematic background for the dramatic moments of the catch. Philadelphia heads THE City of Brotherly Love is true to its name so far as movie clubs are concerned. The Little Film Guild of Philadelphia is the latest Philadelphia body to come to our at- tention. Edward W. Burwell, direc- tor of the Little Film Guild, who is a Cinema League member as well, writes that the purpose of his organi- zation is "the furtherance of the art of moving-picture photography on amateur standard film. Our plays will not be influenced in any way by public sentiment nor made with a view to financial returns. Every member of our organization has come in with a spirit of pure joy, and in no case, is any member looking for a lane leading to financial profits." This makes four clubs for Philadel- phia, the world record for any city. Another group is reported to be in process of formation. Who said slow? More in the Offing THE national capital will shortly have a movie club when the efforts of two loyal Amateur Cinema League members, H. B. Dellett and R. E. Woltz, of Washington, have USE THE AUTOMATIC COLORATOR to most satisfactorily project YOUR MOTION PICTURES IN COLORS Now avaHable for MODEL A KODASCOPE and for FILMO 16 mm. pro- jectors. You can attach the COLORATOR to or detach it from your projector in ONE SECOND. It does not mar the finish of your machine and cannot be placed out of proper alignment with the projection lens. It permits focusing the lens, while attached. The COLORATOR is automatic in operation and positive in action. No fumbling or juggling is necessary, as the color discs are individually or collec- tively interchanged instantaneously at the touch of a button. You can project in black and white, with the COLORATOR attached. 15 Different Colors at your fingertip The mechanism of the COLORATOR is enclosed in a dustproof housing, thus in- suring against finger-marking or damaging the color discs. The COLORATOR is light in weight and compact, yet durably constructed, and, fin- ished in crystallized black enamel, it harmonizes with the beauty of your equip- ment. GUARANTEED FOR TWO YEARS. PRICE $19.50 AT YOUR DEALER'S Manufactured by AMERICAN CINE PRODUCTS CO. ARGYLE & SAWYER AVE.. CHICAGO, ILL. G* & rL Movie Specialties G. & H. View Finder For Eyemo and Filmo 16'mm. motion picture cameras. Magnifies 3 diameters, showing field much clearer than regular finder. Permits holding camera waist-high, steady against body — especially valuable for telephoto lens without tripod. Has plano-convex lens. Price including installation, $15.00. Goerz Reflex Focuser NEW — Goerz Reflex Focusing Finder for Filmo Camera. Screws into lens thread, replacing lens mount for 3" or longer focus lens. Useful also for close work with 2" or 1" lens. Magnifies 10 times; insures sharp focus always. Movable prism operates into and out of reflecting position behind lens with simple movement of finger control. Simple, highly efficient, quick. Price, $27.50. G. & H. Special Carrying Case For Cine Kodak and Filmo 16-mm. and Eyemo and DeVry 3 5-mm. motion picture cameras. Built for banging about of camp and trail; best for use everywhere, instead of the regular case. Outer lined with Winch deadening felt, covered with best saddle leather; strongly reinforced. Special rings and straps for back or shoulder, and for saddle cantle, as desired. Furnished free with Eyemo or Filmo camera bought from us. Price if ordered separate, $30.00 Specialists To Sportsmen Our specialty is Griffin ii Howe hand made rifles. We also outfit completely for hunting, exploring, camping ex- peditions. Full lines of Zeiss Ikon Cameras and Zeiss and Hensoldt Binoculars. All motion picture film; DuPont Two-way 16-mm. Developing and printing all motion picture film responsibly handled. Write for Descriptive Circulars. GRIFFIN tf HOWE, Inc. Dept. M, 234 E. 39th St., H- T. C. Fifty-three One Hundred High Class 16m»m» EMPIRE FILMS On Safety Stock GUARANTEED PERFECT PRINTS FOR ONLY $4.50 Per 100 Feet No. 1 — Troops leaving Hoboken, N. J., for France, aboard the "Leviathan." No. 2 — Landing at Brest. No. 3 — America's First Great Battle, Gantigny. No. 4 — America's Second Offensive, Chateau Thierry. No. 5 — Exploits of German Submarines, "S.S. Maplewood." No. 6 — Exploits of German Submarines, "S.S. Stromboli." No. 7 — Exploits of German Submarines, "S.S. Parkgate." No 8 — Exploits of German Submarines, "S.S. Miss Morris." No. 9 — The Advance on and Capture of St. Mihiel. No. 10 — The Last and Greatest Battle of the World War, Argonne Forest. No. 11 — Zeppelins Last Raid Over London. All 100 Foot Reels ASK YOUR DEALER EMPIRE SAFETY FILM CO., Inc. 723 Seventh Avenue New York City bryant 5437 - 5736 - 2180 EMPIRE SAFETY FILM CO., Inc. 723 Seventh Avenue New York City Please Mail Me An Empire 16 mm. Subject Catalogue Name Address City State I Am Also Interested In Your Laboratory Service I I F i f t y - f o ur borne fruit. The club leaven is working in Rochester, where Miss Blanche A. Rexicker, president of the Better Pictures Club of that city — also a live-wire member of the Amateur Cinema League — is plan- ning the organization of an amateur movie body. Syracuse, N. Y., New Bedford, Mass., Jersey City, N. J., inquire as to amateur clubs pros- pects for these cities. We also record projected activity toward club forma- tion from the Indian River School of New Smyrna, Florida, and from Mad- ison, N. J. Your Laboratory YOUR local motion-picture thea- tres are ideal laboratories for your club. By watching the profes- sional films attentively — following the method used in Amateur Movie Makers' Critical Focusing depart- ment— you will see the latest profes- sional methods. If your club will occasionally visit local theatres in a body and if your local exhibitor knows of your interest, you will help him to get the films which you want to see. He will be glad to give your club a special trip through his pro- jection rooms and to tell you of his professional equipment. A Welcome to Cameras and Typewriters THIS department is yours. Every club is urged to send regular contributions. Photographs are espe- cially welcomed. Send them on glossy paper, size eight by ten inches, if possible, in order to insure ideal reproduction. Address your contri- butions to ARTHUR L. GALE, Amateur Club Consultant, Amateur Cinema League, 105 West 40th Street, New York, N. Y. CLOSEUPS (Continued from page 41) Rather, is it not a question of using both? Does not each have a very distinct field of its own? Does not each give us something that the other cannot give? Either one does not and cannot, as yet, cover the entire field of photography. "Therefore, I am led to suggest that, if cost is no obstacle, my readers lose no time to become equipped with both types of cameras. By no means sell the still camera, if that is the only way to get a 'movie' camera, for in that case, the matter of expense is a factor, and even amateur 'movies' are still considerably more expensive than still photography. Far better is it to keep the still camera and with it earn the money to buy a motion- picture camera. As time goes on* amateur motion-picture photography will no doubt cost less; but even so, reliable apparatus cannot be made at a low price, whether it be still or motion-picture equipment. To be sure, there have been, and probably always will be, low-priced cameras of both types which can make pic- tures; but the professional and the advanced amateur know that the pur- chase of high-grade equipment is economy in the end. Hence, let my friends defer their decision for a time and make the possession of both types of camera, rather than one or the other, their objective." Swaps "Mountain Scenery and Sport in British Columbia" — 4 reels — 400 feet — 35mm. Name: J. H. Munro. Address: Revelstoke, B. C, Canada. "Gardens of Greater New Bedford" — one reel — 400 feet — 16mm. Name: J. Arnold Wright. Address: Box 410, New Bedford, Mass. SIMPLIFYING THE SCENARIO (Continued from page 14) Scene Plot Ext. The rustic bench under the elm on the east side of garden. John Mary Donald Action Plot John is angry. He demands an explanation from Mary of why she flirted so outrag- eously with Don- ald. At the height of their argument Donald appears and makes John appear ridicu- lous. John leaves humiliated and Donald continues his advances to Mary. When you have the entire story worked out as above, treat each scene and action as a writer uses sentences, paragraphs and chapters to com- plete his story, that is, as one unit at a time, expressing yourself in cam- era angles and technique as a writer chooses words and punctuation. In the action given above, try and figure out just how you would shoot it. We have here to consider first the mood of our players, the tense- ness of their action. Then, enter the villain. He changes the atmosphere by making a fool of John. That changes the mood of composition. From tense drama, we swing to melo- drama, and at John's exit to comedy. Then back again to melodrama as Donald is wooing Mary, and into tense drama as he grows in ardor. Try and figure out camera angles and technique to express this. In other words, think in terms of pic- tures and use your imagination. The Reward of Perfect Lighting is PERFECT PICTURES VV7ITH Fotolite, you can place your faith in a lamp that is unsurpassed for brilliance, clarity, steadiness. A lamp that is widely recognized as the most compact and efficient lamp for studio and home use. Two No. 5 lamps, held in any posi' tion by heavy nickel -plated stand. Over feet high. When assembled, folds into 24 inch space. Complete, a s illustrated, with bulbs, $28.00. With one No. 5 lamp and bulb, $16.00. No. 5 Hand Fotolite, com- pletely wired. Equipped with special 500 watt bulb. Price, $10.00. Without bulb, $6.00. Fotolite consists of a specially made 500 watt bulb, encased within a specially designed aluminum reflector (patent applied for). Each lamp has a light value of 5750 candle power. This light is constant and uniform, ma\ing clear results absolutely certain. Fotolite lamps can be plugged in on any elec- tric light socket. Each lamp is equipped with ten feet of electric cord. They can be used on either A.C. or D.C. currents, 105 to 120 volts, or in series on 220 volt current. Two reflectors with a F. 1-8 lens are required for group up to 3. Three lamps for group of 4 to 6, and an additional lamp when a F. 3-5 lens is used for either A.C. or D.C. current No special wiring or installation required. Read the descriptions at the left. Then select the Fotolite lamp best suited for your own particular needs. Testrite Instrument Go. dept. M 108 East 16th Street, New York, N. Fotolite { FOR THE HOME AND STUDIO } F i } t y - f i v e TRICKS WITH AMATEUR CAMERAS (Continued from page 26) reel, and place it back on the maga- zine side, turning the reel over in pancake fashion as you do so. Take the other special reel and use it for the take-up this time. Now both of your special reels should be in the camera. Close the camera and place some- thing opaque firmly over the lens. This may be done with your hand, with the little rubber cap that fits over the sunshade on the F:3.5 lens, or with a COMPLETELY CLOSING iris vignetter. Now set the dial at 95 and run the film through until the dial has gone around to 95 again and up to at least 115 for safety. Now open the camera, extract the empty reel which is on the magazine side, and take the take-up reel and place it back on the magazine side, again turning it over in pancake fashion. If this is the only rewinding you will have to do, place the ordinary single square-hole reel in the take-up side — - if you will have more rewinding to do, use the special reel that you took from the magazine side, again. Thread the paper leader and run it through until only the letter "S" is covered by the intermittent mechan- ism, and only the letters "TOP" are visible. Close the camera, and pro- ceed to shoot your second exposure. Any parts that should have only a single exposure may be blocked out this time by holding your hand over the lens and running the film through that far. One rehearsal of the above process will convince any amateur that this rewinding may be done out on the desert if necessary, and with a little bit of thought, it should be perfectly clear — so we will now refer to the above simply as "REWINDING." One of the most professional ef- fects to be produced with rewinding is to make titles fade one into the other. With a little bit of care and patience this may be produced, with as much precision and grace as the titles we see on the theater screen, which may be photographed with special cameras, equipped with auto- matic "fade-ins" and "fade-outs." There is no need of describing the equipment necessary for taking titles. Every real cinematographer has built some sort of rigging for this purpose, and this trick has no bearing on the title-making device. (We use two 250-watt projector lights to insure the same exposure — rather than trust- ing to inconsistent "Old Sol.") We will say we have two titles — Title No. 1 and Title No. 2. We want them to apparently dissolve into each other — that is when No. 1 starts fad- ing out, we want No. 2 to start fading in, and when No. 1 is all the way out, we want No. 2 to be all the way in. In this type of fading in and fading out, we recommend using the lens shutter, rather than an iris — as the desired effect is a dissolve rather than a closing circle. For example, we will say that you are using an F 3.5 lens and that you expose your title with the lens shut- ter at the widest opening or at 3.5. Set up your title outfit in the usual way, placing title No. 1 before the camera. Close the lens shutter all the way or to 16, turn on the lights if you use any, and slowly open the lens shutter to 3.5. We suggest stand- ardizing on 3 feet for the fade in. Leave the lens open long enough to read the title one and a half times and carefully noting the footage at this point, begin the fade-out, being careful to use exactly 3 feet for clos- ing the lens shutter to 16. Now cover the lens and run the film through the rest of the way — rewind. Now run the film through with the lens covered to the point where the title has been exposed and the FADE OUT begins. Place title No. 2 before the camera, and start your fade in, using exactly 3 feet to open the lens shut- ter. Leave it open long enough to read the title one and a half times and fade out. Pathegrams Popularity Picture "MOVIE HIGH SPOTS" One Reel Price $3.00 A good will reel at a special price to illustrate to the general pub- lic the quality of the pictures in the Pathegrams Library. Pathegrams Popularity Picture contains four thrilling and interest- ing subjects. Pathegrams will be printed on 16 mm. Du Pont Pathe Safety Film. PATHE EXCHANGE, Inc., PATHEGRAMS DEPARTMENT 35 West 45th Street, New York City F i { t y - s i x If you have several successive titles to be made and want ther all to dis- solve into each other, they may all be made with one rewinding. Say you have five titles — Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. With your watch time how long you should expose titles Nos. 2 and 4 for reading. Fade in on No. 1 and shoot it in the usual manner, noting carefully the footage at the beginning of the fade out. Cover the lens and run the film through long enough for No. 2 — then shoot No. 3, and then cover the lens again and run the film through long enough for No. 4, then shoot No. 5 . Now rewind — and cover the lens for the footage re- quired for No. 1, shoot No. 2; cover the lens for No. 3 and shoot No. 4. Then cover the lens for No. 5. All amateur cinematographers are familiar with the tricks obtainable through "stop motion" photography. This is very adaptable to title making — when the celluloid letters and regu- lar title board are employed — and the tricks are unlimited. We will leave these up to the originality of the ex- perimenters— as none of them can be cut and dried. We would suggest, however, for those who have not ex- perimented very extensively in this field, that all of their titles will em- ploy stop motion to show the letters apparently chasing around the screen, be taken upside down — starting the pictures with the completed title and destroying it. This produces no bet- ter effect, but is much easier — as it is easier to destroy than to create. One effect that can be produced in titles with this "upside down" photography is to have the title, or a picture if desired, on a piece of card- board. Place it carefully in the finder — shoot it long enough to be seen or read, and have a pair of hands slowly tear it to small bits. After the film is developed, reverse it, and the effect will be that the hands slowly put this picture or title together. A similar effect is produced by rubbing out a simple chalk drawing or title with your finger. For taking scenes which embody half and half double exposures — the amateur will have to experiment on his own time and money. Since we cannot have our masks placed right next to the film itself — as the professionals do — we have to have them out about three inches in front of the lens to avoid a fuzzy division. The mask holder should be made by a machinist or tool maker and the masks themselves may be made of glass — and in pairs — as the average amateur knows. The iris may be very successfully employed as a mask in producing visions. We will say that we want a MOYTeS j or your HonteJLihrfirir" A selection of new high grade, up-to-date professional produc- tions at a price you have been paying for ordinary films. Comedies by Christie and other well-known producers. Popular screen artists. Printed on 16 m/m Eastman Safety Film. Now Ready — Twelve Big Vitalux Releases! "Nightie Night" — Comedy with Neal Burns and Charlotte Merriam $7.50 "College Capers" — Comedy with Dorothy Devore 7.50 "The Honey Mooners" — Comedy with Henry Murdock 7.50 "Black and White" — Comedy with Dorothy Devore 7.50 "Simple Saps" — Comedy with George Burton and "The Marines Build a Bridge" — Educational ° . . 7 50 "Puppy Love" — Comedy with Doren Turner and "Natives of Hawaii" — Educational 7.50 "Phoebe's Fellows" — Comedy with Dorothy Devore 7.50 "All Aboard" — Comedy with Bobby Vernon 7.50 "Willie's Wallet" — Comedy with Henry Murdock and "Down on the Farm" — Educational 7.50 "Sweet Revenge" — Comedy with Charlotte Meriam 7.50 "Summer Showers" — Comedy with Neal Burns 7.51} "Two of a Kind" — Comedy with Henry Murdock and "Boy Scouts of "America" — Educational 7.50 If your dealer cannot supply you, send check or money order and films will be mailed postpaid. Write for list of available subjects. Ask for our Special "Screen before you Buy" offer — it is a guarantee of satisfaction. MOVIES MOVIES AUTOMATIC MOVIE DISPLAY CORPORATION 130 West 46th Street, New York, N. Y. Representatives — Write for details of attractive Vitalux sales plan, stating territory desired. Excellent side line; full territorial protection. 7^\ 1 -iSk ritf^^^^^Kv psD«jijj-, ;fl^^EP ■P §?f1 l-^vsJH H^&PH " ' h 'bxa \&. fd^^^^m ■si ^■p'^3! EEHE'1 Wik j JK il_ ^^H *w Around the World in Eleven Months AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS Has been found absolutely indispensable by thousands of amateurs in thirty countries. YOU, TOO, SHOULD SUBSCRIBE! AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS, 105 W. 40th St., N. Y. You may enter my subscription to AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS for one year, beginning with the issue, for which I pay herewith $ (United States $3.00, Canada $3.25, Foreign $3.50). T^ame Street City Fifty-seven THE W. B. & E. "PILOTLIGHT" A convenient light on your Filmo Projector that enables you to operate and change your reels with plenty of illumination that does not attract the attention of or annoy your audience. Makes operating your projector a pleasure. No extra wires needed. Just pull the switch and the Light is there — When and Where you need it. Easily attached to your machine in a few minutes and projector can be packed away in case with- out detaching. Price $6.00 From your Dealer or Direct WILLIAMS, BROWN & EARLE, Inc. The Home of Motion Picture Equipment" Filmo Motion Picture Cameras and Projectors 918 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. ADVENTURE .... TRAVEL .... COMEDY in Kodak Cinegraphs ■V7"OUR amateur projector can do •*■ more than show pictures of youf own creation. Kodak Cinegraphs wili make it a professional entertainer, too. Many of screenland's most famous stars are eager to entertain you whenever and wherever you wish. Elaine Hammer- stein, Jackie Coogan, John Barrymore, Conway Tearle, Charlie Chaplin are among the Hollywood celebrities feat- ured in Kodak Cinegraphs. In addition there are animated cartoons . . sports reels . . travel pictures and any of them can be purchased as permanent additions to your picture library, for $7.50 per reel. Each reel contains 100 feet of 16 m/m (amateur standard) Eastman Safety Film. Get the most out of your projector. Step in today and ask to see our latest Kodak Cinegraph releases. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Madison at 45th St. New York City character to see a vision of a horse in a race. Seat the character at a desk or table so that the place where the vision is to appear will be exactly in the center of the finder. Have the background behind where the vision will appear of very dark objects. A black curtain for instance. Now have the character act as if he sees the vision at the decided point — shooting the scene with no mask at all, but taking a little care not to light up the background for the vision any more than is absolutely necessary. Rewind and put on the iris vignetter. Close it almost all the way, and shoot your scene of the race horse — being sure to have him far enough away to occupy only a small part of the finder and keeping him as near the center as possible. It is better on the vision to have it dissolve in and out. Use the lens shutter for this. It will probably be necessary to have a helper fade in and fade out the shut- ter for you in this case. We could talk on and on indefi- nitely about the tricks that can be done with the amateur camera, now that there is a practical way to re- wind the film. The field is just as unlimited as it is in the professional line where expensive cameras and equipment are used. The only dif- ference is that we amateurs will have to work just a little harder and have a little more patience than the pro- fessionals who have so much already worked out for them. A PREP SCHOOL PHOTO- PLAY (Continued from page 15) off to the rendezvous of the bootleg- gers, but her friend escapes and bears the news of the tragedy to the Coast Guard crew. Already warned by the boy, they are spurred to action and dash off in a rescue car. After a furious chase they track down, over- power the bootleggers, and rescue the charming heroine. The old mission then provides just the right atmos- phere for a touch of romance in the fadeout. When complete the film was care- fully edited and titled, into exactly one reel. Natural beauty added greatly to some of the scenes, par- ticularly those on the dunes and at the old Mission. The details of the seizure and fight had been carefully rehearsed and were filmed twice to permit of material for selection. Filming through the open windshield of the rescue car proved a good scheme for an action closeup. And that is the story of the first Indian River photoplay. UNUSUAL SUBJECTS FOR YOUR 16 mm. Film Library Outright Sale Only 1— LIFE OF CHRIST. 3-400 ft. reels. The wonderful Passion Play portraying the com' plete biblical version. Members of the clergy, clubs and individuals desiring most interesting picture of all times should not overlook this beautiful production. Price Complete, $70.00. Each Part $24.00. 2— SINKING OF SHIPS DURING WORLD WAR. 2-400 ft. reels. An amazing picture actually taken from German Sub showing allied shipping torpedoed and sunk. Of in- tense and vital interest. Invaluable from an historical standpoint. Price Complete, $47.00. Each Part $24.00. If your dealer does not carry these in stoc\, remit in full with order and we will ship postpaid. Write for additional subjects. Paramount Mfg. Go. Dept. 16, 68 FAYETTE ST. BOSTON, MASS. The New REXO CINE EXPOSURE METER The Ideal Meter for Cine Cameras This meter is quickly set for any exposure under all conditions of light. It will pay for itself many times in the saving of film. Once tried, always used. One glance will show you the proper ex* posure to make. The Rexo Cine Meter makes each and every exposure count. Films properly exposed will project perfectly. Rexo Cine Exposure Meter, list each 75c. At All Dealers or Direct Upon Receipt of Price. Burke & James, Inc., Chicago MOTION PICTURES of every description Shots and stock scenes of most anything LARGE CATALOG LISTING of short subjects for the home in standard or 16 mm. Special Exchange Arrangement Metropolitan Motion Picture Company 108-110 West Mth Street New York City Underwood Titling & Editing Service for Pathex 9m/m Film Titles — per word $0.02, Minimum charge per title $0.25, Minimum charge per order $1.00. Editing — Two 30ft., Reels, spliced and edited on a 60ft. Reel, according to your instruction. The charge for this service is $1.00 in- cluding 60ft. Reel. Tinting — all standard colors, scenes $0.03. per ft. Titles— $0.10 each. The C. R. Underwood Company 3838 Kennerly Ave., St. Louis, Mo. Fifty ei g ht ASKED and ANSWERED Edited by Dr. Kinema Q. I want to exchange my F:3.5 lens for the fast R:l.9, but have been told that this lens is only good for special work. Is this true? — /. H. L. A. The fast F:1.9 lens, when stopped down to small apertures, sometimes tends to give lens flare, due to the internal reflection of light caused by the large amount of glass in the lens. As a rule it is used at the larger openings, under adverse lighting conditions, such as in in- teriors, in dense woods, etc. This tendency to light flare, however, does not occur often, if the lens is used with care, and I think that you can safely use an F:1.9 as an all-purpose objective. Q. How can I take a movie portrait indoors without the aid of artificial light?— F. T. G. A. Place your subject near a win- dow, facing it at an angle of about 45 degrees, with the sun lighting one side of the face. Place a sheet over the back of a chair, or, better still, use a piece of white cardboard a few feet away from the dark side of the subject, and reflect the light into the shadows. With a stop of F:3.5, you should get a good picture with the camera about six feet away. Q. Is it necessary to have film espe- cially packed for carrying on an ocean voyage and while travelling thru the tropics? — W . W. F. A. No, it is not absolutely neces- sary, but it is a very wise precaution to have films intended for use at sea and in the tropics specially packed in sealed tins. It would be wise to order your films a bit ahead of time, as those in the sealed containers are not ordinarily carried in stock by dealers. Film deteriorates quite rapidly when exposed to moist, damp air and its sensitiveness decreases considerably. Q. When I attempt to splice film, the white flash on the screen where the splice is made is very annoying. What is the trouble? — T. D. A. The white flash is caused by the removal of too much emulsion when you scrape your film for splicing. First, see that every bit of emulsion has been removed from the small pegs on your splicer, over which the sprocket holes of the film are placed. BETTER LIGHTING FOR AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS The 4'Per\ins Da-Lite" Lamp weighting 9!/> lbs., is entirely self contained and measures when folded 13" high x 83/$" wide x 4%" deep. The stand, included in the outfit, is heavily nickeled. This lamp uses 10 amperes and oper* ates from an ordinary wall socket, 1 10 vohs. The carbons are 8 mm x 12 in. Price $60.00 PROPER LIGHTING is the one real prob- lem facing most amateur movie enthusiasts. The right kind of equipment, however, removes all handicaps. The "PERKINS DA-LITE" PORTABLE Indoor filming may now be brought to a very high degree of perfection, regardless of the sub- ject. This is accomplished by using the "Perkins Da-Lite" Portable — a powerful, AUTO- MATIC, twin-arc lamp which insures great depth and a wealth of detail. ASK YOUR DEALER FOR PARTICULARS. Th PHOTOGENIC MACHINE CO. YOUNGSTOWN, O. Makers of the Standard Light of the Photographic World. The illustration shows KOLORAY attached to a Model A, Kodascope and a Filmo Projector. KOLORAY is made for Kodascope, Mod- els A, B and C, and for Filmo 16 m/m Projectors. It can be attached in 30 seconds. No machine work or alteration needed. Price $7.50. At your local deal- er's or sent postpaid. In ordering please be sure to specify the kind and model of projector on which Koloray is to be used. K OLORA * Professional color effects for home movies" Y Add Color to your Pictures Produce Professional Color Effects In Home Movies [ttach a KOLORAY to your 16 m/m projector and show your pictures in shades of amber, blue, green and red. Two-color combina- tions, too. You can produce the effects of moonlight and sunset. You can show the greens of the ocean or forest with a sunset sky; or the soft ambers of the woodland against the blue sky of a per- fect day. The color possibili- ties with KOLORAY are al- most limitless. Descriptive literature on request. BECKLEY and CHURCH, INC. Cutler Building - Rochester, N. Y. Dealers — Use a Koloray on your dem- onstrating projector — It pays. Fifty -nine GOEPZ The manufacturers of Goerz Len- ses, knowing the importance of ac- curate focusing in motion picture making, have recently brought out several new devices which provide accurate focusing means for cameras such as the FILMO and VICTOR. Goerz Reflex Focuser for long focus lenses. Goerz Focusing Base and Finder- scope. Goerz Mask Box and Title-Device. are now ready for use with Filmo and Victor cameras. Descriptive matter is ready and in preparation and will be mailed upon request by C. P. Goerz American Optical Co. 319-AEast 34th St., New York, N. Y. ANIMATED & LEADERS As the Theatres ^ Send for illustrated use them -Xk, catalogue \PLAIN * ILLUSTRATED TITLES %, \ >- THE PROFESSIONAL KIND vN FAADAHME,inc. WM;145 W. 45 ST. NY BRYANT 6796 Why Rent Your Library Films? You can exchange your old Library Films for new at a very small cost. For little more than the cost of one 400 ft. film you can get the use of twelve 400 ft. films. Each film you get belongs to you. Write today for this information HATTSTROM & SANDERS 702 Church Street, Evanston, Illinois. Please send me full information on your film exchange proposition. Name Address City and State After much splicing the emulsion piles up around these pegs and should be removed by wiping them after every three or four splices, with a rag moistened with alcohol. The piled up emulsion throws the film out of alignment, and even if only a hair line out of the way, it will leave a white line where you splice. Emul- sion on brittle film is very hard to remove. Before doing any splicing be sure that your film is in condition. Use just enough water to moisten the edge to be scraped, as too much will creep in under the pressure plate, and too little will force you to scrape hard, and weaken thj cellulose base. Q. I get a 4x6 foot picture with my projector thirty feet away. How much illumination do I lose if I move my projector sixty feet away from the screen, the picture remaining the same size? — C. B. L. A. Provided your room is free from smoke and dust, there is prac- tically no loss of illumination when your projector is placed sixty feet away. Screen brilliancy depends mainly on size of picture projected, not on the distance of projector from screen. A good thing to remember is that as the size of the picture is increased, the amount of light neces- sary to maintain its brilliancy per unit of area increases rapidly. In- creasing the area of the picture twice decreases its brilliancy approximately fifty per cent. REELING A RESORT (Continued from page 18) yearns for the sympathy of one of her own sex. Algy, seeing that he has at last met someone who under- stands him, reveals his true charac- ter, and the essential clinches follow in rapid succession. Of course, the villian, who brought it all about, but wasn't such a vicious villian after all, wins his bet, for Gloria is one of the formerly scorned debutantes. So it ends, with everyone happy, especially the director and the cam- eraman, for reeling a resort is the most strenuous, if the most delightful, of all summer sports. Tunney'Dempsey Fight Movies, complete in 10 rounds, exactly as now shown in New York theatres. Round 7 in SLOW MOTION, 1000 feet $75, deposit $10. Condensed version including slow motion, 100 feet $8.75, deposit $2. Available also in standard width. York Film Exchange 729 Seventh Avenue, New York, N. Y. Room 509 Bryant 3963 Introducing A FILM CEMENT THAT HOLDS Send 10c in stamps to cover cost of mailing and we will send you free one 25c bottle of Duplex Film Cement that is ALWAYS READY and that HOLDS. Duplex M. P. Industries, Inc. Long Island City, N. Y. SERVICE in New York City Our movie experts will gladly give you instructions and dem' onstrations on all kinds of equip- ment. We have a complete line of Cameras, Projectors and acces' sories. LUGENE, Inc. OPTICIANS 600 Madison Ave., N. Y. G. Near S8tk Street TELEPHONE PLAZA 6001 TWO NEW REELS ATLANTIC CITY PAGEANT OF 1927 Strikingly Beautiful film. Including the Baby Parade, Bathers Revue, Judging the Beauties and Coronation of Miss America. THE FAIR OF THE IRON HORSE Spectacular Historical B. 6? O. Centenary Pageant showing the modes of transportation, customs and improvements in travel since the day of the Indians until to-day. Interesting, Amusing, Instructive. A valuable addition to any library. Price $7.50 each, postpaid. Order from your dealer or direct from AMATEUR MOVIE SERVICE 853 N. Eutaw Street Baltimore, Md. ENO'S ART TITLES She Setter HCina PIONEER ART TITLE BUILDER AND FILM EDITOR HAND LETTERED ART TITLES The critics have selected them as a criterion. See page 21, October AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS. Try Them! Send $2.00 and copy for 3 titles | and let me make these up as sam- ples of my work. BEAUTIFUL VACATION NATURE CUT- OUT BORDERS used upon re- quest. Exclusive But Inexpensive Phone Wise. 4020— Ext. 3. RALPH R.ENO 117 PARK AVE. NEW YORK. Sixty LITTLE SUNNY an 8-amp. 110 volt A C — D C arc lamp, size folded 7 x 5 x 2y2 inches, weight only 50 ounces complete with cord. "V^OLTLL like him; he's a bright boy; makes movies 16 per second of subjects in light costumes at 6 feet distance, dark costumes against dark backgrounds 8 per second same distance at f 3.5, at f 1.9 same exposures at 10 to 15 feet from subjects. We recommend using his friend Reflector to lighten up the shadows. Reflector is 36 x 58 inches and packs into a roll 2x18 inches, with 6 foot stand, weight 45 ounces. Little Sunny complete with 15 feet of cord and 6 double carbons is yours for $15.00; 6 foot stand $2.50 extra. His friend Reflector with 6 foot stand $5.00 postpaid. While you can get by with one, we recom' mend using two lamps, one from front to flat light and one from the side to high light. Send your remittance now; if you don't like Little Sunny or Reflector you can return them within ten days and we'll cheerfully refund your money. LEONARD WESTPHALEN 438 Rush Street - Chicago THE RIVERSIDE Electric Reviewer, Rewind and Splicer with Magnifying Glass Attachment. Price Complete $16.00 This portable device is very convenient in editing your 16 mm. films. At your dealer's or direct F. W. TWOGOOD 700 Main Street, Riverside, Calif. DO YOUR THINKING ON PAPER NOT ON FILM VERA STANDING SCENARIO EDITOR Suggestions - Criticism -Assistance Write me for information. 38 east 35th ST. NEW YORK, N. Y. f JcenarioBook 20 Scenarios With Directing Notes. Second Printing — $2.50 — : at all dealers : — RICHARD MANSON, Publisher 535 Fifth Avenue, New York City THE PERILS OF PRO- JECTION {Continued from page 19) efforts. And remember, he really is a good cinematographer! Nothing to do now but to substi- tute a lens that will give a smaller and more brilliant picture. This done, we settle back in our seats once again, being able to at least see a recognizable picture before us. But what is all the jiggling about? The picture is jumping up and down on the screen like a piston rod. Ah, yes, the telephone table! The legs, because they are flimsy and uneven, are beating a tatoo on the hardwood floor. How annoying! We do need our specs very much by now. A larger, sturdier table is now sub- stituted for the tangoing taborette and once more we embark on the sea of poor projection. Things are a little better now. They go along fairly well for about nine minutes when those of us who are still awake see a peculiar black, egg-shaped silhouette sticking into the picture in the lower left-hand corner, of the screen, bobbing slowly right and left. As I said before, our host is a good cameraman and certainly never took anything like that when he made his picture. The black mass suddenly disappears from the screen and we hear a snort and a cough from the third row, center. Darned if it wasn't the fellow from next-door, bald-headed and fat, falling asleep and adding silhouettes to the screen, as if the picture was not bad enough already. Why hadn't our host thought to place his projector and screen on a level above the heads of his audience, out of way of all sleep- ing patrons and other obstacles? Just carelessness, that's all. Well, we are nearing the end of the showing. There is a library film on, a thrilling Western, and the hero and the villain are wrestling on the edge of a high cliff. Just as both of them begin to roll towards oblivion, the screen goes black! What has hap- pened? Are they falling into a dark chasm? No, nothing of the sort, at all. The projector bulb merely burned out. And there is not an- other in the house! Just think, maybe the villain threw the hero over the cliff, and we will never know!.. . . As we say our good-nights midst yawns, apologies and alibis, we take solemn oath that we have looked at our last amateur movie. Think what wasted effort was expended in one evening! And it is 50 easy to make 1 m't^w "*m 1 mtimJ'' ■ *k. %a i Spend Your WinterVacation Filming the Mediterranean Come with me this winter. Bring your camera along and I'll take you to places tourists never visit, where you can film scenes no ama- teur has ever shot. This will be my sixth trip to Mediterranean countries. I know where to go and where not to go; what to buy and what not to buy; where to eat and where not to eat. We'll be a small party, and that means we'll move fast and travel far. We'll omit none of the better known sights, but we'll get the local color every- where. And we'll bring back a travelogue that is a real picture. Come with me and film Madeira, Gib- raltar, Granada, Algiers, Blidah, Tunis, Carthage, Malta, Athens, Constantinople, Beirut, Baalbek, Damascus, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Cairo, Luxor, King Tut's Tomb, Syracuse, Naples, Amain, Sor- rento, Capri, Monte Carlo, Nice. Write today for full information Gardner Wells JAMES BORING'S TRAVEL SERVICE, Inc. 45 Astor Place, L-17 New York City "Assistants to the traveling movie maker" gardner wells, James Borings Travel Service, 45 Astor Place, L-17, New York City. Please send me full information on the Movie Makers Mediterranean Tour. Name Address City State Sixty-one BASS Offers a Lens for Fall and Winter Use Here is a lens ready to fit your Filmo. Sparkling definition, phenomenal speed, precisely mounted in micrometer mount, and the price is but $54,00, money back if not satisfactory. Send for the 60-page Bass Book of Cinema Ap' paratus, free to you on request. BASS CAMERA COMPANY 179 West Madison Street Chicago, - Illinois BATHING BEAUTY PARADE A 100 ft. classy, snappy reel in 16 mm taken at Long Beach, Calif. Remit with order $7.50. Film subjects of all kinds for sale and rent and wanted. Representatives wanted everywhere. Write for full particulars. International Educational & Scientific Film Library 830 No. Genesee St., Hollywood, Calif. Due to the Continued Support of the Amateur Movie Maker ANNOUNCES A new — much larger, well organized and thoroughly equipped laboratory, cap- able of delivering a com- plete and RAPID service on both 16 mm and stand- ard stock — and in ANY quantity. Note present address below 74 Sherman St., Long Island City, N. Y. Phone — Stillwell 7932 well-taken pictures project well. To prove it, let's visit our other friend's house for an evening's showing. This fellow is just an average photogra- pher, not an expert like the other. But he gets good average pictures and never forgets that he is making them to show on a screen for his own and other's enjoyment. As we go into the large living- room we hear music playing softly, not knowing that it is coming from among a bank of palms and green plants which are massed at the base of a transparent gauze or silk curtain that is covering what we surmise to be a projection screen. Chairs are arranged in an orderly manner di- rectly in front of the curtain, the front rows being not too near. We take our seats and our host, at the front of the room, tells us that he hopes that we will enjoy the pictures that are to follow, and that he hopes his efforts at improved projection will not prove too amateurish. We have been wondering all this time where the projector was located for it is nowhere in sight. Our friend did not say that he had observed the way pictures are projected in the cathedrals of the motion picture, where we hear no discordant sound of mechanism to distract our atten- tion from the screen. He has been cognizant of the fact that since we have been going to the movies these many years, we have become accus- tomed to "silent'' drama and that if his pictures were presented with the clattering of mechanism the effect would be to increase the feeling of an amateur show. We look towards the back of the room and about six or seven feet from the floor, through a slit in fold- ing doors which shut off the next room, we see two lenses peeping through. What a splendid idea! Everything set, no fuss, no bother, no noise. The lights, instead of being snapped off abruptly, are dimmed gradually, and before they are en- tirely out, a picture appears on the gauze curtain at the front of the room. What a relief from our last showing! The curtains draw aparil and a beautiful art title, a smaller picture than our other friend showed, to be sure, but so much better, tells us of a scenic we are to view. It is all about brooks and rippling waters and the music, now coming in greater volume from among the palms and ferns at the base of the screen fills us with delight. This is real pro- jection! We almost feel that we are in one of those movie cathedrals ! But how has our friend by this time shown us some six reels without OUR PARK AVENUE STORE Is Now Renting The 16MM Releases of Home Film Libraries, Inc. The Subjects Average 300' in Length and Include Cartoons, Comedies and Animal Dramas Especially Selected for Chil- dren. RENTAL CHARGE— 75c per reel Gillette Camera Stores, WiH Exchange Film Have several 100 ft. reels of- 16 mm. film, Vaude- ville and other subjects that I will trade for others. Send for list. H. S. SHAGREN 1384 West Sixth St., Cleveland, O. The INSTITUTE STANDARD Professional Motion Picture Camera Only $150. Film your pictures on stand' ard size film. Show your club productions in a theatre or large auditorium. Repay your club expenses and se- cure projecting equipment without extra cost. Costs less than a high-grade amateur camera. Pictures can be shown in any theatre or movie. All metal construction handsomely finished, light' weight and portable. Complete with carrying case. Models for every taste and purse. Write for FREE CATALOG and full particulars New York Institute of Photography Dept. 18, 14 West 33rd St., New York • 9 TITLES Complete editing and titling vRterd'avi service- ( 16 mm. or stand- °"°~" ^ ard.) Cinematography. CLARK CINE SERVICE ' 2540 Park Ave. CAdillac 5260 ' DETROIT, MICH. Have Your Films Colored Special Tinting and Toning of 16 MM Films is one of the professional features of our service to amateurs. Ask for information and prices. LVitMWJ 130 WEST 46th STREET New York City. Tel. Bryant 4981 Sixty-two Burton Holmes' FILM REELS of TRAVEL Edited and Titled by BURTON HOLMES 100 foot rolls for your 16mm. Projector NEWEST RELEASES $7.50 Per Roll No. No. No. No. No. No. No. of 1 — Rolling Down to Rio. 2 — The Great Cataracts Iguassu. 3 — Kaui, the Garden Island of Hawaii. 4 — Surfing, the Famous Sport of Waikiki. 5 — A Trip on the Seine. 6 — Paris from a Motor. 7 — The Fountains of Ver- sailles. Others Rolls at $6.50 No. 1 — Beauty Spots of Glacier Park. " No. 2 — Lakes and Streams of Glacier Park. No. Si — A Japanese Cabaret. No. 4 — Tying the Japanese Obi. No. 5 — Japanese Table Manners. No. 6 — Wonders of the Yellow- stone. No. 7 — Geysers of the Yellowstone. No. 8 — Animals of the Yellow- stone. No. 9 — Kangaroos in Australia. No. 10 — The Grand Canyon of Arizona. No. 11 — Seeing London — Part 1. No. 12 — Seeing London — Part. 2. No. 13 — Seeing London — Part 3. No. 14 — Seeing London — Part. 4. No. 15 — Seeing Paris — Part 1. No. 16 — Seeing Paris — Part 2. No. 17 — Seeing Paris — Part 3. No. 18 — Seeing Paris — Part 4. No. 19 — Glorious Versailles. No. 20 — In Bonnie Scotland — P't 1, No. 21 — In Bonnie Scotland — P't 2. No. 22 — The Sunny South of Eng-. land. No. 23 — Glimpses of English Town and Country. No. 24 — Bustling Brussels. No. 25 — In Rural Belgium. No. 26 — Artistic Antwerp. No. 27 — Beautiful Bruges. No. 28 — Scenic — Mirrors of Nature. No. 29 — Scenic — Reflections. No. 30 — Scenic — Sparkling Waters. No. 3 1 — Isle of Marken. Other Travel Pictures from different parts of the world will be released each month The Burton Holmes lectures, Inc. 7510 N. Ashland Avenue Chicago, Illinois an intermission? We were hardly aware that the time had passed so quickly. After the showing he takes us into the room in back and shows us two projectors, one above the other, mounted on sturdy tables, thus obviating the necessity of an inter- mission between reels. On a table, in a case, are his humidor cans of film, all labeled neatly. Alongside of these are two extra bulbs, ready for an emergency. Now, our friend, as I have said, is just an average cinemategrapher, neither good nor bad. But by giving thought to, and creating an atmos- phere for, his pictures he increased a hundredfold the pleasure of look- ing at them, getting everything that they held to the screen. I think that you will agree with me that it pays to think about pro- jection. We cannot all have palms and music and two projectors and dimming lights for our showings, but we can think of ways to get on the screen all the time, effort, thought and money that we put into our film. THE CLINIC {Continued from page 25) Easy Editing THE accompanying illustration shows how Mr. E. S. Burtis. of Stamford, New York, makes editing a pleasure and a very simple task. Each scene or scene and title is placed separately with a marked strip of paper pinned tightly around it, identifying each scene. The first scenes begin on the left and the oth- ers follow in order. Theyr are then spliced on the right hand reel, re- wound when completed, and the reel is ready for projection. Titles with the Eyemo SET the camera from two to two and a half feet away from the title board, depending on whether or not it is desired to include the frame of the board in the picture. After lining up the board by means of the camera finder, move the board one and five-eighths inches to the right. This is the distance between the cen- ter of the lens and the center of the finder. Title copy set up in this manner can be photographed in ordinary THE NEW PRICE for TOMPKINS TITLES 50c for A One to Ten Word Title. Four Cents for Each Additonal Word. Write Direct to STANLEY A. TOMPKINS Care of Kirby Incorporated 2 East 23rd Street New York City Scheibe's Monotone Filter Thousands in daily use in Motion Picture Studios. Held close to the eye, it reduces color values to terms of black, white and halftone, thereby revealing a fac-simile of the finished print. filter $3.00 Monocle $5.00 GEO. H. SCHEIBE Photo-Filter Specialist 1927 W. 78th St., Los Angeles, Cal. Motion Pictures Snap Shots — Time Exposures yEPT 35mm. $40.00 Sept Features 1. MOVIES — Snapshots or Time Exposures at will. 2. SIZE is 3x4x5 inches. 3. WEIGHT is 4 pounds. 4. TRIPOD unnecessary'. 5. SIGHTING— direct. 6. BUTTON operates mechanism. 7. LOADED IN DAYLIGHT. 8. FILM is standard width. 9. LENS is high grade Anastigmat lens, speed F 3.5. 10. RESULTS are the same as obtained by Professional Motion Picture Camera. 11. 250 Separate pictures on each roll of film costing $1.00. 12. PROJECTION is made with any stand- ard projector. 13. PRINTS can be made in any size. Wyko 1 rojector v^orporation 130 West 46th St. - New York, N. Y. Dealers Everywhere Sixty-three For the Filmo Projector Only Do not keep your guests waiting while you slowly rewind your film before showing the next reel. Use the Newman Rewind easily attached to your own projector and by sim- ply pushing the lever to reverse you rewind 100 ft. of film in less than 10 seconds. An absolute necessity for all Filmo owners. Complete Attachment $6.00 DEALERS SUPPLIED Abe Cohen's Exchange 113 Park Row, New York Complete Stock of Movie Equipment on Hand CANADIAN A mateur Movie Makers We specialize in 16 mm. develop- ing, printing and titling. 100 ft. rolls of negative including developing and one print, $9.00. Extra prints or prints from any 16 mm. negative $5.00 per 100 ft. Titles, 3 cents per word, minimum charge per title 20 cents. Distributors of Filmo, Cine Kodak, Victor and DeVry cameras, pro- jectors and accessories. Rental li- brary of 16 mm. subjects. Write for Lists REGINA FILMS, Limited Banner Building REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN %eii T/afwe and JGaiebt %adgjn& Mt HeaAona£€e Ixicei TFlciitm TjlcUxh*, *€kun*JutA fn( jmalt fjlm 16", y- for Ihfhe jmnl *• film ghX lUxile hf-dayfoki&uAbuxied. MUNCHEN 23GERMANY- daylight, preferably in a diffused light to avoid reflection. Using super-speed film, the exposure can be calculated one point less than for a normal subject, with arc light, use a lens opening of approximately F: 5.5 at normal speed. EXPOSURE DATA (Continued from page 23) Bright Sun. Set pointer between F:8 and F.5.6. Cloudy. F:4. Dull Cloudy. F:3.5. CLASS' 6. 1. Details of architecture. 2. Closeups of class 5. 3. Near subjects with dark foliage back- ground. 4. Flower studies. 5. Flower beds. 6. Any subject, all or part in shade. 7. Boating scenes out of direct sun- light. Exposure. Bright Sun. F.5.6. Cloudy. Set pointer between F:4 and F:3.5. Dull Cloudy. F.2.5. CLASS 7. 1. Heavily shaded streets. 2. Closeups of class 6. 3. Subjects in dark doorways. 4. Plants and flower beds in the shade. 5. Buildings surrounded by trees. 6. Subjects among scattered trees. 7. Scenes on shaded porches. 8. All closeups in the shade. Exposure. Bright Sun. F.3.5. Cloudy. F.2.5. Dull Cloudy. F:1.9. CLASS 8. 1. Plants and flowers in deep woods. 2. Closeups of class 7. 3. Scenes in deep woods. Exposure. Bright Sun. F:2.5. Cloudy. F:1.9. Dull Cloudy. F.-1.5. HOMEMADE TRAVELOGUES (Continued from page 29) such a position that there is plenty of sky on the same side of them as there was on the trail, and so that the donkey's behind is much higher than its before. There'll be plenty of moun- tain side still around for the purpose. Then you climb up on something yourself, and focus on what we call a semi-closeup, just about including Uncle Bert's and the donkey's heads in the frame, with the empty sky as background, and you tell Uncle Bert to hang on like grim death and look simply terrified. The donkey will be heaving anyway, as it won't like the pose, so you won't need to give it any directions. Grind off about ten feet in a hurry. If the donkey walks out of the scene, so much the better, for it will seem to have continued down the trail. Just so Uncle Bert doesn't simply ruin the scene by laughing his head off ! Whatever you do, don't try to follow them with the camera, for that will spoil the whole effect. And when that single little bit of action is cut into the long shot of the riders at just the right place, with a title added, elaborating on Uncle Bert and his feelings, the effect on any and all spectators, now and forever, will be inevitable and in- stantaneous. That's the psychology of the per- sonal travelogue in a nutshell. Usu- ally the process is even simpler. There is no particular charm, and certainly no trace or originality, in a shot of an Indian woman selling rugs or pottery at a railroad station. Most amateur shots won't even show her selling. But the clever amateur camera cranker gets in a personal touch that is unique simply by surreptitiously shooting while Mother and the squaw are busy haggling over the goods. Mother is handling different pieces, and the squaw points out their beauties. Never mind if the faces don't show. We want action! Then for good measure, and to make a little sequence that can stand alone, our picture taker gets a good long shot of the whole location, with no doubt many buyers and sellers, per- haps even the name of the station in the scene. Then some close shots are taken of Mother turning about and showing off the pieces she actu- ally has bought. So we have a real place, real people, real happenings, not simply something as dull as a picture post card to be labeled, "In- dian squaw selling pottery," that might have been shot by anyone, any time, anywhere. Of course you want scenes of beauty for their own sakes. But tie them up with the people who saw them. You must use judgment, naturally, for it would be awful to have the travelers constantly dragged into every other shot regardless. If you get a wonderful chance to shoot a geyser, a really lovely view, keep people out of the frame if you can, for they are in themselves no decora- tion! But get another shot or two, of the people themselves admiring the geyser. Not until you begin edit- ing your film, weeks and weeks, per- haps months afterwards, will you know whether you want to use them or not. But have them anyway, and then you'll also have something to do your editing with. You get the idea? Fine. Now put it into practice on that winter tour! Sixty-four A "Movie-Musk" Contest? This Idea for a Creative Competition is Submitted By Marcella Geon ~A J ANY amateurs are experiment- J. \±. ing independently on the syn- chronization of music and films. Concerted action among those inter- ested, all working within well defined limits mutually agreed upon, offers possibilities for a fascinating experi- ment. The first step, if such a plan is to be worked out, will be to write the Editor of Amateur Movie Makers and express your interest, and desire to participate. If a num- ber of amateurs would like to join in the plan, the next step will be to select the musical composition ivhich is to serve as the basis of the experi- ment. Further details can be deter- mined by correspondence. Success- ful development of such a plan would mean an important contribution to amateur cinematography. WHAT an interesting experi- ment it would be to have a number of picture enthusi- asts acquaint themselves with a se- lected composition — each to work up and film his own story to the music — at a given time all the films to be sent to judges from motion-picture authorities and musicians. To see the variety of responses to the same sounds would be intensely interest- ing and stimulating. While it might be impossible to select one "best," some prize might be offered to the one whose scenario was most inter- esting— or most unique — or whose pictures were most artistic; or better still, to the picture which the com- mittee selected as best fitting the music. Then the various interpre- tations could be exchanged. While the written music is the ex- pression of an emotion, and not a concrete substance which could be pictured, still in many cases, this emotion was aroused by "pictures." A direct example is a group of piano pieces by the Russian, Moussorgsky, "Pictures at an Exposition." Each piece has the exact title of the picture which inspired it. They are so real- istic that one actually sees the picture while listening to the music. Our own MacDowell watched a bird fly through the air and soon was produced that short but wonderful composition, The Eagle. And there is a selection by Schumann, Auf- schuring (Soaring) . When one hears it, one feels the spirit of Schumann, rising and falling through the at- mosphere — unfettered — gloriously free. There could have been no such connection in Schumann's mind, and yet, since Lindbergh's flight, to those same strains, one can see the Spirit of St. Louis soaring on — gloriously free! The Bohemian Dvorak, composer of Humoresque, visited this country and we hear his impressions in the New World Symphony. To the beau- tiful slow movement, William Arms Fisher has written words "Goin Home, Goin Home — I'm Agoin Home." Although Dvorak was home- sick here, those words to that particu- lar tune probably never entered his mind; yet they fit perfectly and I imagine anyone who has ever heard them would find it impossible to dis- associate those words and the melody. There are numberless compositions which seem to have plenty of action, lovely scenic spots, close-ups, and certain phrases suggest the characters in conversation. And it is easy for the photographer as so many numbers are available on the player-piano and the victrola. Phonograph records of some of the symphonies are complete. There are the Beethoven Sonatas — what a story one could make to the dear old Pathetique with its tragedy — or the Moonlight or the Appas- ionata — to say nothing of a number of them not so well known to the layman. There are a couple of Chopin Sonatas which seem to sug- gest stores ■ — • also the Chopin Scherzas — the A Flat Polonaise — most of Tschaikowsky's compositions are vivid and suggest plots. As a beginning why not shorter composition such popular C# Minor Prelude has had innumerable stories con- nected with it — or some piece which a friend plays; jot down the pictures suggested by the high spots and use those as a framework for your story. Then fill in the details connecting those points. Moving pictures at home are a de- lightful entertainment and what a real pleasure it would be to start your film and turn on your piano or phonograph at the same time. Then, settle back in your chair to enjoy the "features" of the evening! take a as the —which Formula of Dr. Rudolph The Fastest Lens In The World Its depth of focus is truly remar\able It is made in 20 mm. up to V/2 incn focus and can easily be fitted to most M.P. Cameras. 1 in. in focusing mount instantly adaptable to FILMO . . $54.00 HUGO MEYER & CO., Inc. 105 W. 40th St. New York Factories — Goerlitz, Germany MAKE REAL MOVIES FROM YOUR PERSONAL FILMS Write for our prices on Titles and Editing W TITLEIT Box 4605 Kansas City, Missouri Have Your TRAVEL PICTURE EDITED By a TRAVELER Gardner Wells James Boring's Travel Service, Inc. 45 Astor Place New York Free 30 Day Trial- Why pay $1251 BUY DIRECT FROM FAC- TORY—SAVE $40 Use Leoti's Portable Aro Lamp (New Type) Cuts Your Light Bills in Half. Try it 30 days, if not greatly pleased, trial" costs nothing. Lightest Weight, Most Powerful lamp made; quick as a flash;. 5 times faster than any in- candescent lamp using same amount of current. Works from any ordinary lamp, socket. For amateur and professional moving pictures, home portraits, commercial* and studio use. Price with case, $80. Write LEOTI'S ELECTRIC CO. Dayton, Ohio. Sixty-five- Actual Achievements of the Kodascope Libraries Kodascope Libraries point with pride to their pioneer position and five years of service to subscribers. Actual available subjects (not prospective promises) are now nearly five hun- dred in number, and these are being constantly augmented. They vary from one reel to seven reels in length. A subscriber renting five reels per week would require over jour years to see the present repertoire. These are only a few of the STARS NOW AVAILABLE in the KODASCOPE LIBRARIES GEORGE BANCROFT JOHN BARRYMORE WALLACE BEERY NOAH BEERY LON CHANEY CHARLIE CHAPLIN SYD CHAPLIN WILLIAM COLLIER, Jr. RONALD COLEMAN JACKIE COOGAN RICARDO CORTEZ BEBE DANIELS REGINALD DENNY BILLIE DOVE DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS LOUISE FAZENDA HARRISON FORD ALEC FRANCIS ROBERT FRAZER DOROTHY GISH RAYMOND GRIFFITH RAYMOND HATTON JOHNNY HINES EMIL JANNINGS DORIS KENYON NORMAN KERRY RALPH LEWIS WILLARD LOUIS ERNST LUBITSCH MAY McAVOY THOMAS MEIGHAN ADOLPHE MENJOU TOM MIX COLLEEN MOORE MATT MOORE TOM MOORE ANTONIO MORENO JACK MULHALL CHARLIE MURRAY and many others. YOU WILL FIND POLA NEGRI GRETA NISSEN IVOR NOVELLO EUGENE O'BRIEN MARIE PREVOST CHARLES RAY IRENE RICH RIN-TIN-TIN WILL ROGERS "CHIC" SALES NORMA SHEARER LOWELL SHERMAN OTIS SKINNER PAULINE STARKE GLORIA SWANSON CONSTANCE TALMAGE NORMA TALMADGE RICHARD TALMADGE ESTELLE TAYLOR KODASCOPE LIBRARIES at the following addresses: Atlanta, Ga., 183 Peachtree Street Boston, Mass., 260 Tremont Street Buffalo, N. Y., 228 Franklin Street Chicago, III., 133 North Wabash Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio, 1407 Walnut Street Detroit, Mich., 1206 Woodward Avenue Kansas City, Mo., 916 Grand Avenue Los Angeles, Cal., 3150 Wilshire Boulevard Minneapolis, Minn., 112 South Fifth Street New York, N. Y., 33 West 42nd Street Philadelphia, Pa., 2114 Sansom Street Pittsburgh, Pa., Keenan Building San Antonio, Texas, 209 Alamo Plaza San Francisco, Cal., 241 Battery Street Seattle, Washington, 111 Cherry Street Toronto, Canada, 156 King Street West And in Thirty Foreign Cities All Around the World S i x t y - s i x ADJUSTABLE «nd FOLDING STANDS for CURTAINS ««* PROJECTORS PROJECTOR STAND, any model. Price without Humidor, $18.00 HUMIDOR. All Humidors attachable to Stand. Moisten felt in bottom to condition all Films. Price $12.00 CURTAIN STAND and CURTAIN Special cloth, dark green back, does not show wrinkles. 4x5 ft. and 3x4 ft. Price of Stand with Curtain either sise 30.00. Stand alone $16.00 HAYDEN AUTOMATIC PANORAM Automatically take those beautiful Panoram Pictures that fit in so wonderfully with outdoors views. Any one can oper- ate it. Price, #35.00 HAYDEN VIEWER, SPLICER AND REWIND Films may be inspected and viewed without the use of Projector. The picture right side up. Picture enlarged four times. Film removed, inserted, cut or spliced. Rewind either direction, one frame or high speed either handle turning away from you. Price, #35.00 HAYDEN SELF-THREADING REEL The wonderful new Self-Threading device comes on all our Reels, both five and seven inch, no additional charge. Upper half of reel showing the little fingers taking hold of end of film. Price, 7 inch, 75 cts. Price, 5 inch, 50 cts. HAYDEN SPRING FILM CLIPS This holds the loose end of film, taking up expansion and contraction of same, and preventing curling. Note in lower picture the clip holds a short piece of film and also the self- threading fingers shown closed around the hub. Price each, 25 cts. TABLE TRIPOD Very handy when you want to set your Camera on a table or box, fits any Standard Camera Socket and Cine Camera. Price, #2.50 TO THE CUSTOMER, Best service comes from the High Class Dealer, Go to him. TO THE DEALER, We offer you the same guarantee on our goods as you would expect from any High Class Manu- facturer. Only by pleasing your customers can we please you. // not available through your Dealer, write the Manufacturer A. G. HAYDEN CO., Brockton, Mass., U. S. A. OUR NEW 24 PAGE BOOKLET NOW READ Y-L ET US SEND YOU ONE FREE 'Bought by thousands! Acclaimed by Millions! All America is talking about these sensational films THE World War Movies, for home pro- jection, released at last! This was the news on October 8th that electrified America. The news that millions of Americans had wanted and waited so long to hear. Overnight . . . and for five dramatic weeks — these sensational films have occupied a place in public interest never equalled by anything in the history of home motion pic- tures. Thousands bought them. Millions acclaimed them. With vivid, spectacular action . . . with exciting historical events revealed just as they happened . . . these amazing pictures have thrilled every indi- vidual wherever they were shown. 'Almost as dramatic as the Armistice itself," a leading journalist observed. "They touched a responsive chord of human inter- est .. . and literally captured America." the cooperation of the Eastman Kodak Company with the United States Govern- ment for Home Movie Projection on the famous Eastman 16 m/m film. Imagine being able to sit in your living room and actually witness every vivid de- velopment during those dangerous days when the fate of nations hung in the balance. Here is. history in the making. A pictorial record of what actually happened during five terrible years when madness ruled the world. A vast panorama of war . . . now revealed with stark realism. This is not a motion picture in the usual sense. It is a chapter of your life brought back to live over again. See these Movies on Armistice Day It is the patriotic duty of every citizen of General Pershing says: "The War picture, 'America Goes Over,' compiled by the Eastman Kodak Co. for ex- soldiers and veteran associations from official War Department film, is the best pictorial record of the war I have seen'' History in the Making "America Goes Over," made by the United States Army Signal Corps, is the only pic- ture-record of Amer- ica's part in the World War officially released for home projection. It was taken in action. Made under actual service con- ditions in France. Compiled and edited by military experts. And released through KODAK Cinegraphs the United States to see these movies. They have been made especially for the American Legion, Veteran Associations and the public. There is still time to have them in your home, ready for showing on Armistice Day. The entire picture (2000 feet of Eastman 16 m/m film), taking 1 hour and IS minutes to show, is now available in a special de luxe edition for #150. For those who want special sections of the picture, 5 Kodak Cinegraphs costing #15 each (which may be purchased separately) are available on the following subjects : " Chateau- Thierry and the Aisne-Marne Operation," "The St. Mihiel Drive," "The Meuse- Argonne," "Flashes of Action," "Our Navy in the World War." Words simply can- not describe these pic- tures. You must see them to appreciate them ... to understand their tremendous scope. They will be- come priceless "heir- looms" to be passed on in any family . . . increasing in value as the years go by. Get them from your Kodak dealer. There's one right nearby. Also ask about the $60 Kodascope Pro- jector for showing these and other inter- esting Kodak Cine- graphs. The Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York. m C. LAZELL NORTHROP PRESS. N. Y ADJUSTABLE «nd FOLDING STANDS A* CURTAINS ««<* PROJECTORS PROJECTOR STAND, any model. Price without Humidor, $18.00 HUMIDOR. All Humidors attachable to Stand, in bottom to condition all Films. Price Moisten felt $12.00 CURTAIN STAND and CURTAIN Special cloth, dark green back, does not show wrinkles. 4x5 ft. and 3x4 ft. Price of Stand with Curtain either size $30.00. Stand alone $16.00 Curtain alone either size $14.00. HAYDEN AUTOMATIC PANORAM Automatically take those beautiful Panoram Pictures that fit in so wonderfully with outdoors views. Any one can oper- ate it. Price, #35.00 HAYDEN VIEWER, SPLICER AND REWIND Films may be inspected and viewed without the use ol Projector. The picture right side up. Picture enlarged four times. Film removed, inserted, cut or spliced. Rewind either direction, one frame or high speed either handle turning away from you. Price, #35.00 HAYDEN SELF-THREADING REEL The wonderful new Self -Threading device comes on all our Reels, both five and seven inch, no additional charge. Upper half of reel showing the little fingers taking hold of end of film. Price, 7 inch, 75 cts. Price, 5 inch, 50 cts. HAYDEN SPRING FILM CLIPS This holds the loose end of film, taking up expansion and contraction of same, and preventing curling. Note in lower picture the clip holds a short piece of film and also the self- threading fingers shown closed around the hub. Price each, 25 cts. TABLE TRIPOD Very handy when you want to set your Camera on a table or box, fits any Standard Camera Socket and Cine Camera. Price, #2.50 TO THE CUSTOMER, Best service comes from the High Class Dealer, Go to him. TO THE DEALER, We offer you the same guarantee on our goods as you would expect from any High Class Manu- facturer. Only by pleasing your customers can we please you". // not available through your Dealer, write the Manufacturer A. C. HAYDEN CO., Brockton, Mass., U. S. A. OUR NEW 24 PAGE BOOKLET NOW READ Y— L ET US SEND YOU ONE FREE MACK SENNETT COMEDIES In 16 mm. PATHEGRAMS MACK SENNETT BATHING GIRLS BEN TURPIN Latest Pathegrams Releases 1003 506 2501 2504 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 REVIEW Number Three . 1 "Pathegrams Review TRAVEL "Bethany in Judea" 1 ANIMAL LIFE "Pacific Seals" 1 "Sea-Gulls" 1 COMEDIES Our Gang in "Love My Dog" 1 Alice Day in "Kitty from Killarney" (Mack Sennett) .... 1 Alice Day in "The Soap-Suds Lady" (Mack Sennett) 2 "From Rags to Britches" with Madeline Hurlock and Billy Bevan (Mack Sennett) 1 "Smith's Picnic" with Raymond McKee, Ruth Hiatt and Mary Ann Jackson (Mack Sennett) 1 Ben Turpin in "When a Man's a Prince" (Mack Sennett) . . 2 Not Rented $7.00 6.50 6.00 6.00 7.50 7.50 13.00 7.50 7.50 13.00 Pathegrams Are Sold Outright EG 1 TICC - *■ ► *■ ► President AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC. DIRECTORS Vice-President HIRAM PERCY MAXIM Hartford, Conn. EARLE C. ANTHONY President of the National Association of Broadcasters ROY D. CHAPIN Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hudson Motor Company Treasurer A. A. HEBERT 1711 Park Street, Hartford. Conn. LEE F. HANMER Director of Recreation, Russell Sage Foundation FLOYD L. VANDERPOEL Scientist, of Litchfield, Conn. STEPHEN F. VOORHEES Architect, of New York City W. E. COTTER 30 E. 42nd St., New York City C. R. DOOLEY Manager of Personnel and Training, Standard Oil Co. of N. J. Managing Director ROY W. WINTON, 105 W. 40th Street, New York City AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS is published monthly in New York, N. Y., by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. Subscription Rate $3.00 a year, postpaid (Canada $3.25, Foreign $3.50); to members of the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. $2.00 a year, postpaid; single copies, 25c. On sale at photographic dealers everywhere. Entered as second-class matter August 3, 1927, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Copyright, 1927, by the Amateur Cinema League, Inc. Title registered at United States Patent Office. Advertising rates on application. Forms close on 5th of preceding month. Editorial and Publication Office: 105 West 40th Street, New York, N. Y. Telephone, Pennsylvania 3756 WALTER D. KERST, Technical Editor K. L. NOONE, Advertising Manager Editor JOHN BEARDSLEE CARRIGAN *■ ► V i> i &- TfTTYVfTVTTT T TfT'i. D.B.S.' Now You May Rent The Most Famous Motion Pictures through WILLOUGHBYS MOVIE LIBRARY Convenient, time-saving coupon- books enable you to obtain the newest, most popular movie dramas, comedies, etc., for show- ing at home. Books contain from 5 to 52 cou- pons and are priced at from $17.50 to $104.00. All you need do is fill in and tear out coupon to rent your choice of movies for a 24 hour period. Among the many films available now are those featuring such stars as Reginald Denny, Laura La Plante, Hoot Gibson, Snook- ums, Andy Gump and numerous others. NEW SUBJECTS ARE BEING ADDED WEEKLY. Also available are the following: WORLD WAR SERIES "America goes over". 2000 feet of actual, thrilling scenes at the front — U. S. Govt. Release. We Also Have For Sale BURTON HOLMES TRAVEL SERIES GANZ' HIGHLITES OF THE NEWS KODAK CINEGRAPHS PATHEGRAMS Send for illustrated circu- lar explaining the rental proposition on the WILLOUGHBY MOVIE LIBRARY. U/IUMIGHByS f?H0 West 32*,St..Newyork.N.y.^ The VIEWFINDER A Department for Our Guidance by Our Readers Amateur Movie Makers is your magazine. We want it to inti- mately reflect your wishes, and to fulfill your thought of what the mag- azine of the world's cine amateurs should be. This department has been instituted to provide a clearing house for ideas, to guide us in fulfilling the needs of our readers, and to provide a stage for discussion between ama- teurs. It is our sincere hope that many constructive criticisms will be directed to this department. Address THE VIEWFINDER, Amateur Mo- vie Makers, 105 W. 40th St., New York, N. Y. Article Suggestions I GET a great deal of help out of Amateur Movie Makers and enjoy reading it. I'd like to see a good article on the activities of the typical news camera man; where he goes, what he does, what equipment he uses under various conditions and why. The use of color filters is an- other subject that is intriguing and quite obscure." Mr. Stanley P. Mc- Minn, editor of Automotive Mer- chandising, contributes these guides. You will find the latter suggestion carried out in this issue, and the other article ivill appear in a later number. Movie Contest 1 BELIEVE that progressive ama- teurs would welcome an annual movie contest with no footage limit; news reel, travel, drama, etc.," writes Charles L. Luthe, Jr., of the Roose- velt High School Amateur Movie Club of Des Moines, Iowa. This plan in general is now being given a trial by Photoplay Magazine. Wants A.C.L. Emblem "TT has occurred to me that mem- JL bers of the A. C. L. would be interested in having others know that they were members of this splendid organization, and, while we can tell others, it seems to me that if there was some emblem that we could all use on our films, telling those in our audience that we are members, it would help in growth of interest in the League, as people will naturally ask about the things they see on the screen." This is the thought of Miss A. E. Kaszer of Beaver, Pa. Miss Kaszer feels it would be a good plan to have a standard leader prepared with a League emblem which could be attached to the beginning of each reel, such leaders to be prepared by headquarters and sold at cost to members, or that a standard form be adopted so members could make their own League leaders. We ivould like to know the feeling of other League members about this suggestion. Re-Dignifying Amateur YOUR use of the word, amateur, in the title of Amateur Movie Makers is going to bring back its correct meaning," writes E. G. Lutz, distinguished cinematographic author of Dumont, N. J. "It carries the sense of an admirer of a thing or field of activity. It even means a skilled practitioner of an art, pursued with- out hope of cash profit. You are re- dignifying the word. And let us have it pronounced correctly, too, not "Amatchur," but "Amater." Titles Again IN passing let me say that who- ever thought of the brilliant idea of printing frontispieces for art titles contributed something of real value to Amateur Movie Makers." Thus writes Herbert F. Lang, Direc- tor of the Little Screen Players of Boston, Mass. Credit is due to W. T. McCarthy and Heber Cushing Peters, both ac- tive League members and contribu- tors to these columns. Special A rticles Wanted WHY not ask foreign members and readers to write of their experiences? Can't you get some good professional cameraman to write us practical pointers as to what he does and what he sees us doing that is hopelessly wrong. A thing we would love to have is some comment from the staff which processes film. They must have a weird opinion of us. We must seem to them to be a flock of nit wits with all the mistakes and sloppy stuff we take and the bum exposures we ask them to turn into beautiful pictures. It would be mighty interesting and very helpful to have an expression of their ideas about us." Hiram Percy Maxim, president of the Amateur Cinema League, Hartford, Conn. Good suggestions all. We've start- ed the ball rolling to carry them out. From a New Subscriber "T AM subscribing on the strength A of the October issue which you sent me as a sample, so please don't oversell your stuff by sending me an- other October issue. I could pass a Six DEALERS PLEASE NOTE! We are sending our authorized representative on a selling trip which will take him to every part of the country. Please communicate with us so that we may add your name to his calling list. ATTENTION ! ! Home Projector Users Every- where! Your copy of "The Greatest Stars in the Greatest Pictures for Your Home" — is ready. We will mail it to you on request. Or ask your dealer. Coming! Nov. 15, 1927 I st Great SHOW- AT-HOME Super "Release INALD DENNY and LAURA LA PLANTE in "SKINNER'S DRESS SUIT" SEVEN PARTS Home projector owners can get this super feature and all other SHOW AT HOMES only from authorized SHOW AT HOME dealers. Home Projector Users are cordially invited to write to SHOW-AT-HOME MOVIE LIBRARY. INC. 'jSnnijmij the ""lOc/rlds fiat photoplays to the rJiruido 730 FIFTH AVENUE - - NEW YORK CITY for complete information as to how and where they may obtain SHOW-AT- HOME Movie Library in their community. SEE IMPORTANT NOTICE ON PAGE 71 These authorized dealers have complete SHOW - AT - HOME LIBRARIES: Willoughbys 110 WEST 32ND ST., N. Y. Largest Photographic Goods Establishment in America. Pickup & Brown 41 EAST 4 1ST ST., NEW YORK. Well and Favorably Known wherever Optical and Photographic Goods are Sold. Metropolitan Motion Picture Co. FILM EXCHANGE BUILD- ING, DETROIT, MICH. Ex- clusive Agent for the State of Michigan. Regina Films Ltd. REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA. Authorized Show- at-Home Agents for Manitoba, Sasketchewan, Alberta and Brit- ish Columbia and possessors of the most complete ShoW'dt'Home Movie Library in the world. Dealers and home projector own- ers please communicate with them for complete details. There's Never a Dull Hour in the Home That Uses SHOW- AT- HOME* Movie Library'. Seven itfrtt1he$%ht before Christmas ' > CiKeArt " '•': "•'■', make Ideal A MOTION PICTURE based on the poem that every child knows LENGTH 400 FEET On Reel with Humidor No. 125 PRICE #30.00 The Story of Santa Claus A little gem for the children No. 126. Length 100 ft. Price #7.50 "The Little Knight" How a tiny boy under the spell of a witch conquers a Kingdom. With BESSIE LOVE and ARTHUR TRIMBLE The child screen star. LENGTH 400 FEET ON REEL WITH HUMIDOR No. 124 PRICE #30.00 WRITE FOR COMPLETE LIST \ "-DANIEL ESSE* S7 Cine Art Productions 1442 BEACH WOOD DRIVE Hollywood, Calif, 99%% examination on its contents now, both advertising and editorial and by the time you could get an- other copy here I would have nailed the remaining %% so that a second copy would be a total loss." This is the dictum of J. M. Ramsey, Editor of The Expositor, Cleveland, Ohio. To Feature Clubs WHY not publish a "Movie Club" number of Amateur Movie Makers?" This is the query of W. H. Pamplin, Managing Direc- tor of the Petite Movie Makers Club of Toledo, Ohio. We will. Dealer Praise I time that I do not know of any magazine published on any specific subject that is more intensely inter- esting and more generally useful both to the amateur movie makers as well as to the dealers, and I want to personally congratulate you and your colleagues on the live wire is- sues." Our kindly critic is Mr. F. R. Mortimer of Mortimer's, Plainfield, N.J. Where We Fall Down "T BELIEVE, however, that you are A falling down on one detail and that is lack of appeal to those who do not already own a movie camera," writes Mr. J. Vance, Managing Editor of the New Britain, Connecti- cut, Daily Herald. "You are presum- ably trying to create an interest in a field which has not become familiar with the subject, therefore, it seems to me it would be a good plan to carry one department at least, which would be of an appeal to those who do not yet own cameras." This is a suggestion which merits thought, and the need will be sup- plied to the best of our ability. Reviews Approved THE Critical Focusing depart- ment, which is of great import to the professional cinematographer, I find to be the most intelligent and constructive review ever given to the public at large," writes Daniel B. Clarke, of Hollywood, President of the American Society of Cinemato- graphers. Those Covers WHERE do you get all the . ideas for such striking cov- ers. They are about as clever as any on the news stands." This is the opinion of Dwight R. Furness, Di- rector of Publicity of the Board of Education of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, Chicago. f>1.9 Lct It R^! Don't ""put up" your Filmo for the winter. Poor light conditions need not stop you from making clear, perfectly timed pictures. For with the Dall' meyer Ultra Speed Lens you need only one-third the light required by the regular Filmo lens. In New MICROMETER Mount $54.00 DALLMEYE& ULTRA-SPEED LENSES 300% Faster Compare the two lenses at the right and you will readily see that the Dallmeyer Ultra-Speed lets in three times as much light. Ideal for Close-Ups ^^ Sole United States Distributors HERBERT & HUESGEN CO. 18 EAST 42nd STREET ^ (near Qrand Central) <* NEW YORK Nine REEL OF THE MONTH € I U B Give a GIFT that they will Treasure ! Twelve-Months Of Pleasure In A Reel^Of-T he-Month Club Membership! Here is a gift that every owner of a home-projector will treasure — a subscription to The Reel- Of-The-Month Club. On the first of every month, the sport happenings of the ring, turf, grid- iron and golf course — current world events — are delivered by the postman to every Club Mem- ber. Only the outstanding films filled with intense interest are chosen by the Selection Board for members of The Reel-Of-The-Month Club. A Membership eliminates viewing reel after reel hoping to find a genuine contribution to your library. And remember — many gifts of home-projectors will be given this Christmas. What more pleasing present could you give to the new owner of a home-projector than a year's membership in The Reel-Of-The- Month Club. December Release HIGHLITES OF THE NEWS NUMBER 7 HIGHLITES of the ARMY-NAVY and YALE-HARVARD 1927 GAMES A complete list of previous releases sent on request. THE REEL-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB IS NOT A RENTAL SERVICE. Each reel that is sent to the home of a member is his own — a contribution to a per- manent home library of choice films. ALL OF THE EXCELLENT REELS PRODUCED AS "HIGHLITES OF THE NEWS" COME TO MEMBERS OF THIS UNIQUE CLUB! The Highlites of The News Reels have long been recognized as the outstanding news reels for owners of home-projectors. These reels are still produced and combined in The Reel-Of-The-Month Club offerings — and of course this means bigger and better features than ever before. Give a gift membership in The Reel-Of-The-Month Club — bring twelve months of Christmas cheer — a wealth of fast-moving events, on the silversheet — to your family, your boy, or a friend! Fill out the application below! Attach your check and send to the Club address, or ask your dealer to forward your membership application ! Reel-of-the-Month Club, 507 Fifth Avenue, N. Y. City. Gentlemen: Please accept this application for membership in the Reel-of-the-Month Club. Enclosed you will find my check for ($20) three months' membership dues — ($75) for 12 month's dues. In return you will send, postage prepaid, one 100 foot 16 mm reel of the outstanding news events on the first of each month for the duration of this membership. Name Address State Make checks payable to Reel-of-the-Month Club Enclose your card or greeting with membership application, and the Reel-Of-The-Month Club will forward it with an additional greeting. Ten OUR FIRST BIRTHDAY A Message and a Greeting IT is indeed difficult to realize that, a year ago, organized Amateur Cinematography was only an idea. Today it is an established in- stitution with very definite prospects. Had I predicted a year ago that, by the time twelve months rolled around, we should have members and magazine readers in every civilized country on earth, I should have been laughed at. And yet, I should have been right. Had I predicted that, in a year, the number of agencies sup- plying films for amateur projection would have in- creased from one to twenty-four, I should have been considered crazy by every reader who knew anything at all about the cinema in- dustry. Had I pre- dicted that amateur films would come into being, in twelve months time, that would take their places beside pro- fessional films. I should have aroused suspicions. Had I forecasted the exist- ence of more than forty clubs of ama- teur cinematogra- phers, scattered over the world, I should have been called a dreamer. And yet all of these things, and many more, have come to pass. A year ago, sev- eral of us had no- tions of what might be done in amateur cinematography. We felt that there were great possibilities, but along just what line the movement would develop was an entirely unknown quantity. Our feel- ing was that we should organize it. at least, and make the knowledge of the whole available to each. We believed that, by provid- ing a means by which we might all make contact with each other, we should be doing a great benefit for all concerned. Our magazine, Ama- teur Movie Makers, was created in From Hiram Percy Maxim President, Amateur Cinema League order to supply this means. And, for one year now, those interested in amateur cinematography have fore- gathered once a month in its pages. Our technical and club consulting services were set in operation to bring the experience and help of one ama- teur in the League to another. Our information service was started that amateurs might find out the hun- dreds of things they wanted to know. The results have surpassed the wild- est expectations. Among other interesting things, a year of organized contact with each other has indicated that the amateur has a distinct tendency. It is difficult to state, exactly, what this tendency is. but it clearly shows that a new cinematography is in the making. The professional screen is not the standard bearer for the amateur it was first expected to be. The amateur does not indicate his tendency to fol- low, and more or less copy, the pro- fessional. Instead, he appears to be working out something entirely new. The best examples of his efforts make intensely interesting and fairly dra- matic films. He seems to have found a way to achieve compelling continu- ity and dramatic in- terest without hav- ing to have a man- and-woman plot. He frequently makes use of travel to ac- complish his pur- pose, and he not only brings to the screen the beauties of nature in a way the professional screen has never ap- proached, but he has found a way to make it dramatic. The reason the amateur has so quickly found some- thing new is because of the basic fact that he is not dependent upon the box office. He has no one to please but himself. He has full swing, and the only limit upon him is his own artistic, technical and dramatic abil- ity. He has already produced some beautiful creations and they are but be- ginnings. And now, who shall say what is go- ing to be the state of affairs when next December rolls around! It would be a brave man who would venture a prediction. But, if our Amateur Cinema League and our magazine go on another year as won- derfully as they have the first year, we members are going to be extreme- ly proud of our membership and the founders are going to realize that they were the means of launching a significant enterprise. Eleven Photograph by H. Armstrong Roberts OTmrfc ifltrpltgljt A CINE SUGGESTION FOR CHRISTMAS EVE The Nation's Nightcap All Set for Cinematics Photograph by Walter D. Kent MIDNIGHT MOVIES Darkness No Longer Daunts the Amateur with a Rapid Lens THOSE tasty bits of bacon, siz- zling in a frying pan, along with tempting morsels of egg and perhaps a pot of coffee perfum- ing the air around the cheerful little campfire with its fragrant aroma, are nearly as attractive movie subjects as they are in real life. How often have you gone out to spend an afternoon with your camera, followed by a warm picnic lunch or perhaps a few hot dogs, roasted over glowing embers, long after the set- ting sun has deprived you of neces- sary light to further your camera conquests? And when everything was ready, did you put away your camera in its neat little case and sit down to eat a hearty lunch, forgetting to keep a celluloid record of that "feed"? If you did, you missed the opportunity of later making your friends' mouths water when you showed them the movie results. To photograph fires, the largest diaphram opening which the camera affords must be used. No slower lens than /.3.5 will be fast enough to re- cord the weak light of the flame. An /.1.9 or faster is ideal. A campfire built especially for movie work should be as large and as bright as possible. The wood should be small By Howard E. Richardson Photograph by Howard E. Richardson AN "APPARENT" NIGHT SCENE Archbold Stadium At Syracuse University Photographed Against the Sun and loosely laid together in order to give maximum light. Composition is also an important factor. Unlike any other source of illumination, fires should be directly in front of the camera and within range of the lens. The subject to be photographed may be placed beside the fire and as close as possible where it receives the maximum light. If the scene still seems too dark, place the subject between the camera and the fire. This makes a silhouette of the action against the firelight. The background will appear only as a highlight, blending into nothing- ness at the edges of the scene. It is always advisable to make a "still" photo for use later as a title background. Perhaps the still can be made as a snapshot, using the same principles which were followed in making the movies, or it may be ad- visable to employ a flash or very short time exposure. The latter, how- ever, is not recommended as the fire moves constantly and even in a sec- ond of time will blurr a photo too much for the purpose intended. Fires are by no means the only kind of night scenes which give pleasing results. There are, in fact, unlimited opportunities for the ama- teur with a fast lens cine camera to make an interesting reel containing nothing but night scenes. As an example of the possibilities, let us consider the brilliantly illum- inated business center of any city. The constant flashing of the electric lights, the spasmodic appearance and disappearance of the electrified ad- vertisements and the pulsations of cars with their powerful headlights in the heavy streams of traffic, all help to form a gorgeous spectacle. They provide subject matter for film which would be a valuable addition to any amateur celluloid library. The most suitable point of vantage for Thirteen making such a scene is on top of some convenient and accessible build- ing, or perhaps from a window look- ing out over the busy thoroughfare. Even from the street itself, the re- sults are well worth any effort and time spent. Right in your own home town or in any town or city where you may chance to be, there is an illuminated street which you would enjoy seeing on the silver screen. Such film rec- ords of familiar streets which you have known since childhood will be priceless to you in years to come when, perhaps, you can no longer go back to the location itself. The photographing of street illum- ination is no different or no more dif- ficult than daylight movie making. The essential difference lies in the fact that comparatively little light is available. Thus the picture is better when made with the largest stop on the camera. At night, amusement centers are a maze of lights. The mammoth dec- orations bedecked with dazzling bulbs present innumerable scenes which provide good material for the enter- prising amateur, anxious to beautify his film library. Strange to say, fireworks, one of the most common forms of nocturnal display, are seldom filmed. Yet the reproductive eye of the cine camera is quite capable of turning these vivid outbursts of artificial beauty into an equally beautiful display which can be seen on the screen at will when- ever friends drop in for the evening. Such a display will work wonders in livening up the party. Fireworks never grow old, no matter how styles may change. Even after seeing them several times, it is still very amusing to watch for some new little spark J of light which was not noticed when! projected before. If a traveler takes a few feet of I movies of the cities he approaches by ' night all the outstanding lights of the city will be seen in his cine rec- ord, and how delightful an evening Photograph by Howard E. Richardson ILLUMINATED SPANS Memorial Bridge At Springfield, Mass., By Night he can spend in picking out the spots he recognizes and comparing them with those familiar to his friends. There, comfortably at home, they will hold a fascination which can only be understood on the actual experience of seeing them. Memories recalled by such a film are worth many times the small effort required to get out the camera at night. An even more attractive film can be made by taking the same scenes both in daylight and in darkness. When a scene, as it appears in day- light, is followed by a shot of its appearance at night, any doubt as to what building bears a certain light and what street just flitted past is in- stantly dispelled. By going still further, the interest will be increased appreciably. By filming the scene in both summer and winter, a comparison of the difference in appearance of the same place, seen in opposite seasons, proves sur- prisingly fascinating. In order to do justice to all the lights, a distant city photographed at night should be made with the stop open to /.1.9. or larger, though with a trace of moonlight or in winter with some snow on the ground, /.3.5 will answer the purpose. When the field of "actual" night cinematography is partially exhaust- ed or when the amateur has attained a degree of skill, there opens up be- fore him the still larger field of "ap- parent" night scenes, which, in real- ity, are actually made by daylight, (Continued on page 63) FIREWORKS AND FANFARE An Aerial Anemone and the Electrical Bally-hoo of Coney Island Photographs by Howard E. Richardson Fourteen ody's CHRISTMAS A Scenario with which to Initiate Christmas Cameras By Leonard Hacker The Cast Mr. Anybody Mrs. Anybody Little Mary Anybody Little George Anybody Mrs. Somebody she Scene 1 — Interior Anybody Home (Iris in) Close-Up Of large calendar on wall — Decem- ber— masculine hand appears with pencil — carefully draws circle around "25". (Iris out Scene 2 — Interior Anybody Home — Close-Up Of calendar — dainty feminine hand appears — traces with forefinger from "25" up to abbreviation "Sun." (Iris in). Scene 3 — Interior Anybody Home — Close-Up Of calendar — two little hands ap- pear and move excitedly across num- bers— point to "25" and vanish. (Iris out slowly). Scene 4 — Exterior Anybody Home — (Iris in) Long Shot Showing pathway leading to entrance of one story private house. Door opens — Mr. Anybody emerges — struts briskly down path pulling on gloves — comes to street and exits left. (Iris in). Scene 6 — Interior First Story Win- dow (Curtains) Semi Close-Up . . Of Mary and George looking through window at mother hastening down path. Mother reaches street — glances back furtively to see if she is being observed — children drop curtains just in time — both laugh mischiev- ously, revealing they no longer be- lieve in Santa Claus — then run in past camera evidently with plan of their own. (Iris out). Scene 7 — Interior Children's Room (Iris in) Close-Up Of little hands counting pile of change on table. (Iris out). Scene 8 — Exterior Anybody Home (Iris in) Long Shot Door opens — Mary and George emerge all dressed up — Mary carries small purse with matronly air — evi- dently more sophisticated than broth- er who trips along beside her — they come down path to street and exit left. (Iris out). (Continued on page 70) Fifteen FILMING PAST AGES --TODAY How the Story of Civilization May Still be Filmed in Survivals of Historic and Prehistoric Customs THE illustration and animation of a great deal of the history of the world by means of mo- tion pictures is well within the realm of realization. In the more back- ward regions of the world, and even in the out-of-the-way districts of more advanced countries, many crafts and customs that are generally represen- tative of past eras continue to sur- vive in substantially unmodified form. Agricultural methods in Egypt, the "gufah" or hemispherical boat on the Tigris, threshing meth- ods in Italy, and transportation by oxen in southern European coun- tries are a few examples of these survivals that continue unchanged up to the present day. In the Author's own collection are film records of the primitive pottery making and weaving that appear to have been carried on by the Berber tribes in the North African Mountains since prehistoric days. From the same re- gion there are records of the manu- facture and use of quernstones, similar to those employed round the Mediterranean in Biblical times. From Hungary, the Author has films of the medieval spinning and weav- ing industry which is still pursued by the peasant women in their homes, as well as of the potter's craft that has changed little since the Middle Ages, and of medieval windmills and watermills that continue to grind the grain for the community. These in- dicate but a few of the many arts and crafts that were once practiced and can still be found. Besides be- By John A. Haeseler Fellow, Royal Geographical Society ing significant and authentic mate- rial, these could readily be recorded, as an international amateur project. Furthermore, whole groups of people who played leading roles in history still carry on the same mode of life that they have followed through many centuries. This is true of the Arabs, whose manners and customs, except in the case of fire- arms, remain unchanged. The Tar- tars among whom the Author has travelled on the Steppes of Central Asia still guard their flocks and herds and move their felt tents from pas- ture to pasture just as they have done BEFORE THE DAWN OF HISTORY Pottery Was Made, Cloth Was Woven and Food Was Stored in Citadels in the Same Way in which it Can Be Photographed Today Among the Algerian Tribes Sixteen Photographs by the Author throughout historic times. Also in interior regions of China, the man- ners and habits of the days of Marco Polo still hold sway. Films made on the subject of the various crafts and peoples that still remain unchanged would have great value not only in illustrating certain periods of history, but also in tracing the development of a craft or in- dustry throughout the ages and demonstrating its effect upon the so- cial order generally. The Author has films characteristic of the ancient and medieval stages in the weaving, pot- tery and milling industries and also considerable material showing the development of transportation from primitive to modern forms, as well as material illustrating the growth of communities and communal life. And it should be remarked in passing that many of the crafts and customs rep- resentative of the past are fast dying out and that, if they are not soon recorded, they will be lost forever. Throughout the historic periods and even in some prehistoric epochs native artists have depicted the man- ners, personalities and events in their times. The pictures on the walls of Egyptian tombs and on Greek vases, in illuminated manuscripts and sculp- FILMING THE Is Possible For the Modern Cameraman of Europe on tures, as well as engravings and paintings of different periods, are among the records left us by the artists. These can be photographed and included in the films. Besides these, all the remaining buildings and objects that were part of the life of the past can be readily photo- graphed. Thus by employing the film to il- lustrate the arts, crafts and peoples that continue to survive almost un- modified, and showing the records left by artists and the historic monu- ments and objects that still exist, a fairly complete visual reconstruction of history is possible. And a great deal of this possible achievement of films lies within the scope of the amateur. As an example of what amateurs can accomplish in this direction let us consider some of the experiences of the Author to whom films first appealed because of such possibilities. During recent years the Author has been engaged in producing films in Africa, Europe and America. In Africa, in collaboration with another scientist he made a complete film rec- ord of the habits and customs of the Berber tribes in a secluded block of mountains, north of the Sahara. Later he made another film portray- ing the interesting customs and pic- turesque life of the Hungarian peas- ants on the level plain that borders the Danube. Last year he was en- gaged in making films on children in various European countries. All of these films have been secur- ed in a way within the capacity of many amateurs. Practically all of them are what may be called "one man" films. The author always car- ried with him his own camera and tripod but kept all other equipment down to a minimum. He depended upon acquiring assistants locally. In MIDDLE AGES Who Visits Out of the Way Villages Market Day North Africa, Captain M. W. Hilton- Simpson, a British anthropologist, and the Author worked together. Captain Hilton-Simpson had been studying the Berber people for sev- eral years and consequently he han- dled the natives. The Author did the film work and the actual photo- graphy— employing a couple of na- tives, head men of the villages in some cases, to carry his camera and tripod at the marvelous wage of some twelve cents a day. In Hungary, the Author employed a young interpreter who was a stu- dent in the College of Foreign Lan- guages. His cost was $1 a day be- side his travelling expenses and it is usually possible to find a local as- sistant of this character who is happy to go because of the experience in- volved. They mapped out their route with specialists on Hungarian geo- graphy and together they shouldered the cameras and travelled round Hungary, stopping at whatever vil- lages interested them. They were able to do better work than if they had been accompanied by a large staff of people, for they were able to film the peasants in their accustomed tasks and ceremonies without disturb- ing them and making them self-con- scious. Their difficult work came when they were photographing mar- ket day or some such similar event when it was necessary to handle sev- eral hundred, people as well as the camera and tripod. By employing a couple of natives to keep the peas- ants from crowding into the sides of the picture it proved entirely pos- sible to do this and still attain natur- alness in those being photographed. In this simple way, usually with an assistant employed locally, the Author has travelled and worked in many countries of Europe. In the same way, it is possible for amateurs with similar interests to do much in gathering these film documents in many parts of the world. They should, by all means, make it a prin- ciple to turn out work of good, if not excellent, photographic quality. This is most important for no mat- ter how interesting a film record may be it will not be widely shown if the photography is poor. Success- ful photography is largely a matter of care and in order to make his rec- ords available for world-wide u^e the amateur should exercise the greatest care in his composition and exposure and also in his direction. Furthermore, in the opinion of the Author, the serious amateur should employ a 35 mm. camera on a tri- pod. Better sixteen millimeter prints can be made from thirty-five milli- meter negatives than from sixteen but it is difficult to get any sort of an adequate result in enlarging from (Continued on page 65) NOAH'S FLIVVER The Earliest Types of Conveyance Can Still Be Photographed in Parts of Hungary Seventeen A CINEMERRY CHRISTMAS NOW that relatives are so remote and apartments so small, the old-time family reunion is out of the question. If you invite Cousin Bertha and don't invite Aunt Agatha, Aunt Agatha is going to be hurt. Not angry, you understand, — just terribly, terribly hurt. And if you do invite Aunt Agatha, it means that Cousin Bertha will have to sit on the floor between the bridge lamp and the En- cyclopedia Britannica, in a hell of a draft. That won't do, either. It was only last Christmas that Junior ran his toy locomotive up Grandpa's pants-leg, giving the old gentleman a severe fright and causing him to add a nasty codicil to his will. The safest and most humane course is to hang an S. R. 0. sign in the vestibule on the night before Christ- mas, and invoke the aid of science. With the help of home-made motion pictures, a family reunion may be engineered by remote control. This will eliminate bag-packing, long distance telephoning, railroad tickets, and the annual hunt for Betty Jane's other overshoe. Instead of succumbing to an invasion of in-laws, the host and hostess will simply send out little reels of film, tied with red ribbons and decorated with sprigs of Hollywood holly. And they will re- ceive similar packages, inscribed with the legend, "Do Not Open Until Christmas." By Weare Holbrook Then, when Christmas finally comes, the various uncles and aunts and cousins-by-marriage can sit themselves down beside the project- ing machines in their respective homes and enjoy a good old-fashion- ed "get-together," as the boys at the Kiwanis Club say. They can rally around the family tree without congestion and unneces- sary conversation. Papa will no longer have to spend the best years of his life shivering in a snow-bound railroad station in order to meet Aunt Lutie and the twins who weren't sure whether they would arrive on the 8:50 or the 11:45. He can merely turn the crank as the fancy strikes him, and see them come bursting into the room, bag and baggage, with glad shouts which never make a sound. And when he thinks they have stayed long enough, he can reverse the film and take them back out into the limbo from whence they came. The cinematographic family re- union not only solves the bathroom traffic problem, but it simplifies the give and take of repartee. The holi- day season is full of immemorial customs and ceremonies such as bringing in the Yule-log (or ham- mering on the radiator-pipes to wake up the janitor), hanging the stock- ings, singing Christmas carols, and getting drunk. But for some of us, Christmas has come to mean listening to Cousin Libbie Quimbush's annual report on the condition of her di- gestion— a detailed account which is so vivid that it even makes little Geraldine stop eating those hard can- dies and go to sleep. Cousin Libbie's favorite preamble to the more inti- mate items of internal evidence is, "My dear, you just can't imagine . . ." But now, thanks to the movies, we just won't have to imagine. Cousin Libbie can send us, by prepaid par- cel post, the complete record of a trip through her Alimentary Canal Zone, together with X-ray enlarge- ments and views of Battle Creek, Michigan, — done in color, for all we care. Another old Yuletide custom is that of listening to Cousin Edgar Eighteen Flump's wife, who belongs to Mo Keesport's younger set, — not the younger set which goes in for gin drinking and reckless driving, to be sure, but the slightly heavier younger set which meets regularly for bridge and golf, and can't really be called "younger" unless you compare it with the G. A. R. fife and drum corps. Cousin Edgar's wife has gone to card parties so much that her con- versation is restricted almost entirely to the servant problem. She has, so she confides in more words than it takes to tell it, a Perfect Jewel of a Maid, named Bridget, whom her neighbors are constantly trying to lure away by promises of Thursdays Off, No Washing, and other induce- ments too Utopian to mention. There are dramatic possibilities in the struggle of Cousin Edgar's wife to circumvent the devilish machina- tions of the neighbors (some of whom, would you believe it, actually stopped Bridget on the street and asked her point-blank if she was sat- isfied with her present situation ) . And next Christmas, instead of a visit from the Flumps, we may receive a snappy little film showing Cousin Edgar's wife doing a Horatius-at-the- Bridget in front of the kitchen door, with a subtitle reading: "' 'Shoot if you must, this marcelled head, But spare my hired help,' she said." Then there is Uncle Naboth and his ear-trumpet, — a holiday institu- tion which was amusing to the chil- dren but rather a strain upon the vocal cords of their elders. Although deaf, Uncle Naboth was a good sport, and willing to meet all comers at catch-as-catch-can conversation. But in doing so, he quickly converted a comparatively peaceful clan-gather- ing into a cross between a Navajo pow-wow and the Notre Dame root- ing section. The film reunion, how- ever, will put Uncle Naboth on an equal footing with the other rela- { Continued on page 61) Nineteen EDITING FILM for FUN How to Secure the Pleasures and Rewards of Reel Perfection with Illustrations of Professional Methods by Paramount PERHAPS the most interesting, yet the most neglected phase of movie making, is editing the finished film. Blending random scenes into an interesting continuity is fascinating work, yet the amateur movie maker who takes every pos- sible precaution when photograph- ing a scene, frequently makes little or no effort to edit his film once it is returned to him by the finishing lab- oratory. He is either too easily satis- fied with what comes out of the camera and therefore deliberately chooses not to edit his film, or he feels that he does not know enough about editing to at- tempt it. It may be that he heard somewhere that editing is a long and tedious job, or per- haps, at one time or other he actually at- tempted to edit his film but, not knowing how to proceed system- atically, he found him- self hopelessly lost in a maze of loose film. Everything is easy once you know how — even editing! That it takes time must be ad- mitted, but tedious — no. It is really a thrill to build up a film piece by piece and see it grow under your care- ful guidance. It is like piecing a puzzle together, and when the work is done, you will find such a vast im- provement that you will be amply repaid for the time you spent. The average amateur, when his film is returned, is in feverish haste to project it. Once he has seen it, his friends are invited to view it in a rush and little or nothing is done in the way of editing or cutting the film. By the time it dawns upon him that his film could be improved by editing, all concerned have seen the picture and it has been consigned away with hundreds of feet of other film to dry out and become brittle and perhaps be forgotten entirely. Is it any wonder that such films have a raw unfinished look and lack the perfection of the professional? Before attempting to edit film, one should have the proper equipment. Twenty By H. Syril Dusenbery This consists simply of a good splic- ing outfit and a rewind. It will also be helpful to have a magnifying glass to examine the film and, if pos- sible, a table or a bench with a piece of heavy ground glass set in, under which a light is placed. If you do not wish to mutilate a table, you can purchase a viewing outfit that you M m v ,?r ::■■.■ ■ rflHj MM 4 mm »j ||l|MnM s ^ezt f'- I NOTING THE DEFECTS As the Film Runs Through the Projector can place on any table and thus con- vert it into a working bench. The professional studio considers an il- luminated viewing device indispen- sable. Such equipment is a wonder- ful aid to the eyes in viewing, edit- ing and assembling the film. Learn, first of all, how to make good splices. A good splice must be made quickly as the cement dries in a very few seconds. You must uee the minimum amount of cement to make a strong splice and not slop it over the rest of the film or get your fingers all gummed up. A good splice can be made in a jiffy. Don't make a big job out of splicing. It really is quite easy! Every splicing outfit is accompanied with a direction sheet that should be carefully studied. To begin with, the emulsion must first be scraped off at the point where the splice is to be made. For a good splice, every bit of emulsion must be removed completely without cutting into the film base. Dampen the nar- row strip of emulsion that you intend to remove and it will come off more easily. Hold the film in place on the splicing block, apply just the right amount of cement to entirely cover the narrow strip of film from which you scraped off the emulsion and then immediately press the ends of the film firmly together. A little pres- sure should be applied to assure good contact and in a very few sec- onds the cement will be dry and the film ready for use. If the joint fails to stick, it generally means that you did not completely remove all the emulsion or the cement began to dry before you pressed the end of the film to- gether. Keep your fingers and tools free from surplus cement and you will find splic- ing remarkably easy. Practice making splices on some old film and before you know it, you will be making perfect splices quickly. Learn the right way from the very start. If you do not understand the instruction sheet, ask you local dealer, from whom you pur- chased your outfit, to help you. Above all, do not attempt to edit film until you can make a good neat splice rapidly. Let us examine a typical reel just as it comes from the laboratory. The first step is to project it on the screen just as it comes to you so that you can get a good general idea of what it contains. As the film is projected for the first time, mentally note the bad spots. Are there any bad flashes between scenes? Are any parts out of focus? Are there any spots over- exposed or under-exposed? Are any scenes too long? Are any scenes lacking action? Are there any waits where you watch the film expectantly but nothing happens? These are the sort of questions you should be ask- ing yourself as you view your pic- tures for the first time. Seldom do the scenes appear in their best order. You must decide which is the best opening and the best closing scene. . Often a series of disconnected scenes can be re-arranged to make a story. This done, immediately rewind the film and, while its memory is still fresh in your mind, project it again. You are now ready to make some notes so have a pencil and a small pad of paper handy. At the second projection stop the film after each scene and make a few notes. Give the scene some sort of brief title sug- gestive of its subject matter for your own identification. Jot down quickly what you believe is wrong with the scene. Rarely, if ever, is a scene per- fect, you know! Brief notes like "too long," "too dark," or "action too slow in starting" are all that you need to make. After doing this, start the projector again and view the next scene, stop it and, on the next sheet, make further notes. Continue this procedure scene by scene through- out the reel. Consider each scene carefully by itself. Take plenty of time when doing this so that you will have clearly in your mind just what occurs. Think over its details care- fully before proceeding to the next and, if there is any doubt at all in your mind, run the scene over again. The notes of each scene should be made on a separate piece of paper so that when you cut the scenes apart, which is the next step, you can fasten the corresponding notes to them with a small paper clip. It is very neces- sary to project the film enough times so that you become perfectly familiar with it as the film itself is so small that even with the aid of your mag- nifying glass, it is not easy to follow the action of the film unless you know exactly what it is all about. Once you become familiar with every little movement and motion, you are ready to begin the actual cut- ting. Transfer the reel from the projec- tor to your rewind and splicing out- H — uttr^lB i Br m ^"^a iMl 11 f ASSEMBLIN With the Aid of fit and proceed to cut the scenes apart. As you cut a scene off the reel, clip your sheet of notes to the film and place it to one side — perhaps on another table. The professional stu- dio provides special cutting rooms with pigeon holes, covering the entire sides of the room, into which the separate scenes are temporarily placed pending their assembly into the finished reel. One amateur has stretched a string across his room and, as he cuts a scene off his reel, he hangs it on the string with a spring clothes-pin. After all the scenes are cut apart and hung on the "line" it becomes a simple matter to arrange them in their proper order. A very good system, I believe. It enables you to keep a large number of scenes in their proper order with- out the aid of special equipment. However, whether you lay the scenes out in a row on a table, or hang them on an improvised clothes line, is merely a detail. The point is to first cut your scenes apart and arrange them in their proper order. Be sys- tematic about this. Don't strew film THE CUTTING ROOM Showing Pigeon Holes For Scene Assembly G THE FILM Viewing Apparatus all over the room. The reel that comes from your camera contains one hundred feet of film. In this hundred feet you may have anywhere between fifteen and twenty-five individual scenes. Provide space therefore for this number of scenes before starting your work. If you have a big four hundred foot reel to edit, it is best to split it up into one hundred foot sec- tions before attempting to handle it, unless you have space to lay out a hundred or more individual pieces of film without getting them mixed up. Now comes the actual editing and, at the same time, the assembling of the film. Pick out the scene that you have decided is to be your first and place it on your rewind. Now ex- amine it carefully referring to your notes as you do so. Do not keep more than two or three frames (in- dividual pictures) previous to where the action starts, and do not keep any after the frame in which the action ends. Suppose for example that in this particular scene before you an automobile drives up, stops, some people get out and go into a house. Look over the film carefully with your magnifying glass. Find the first frame in which the automobile appears. Leave two frames before this and cut all the balance away. Follow the auto carefully as it rolls into the scene; note where it stops. Count the number of frames inter- vening between the frame in which the auto stops and where the occu- pants get out. If more than three frames intervene, cut out the excess. This speeds up the "tempo" of your picture. Note just where the last per- son leaves the machine and cut there. It is not necessary to allow a single frame after the last person gets out, in fact you can even cut a frame or two ahead of him if you want snappy action in your film. A few frames (Continued on page 66) Twenty-One Those CHRISTMAS CAMERAS Drawings by Alan Dunn WHY didn't you just smash it on the floor in the first place, daddy?" Junior is inquiring of the Christmas Eve cameraman, on the right, whose zeal for mechanics leaves not a screw unturned in getting at the bottom of cinematography. '{^0 eat an orange, Vj of the "youngest amateur," above who is beginning to suspect that the out fit given him by Aunt Hattie will go the way of last years electric train — into Father s study, where he can play with it undisturbed. Twenty-two FILM -FLAM So It's Come to This! PARENTS will find an extremely practical use for their amateur movie cameras during the Chris- mas holidays if they can inveigle their children into paying them even a brief visit. With something like thirty-nine different parties to attend in sixteen days, a visit to the home grounds is of course difficult for the boys and girls to arrange. But if you can manage to make even a few feet of film of them as they drop their soiled laundry in the hallway and snatch a check, it will enable you to recog- nize them much more easily when they graduate from four years of prep school, four more of college, a course of summer camps and a series of trips to Europe, and finally come home to live. Then, some June, three, four, or possi- bly seven or eight years from now, when a quite strange young man or wom- an bursts in upon you shouting "Mother! Father! We've graduated!" you can quickly tell whether or not they are impos- tors, by simply turning on the movies you made of them years ago, back at Christmas time in 1927. Isn't science wonderful ? Wail for December IF the big picture palaces add just a few more strings of dancers, titanic scenic effects and allez oopers to their three-hour programs, your own home will be about the only place left where you will be able to see one of those quaint, old-fasioned entertainments — a motion picture. And That's That! MOCK JOY, writing in the New York World, describes the "Katsuben" or "film lecturers" of Japan. It seems that the Japanese like to have their pictures explained to them, as they are shown, by a knowing gent who stands beside the screen in the theatre and helps them through all the difficult places in the story. But don't ever let anybody fool you into thinking that "film lectur- ers" started in Japan! Neither were they invented in China four thousand Edited by Creighton Peet years ago along with gunpowder, sewing machines and electric lights. The "film lecturer" proper is a prod- uct of the Amateur Movie Cycle of American cinematic civilization, and he (or she) has grown up right here in our one hundred per cent Amer- ican living rooms and libraries. As soon as you turn on the projec- tor switch, he (or she) starts to Make It All Easy, somewhat as follows: "It's not a bad car — / dont see what you re moping about." "I know, but I asked for a home movie camera." "This is baby . . . last summer . . . you know, the baby," she adds quickly in case you think it is any old baby they have picked up out of the street . . . "and this is Buster the dog . . . and this funny, fuzzy place is where Billy exploded the paper bag right behind me and near- ly scared me to death . . . and this is the house . . . this house . . . this is Mr. McGillicuddy from next door who just had his appendix out . . . this is the cook, the second one before the last . . . this is me . . . no, I . . . this is the drug store, on the corner, you know . . . this is, etc., etc." No, it looks as though we would have to claim the "film lecturer" as a native American growth. Three-ring Show A MOVING-PICTURE producer, on filming "The Passion Play," noticed that there were twelve Apos- tles. "Oh, that won't do," he said; "this is a big production. That num- ber will have to be increased to twenty-four." — Outlook. Baby Blue Law! IN Portland, Oregon, according to Variety, there are a thousand amateur motion picture enthusiasts — so many in fact that a few unneces- sarily worried professionals are try- ing to hinder the showing of amateur films on the ground that they have not been viewed by a censoring board. But if families in Portland are anything like those in the rest of the country, this is far from being the case. The home movie is much more strictly censored than the profession- al film. Our great trouble, in fact, has always been with people like Aunt Hattie who, when she sees herself on the screen, suddenly wishes she had worn her black dress instead, and wants to know what you are going to do about it, and Cousin Cedric, whose in- tense, monastic bashfulness causes him to protest violently whenever he appears at all. So that, between the bashful peo- ple who simply can't stand seeing themselves, and want all their pic- tures deleted, those who wish they had dressed differently, and those who positively refuse to be "shot" in the first place, the amateur movie- maker's greatest difficulty is in hav- ing any film at all when his reel gets to the projection machine. The Complete Angler AS to camera angles, the prize for this month goes to a certain New York amateur for the finished results of a reel he had exposed with the camera turned on its side. He explained to his astonished audi- ence that he had been trying to make "horizontal" (?) pictures, but that "something seemed to be wrong somewhere." Obviously the image on his screen was on its side too, his sky being in a strip at the left and his people and earth in a strip at the right. To watch a picture of this sort an audience would have to be equipped with davenports or cots, and recline as the Romans used to do at their feasts. Twenty -Three AMATEUR CLUBS Edited by Arthur L. Gale Amateur Contests WE hope that we made two things evident in the first two appearances of this de- partment in Amateur Movie Mak- ers ; first, the fact that amateur movie clubs are an established reality and rapidly increasing in number; and, second, the significance of the ama- teur club as marking the third epoch of the amateur movie movement, the epoch of amateur achievement. We believe that the amateur club has a number of specific missions to accomplish in unfolding the future of amateur movies. The first of these is to bring about the regular and fre- quent comparison of amateur film productions by amateur film pro- ducers. We all learn by example, by comparison, and by competition. So, all amateur clubs are urged to con- duct cine contests. One club has al- ready had such a contest, another is now conducting one, and a third has one planned. The advantage is ob- vious. Before a club can undertake cooperative filming and can produce something that is a united club prod- uct— not taking a photoplay into con- sideration— there must be a pretty definite idea of the cinematic abil- ities of every club member. A cine contest will establish this. It will also promote enthusiasm and encour- age activity. These cine contests should be city wide. They should be open to every amateur movie maker in the com- munity, whether he is a club member or not. This will disclose a wide field of prospective club members; it will secure necessary and desirable pub- licity for the organization; it will register amateur movie making as a community activity. Prizes can be offered by the club itself or, in many instances, dealers will step forward with offers of prizes. Winners of these contests will be mentioned in this department of Amateur Movie Makers. If each club will undertake an amateur cine contest, the foundation will be laid for an eventual national and international cine salon which will establish amateur cinematog- raphy on a firm footing as an authen- tic and definite art. Enter Sheffield Arousing meeting, preliminary to the formation of an amateur movie club, was held at Sheffield, England, in the rooms of the Shef- field Photo Company. Frank Motter- shaw presided. A number of films, including some notable experimental work of Sheffield enthusiasts, were shown and the program included a particularly fine film taken by J. Hobson, of Sheffield, during his last Swiss tour. This preliminary meeting having proved such a distinct success, Sheffield amateurs are now effecting a permanent organization. The world club roster is growing. Winged Films THE Cinema Guild of Milwaukee is conducting screen tests for its first production, "Tuff Luck." The action of the story is to be laid in the air fields and aerial photography will be a distinguishing element of the finished photoplay. The Cinema Jgjfc. . M\ .'■ ,;! '.' - K " ■ % ■ ■ T FILMING THE CURIOUS EXPERIMENT OF DR. BRE^T The Little Film Guild of Philadelphia in action, Charles Jones, directing and Edward Burwell at the camera Twenty-jour WHO SAID "CAMERA ANGLES!" Lewis Jacobs and Hirschel Lewis of the Cinema Crafters of Philadelphia Guild has excellent equipment at its disposal and is preparing to publish a weekly news sheet to be called "Cinema Guild Personalities." "Make Up" was the subject of a discussion at the last meeting of the club, by Harold Francke, its director and a pioneer Amateur Cinema Leaguer. D. K. Mereen is chairman of the club, William A. Jaap, secretary and Walter Preston, assistant secretary. Colgate Continues HE production of this year's Colgate University photoplay has been temporarily postponed be- cause of the pressure of other under- graduate activities. The film club continues its work, however, on the Colgate Newsreel. This includes shots of football games and other import- ant Colgate events and has already reached 1000 feet. It will start tour- ing the alumni circuit January 1st. The Colgate Amateur Motion Pic- ture Club is ably led by H. E. Rich- ardson, of the Amateur Cinema League, who is now engaged in film- ing the campus from the air. The films are to be analyzed and edited by club members who are planning a series of similar experiments. Mr. Richardson soon leaves for France, but two well-trained cameramen will take up his work, John W. Murray and Frank E. Singleton. Amateur Angelenos WE record two new amateur photoplay producing groups in the home of the professional photoplay. "Merrill of L. A. High" has been recently produced by the students of the Los Angeles High School, while the undergraduates of the University of Southern Califor- nia have released their new offering, "A Sporting Chance." Hoch Siegfried! IT was in Germany that John Ihrig, a zealous League member con- ceived the idea of the Amateur Motion Picture Club Siegfried, which has been organized recently in Jersey City, N. J., with a membership bet- ween fifty and sixty. The club is now in preparation for the production of a melodrama to be called "Repen- tance". Action and the stark pre- sentation of human emotion is prom- ised. We suspect that Mr. Ihrig has brought knowledge of novel cam- era work from Germany, where, ac- cording to Film Fur Alle, amateurs have achieved great distinction and are well advanced. At the first re- gular business meeting of the Club Siegfried, John Ihrig was chosen president, Robert Siller, treasurer, Louis Munch, secretary and A. Squeo, cameraman. The accompanying pho- tograph shows a dramatic moment from "Repentance." Zoo-Lot Zealots ARMED with cameras, umbrellas and enthusiasm, the Philadel- phia Amateur Motion Picture Club invaded, en masse, the Philadelphia Zoo during a driving rain and secured good cinematic records of its deniz- ens. The animals appeared to enjoy the performance and those under shelter seemed to be divided between pity for the drenched cinematograph- ers and admiration for their un- quenchable zest for picture making. This amateur filming visit to the Zoo was made possible through the courtesy of C. Emerson Brown, super- intendent of the Philadelphia Zoo- logical Society. It was the first club filming venture of this Philadelphia group, and is the beginning of a series of club visits to local centers of interest. The films were shown at the next monthly meeting of the club, follow- ing the filming. Prizes of cine films were awarded by Williams Brown and Earle, motion picture dealers. They were won by Dr. H. G. Gold- berg (first), and Mrs. James W. Hughes — contributor to Amateur Movie Makers and member of the League — (second). At this meeting amateur 16 m.m. films taken by Will- iam Styx Wasserman in the interior of Russia were exhibited. N. H. Schriver, secretary of the club, writes that its membership is rapidly increasing without special solicitation, that regular monthly meetings are held and that reports of its activities will appear without fail in this department. This definite promise will, hopefully, serve as a model to all of the associate editors of this Amateur Club department of The experiences of a news camera- man were given at an earlier meeting by a representative of a newsreel service. The Movie Makers Club promises programs of increasing interest throughout the year and has schedul- ed two meetings each month. Officers of this club are Dr. Willis 0. Nance, president, Leon Benditsky, vice-presi- ACTION IN JERSEY CITY The Amateur Motion Picture Club Siegfried Filming Repcntence Amateur Movie Makers. John T. Collins, jr., president, David Lutz, vice-president and Samuel Shoe- maker, treasurer, are the other officers of the club. The First "Co-op." *HE first cooperatively made city /-p] fil m on recoi( is she November at a meeting of the Movie Makers Club of Chicago. This wide- ly heralded amateur production is a film description of the Mid-West metropolis, made up of shots of that city taken by members of the Movie Makers Club and assembled by Leon Benditsky, a member of the club and an active member of the Amateur Cinema League. Naturally, this club- made product was the feature of the meeting at which it was presented. dent, Dwight R. Furness, secretary and Frank T. Farrell, treasurer. Pioneer directors are these well- known Chicagoans: Joseph G. Davis, Nelson L. Greene, Carter H. Harrison, Albert S. Howell, E. F. McDonald, jr., James R. Offield, Carey Orr, Styvesant Peabody, Orpheus M. Schantz, J. W. Work and Philip K. Wrigley. Messrs. Benditzky, Furness, Farrell, McDonald and Wrigley are League members. Another Mystery IF an intriguing title indicates any- thing, "The Curious Experiment of Dr. Brent," now being produced by the Little Film Guild of Philadel- phia, promises to be one of the most interesting amateur photoplays of the (Continued on page 68) Twenty-jive //^INFORMATION onyourHEALTU ^by Movie Camera Modern Miracles of the Medical Motion Picture By J. F. Montague, M. D., F. A. C. S. TO many people the movies merely mean a look at the news or a laugh at life, but of late, through the energy of virtual movie amateurs, they have started a new and what promises to be an extensive and exceedingly valuable field. Trav- elers long ago recognized their use- fulness in enabling audiences, before whom they lectured, to visualize the scenes of their labors, and the De- partment of Agriculture, some years ago, employed them very profitably for demonstrating scientific farming and agricultural operations. In re- cent years industrialists like Henry Ford have used motion pictures very successfully to demonstrate various processes of manufacture, and now we find medical men and lecturers employ them for teaching medical subjects and for lecture purposes. In fact I have very effectively em- ployed motion picture films in post- graduate teaching for a period of years and find that the clear and sim- ple views of a diseased condition taken with motion pictures stands in direct contrast to the very inadequate view that a medical student can ob- tain when he attempts to observe an operation. Heretofore, students in the medical colleges had to be seated in rows while the instructing surgeon performed operations in the pit. Dis- tances of from twenty to fifty feet separate the observers from the op- erator whose work takes place in an area of from six to eight inches square. As a consequence a totally inadequate view is obtained under such restricted circumstances. Con- trast this with the view of the same operation given by a well-made series of moving pictures. I, myself, have been able to conceive and produce about 55,000 feet (nearly eleven miles) of motion picture film por- traying most vividly every known va- riety of intestinal and rectal diseases than can be shown in pictures. In- struments are demonstrated and any and all surgical operations are cap- able of being shown by this means. Not only are actual pictures of the operation employed but by the use of animated diagrams the most intricate procedure and operation may be 1 w enty- six DR. MONTAGUE'S MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL PHOTOGRAPHY This is Fully Explained in the Accompanying Article shown in great detail, and in a man- ner whose clearness is not possible of obtainment by any other method. Such pictures may be thrown upon the screen with a totally unobstruct- ed view and magnified to show even more details than are observed by the eyes of the surgeon. Furthermore, a special advantage of the motion picture method of demonstrating sur- gical operations is that after the com- plete operation has been shown, any particular part of the various details may be re-shown for any given length of time, so that every special feature may be described by the lecturer. The effectiveness of these demonstrations has been shown by the interest of the numerous medical men and students who have come from other states to witness my films. A further invaluable feature of the moving picture method of surgical in- struction consists in the ability of the lecturer to demonstrate any par- ticular feature in technique by show- ing its application, not for a single operation, but for many. Thus, in a short period of time a series of op- erations may be viewed each one conveying added interest and instruc- tion. A remarkable advance in the study of diseased organs attributable to this new application of motion pic- tures to medical subjects consists in the ability to take both still and mo- tion pictures of the interior of vari- ous organs which have hitherto been inaccessible to such study. The de- vice by which this is attainable is an invention of my own, and with it motion pictures of the interior of cer- tain portions of the intestinal tract have been taken and may be studied. By this, I do not mean X-ray pictures, since they are only shadows cast by opaque material in the intestine, but I mean actual pictures taken inside the intestine. This has never been done heretofore and furnishes the medical profession with a new means of observing the intestines, both in health and in disease. The instruments that I use in mak- ing movies inside the human body consists of a long, very thin and very highly polished tube. To one end of the tube a small movie camera can be fastened. Inside of the other end of the tube is a battery of minute but very powerful lights and lenses arranged according to certain optical laws. The end of the tube with the lights is introduced inside the pa- tient's body and when properly placed the lights are turned on. The movie camera is then focused, started and in a few seconds a celluloid rec- ord is made of how some particular living organ is functioning. The en- tire operation is perfectly painless and no more dangerous than when the doctor uses a stomach pump. DR. J. F. MONTAGUE A very interesting application of the device is as follows: Motion pic- tures of the interior of certain or- gans such as the intestines are taken when the patient first comes to the hospital and similar pictures are taken at weekly intervals while the patient is under treatment. Then by patching these strips of film together and running them on a projecting machine the case can be seen to get well before your very eyes in but a fraction of the time actually required for the healing process. A special advantage of this can be readily un- derstood since it furnishes an accu- rate record of the changes to be found and eliminates all guess work as to whether or not the patient has im- proved since the doctor no longer has to rely upon memory but by compar- ing the pictures can have accurate means of judging the changes. Thus, after the moving picture film has been developed and projected on a screen the doctor is able to study it at his leisure and decide exactly what is wrong. If he is doubtful a specialist can be called in for con- sultation. A diagnosis is decided on and perhaps treatment starts. A few weeks later another movie is made which will show what effect the treat- ment is having. When the patient is finally cured a movie will prove the fact, and the complete set of these movies will be of invaluable use to other doctors who may have a patient with a similar disease and who wishes to see just what the symptoms are and how they respond to that par- ticular type of treatment. It is in this way that a modified amateur movie camera has become the means of obtaining real "inside information" on matters pertaining to your health. Above: Everyone can see the smallest detail of this internal movie when pre iected; Right: No one could see very much in the old time "theatre" clinics. Twenty- seven Jf, '4\ . -- T|jSB i l'*"' DR. C. H. MAYO, FAMOUS SURGEON, FILMS HIS CONFRERES Photograph by Bel! & Howell More About Fades LAST month in these columns I wrote about the making of • fades by chemical means, using Farmer's reducer as a bleaching agent. It occurred to me recently that Burroughs and Welleome's Re- versing Compound would do the same work with better results. This substance is used to bleach negatives and I made up a solution according to formula, one tablet to an ounce of water. I dipped a piece of negative in this but it faded so quickly I could not control it. I next tried a half strength solution, and timed my negative un- til it was fully bleach- ed out. This bleaching required 120 seconds. As I wanted my fade- out on the screen to be 2% seconds, or 40 frames (16 mm. film I . I divided 120 by 40, thus indicating that the strop should be with- drawn from the bleach- er at the rate of one frame every three sec- onds. The last ten or twelve frames were ab- solutely clear, thus as- suring a complete fade- out. I then reversed the strip and repeated the process at the other end of the scene. W ash- ing the strip in running water until the yellow stain was removed com- pleted the job. The fades were per- fect when projected. — Don Bennett. Oils and Lights HE who aspires to the topmost rung of the ladder in the art of the cinema would profit greatly by the study of paintings bv the old masters. He would jlearn much about composition and more about light- ing. He should studv them, not with an eye to duplication, but to suggestion. He would learn to use his light as skillfully as the masters used their oil paints and his effects should be the stronger, because he has the added beauty of motion at his command. Titled by Ralph R. Eno V7/S Miniature of the Art Title Background on the facing page will suggest its possible treatment in your own titling. Screen Steadiness OXE of the officials of the Pathe News, \^ estern Branch, in a recent number of the Commercial Photographer, gives the following valuable facts that should be of great help to all amateur cinematograph- ers: "For a great many years in the early days of the movies, the buga- aboo was unsteadiness on the screen. By years of precision work and de- velopment of machinery, the pictures can now be said to be, "glued to the screen. ' Most certainly the unavoid- able wobble of a hand camera is a step back- ward except in those unusual instances where the situation de- mands that type of ma- chine. I have viewed thousands of feet of negative made by hand cameras and I would say that most of the re- jections would have been withheld in the hand camera had been rested upon a post rail- ing, window sill or any steady object. As a sug- gestion to all. both professionals and ama- teurs, a special light tripod is made for use with these instruments and should be used on every occasion possible. For straight amateur work the slight wooble of the hand-held cameras may not be (Continued on page 59) T w e n t y - n i n e t> j, -m Why all this FUSS about HOME MOVIES IT'S a fast age. We work harder, we work faster, we move faster. It is logical that we should play harder and faster to compensate. Competition keeps us humping more and more as time goes on. Business problems, but for good wholesome hobbies, can become busi- ness worries. And once the worry bug gets us we are next to lost. Liv- ing loses its tang. We don't want to worry, but we do want to be hap- py; therefore, we grope consciously — and sometimes unconsciously — for hobbies, for entertainments of lasting quality. We want, curiously enough, hobbies that offer us problems, be- cause we have become accustomed to problems in our business, and we want hobbies that give us a return commensurate with the effort ex- pended. When we are riding our pet hobby, how easy it is to forget all else! Here is perfect relaxation. We rest from what would become business worries, we keep our best foot for- ward and keep the stream of power smooth running and up to normal. America is the hobby center of the universe probably because we need hobbies more than other countries and because that need begets them. Since we have become the most rapid nation on earth we have had a series of great hobbies. Let us drop back for a perspective on the radio craze. It is to date the world's greatest hobby. Statisticians will take years to figure the number of suicides that this remarkable in- terest prevented. It kept thousands of people so busy that they couldn't take time to think of their troubles and they kept on living in spite of them. In preparation for radio the world, and America in particular, had gone science, mechanics and problem mad. National magazines and the manual training departments in our schools had been educating us, by the millions, so that we were all ready for radio. That popularized scientific educa- tion was an answer to the need of a generation that had speeded up al- most beyond conception in its living and working tempo. If all of our time was not taken up, we slowed down and the contrast between our working speed and our leisure was too great to be endured. So we had to have things to make us think. When the little think-cap is working, there is little time for worry. We craved problems, we were ideal sub- T hirty By P. F. Pfeil IN this hobby analysis, Mr. Pfeil, who is in close touch with amateur movies, predicts for home movie making the greatest vogue of any hobby in history. jects for problems; we wanted to face the necessity of doing something our- selves, of working something out. So it was natural that millions should gravitate to the radio hobby. Multitudes of mechanically pioneer- ing spirits have found happiness in radio from the "build-your-own" an- gle. This is evidenced by the enor- mous sale of radio parts, which is still active. Radio gave us the chance to study, to build, to change, to im- prove, to refine. Again, a glance backward and we see the Kodak hobby. It is easy to remember those days when the empty film cartons fairly littered our parks. Unless we remember incorrectly, this hobby was at its height when de- veloping trays, hypo, M. Q. tubes, printing frames and the like were sold by the carload. Here started the little kitchen and basement labora- tories, the sort of "roll your own" institutions that are the essence of any good hobby. The kind of hobby that pays dividends, of the one hun- dred per cent variety, in pleasure and happiness, is the hobby where we dig in and do things ourselves. Other retrospects would take us to the phonograph and, still earlier, to the piano. But these were entertain- ments and not real hobbies, because we could not tinker with them or build them ourselves; they were ready made for us. The motor car fits in between these two classes. The cross-word puzzle was pure problem hobby. American hobby-riders who were, for a while, on the hunt for some- thing new have, in the last year or so, made a new find. They have spotted another hobby that offers op- portunity for work and study, that will produce something of lasting and satisfying character and that presents problems, work, planning, disappointments — and triumph. Yes, Amateur Movies! Where does the dyed-in-the-wool hobbyist belong if not here? Especially is that true, now that negative and positive stocks are available and those kitchen and basement laboratories can again go into production. Amateur movies are on the threshold of the greatest hobby hall of all history. Thousands upon thousands of movie outfits have been sold and, as yet, only a few of the pioneering spirits are at movie- making seriously and only the sur- face has been scratched. To some ex- tent, the home laboratories are at work making titles, splicing and edit- ing, but imagine what will occur when the multitudes of old radio fans of the "roll your own" type gravitate to amateur movies and become the "reel your own" type. This class of fan will insist on doing the job from soup to nuts. To them, there will be the real fun. They are the kind that can stand failures because they crave up-hill battles of any kind. They want to feel like William the Con- queror when they succeed. Reversible film made the amateur movie possible in a big way because of the momentum this hobby gained through the certain and definite be- ginner's results that reversible film insured. But the pure hobby rider will want more, because he will want to do the whole works from loading the camera to projecting the picture. This, the positive and negative stocks give him. Negative and positive stocks will require new tools. Supply will quick- ly follow demand and many types of tanks, drums, printing machines, of the hand and cheap power kind, pre- pared chemicals and all of it will be available in every locality. All of these little trinkets, in quantity pro- duction, can be sold at surprisingly low prices, particularly in the more simple types. There will also be the home grown varieties and it would not be surprising to see single sproc- kets and other parts for sale so that home laboratories can build their own printers. It also follows that all the camera shops, which are now doing develop- ing and printing of the still kind, will equip themselves to serve the movie fans by developing negatives and printing positives in from four to eight hours, eliminating the impatient- waits to see results. All of this will help to carry the greatest of all hob- bies nearer to its destined goal of popularity. Another minor thing that will help amateur movies along will be the lower priced fifty and, possibly, twenty-five foot rolls of film for amateur outfits. Except for travel and photoplay work, the hundred (Continued on page 63) Photograph by Warren Boyer Jtt Stjrw iimpttatnttB The Possibilities of Suggesting Stereoscopic Effects in Motion Pictures Are Well Illustrated by This Photograph. AND SO ASHORE Being Portions of the Diary of Lucretia Amaryllis Jones-Hicks February -- April, 1928 Released for publication in AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS, December 1942 (Permission to print granted by K. L. Noone, Administratrix of Estate of Mrs. Jones-Hicks.) 'The man left me at the Ritz Feb. 6, 1928. Arrived in New York this morning. Boring's man met me at train as I had Bert wire them I should expect that service. (I heard Bert offering to bet this would be the first personally conducted cruise in history, but I ignored it.) The man left me at the Ritz, where Bert had reserved a room, but when I realized that they charged extra for meals I phoned the Boring man again to come immediately, as I preferred to stop at the Young Women's Chris- tian Association. As Hiram always said, because we struck oil on our farm in Oklahoma is no reason for us to set fire to it! After I settled down, I phoned the Boring office again to ask if they supplied a person to go shopping with me in New York and was surprised to learn they didn't! Very, very strange, I'd say! However, I was prepared for any- thing after I learned the splendid scenario I had entered for the contest had not won the prize. It should have, in all fairness. Everyone said it was a remarkable effort. I really had decided to cancel my reserva- tions, but Estelle, Bert's wife, pro- tested at once. Of course, as she said, they'd be lonely without me, but they felt such a prominent woman should be a member of the first cinematic cruise, especially since the West Key- port Hawk-Eye had published my picture when I entered my scenario. Thirty -two Mrs. Abbott said that was because I own half the town, but you know how some people are! Talked fur- ther with the Boring office and they finally sent up a young woman to shop with me. Decided, after we called at a few Fifth Avenue shops, that I didn't need anything. Feb. 7th. Nearly missed sailing as Boring didn't send a man to see me to boat. Had to telephone them again. Strange, very strange! Could not understand why captain did not meet me on arrival. Mr. Wells met me, however, and apologized for his absence. Mr. Wells seems very nice. Hope he's competent! Looks very young — not a day over 32 ! Bert made inquiries about him and says he's one of the best in the business, though, so I suppose it's all right. But I don't like his not having provided someone to unpack my baggage immediately. The things might get wrinkled. Everyone seems very enthusiastic about their quarters. Mine don't seem much. The brass bed certainly takes up a third of the room! Of course it's rather pretty, but one ex- pects that! Wore my green velvet with my rubies down to dinner. I had hard struggling to get Mrs. Rogers to do my dresses as they should be, but she would have been proud if she could have seen the attention I attracted. I sat at a small table alone, but decided I might as well be sociable. One needn't keep up acquaintances afterwards. So I shall tell Mr. Wells in the morning that I have decided to join a party which sat near me. The woman was dressed very simply, but one must make allowances. She's probably quite poor. Made inquiries and learn fam- ily are Honorable Mr. and Mrs. Regi- nald Hugh Cecil-Cecil of London with their son. Sorry they're English. Feb. 8th. Spoke to Mr. Wells about table. Hope he hasn't taken cold. Had very bad coughing spell and I took it he asked me to speak to steward. I did so, as he seemed to be ill. Steward had insolence not to accede at once so I took matters into my own hands, and the Cecil-Cecils breakfasted with me at their table. Afterward overheard their son telling them some person on board would be a scenario in herself and pleading with them not to spoil his fun. They promised to point her out to me. Mrs. Cecil-Cecil spoke very nicely after- ward. She had seemed embarrassed or something at breakfast, but I ex- plained one couldn't always be ex- clusive and tried to put her at her ease. They chose the cast yesterday for scenario to cover whole trip. I didn't join them. I don't believe they really read mine through. So much talk about the fun, however, I looked in on them this morning. Find that Mrs. Cecil-Cecil has the role of a grande dame. I suppose I should have given them a chance to select me, but she does fairly well. I can give her points at the table. I don't seem to see much of her anywhere else. Mr. Wells says anyone who 7 explained one couldnt always be exclusive and tried to put her at her ease1 'Everybody's shooting and excited over the play. So bored with it myself." •"*•»!■** wishes can film the scenes as they go along, so I brought my camera down and made suggestions to him that I think will help to save the picture from utter failure, if anything could help out that scenario! I might as well do what I can. Mrs. Cecil-Cecil says the author, who was an amateur when this scenario was written, has since had one accepted for John Gil- bert. I'm very sure it's nothing I'd want to see! Everybody's shooting and excited over the play. So bored with it myself, decided go on deck and read. Mrs. Abbott sent me a copy of "The Circus Parade" with a note that she knew I'd be one who could appreciate it. Very nice of her, I thought. Mr. Brainerd, a steel man from Pennsylvania, who has the chair beside me, looked so peculiar when I threw it with all my strength overboard, after an hour or so, that I had to tell him about it, and I can say that I added a few words about Mrs. Abbott. He agreed right away that it was a whale of a book, which I thought a queer expression to use, but I guess he means all right. He said he'd get me a copy of D'Annun- zio's "The Flame of Youth," as I'd like it immensely. I asked him who D'Annunzio was and he said he was an Italian patriot. Mr. Brainerd has very nice eyes. They twinkle so de- lightfully. He brought up the book later. Sea continues balmy. Feb. 10th. III. Neglected my diary yesterday! Sea not so balmy. Feb. 11th. Very ill. Sea distinctly not balmy. Feb. 12th. 111. Everyone but me seems enjoying life on board, and I hear the picture is making headway. Mrs. Cecil-Cecil came to see me at last and says it's lovely, but one could not judge much by her opinion. Sea is not balmy. P. S. I shall not speak to that Mr. Brainerd again during the entire voy- age. Mr. Wells will have to change my chair. Feb. 18th. Wanted them to land at Tangiers for scene which I think should be put in play. Mr. Wells says surely would improve play, but ship could not stop there. Very, very strange ! March 5th. Have not written in diary for days. Too occupied trying save play from ruin! March 19th. Landed at Naples yesterday. Mr. Wells took us to out of way spot today and happened on village wedding. Whole place en fete. He made arrangements party film wedding. Everybody did. I will have to put up with one of their dupes. It's too unfortunate. I had the whole thing studied out and it would have been perfect if I hadn't been so excited I forgot to press the button. Party did some filming on scenario. Am sure it was all wrong, because Mr. Wells wouldn't follow my advice on anything. March 20th. Went to Capri and we did more filming on scenario. Hero proposes amid such romantic sur- roundings. Made me think of night Hiram proposed to me, out in Okla- homa. It would have been more ro- mantic than this if Hiram hadn't been taken suddenly with one of his at- tacks of hay fever. He'd never have gone through with it but for my en- couragement. There certainly are times when a man needs womanly help! March 24th. They're all going to Monte Carlo today. It just isn't seem- ly that any party should go to Monte Carlo and the Holy Land on the same cruise. So I shall stay on board. I have my principles. Perhaps next year I might come over and do these places, and it certainly would be in- teresting to act in a scenario that would fit Monte Carlo. Just now I'm all keyed up religiously, and I even kept thoughts of Mrs. Abbott out of my mind until we got safely out of Jerusalem! April 2nd. On the way home. Pic- ture progressing so well, in spite of scenario, may amount to something after all. Forgot to say for quite a while, sea balmy. (Continued on page 54) Thirty-three PRECIOUS Moments Intimate Scenes from the THE mothers and fathers of this cine-gen- eration are indeed living in a magic age, for they can keep their little ones with them always. They may grow up and journey far away, but their living counterparts remain at home in those little rolls of amateur film, ever ready to relive again the springtime of their youth. Thirty-four From STILL MORE PRECIOUS FILMS Film Life of Rebecca Boyer THESE illustrations from such a cine- biography proi),e beyond the power of words the charm of motion picture family records. They were taken by Warren Boyer for Mr. and Mrs. Ralph L. Boyer of West- port, Connecticut. Thirty-five CRITICAL FOCUSING Reviews to Aid the Amateur The Forbidden Woman Pathe Exchange, Inc. Director Paul L. Stein Photographed by David Abel Silver Cloth: The cinematic pos- sibilities of cloth of silver are re- vealed in this picture by scenes in which the leading woman is gowned in this shimmering material. Cine- matically thrilling photography re- sults. If used with restraint the photographic quality of this material, either in costumes or settings, offers opportunity for new beauty. Costume Taste: The importance of becoming costumes is unusually well illustrated by the leading wom- an, who, in this reviewer's opinion, ran the gamut from exquisite beauty to very nearly the ridiculous in gowning, due to the uneveness of the taste with which her costumes had been selected. And many and weird were the variations in the dressing of her hair, from the most becoming of coiffures to tonsorial oddities. Variety in costuming is not so much to be desired as attainment of per- fection in delineation of the required type. By analysis of this sort the amateur may learn from the profes- sionals errors, as well as from his successes. AERIAL CINEMATICS From The Magic Flame Photograph by United Artists Pajamas Fox Film Corporation Director J. G. Blystone Photographed by. Glen MacWilliams Scenic Backgrounds: Marvelous beauty in scenic backgrounds for a photoplay is attained in this film which is enacted against the majestic curtain of the Canadian Rockies. Studio sets and artificial devices seem meaningless, indeed, in con- trast with this magnificent display of natural beauty. And, since the ama- teur has far easier access to the great outdoors, than to artificial back- grounds, the striking factor revealed is a distinct advantage in this respect for the amateur with his mobile equipment. Scenario: This picture might be considered a scenic with a plot. In this regard it is suggestive to the amateur in pointing out how interest can be added to scenics and travel pictures by the inclusion of a story. the touch of realism Reality is given to the painted backdrop by means of the model roof in the foreground, as used in Rose oj the Golden West. Uncle Tom's Cabin Universal Pictures Corp'n Director Harry Pollard Photographed by. . j Charles Stumar (Jacob Kull Underlying Motifs: A possibil- ity, which was not developed, was suggested by this picture, and it may interest amateurs to experiment with this idea. The cinema has inherent possibilities for developing to its maximum effectiveness the device, il- lustrated by the use of the chorus in Greek drama, to attain unity and to emphasize the underlying theme. Producers have occasionally hinted at the possibilities of this treatment. For example the gossiping neighbors in "A Woman of the World," with their chairs incessantly rocking, were shown from time to time, cleverly keeping to the fore the atmosphere of the small town where the action occurs. In "White Gold" the idea was developed in stressing the mono- tony of the sheep ranch. The mono- tonous swinging of a lamp, the ryth- mic clicking of chips and, again, the rocking of a chair, all served as ex- pressions of the theme. Now, the second part of Uncle Toms' Cabin is closely bound up Photograph by First Rational T ' h i r t y - s i x with river life on the Mississippi. There are a few short closeups of the paddle wheels of a river boat, most interesting cinematically. This might have been used as a theme, and repeated sufficiently to establish the river motif definitely, but it was not done, and a powerful opportu- r~_ nity was undeveloped. Or going a little further afield, it is obvious that in this story of slavery the whip j could be used as a recurring motif. There are many illustrations of I this plan in music, which help to ' throw an interesting sidelight on its I possible treatment in filming. Be- cause of the extreme delicacy of the reactions of the eye, which, except in very unusual cases, is more discern- ing of detail than the ear, it is plain that greater care must be taken in developing visual themes than is re- ! In discovering the maximum cine- matic value in these subjects, the im- portance of the closeup cannot be too strongly emphasized. Unusual camera angles also play an import- ant part. casts. The reproduction of the sing- er's voice and the synchronization with the action are remarkable re- sults of laboratory research and tech- nical skill. The future holds definite promise of a synchronization device Photograph by Metro Goldwyn Mayer HOW PROFESSIONALS DO IT Above, The Camera on Wheels Moves with the Marching Men; Left, A Row Boat Closeup; Below, The Method of Filming the Driver of a Racing Car quired for auditory themes. This in- dicates the necessity for subtlety in working along these lines. Amateurs to whom this genera thought appeals may find that in working it out they have contributed an important forward step towards the fullest cinematic expression. Dress Parade Pathe Exchange, Inc. Director Donald Crisp Photographed by ... . Peveral Morley Service Cinematics: This picture again illustrates the definite cinema- tic possibilities of masses of march- ing men. Whether the wheeling troops be of the Army, Navy or Marine Corps of this or any other nation, or the swinging lines of fraternal orders or other trained groups, their mass movements invite interpretation through a cine camera. The Jazz Singer Warner Brothers Picture Co., Inc. Directed by Alan Crosland Photographed by Hal Mohr The Vitaphone. By the use of the Vitaphone in the body of this photoplay another milestone has been passed on the road to the future. The amateur's chief interest in the Jazz Singer will be in the extension of the use of talking movies which it fore- Photograph by Paramount that will be available to amateurs. Experiments on this device are well past the stage of uncertainty and marketing awaits the perfection of distribution methods. Amateur cine- matography will before long widen to embrace the musicians of the fam- ily and the community and two arts will be linked in amateur experiment. Thirty-seven DeVry PROJECTOR & SCREEN Complete The DeVry Quick-Set screen is a mar- vel of compact simplicity. One quick motion and the screen is set. Available in two screen surfaces (Lumi day and Beaded) made in three sizes. Prices, #15.00 and up. Write for folder. Show These World -Famous Movies in Your Own Home Tonight Pathegrams, the famous film collection for home movie lovers, are now distributed by the DeVry Corporation through DeVry dealers everywhere. Photoplays, comedies, news reels, travelogues, sportlights, cartoons — your choice of a long list of titles; in- cluding such famous stars as Will Rogers, Douglas Maclean, Harold Lloyd, Mabel Normand, Harry Carey, Jacqueline Logan, Our Gang and others are available in one, two and three reel lengths at remarkably low prices. Scarcely announce made it k to perfeci country c simplest, of all 16 : The net is more Threading tionally q Your own ries are sh projected rewind ai control — and a hos the DeVr D E Thirty-eight r ow ou Can Enjoy the Best [ in Home Movies At New Low Cost v DeVry Projector and Screen set a new standard n home movie projection te new DeVry 16 mm. Projector been re the praise of the movie-wise world that here at last was the logical solution e movies. Amateur movie lovers the ere quick to acclaim the new DeVry, lependable, most professional in results rejectors, at this new low cost. Vry Projector has fewer working parts, :t, lighter in weight than any other, ires but a moment — operation is excep- ure, dependable. Professional Results ;s or movies from the world's film libra- rilliant, flickerless when he DeVry. The rapid mer, adjustable speed >ecial F250 mm. lens ther features found in •antee a definite stand- ard of quality and value in Home Movie Projection. And now with the patented Quick-Set screen DeVry offers the ideal combination for motion pictures in the home — -at unbelievably low cost. See Your Nearest De Vry Dealer Go to your nearest camera store. Ask to see the new DeVry demonstrated. Compare its results, its features, its performance, with other 16 mm. projectors. Then you will know just why the DeVry represents the greatest value in home movie history. If your dealer cannot supply you, address the DeVry Corporation, Dept 12 -MM, 1111 Center Street, Chicago, for complete particulars. DeVry HOME MOVIE EQUIPMENT For those who wish to take perfect movies on professional theatre size film, the DeVry standard automatic movie camera is unrivaled. Introduced but little more than a year ago, the DeVry today is the most popular, fastest selling standard film camera in the world. Write for brochure, "Just Why the DeVry Takes Better Movies." CORPORATION CHICAGO ILL Thirty-nine You Can Enjoy the Best in Home Movies At New Low Cost DeVry Projector and Screen set a new standard of valurm home movie projection Scarcely had :he new DeVry 16 mm. Projector been announced bi fore the praise of the movie-wise world made it knov 1 that here at last was the logical solution to perfect hS £ EHD.5. Vi /?£<4u EST Clev AMATEUR EXPLOITATION Announcements Were Devised For a Recent Amateur Showing by W. T. McCarthy of Brooklyn, N. Y. a real convenience to busy men and women. Headquarters welcomes such action and we hope that you will Roy W. Winton, Managing Director. Movies at Camp LAST summer, in a boy's camp at Schroon Lake, in New York State, three of the boys who had amateur movie cameras shot the va- rious activities of camp life under the direction of Eugene Moses, camp director. It was customary for them to have a dramatic show once a week, and the activities filmed each week furnished a most delightful and in- teresting prelude to the stage show. So successfully did this work out- Photograph by Eastman Koda\ Co. that for the coming summer amateur movie equipment is to be made part of the camp outfit. Library films are to be rented for exhibition in addi- tion to the films made by the boys themselves. There could be nothing finer for a rainy evening in camp than a good movie show, particularly when members of the audience are in the casts of the pictures. Memorial A GREAT tribute to the power for good of the amateur movie cam- era was recorded re- cently in the little town of Newport Beach, California. A mother, in memory of two de- ceased sons, gave a complete movie outfit to League member W. H. Stockton, pastor of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, to be used -^*^_ in connection with his work for the young people under his care. He promises to the readers of Amateur Movie Makers in the near future the story of this movie outfit, and what he has been able to do with it while work- ing in the far reaches of the Great Western Desert. m§s Production Tip MY best pictures were my least expensive pictures." So spoke D. W. Griffith, famous director of many fine professional films. Let ambitious amateurs ponder over D. W.'s statement. Whether you are in- terested in group production, indi- vidual effort, or any other type of work with the movie camera, don't become disgruntled because you can't spend half your year's income on a picture. The secret of a successful picture lies not in "how much," but in "what thought, imagination, and ingenuity." (Continued on page 58) Forty-five Visit Us at Your Own Dealer A mateur Movie Makers is published in New York City as a matter of business convenience. Our headquarters, over •*• *- the whole world, are located in the stores of our dealers. In those stores you will find someone to tell you about Amateur Movie Makers and to make Amateur Movie Makers available to you by the month or by the year. YOUR DEALER is your real contact with us as well as with every other worth while thing in our new sport of movie making. Let him show you his new offerings which you will read about in these pages. He is your friend and ours and we recommend you to each other. Abercrombie ii Fitch, 45th St. and Madison, New York City J. F. Adams, 459 Washington Street, Buffalo, N. Y. A. S. Aloe Co., 513 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo. The American News Co., and its Subsidiaries, 131 Varick Street, New York, N. Y. American Photo Supply Co., S. A., Av. F. 1, Madero 40, Mexico D.F. Anderson Supply Co., Ill Cherry St., Seattle, Wash. Army H Navy Co'Operative Society, Ltd., 41 Chowringhee, Calcutta, India Reid S. Baker, Inc., 1322 F St., N. W., Washington, D. C. E. S. Baldwin, 32 Maiden Lane, Albany, N. Y. L. Bamberger ii Co., Market St., Newark, N. J. B. ii G. Shop, 1104 Main St., Lexington, Mo. Bass Camera Co., 179 West Madison St., Chicago, 111. Beckquist Photo Supply House, 885 First St., Muskegon, Mich. A. L. Bollinger Drug Co., Frankfort and Stilz, Louisville, Ky. Z. T. Briggs Photo Supply Co., 916 Grand Ave., Kansas City, Mo. H. W. Brown ii Co., 87 Wisconsin St., Milwaukee, Wis. Bueschers, 10602 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio Butler's, Inc., 415 Market St., Wilmington, Del. Buffalo Photo Material Co., 37 Niagara St., Buffalo, N. Y. E. S. Burtis, Stamford-in-the-Catskills, N. Y. Camera Exchange, 7 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, Georgia. Central Camera Co., 112 So. Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Cinema Supplv Co., Inc., 804 Eleventh St., Washington, D. C. City Camera Co., 110 West 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Clark Cine-Service, 2540 Park Ave., Detroit, Mich. Aimer Coe ii Co., 105 No. Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Aimer Coe ii Co., 18 So. La Salle St., Chicago, 111. Aimer Coe ii Co., 78 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, 111. Abe Cohen's Exchange, 113 Park Row, New York City Columbia Photo Supply Co., 1424 N. Y. Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C. Columbus Photo Supply, 52 E. Gay St., Columbus, Ohio Co'Operative Photo Supply Co., Inc., 381-383 Minnesota St., St. Paul, Minn. William C. Cullen, 12 Maiden Lane ,New York City Curtis Art Co., 25 West Main St., Waterbury, Conn. Dayton Camera Shop, 1 Third St. Arcade, Dayton, Ohio. Detroit Camera Shop, 424 Grand River W., Detroit, Mich. Devoe ii Raynolds Co., Inc., 34 E. 42nd St., New York, N. Y. H. F. Dunn Motion Picture Co., 366 Sigourney St., Hartford, Conn. Geo. C. Dury ii Co., Nashville, Tenn. Eastern Motion Picture Co., 2114 Sansom St., Philadelphia, Pa. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 183 Peachtree St., Atlanta, Ga. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 223 Park Ave., Baltimore, Md. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 38 Bromfield St., Boston, Mass. Eastman Kodak Stores Co., 13 3 North Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 1128 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 318 Brady St., Davenport Iowa Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 626 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 1235 Washington Blvd., Detroit, Mich. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 808 Locust St., Des Moines, Iowa Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 643 So. Hill St., Los Angeles, Calif. Eastman Kodak Store6, Inc., 427 Milwaukee St., Milwaukee, Wis. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 112 South Fifth St., Minneapolis, Minn. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 213 Baronne St., New Orleans, La. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., Madison at 45th St., New York City Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 419 So. Sixteenth St., Omaha, Neb. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 1020 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 606 Wood St., Pittsburgh, Pa. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 345 Washington St., Portland, Ore. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 545 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 1415 Fourth Ave., Seattle, Wash. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 607 Fourteenth St., N. W., Washington, D. C. Eastman Kodak Stores, Ltd., 610 Granville St., Vancouver, B. C. B. K. Elliott Co., 126 Sixth St., Pittsburgh, Pa. Erker Bros., 608 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo. Farre ii Serra S. en C, P. O. Box 166, Santiago, Cuba Jos. C. Ferguson, Jr., 1804 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Film y Slide Co. of Canada, Ltd., 104 Drummond Bldg., Montreal, Que., Can. Film ii Slide Co. of Canada, Ltd., 156 King St., W., Toronto, Can. Ford Optical Co., 1029 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Fowler ii Slater Co., 806 Huron Rd., Cleveland, Ohio Fowler is Slater Co., 347 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, O. Fowler ii Slater Co., Union Trust Bldg., Cleveland, O. Fowler ii Slater Co., 156 Larned St., W., Detroit, Mich. Fowler ii Slater Co., 7 Wick Ave., Youngstown, 0. Fox Company, 209 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas Franklin Printing ii Engraving Co., 226 Huron St., Toledo, Ohio. Frasher's, Inc., 158 E. 2nd St., Pomona, Cal. Francis A. Frawley, 178 Cedar St., Bangor, Maine J. C. Freeman ii Co., 376 Main St., Worcester, Mass. Fritz ii Hawley, Inc., 816 Chapel St., New Haven, Conn. S. Galeski Optical Co., 209 Granby St., Norfolk, Virginia Gall & Lembke, Inc., 7 East 48th St., New York, N. Y. W. D. Gatchel y Sons, 431 Walnut St. W., Louisville, Ky. Gift and Art Shop, 115 W. Bridge St., Owatonna, Minn. Gillette Camera Store, 117 Park Ave., New York City Gloeckner 6? Newby Co., 9 Church St., New York, N. Y. Griffin ii Howe, 234 East 39th St., New York, N. Y. Gross Photo Supply Co., 325 Superior St., Toledo, Ohio . Haines y Essick Co., 122-128 E. William St., Decatur, 111. Haanstad's Camera Shop, 404 Sixteenth St., Denver, Colo. Edwin A. Hahn, 111 Columbia St., Utica, N. Y. Hanley Photo y Radio Shop, 116 East 10th St., Kansas City, Mo. Hardy's Drug Store, 110 N. Spadra, Fullerton, Cal. Ralph Harris y Co., 30 Bromfield St., Boston, Mass. Ray Hart, 8-10 East 4th St., Sterling, 111. Hattstrom y Sanders, 702 Church St., Evanston, 111. Harvey y Lewis Co., 865 Main St., Hartford, Conn. Harvey y Lewis Co., 849 Chapel St., New Haven, Conn. Harvey y Lewis Co., 1503 Main St., Springfield, Mass. Wallace Heaton, Ltd., 119 New Bond St., London, W.I., England Herbert y Huesgen Co., 18 East 42nd St., New York City Hirsch y Kaye, 239 Grant Ave., San Francisco, Cal. Honolulu Photo Supply Co., P. O. Box 2999, Honolulu, T. H. Huber Art Co., 124 Seventh St., W., Cincinnati, Ohio J. L. Hudson Co., Department 290, Detroit, Mich. Hyatt's Supply Co., 417 North Broadway, St. Louis, Mo. Illinois Camera Shop, Weinberg Arcade, 34 S.Prairie St., Galesburg, 111. Iver Johnson Sporting Gds. Co., 155 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Alexander Kagen, 641 Penn St., Reading, Pa. Kelly y Green, 116 W. 11th St., Erie, Pa. Kodak Aktieselskab, Vodroffsvej 26, Copenhagen, Denmark Kodak (Australasia) Pty., Ltd., 379 George St., Sydney, N. S. W., Australia Leavitt Cine Picture Co., 3150 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Cal. Leavitt Cine Picture Co., 564 Market St., San Francisco, Calif. H. Lieber Co., 24 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, Ind. Linn Camera Shop, 109 S. Washington Ave., Lansing, Mich. Lynn's Photo Shop, 15 55 Monroe St., Corvallis, Ore. Andrew J. Lloyd Co., 300 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Lowe y Farley, Newsstand, Times Bldg., New York, N. Y. Lugene, Inc., 600 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. Harold E. Lutes, 958 Fifth St., San Diego, Cal. Lyon y Healy, Wabash Ave. at Jackson Blvd., Chicago, 111. Wm. Mcintosh (Sheffield) Ltd., Change Alley, Sheffield, England. Marks ii Fuller Co., 36 East Ave., Rochester, N. Y. E. G. Marlow Co., 1807 Main St., Dallas, Texas Memphis Photo Supply Co., Memphis, Tenn. Metropolitan Motion Picture Co., Film Exchange Bldg., Detroit, Mich. E. B. Meyrowitz, 1516 Washington Blvd., Detroit, Mich. E. B. Meyrowitz, Inc., 358 St. Peter St., St. Paul, Minn. E. B. Meyrowitz, Ltd., 1A Old Bond St., Cor. of Picadilly. Lon- don, W. I., England. E. B. Meyrowitz, 520 Fifth Ave., New York City Miami Photo Supply Co., 242 N. Bayshore Drive, Miami, Fla. Morse's Photo Service, Rhodesbilt Arcade, Lake Wales, Fla. Mortimer's, 300 Park Ave., Plainfield, N. J. George Murphy, Inc., 57 East 9th St., New York, N. Y. New York Camera Exchange, 109 Fulton St., New York, N. Y. B. B. Nichols, Inc., 731 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif. J. Osawa y Co., Ltd., Sanjo Kobashi, Kyoto, Japan Parrish y Read, Inc., 308 Market St., Camden, N. J. Pathescope Co., 260 Tremont St., Boston, Mass. Photoart House, 212 State St., Madison, Wis. Photoart House of Milwaukee, 220 Wells St., Milwaukee, Wis. Pickup y Brown, 41 East 41st St., New York, N. Y. Pinkham ii Smith Co., 15 Bromfield St., Boston 9, Mass. C. F. Ray, 296 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y. Red Cross Pharmacy, 51 E. Flagler St., Miami, Fla. Rugen Typewriter ii Kodak Shop, 295 Thames St., Newport, R. I. Schoenig ii Co., Inc., 8 East 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Schwabacher-Frey Stationery Co., 735 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. J. H. Seamans, 7052 Jeffery Ave., Chicago, 111. Shain's Drugs, 119 W. Maple Ave., Birmingham, Mich. Shaw Supply Co., Tacoma, Washington Sheffield Photo Co., 6 Norfolk Row (Fargate), Sheffield, York's, England. Smith y Butterfield Co., 310 Main St., Evansville, Indiana Starkweather ii Williams, Inc., 47 Exchange Place, Providence, R. I. E. W. Stewart ii Co., 939 Commerce St., Tacoma, Wash. Tampa Photo ii Art Supply Co., 709-11 Twiggs St., Tampa, Fla. Twelfth Street Garage, 81— 12th St., Wheeling, W. Va. F. W. Twogood, 700 Main St., Riverside, Cal. Wm. F. Uhlman, 716 Francis St., St. Joseph, Mo. United Camera Stores, Inc., 14611 E. Jefferson, Detroit, Mich. United Projector ii Film Corp., 228 Franklin St., Buffalo, N. Y. Visual Education Equipment Co., 208 Wright Bldg., Sioux City, Iowa H. F. Waterman, 63 Park Row, New York, N. Y. Watry ii Heidkamp, 17 W. Randolph St., Chicago, III. Webbs Photo Supply Store, 94 So. First St., San Jose, Cal. L. B. Wheaton, 368 Main St., Worcester, Mass. Williams, Brown ii Earle, Inc., 918 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Willoughby Camera Stores, Inc., 110 West 32nd St., New York, N.Y. Winstead Bros., Inc., 244 Pine, Long Beach, Cal. Zimmerman Bros., 3 30 West Superior St., Duluth, Minn. Zimmerman Bros., 380 Minnesota St., St. Paul, Minn. AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS, i°E5wwyE§lf &S $3.00 a Year (Canada $3.25, Foreign $3.50) 25 Gents a Copy (Canada and Foreign 30 Cents) Amateur Movie Makers extends to all our dealers a very hearty HOLIDA Y GREETING Forty-six NEWS of the INDUSTRY for AMATEURS and DEALERS New Kodascope A PROJECTOR that threads it- self, runs the film backwards at the twist of a lever, projects stills from movie frames at the twist of another, rewinds the film by motor at twelve times speed, and then folds up into a space lO^ inches by 9 by 7%, is being put on the market by the Eastman Kodak Company. The new machine is the Kodascope Model B. The illumination is from a 200-watt bulb reflected by a mirror through condensing lenses. It will throw a picture 39 by 52 inches in size from a point 23 feet away with its standard two-inch lens; and it is possible to obtain the Kodascope B with a one-inch lens to throw a pic- ture of that size at ll1/^ feet. The projection is begun simply by starting the motor and inserting the end of the film into a slot. Two circ- ular arms guide it into the gate and around to the take-up reel. When it reaches there a turn of a lever re- moves the arms so that the film may form its proper loops. Two other arms extending around the core of the take-up reel cause the beginning of the film to bind itself and take hold of the reel : then the arms spring open automatically. Thus the task of threading every film of an eve- ning's entertainment is eliminated. The mechanism is entirely enclosed. Focusing is accomplished by the slight movement of a lever that ro- tates around the barrel of the lens. Elevating the picture on the screen is the result of a partial turn of an- other lever. An additional novelty of the new projector is that when the framing lever is used the elevat- ing lever does not have to be used to readjust the level of the picture on the screen. The picture remains at its fixed level automatically despite changes in framing. When the still-picture lever arrests THE LATEST KODASCOPE THE Technical Department of Amateur Movie Makers, wish- ing to cooperate with manufacturers introducing new products to the ama- teur field, is now equipped to co- operate with them by testing and ex- perimenting with material new to the market. Results of these tests will be published from time to time in this department. Address all inquiries to the Technical Department, Amateur Movie Makers, 105 W. 4(M Street, New York, N. Y. the motion on the screen to a single view, a gold-leaf screen which is only 1/50,000 of an inch thick is swung into position between the light and the film. This holds back the heat but lets the light go through, and thus permits the picture to show but pro- tects the film from blistering, which would be the case if it were held stationary without protection from the concentrated rays of a 200-watt lamp. Of course amateur standard saftey film is non-inflammable, but a strong concentrated light will blister it. When the Kodascope B is folded after a performance the upper reel arm fits into the body of the machine to form a carrying handle. The ma- chine is very light in weight despite its elaborate mechanism. DeVry 16 mm. Camera FOLLOWING closely on their re- cently introduced 16 mm. pro- jector, the DeVry Corporation an- nounces the early appearance of their new 16 mm. camera. Its specifica- tions, here published for the first time, include: Construction — Metal throughout, finished in imitation leather grain; Size — 21/2x51/2x71/2 inches; Weight — 4 pounds; Capacity — 100 lineal, 250 equivalent feet of 16 mm. film; Finder — Two supplied-Telescopic spy-glass and direct vision types; Lens — Any from 20 mm. to 6 inch focus, from F 1.5 down in speed. 25 mm. F 3.5 standard; Shutter — Ro- tary disc, 180 degree opening; Inter- mittent— Cam and shuttle special; TELLING NEW YORK ABOUT SHOW-AT-HOME MOVIE LIBRARY A Unique Window Display Devised by Willoughbys Forty-seven Complete Photoplays in 16 mm. size RENTED from your photographic dealer Amuse the family with "Felix"- the children's favorite From Home Film Library distributors you can rent new, wholesome pictures — excellently reproduced and adapted espe- cially for the entertainment of children. The reels average over 300 feet in length and only a modest rental fee is charged. Your own dealer has or will have shortly a complete library of a variety of Home Film Library subjects — comedies, animated cartoons, Westerns, animal dramas — all of them good clean pic- tures and as entertaining as the big downtown shows. For in- stance, Pat Sullivan's "Felix" series — best known and cleverest of animated cartoons — are Home Film releases. It may be that your photographic dealer is already a dis- tributor. At the time that Amateur Movie Makers goes to press, the following leading dealers have been established with exclusive franchises. See them or write us direct for a complete 'new catalogue. PROVIDENCE BOSTON PHILADELPHIA Stark Weather & Williams, Inc. Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Williams, Brown & Earle, Inc. NEW HAVEN-BRIDGEPORT SPRINGFIELD- WORCESTER The Harvey & Lewis Company The Harvey & Lewis Company PLAINFIELD Mortimer's NEWARK Schaeffer & Company 103 Halsey St. BROOKLYN Fred'k Loeser & Co. NEW YORK CITY Wm. C. Cullen 12 Maiden Lane REPUBLIC OF MEXICO American Photo Supply Co., S.A. Mexico, D. F. LOS ANGELES BUFFALO Leavitt Cine Picture Co. Buffalo Photo Material Co. WATERBURY Curtis Art Company NEW YORK CITY Gillette Camera Stores, Inc. Park Avenue at 41st WESTERN CANADA Regina Films, Limited Regina, Sask. SAN FRANCISCO Leavitt Cine Picture Co. Home Film Libraries INC. 100 EAST 42nd STREET NEW YORK CITY Take-Up — Positive, inside; Meter — Registers exposed film footage; Focus — By micrometer focusing mount; Motor — DeVry double spring, counterbalanced type for driving camera at all three speeds without any vibration; Operation — Automatic, spring drive at half nor- mal— normal and super-speed. Cine Art Library CINE Art Productions announces this month that all their films are produced exclusively for home library use, rather than adapted to it. Their future productions will be made on this same basis. Forty-eight Joins Faculty THE New York Institute of Photography, following its policy of securing recognized experts as members of its staff, recently ar- ranged for the services of Mr. Karl A. Barleben, Jr. Mr. Barleben has charge of instruction in motion pic- ture photography in the resident school of the Institute. He is well known throughout the country as the Cine-editor of "Amer- ican Photography," is a member of the Society of Motion Picture Engin- eers and is recognized as an author- ity on both the taking and projection of motion pictures. Reel of the Month EACH month the finest news pic- tures of current world events chosen from all sources by a selection board are now available to all ama- teur movie fans who join the Reel of the Month Club, a 16mm. news- reel membership system, conceived by William J. Ganz, originator of the unique "Highlites From the News," and through whose ef- forts the films depicting the mem- orable trans-Atlantic flight of Col. Charles Lindbergh were first made available to users of amateur projec- tion machines. This is a plan which will undoubtedly appeal to many amateurs, offering as it does a select- ive service on the part of experts, which the individual could not other- wise secure. Film Coupons A CONVENIENT coupon system for the rental of Show-at-Home Library films is now at the disposal of library film fans, through Charles Willoughby, Inc., New York, N. Y. The coupons are issued in book form, in four series, A, B, C and D. The smallest consists of five coupons and entitles the holder to rent Show- at-Home films to the amount of $17.50. The other books are of 10, 26, and 52 coupons costing $30.00, $65.00 and $104.00 respectively. All coupons are valid for one year from date of purchase. A period of 24 hours constitutes one rental, with the exception of a week-end from Satur- day to Monday, which is considered the same. "The Covered Wagon* THE COVERED WAGON" is to be available for home movies beginning with the 15th of December. The film has been procured by the Kodascope Libraries, to be rented to owners of 16 mm. projectors. "The Covered Wagon" is by far the most elaborate production yet to be reduced to amateur standard film for home movie screens. Its story has become known even to a multitude of Americans who have not seen the great photoplay — the life of the wagon train on the long, long trail to Oregon in '48; the quarrel be- tween the two outstanding young men of the train and their rivalry for the hand of the heroine; the heroism and vindication of the one she loves the more; Indian attacks; prairie fires; the fording of rivers; the great buf- falo hunt; the trackless wastes of the Old West; and, finally, the wealth of characters who will never live again except in "The Covered Wagon." Projection Aid ABLLB that can be attached to the Filmo projector in a few minutes time, enabling the amateur to change reels with plenty of light and causing no annoyance to the audience, is a clever new device of- fered to amateurs by ^ illiams, Brown and Earle, Philadelphia, Pa. The light has a pull chain switch and can be packed away with the projector without detaching. Land of Sunshine SELLING a state on the basis of the possibilities it holds for the amateur movie maker for beautiful cinematic compositions and rare op- portunities for filming is a recent ac- tivity of amateur movie fan, Fred N. Burt, of De Leon Springs, Florida. Mr. Burt invites all amateur cine- matographers to write to him con- cerning the cinematic possibilities of his native state. New Film Humidor A CASE designed for the express purpose of preserving and storing 16 mm. films is offered by the United Projector and Film Corporation. Buffalo. N. Y. This case has a special humidor arrangement in the cover which per- mits moistening and helps to pre- serve the film. It also affords a most convenient way to store and index films, as it is divided into compart- ments and the compartments are numbered, making indexing a very simple matter. The case is substan- tially built, is equipped with a strong handle and has a lock and key for safety. It comes in three sizes to ac- commodate 8, 16 and 24 reels. Your film should always be kept in a cool, damp place when not be- ing used in the projector. It is a fact that heat and a dry atmosphere destroy the pliability of the celluloid base of the film rendering it brittle and weakening it. A Humidor Case is a very desir- able piece of equipment for the ama- teur projectionist who has regard for his film and the film entrusted to his care. Wohl Cameralite ANEW blue-white twin arc light, known as the "Cameralite", has been placed on the market by the M. J. Wohl & Company, Inc., of Long Island City, New \ork. In appearance the light is about the same shape and size of a large Kodak. It operates from either A. C. or D. C. at 1000 watts and draws about ten amperes of current. Its accompany- ing accessories such as a 15-foot lamp cord, table stand, handle and carbons are nicely tucked away in the case itself. It can be set up and lighted in two minutes. It can be held in the hand, or used on a special tripod which is supplied with it. With this light, one can take indoor scenes covering 30 square feet, and get full exposure at 16 pictures per second. Film Cement A FILM cement, made especiallv for non-flam film, is offered to amateurs this month by the Cinema Products Company, Buffalo, New \ ork. The cement is used the same as others now in use. with the possible exception that holding the brush to the film a bit longer seems to make a stronger splice. EXCLUSIVELY SIXTEEN One of the three beautiful showrooms of the Leavitt Cine Picture Company of Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco Cullen's Special Filtno Camera Cases Regular Case Made of heavy sole leather with plush lining. Compartments for 4 100 ft. Cine films, telephoto lens, fast lens, color filters, finders, etc. Very little larger than the regular Filmo case but a hundred times more convenient. BLACK $20 TAN $25 New Duplex Case Made especially to carry the Filmo camera with Duplex Finder attached. Identically the same as our other case with slight additional space for added accessories. BLACK §20 TAN §25 Allowance made on both for old case. New Triax Tripod New eye level model especially de- signed for amateur motion picture work. Open 56". Closed 16". Wt less than 2 lbs. Price §7.50 Rental Service! As the exclusive downtown agency of the Home Film Libraries, Inc. we can now rent you cartoons, comedies, and dramas (complete pictures). No red tape; no de- posit required. CHARGE IS $.75 PER REEL! Drop in and get acquainted! C U LL EN 12 Maiden Lane New York City We have the most complete line of amateur movie appa- ratus in the financial district. Forty -nine Burton Holmes' FILM REELS of TRAVEL Edited and Titled by BURTON HOLMES 100 foot rolls for your 16mm. Projector 20 NEW RELEASES $7.50 Per Roll Surfing at Waikiki. Kauai, Hawaii's Garden Island. Hawaiian Shores. "Great Waters" of Versailles. Nine Glories of Paris. Paris From a Motor Car. Cafe Life in Paris. Parisian Markets. A Trip on the Seine. Canals and Streets of Amsterdam. Diamond Cutters of Amsterdam. Going to Volendam. The Cheese Market of Alkmaar. Fjords of Norway. Rolling Into Rio. The Great Cataracts of Iguassu. The New York Way Called Broad. Fifth Avenue and the Forties. Yosemite Vistas. Waterfalls of the Yosemite. Send for Booklet of Other Releases. The Burton holmes Lectures, inc. 7510 N. Ashland Avenue Chicago, Illinois Film Cleaner FILMITE, a film cleaning fluid, manufactured by Movieads, Inc., was recently put through a series of tests by the Technical Department of Amateur Movie Makers, with most satisfactory results. Two 400 foot reels of 16mm. film were wound and rewound through a cloth saturated with Filmite, and the cloth showed traces of dirt still be- ing removed on its third application. One reel of film was black and white, the other tinted blue, and both had been run through a projector about one hundred times each. The films were made in 1925. There was con- siderable rain in various parts of both reels, and, although rain cannot be eliminated, the dirt filling the scratches was practically entirely re- moved, which greatly improved sub- sequent projection. Filmite was also found to restore dry, brittle film to its proper condition, in a very short time. Camera Insurance PROTECTION from theft, loss, -i. fire, forgetting of camera, projec- tor and accessories, and breakage through accident, is a form of insur- ance offered to the amateur cinema- tographer by the Bass Camera Com- pany, of Chicago, 111. The rates for the United States and Canada are $2.00 per $100 valuation, with a minimum policy of $10.00; for the entire world, $3.00 per $100 valua- tion, with a minimum policy of $15.00. This idea is a splendid one, and is a protection for expensive cinema equipment that seems well worth while. The Bass Camera Com- pany will send blanks on request to all those interested. The Cine-Nizo ANEW 9 mm. cine camera with spring motor drive is now available to amateur movie makers. This new camera, using Pathex film, is a product of the Niezoldi and Kraemer Company, Munich 23, Ba- varia, Germany. Some interesting notes published by Niezoldi & Kramer tell us that in this new camera several modern features are incorporated, and that the apparatus is of a very reliable, careful and modern construction. The "Cine-Nizo" is the lightest in- weight, the most compact and the smallest motor driven cine-camera existing today. With the spring mo- tor it weighs only 2 pounds and 14 ounces, and measures 4 11/16 by 4 5/16 by 3 inches. It is hand held and is operated by an excellent spring motor, not detachable. The motor winds quickly, silently and easily and drives without the least vibration. It insures an absolutely uniform speed of 16 pictures per second, which is automatically main- tained. The operating button may be locked in position, thus enabling the cameraman to get into the picture. In addition, there is a handle for hand cranking with normal speed of eight or of one picture per turn, valuable for title and trick work. The mechanism of the "Cine-Nizo" is of high grade accuracy. It pro- duces professionally steady pictures, starts and stops smoothly, silently and instantaneously. The "Cine-Nizo" is equipped with the best available German standard lenses of high speed and of finest definition, giving absolutely sharp and crisp images. In view of the smallness of the single pictures, this is one of the most important features of this camera. The famous German lenses of Schneider, Meyer or Zeiss are fitted to the camera, but other personal tastes in regard to the lens may be gratified. A lens hood and a filter may be used in connection with every lens, so that the optical equip- ment by its high grade perfection is in harmony with the fine quality of this ingenious, reliable and neat movie camera. Sport Films THE famous Field & Stream Mag- azine Motion Pictures of Hunt- ing and Fishing are being made available for home use. Through ar- rangements made by Field & Stream with the Automatic Movie Display Corporation, 130 West 46th Street, New York, the latter are now reduc- ing these films to 16 mm. size, to be sold in 100 ft. lengths, as in the case of the comedies, cartoons, and other subjects it handles. The first two of these films are now ready. They are: "Hunting Great Grizzlies on the Alaskan Peninsula" and "With Bob White in the Sedge and Pine Woods of Mis- sissippi." "Hunting Great Grizzlies" is be- yond any question the greatest mo- tion picture of grizzly bear hunting ever made. These pictures can be obtained in this form only through the Automatic Movie Display Corporation. Vest Pocket Projector A PROJECTOR that actually fits in the vest pocket, that shows Pathex 9 mm. films on the screen 13 by 18 inches, and that is designed with the precision of a Swiss watch, Fifty Special 100 ft. Vitalux Comedy Releases . . . Printed on 16 m/m Safety Film ♦ . . Quality Prints Guaranteed ACTION! COMEDY! ! "Going to the Animal Fair" One of the most amusing cartoon subjects ever pro- duced by famous animators. All the funny antics of your old friends! Krazy Kats Dippy Dogs Hasty Horses Playful Pigs A Vitalux Special -«%£t^ "With Bob White in the, Pine Woods of the Mississippi" — a remarkable quail picture with a thrill-a-second for those who love the smell of gunpowder — and the sight of bird dogs at work. A real SPECIAL at $7.50 A Thrill-a- Second for Sportsmen Special Releases from the Field & Stream Library WE have.j ust obtained the exclusive dis- tribution rights for the greatest collec- tion of Hunting and Fishing Motion Pictures ever produced. For the first time, you can buy genuine thrill-a-second Field 85 Stream Motion Pictures — real "close-ups" of wild game, etc., in 100 ft. reels — printed on 16 m m Safety Film — and the quality of every print guaranteed! Every sportsman — every lover of outdoor life will want one or more of these subjects — for home projection, for use at the Club — wherever sport lovers gather! If your dealer cannot supply you, we will fill your order direct. Send for catalog of other Vitalux Releases, including comedy productions by Christie and other well known producers. "Hunting Great Grizzlies in Alaska." Pho- tography by that famous Alaskan hunter, Harold McCracken. The greatest bear-hunt picture ever taken. Rea,l " close-ups " — real action every second. A Double-Barreled Special. . . .$7.50 AUTOMATIC MOVIE DISPLAY CORPORATION 130 West 46th Street, New York City (Bryant 6321) F i f t y - 0 n t The 1928 Amateur Film Annual Partial List of Contents: WHO'S WHO IN AMATEUR MOTION PICTURES Twelve rotogravure portraits of amateur filmdom's notables. STANDARD MOTION PICTURES FOR THE AMATEUR By Karl A. Barleben, Jr. The motion picture editor of American Photography tells how the possessor of a standard camera can use it with profit. PROJECTION FOR AMATEURS By James R. Cameron An important article by one of the authorities in the field. Pro- jection is a subject that every amateur, without exception, should know. CINEMATOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY By A. H. Beardsley In this article, the editor of Photo-Era Magazine deals with those branches of still photography which are really fundamental in the mastery of cinematography. A COMPLETE DIRECTORY OF 16 MM. FILMS No owner of a sixteen millimeter projecter should be without this list. Each subject>will be properly classified, which will help the amateur make his "find" on a second's notice. The above is just a partial list of the contents. 4100 copies are already reserved, and more reservations are coming in with every mail. The edition is limited to 10,000 copies, so send in your reservation today — a postal card will do. Your dealer may not reprint, and the price after January Tenth will be $2.50. The beauty of the binding and printing will make the Amateur Film Annual a bookmaker's masterpiece. PRE-PUBLICATION PRICE $2-oo *^ Postbau Postpaid Handsomely and Permanently Bound in Leatherette By the Way ^_*f^k ( You can't make perject movies without the help of THE CINE MINIATURE handbooks. They are help- ing more than 15,000 amateurs, and they will help you, too. The rares go up after January 1st, so rake advantage of the present rates. 15c per copy — 90c per year — two years $1.60. Leonard Cordell, Publisher 1636 NORTH WASHTENAW AVENUE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS makes its appearance on the market with this issue of Amateur Movie Makers. It is offered by the Ever- ready Movies, Inc., of New York, N. Y. This projector, which is much more than a toy, is an ideal gift to the boy or girl who is interested in amateur movies, and would serve the purpose of developing this interest in an entertaining and instructive man- ner. Besides projecting a picture on a screen it can be held to the eye and the pictures viewed as with a stereop- ticon but with the advantages of mo- tion. There are many fine subjects in the Pathex Library from which a choice can be made. Home Movie Exhibition A PROGRAM of 16 mm. film features, consisting of the work of an amateur photoplay group, an attractive selection of amateur shots of children, sports, and travel, and also professional features, is being shown this month by the Eastman Kodak Company in the form of a two hour entertainment in a number of Middle Western cities. In addition there is an instruction reel showing graphically the way to use a camera for the greatest success in taking amateur motion pictures. The audiences are composed of persons interested in home movies who obtain tickets from the Cine- Kodak dealers in the various cities. The performance is being given four times a day for one, two, three, or four days depending on the size of each city, in hotel ballrooms or in other large assembly rooms. The subjects on the program are "Fly Low Jack and the Game," the Rochester Community Players' ama- teur photoplay; "America Goes Over," from Kodak Cinegraphs; movies of trained seals and a Felix the Cat cartoon from the Kodascope Libraries; miscellaneous amateur movie scenes and the instruction reel. The pictures are shown with musical accompaniment. For December the schedule of the home movie exhibition is: Detroit, November 30th and December 1st, 2nd, 3rd; Flint, December 5th; Grand Rapids, December 6th; Lans- ing, December 7th; Fort Wayne, De- cember 8th; South Bend, December 10th; Indianapolis, December 12th, 13th, 14th; St. Louis, December 16th, 17th. Film Viewing Machine THE "Moviola-Midget," a ma- chine for viewing film, which eliminates the projection of a picture for study preparatory to editing, is of interest to amateur movie makers. It is marketed by the Moviola Com- Fifty-two pany, Hollywood, California, and is available in the 16 and 35 millimeter sizes. Its features are: Large lenses giving maximum enlargement. The picture is visible by both of the ob- server's eyes and even by more than one person at the same time. It uses cool light, allowing the film to be stopped as long as desired, the light being further diffused by opal glass. It is motor driven, with foot control of speed, forward or backward. Rewind and Viewer rewind and viewing machine A .is shown in the accompanying illustration. The inventor, F. W. Two- good, of Riverside, California, says that it has been of great help to him in his work and that it has enabled him to speed up his editing, cutting and splicing, and turn out much more professional looking work. The device consists of a splicer, a magni- fyer for viewing, and a pair of rewinds. THE TWOGOOD DEVICE New Film Library SIXTEEN millimeter Westerns comedies, dramas, educational and religious films are announced this month for both rental and sale by the Exclusive Film Service, Chi- cago, 111. Attention is called to the religious films, which seem to be in recent demand, and of which few are available at the present time. Photo Department THE Nature Magazine, published in Washington, D. C, is inaugu- rating a photographic department and a series of special articles with its January, 1928 issue: The department will be devoted to both still and motion picture pho- tography, and the first issue will have an article on nature photography by L. W. Brownell, of Paterson, N. J., a leading authority in the study of flower, plant and insect life. An early contribution to this series will be an article by W. D. Kerst, Tech- nical Editor of Amateur Movie Makers, on the use of the cine camera in nature work. It is suggested that all of our readers who love nature and the out- doors follow this series of articles, Don't endanger the existence of valued original pictures in your collection by running them through your projection machine. One trip past the lens in your camera brought them into being. Once through your projector may injure them irreparably. An event of historical importance — Junior making the winning touch- down— a particularly precious glimpse of Dad or Mother — subjects that cannot be replaced, should be treated like the treasures they are. Let SUPERLAB make negatives for you from these valued originals. From them, perfect duplicate prints may be obtained whenever you desire, always equal to and often better than the originals. They are infinitely superior to duplicate direct positives which are bound to lose something in sharpness and detail each time the copy is effected. Superlab Service covers expert developing of negative, master printing, skil- ful, intelligent titling and editing, duplicate negatives, re- duction prints and reduction negatives, produced with ultra- modern equipment by well-known professional technicians. Superlab service is available through your dealer. Superlab Corporation 233 West 42nd St., New York City WISconsin 4020 Laboratories, Palisade, N. J. LATEST MODEL yEPT Double Spring Adjustable Speed Direct Focus on Film 35 mm Motion Pictures Snap Shots Time Exposures California, Hollywood Kinemart, Inc. 1426 Beachwood Drive California, Los Angeles Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. 510 South Broadway California, San Francisco Hirsch 6? Kaye 239 Grant Avenue D. C, Washington. H- W. Cinema Supply Company 804 Eleventh Street Georgia, Atlanta Eastman Kodak Stores 186 Peach Tree Street Illinois , Chicago Bass Camera Company 179 West Madison Street Illinois, Chicago Central Camera Company 112 South Wabash Avenue Kansas, Emporia Eckdall y McCarty DEALERS: Maryland, Baltimore Eastman Kodak Stores 223 Park Avenue Massachusetts, Boston Pinkham & Smith Company 292 Boylston Street Michigan, Detroit Metropolitan Motion Picture Co. 2310 Case Avenue ?ieui Yor\, Little Falls F. E. Abbott 501 Burrell Building Hew Tor^. H£w York Abe Cohen's Exchange 113 Park Row T^ew York, Hew YorJt G. Gennert, Inc. 24 East 13 th Street Hew Tor\, Hew York Herbert & Huesgen Company 18 East 42nd Street Hew York, Hew York Medo Photo Supply Company 32 3 West 37th Street Hew Yor\, Hew York New York Camera Exchange 109 Fulton Street Hew York,, Hew York C. F. Ray 296 Fifth Avenue Hew Yor\, Hew York Willoughby Camera Stores, Inc. 110 West 32nd Street Ohio, Cleveland The Fowler & Slater Co. 806 Huron Road Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Williams, Brown & Earle 918 Chestnut Street Washington, Seattle Anderson Supply Company 111 Cherry Street {Wyko Projector Corporation L 130 West 46th St. - New York, N. Y. I Fifty-three HUMIDOR FILM STORAGE and CARRYING CASES A Most Convenient Way To Store and Carry The 16mm. Film. Case is substantially built and at- tractively finished in black imitation leather. Handle is securely attached. Lock is substantial and sure. Sections are numbered to permit locating and in- dexing subjects. Size for 16 — 400 foot reels of 16mm film in cans $15.00 Size for 8 — 400 foot reels 13.00 Size for 24 — 400 foot reels 17.00 United Projector & Film Corp. 228 Franklin St. 1112 Keenan Bldg. Buffalo, N. Y. Pittsburgh, Pa. BASS Offers a Lens for Fall and Winter Use Here is a lens ready to fit your Filmo. Sparkling definition, phenomenal speed, precisely mounted in micrometer mount, and the price is but $54,00, money back if not satisfactory. Send for the 60-page Bass Book of Cinema Ap» paratus, free to you on request. BASS CAMERA COMPANY 179 West Madison Street Chicago, - Illinois Add Color and Double Enjoyment TO YOUR The illustration shows KOLO- RAY attached to a Model A Koda- scope and a Filmo Projector. KOLO- RAY is made for Kodascope, Mod- els A, B and C, and for Filmo 16 m/m Projectors. It can be attached in 30 seconds. No machine work or alteration needed. Price $7.50. At your local deal- er's or sent postpaid. In ordering please be sure to specify the kind and model of projector on which Koloray is to be used. K OLORA "Professional color effects for home movies" Y HOME MOVIES To Produce Professional Color Effects and Tone Down the Glaring White of Amateur Film Simply attach a Koloray to your 16 m/m projector and show your pictures in shades of amber, blue, green and red. Two-color combina- tions, too. You can produce the effects of moonlight and sunset. You can show the greens of the ocean or forest with a sunset sky; or the soft ambers of the woodland against the blue sky of a per- fect day. The color possibili- ties with KOLORAY are al- most limitless. Descriptive literature on request. BECKLEY and CHURCH, INC. Cutler Building - Rochester, N. Y. Dealers — Use a Koloray on your dem- onstrating projector — It pays. AND SO ASHORE (Continued from page 33) April 5th. Never saw such enthu- siasm among people as over that film. I think it's because they took part in it. Certainly I'll have to see the whole thing before I'll believe it's so fine. There's one thing — they have mighty good food on this boat. Sea continues balmy. April 8th. Two days out of New York. I must say I'm glad I came. I've been rather thinking I might as well invite some of these people to Keyport. It's an extravagance, but it might be worth it socially. Some of them are really in my own class. I wish I'd known who they were in the beginning! April 10th. Will land today. Cruise members giving a vote of thanks to Mr. Wells. It was not a round robin because I registered a conscientious protest. Mr. Wells was on the scena- rio judging committee. Not that that had anything to do with it. Round robin said members never had had such an enjoyable trip anywhere! Most extravagant, I call it. Invited the Cecil-Cecils to Keyport, but it seems they have to go direct to Wash- ington. They were really very sorry to have to miss Keyport! I suppose it's because everybody wants to go directly home, after having been away so long, and that's why they can't come to Keyport now, so I've wired Estelle to let those extra ser- vants go I radioed for. April 15th. Home again. Everyone delighted with cruise picture. Can't see exactly why, myself. Never knew I was so popular. Everyone I've wanted to know has dropped in to welcome me home, and if I forget to mention the film, they ask to see it. Of course it must be said that I had a great deal to do with it. Bert is simply amazed over my own films. I think it would be just as well not to say anything about my borrowing dupes from the others. Everybody has bad luck once in a while. But I'll have to think up some real ex- cuse for being in so many of my own pictures. Bert has such an in- quiring and determined way of get- ting what he wants, information and other things. I wonder how he came by it? Strange, very strange! Passing the Buck rT^HE Movie Star — "I can never -*• marry you, Joe, but ..." He— "But what?" She — "If you'll drop around at the studio tomorrow, I'll introduce you to my double." — Life. Fifty-four Second SCENARIO Call OUR Travelogue Scenario Con- test with a twenty-one day West Indies cruise as award was an- nounced in the November number of Amateur Movie Makers. For your convenience, the rules are repeated below. Contestants may be assured that their scenarios will go before a most distinguished jury. We are privileged to announce as the complete list of judges, these well-known men: E. J. MONTAGNE, supervising produc- tion editor of Universal Pictures Corporation. Gilbert Seldes, author of "The Seven Lively Arts," contributing author on the Motion Picture sec- tion of the latest Encyclopedia Brittanica, associate editor of the New Republic, motion picture critic of the Dial, and contributor to the Saturday Evening Post and other magazines. Frederick James Smith, managing editor of Photoplay Magazine. Gardner Wells, of James Boring's Travel Service, amateur motion picture traveler and author. John Beardslee Carrigan, editor of Amateur Movie Makers. Rules for the Travelogue Scenario Contest with the cooperation of JAMES BORING'S TRAVEL SERVICE, INC. 1. The contest is open to everybody except professional photoplay writers, officers of the Amateur Cinema League, members of the staff of Amateur Movie Makers or the Amateur Cinema League, and members of the staff of James Boring's Travel Service, Inc. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO GO ON ANY CRUISE OR TO SIGNIFY YOUR INTENTION TO GO ON ANY CRUISE IN ORDER TO ENTER THIS CONTEST. 2. This contest is for the best scenario submitted according to the fol- lowing conditions: a. It must not call for longer than one hour of screen showing. b. It must be written upon a travel background and the action must take place in the places visited by the MOVIE MAKERS MEDITERRANEAN TOUR conducted by James Boring's Travel Service, Inc. FULL AND FREE INFORMATION CONCERNING THESE PLACES IN THE MOVIE MAKERS MEDITERRANEAN TOUR CAN BE SECURED BY WRIT- ING TO JAMES BORING'S TRAVEL SERVICE, INC., 45 ASTOR PLACE, NEW YORK CITY. c. The scenario must be so written that all shots to be taken on shore in the various ports to be visited on the MOVIE MAKERS MERITERRANEAN TOUR will be exterior shots. No interiors allowed off ship. Interior shots will be allowed on board ship. d. Each scenario must be accompanied by a synopsis of not more than 500 words. e. The subject of the scenario may be melodrama, comedy, drama or tragedy. /. Scenarios must be typewritten. Also synopses. g. Scenarios must be addressed to SCENARIO CONTEST EDITOR, AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS, 105 WEST 40th STREET, NEW YORK CITY. h. Contest entries must be in the hands of the Scenario Contest Editor by ending of January 5, 1928. 3. Any number of scenarios may be submitted by one person. 4. The judges for this contest will be E. J. Montagne, supervising pro- duction editor of Universal Pictures Corporation ; Gilbert Seldes, the author; Frederick James Smith, managing editor of Photoplay Mag- azine; Gardner Wells, of James Boring's Travel Service, Inc., and J. B. Carrigan, editor, Amateur Movie Makers. 5. The decision of the judges will be based upon : a. Actability of scenario. b. Interest of the scenario. c. Proper use of local color settings as outlined in 2 above. 6. No responsibility is assumed by the contest managers for lost manu- scripts. Scenarios will not be returned unless requested, and postage is sent to cover return. 7. The winner will be announced in the February number of Amateur Movie Makers. 8. The prize for this contest is A FREE CRUISE TO THE WEST INDIES, to start February 11, 1928 (a 21-day cruise), as conducted by the James Boring's Travel Service, Inc., and as sold by them for $425.00. This may be converted into a cash equivalent toward the purchase of a reservation for the MOVIE MAKERS MEDITERRANEAN TOUR, to start February 8, 1928 (a 62-day cruise), if so de- sired. Full information concerning these two cruises may be obtained by writing James Boring's Travel Service, Inc., 45 Astor Place, New York City. Cruise the colorful Mediterranean w i t b Gardner Wells and film many stringe and beau- tiful sights. Bring Your Movie Camera on This Cruise to the Mediterranean CT^ HERE'S a rare treat for a limited number of V-/ Movie-Makers which YOU can share if you act quickly. It is to join the party of Movie-Makers which Gardner Wells is taking on James Boring's Third Annual Mediterranean Cruise. The quaint customs of the strange Mediterranean peoples will be filmed. Also the little comedies and tragedies which abound on every hand in those old lands. And, of course, the many scenes of rare beauty. Take advantage of this remarkable opportunity. You will make films packed full of odd and interesting features. You will be thrilled while making them and so will your friends every time you show them. Gardner Wells, with his exceptional picture-making experience on former trips to the Mediterranean, will give you pointers on what and how to "shoot". You'll have full time for enjoyment, social activi- ties and picture-making. You will be relieved of every travel care and worry. The Party will leave February 8th on the great White Star Liner S. S. DORIC which has been especially chartered for the cruise. During the 62 glorious days of the trip, visits will be made at Madeira, Gibraltar, Spain, Algiers, Blidah, Tunis and Carthage, Malta, Athens, Constantinople, Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, Cairo, Luxor, Syra- cuse, Naples, Amalfi, Capri, Monte Carlo and the Riviera. One fee includes all expenses; stateroom, food, sight seeing trips — and the photographic direction of Gardner Wells. Send at once for more particulars. Reservations are going fast. Mail the coupon today to avoid disappointment. Gardner Wells JAMES BORING'S TRAVEL SERVICE, Inc. DEPT. M-459 45 Astor Place, New York City "Assistants to the traveling movie maker" gardner wells, James Borings Travel Service, DEPT. M-459 45 Astor Place, New York City. Please send me details of the Movie Makers' Mediterranean Cruise under your personal di- rection, sailing from New York, February 8th, 1928. Name Address City State Fifty-five GIFTS / New Bell & Howell Crystal Pearl Bead Screens Twenty-five beautiful new screens from which to choose. The surface of each is composed of millions of tiny, frosted white crystal pearl beads, firmly embedded. Pictures shown on these screens are rich and brilliant, soft and pleasing. Type A screens include spring roller, drawing screen into beautiful leatheroid, nickel-trimmed case. Types B and C are collapsible, furnished with appropriate cases. Type D mounted on non-collapsible, leatheroid-covered frame. Type E same as D, but cherry stained frame. Mark coupon. Size Price Type A 15"x20" $22.50 22"x30" 25.00 30"x40" 30.00 36"x48" 35.00 39"x52" 40.00 Type B $15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00 35.00 New Telekinic Distance Lenses specially priced with filter and case These are undoubtedly the world's finest distance lenses available at moderate prices. First importations from the famous Taylor-Hobson Cooke factories in England have just been received. Color filter and leather case included at special prices for Christmas giving. Viewfinder lenses, for correct field of view, and sun- shade also included. Just the lenses to pick up distant shots while yachting, hunting, traveling, etc. Beautiful gifts. T-H. C, 4", F 4.5 Telekinic lens, $60.00. T-H. C, 6", F 5.5 Telekinic lens, 65.00. T-H. C, 3H", F 3.3 Telephoto lens, 85.00. T-H. C, 6", F 4.5 Telephoto lens, 95.00. With filter and case #65.00 With filter and case 70.00 With filter and case 90.00 With filter and case 100.00 The HALLDORSON Cinema Mazda Light Size 15"x20" 22"x30" 30"x40" 36"x48" 39"x52" TypeC $12.50 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00 Price TypeD $10.00 12.50 15.00 20.00 25.00 Type E $ 7.50 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 PORTRAIT ATTACHMENTS For 1" F 3.5 Lens in Universal Focus Mount Lacking a lens in focusing mount you can use these attachments to take movie "portraits" that practically fill the screen. Two models, the 3-foot and 4-foot, available. Each obtains critically sharp close-ups at its focal length. Picture area at 3 feet is 1.2x.87 feet; at 4 feet it is 1.6x1.2 feet. Also valuable for making titles, and making movies of small objects. Price, either 3- or 4-foot FILMO portrait attachment #2.00 The Bell 8C Howell Character Title Writer fi or morie interiors The possession of this new 1000-watt light will lead to many happy "movie parties" indoors throughout the win- ter. Simply plug into any light socket, tilt silvered re- flector to throw light beam upon individual or group, and ' 'shoot. ' ' Lamp illustrated is fitted with mounting for use on table or chair. Price including leather finished case, $31.00. Price with case and 4-section collapsible tripod stand, $37.50. If an arc light is preferred, the Halldorson Twin Arc at $65.00, com- plete with case, is a gem. Mark coupon for descrip- tive circular. This is, in reality, a miniature movie stage illuminated by two powerful electric lights. Back of the lights a clamp is provided for fix- ing the camera firmly in place. Upon the "stage" all manner of effects may be produced while they are photographed. Animated car- toons, the autographs of friends, titles illus- trated by pictures cut from magazines and many other unique movie variations are possi- ble through this accessory . Price com- plete, ready to use, $45. Attractive carrying case included. Mark cou- pon for descriptive circular. Extra Filmo Lenses Fine lenses for special movie pur- poses and conditions, from the ex- ceptionally fast F 1.8 to a 6-inch telephoto, are available for use in Filmo Camera. Quickly inter- changeable with regularly furnished F 3.5. Prices range from $30.00 to $95.00 per lens, each a beautiful gift. Ask for descriptive circular. The speedy F 1.8 should be in every movie maker's kit. BELL& 1828 Lar chmont Established 1907 NEW YORK Fifty-six Any one of these Bell & Howell gifts will record for many years the esteem you hold for a fellow movie maker. No finer expression of the Christmas spirit, or of Amateur Cinema League fraternal regard and fellowship, could be chosen. The coupon below will bring you complete description of favored items, together with your nearest dealer's name. Mark and mail it. till L gg\ •:- DREMOPHOT L j 1 t 3L lj The Dremophot Exposure Meter The guide to accurate aperture setting under all light conditions. Readings are taken direct from tube after sighting. No computations to make. Direct readings from F 1 .8 to F 4.5 for extra rapid subjects. Correct exposures given for each speed of Filmo Camera— 8, 12, 16, 24, 32 or 128 ex- posures per second. A remarkable instrument. Price with sole leather, hand-sewn case, #12.50. B. 8C H. Filmo Iris Vignetter Attaches to Filmo lens in place of sunshade. Diaphragm dial is turned by the fingers to "fade in" or "fade out" the movie scene with a grad- ually opening or closing circle. Very effective for adding interest to scenes or for focusing attention on a chosen person or object. For use with either F 1 .8 or F 3.5 T-H. C 1-inch lens, with or without focusing mount. State type used when ordering. Price #10.50. Combined Camera and Accessory Case Holds Filmo Camera and following accessories: T-H. C. F 1.8, 3X and 6-inch telephoto lenses, 5 matched eyepieces and viewfinder objectives, 4 color filters, exposure meter, iris vignetter, 2 aperture brushes, auxiliary finder unit, focusing microscope, scene card binder, Filmo winding key and two 100-foot rolls of 16 mm. film in cartons. Rich brown cowhide, green plush lined. Price #50.00. Filmo Combination Rewind and Splicer With this handy little accessory you can edit your films to gain just the continuity you want and make your movies more interesting on the screen. Examination of every inch of film made easy. Cut out any unwanted portions and insert sub- titles. The splice made by this machine is absolutely trans- parent and velvet smooth. Will not show in projection. Price, which includes everything needed for rewinding, cut- ting and splicing 16 mm. film, #14.00. Color Screen Attachment for Filmo Projector Provides four color disks — blue, green, amber and pink — which may be used to give beautiful color tints to movies being projected. Snaps firmly into place on Filmo Projector in a jiffy, without tools. May be kept in place when not in use. Price, only #6.00. New Filmo Library Releases Now added to the many hundreds of subjects al- ready released in Filmo Library: P-7 A Trip Up Pike's Peak by Cog Road. A scenic thriller. P-8 Cave of the Winds. A weirdly beautiful trip through this fa- mous cave and canyon. P-9 Trout Fishing at Seven Falls. The fighting fish and scenic beauty of Chey- enne Canyon, Colo. T-108 The Sea Urchin. A marvelous addition to the Tolhurst Pop- ular Science Series. T-109 Living Stars. Another Tolhurstdramaof the livingstarfish. M-100 Atlantic City Pageant of 1927, See "Miss America" and bathing beauties on parade. A-4 SalmonFishingin Nova Scotia. How these big boys do test a rod and line ! Price, each of above 100- ft. reels, #7.50. Film Storage and Carrying Cases Providing a safe, indexed storage place for growing film libraries. A humidor arrange- ment in cover keeps film moistened and fresh. Three sizes available for 400-foot reels of 16 mm. film. Bight reel capacity Price #15.00 Sixteen reel capacity. .....Price 17.50 Twenty-Jour reel capacity Price 20.00 For lifetime service. Sure-fire hits as Christ- mas gifts. HO*T0 Make YOUR *CTUREpLAYs JACK^HDoLT This book tells the amateur producer about making home movie dramas. Also contains twelve clever little play scenarios for ama- teur production. Written by an expert, in simple, non-technical language. A good- looking, well-bound gift book. Price #1.50 HOWELL CO. Ave., Chicago, Illinois HOLLYWOOD LONDON (B. 8C H. Co., Ltd.) | MAIL THIS BELL & HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, Illinois Please mail complete information on □ New Bead Screens D Telekinic Lenses □ All Filmo lenses □ Portrait Attachment □ Mazda Light □ Arc Light Q Title Writer □ Dremophot □ Vignetter □ Camera and Accessory Case □ Rewind and Splicer D Color Screen □ Film Storage Case D New Filmo Library Releases □ Movie Books. Name.. Address.. City ..Slate.. Fifty- Here's A Real Projector For Your Boy This Christmas'. Operates on a pocket battery. Sufficiently small to give him the importance of carrying it in his pocket, but designed with the accuracy of a Swiss watch to give projection satisfaction. Can be dropped on a tiled floor without damage, and yet is so scientifically constructed your boy can easily study the mechanism, and so satisfy that desire for knowledge which you want to encourage. It will develop his interest in cinematography and is the logical forerunner to his possession of a larger projector. With it he has at his call the splendid Pathex film library — favorite star or finest travelogue, or persnoal films. Technically perfect, Microcine will give grown-ups as well many delightful hours — any time — any place. In daylight the motion picture can be seen directly on the film when the machine is held to the eye, or it will project clearly and sharply at a distance of 4 feet with the aid of an ordinary 2 or 3 cell flashlight battery and bulb on a screen 18x13 inches. Not a toy, but can be operated with a ten-cent bulb. Safety film. Special terms to photo- graphic dealers. Fits into the palm of Uses 9mm. 30 ft. lib the hand. Weight 9 rary and personal films c- i a i -At your ozs. oize 2x4x1. ,. -\ direct. e a l e or Price $13.50 delivered to any part of U. S. A. Will be sent C. O. D. parcel post. EVEREADY MOVIES, Inc. 6 STATE STREET Telephone, Whitehall 1390 NEW YORK, N. Y. Cable, Microcine, New York. Money Well Spent IS A SUBSCRIPTION TO The Camera Magazine (The Photographic Journal of America) The magazine for the photographer and the Cine user Practical Articles By Chauncey M'Govern (the fa- mous criminologist), Chester F. Stiles, C. H. Claudy, Wm. S. Davis, Dr. M. W. Senstius, etc. Special Cine Dept. By Carl L. Gregory, F.R.P.S. assisted by Chas. M. Seay, Geo. Riehl, Morgan Wilcox and others. 20 CENTS A COPY OR £2.00 PER YEAR in United States and Canada 25 CENTS A COPY OR £2.50 PER YEAR for foreign countries The Camera Magazine 161 NORTH 7th ST. PHILADELPHIA, PA. GLOSEUPS (Continued from page 45) Britons Organize THE Amateur Cinema League welcomes the Amateur Cinema- tographers' Association of Great Britain to the ranks of organized cinematography. This is the first na- tional body to be formed since the foundation of the Amateur Cinema League and it marks a definite for- ward step in the progress of the world's newest avocation. The Amateur Cinema League is in fact, though not in name, already an international institution with mem- bers or magazine readers in more than thirty countries outside of the United States. National associations are to be expected and they should be greeted with enthusiasm by every League mmber. Photograph by De Vry FROM WILLIAM TELL'S BOOK Heard McClellan shot back with his camera during tests in which the police shot eggs and other groceries that had been placed on his head. The Amateur Cinematographers' As- sociation compliments the League by adopting the same descriptive phrase that appears on League stationery — An Organization of Home Motion Picture Makers — for an expression of A. C. A. purposes. The statement of intention of the new British body in- cludes: the extension of its member- ship to amateur actors, scenario writers and all cine-camera users, the provision of an answer to that constantly recurring question, "What shall I take?" mutual criticism, pooling of ideas, promotion and en- couragement of the science and art of motion picture making amongst members of the general public, as distinct from the professional mo- tion picture industry, the establish- ment of meeting places for its mem- bers in the principal cities of the British Empire, these places to be equipped with working facilities, or- ganized outings for scenario filmings, Fifty-eight interchange of films amongst mem- bers, the development of educational and experimental work, social con- tacts and other purposes. T. J. Wilson, C. A., of 59 Old Bailey, E.C. 4, London, is the hono- rary secretary of the Association. Subscription dues to December 31 of this year are ten shillings sixpence: subscription dues to December 31 of next year are one pound, eleven shill- ings, sixpence. League headquarters is indebted to Wallace Heaton of Wallace Heaton. Ltd., London, photographic dealers and agents for Amateur Movie Makers in the British metropolis for information concerning the new British body. We understand that our other London agents. E. B. Mey- rowitz, Ltd. and the London office of the Bell & Howell Co. are cooperat- ing in launching the A. C. A. Dissolving Shutter A DISSOLVING shutter for use on amateur cameras has been devised by D. L. Mistry, a member of the League in Bombay, India. It is similar to the shutter used on pro- fessional cameras and should enable the amateur to obtain many effects heretofore impossible. THE CLINIC {Continued from page 29) objectionable but for a subject taken for professional use, every means should be employed to let the action of the picture furnish the movement. This includes hand cameras, wobbly tripods and panoramic and tilting movements. Another source of trouble, a great- er one than unsteadiness, is the load- ing of the day-light loading camera. They should be loaded in dim light or deep shade. The writer does not believe that the manufacturers of these instruments would advise op- erators to do their loading and un- loading in bright sunlight. Some professionals who have had trouble with fogging, have gone to the other extreme and are using changing bags. The necessity for care in photo- graphic work, whether it is in the operation of the camera or the finish- ing of the pictures in the laboratory, cannot be over emphasized and in the daily use of the hand camera, we exercise every precaution but no more than we do with our other profes- sional models and as a result we are getting high grade pictures from the small cameras. The hand camera is just as dependable ivhen properly used as the regular cameras and an absolute necessity for many scenes." The "PERKINS DA-LITE" PORTABLE ASSURES SUCCESS/ Operating on an extremely low current, this power- ful, automatic, continuous feed, twin-arc lamp furnishes sufficient light for all ordinary purposes. AN IDEAL TWIN-ARC LAMP FOR MAKING AMATEUR MOVIES In the "Perkins Da-Lite" we offer a portable lamp that is compact, sturdy and decidedly serviceable — a ighting equipment that has already swept the amateui movie world off its feet — an inexpensive, self- contained outfit that may be assembled and placed in operation within the remarkably short period of half a minute. The cabinet of the "Perkins Da- Lite", when closed, becomes the carry- ing case and the tilting yoke, shown at the top, serves as a handle. A heavily nickeled folding tri- pod stand is in- cluded. Front view of the "Per\ins Da-Lite". This miniature marvel measures, when folded, only 13" high x wide x 4I/4" deep. It requires no addi- tional accessories. The "Da-Lite" Portable uses 10 amperes and may be attached to any wall socket (110 volt line). The carbons are 8mm x 12 in. T^lote the ingenious arrangement of this HIGHLY DE' PEHDABLE lighting unit. The special built-in reflector in- creases its efficiency tremendously. FILMING YOUR HOLIDAY EVENTS There are "a thousand and one" holiday subjects of more than passing interest — scenes from the glad Yuletide Season — pictures that you will treasure as priceless in the years to come! The "PERKINS DA-LITE" PORT- ABLE, white flame arc lamp, removes every lighting handicap, making possible clear-cut, sharply defined films, at all times — "Dalite" at midnight. PRICE COMPLETE £60.00 Rear view of "Per\ins Da-Lite" Portable. As\ your dealer for descriptive matter, or write us direct. The PHOTOGENIC MACHINE CO. YOUNGSTOWN, O. Makers of the Standard Light of the Photographic World. Fifty-nine Iff One Hundred High Class 16 num. EMPIRE FILMS On Safety Stock GUARANTEED PERFECT PRINTS Higher None FOR ONLY $4.50 Per 100 Ft. WAR PICTURES % COMEDIES 'jl CARTOONS SCENICS LINDBERG TOM MIX CHARLIE CHAPLIN and many other groups A Few Extracts From Letters "We just received your Yellowstone Park. The scenes are beautiful. Please send me, etc." "Ran off two of your war films last night. Evryone was thrilled. Send me at once, etc." "My boys insist upon buying all your Chaplin's. They think they are great." All 100 Foot Reels ASK YOUR DEALER EMPIRE SAFETY FILM CO., Inc. 723 Seventh Avenue New York City bryant 5437 - 5736 - 2180 EMPIRE SAFETY FILM CO., Inc. 723 Seventh Avenue New York City Please Mail Me An Empire 16 mm. Subject Catalogue Name Address City State I Am Also Interested In Your Laboratory Service □ Clean Projection ALWAYS clean the aperture and gate of your projection mach- ine before running film. If you don't, your film is liable to be scratched, sometimes beyond redemption. — C. Bond Lloyd. Photograph by Pathex WILLIAM HAINES EVENS THINGS UP WITH HIS CAMERAMAN Exposure Chart THE following exposure guide is for those of our readers who are using DuPont negative film. Close adherence to any exposure guide means excellent pictures on the screen. Study it carefully. TABLE OF EXPOSURES for DU POXT-PATHE 16mm NEGATIVE FILM 11 am 10-11 9-10 8-9 am 7-8 am 6-7 am 5-6 am Month Weather to and and and and and 1 pm 3-4 pin 4-5 pm 5-6 pm 6-7 pm 2-3 pm Bright Sun 11 11 8 4.5 3.5 2.5 Jan. Hazy Sun 8 5.6 4.5 4.5 3.5 2.5 Dull £i.6 4.5 4.5 3.5 2.5 1.8 Very Dull 4.5 4.5 3.5 2.5 2.5 Bright Sun 16 11 8 5.6 4.5 3.5 2.5 Feb. Hazy Sun 11 8 5.6 4.5 3.5 2.5 -Oct. Dull 8 5.6 4.5 3.5 2.5 2.5 Very Dull 4.5 4.5 3.5 2.5 2.5 Bright Sun 16 16 11 8 5.6 4.5 3.5 Hazy Sun 11 11 8 5.6 4.5 3.5 2.5 Apr. Dull 8 8 5.6 5.6 4.5 3.5 2.5 Very Dull 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 3.5 2.5 May Bright Sun 16 16 11 11 8 5.6 4.5 June Hazy Sun 11 11 11 8 8 5.6 4.5 July Dull 8 8 5.6 5.6 4.5 3.5 3.5 Aug. Very Dull 5.6 4.5 4.5 4.5 3.5 2.5 2.5 The accompanying table of lens apertures Is based on exposures necessary for subjects in the open with no great masses of shadow or dark objects. Modifications of these apertures for different sub- jects are as follows: (a) Back-lighted subjefcts (i.e., camera facing shadows). Buildings. Close-ups of persons. Increase stop, one point. (b) Full-lighted subjects Landscapes with heaty foliage in foreground. Dark buildings. Group3 in shade. Increase stop one and one-half points. Sixty (c) Large close-ups of persons in shade. Dark neiarby objects occupying a large portion of the picture. Increase stop two points. (d) Interior woodland scenes where little if any sky- light gets through. Deep ravines, etc. Increase stop three points. (^) Open landscape with no foreground. Rivers. Lakes. Light colored objects. Decrease stop one point. (f) Seashore views. Snow scenes. Distant land- scapes in which aerial haze is usually present Decrease stop two points. It is advisable to use a K 2 niter on such scenes. When filter is used divide the normal exposure by 1.4 to ascertain proper filter exposure. Don't panoram rapidly. Don't make long shots when atmosphere is hazy. Don't make back lighted scenes of people without a reflector to illuminate the faces — this is very im- portant when women wear large hats. Don't have figures too far from camera if you wish to distinguish thdm. Slow Motion THE slow motion camera is ex- pected to solve the heliocopter airplane problem on which many in- ventors have been working for the past few years. The dragon fly and the humming bird in action have been filmed in slow motion by the British Government with the view of apply- ing their hovering secrets to heliocop- ter designs in the hands of the Air Ministry. The dragon fly and the humming bird have perfected the system of pausing in air, in search of food or otherwise, and the Air Ministry has spent some months taking their pic- tures at ultra speed. A GINEMERRY CHRISTMAS (Continued from page 19) tives; the tumult and the shouting will die away, and peace will reign in the parlor. Perhaps, too, there will be an im- provement in the Christmas greeting situation. It is estimated that during the month of December 1926, Cali- fornians mailed a total of 3,874,992 cards to the folks back in Iowa, — each one bearing the inscription: "Merry Christmas! While you are throwing snowballs, we are eating oranges off our own trees and sleep- ing under one blanket. Wish you were here." What we want is less talk and more action. Let's see some of these impetuous Californians eating oran- ges off their own trees and sleeping under one blanket. Of course, blan- kets probably grow larger in Cali- fornia than they do in the East. But when a family consisting of a father and mother and seven children can all sleep under one blanket and still have the courage to say "Wish you were here," — it would be interesting to see just how it is done. The best thing about the cinema- tographic reunion, however, is its se- lectivity. (In case you do not know what this word means, ask any radio salesman, and then walk — not run — to the nearest exit.) When the family album comes to life on the screen, every man can be his own censor. loi otolite is the 1 Sunlight for Indoor Pictures No. 5 Hand Fotolite, $6.00, completely wired. Equipped with special 500 watt bulb, $10.00. Two No. 5 lamps, with bulbs and stand as il' (ustrated, $28.00. Heavy niclcel'plated stand can be adjusted in any posi- tion. Over 8 ft. high. When assembled, folds into 24 in. space. One No. 5 Lamp, bulb and stand, as illustrated, $16.00. TNDOOR pictures are half the fun of amateur movies. But to take "interiors" as sharp and clear as your outdoor films require lighting which ably supplants the sun's rays. That is what Foto- lite gives you. A Fotolite lamp sends a flood of clear, steady, mel- low light upon a subject, and the rich highlights and soft shadings which it effects are transmitted to finished films of real beauty. Fotolite consists of a specially made 500 watt bulb, encased within a specially designed aluminum re Sector (patent applied for). Each lamp has a light value of 5750 candle power. This light power is constant and uniform, making clear results abso- lutely certain. Fotolite lamps can be plugged in on any electric light socket. Each lamp is equipped with ten feet of electric cord. They can be used on either A.C. or D.C. currents, 105 to 120 volts, or in series on 220 volt current. Two reflectors with a F. 1-8 lense are required for group up to 3. Three lamps for group of 4 to 6, and an additional lamp when a F. 3-5 lense is used for either A.C. or D.C. current. No special wiring or installation is required. Read the descriptions at the left. Then select the number of Fotolite lamps you need. Fotolite is sold by the better dealers throughout the country. If your dealer cannot supply you, order direct. Testrite Instrument Co. 108 East 16th Street, New York, N. Y. Fotolite { FOR THE HOME AND STUDIO } Sixty-one SPECIAL GRAF LENSES for your Cine-Kodak Mod. B, Victor or DeVry 16 m/m Projector will give you MORE ILLUMINATION with BETTER AND SHARPER PICTURES Special 2" F:3 Lenses for Cine Kodak F:1.9 Model ASK YOUR DEALER NOTE — Manufacturers of Cine equipment — get in touch with us on recently developed Projec- tion Lens of most extreme efficiency. GRAF OPTICAL CO. South Bend, Ind. Laboratory Finishing of the Highest Quality Reduction Printing from 35mm. to 28 mm. or 16mm. by the pioneers of the narrow width field. Thirteen years of experience in our own carefully planned Motion Pic- ture Laboratory, with the finest machinery and equipment and a large force of skilled specialists, enables us to do the best wor\ in the shortest time and at min- imum cost. Capacity One Million Feet per Month Dupe Negatives (35mm.) on special duping stock by the firm which has made mil- lions of feet of the finest dupe negatives ever produced. The Pathescope Go. of America, Inc. 33 W. 42nd St., New York Laboratory, Long Island City If You Are Interested in Motion Pictures You Are Interested in Qood Photog- raphy CAMERA CRAFT the beautiful monthly Covers the Whole Field of Photography The study of essentials is necessary to enjoy photography to the full. Camera Craft gathers beauty, facts, fundamentals and all sorts of interesting details from all over the world to keep its readers fully informed of what is going on. Give yourself the monthly pleasure of reading this maga- zine. As a Christmas present it brings joy into the recipient's heart and is a reminder, twelve times a year, of your thoughtful- ness. United States and Possessions $2.00 Canada $2.25 * Other Foreign Countries $2.50 Sample Copy on Request Camera Craft Publishing Company 703 MARKET STREET , SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION, ETC.. REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24, 1912, Of AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS, published monthly at New York, N. Y., for October 1, 1927. State of New York, County of New York ss. Befora me, a notary public in and for the State and county aforesaid, personally appeared J. B. Carrigan. who. having been duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he is the editor of the AMATEUR MOVTE MAKERS and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and belief, a true statement of the ownership, management, etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, embodied in section 411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this form, to wit: 1 That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business managers are: Publisher, Amateur Cinema League, Inc.. 105 West 40th Street, New York. N. Y. ; Editor, J. B. Carrigan, 105 West 40th Street, New York, N. Y. ; Managing Editor, none; Business Managers, none. 2. That the owner is: Amateur Cinema League. Inc.. 105 West 40th Street, New York, N. Y. Mem- bership corporation with no capital stock. President. Hiram Percy Haxim, Capitol Building, Hartford, Conn; Vice-President, Stephen F. Voorhees, 101 Park Avenue, New York, N. Y. ; Treasurer, Arthur A. Hebert, 1711 Park Street, Hartford, Conn.; Secretary and Managing Director, Roy W. Winton, 105 West 40th Street, New York, N. Y. 3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds .mortgages .or other securities are: None. 4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, and security hold- ers, if any, contain not only "the list of stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the com- pany as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is given; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct or indirect in the said than as so stated by him. stock, bonds, or other securities J. B. CARRIGAN, Editor. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 29th day of September, 1927. WALTER S. THOMPSON. Notary Public. (SEAL) (Mt commission expires March 30, 1929.) Sixty-two Obtain Distant Scenes with Ease Distant scenes, animals and objects ordi- narily hard to obtain are easily photographed with a Wollensak Telephoto Lens. Close' ups of these are clear and distinct, showing the essential details plainly when screened. Wollensak Telephoto Lenses are the ulti- mate in anastigmatic corrections. They are compact in size and light in weight. These lenses are indispensable for up'to-date movie production. Made in 3 in., 33/4 in. and 6 in. foci to fit all well known makes of movie cameras. Literature on request. OPTICAl COMPANY 955 HUDSON AVENUE Rochester, N. Y. mi iiiiiihhm) iiiimiii miiiiruiiiiui iiiimnimnil SAVE MONEY 16 mm. Cameras and Projectors and Films Bought, Sold, Exchanged or Rented 16 mm. Films Developed and Printed 16 mm. Titles Made 35 mm. Negatives Reduced to 16 mm. RAY— 296 5th Ave., New York, N. EDITING MADE EASIER Electric Reviewer, Rewind and Splicer with Magnifying Glass Attachment. Price Complete $16.00 This accessory is very convenient for your 16 mm. film editing — almost a necessity. At your dealer's or direct F. W. TWOGOOD 700 Main Street, Riverside, Calif. Bathing Beauty and Motion Picture Parade at Long Beach, Calif. A 100 ft. classy, snappy reel that you will want to run and run and run. The Cream of All Beauty Parades. Remit with order only $7.50 International E and S Film Library 830 No. Genesee St., Hollywood, California TITLES make a finished picture of your movie "snap shots". Let Tompkins make you excellent titles at a rea' sonable price. Write direct to STANLEY A. TOMPKINS 2 East 23rd St., New York City With discretion and a pair of scis- sors, he can cut out the objectionable bits of film, such as the close-ups of his wife's mother, the playful antics of his brother-in-law's baby, and the table manners of that rough diamond, Uncle Gus, who is more rough than diamond. Then, and only then, will it be possible for the head of the house to re-capture the true spirit of Christ- mas, and at the final fade-out to ex- claim in the words of Tiny Tim, "God bless us and keep us — far apart!" MIDNIGHT MOVIES (Continued, from page 14) but are photographed in such a man- ner as to give a nocturnal appear- ance. Photographing directly into the sun in broad daylight, with the lens protected from sun-flare by the shade of a tree trunk or some other object which comes directly between the camera and the sun, results in an "apparent" night scene. Objects standing out against the sky should be purposely a trifle under-exposed; that is, the film should be exposed for the high lights. The shadows will take care of themselves. A building with the sun behind it, lighting up the clouds, makes a very effective set- ting for a view, and almost any arch which shows something pictorial in its center will be increased in beauty a hundred fold if it has the sun hid- den behind it to form a silhouette against the sky and to lend back- ground reflections to the clouds. Night scenes are also greatly ac- centuated and enhanced by tinting the film blue. The titling of a reel of night scenes is of great importance and is an opportunity for clever workman- ship. An excellent chance is also af- forded for the use of art titles, the dark shadows of night scenes giving ideal settings for the white title let- ters. If you have not tried making night movies, do not neglect this fascinat- ing use for your fast lens equipment. It will provide absorbing entertain- ment for you in the future. WHY ALL THIS FUSS ABOUT HOME MOVIES? (Continued from page 30) foot roll is often more than is needed at one time. Now, the members of the Amateur Cinema League are the kind of peo- ple required to get a hobby ball a-rolling because they are eager, will- ing and happy to work. I am think- ing of the analogy of American Ra- dio Relay League and its organ, the ~Now Home Movie Projection Made BETTER . . . SIMPLER than ever before! New Model B Kodascope THIS marvelous, new portable Kodascope is the most efficient home movie projector ever developed. It not only gives better projection, but is many times easier to operate. It has a motor rewind and self-thread- ing device, is reversible and gives excellent illumination. Come and see it demonstrated. Mail orders taken Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc. Madison at 45th St. New York City FILMLAB PRINTS have come to be known as The Best Obtainable Ask your dealer for them and obtain better results without extra cost. f\I]£MUM [6 0 0 OOOOOOOOOP 0000 oooaoooooooooD 130 WEST 46th STREET New York City. Tel. Bryant 4981 ANNOUNCING Our new low rate title service. Seven sug' gestive borders furnished free on plain titles. Titles also made in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Danish and other languages. Ask about them. Art titles at the lowest rates. The use of our standard stock backgrounds makes possible this low price. Special discounts to 61m editors on quantity orders. ALSO a practical automatic developing ma- chine for finishing your own 16mm films, posi- tive or negative. Place exposed film on ma- chine and cement to a leader with which the machine will be threaded, and when the solu- tions are poured in the marked tanks, turn the key in your lamp socket! The machine will develop, fix, wash and dry your film, ready for projection. Professional results with no effort on your part! 16mm no friction printer to follow. Re-winders — durable and inexpen- sive, sold without boards and the like. Just the thing when you must rewind quickly. Tinting and Toning service. CINEMA PRODUCTS 405 Elm Street Buffalo, N. Y. Sixty-threi What Do You Expect of a Photographic Magazine? THE average man or woman ex- pects a photographic magazine to supply helpful, practical infor- mation in an understandable and in- teresting manner. There must not be too many formulas, technical ex- pressions and "dry" scientific data. The average owner of a camera is not a scientist. Those who like mathematics and photographic chemistry will find many sources of information in text-books. PHOTO- ERA MAGAZINE is edited for the educated man or woman who has photography as a hobby or in con- nection with professional duties. It aims to supply practical information in an interesting manner, to include photographic travel articles, interest- ing bits of news and inspirational material which encourages and stimulates the reader. It addresses itself to students in schools and col- leges, and believes in promoting still and motion-picture photography wherever either or both may serve art, science and industry. Lastly, it believes in cordial editorial contact with its readers whether they are beginners, students, pictorialists or professionals. There are three monthly competi- tions: for advanced workers, begin- ners, and those who employ the ser- vices of a photo-finisher. The mo- tion-picture department was the first in any American photographic pub- lication. It is edited by Herbert C. McKay, A.R.P.S., Dean of the New York Institute of Photography and author of several motion-picture textbooks. PHOTO-ERA MAGA- ZINE is known internationally. It makes no claim other than that it tries to live up to its reputation of being a well-printed, interesting and influential photographic magazine. The regular readers of PHOTO- ERA MAGAZINE are best quali- fied to describe it and to state why it is worth having on the living- room table, in the camera club, in the school-library and the industrial photographic laboratory. Send ten cents for a specimen copy, or better yet, send $2.50 for a year's subscription in the United States and Possessions; in Canada, $2.85; Foreign, $3.25. Photo-Era Magazine (Established 1898) Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, U. S. A. mtammmm^^mmi .n^w «**mmmb* MMMMMRN AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE MEMBERS SHOUU) KNOW MORE ABOUT r THIS BUILDING w*m maimr CHEATED BECAUSE OFTHE GROWING-NECESSITY FORfl MATIOMAL INFORMATION & EXHIBITION CENTERS IDEAL MEETING PLACE FOR aUUTHOSE INTERESTED IN THE ARTISTIC EXPERIMENTS QFTHEAMATEURtfPROFBSSlONAL IN ADVANCINGTHE ART OFTHE MOTION PICTURE RjRWLLIAlF08nAT/aNVrVRrT£W£ FILM BUREAU A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION FORTHE SUPPORT OFTHEBESTMOTION PierufteS NWESr MOtbST. MEwHbRK, N.y. ANIMATED & LEADERS As the Theatres * Send for illustrated use them J3L. catalogue \PLA1N <5t ILLUSTRATED TITLES %n \ i »-THE PROFESSIONAL KIND 01 FAADAHME,inc. •i 145 W. 45 ST. N.Y. BRYANT 6796 [ Sixty-four MAKE CINE PICTURES Successfully with THE INGENTO PORTABLE ARC LAMP The biggest light bargain that has ever been offered you. An 8'ampere, 110'volt, self-feeding arc lamp that can be used on alternating or di- rect current. Connects to any home or store outlet or hanging socket. Gives the light of two 1000'watt nitrogen bulbs. The ideal in- expensive outfit for the cine operator. Use one for close-ups and two for general lighting. Takes stills in one-fifth of a second INDOORS with an ordinary f8 lens, and proportionately faster with faster lenses. The aluminum reflector and handle fold back for compactness. The handle tilts lamp to any angle. Size folded, 6x5x2 inches. Weight 45 ounces. Price each $15 net, complete with 15 feet of extension cord. Folding stand which raises lamp to 6 feet $2.50 net extra. BURKE & JAMES, INC. 223 W. Madison St. Chicago READ Sports Afield America's First Outdoor Monthly Magazine ESTABLISHED 1887 for the best outdoor stones by such famous writers as BOB BECKER— CAL JOHNSON — EDGAR A. GUEST— EL CAPITAN— JOE GOD- FREY, JR.— OZARK RIPLEY. Our 50,000 Readers Say that Sports Afield's Departments are the best in the field — including — FISHY FISH STORIES WATERCRAFT— MOTORCAMPING BINOCULARS FOR SPORTSMEN CAMPS, RESORTS tf TRAVEL AT THE TRAPS KENNEL AND LAIR Our #2,000.00 Fish Foto Contest has attracted thousands of new readers — if you have any photos of your catch, send to us for entry blanks. Our Advertisers Get Results Send $2.00 for 1 year subscription — with each subscription we will send you a Gold Autostrop Razor Set Complete. Sports Afield Magazine 542 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, III. magazine QST. The little radio re- search laboratories that sprang up all over the country really made ra- dio. These two organizations have the genuine hobby pushers. Amateur movies are a big thing now but only a big indication of the enormous thing that is to come. Among the manufacturers of cine out- fits, Bell & Howell, Eastman, De Vry and Victor have been the Paragon, Kennedy, Grebe and De Forest of the radio pioneer manufacturing stage. As in radio, there will follow many new manufacturers, keen competition and the resultant lower prices that will make amateur movies possible for every family. I am expecting — and I think every veteran hobby-rider is also — a world interest and a world activity in ama- teur movie making that will outstrip any hobby that we have ever known. And I am glad it is here. Now, for a plaintive P. S. Among the hobbies, I failed to mention golf. It's been a bit of a sore subject the last few weeks but we'll do it or bust. Bunkers and traps and the orneriness of the little white pill! But every real hobby must have them. Handicaps put the heart into it. FILMING PAST AGES— (Continued from page 17) sixteen to thirty-five. It is a great ad- vantage to have both the thirty-five and sixteen millimeter fields avail- able as markets. The initial outlay is somewhat larger but the actual value of the films is greatly in- creased. It is needless to say that several lenses of different focal length should be carried. With adequate equipment the serious amateur should be able to gather records which could go into many countries and which would be valuable now and invaluable later. And as regards the amateur who must stay at home and cannot range the world, he can do his share to de- velop the film as a truly interna- tional medium by making films of other lands and other peoples as widely used as possible. He can do this not only by projecting them in his own home for his children and friends but by encouraging and aid- ing the schools to employ films of this nature and also by urging clubs and churches and other institutions to show them. With this increase in demand, sufficient return on produc- tion costs will be assured and it will be possible for the people best quali- fied for this type of production to specialize in it and many more worth- while films will be realized and made available. Most satisfactorily project YOUR MOTION PICTURES «- IN COLORS ~ with the AUTOMATIC GOLORATOR (a worthwhile xmas gift) Now available for KODASCOPE Models A and B and for FILMO and DeVRY 16 mm. projectors. You can attach it to your projector in ONE SECOND. It does not mar the finish of your machine and is always in proper alignment with the projection lens. It permits focusing the lens, while attached. The COLORATOR is automatic in operation and positive in action. No fumbling or juggling is necessary, as the color discs are individually or collec tively interchanged instantaneously at the touch of a button. With the COL- ORATOR, you can make your movies most realistic with numerous color effects, improve overexposed scenes, and greatly enhance the pleasure of them. 15 Different Colors at your fingertip The mechanism of the COLORATOR is enclosed in a dustproof housing, thus in- suring against finger-marking or damaging the color discs. The COLORATOR is light in weight and compact, yet durably constructed, and, fin- ished in crystallized black enamel, it harmonises with the beauty of your equip- ment. GUARANTEED FOR TWO YEARS. PRICE $19.50 Manufactured by AMERICAN CINE PRODUCTS GO. P. N. Flum, President. ARGYLE & SAWYER AVE. CHICAGO, ILL. FLORIDA THE LAND OF SUNSHINE Ideal for taking interesting shots every day in the year; and, of all Florida, De Leon Springs, The Fountain oj Youth, has exceptional advantages to offer the camerist. Bathing, Boating, Golf, Horseback Riding, Fishing, Hunting and Motoring. write Fred N. Burt Developer and Amateur Movie Fan De Leon Springs, Fla. Sixty-jive Why Rent Your Library Films? You can exchange your old Library Films for new at a very small cost. For little more than the cost of one 400 ft. film you can get the use of twelve 400 ft. films. Each film you get belongs to you. Write today for this information HATTSTROM & SANDERS 702 Church Street, Evanston, Illinois. Please send me full information on your film exchange proposition. Name Address City and State A Complete Laboratory Service NEGATIVES DEVELOPED FIRST PRINTS AND REPRINTS IN ANY QUANTITY ON STANDARD OR 16mm STOCK FREDERICK F. WATSON 74 SHERMAN STREET LONG ISLAND CITY, N. Y. The Photographic Annuals No matter what other photographic literature you read, one or more of the annuals should be added to your library each year. They bring together under a single cover material which could not be easily compared in any other way. The pictorialist, especially, will find the annuals invaluable in studying ruling tendencies and checking up the progress made from year to year. THE AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY The 42nd volume of this annual, the second in the new enlarged form, will be printed on the finest glossy coated paper which can be obtained, in order to give the best possible rendering to more than ninety full-page reproductions of important pictorial work of the year, American and foreign. The articles are specially written for the book by experts and cover a large variety of popular and instructive articles, including printing the negative, the use of superspeed lenses, the practice of color plate photography, amateur movie work, bromoil, mounting, hypersensitizing plates, the wonders of photomicrography, a criticism of all the pictures, a review of the year's work in photography, etc. Formu- lary, list of American Camera Club, and Who's Who in Pictorial Photography, a list of the world's exhibitors, are also included. Price, paper $1.50, cloth $2.25. Postage extra — 1st and 2nd zones, 1-150 miles, 9c; 3rd zone, 150-300 miles, 12c; 4th zone, 300-600 milees, 17c; 5th zone, 600-1000 miles, 22c; 6th zone, 1000-1400 milees, 27c; 7th zone, 140-1800 miles, 33c; 8th zone, over 1800 miles, 38c. THE BRITISH JOURNAL PHOTOGRAPHIC ALMANAC The same big book with its wonderful advertising section, practical articles, and twice as many pictorial illustrations in photogravure. Price, paper $1.00, cloth $1.50 Postage, 1st and 2nd zones, 1-150 miles, 9c; 3rd zone, 150-300 miles, 12c; 4th zone, 300-600 miles, 17c; 5th zone, 600-1000 miles, 22c; 6th zone, 1000-1400 miles, 27c; 7th zone, 1400-1800 miles, 3 3c; 8th zone, over 1800 miles, 38c. PHOTOGRAMS OF THE YEAR 1927 The international annual of pictorial photography, containing selected prints from the best workers of all countries, with interesting text. Price, paper $2.50, cloth, $3.50. THE PICTORIAL WORK OF THE R. P. S., 1927 A volume of reproductions of the finest photographs from this year's Royal Photo- graphic Society Exhibition, with a running commentary and criticism by Tilney. Price, paper $2.50, cloth $3.50. PENROSE'S ANNUAL— The Process Year Book and Review of the Graphic Arts, 1928. This book contains valuable articles on the year's progress in photo-engraving and printing methods with beautiful monotone and full color reproductions by all the most beautiful processes known. Price, cloth $4.00. CAMERAGRAPHS OF THE YEAR 1927 Similar to Photograms and containing reproductions of work from the Australian Salon, with critical review. Price, paper $2.50, cloth $3.50. THE JAPAN PHOTOGRAPHIC ANNUAL Text partly in English, mainly in Japanese. Beautiful reproductions of Japanese work only. A much larger volume than last year's book. Price, $3.00. THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SALON OF JAPAN, 1927 Beautiful full-page reproductions of 189 photographs from all over the world, ex- hibited in Japan in 1927. Price, $4.00. DEUTSCHER CAMERA-ALMANACH A literary and pictorial year book containing valuable articles in German and many beautiful pictures. Price, $2.00. PHOTOFREUND-JAHRBUCH Similar to the last, but a little larger in size of page. Text also in German, Price, $2.50. DAS DEUTSCHE LICHTBILD 1927 The new German year book, containing magnificent reproductions in photogravure averaging 8 x 10 on a page 10 x 13, of the same importance as the French Annual. Price, $3.50. LUCI ED OMBRE An annual of Italian artistic photography, showing only the work of the Italian school. Strong and masterly. Price, boards $2.50. XXIIe SALON INTERNATIONAL DE PHOTOGRAPHIE 1927 The annual of the French Photographic Society, made up of pictures from the Paris Salon. Printed throughout in photogravure. Price, $3.50 . For sale by all dealers, or AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHIC PUBLISHING COMPANY 428 Newbury Street, Boston 17, Mass. The value of these records gath- ered from all parts of the world will be dependent upon the breadth of view and the truly international spirit employed in their editing and presentation. It would be a great ad- vantage if the co-ordination and edit- ing of such material could be car- ried out by an organization of un- disputed educational prestige. Al- ready this is foreshadowed. One of the leading universities is consider- ing the establishment of an institu- tion where films of educational value may be collected and edited. If this institution is realized it will serve as a center through which all those pro- ducing films of permanent value can find a distribution for their material. In any case some co-ordination of all the various efforts in this field is essential if films are to play as im- portant a part as they are capable of playing in international relations. Those amateurs who work in this field, either by preparing films or promoting their use, can feel assured that they are not wasting their efforts but that they are making a real con- tribution toward establishing better international understanding. EDITING FILM FOR FUN (Continued from page 21) ahead of an action are necessary to give the mind an opportunity to see the scene and prepare itself for some- thing to happen. Once the action is under way, it can be cut off before the actual end and the mind will imagine it sees the entire action. Con- tinue this procedure of cutting out the parts devoid of action. Each cut means a splice and each splice takes time, but the work of building up a reel is intensely interesting and well worth all the times devoted to it. Re- member that you only do your cut- ting and editing once — after that you show your film many times. If your film is too dark, due to under-exposure or too weak due to over-exposure, it may be treated chemically to correct these faults. Any photographic hand book will tell how to reduce a dense film with Farmer's reducer or how to intensify a weak film with a bichloride of mer- cury intensifier. These processes work on your cine film as well as they do on regular Kodak film. Don't be afraid to use them if the occa- sion demands. Often there is just a single blank frame between scenes where the cam- era was stopped. This single blank frame causes a flash of light on the screen as it runs through the pro- jector. This flash is very hard on the eyes. It is not necessary to cut and splice the film just to remove a single frame. Secure a tube of "opaque" S i x ty - s i x GOERZ The manufacturers of Goerz Len- ses, knowing the importance of ac- curate focusing in motion picture making, have recently brought out several new devices which provide accurate focusing means for cameras such as the FILMO and VICTOR. Goerz Reflex Focuser for long focus lenses. Goerz Focusing Base and Finder- scope. Goerz Mask Box and Title-Device. are now ready for use with Filmo and Victor cameras. Descriptive matter is ready and in preparation and will be mailed upon request by C. P. Goerz American Optical Co. 319-AEast 34th St., New York, N. Y. JUST THE THING For Christmas Stoc\ings "LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD" A Beautifully Acted film of This WelHoved Fairy Story 1 Reel $7.50 2 Reel Version $14.00 Also just out 'Atlantic City Pageant of 1927" "The Fair of the Iron Horse" $7.50 each. Postpaid to any part of U. S. Amateur Movie Service. Dept. D. 853 N. Eutaw St. Baltimore, Md. MOTION PICTURES of every description Shots and stock scenes of most anything LARGE CATALOG LISTING of short subjects for the home in standard or 16 mm. Special Exchange Arrangement Metropolitan Motion Picture Company 108-110 West 34th Street New York City kinoPano-Tilt for 16 mm. equipment The most efficient, light' est and most convenient tripod made. Weight complete as shown 4 lbs. Extreme height 5 feet. Aluminum head. Duco finished. Tilting Head SI 7. 50 F.O.B. Los Angeles Tripod S 17.50 F.O.B. Los Angeles Dealers please write manufacturer K. W. Thalhammer 123 South Fremont St., Los Angeles, Calif. from anv photographic dealer and carefully paint the opaque on the blank frame, thus blocking it out. The opaque dries in a few minutes. Do not allow anything to come in contact with it before it is dry. This removes the objectionable flash be- tween scenes. The opaque frame is invisible as it passes through the projector. However, if the blank space extends over several frames, it should be cut out and not doped with opaque. Doubtless you will have some titles to insert in your film while you are editing it. Remember that the "spoken title" must be inserted in ex- actly the right place to be effective. Examine the film with your magni- fying glass and look at the lips of the speaker of your spoken title. Xote where they begin to move and then note where they stop moving. The spoken title should not be in- serted half way between these two points as many people believe, but should be inserted just before the end of the speech — about four or five frames before the lips stop moving. Make your scenes follow each other in logical sequence regardless of how they were taken originally. \ our films should contain close-ups. These close-ups should be inserted throughout the film and not bunched together. After two or three distant scenes, medium or long shots, a close- up should be inserted. Be careful not to do this mechanicallv but to use a little judgment so as to break the monotony now and then. Bear in mind, when editing your film, that it is far better to show a short snappy pleasing reel full of live action and interest than a long dull reel full of waits, delays and photographic defects. Remember, when originally photographing a scene that it is better to take a little more film than necessary rather than skimp your film. The tendency in operating a spring driven camera is to make the scenes too short. \ ou can always cut awav the surplus film, but seldom if ever can you add on to a scene that is too short. Some professional editors do not bother to make the individual splices as thev go along. Instead they tem- porarily fasten the film together with paper clips wherever they cut it and thus assemble the entire reel. After they have finished the actually cut- ting and editing, they go over the film and do all the splicing at one time. This is a matter of individual pref- erence. After vou have gone through the reel completely, you are ready to project it once more. Note the im- provement! Perhaps in the editing "4 '♦ M The Standard White Ink I for "Movie" Title Making § I | | i i I 1 FLOWS JOHNSTONS READILY DRIES -.■'■.■*KM/rnM QUICKLY WHITE INK ADHERES FIRMLY RAISED LINE HAND MADE TITLES ARE BEST V: 2 0z. 25c (COMPLETE OUTFIT, OUTFIT CONSISTS OF A JAR OF JOHNSTON'S "SNOW WHITE' WHITE INK. BALL AND STUB POINTED PENS. CAMEL'S HAIR BRUSH. PEN CLEANSER AND DI- RECTION SHEET. i '4 i I I I I I i At Your Photo Supply Dealer % or direct from the Manufacturer $ 1915 J.W.JOHNSTON 1927 '4 (MANUFACTURER ) 2 Nuarts Bldg., Rochester, N. Y. ?£ THE W. B. & E. "PILOTLIGHT" A convenient light on your Filmo Projector that enables you to operate and change your reels with plenty of illumination that does not attract the attention of or annoy your audience. Makes operating your projector a pleasure. L i\ No extra wires needed. , s / Just pull the switch and the Light J V * is there — When and Where you * J) need it. Easily attached to your machine in a few minutes and projector can be packed away in case with- out detaching. Price $6.00 From your Dealer or Direct WILLIAMS, BROWN & EARLE, Inc. "The Home of Motion Picture Equipment" Filmo Motion Picture Cameras and Projectors 918 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Sixty-seven Swaps Exchange your still camera for A MOVIE Our stock is most complete of all pop- ular makes. N. Y. Camera Exchange 109 FULTON STREET NEW YORK CITY Dept. M OWNERS OF 16 M. M. Apparatus It is to your advantage to clip this ad, fill it out, send it to us and you will receive expert advice FREE OF CHARGE HEDWIG Motion Picture Laboratories Inc. 48 CONGRESS AVENUE FLUSHING, N. Y. J^ame Address Apparatus The NEW DeVry 16 mm. Projector $85.00 Liberal Allowance on Old Projectors ^^ PICKUP Cine Kodaks Pathex DeVry & BROWN, Inc. OPTICIANS Motion Picture Accessories 41 EAST 41st ST., NEW YORK, N. Y. Phone Murray Hill 0041 Write oi phone regarding SHOW-AT-HOME MOVIE LIBRARY SERVICE process, you have skipped a scene. Stop the projector at once and cut it properly right then and there — or you may have difficulty in locating it again. If you see a place where you would like to insert a title, you can mark that place by cutting a small piece of adhesive tape just the size of a frame and sticking it on the desired spot while the film is still in the projector. This makes the exact place easy to locate again when you have the film on the rewind. Don't slop through your work and think that a particular scene will get by without editing. If you are going to edit at all, do it thoroughly. Edit- ing is slow work and calls for a great deal of patience. Remember, how- ever, that it is very fascinating and the results well worth while. AMATEUR CLUBS (Continued from page 25) fall season. The nature of the scen- ario has not yet been revealed nor does the "still" recently taken on location, which appears in this de- partment, give any idea, except that the cameraman and director are mightily interested in their work. Is the empty pool an essential set in the "Curious Experiment" or is it just a convenient and well-lighted place in which to film a scene? At a recent election of the Little Film Guild Edward W. Burwell was selected cameraman, Charles Jones as director and Edward Cowley as secretary-treasurer. A Winter Orange AND How!" it to be the title of the one reel comedy on which the Motion Picture Club of the Oranges (New Jersey) started work during October. "The story is not startlingly original," writes Russell T. Ervin, script author and Amateur Cinema League member, "however, it is designed to give the club op- portunity for novel camera work and the use of lighting effects hitherto not attempted." About half of the action of the picture will be taken in night scenes during a driving rain and in medium interior shots. The club has made its own arc lamps to use in these scenes. The story is based on the life of a young married couple, played by Beatrice Traendly and Alfred Font- ana. The plot deals with the temp- orary aberration of the restless husband, resulting in a wild ride in the rain with a former flame, played by Margaret Ervin. But it is all a dream and wedded bliss settles firmly on the young couple. A COMPLETE RENTAL LIBRARY OF 16 MM. SUBJECTS is now available at our PARK AVENUE STORE Full Length Photoplays 75c No deposit required from charge account customers. Regional Library of HOME FILM LIBRARIES 16 MAIDEN LA Gillette Camera Stores Inc., PARK AVENUE AT4Is+.ST. r?£W YvDA" A few comments on Little Sunny "Little Sunny is the ideal artificial lamp. Of all my artificial lamps, yours is the handiest." 'Warren S. O'Brien, Wau\esha, Wis. "It is a corker and the best all around lamp in our shop." Sanborn Studios, Lynn, Mass. "I think Little Sunny is a wonderful little giant. Together with a more powerful (20 amp) arc light it serves beautifully to light up shadows in taking groups, etc. For still life and genre at homes I use Little Sunny only." Dr. George Richter, St. Louis, Mo. "Little Sunny is splendid. I am more than pleased. It's equal to any $140 light." Geo. Barrett, Cleveland, Ohio. "This little lamp is the best thing of its kind I ever had, don't know how I could get along without it." Paul Fallen, Mt. Oliver, Pa. Little Sunny pulls 8 amps., works on A. C. or D. C. 110 volts. The aluminum reflector and handle fold back for compactness. Uses 6.4 mm. x 6" carbons, size folded 7 x 5 x 2J/2 inches, weighs with 15 feet of cord 50 ounces and costs $15 complete with cord and six double carbons; 6 ft. folding stand $2.50. If you don't li\e Little Sunny, you can return him within 10 days and we'll cheerfully refund your money. LEONARD WESTPHALEN 438 Rush Street - Chicago, Illinois Sixty-eight With the exception of the printing, the production will be completely handled by the club. The production committee is headed by Russell T. Ervin, jr. and the advertising and publicity committee by Edgar Will- iamson, jr. Other members of the club are working on properties, lo- cations and other production details. The Motion Picture Club of the Oranges is planning to submit "And How" to the Photoplay Magazine contest. LLOYD DUNNING Chairman of the Motion Picture Division of the Cleveland Photographic Society Milwaukee Is Moving E. J. Schaefer, an alert League member, is leading in the form- ation of a new cine club in Milwau- kee. An informing and diverting cir- cular has been prepared and sent out to the numerous cine equipment owners of Milwaukee, inviting them to a charter organizatioon meeting. The pleasure and instruction to be found in mutual association is to be the key-note of the new club. "It is costly to learn alone by our own errors," sums up the circular which urges "let's share our experiences". This fine, practical basis for a club cannot help building for complete success. Lend a Hand! OF interest to League members in Boston is the call of the Little Screen Players of that city, for "those who can assist in the prepara- tion of script, direction, camera work and film editing." W. V. Burwell, secretary of the board of governors of the club, issues the appeal. a FILMITE n i (Patents Pending) The only thoroughly tested film cleaning and rejuvenating lotion, endorsed by amateurs and professionals alike. > "The 'FILMITE' is very satisfactory." — George W. Clarke, Jacksonville, Fla. "We have given this product a trial, and feel convinced that this is the thing we have been looking for." — Olympic Film Studios, Seattle, Wash. "We highly recommend the use of 'FILMITE'." — Browning Studios, N. Y. C. "We were 100% skeptical — then we tested 'FILMITE', and feel that you have made a very valuable contribution to everyone who uses Motion Picture Filmr " — Dramagraph Motion Picture Corporation, N. Y. C. "It may interest you to know that 'FILMITE' seems to be the answer to our prayer for a film cleaning fluid that would honestly do the job, without affecting in any way the film." — Capitol Projector fe? Film Co., Chicago. "Our customers are satisfied with 'FILMITE'." — Fowler £■? Slater Co., Cleveland, Ohio. "FILMITE" cleans both sides of the film, either negative, reversal, or positive. "FILMITE" is non-inf tamable, dries immediately and prevents film from getting brittle. For sale at your dealers or direct in sixteen (16) ounce bottles, $1.2?, F. O. B., New York. "SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT" In connection with "FILMITE", MOVIEADS, Inc., announces the completion of (Patents Pending) An automatic film cleaning and polishing machine for amateurs and professionals, cleaning and polishing standard or sixteen (16) mm., film. One operation cleans and polishes both sides of the film, no experience neces- sary, can be used by anyone. "THE FILMEDOR" is fourteen (14) inches in length, light in weight. No part of "THE FILMEDOR" can ever get out of order. With the use of "FILMITE", "THE FILMEDOR" cleans and polishes one thousand (1,000), feet of film at a cost of approximately five cents. For sale at your dealers or direct. Price $15, F. O. B., New York. .NC. 507 Fifth Avenue New York City The INSTITUTE STANDARD Professional Motion Picture Camera Only $150. Film your pictures on stand' ard size film. Show your club productions in a theatre or large auditorium. Repay your club expenses and se- cure projecting equipment without extra cost. Costs less than a high-grade amateur camera. Pictures can be shown in any theatre or movie. All metal construction handsomely finished, light- weight and portable. Complete with carrying case. Models for every taste and purse. Write for FREE CATALOG and full particulars New York Institute of Photography Dept. 18, 14 West 33rd St., New York for FILMO, CINE-KODAK PATHEX — DE VRY Complete stoc\s of all Cameras, Projectors & Accessories LUGENE, Inc. OPTICIANS 600 Madison Ave., N. Y. C. Near 58th Street TELEPHONE PLAZA 6001 Sixty-nine For Those INDOOR CHRISTMAS PICTURES and dusky days use The Fastest Lens In The World Formula of Dr. Rudolph Its depth, of focus is truly remar\ablc 1 in. Lens instantly adaptable to FILMO, VICTOR $54.00 ^3/^- Booklet upon request HUGO MEYER & CO., Inc. 105 W. 40th St. New York Factories — Goerlitz, Germany Join our new library — complete line of films — 16 mm. Westerns — comedies, dramas, educational and religious. Both for rental and sale. EXCLUSIVE FILM SERVICE 732 S. Wabash, Dept. M, Chicago, III. Authorized Dealer FOR CINE KODAK, FILMO DE VRY, EYEMO Complete Stoc\ of Accessories Just Arrived THE NEW KODASCOPE PROJECTOR, MODEL B SELF THREADING AND REWIND and many other wonderful features Your Old Projector in Trade Private Projection Room Complete Service - Splicing Titles ' Editing -Etc. Columbus Photo Supply 146 COLUMBUS AVENUE At 66th St. & B'way, New York open evenings Camera Women THE distaff side of the Motion Picture Club of New Haven, Conn., is engaged in the production of a film, the nature of which has not been divulged, even to the men of the club. In protective return, the male club members held a smoker, the pro- gram of which included a musical prologue, a wrestling bout and the projection of club pictures. We are, of course, dispassionate, but we are laying a strong bet on the ladies. Prospects THE active formation of cine clubs is under way in River- side, California; Montreal, Canada; Verdigre, Nebraska, and Montgom- ery, Alabama. W. M. Dom, of Green- burg, Pennsylvania, is leading in the formation of a club in that city. Scenario Clinic THIS department invites any group, planning a photoplay, to send in its scenario for construc- tive examination and suggestion. The club consultant will offer hints as to improvement, cost reduction, simpli- fication and other details. ANYBODY'S CHRISTMAS (Continued from page 15) Scene 9 — Exterior Shopping District (Iris in) Long Shot Shooting down on traffic congested street — crowds rushing to and fro. (Iris out). Scene 10 — Exterior Sidewalk (Iris in) Close-Up Of Mr. Anybody's feet moving with camera (shoot from auto or other moving contrivance) — feet of crowd in background. (Iris out). Scene 11 — Exterior Sidewalk (Iris in) Close-Up Of Mrs. Anybody's feet mincing along swiftly— feet of crowd in background. (Irisout). Scene 12 — Exterior Sidewalk (Iris in) Close-Up Of juvenile feet occasionally eclipsed by those of crowd. (Iris out). Scene 13 — Exterior Anybody Home (Iris in) Long Shot Mary walks into scene from left — starts up path — George follows loaded with packages — Mary stops suddenly with hands on hips — irritat- ed at brother's slowness but doesn't offer assistance — urges him to hurry — both walk hastily up path to en- trance and go in closing door behind them. Mr. and Mrs. Anybody in from left — evidently met downtown — about to start up path when they /Ul~-> L RALPH R.ENO 117 PARK AVE. NEW YORK. pioneer art title builder and film editor ^and Lettered £Arps titles ®be Ittter ltfn& Exclusive But Inexpensive THE critics have selected them as a criterion, see page 21, Oc- tober Amateur Movie Makers. Try Them! SEND $2.00 with copy for 3 titles and let me make these up as samples of my work. BEAUTI- FUL ART BORDERS used upon request. Phone Wisconsin 4020 — Ext. 3 ENO'S ART TITLES I TITLES S5£^ m Complete editing and titling HAftA".'... service. (16 mm. or stand- service. ( 16 mm. or stand- ard.) Cinematography. CLARK CINE-SERVICE 2540 Park Ave, CAdilla < u DETROIT, MICH. Announcing FOOTBALL on 16 mm. Film If you attended any one of the fol- lowing games you may be in the picture: Harvard-Dartmouth Minnesota- Wisconsin Penn-Harvard Chicago-Michigan Colgate-Syracuse Dartmouth-Cornell Pittsburgh-Nebraska Michigan-Navy Notre Dame-U. of Southern Cal. Michigan-Minnesota Colgate-Brown Penn-Cornell Some of the scenes: "Lloyd of Navy runs 85 yards for touchdown." "Welch of Pitt makes touchdown from kick-off." "Marsters of Dartmouth around end for 13 yards." See these teams in action from the side-lines. Length of each release 100 feet. Price $7.50 Your dealer has them for sale or for rent Stone Film Laboratory "Exclusive 16 mm. Productions" 8807 HOUGH AVENUE Cleveland, Ohio. ^'Developing and printing of 16 mm. negative. Printed and hand-drawn titles. Seventy ^H You Too can take indoor scenes, getting pro- fessional results with the new "Cameralite." tAay be connect- ed to any outlet. Sixteen pictures per second at F 3.5 over an area of 30 square feet is child's play with a "Cameralite." Large Motion Picture Producers have used our lights with huge success since 1910. AT YOUR DEALER Manufactured by M. J. Wohl & Co., Inc. 40th Ave. and 10th Street Long Island City, N. Y. £ Q/ HomeMovie t JcenarioBook 7T* ;- The Xmas Gift for Movie Makers! 20 Scenarios With Directing Notes. Second Printing — $2.50 — at all dealers RICHARD MANSON, Publisher 535 Fifth Avenue, New York City CANADIAN Amateur Movie Makers We specialize in 16 mm. develop- ing, printing and titling. 100 ft. rolls of negative including developing and one print, $9.00. Extra prints or prints from any 16 mm. negative $5.00 per 100 ft. Titles, 3 cents per word, minimum charge per title 20 cents. Distributors of Filmo, Cine Kodak, Victor and DeVry cameras, pro- jectors and accessories. Rental li- brary of 16 mm. subjects. Write for Lists REGINA FILMS, Limited Banner Building REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN greet Mrs. Somebody, a neighbor, en- tering scene from right — Mrs. Any- body grasps neighbors' hands — both chat eagerly — moment later children appear at first story window and wave — father sees them and waves back — then both take leave of neigh- bor and continue up path to entrance. Scene 14 — Interior First Story Win- dow Semi Close-Up Of children watching parents coming up path without packages — stare at each other perplexed — then George says with smile Subtitle 1 "Maybe there is a Santa Claus" Mary skeptical and urges brother in past camera. (Iris out on curtained window) . Scene 15 — Interior Anybody Home (Night) (Iris in) Medium Shot Of fireplace with Christmas tree near by — Mr. and Mrs. Anybody busy decorating tree — stockings over fire- place^— childrens' already filled (Iris out). Scene 16 — Interior Anybody Home (Morning) (Iris in) Medium Shot Showing fireplace and tree all deco- rated— Mary and George run in from behind camera with packages — begin to fill parents' stockings — then snatch their own from fireplace and empty contents on floor — jump with delight as contents pour out. Mr. and Mrs. Anybody enter from behind camera — stricken with amazement when they see stockings filled — both take stock- ings from fireplace while children urge them to empty contents — all sit on floor — exclamations as packages fall out. Scene 17 — Interior Anybody's Home Close-Up Of Mrs. Anybody's hands untying package — starts to lift cover from box. Scene 18 — Interior Anybody Home Close-Up Of Mrs. Anybody uttering exclama- tions of surprise. Scene 19 — Interior Anybody Home Close-Up Of Mr. Anybody lifting necktie from box on floor — exclaims Subtitle 2 "Just what I wanted " Scene 20 — Interior Anybody Home Medium Shot Mr. and Mrs. Anybody exclaiming over presents — children hugging toys — then Mr. Anybody and George get up and march around Christmas tree — Mrs. Anybody and Mary take cue and follow — all march around tree swinging stockings — all sing "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" — general merriment and excitement. (Iris out very slowly). THE END A Friendly Word of Advice Any new mercantile movement with great profit potentialities is sure to at- tract a host of "just as good" hanger- ons! This is true of SHOW-AT- HOME MOVIE LIBRARY— and we suggest that you investigate our MER- CHANT CONTROLLED library care- fully before contracting for your future supply of films. Here are five BIG reasons why Show-at-Home Movie Li- brary is the best proposition in the field — Study them! "I — pick of the pictures made and re- A* leased by Universal Pictures Corpora- tion— largest manufacturer of mo- tion pictures in the world. O — pictures that are nationally adver- • tised in such magazines as The Satur- day Evening Post and Photoplay Magazine. *5 — pictures produced by an organiza- tion that has been making pictures for 22 years — or since the inception of the movies as popular entertain- ment. A — pictures which in addition to be- ing produced for general release are good enough for Universal's own 300 high class theatres. C — pictures from a company headed by a man known to every fan for his unquestioned integrity and re- liability— Carl Laemmle — who stands behind every picture on Show-at- Home's Release Schedule thus guar- anteeing only the very choicest pic- tures. COMPARE! Then let us send our rep- resentative to give you the details of our proposition! SHOW-AT-HOME MOVIE LIBRARY 730 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK Do YOU Want A BINDER Like This For The First Volume of Amateur Movie Makers? If Enough of Our Readers So Ad- vise Us We Can Plan To Provide Them at a Reasonable Price. LET US KNOW! Seventy-one AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS INDEX DECEMBER, 1926— DECEMBER, 1927 Month I CAMERA WORK: Air Cinematography August Beebe's Brass Box August Closeups June Filming in Florida October Flower Filming August Flying With a Camera February Golf Trophies, How Movies Win February Griffith Was Right September Hollywood, An Amateur Visits October Living Natural History .March Midnight Movies December, '27 Movies for Music July Par Shooting January Past Ages — Today, Filming December, '27 Perils of Panoraming May Silhouettes, Cine April Small Town Movies July Sportsmen, Cine August Wild Life, Blind Shots at August COMPOSITION: Shadows as a Movie Motif March CRITICAL FOCUSING: Reviews of Professional Photoplays: Animal Possibilities — "Chang" June Camera Angles — "Net Results" October Cinematics — "Dress Parade" December, '27 Closeups — "Camille" June "What Price Glory" October "Underworld" October Composition — "King of Kings" June "Beau Geste" July "Old San Francisco" August ' 'Heaven on Earth' ' August "The Unknown" August ' 'Moon of Israel " August "Patent Leather Kid" November "Mr. Wu" July Costuming — "Madame Pompadour" September "The Forbidden Woman" December, '27 Cutting — "Potemkin" May "A Million Bid" July Dream Scenes — "Secrets of a Soul" June Fog Scenes — "The Blood Ship" September Human Body, Beauty of — "The Way to Strength and Beauty' ' September Lap Dissolves — "Metropolis" May ' 'A Million Bid" July "Loves of Sunya" August Lighting — "Seventh Heaven" July "Beau Geste" July "Old San Francisco" August ' 'The Unknown' ' August "Tartuffe" ~. .September "The Blood Ship" September "The Joy Girl" October "High Hat" October "Mr. Wu" July Machinery — "Man Power" September "Patent Leather Kid" November Model Work — "Metropolis" May "Old San Francisco August Motif — "Uncle Tom's Cabin" December, '27 Moving Camera — "Seventh Heaven" July "Captain Salvation" August Multiple Exposures — "A Million Bid" July ' 'Loves of Sunya' ' August News Reel Inserts — "Convoy" July Scenario — "White Gold" June "Beau Geste" July "Pajamas" December, '27 Slow Motion — "Net Results" October "College" October Shadows, Use of — "Night of Love" July "A Million Bid" July "The Cat and the Canary" October "Patent Leather Kid" November Silhouettes — "Flesh and the Devil" May "The Magician of Taloo" July Tempo — "Potemkin" May "A Million Bid" July Titles — "Metropolis" May "Camille" June "The Way of All Flesh" . ; August "The Prince of Headwaiters" September "The Cat and the Canary" October "Spring Fever" November Trick Photography — "High Hat" October "Student Prince" November Types — "The Unknown" August Vitaphone — "The Jazz Singer" December, '27 CUTTING, SPLICING AND EDITING: Cutting and Reviewing Box, A September Editing Films for Fun December, '27 Film Library, Creating a March Summer Films, Your October EXPOSURE: Exposures ' February Exposure Data June Exposure Data for Fall and Winter November Hitting It Just Right April FILTERS: Filter Data December, '27 INTERIOR LIGHTING: Arc, A Home Made October Ask Me Another April Indoor Movies February Lighting Interiors July Shadows as a Movie Motif March 22 28 25 22 29 29 22 22 26 27 27 27 21 22 23 24 45 23 22 23 23 45 23 27 22 22 26 27 22 23 28 28 22 23 21 45 26 24 22 26 23 27 23 22 22 24 28 53 23 23 28 21 45 23 45 23 45 22 26 23 28 21 28 21 27 25 40 22 9 13 27 23 23 14 LABORATORY WORK: M°mh ' Developing and Titling Outfit, How to Make April Printer, Building a 16mm June Processing : March Roosevelt Films Were Saved, How the March Tinting Data I .'September LERSES: I Amateur Telephotography May Focusing Data yu]y MAKEUP: Elderly Character Makeup May Movie Makeup March MOVIE CLUBS: Department, Amateur Club October November Dpcpmhpr PHOTOPLAY PRODUCTION: Actors as Amateurs October Broadway Hails the Amateurs . June Cinema Democracy jui„ Hollywood, An Amateur Visits October Hollywood at Harkness August Love by Proxy December, '26 Now It an Be Told May Razzberried Treasure April Room Mates February Simplified Scenery for Photoplays October Simplifying the Scenario , ,_ November PROJECTION: Bettering Projection june Perils of Projection November Screens, Philosophy of September Trouble Tannarv SCENARIOS: J "y Anybody's Christmas December, '27 Billy Starts School October Bride, Filming the Fall November Champions in 18 Holes January Dangerous Ground April May ~ , June Great Yonker's Jewel Robbery, The February Held Up Hold Up, A March Nee Listener July Reeling the Sports December, '26 Scenarios December, '26 Thrillproof Age, The January TELEPHOTOGRAPHY: Amateur Telephotography May TITLE WORK: Art Title Backgrounds September October November December, '27 Developing and Titling Outfit, How to Make April Fine Art of Titling, The September Plea for Titles, A August Title Data October The Title — Mouth of the Movies July TRAVEL FILMING: Angles and Arches June Around the World With a Little Movie Camera ,. . . .January Cameras Afloat September Heirs to the Flathead June Homemade Travelogues November Interesting, What Makes a Film December, '26 Mediterranean Movies May Travel by Scenario February TRICK WORK: Animation Data August Backward Movies June Flower Filming August Trick Pictures May Tricks with Amateur Cameras November ART: GENERAL ARTICLES Arts, Oldest of the February Art, Movies and . . . March CHURCH: Church, Films for the September EDUCATION: Education for Educators, Cine May Education and the Amateur April Campus, The Traveling June Past Ages — Today, Filming December, '27 INDUSTRIAL: Industrial Filming October Mountain to Mahomet, Taking the July Timkens Super-Feature June LITTLE MOVIES: Intellectual Film, The March Little Movie in England, The December, '26 Limited Appeal Pictures Pay, Making April MEDICINE: Inside Information on Your Health December, '27 Saving Lives with Celluloid September MUSIC: Movies for Music July Movie Music Contest, A ,. .November NATURE: Africa, With Amateurs in June Flower Filming August Moose Ahead! — Camera December, '26 Paradise, Movie Makers' May PHILOSOPHY: , Maceanas for the Movies, A December, 26 Screens, Philosophy of September Slow Movies for Quick People . . February 33 15 33 14 16 29 26 26 18 35 36 41 26 9 20 14 28 10 14 18 20 16 13 12 19 10 16 45 27 16 9 15 15 18 12 12 12 12 22 17 6 20 24 28 33 7 15 21. 9 13 7 11 14 28 26 20 22 35 11 22 48 26 11 28 10 13 18 15 47 15 18 22 26 13 16 65 20 20 31 27 32 10 7 Seventy-two INDEX Month Page TRAVEL: Africa, With Amateurs in June 20 Ancient Mariner as Amateur, The June 10 Angles and Arches June 13 Around the World with a Little Movie Camera January 7 Ashore, And So December, '27 32 Beebe's Brass Box August 1 8 Cameras Afloat September 1 1 Cruise, First Movie Makers September 26 Cuba, The Camera's Eye in May 12 Flaherty, Filming with May 7 Florida, Filming in October 1 1 Hawaii's Royal Sport, Reeling May 22 Heirs to the Flathead June 14 Mediterranean Movies May 20 Mexico, Movie Maker's October 24 Paradise, Movie Maker's May 27 Past Ages — Today, Filming December, '27 18 Plantation Pictures July 1 0 Rockies, Reeling the May 1 8 Tower of the Dead, The January 1 3 Travel by Scenario February 22 Travelogues, Homemade November 28 SPORT: Cine Sportsman, The August 1 6 Golf Trophies, How Movies Win February 23 Golfing for the Movies December, '26 1 3 Hawaii's Royal Sport, Reeling May 22 Sidelights on Sportlights August 20 Sports, Reeling the December, '26 12 Tennis Mentor, The Movie as August 12 Textbooks of Sports, The New September 14 MISCELLANEOUS: Action, Say It With April 9 Amateur Turns a Penny, The December, '26 19 INDEX Month Page Ashore, And So December, '27 32 Cameraman, The Amateur Cinema March 28 Campus, The Traveling June 10 Cine Wizard Prophesies, A April 10 Cinemerry Christmas, A December, '27 1 6 Colored Home Movies by Radio December, '26 24 Cross Section of Our Dreams April 7 Elephants Art, Are July 7 Hollywood, An Amateur Visits October 1 4 Hollywood at Harkness August 28 Hollywood Films Its Children December, '26 27 Home Movies, Why All This Fuss About December, '27 30 Movies and Millions September 1 5 Newsreel, Scooping the November 32 Now It Can't Be Told June 19 Now It Can Be Told May 1 4 Old New York Was Younger, When August 4 1 Perfection the Goal . July 36 Pioneer, Portrait of a July 18 Poker Faces Needn't Worry May 9 Producers, In Defence of March 1 6 Rainbow, The End of the December, '27 15 Roosevelt Films Were Saved, How the March 14 Still Movies March 1 7 They Tell the Story January 2 1 Through the Jungles of Jersey August 10 Trouble December, '26 14 Wide-Angle Lens, Through a February 30 BOOK REVIEWS Cameraman, The Motion Picture June 48 Handbook of Motion Picture Photography September 35 Instruction, Motion Pictures for June 48 Let's Go to the Movies June 48 Scenario, The Home Movie June 48 Taking and Showing of Motion Pictures for the Amateur, The June 48 PROFESSIONAL HARMONY A Report of the Trade Practice Conference THE professional motion picture industry is the fourth in size of the great business activities of the country. It has shown, for a young world enterprise of only thirty years existence, two amazing accomplish- ments; it has grown with whirlwind rapidity and it has achieved a volun- tary self-control that no other indus- try ever equalled in the same time. The great producing units in the motion picture field established their organization under the leadership of Will Hays and accepted full public responsibility for their acts. They included with them the great distrib- uting units. The world has dealt with nearly a hundred per cent co-oper- ative production and distribution of motion pictures for some years. There has been competition but there has not been a lack of self-control and self-discipline Recently, this amazing industry gave a further exhibition of its capac- ity to keep its house in order. Pro- ducers, distributors, and exhibitors, both independent and those affiliated with producing and distributing com- panies, sent representatives, nearly two hundred in number, to attend a Trade Practice Conference under the presidency of the Honorable Abram F. Myers, Federal Trade Commissioner, in New York City. At this conference questions fundamen- tal to the public service rendered by the industry were discussed. With two or three minor exceptions an unanimous agreement was reached by all branches of the motion picture industry on all of these points. The chief question to be discussed was "block booking," or the group sale of exhibition rights to films made and distributed by the produc- ers. An agreement was reached by the industry whereby both producers and exhibitors were protected. The prin- ciple of group sale was maintained and exhibitors were given greater lee- way in exclusion of films that they estimate as locally less desirable. Other moot points were agreed up- on. The industry took occasion to reaffirm its trade practices with re- ference to the type of film it pro- duces. The list of "dont's" from which the producers refrain in pic- ture making were publicly recorded, the "formula" by which books, of controversial nature or unlikely to es- cape criticism from same portion of the public, are not accepted for pho- toplay adaptation, without unfairly "blacklisting" authors was written into the fundamental ethical code of the industry. Amateurs will be interested to know that a resolution condemning the sale of home projector library films by great producing companies, either directly or through agencies, was not even brought on the floor of the conference. This resolution was killed in a meeting of the exhibitor group itself, the very body that could be expected to object. The profes- sional industry took extreme care not to attack the growth of amateur cine- matography and home projection. The full protection for "non-theatri- cal" showing of films, that is, films shown not for paid public entertain- ment on a purely commercial basis but shown by semi-public bodies, churches, schools, etc., was accorded by the industry with the reasonable provision that unfair use of such films in direct competition to theatre owners under some flimsy pretext of "benefit" was not to be countenanced by the industry. The public may well be satisfied with this firct Trade Practice Confer- ence of the motion picture industry. An informal public group was created at the conference to watch the proceedings. At the suggestion of the Federal Trade Commissioner, this group made public through him an expression on "block booking." This group also heard representatives of the four branches of the industry at its separate group meetings, after the daily conference sessions. The voice of the public was available to the industry and the interests of the public were watched carefully. The managing director of the Amateur Cinema League was elected chairman of this public group. He was able, during its sessions, to carry the gospel of the League into new quarters. Seventy-three The largest 16 mm* film library in the world — KODASCOPE LIBRARIES, Inc. NEARLY FIVE HUNDRED (500) SUBJECTS ALREADY AVAILABLE Ranging From One to Seven Reels in Length OVER ONE THOUSAND DIFFERENT 400-FOOT REELS READY FOR YOU TO RUN The most popular stars, such as: JOHN BARRYMORE WALLACE BEERY CHARLIE CHAPLIN JACKIE COOGAN BEBE DANIELS DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS RAYMOND GRIFFITH EMIL JANNINGS MAY McAVOY POLA NEGRI RIN-TIN-TIN NORMA SHEARER GLORIA SW ANSON CONSTANCE and NORMA TALMADGE will play for you in their most popular successes any night you wish. World-wide distribution, an adequate number of duplicate copies and an established organization, offer you a program service that you can depend upon. Descriptive catalog of 176 pages furnished gratis to subscribers KODASCOPE LIBRARIES Are Established At: Atlanta, Ga., 183 Peachtree Street Boston, Mass., 260 Tremont Street Buffalo, N. Y., 228 Franklin Street Chicago, III., 133 North Wabash Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio, 1407 Walnut Street Cleveland, Ohio, 1126 Euclid Avenue Detroit, Mich., 1206 Woodward Avenue Kansas City, Mo., 916 Grand Avenue Los Angeles, Cal., 3150 Wilshire Boulevard Minneapolis, Minn., 112 South Fifth Street New York, N. Y., 33 West 42nd Street Philadelphia, Pa., 2114 Sansom Street Pittsburgh, Pa., Keenan Building San Antonio, Texas, 209 Alamo Plaza San Francisco, Cal., 241 Battery Street Seattle, Washington, 111 Cherry Street Toronto, Canada, 156 King Street West And in Thirty Foreign Cities All Around the World Seventy-jour C. LAZELL NORTHROP PRESS. N. Y. Gift of Gifts— ISP " Kodascope, Model B A Projector that's Almost Human YOU have not experienced to the full the thrill of home movies until you have operated Kodascope, Model B. And, once you have used it and have learned the almost un- canny things it can do, no other gift within vour power to give will quite compare. For Kodascope, Model B, threads itse/f.'lts silent, smooth- running motor rewinds your film! It reverses at the snap- ping of a switch, and shows your pictures backward — without the necessity of stop- ping the motor! It frames your pictures on the screen without shifting the illuminated area, making it unnecessary to re- adjust the leveling screw! It is equipped with a safe, quick- acting "still" picture attach- Special features of Kodascope, Model B Self-threading Motor rewind Reversible Safety "still" picture attachment Low center of gravity New framing principle Compact Light in weight Easy portability mentthat throws a heat-absorbing screen between the lamp and your film! Its low center of gravity obviates the possibility of tipping during the performance! And Kodascope, Model B, is so compact and light in weight that a child can carry it. It weighs but 13^ pounds and, when folded, occupies a space but -^X9XioJ<) inches! When not in use, the upper reel arm folds fast to the case and forms a convenient carrying handle! Here is the ultimate in home movie projectors, ready at your dealer's. See it, use it, marvel at its almost human abilities — and bring complete movie hap- piness to your own or a friend 's household this Christmas. It is truly the gift of gifts. Kodascope, Model B, complete with velvet-lined fibre carrying case, two 400-foot reels, one humidor can, one extra 200-watt lamp, a splicing outfit and ati oiling outfit, is priced at $joo Eastman KodakCompany,Rochester,N.Y., TheKodakdty V CAMERA Give the Camera and Projector made by "the Movie People ** (""//"n excellent rule in selecting gifts for Christmas is "'Give what ^nf y°u would li\e to receive." As an enthusiastic cinematog- v-^ V rapher you \now the superior merits of Bell 6s? Ho well Filmo motion picture equipment. You \now that Bell &? Howell cameras are used almost exclusively in making the feature pictures shown at the best theatres— and that Bell 6? Howell professional precision and adaptability are found, simplified, in Filmo for the amateur. The gift received with greatest satisfaction will bring most satis- faction to you — the giver. Here is the exceptional token of Christ- mas esteem— the gift in which you can always share. For those who already have a Filmo Camera and Projector choose something from the extensive list of Filmo accessories. A 3%" Telephoto Lens, a Character Title Writer, a Selective Color Attachment, or an Iris Vignetter— for example — will be warmly welcomed by the Filmo owner. See your nearest Filmo dealer today. Or write us for descriptive Filmo booklet and Catalog of Filmo Accessories. BELL 6? HOWELL CO. 1828 Larchmont Avenue • Chicago, Illinois HeivTork, Hollywood, London (B&HCo. Ltd.) Established igoj PROJECTOR a ITFeJO _,_.___ __.__.^ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 0 011 794 277 6