Home Movies (1954)

WLLYWOOD PRO'S t ~ i : By JAMES RANDOLPH Home Movies Technical Director SADIE THOMPSON COLUMBIA Cameraman: Charles Lawton, Jr., A.S.C. Director; Directed by Curtis Bernhardt. Film Editor: Viola Lawrence, A.C.E. Makeup: Clay Campbell and Carl Anderson, Art Music: Morris Stolojj. Stillman: Kenny Bell. Sound: George Cooper. Starring Rita Hayworth and Jose Ferrer. From an original play by Somerset Maughan. Technicolor, Wide Screen 3-D and 2-D. T F "Bwana Devil" is to be considered the first 3-D picture, then "Sadie Thompson", Columbia's newest can be considered the best one. But there is a vast gulf of quality between the two. First of all, "Bwana Devil" is one of those rare little stinkers which shall linger forever in our memory. "Sadie Thompson" will linger too because of its technical excellence, achieved by everyone connected with the film. And this is some sort of triumph since we have had nothing but stinkers in 3-D ever since "Bwana Devil". So 3-D comes of age with "Sadie Thompson" — with nary a gimmick or flying spear floating out into the audience. The picture was sharp, edge to edge, and there were no out-of-focus shots of any kind. Most of the panoramic shots were made to order for 3-D, and the essence and the feel of a wide expanse of water and isolation was pointed up with the stereo process. One memorable sequence, where Sadie Thompson spends her first night on the island in the boisterous company of a group of marines, is a good example. Rita Hayworth does a wild song and dance and the camera moves in close to produce a tremendous effect of movement and boisterous gayety. Clay Campbell's make up is unique. His problem, first of all was to invoke the feeling that Hayworth was an ex B-girl and made her up acordingly. But in this particular sequence, he accented the reds and thus contributed even more to the effect of that particular sequence. Lawton, the cameraman added his bit too by over-correcting the reds when he shot the sequence, and the overall effect is superb. Watch for this bit when you see it in the film. (Fog filter was used plus burning vaporized oil.) Now let's get down to technicalities. Clay Campbell had his hands full with the make-up. Since the setting of the story is a tropical island, with a constant humid heat, the actors were always in a perpetual state of perspiration. "We had to watch the make-up with 3-D", said Campbell. "First of all, it must be applied as thinly as possible, because the slightest variation showed up instantly. Then we had the heat problem. When the heat got too intense, the make-up deteriorated, with the result that we were constantly repairing everyone on the set. So, as in all 3-D pictures you must use light make-up and it must be uniform." He went on to say that they used a new technique when it was necessary to work on Jose Ferrer. His head was to be quite grey and silvery, yet Camp bell wanted to avoid the bluish color usually associated with grey hair. To do this he employed a thin saturation of hand lotion and silver material and hand-painted the color directly on the hair. Result: no blue highlights. If you haven't seen Jeanne Eagles in the original play, there isn't much of a comparison that could be made — but for our money Rita Hayworth is excellent, and so is Aldo Ray. The • See PROS on Page 31 GEO. W. COLBURN LABORATORY INC. 16* NORTH WACKER D R I V I • C H I C A C 0 6 ■■TELEPHONE STATE 2-7316 8 and 16mm SERVICES DUPLICATES * from your films ■ KODACHROME COLOR or BLACK & WHITE Protect your valuable originals from projector I damage and wear, run duplicate prints. Duplicate prints make wonderful gifts. 8mm or 16mm . . . Duplicates 11c per ft. 8mm Enlarged to 16mm, or 16mm Reduced to 8mm 14c per finished foot H * Mail us your original films with cash, check or money order, and we guarantee the BEST duplicates possible, QUICK SERVICE, TOP VALUE, SATISFACTION Minimum Order $3.00. J 'r¥<xilcfCV.<Hxd MOVIE LABS. Dept.rj ■ 12S22 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, California Magnetic Film and Tape Users Use a FIDELITONE TWIN-Table for perfect re-recording. Three speeds, ceramic pickups, microphone mixer, cue lights. The TRI-LITE Fits all cameras. For pictures that sparkle. Three lights around the camera lens Eliminates shadows. Ideal color. Off-on switch, 15foot cord. Can be used on tripod. Postpaid $4.95. Lights not included. Money back if not satisfied. Walter Williams 15237 Promenade Detroit 24, Mich. 29