American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1952)

come really ill and jinx the production, to say nothing of his choleric little self,” said Miller. The young Navajo hired as interpreter provided a finishing touch to the com¬ pany’s woes. Whenever he became angry, he would retaliate by translating the wrong directions to the cast. But in spite of all this teepee temperament, the company managed to complete an ex¬ cellent motion picture. The photography in “Navajo” is so visually striking that each scene looks like an etching in motion. The over-all style is characterized by richly filtered skies, dramatic angles, and an inspired use of natural light aided by just a few simple reflectors. The panoramic compo¬ sitions inside the canyons are breath¬ taking — and no less forceful are the ex¬ treme close-ups of the Indian characters themselves. Miller’s night scenes, filmed in daylight through a combination of 25A (red) and 66 (green) filters, are especially effective. Perhaps the most visually powerful sequence, however, is the one in which the boy’s overactive imagination coupled with his fear of the night, conjures up ghostly faces of the Indian dead. The eery camera treatment of this sequence builds suspense to a hair-raising climax. To those familiar with Virgil Miller’s professional background of 40 years in the motion picture industry, his master¬ ful lensing of “Navajo” comes as no sur¬ prise. A graduate mechanical engineer who also holds a degree in electrical en¬ gineering, he got his start in the picture industry by setting up the first elec¬ trical department in a major studio. An artist of genuine talent, he combined his art skill with his technical knowledge and a great deal of work in special effects before switching to cinemato¬ graphy. A veteran of 250 feature films, and 55 Fitzpatrick Traveltalks shot in Tech¬ nicolor, Miller once headed Paramount’s camera department for 8 years, and later was in charge of photography for David 0. Selznick for a year. He filmed the original “Phantom of the Opera” with Lon Chaney, and has worked with more than 50 of Hollywood’s leading directors. Miller is credited with having de¬ veloped the first combination filters for night effects, as well as a revolutionary type of diffusion disk. He is an expert in all of the color processes, and has originated many complex special effects. He is probably the only Hollywood cameraman who can take a studio camera apart and put it back together again literally blindfolded. Once, while embarking for a location at Catalina Island, a camera was accidently dropped overboard. It was fished up dripping wet and dismantled by Miller, who had it put back together and working again MOVIE & T.V. EQUIPMENT NEW & USED FOR PRODUCTION EDITING LIGHTING LABORATORY BOUGHT SOLD RENTED EXCHANGED <C KcluAiue £'X,clu'iive !| KELLY CINE CALCULATOR = A cinematic slide rule calculator in disc form. == Includes 14 scales, equivalent to 40 pages of = printed data. Compact, durable plastic disc fits pocket or billfold. Scales include: — = 1. Hyperfocal distance for 7 lenses = 2. Depth of field for 7 lenses = 3. Film per second (16mm & 35mni) === 4. Aperture scale (f & T) = 5. Filter factors to Aperture comp. 6. Camera Speed to Aperture comp. = 7. Shutter angle to Aperture comp. = 8. Key light to Aperture compensator == 9. Field of view = 10. Camera speeds to filter factor === 11. Camera speeds to shutter angle = 12. Shutter angles to filter factor :== 13. Filter factor to key light 14. Shutter angles to key light == 35mm or 16mm model. Price $3.95 = F-B MIKE BOOM = = New and beautifully engineered. A 13-foot = boom arm w.th additional 5-foot telescoping == = section. 18 eet long overall, strutted to sup = = port heaviest mikes — external 360° directional mike controls operated from rear, sturdy, braced = steel 3-wheeled stand. Complete outfit collap = sible and folding to 6V2 ft., weight — less than = 50 lbs. — counterweight included. Fits in your car := Price $265.00 f§| &'X,clu'Live j§| CINE SPECIAL, combination reflex image === = focuser and magnifier and matte box == = and sunshade . $75.00 SEE NEW ITEMS = = BERTHI0T PAN CIN0R ZOOM LENS 20mm = = to 60mm f2.8 — coupled viewfinder, in = = 16mni C mt. = ANGENIEUX RETR0F0CUS 18.5mm f2.2 ex = = treme wide angle lens for 35mm cameras. = = LEG-L0K TRIANGLE with clamps. = = 3 wheel self-steering dolly. = = Details and information on request === FLORMAN & BABB 70 West 45th Street, New York 19, N.Y. Phone: Murray Hill 2-2928 Cable Address FLORB ABB, N.Y. SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS 35 mm. • 16 mm. C AMER AS*MO VIOL AS*DOLL Y S Complete Line of Equipment for Production Available for Rental Mitchell: Standard Hi-Speed NC BNC 16 mm. Bell & Howell: Standard Shiftover Eyemos Maurer: 16 mm. Cameras Moviola: Editing Machines Synchronizers SPECIALISTS IN ALL TYPES OF CAMERA REPAIR WORK. LENSES MOUNTED Bridgamatic Processes Films Faster and Cuts Costs! A true one-man lab — anyone can run it! Self contained automatic processors, 16mm or 16/35mm machines for TV Stations, Small Labs, Producers, Microfilmers. Reversal and Color models available, standard or custom built. Prices start at $995. Write for detailed information S. O. S. Cinema Supply Corp. Dept, f 602 W. 52nd St., New York 19, Cable: SOSOUND TV GROUND CLASS for Mitchell Standard, N. C., and Bell & Howell 35mm. cameras. Showing TV alignment — outlining active re¬ ceiver area, and Academy (sound) aperture. Write Por Details CAMERA EQUIPMENT COMPANY 1600 Broadway New York, N. Y. May, 1952 American Cinematographer 219