American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1959)

BESS” A MASTERPIECE the same Shamroy with the rough exterior and a sensitive artist’s feel for emotional pictorialism who for more than thirty years has been giving each new picture assignment a different and highly imaginative photographic treatment. He is one of the top four Academy Award winners among cameramen, with three “Oscars,” two Look Awards, and eleven “Oscar” nominations to his credit. Surprising as it may seem, Shamroy had no preconceived ideas about how he was going to photograph the picture, right up to the starting date. “Porgy and Bess” was virtually a blank canvas when he commenced the initial camera work on location near Stockton, California. Sham! roy began intuitively, much the same as a plant begins ! growing. He had read and re-read the script many times; I had watched the many rehearsals that preceded shooting — ! and little by little the whole pattern of lighting and pho¬ tography began to unfold in his mind. “I never have a I preconceived idea about how I’m going to photograph any picture,” he says. The plot of “Porgy and Bess” is familiar to almost every lover of the theatre. It is an American folk version of the struggle between good and evil, with the players all Negro. Bess, beautiful and yearning for love, is abandoned suddenly by the murderous Crown. Porgy, a cripple, takes her in and awakens all the good in her. But the physical appeal of Crown overcomes her when he abducts her from a church picnic. Crown returns to Catfish Row during a hurricane and is killed by Porgy to preserve Bess’ new¬ found decency. While Porgy is being questioned by police, the slick, rascally Sportin’ Life induces Bess to go to New York with him. Porgy learns of this, following his release from jail, but with indomitable faith sets out in his goatdrawn cart to bring her back. “Porgy and Bess” differs from most of the great pictures that have graced the screen in the past in that its story is told with a minimum of dialog, with rendition of the play’s ; great, if not immortal, musical numbers by various mem ‘ hers of the cast supplying the main thread of continuity and the key to the story’s denouement. The two great arts of drama and music are thus combined to produce an inspiring motion picture. Camera work began on location late in September, 1958, on Venice Island in the San Joaquin River near Stockton, some 350 miles from Hollywood. Here the Charleston wharf and pier as of 1912 were recreated for the opening scene of the film, in which the fishermen return home from their day’s work to the tune of “Summertime.” Because the scenes that immediately follow were to be filmed on the huge “interior-exterior” set of Catfish Row erected on one sound stage at the Goldwyn Studio, it was necessary for Shamroy to give special attention to the lighting of the initial exterior scenes filmed at Venice Island, so they 1 Continued on Page 496 CRAP GAME where fight began that ended m murder that places every Catfish Row resident in jeopardy. Here cinema¬ tographer Shamroy displayed new and unusual lighting tech¬ niques that give every scene the pictorial quality of a painting. WHARF SCENE adjoining Catfish Row erected on Goldwyn sound stage. Shamroy's photography here is most effective in match¬ ing actual exterior scenes filmed on a Northern California water¬ front location. ONE OF FEW actual outdoor scenes filmed on location for “Porgy and Bess." Here Sammy Davis as Sportin' Life enchants Catfish Row picnickers with his dancing and singing of It Ain't Necessarily So." Although shot in full sunlight, Shamroy kept overall scene rendition in key with the warm tones estab¬ lished for the interiors. AUGUST • 1959 477