FILM MYSTERY

Waipa Post, Volume 48, Issue 3467, 17 May 1934, Page 6

FILM MYSTERY

STRANGE SCENE CANNOT BE EXPLAINED. Everyone in London film circle; is trying to explain a series of un canny happenings which have beei puzzling the experts in one of tin largest studios. Technicians have been mystified by a succession of photographh faults for which they have been un able to find a solution. Many carefully planned “shots' which should have turned out successfully were discovered on deve loping to' have gone suddenly dim. Again and again these particular scenes were retaken, but in eacl case the attempts to picture the se quences proved to be futile, and ii the end the incidents had to be cu‘ out altogether. The technician dealing with the sound was also bothered by strange happenings. Good sound was oh tamed until certain sequences were due to be taken. Then the soum failed. It would blur or fade away entirely. When an examination was mad< it was discovered that the faulty re cording always coincided with those parts of the film which had beei photographically a failure. Then came a surprising climax The “ghost” which had been haunt ing the studio was actually photo graphed.

Mr Herbert Hugiies, the “stills’ photographer at the studios, deserib ed to the “Sunday Chronicle” hov he came to take this extraordinary picture.

“In an interval in the shooting o the film,” he said, “I took a ‘still of'one of the most dramatic moment: in the story where a woman think: she has killed her maid.

“I saw no one else on the set a the time, nor did rny assistants. Yet when I came to take a print of tlu scene I was amazed to find tht figure and features of an miknowr man clearly outlined on it.

“I am absolutely at a loss to account for it. Experts who have seer, it say that it could not have been made by any known process of faking.”

The heroine, in the foreground was wearing a ring which has c curious history. Every time sht wore it these strange disturbances took place. At last she discarded it while working on the set. Strangely enough no further hitch ocurred.