RAMBLES AROUND LOS ANGELES

Otago Witness, Issue 3877, 3 July 1928, Page 77

RAMBLES AROUND LOS ANGELES

By

Keith Kennedy.

(Special for the Otago Witness.) A few days ago we visited. Culver City, the suburb built up around the De Mill* and Metro Goldwyn-Mayer pictur-.- i v.indlu ’ ;'ter lunch at a ■restaurant, time. arid near stars and not yet stars, we approached the portals of the De Mille offices. A giant negro was in charge of the entrance—a dusky variant of St Peter guarding the Pearly Gates. . Luckily we were provided with an invitation, so the door swung open, and the Land of Make Believe was before us.

Our appointment was with Mr Gurney, who has lived in both NewZealand and Australia, so we were quite at home directly we met him. After a long chat about music, pictures, and theatrical life, he took us over to the publicity offices, where we had the pleasure of meeting Mr Henry M'Mahon. As befits a publicity manager, Mr M'Mahon is very well’informed on all countries, and can talk on a great variety of subjects. Over the door of his private office is the wooden model of a large key, evidently a reminder that publicity, is the key that opens the way to business success. Wfc stood up well under the fire of his numerous questions, and must have passed with full marks, for presently he kindly undertook to show us over the studios himself instead of delegating a guide, as is usually done.

In a few minutes we were watching the “shooting” of a picture as the saying is. Mr Cecil De Mille was personally directing, so I had the opportunity of seeing one of the big directors at work. I expected to see the usual heavy empressario type of man, but found him youngish looking with a strong and fine artistic face under a little black, rimless cap. The scene being taken was the rescue from the fire in “The Godless Girl.” It was photographed indoors, and as a real fire had to be staged this part of the picture was causing considerable anxiety. Fire hoses were laid out, and extra firemen were standing by in case the flames got out of hand. As is customary the scene was taken a great many times, the best of which would be selected and put into the picture. On account of this repetition it is a heavy nerve strain on both actors and director during a lengthy picture. To give atmosphere, a quartet of musicians played suitable music while the “shooting ” was going on. Making pictures seems to be 99 per cent, preparation and 1 per cent, actual acting, and there seems to be about 12 stage hands employed to every actor. The thought that entered my mind as I watched was, “why the rush of actors and actorines to get on the pictures when so few can be used? ” If there was a rush of stage hands and camera men, etc., I could understand, for they are the people who benefit most. Pictures taken indoors are illuminated by kleig lights, a very powerful kind of arc. I was told that a new form of incandescent light is going to be used shortly which will give better colour graduations. The only daylight shooting I saw in Los Angeles was done by small independent companies in the parks. I specially enjoyed seeing two taken that way. One at Westlake Park had a bulldog as star. Bully w»as made up in real “ pro ” style with grease paint rings around his eyes. He must have been a temperamental artist, for while he was acting a concertina was played to give the necessary atmosphere. The other picture was an alleged comedy taken in the Exposition Park. Its chief feature consisted of a young man having his trousers pulled off. The director’, who had a voice like a bull, was very exacting, and had that particular part shot over a dozen times, so the trousers must have become somewhat worn by the time they were done with. At sunrise on Easter Sunday, I saw a very impressive ceremony held in the Hollywood Bowl. As the first rays of the sun tinted the surrounding hills a fanfare was blown on trumpets, and several hundred children drawn up on the hillside in the form of a cross sang an anthem. Then followed some musical numbers and a short service. About 40,000 people attended, filling the great amphitheatre to overflowing.

The same afternoon John M'Cormack gave his third recital in Los Angeles. His first was in the Philharmonic Auditorium to a medium house; his second was crowded. For the third the large Shrine Auditorium had to be taken, and the Irish tenor managed to fill even that. M'Cormack does not give a’ very intellectual programme, but he can certainly draw a crowd. He was ably assisted by'the magnificent ’cello playing of Lauri Kennedy.

Since my return from Mexico and the Indian country, I' have been givingviolin recitals and lecturing on the evolution of musical instruments at the many fine high schools around Los Angeles. Most of these schools have a large concert hall in the building, some of which are appointed like regular theatres, holding audiences. up to two and three thousand.; The scholars, whose ages range up to 18, do all the work from painting, the scenery to giving entertainments. Professional

artists are often engaged to give concerts, the one preceding my last recital being Charles Wakefield Cadman, the well-known composer.