When the movies were young

The author offers a firsthand memoir of early motion-picture making at Biograph's New York studio, describing daily studio routines, on-location shoots, wardrobe and publicity practices, and the technical and artistic experiments that shaped narrative film. She recalls the emergence of directors and comedians, the discovery and promotion of performers who became screen attractions, the shift from single-reel shorts to longer films, the move of production to the West Coast, and many personal anecdotes about collaborations, practical challenges, and the social life surrounding early filmmaking.