We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
176 CINEMATOGRAPHIC ANNUAL.
Mr. Lubitsch's pictures such as "Passion" made in Germany, along with the lesser ones such as "The Golem" and "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," were very daring and different experiments. America again forged ahead with such pictures as "Ben Hur," "Robin Hood," and "The Thief of Bagdad," which Germany followed with "Variety," "The Last Laugh," and "Faust." In the last couple of years America seems to be leading again in artistic pictures such as "Seventh Heaven," "The Street Angel," and the very interesting work in "Our Dancing Daughters." "Sunrise" was made in America, but by a mixed German and American staff.
I would like now to discuss the importance of setting to the dramatic effect. First of all, the setting may be negative as in the old days when the background was often an irritating distraction. The setting may be neutral, in which case it neither adds to nor detracts from the effect. The setting may be designed with an eye to the intended effect, and may, in such a case, become a very important contributing factor. The setting might even become the hero in the picture, as would be the case, for example, in the filming of such a subject as "The Fall of the House of Usher."
The art director and the cameraman, with their many mechanical and technical resources, do a great deal to add punch to the action as planned by the director. For example, if the mood of the scene calls for violence and melodramatic action, the arrangement of the principal lines of the composition would be very extreme, with many straight lines and extreme angles. The point of view would be extreme, either very low or very high. The lens employed might be a wide angled one, such as a twenty-five millimeter lens which violates the perspective and gives depth and vividness to the scene. The values or masses could be simple and mostly in a low key, with violent highlights.
In a scene such as the one to which I have just referred, when the tempo of the action is very fast, there are usually rapidly changing compositions of figures and shadows. For idyllic love scenes, or scenes demanding beauty, the values and forms are usually softer, the lens is diffused and the grouping and dressing graceful and lyrical. In the case of pageantry such things as scale and pattern, figures, rich trappings against a high wall, through a huge arch are demanded. In comedy scenes the composition may be almost in the mood of caricature. In tragedy or pathos, or any scene photographed in a low key, the setting is often designed with a low ceiling, giving a feeling of depression.
The set itself causes a laugh. I recall in Corinne Griffith's picture "The Garden of Eden" a place where a couple starts an argument after they are in bed and every time they sit up to argue they turn on the light. There was a man living across the court and he noticed the light going on and off and thought somebody was signaling and begin to flash his light on and off. Then other people saw it and did the same. We made a miniature of the complete side of a hotel and all the windows were flashing lights. It caused a great laugh.