“A whole century of discovery and progress has been crammed into my nine years in the pictures.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: James S. Frederick (1917)
“I really wasn’t taking a chance. Of course, over in this country, folks did look down on the movie player then. They frankly sneered at the film. But I had been on the other side – in France – where the best players were even then playing before the motion picture camera for the Pathe and other organizations. I knew that the same thing must come about in America and I cast my lot accordingly. So you see I really wasn’t taking a chance at all.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: James S. Frederick (1917)
“Thank God! I was never an amateur.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: Gladys Roosevelt (1912)
Photo: With Mariam Nesbitt.
“My birthplace was Australia, although my parents were Irish through and through. I went on the stage in Australia. For seven years I was in the company of George Rignold, an idol of his day famed for his playing of Henry V. Oddly, one of the directors now with me at Vitagraph, Paul Scott, was a member of the same company. I played for three years with Mrs. Pat Campbell in London, the British provinces and the United States. I was a member of the companies of Dennis O’Sullivan and Marie Dainton and Came over to America again to play with Richard Mansfield. I was in stock for several seasons, too.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: James S. Frederick (1917)
“Mary Fuller hadn’t then attained her popularity. She was still with Vitagraph. Oscar Apfel was a director. Charles Brabin was another early Edison director. Viola Dana came to Edison later. Her husband and present director, John Collins, was then in the office clerical force. He was afterwards made assistant in production, then head of the production department and finally a director. Bannister Merwin was writing many stories for Edison at that time and stood at the forefront of his field. Merwin is now with a motion picture organization in South Africa.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: James S. Frederick (1917)
Photo: The Little Woolen Shoe (1912). With Mary Fuller and Edna May Weick.
“In those days, the field of production was largely in the hands of the so-called ‘trust’ – the combination of licensed companies. I used to marvel at their sincerity of production, since the organization held the whole industry in the palm of its hand.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: James S. Frederick (1917)
Photo: Comedy and Tragedy (1909). With Madame Pilar-Morin and director J. Searle Dawley
“I often go to Motion Picture theaters on the East Side to get in touch with the audience. I think they are grossly misunderstood by picture producers who does them with frightful melodrama. I have seen them sit spellbound before a quiet picture, full of suggestiveness, showing some abstract them, such as Grief, Youth, Love, or Joy. For example, take Grief. A long road led down between arched trees to the water’s edge. The figure of a woman dressed in black, came slowly down the path, leading two children by the hand, and stood looking sorrowfully across the water. Then the elder boy rises to the occasion, comforts his mother and declares that he will take his father’s place. Just a suggestion, nothing more. And yet those people got it – that’s the point; they felt it, they appreciated it.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: Gladys Roosevelt (1912)
“Oh there are tremendous possibilities in Motion Pictures! There is a plan – and there is not a mere Utopian dream, it is a possibility and a near one – that there will be different class picture houses in the future, varying in price from five to 25 cents.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: Gladys Roosevelt (1912)
“Motion picture work is very exacting. The camera is a great detective, and one cannot relax an instant without being betrayed. I have never been with any company but the Edison. You’ve noticed the atmosphere in the studio? It is due to our manager, who prides himself on keeping it up to the mark, and we all feel the same way about it. It is the spirit which makes for efficient work and insures success and happiness.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: Gladys Roosevelt (1912)
“I do not think the present day stories equal those of the old days. A single reeler then had real punch and force. It had condensed strength. There was no padding, no injection of unessentials to make a story run five reels. And yet I recall how we used to say, after finishing a one reel play, ‘If we could have five hundred more feet.'” — Marc MacDermott
Source: James S. Frederick (1917)
Photo: Whom the Gods Destroy (1916). With Alice Joyce and Mary Maurice.
“The old days are pleasant memories. They were strenuous – harder than our work today. Our experiences were often amusing. I remember when J. Searle Dawley, now a Famous Players director, was producing ‘The Battle of Trafalgar.’ At that time we used to pick up drivers, cartmen, anyone as an extra. That was before the studios were besieged by throngs of would-be players. A large set had been built in the studio showing the deck of Nelson’s flagship, the Victory. The deck was crowded with supers. Dawley had been imploring extras to register animation and finally, after several rehearsals, ordered the scene taken. A few days later, the scene was shown in the studio darkroom. Then, for the first time, Dawley was horrified to see an anxious super, standing on the quarterdeck, pick up a papier mache anchor supposed to weigh something like a ton. With one hand the zealous extra hurled it over the side. There was nothing to do but retake the whole scene. But the anxious extra wasn’t in the retake.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: James S. Frederick (1917)
Photo: The Battle of Trafalgar (1911). With Sydney Booth.
“Nowadays, the mere appearance of a movie company attracts a crowd of interested admirers. Years ago, it was different. I recall when an Edison company, in which my wife and I played the leads, was at Alexandra Bay. We were doing an Indian picture and we were both in redskin garb. It had been a hard, trying day and we were pretty well exhausted when our launch reached the hotel dock. As we climbed up the rickety ladder, we came face-to-face with two surprised tourists. One of them started at the appearance of our war bonnets. ‘What’s that?’ he demanded of his companion. ‘Oh,’ responded the other in a bored tone, ‘just picture people.’ The other eyed us curiously, ‘Anything to keep out of work, I suppose,’ he remarked.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: James S. Frederick (1917)
“Acting for the movies is hard work – a man’s job. Few women can stand it. Me? I’ll keep on as long as the public endures me.” — Marc MacDermott
Source: James S. Frederick (1917)
