It was an easy matter in those days to get into the studio. No cards of
announcement were needed--no office boy insulted you, no humiliation
of waiting, as to-day. A ring of the bell and in you’d go, and Bobbie
Harron would greet you if he chanced to be near by. Otherwise, any one
of the actors would pass you the glad word.
On an ordinary kitchen chair a bit to one side of the camera, Mr.
Griffith usually sat when directing. The actors when not working
lingered about, either standing or enjoying the few other kitchen
chairs. During rehearsals actors sat all over the camera stand--it was
at least six feet square--and as the actors were a rather chummy lot,
the close and informal intimacy disturbed them not the least.
A “scene” was set back center, just allowing passage room. What little
light came through the few windows was soon blocked by dusty old
scenery. On the side spaces of the room and on the small gallery above,
the carpenters made scenery and the scene painters painted it--scenery,
paint pots, and actors were all huddled together in one friendly chaos.
We always had to be mindful of our costumes. To the smell of fresh
paint and the noise of the carpenters’ hammers, we rehearsed our first
crude little movies and in due time many an old literary classic.
Rolls of old carpet and bundles of canvas had to be climbed over in
wending one’s way about. To the right of the camera a stairway led to
the basement where there were three small dressing-rooms; and no matter
how many actors were working in a picture those three dark little
closets had to take care of them all. The developing or “dark” room
adjoined the last dressing-room, and all opened into a cavernous cellar
where the stage properties were kept. Here at the foot of the stairs
and always in every one’s way, the large wardrobe baskets would be
deposited. And what a scramble for something that would half-way fit us
when the costumes arrived!
We ate our lunches in the dingy basement, usually seated on the
wardrobe baskets. Squatted there, tailor-fashion, on their strong
covers, we made out pretty well. On days when we had numbers of extra
people, our lunch boy, little Bobbie Harron, would arrange boards on
wooden horses, and spread a white cloth, banquet fashion. Especially
effective this, when doing society drama, and there would be grand
dames, financiers, and magnates, to grace the festive board.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account