Technicolor News & Views (December 1952)

Two and a half years ago Joe Pasternak, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer producer, declared that Color by TECHNICOLOR and musicals “are not only inseparably married—they’re the happiest couple in the film industry.” It is pleasant to record that Pasternak is currently of the opinion that this Holly- wood match is, if anything, happier than ever. Pasternak has had unusual opportunities to observe the romance. He has acted as producer on 23 musicals in Color by technicolor for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the first being “Thousands Cheer,” which was photographed in 1943. Of his latest 14 pictures, 13 have been produced in Color by TECHNICOLOR. Among his recent outstanding productions in that medium are “The Great Caruso,” “The Merry Widow,” “Because You’re Mine” and “Small Town Girl.” “Color by technicolor,” said Paster- nak, “brings the musical closer to nature and adds to the gaiety of the occasion. “What it does for the players is now well known. They have a different personality when they appear in pictures in Color by technicolor. In my opinion the use of color lengthens their careers.” Color more quickly establishes an intimacy between players and audiences, Pasternak continued. In pictures in Color TECHNICOLOR NEWS & VIEWS Vol. XIV December, 1952 No. 4 Published from time to time by Technicolor Motion Picture Corp. HERBERT T. KALMUS, President 6311 Romaine Street Hollywood 38, California Margaret Ettinger, Editor by technicolor the camera may dwell longer on close-ups. “When you look at a scene in black-and- white, you have seen it,” the producer asserted. “But the longer you look at a scene in color, the more details in it will impress themselves upon the eye.” Color by technicolor, Pasternak be- lieves, is especially helpful to the popu- larity of musicals abroad. Like music, color speaks a universal language. Musicals in Color by technicolor were a novelty at first, but that day has passed, said Pasternak. Now the emphasis is on good taste, and what it is believed the audi- ence would most like to see. Added to this is the great increase in the quality of color, and in the technique of handling it, in recent years, he concluded. TECHNICOLOR PLANS FOR EXPANSION ABROAD CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE whether we should enlarge our facilities in England and the United States or establish foreign centers. “Actually, we probably shall do both. Negotiations for a plant in France are farthest along at the present time. But I am not in a position to announce anything definite now.” On his European trip Dr. Kalmus visited the London plant of TECHNICOLOR LTD., in his capacity of Chairman of the Board. His Continental itinerary included Paris, Munich and Venice, where he attended a motion picture convention. He conferred at London and Paris with film executives from Rome and Berlin. Joe Pasternak approves sketches for scenes in ‘‘Small Town Girl,” in Color by TECHNICOLOR. Sketch of costume designed for Ann Miller in dance number in the picture. MUSICALS GAYER, MO In Color by TECHNICOLOR SEEKING LOCATIONS FOR COLOR BY TECHNICOLOR CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE Ruins of the church and monastery of San Francisco, at Antigua, Guatemala. Antigua was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1773, and its ruins of reli- gious edifices and palaces are imposing and extensive. Using automobiles, airplanes and small boats, the “Golden Condor” people jour- neyed to localities ranging from sea to remote interior jungle. Their cameras lingered awhile on scenes in San Antonio Palopo and Santiago Atit- lan, Indian villages on Lake Atitlan, and in Solola, in the Mayan Highlands, at an altitude of 6,899 feet. “Seen from Solola, the waters of Lake Atitlan, 2,000 feet below, were the bluest I have ever seen,” said Robert F. Metzler, unit location manager. “The lake was mag- nificent for photographic purposes. “Native costumes were colorful in the extreme. Red predominated, the headdresses of both men and women being entirely of that color.” Livingston, on the Bahia de Amatique, off the Gulf of Honduras, also was visited for footage, Puerto Barrios being the point of operation for work there. Then the expedition planed to the Peten jungle in the north, for the hidden Mayan ruins at Tikal. Scene on Ruess Ranch, Los Angeles County. “The lush green verdure of the jungle glistened with humidity,” Metzler recalled. “It was a dramatic subject for a picture in Color by technicolor.” IN U. S. In Shakespeare’s time the locale of a theatre scene could be established very simply, by putting up a placard reading “A Street in Venice” or “Another Part of the Field.” In the early days of picture-making, “going on location” likewise was a com- paratively simple matter. Mountains, seas and deserts could be found at Hollywood’s doors. Not only the coming of color, which focusses sharper attention on details of TWO CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT