Chapter XX: The actor retains a fixed position, puffing while the

operator runs a few feet of film to record the smoke. After development several images on the film--perhaps fifty per cent. of the movement obtained--are cut out, and thereby the smoke is accelerated in its motion so as to become a whirl upon the positive.

While smoking the bachelor is somewhat astonished to see the smoke disobey natural laws by rushing into the square bottle beside him. This illusion is produced by reversal of motion. The operator placed the cap upon the lens and ran the film forward a certain distance, observing the length of its travel on the measuring device. The camera action was reversed, and the film run backwards the length of the unexposed section. The smoke in the bottle was supplied from beneath the table, there being a hole in the base connected to a pipe, through which steam was driven. Naturally the steam flows from the mouth of the bottle, but by turning the film backwards the smoke is made to appear to rush into the bottle. When this incident has been recorded the lens is capped, the film run forward the distance it was reversed, and everything is ready for the next episode.

The bachelor, somewhat puzzled by the behaviour of the smoke, picks up the bottle and looks at it. To his astonishment he sees the fairy within dancing and endeavouring to escape. He picks up his magnifying-glass and examines it closely, and the bottle containing the girl, as seen through the glass, is seen by the audience. The illusion is produced by double exposure, a process fully described already. The bottle was stood against a dark background and photographed. Then the reflected image of the fairy was photographed upon the same film. The stage upon which she acted was marked out, and she had to keep within these limits while making her assumed efforts to escape. Thus the whole of her movements are brought within the area of the image of the bottle already secured upon the film, so that when the latter is developed she appears to be imprisoned within the bottle. If she should step outside the limits during this incident, the reflection would be shown outside the bottle and the illusion would be lost.

The fairy, after coquetting with the bachelor, is driven away by the smoke from his cigarette. The smoke effect is produced with steam.]

The man breaks the bottle with a hammer, and the released fairy is seen standing upon the cigar-box. The “stop motion” has been requisitioned to produce this effect, the camera being stopped when the bottle is broken to enable the fairy to assume her position upon the property cigar-box on the second stage, the box and bottle on the table in the meantime having been removed. Gratified at her release, the fairy stoops down and draws out a packet of cigarettes--the property package concealed behind her property cigar-box on the second stage--and withdrawing one of the cigarettes she offers it to the bachelor. Although the cigarette she holds is three feet long, the reflection in the mirror representing her standing apparently on the table, brings the cigarette down to the natural size. The bachelor holds out his hand to receive it, and at this point the “stop” is called to enable the bachelor to place a real cigarette in the position of the property one, the stage-manager informing the actor when the real article covers the reflection, because the actor himself can see nothing. The property cigarette is withdrawn, and the camera resumes. The bachelor places the cigarette in his mouth, and as the audience cannot detect the “stop” it appears as if he had taken the cigarette from the fairy.

The fairy, her accomplice, and properties, which are enlarged reproductions of the actual articles.]

The smoker lights the cigarette and takes a fiendish delight in blowing the smoke at his diminutive companion, meanwhile coquetting with her. The little lady resents the smoke; and as the bachelor again takes up the magnifying-glass the public apparently looks through it at her plight. The fairy is surrounded with cigarette smoke, coughing and sneezing and shaking her fist furiously at the bachelor, who is out of the picture, because in this instance, as before, the actual scene is photographed direct, and not its reflection in the mirror.

The magnifying-glass is laid down and the audience sees the bachelor strike a match, from which his tiny visitor shrinks in fear. The man laughs heartily at her discomfiture. The fairy is bent upon revenge, and steals stealthily towards the match-box. The bachelor follows the fairy’s operations through the magnifying-glass, and the scene is flashed to the spectators. They see the infuriated fairy tearing out the matches and stacking them into a pile. Of course she is handling the property matches, which, as I have already said, are good-sized sticks. She strikes a match and fires the pile upon her stage.

The scene is flashed back to the table, but in the meantime the real matches have been taken out of the smoker’s box and arranged in a pile, which is burning upon the table, so that they appear to have been fired by the fairy. The bachelor picks up the syphon of soda-water and directs a stream upon the burning mass of matches. A final glimpse of the fairy is given through the magnifying-glass as a stream of water, this time from a hose, plays upon the blazing property pile, and she falls over and disappears.

The preparation of a film of this character involves the utmost care in stage management, so that there may be no disconcerting interruptions in the continuity of the action. The greatest difficulty is to obtain exact overlapping of the reflected and the real articles upon the bachelor’s table; moreover, as the actor cannot see anything, but has to act to an imaginary diminutive person on the table, his every action has to be guided by the producer. The actresses must be faultless in their movements. A film of this description requires days to prepare, especially since it entails resort almost to every subterfuge known to trick cinematography.

It will be observed that the work resolves itself into two essential parts--the photographing of the bachelor in his sitting-room when in company with the fairies, as shown by the mirror reflections, and the photographing of the fairies and their properties. Whenever the latter have to be taken, the idea of looking through the magnifying-glass is adopted, and is artfully conveyed by the circular mask of the picture. The magnification explains the apparently abnormal proportions of the articles used; but the public do not realise them as properties because they have been watching the little ladies on the table. Naturally, when the magnifying-glass is turned upon them, the audience thinks that the fairies and their attributes have been enlarged proportionately, whereas, as a matter of fact, they are not enlarged at all, but are photographed direct from a distance of only a few feet. In such a film as this the producer, having sketched out the work and arranged the scenes, photographs all the incidents pertaining to the reflection one after the other, and subsequently photographs the views apparently taken through the magnifying-glass upon either the same or another stage. The trick effects, such as the conversion of the rose into the cigar and so forth, are taken at other times. When the numerous strips of film are developed the various sections are sorted out and placed in rotation, to be connected up to form one continuous subject showing the natural progress of the play.

Such is the story of the production of one of the prettiest and apparently most miraculous trick-films that has ever been seen. It should be said that such charming and mystifying productions as “Princess Nicotine” appear only at very long intervals, but their rarity is compensated fully by their fascination and novelty, which, it may be pointed out, is a salient feature of the productions of the Vitagraph Company in this particular field.