MOSQUITOES IN FILMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 July 1940, Page 9

MOSQUITOES IN FILMS

HOW THEY ARE MADE TO ACT. Mosquitoes used in films are now subjected to an air-conditioning process,’says the Hollywood correspondent of the “Evening Standard” (London). Dave Twiford, who specialises in the supplying of mosquitoes for films, told me: “We carry a refrigerator around on a truck. When all is ready for the filming of a shot showing a mosquito biting a man we put the mosquito in the ice-box for a moment, and it' becomes very docile, and will pose for his picture. “If we want the mosquito to fly

about we turn on a little heat. We use a little rubber syringe full of hot air. A little extra light will also do the trick.

Dave Twiford and his brother supply vultures, monkeys, toads, ravens and harmless “doubles” for hooded cobras for films.

Ravens are among the cleverest birds, thinks Dave Twiford.

“They like to act,” he said. “We have ravens that can do anything, and will learn anything, if you just show them once. We have one raven that can say long words.” Strangely enough, the "talking - ’ parrots seen in films are silent. They are trained not to talk. “You can’t tell when a talking parrot will spoil everything.” I was told. “When they seem to talk, the voice is being ‘dubbed in’ by a human mimic.”