International photographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

:ragram The Cameraman with his Camera Constitutes the Sine Qua Non of Motion Pictures. H THE CAMERAMAN'S ANCLE No. 2 "ou can bet something will be • some day to turn the motion cire industry inside out. This ilcome through the medium of ecamera, mark my words." KARL FREUND. UNIVERSAL LEE GARMES I1NUES WE MAY SEE V VERY SOON. MISCELLANEOUS (d his friends here miss him greatly. He Mentioned in his letter that there is a j'ld mining around his bailiwick and has at more than eighty years — whiskers, red irts and all. Whalen has gone up into the Sierras for gold. It's a hard rock prospect and nisincr. sing. Vyckoff has returned home after several • wild animal shooting in the menageries tallace-Hagenback Shows in winter quar■ru, Indiana. mored that Dan Clark is soon to be If this be true the directorial forces :ma are to be honored. They won't my better than Clark. esterberg is busy putting the finishing 1 his book, "The Cinematographer's Tables," which will be off the press in April. It will be a most attractive, id useful little volume and, if letters arts of the country are to be credited, an unqualified success. ggToland steps into the limelight as the ciimatographer of "Nana," Samuel Gold*it picture, featuring Anna Sten. Gregg l©iU long time first lieutenant to George » r.d he certainly learned well the wiswt rted to him by his clever preceptor. wh a fine piece of cinematographic work. ' qisual activity around the Charlie ChapBd? is evidence that our old friend, Rollie rof will soon be tuning up his Mitchell for ;r |ng grind. What's it to be, Rollie, a OS. noisy? A man must be good to stick ' artist like C. C. for twenty years. Two first cameramen, Richard Fryer and William Sickner, are being used in the production of Universal's latest serial, one of twelve chapters entitled "Vanishing Shadow." The three assistants are George Dye, Joseph Krilanivich ami Kenneth Hunter. Louis Friedlander is the director of this original screenplay written by Ella O'Neill. Charles Stumar is the cinematographer and our old friend and schoolmate, Karl Freund, is the director on "Countess of Monte Cristo." Ted McCord and Joseph Novak, Universal cinematographers, are handling the camera for Director Alan James, during the filming of "Honor of the West," Ken Maynard's latest picture for Universal. Cinematographer Norbert Brodine is behind the camera assisting Lowell Sherman who is both directing and playing the leading male role in Universal's picture, "Elizabeth and Mary," original story by Adrian Johnson. "Little Man, What Now?" a German best seller, written by Hans Fallada, now in production at Universal, starring Margaret Sullavan and directed by Frank Borzage, is being photographed by Charles Stumar, cinematographer for Universal pictures. WARNER-FIRST NATIONAL Ralph Staub, Warner Brothers Vitaphone director, has completed his comedy featuring George Givot, Greek Ambassador of Good Will, and Charles Judells and will immediately start production on another picture that will feature Harry Gribbon and Shemp Howard. Story is by Jack Henley and Dolph Singer. Sid Hickox will take the bows on "Hot Air." Ernest Haller is in charge of photography on "Merry Wives of Windsor." Arthur Todd is starting a nice assignment, "Hit Me Again," from the original story by F. Hugh Herbert. Bud Hoskins is in production on "Fur Coats." S'ol Polito was the cinematographic director of "Hi, Nellie," Mervyn LeRoy's most recent pro duction for Warner Brothers. George Barnes added another success to his string in the photography of "Massacre," starring Richard Barthelmess. INDIES Al (Red) Greene reports that he has just finished shooting the operative work on ."Are We Civilized," a Raspin production directed by Edwin Carewe. Leon Shamroy acted as first cinematographer and Milton Bridenbecker held down the assistant's job, while Shirley Vance Martin shot the stills. The picture was staged at General Service Studios and features William Farmiiii, Anita Louise, Le Roy Mason, Oscar Apfel, Frank McGlynn and Stuart Holmes. Ruby Skelly handled the script, Henry Grunstrum, props, and Neal Neal, grips. Andy Anderson is very much on the list as cinematographer on "The Understanding Heart." It is a Chesterfield production. Leon Shamroy had a swell bunch of gaffers on "Are We Civilized," and here they are — count 'em: Dudley Campbell, Tex Cox, Jennings McClellan, Ray Jones and Harry Hodges. UNITED ARTISTS If an actual cast of sixty-five persons means anything, then Pev Marley ought to have his work cut out for him on "The House of Rothschild," but Pev is used to crowds and the bets are that his usua] artistic results will be accomplished. To Lee Garmes has come that "break" which so many long for and so few attain. An ace Hollywood cameraman, whose photography in many instances has earned him more applause than stars, he was assigned the direction recently of "Fledglings," an epic of the air to be made by Fox Films. For many years Lee Garmes' name has been associated with the art of the cinema. Winner of one coveted Academy award for outstanding work, and runner-up on three other occasions, he is famous in the picture industry for his shadowpainting effects and the delicate nuances of his photographic moods. Made a director a year ago by Fox Film, he was unable to leave his cameras because of the demand for his services. Among the most artistic of his recent pictures are "Zoo in Budapest," which experts believe is the finest photographed picture of the year, and "I Am Suzanne !" both Jesse L. Lasky productions. He was chosen to make "Fledglings," his first directorial assignment, by Producer Al Rockett. In this picture, which centers around the experiences of a rookie airman at Kelly Field, the "West Point of the Air," Garmes will start his career with one of the pretentious vehicles on the Fox Film program. His star will be Lew Ayres and his background the actual flying and ground training air school at San Antonio. Negotiations for army co-operation have been going on for the past six months and are well on their way toward completion. The flying school, its equipment and personnel will be utilized by the company in a truthful picturization of a flying cadet's trials and triumphs. LOOKING AHEAD Karl Freund, Universal director and formerly chief cinematographer at Universal, speaks up regarding the future of the cinema: "The day will come," says Mr. Freund, "when pictures will learn to create their own art and style, but that day is a long way off. The motion picture industry started out on its own feet when it stared manufacuring silent pictures. It might have gone on, building, evolving and perfecting the original trend if talkies had not made their appearance. When talkies came into their own. the whole structure of 'moving pictures' collapsed and fell. Our pictures of today, that is the greater number of them, are but elaborated versions of the one time stage plays. One need not have technique to take a stage play and word for word place it upon the screen." Freund was recently acclaimed for his work in the making of "Symphony of a Town," the story of life in Berlin from sunrise until sunset, and he has to his credit "The Golem," "Variety," "The Last Laugh," etc. To him there is no more creative force in films. The industry has lost its ability to think for itself. Although conceding that good stage plays make good films, just how many stage plays are there in a year's production? The records will show that eight worth while stage plays in a Broadway season is huge. And take into consideration the motion picture industry turns out more than five hundred pictures in a single year. "Do you suppose the third dimensional film, not yet developed, will supply the answer," he asks. "There is a lot to be known regarding the taking of pictures, and when that time comes it will belong exclusively to motion pictures." One can see that although a director at present, Freund is still very much interested in the camera end of the game. "There is no doubt in my mind that the American method of filming motion pictures is by far ahead of the foreign method," he said. TWENTIETH CENTURY Pev Marley hit the bull's eye in "Gallant Lady," a Twentieth Century production starring Ann Harding. Gregory La Cava directed. (Concluded on Page 24)