American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1941)

Record Details:

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cameras took charge of other technical details. Mrs. Fosholdt, for instance, was in charge of script; Clarence Aldrich and Ray Fosholdt co-directed; Midge Caldwell was in charge of locations; Dorothy and Mrs. Rafferty were scriptgirls; and as usual, yours truly was prop-man. Our story begins at a service-station, where our hero, "Jack," drives in with a snazzy new car to be serviced by his friend "Bruce." Because his partner is late, "Bruce" asks "Jack" to deliver a car for him. The car's owner turns out to be a movie-actress. She is shown worriedly reading a telegram. "Jack" hands her the keys and starts off when she calls him and asks if he would do her a favor. Of course he says yes, and she informs him that her brother is twotiming his fiancee — and she has just learned that the fiancee is arriving on the tor difficult Mho I a — T H E ORIGINAL Scheibe's Monotone Filter INDICATES instantly how every color and light value ol a scene or object will be rendered in the finished print btfort taking the picture. •: always ready. GRADUATED FILTERS CW*,M mi Ni,MCtrrtti TOG SCENES. DIFFUSED FOCUS AND OTHER EFFECTS ^—^ VKITI /OR FOIDEH dffi& Gcorqo H. WFlW ORIGINATOR OF E ^*mr 1927 WEST 78*» ST. Gcorqo H. Schcibo ORIGINATOR OF EFFECT FILTERS 1927 WEST 78'" ST. LOS ANGELES CAL MOVIOLA FILM EDITING EQUIPMENT U$ed in Every Major Studio Illustrated Literature on request MOVIOLA CO. 1451 Gordon St. Hollywood. Calif FAXON DEAN INC. CAMERAS BLIMPS-DOLLYS FOR RENT Day, NOrmanciie 22184 Night, SUnset 2-1271 4516 Sunset Boulevard afternoon plane. So will "Jack" please entertain the girl — ? One look at a snapshot of her brings an enthusiastic response from "Jack," so the actress, thinking him a mechanic, hands him a generous roll of bills with which to take care of her missing brother's entertaining, and he leaves. Back at the service-station, he shows the picture to his friend — and finds he has company on the job. They arrive at the airport together. "Jack" spies the girl he is to meet, and as he introduces himself as her fiance's friend, they stop beside a suitcase momentarily left by another feminine passenger. As they walk off, "Bruce," thinking the suitcase belongs to "Ann," picks it up and hurries off to give it to them, but they drive off before he can reach them. This of course opens the way for sequences showing the luckless "Bruce" thumbing rides, trying to catch up with them and deliver the suitcase. Reaching town, "Jack" and "Ann" go to a de luxe hotel for cocktails. We had the full cooperation of one of the city's leading hotels for this sequence, and as a result secured settings and angles that could hardly be bettered in a Hollywood super-production. Next, the young couple go down to the Pike, the beach-side amusement zone. Here again we had full cooperation from the various concessionaires, and we built up some fine footage showing the two enjoying the various "rides" and other amusements. It is up to each individual cameraman to use as much or as little of this action as he chooses, so you can imagine that in the various versions of this story, the two characters show quite a variety of tastes in sampling the Pike's pleasures! Next we went to the Rainbow Pier, and with the aid of the Police Department we were able to cut the pier off from traffic from early in the morning until 1:00 p.m. while we filmed our story. The tramway that makes regular runs around the pier carrying passengers gave us the use of two trams — one to carry our actors, the other, travelling beside it, loaded down with cameramen and their equipment while we made running-shots of the happy couple. After this, of course, we had to display our stars in bathing-suits, so we took them to the beach for a swim. Then back to the hotel to get their car. Just as they drive off, "Bruce," considerably the worse for wear, rattles up — again just too late — in an old Model T flivver in which he has thumbed another ride. Missing them once again, he appropriates a telegraph-messenger's scooterbike and sputters off, hot on the trail, just as the Western Union boy comes out of the hotel and, seeing his bike vanishing around the corner, joins enthusiastically in the chase. From here our two young leads go to the park where the actress friend is on location for a movie. To make this more or less convincing, we had the nonshooting half of our troupe turn actors, portraying the studio cameramen, direc tor, and crew while the other half shot them. I'll wager no professional troupe ever used as many cameras on a single closeup as our fictional company did — ! Of course, just at this point the missing brother, accompanied by his local girl-friend, turns up, and in the ensuing confusion "Jack" has an opportunity to plant a hefty wallop on the deceiver's chin. After this, the movie-star sister tries to explain things to her friend, telling her "I hired this mechanic to entertain you." "Ann" is naturaly disgusted by the deception, but "Jack" smilingly reaches into his pocket, returns the money and keys to the glamour-girl, and tells her, "You didn't hire me — I'm not a mechanic, I'm an architect," and proceeds to proclaim his love for "Ann." As the happy couple walk off through the park, "Bruce" at last catches up with them and offers "Ann" the suitcase which by this time is a little worn, wit more clothes out of it than in. For the pay-off line, she says sweetly, "Why. that isn't mine," at which the long-suffering "Bruce" collapses and brings an end to the film. All the official cooperation the Long Beach Cinema Club has enjoyed in mak ing these productions may seem something very extraordinary for an amateur group, but I'm convinced that almost any really active group could obtain similar help in almost any city or town. Of course, the group must be composed of genuinely active filmers who are "regular fellows," and must have really active people at its head. That, we've been fortunate in having since the start, when Otis Hoyt organized the group in 1937 and became its first president. Clarence Aldrich was president for the two very active years of 1938 and 1939. Harold Hilliger proved a capable manager during his term as president in 1940, and for 1941, under our first lady president. Midge Caldwell, we seem off to another successful year. We keep up interest in membership by having a limit of only 50 member>, both 8mm. and 16mm. At present, thenare slightly more eight millimeteri.-tthan sixteen-shooters in our ranks. The club has purchased its own screen and its own projectors, both 8mm. and 16mm. Bell & Howells. The dues are now $5 per year, and are used to purchase equipment, mail announcements and to furnish prizes for the best pictures every three month.-. Some prizes are also donated by local dealers. The Club's Directors view the various individual versions of the Club productions before showing them at meetings, and pick those they think are best. When the club showing is made, the audience votes to determine the wii ners. These winners are compared with the Executive Committee viewpoint, so that the members have a double check on the fairness of judging. Making Club scenario productions this way means plenty of work — I can personally vouch for that, since I was elected projectionist, prop-man and, so to speak, general flunkey back in 1937, and 148 March, 1941 American Cinematographer