A TRAVELLER’S NOTEBOOK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3662, 20 May 1924, Page 9

A TRAVELLER’S NOTEBOOK.

Iso. IV. THE CENTRE OF THE FILM INDUSTRY.

By

Sir George Fenwick.

Los Angeles is the great home of the picture film industry, and we had the privilege of visiting one of the largest of the Paramount Picture concerns. Here we saw much to interest us. Under the courteous guidance of one of the officials we entered an immense structure in which the settings of the moving picture stories are prepared—the fashionable drawing room or dining room, the great stairway of a mansion, or the many other interior scenes where the fashion and beauty of the “movies” are depicted for the entertainment of movie audiences throughout the world. Space enough is there also in this great building for the assembling of a great crowd to represent some exciting picture scene, or for one or other of the many incidents that patrons of “the pictures” know so well. On the day of our visit rehearsal of a fashionable setting representing an evening gathering in a wealthy home was proceeding under the control of an active manager who exhibited exemplary patience while the film actors and actresses were settled in their allotted positions. In the cleverly managed distance, to the accompaniment of dreamy music, handsomely dressed women and their partners were dancing, and the whole scene was one of those attractive representations of gay life with which everyone is familiar. The photographer and his assistants were busy, watting for the manager's signal to drop the camera shutter, while powerful lights at various points were focussed on the brilliant setting. At the close of a very interesting experience we accompanied our guide to the room of the directing mind in this great concern —Mr Evton —and to our surprise learned from him that he was a native of Auckland, and that in his youth he had lived for fire years in Christchurch. We had a short hut interesting talk with him, and expressed our thanks for the privilege granted to us of an inspection of the work involved in preparing the settings of moving pictures. Incidentally I may mention that the preliminary cost for one year of films produced by the proprietary of which Mr Evton is the head, was between nine and ten million dollars. Our informant estimated. however, that as some reward for this great expenditure the nictures produced paid the capital cost in the first year, after which the profits were handsome. A SCENIC RAILWAY. In the hills which stretch away to the east from Pasadena lies Mount Lowe, its summit about 6000 ft from the fertile plain whereon are situated Los Angeles and Pasadena. Mount Lowe is deservedly famous because of the wonderful railway which takes the visitor to within IOOGft of the summit. This is operated by the Pacific Electric Railway Company. If a start is made from Los Angeles the route is by way of Pasadena. The electric portion of the line, after leaving the vallev, makes its sinuous way up the mountain until a point is reached where it can proceed no further. - Here transfer is made into curious cars, so constructed that, the passengers maintain an erect position when seated, although the line is nearly perpendicular. The traction principle is that of the endless wire cable, like that of the Mornington and Roslyn lines in Dunedin, and it is with no very comfortable sensation among those who are making the trip for the first time that they take their seats. J hey are reassured, however, when told that the line has been running for 30 years with complete immunity from accident. The experience is undoubtedly most interesting, and. the ascent accomplished, a transfer then takes place to anotiier section of the electric line. The route is tortuous, and we finally disembarked at "Ye Alpine Tavern"’ and the bungalow cottages which surround it, the resort ot people from all over the States. Snow lay in patches at the edges of the forest track as we ascended, but there was none near the Alpine House. Among the attractions of this elevated spot is an offshoot of the well-kown silver fox ranch at Minnesota. At this ranch the breeding of silver foxes for tbeir fur has been successfully carried on for some years, and the experiment at Mount Lowe has shown that success in breeding there may probably be looked for In an interesting short history of this remarkable railway Professor I.owe tells his own story of its construction, which, alas, ended disastrously for him, for America was then passing through one of the worst financial periods m its history. So acutely did this atfeet Mr Lowe’s finances that he was forced to file a petition in bankruptcy, and lie lost his railway and with it his fortune. Mr Lowe has, however, philosophically accepted the position, and says he has no regrets, as Mount Lowe will be a monument to his name long after he himself shall have passed away. A great deal more that is interesting could be incorporated in tnese notes about Los Angeles, but I must pass on to other scenes. We left Los Angeles by the Southern Pacific Railway, and passing charming Pasadena continued through an arid country—for it has had only two inches of rain this season when it should have had eight. Vast plantations of oranges and walnuts bordered the railway line, tile orange trees golden with fruit. Wo had seen good-looking oranges at roadside stalls a few days previously placarded at 50 cents a. case, and it was somewhat surprising, therefore, that on purchasing one —certainly a really good specimen—from a seller on the train. I had to pay 10 cents, for it. The fact is that oranges in the shops of San Francisco or Los Angeles are not at all cheap. And yet as we passed through this great orange country they were in countless millions on the trees. As we proceeded on our short, journey to San Diego, we skirted several oil regions, and we could not fail to be impressed with the large amount of capita! invested in this great industry. A day or two presiously, at Long Beach, we had seen derricks by the hundred, erected over the oil wells. They were crowded into a comparatively small area, and must tap an extraordinary field. We were told that the depth of the wells was about 2000 ft. As we got further south in our journey to San Diego the oil region seemed to be left Dehind. Although the season is early spring, the day was very hot. and wo were not sorry when the train pulled up at the

San Diego station, and we transferred ourselves and our light, baggage to the U.S. Grant Hotel named after a former President of the United States. We were prepared to find SAN DIEGO A BEAUTIFUL TOWN. And it in no way belied its reputation. It has a population of 116,000, and both in its business and its residential areas has many attractive buildings. No one can visit the three delightful towns of Santa Barbara, Pasadena, and San Diego without being charmed with their beautiful residential streets. They are entirely unlike anything that is to be seen in New Zealand, not only because of the different architecture of the houses, but from the lavish use of ornamental trees in both streets and gardens. Everywhere, as in other Californian towns, we found the Australian pepper tree growing with the greatest luxuriance, and no less freely used were several varieties of the Australian acacia, while, in situations where the eucalyptus could be used it was invariably met with. Occasionally New Zealand was represented by the cabbage tree, and in one of the parks sve visited yesterday I saw a fine bed cf veronicas. At night the streets of Fan Diego were ablaze with electric light, and opposite the hotel in which we are staying there is an attractive colour scheme of revolving and scintaliating light such as is not outrivalled la either San Francisco or Los Ar.geles. This morning we had a most interesting motor bus excursion, which took in much scenery that was attractive and beautiful. It 'included also a visit to an old adobe building a few miles out from the city in which in the old days of the Spanish occupation the marriage of Ramona, a famous Indian maiden, took place. She did much for her Indian race, and her name is perpetuated in many ways. We first encountered it in the Ramona Cafe in San Francisco, where we occasionally partook of meals. Her story has been told in narrative form in a book which is popular with Californian people. No V. A VISIT TO MEXICO. Our stay in San Diego was necessarily restricted to a couple of days, and the afternoon of one of those days was devoted to a trip to which we. had been looking forward. This was to the MEXICAN TOWN OF TTA JUANA, just across the border, and distant about 16 miles from Sun Diego. We Lad been specially interested in this projected visit through reading a series cf sensational articles in the Los Angeles Examiner published during our stay in that city. They described in the strongest, possible language of protest and indignation the condition of affairs existing in Tin Juana (Mexican pronunciation Teewahna), and called upon tbo American Government no longer to tolerate such a menace to American honour and safety. Liquor, gambling, and debauchery were, according to the Examiner, the ordinary conditions of life in this sink of iniquity, and the paper laid special emphasis on the fact that the recruiting of young American girls from Los Angeles to the liquor saloons and viler places of resort in this foreign border town constituted a grave scandal. The reporter who had been told off to arouse public opinion in an effort to stem the tide of iniquity which was engnlphing so many of the girls of L.os Angeles did his diuty forcefully, and the visit we paid to Tia Juana to us a deplorable state of tilings in tins dirty little Mexican town. Gambling was in full swing in its Monte Carlo. The roulette and faro tables and other gambling appointments were thronged with men and women who pushed forward their dollars and half-dollars on the different colours, and usually lost their money, while the SILVER PILES OF THE CROUPIEPS increased in size. The luck of one woman beside whom I was standing, however, was in the ascendant, and she complacently received her winnings and steadily continued her play. There must have been 20 or 30 croupiers busily employed, and several hundred of gamblers surrounding the tables. It was to us a new phase of life, comparable only to the scenes at the totalisator on race days in New Zealand —-comparable only in degree, however. We passed from the crowded Monte Carlo room into the unformed and irregu lar streets, where the sights we witnessed were no more edifying. The saloon bars were crowded with men and women drinking—the “ dry ” law of the United States no longer a bar to the gratification of their thirst. The women, alas, were young, painted, and obviously on the downward trail. Their numbers were not great, however, but no doubt had our visit extended into the night a different tale would have to be told of the scenes in the saloon bars and the streets. Races were ! in progress too on a course adjoining the streets of the town, and it was obvious that the sporting element of San Diego and surrounding country was there in full force, for Californian laws prohibit the holding of races in the State and hav-e entirely abolished its race tracks. The result is that a Californian sporting man and racehorse owner has embarked on this race-track ownership in the DIRTY LITTLE MEXICAN TOWN and that its races attract to the forbidden sport hundreds of American citizens who love their little “ flutter” and the general excitement associated with the sport. It is difficult to see lvow the American Government can do anything to lessen the evils which are part of the life of Tia Juana. The Mexican authorities derive a big revenue from the exclusive gambling concessions they have granted to a big firm, who sublet these and thereby make great profits. Nor, apparently, does it matter one bit how much drink i 3 sold, for there again Mexico profits ; and as to the further deplorable evil against which the Los Angeles Examiner ha.s lifted its voice in fiery protest—well, probably Mexico cares as little, and the innocent young womanhood of Los Angeles must face the peril which it little understands when it takes service in the saloons of Tia Juana.

We crossed the border line on our way back to San Diego after a cursory examination of our car by a United States Customs officer, who was apparently satisfied that the respectable-looking people in the motor bus were no law-breakers, and whose driver rendered himself liable to arrest and the confiscation of bis car had he permitted a bottle of liquor to be conveyed into American territory. We New Zealanders were glad to leave behind us the pestilent town across the border whose unsavory reputation is spreading in the territories of its more civilised neighbours. Our homeward drive was by a different route and included in its course a visit to the famous Coronado Hotel, on the opposite side of the bay from that of the main business and residential centres of San Diego. It is among the best of the hotels of Southern California, and its extensive and beautifully planted grounds arc very charming. Its tariff is very high, starting at 19 dollars per day for a room—this, of course, exclusive of meals. After an inspection of the hotel and its garden we drove to the ferry, and a few minutes on the waters of the bay brought us to our hotel. Next morning we made the return trip to Los Angeles, to stay for one night more, and then start for the Grand Canon of Arizona on our eastward journey.