American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1941)

in place. An extension-shaft connects with the camera motor-shaft and the name-plate is fitted into place on the side of the counter. A special springmotor winding-handle is required, which not only clears the frame-counter as the crank is turned, but also clears the turi ret when that is turned so it protrudes beyond the side of the camera. Price of the counter is $17.50, and the windinghandle, $5.00. 1 Photography of the Month (Continued from Page 425) erally very good. It is exceptional in the case of Ellen Drew who, though a rising young player, is by no means essentially photogenic. Planer's lighting presents her far more attractively than she has ever appeared before — so much so that our advice to the lady would be to m;'^ every effort to have him continue photographing her, for he has literally brought out a new and much more attractive personality through his camera-treatment. We cannot, unfortunately, say quite as much for his treatment of the other feminine star, Ruth Hussey, who does not fare nearly so well photographically in this production. To our way of thinking, Planer, in his efforts to contrast her characterization with that of Miss Drew, has lit her a bit too flatly and used rather too much diffusion to show her to best advantage. His treatment of Melvyn Douglas is much better, though there are one or two scenes where this player is allowed to turn to show distinctly unfavorable angles to the camera. The handling of the climaxing fire sequence of the picture is both dramatically and technically a distinct highlight of the production, and stands much to the credit of Planer and the uncredited special-effects staff. DIVE BOMBER Warner Bros.-First National Production (Technicolor.) Directors of Photography: Bert Glen non, A.S.C., and Winton Hoch, A.S.C. Aerial Photography by Elmer G. Dyer, A.S.C, and Charles A. Marshall, A.S.C. Special-effects by Byron Haskin, A.S.C, and Rex Wimpy, A.S.C As more and more Technicolor films are turned out, it is becoming increasingly evident that there are developing two well-marked schools of thought as regards the use of color. One — best exemplified recently by "Blood and Sand" — seeks to employ color as a means of heightening dramatic mood and effect. The other uses color in a strictly realistic way. "Dive Bomber," as an action-film based on the activities of the U. S. Navy Air Service, necessarily belongs in the latter group. It is an excellent example of this type of color-film. The most spectacular photographic opportunities the film affords are naturally those given the makers of the aerial scenes, aerial specialists Elmer G. Dyer, A.S.C, and Charles A. Mar EASTERN HEADQUARTERS for the CAMERAMAN ** * 4^ Professional Studio and Cutting Room Equipment Always Available BELL & HOWELL Standard, Hi-Speed, Process and Eyemo Cameras MITCHELL Standard, Hi-Speed, Silenced and N.C. Cameras. WALL Latest Model Single System Sound Cameras WE SPECIALIZE in REPAIR WORK on MITCHELLand BELL & HOWELL CAMERAS Interlock, Synchronous, Hi-Speed and Variable Speed Motors with Tachometers FEARLESS BLIMPS— FEARLESS and RABY PAJSORAM DOLLYS 35mm Double System Recording Equipment COOKE SPEED PANCHRO and ASTRO PAN TACHAR LENSES, all focal lengths MOVIOLAS SYNCHRONIZERS REWINDS TRIPODS ^ FRANK-ZUCKER CABLE ADDRESS. CINEQUIP * AM ERA EQUIPMENT * 1600 BROADWAY nyc \ CIrcle6-5080 shall, A.S.C, who cover themselves with glory by the way they have carried out their difficult assignment. In "Dive Bomber" they have produced some of the finest examples of Technicolored aerial pictorialism ever screened. Their scenes of formation-flying and similar aerial evolutions are technically excellent, as well. Production cinematographers Bert Glennon, A.S.C, and Winton Hoch, A.S.C, are offered less in the way of pictorial opportunities. There is virtually no opportunity for mood or dramatic lightings, as the nature of sets and action alike precludes this. None the less, Glennon and Hoch do excellently with the material at hand. Glennon's work in particular is noteworthy, as we understand he filmed a great part of the picture alone, with no Technicolor associate present, while Hoch was occupied elsewhere, directing the photography of other sequences of the film. But if the film offers scant opportunity for pictorial and dramatic lightings, it offers — perhaps all the more strikingly — an opportunity for Glennon and Hoch to show what they can do with lighting the players. This they do uncommonly well: Errol Flynn, for example, has never appeared to better photographic advantage, in either blackand-white or color, while co-star Fred MacMurray appears to much greater photographic advantage than he did, for example, in his previous Technicolor appearance, "Virginia,'" which incidentally was also photographed by Glennon. Special-effects cinematographers Byron Haskin, A.S.C, and Rex Wimpy, A.S.C, contribute sturdily, if not necessarily spectacularly, to the film. There are many scenes which must necessarily be their handiwork, but which are so skillfully executed that they well-nigh defy detection as process-shots. The scenes showing the principals piloting airplanes, especially, are notable examples of skillful back-projection process-work, some of them utilizing some of the largest background-screens we've seen used in Technicolor. It is unfortunate that when the press preview of "Dive Bomber" was held, apparently all of the available colorbalanced release-prints were needed elsewhere, for the film's spectacular threetheatre premiere in San Diego. In consequence, the print shown to the press was apparently the work-print, which was not correctly color-corrected, and hence in a number of sequences did an injustice to the genuinely fine work of "Dive Bomber's" six-starred team of cinematographers. WILD GEESE CALLING 20th Century-Fox Production. Director of Photography: Lucien Ballard, A.S.C. Lucien Ballard, A.S.C, in his first picture at 20th Century-Fox, does a very workmanlike job in bringing "Wild Geese Calling" to the screen. The film does not offer him the most unusual of pictorial opportunities, but he wrings the maximum of effectiveness from every opportunity presented him. His set-lightings and effect-lightings are excellent, and he presents his players to maximum advantage. One might, perhaps, question his rather too-frequent use of extreme low-angle shots with a 24mm. lense which, while effective both dramatically and pictorially, seemed to this writer slightly overdone, so that at times when its dramatic value was most needed, the effect of the trick had American Cinematographs; September, 1941 15]