Matte Shot – a tribute to Golden Period particular fx: MATTE & EFFECTS FILMS CELEBRATED: Half 4

Now, the oddly efficient American Worldwide horror flick THE DUNWICH HORROR (1969) had without end had me baffled so far as the couple of matte pictures went.  I questioned if this one was a Whitlock shot as that sky actually had me going Albert’s method?  However, no….. in spite of everything these years of head scratching it seems to be an uncredited Matt Yuricich shot all alongside!!!!  The results for the movie had been contracted to Butler-Glouner, as had been some others in Matt’s incomplete filmography.

Not solely is the true provenance recognized, however right here is Matthew’s wonderful authentic portray which the Yuricich household nonetheless maintain in secure holding, and in advantageous situation!  God, almighty… once I noticed this piece among the many assortment I admit uttering a very loud profanity – probably too loud because the neighbours complained!

Shut up element from this terrific piece.  Matthew’s sky is jaw dropping.  The one issue that had me quizzing whether or not Whitlock could have carried out it was that the clouds had been static, and Albert would not have stood for that for a minute. Nonetheless, a traditional matte that may look very good hanging on my wall, if I had any house left.

NZ Pete offers matte followers their cash’s price… one other detailed shut up!  What number of ‘matte and fx’ web pages would try this?  😉

Right here is an odd one.  This Yuricich matte was ready for the Yul Brynner Aztec period actioner KINGS OF THE SUN (1963) and it seems to be great.  Oddly, for causes unknown, the director J. Lee Thompson ultimately settled for the very same shot, although used the initially unpainted ‘plate’ images for this scene.  As an alternative of utilising Matt’s superbly rendered sky, tree line and extra painted Aztec warriors, they only selected the shot minus Matt’s evocative sky brushwork.  Notice:  Though a United Artists image, the 2 mattes had been clearly farmed out to MGM because the telltale methodology of portray onto giant photographic blow ups was a regular follow below Clarence Slifer and J.MacMillan Johnson.

KINGS OF THE SUN nearer have a look at Matt’s glorious sky.

Right here is one other movie that has been a thriller to me as to the possession of the brushwork.  The terrific James Stewart-George Kennedy-Kurt Russell 1920’s set comedy motion flick FOOL’S PARADE (1971) was a enjoyable deal with all the way in which.  This matte has had me mystified for years……. till now!

And right here it seems, as a protracted saved away artifact among the many household of Matthew Yuricich.  One other great piece that slipped by nearly undetected within the film.  This was one other Butler-Glouner results present, so Matt was doing lots of freelancing by way of these years.

Nearer have a look at the brushwork of Matthew.  Nice little flick by the way in which, nicely price rediscovery.

I’ll cowl extra from this superb assortment in upcoming blogs, however there’s a particular bonus beneath…

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A Thriller Albert Whitlock Matte.

Amongst Matthew’s assortment had been a number of work by different artists;  a Jim Danforth one, some Howard Fisher items and a few Henry Hillinick’s from the outdated MGM days.  Additionally stashed away is that this extraordinarily uncommon Albert Whitlock matte portray which Matthew stated he picked up when doing an project at Howard Anderson’s results firm.  Any clues on this one?

This uncommon Albert Whitlock matte is an actual baffling one.  It will not be from a Common movie because it was one in every of Al’s freelance jobs carried out at Howard Anderson, most likely late 1960’s or early 70’s.  Most likely not for a television present because of the ‘Scope’ dimensions.  I questioned whether or not it may be from MAROONED (it wasn’t) or one thing like that, however no – plus that was a Butler-Glouner fx present, although Al did a good bit for them as nicely.

Nearer view of what Matthew stated was “the Gemini rocket on the launchpad”.  He stated that the portray was “simply kicking round once I was at Howard Anderson”, so he did the first rate factor and rescued it – as nicely he ought to as such issues had been routinely thrown within the skip and misplaced without end.  Any identification on this could be welcomed.  You realize who to name.  😉

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The Bookshelf:  Really useful Studying.

The period of the ‘monster magazine’ is lengthy gone – or so we thought!  Many people grew up on issues like Forry Ackerman’s completely important Well-known Monsters of Filmland in addition to the quite a few spin offs, rip offs and in a while some fairly damned spectacular fanzines that crammed many a spot in extremely impressionable teenaged minds for these amongst us (or, ‘who walked amongst us’! … egads!!) who thrived on style films.  Outdated time horror, sci-fi, animation, monsters, aliens, creature options and all of it. Movie maker and creator Ted Bohus has been placing collectively high quality journals alongside these strains for a variety of years now, with the sooner SPFX magazine being a strong learn again within the day.

Ted’s CANDID MONSTERS comes with my highest suggestion for these with their ft firmly rooted in movies of outdated alongside the strains of these described above.  Ted has lined, within the 21 or so points to date, so lots of the movies we love:  THE INVISIBLE MAN; THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD; WAR OF THE WORLADS; THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL; THE TIME MACHINE; KING KONG (naturally); every thing Ray Harryhausen ever did, and even an all time fave of mine, I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE (a lot better and scarier than it sounds!)  All the flicks we all know and love.

The most recent problem despatched to me even has an enormous and worthy 40 web page piece on the VFX work on MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, by some fellow referred to as ‘Peter Cook dinner’(!)

The 21 or so journals to this point are jam packed with uncommon photographs – all prime quality reproductions, the interviews with forged, administrators and lots of key contributors are all fascinating and really revealing to say the least.  Every problem of 150 odd pages is a strong ‘cowl to cowl learn’ so far as I am involved.  I hope Ted sends me extra points, these are nice.  Extremely really useful.

The quilt artwork is all commissioned expressly for Candid Monsters, and it is nice.

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An Odd Discover in my Archives.

In going by way of my fairly in depth archive I dug out an outdated picture I’ve from years in the past that’s of some significance.  Famed matte artist Al Whitlock was an in depth private pal of the legendary director Alfred Hitchcock, with very early interactions way back to the 1930’s, and far later reunited for all the Common movies Hitch made.  Hitch was a devotee of advantageous artwork and would typically ask Albert to ‘copy’ a real masterpiece in order that he might cling it in his West Coast residence.

Hitchcock was additionally a first-class sensible joker, so whether or not he requested Whitlock to color this ‘revised’ view of Mt Rushmore, or Al took it upon himself shouldn’t be recognized.

Now, I learn the opposite day {that a} excessive proportion of American youth haven’t a clue who these chaps are on Mount Rushmore….  However solely one murdered Janet Leigh within the bathe… however which one?

So, now on with the matte shot retrospectives…

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ANGELS ONE FIVE – recreating the Battle of Britain with in depth trickery.

I am a sucker for outdated struggle movies, and this one is kind of a outstanding feat of spectacular cinematic knowhow and in depth trick images.

ANGELS ONE FIVE (1952) was an enormous success in Britain and in her colonies resembling right here in New Zealand, although most likely stays unknown within the US and such.  A reasonably budgeted affair, the movie is full of an in depth array of trick pictures, and a few very advanced ones at instances.  Miniature knowledgeable George Blackwell and optical cinematographer Bryan Langley deservedly acquired display screen credit score for his or her enormous contribution.-

One of many UK’s most revered results males, George Blackwell, had expertise in all method of bodily results however was most frequently drawn towards miniature work on scores of movies.  Oscar nominated for the nonetheless important traditional DAMBUSTERS, George did superlative work on reveals like CAPT. HORATIO HORNBLOWER, NIGHT OF THE DEMON and the Ray Harryhausen movie ONE MILLION YEARS BC amongst many others.

The movie is completely loaded with vfx pictures, so many in truth that it takes a eager eye to identify all of them, such is the standard.  This seemingly ‘precise’ stunt, the place two Hurricanes barely miss one another on a runway resulting from miscommunication was a perfectly carried out composite with the one actual aircraft taxiing, whereas the second aircraft was a miniature mixed flawlessly by travelling matte.

This movie was one of the vital in depth to utilise the travelling matte course of to mix miniatures and infrequently painted plane into motion sequences.

The now uncontrolled aircraft comes down laborious and plows straight off the runway and right into a constructing.  Glorious miniature images mixed, presumably, by way of superb course of projection.  See beneath…

The filming of that aircraft because it skids into digicam on a miniature set at Elstree.

I wonder if this was a blue backing shot, because the article mentions it.  It is too crisp and evenly ‘projected’ to be a again projection shot?

As for precise plane, by the point they shot the image there have been solely two flyable Hurricanes in Britain, and completely no German bombers in any respect, unsurprisingly.  Fashions had been wanted extensively.

Pictures like this had been simplest, as they launched a delicate aerial ‘drift’ in order that they weren’t all in a type of ‘glued in’ formation.

A formation of German bombers – painted on glass – coming in to create havoc.  Notice the animated flak explosions within the air.  One of many few different struggle photos I can recall that relied nearly solely on matted in fighter planes and such was the 40’s image THE NORTH STAR – a movie completely bursting on the seams with trickery, and one which noticed Clarence Slifer nominated for his marvellous results work.  I lined that movie in nice element right here a number of years again.

The total scale mechanical fx on the bottom had been spectacular too.  This sequence is typical of the ingenuity of Blackwell and Langley, with the Heinkel added in in a while Bryan Langley’s optical printer.

The producers acknowledged {that a} appreciable quantity of session with “the boffins” – as they termed it – within the photographic results business needed to be carried out method earlier than the inexperienced mild was given because of the difficulties in recreating such scenes on a medium (by UK requirements) finances.

Instance of fantastic optical work, with German Heinkel miniatures ‘marionetted’ in entrance of a blue display screen, with the information wires purposely painted blue to allow optical elimination when added to footage of Jack Hawkins and explosions and many others.  Very spectacular.

Optical cinematographer Bryan Langley was an outdated hand within the UK movie business, having began off as a digicam assistant on silent photos earlier than graduating to full ‘lighting cameraman’ (or D.o.P because the Yanks name it).  Bryan acquired concerned early on with the Schufftan Course of’ – of utilizing partially silvered mirrors to mix reside motion with miniatures or art work.  In a while Bryan grew to become an knowledgeable in all aspects of the travelling matte course of at J.Arthur Rank’s Pinewood Studio, below the Unbiased Body ethic.

Bryan Langley specialised within the yellow backing sodium course of, devised at Rank by George Ashworth together with his specifically constructed beam splitter digicam, and used very extensively on their movies in desire over rear projection. The sodium methodology was later exported by Disney to the States and used on virtually each Disney image.

One other very efficient bit the place miniature planes had been matted over the rooftops, with the roar almost giving the woman a coronary.

Glorious full scale bodily results, which I first considered a miniature truck, however on repeat rewinds reckon it was actual.

There was an in depth article concerning the making of this movie in a British business journal whereby they state some seventy travelling matte pictures had been made – probably the most for any image up till 1951 – with lots of these having a number of components mixed right into a single shot.  The producer stated that “this movie would have been inconceivable to make with out the TMP” – the travelling matte course of.  The acknowledged that the actors had been going goggle eyed performing always in entrance of blue screens for all the cockpit sequences, because it wasn’t widespread on the time as it’s now.

Most likely probably the most spectacular shot within the movie was this seemingly easy shot.  Aerial cameraman Stanley Grant’s reside plate of the English Kent countryside has had a formation of German bombers added flawlessly.  All of the planes had been painted on glass and shot in opposition to a blue backing, although what bought the scene was the cloud financial institution that partially obscured the planes as they flew by way of.  An outstanding optical meeting by Langley and his assistant Reg Johnson.  Producer John Gossage liked the pictures and wrote:  “The precise location background used included a certain quantity of cloud, and the ‘boffins’ had been in a position to matte the studio results shot in order that the planes really seem to fly out and in of clouds”.

The large drawback the movie makers discovered was the acute time delay from capturing to lastly seeing accomplished results pictures.

The article acknowledged:  “The usage of fashions was in depth.  The bigger ones had sensible propellors, weapons and bomb releases – all electrically managed with the present handed down the wires they had been suspended from, hung from a cellular cross tree similar to that which puppeteers use”.

One other extraordinarily spectacular sequence has a British fighter dive down and blow the shit out of some German formation.  An extremely nicely photographed and composited sequence which mixed reside aerial footage – very easily shot – together with a number of German Heinkels and ME109’s flying at differing altitudes and instructions, with all of this mixed as an eagle eyed POV from the Hurricane pilot.

Apparently they did an excessive amount of experimentation with completely different background plates and alternate mannequin motion earlier than deciding on the right, multi-layered outcome.  Excellent!  Some pictures had been made up of a number of layers: the 2nd unit panorama beneath; a number of German plane flying round; a separate constructed cockpit window and panel for squibs and bullet hits; and lastly the actor taking part in the pilot filmed merely sitting on a stool in entrance of a blue display screen.  Langley and Johnson married all of these components collectively superbly.

Bryan Langley labored on a variety of movies with in depth optical necessities resembling the unique 1984 starring Michael Redgrave; the Royal Navy story THE GIFT HORSE, THE LAVENDER HILL MOB and was co-screen credited alongside Albert Whitlock on the sci-fi present THE NET (aka PROJECT M7).

Daring do over the Kent panorama.  It was certainly ‘their most interesting hour’.

As Freddie Mercury as soon as famously sang: ‘One other Kraut bites the mud’.

An evocative matte painted sky with added squadron in flight.

The closing sequence is an enormous pullback beginning on an inside set at Elstree and lengthening method out. The set merges into an in depth painted matte – artist unknown – and subsequently strikes again over a multiplane glass shot.

Matte painted ruins…

The large pullback utilizing both multi-plane glasses or painted cut-outs.

detailed view

Unsure what they had been attempting to realize right here.  Possibly the aerodrome runway past, though the angle is method, method off, or a extra representational stylised interpretation, I dunno?

All up, an ideal film, little recognized as we speak.  And you may by no means go flawed with something starring Jack Hawkins, now are you able to?

More true phrases had been by no means spoken… The nice Winston Churchill, whose 1100 web page life story I am at the moment studying.  Superb fellow, sadly ‘dumped’ by the Brit’s after the struggle regardless of all he did.

From the motion packed trailer.

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RAINTREE COUNTY – The Civil Struggle is misplaced by battling, buxom Southern Belles.

MGM’s epic scaled, however tragically overlong RAINTREE COUNTY (1957)

MGM’s reply to David Selznick’s vastly superior GONE WITH THE WIND, at the very least had a powerful forged, and Monty Clift was all the time a bloody advantageous actor who handed away far too early (see him in JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG).  RAINTREE was shot within the celebrated Digicam 65 format that MGM was beginning to use – that’s 65mm unfavorable for optimum constancy of picture.

The movie is surprisingly scarce within the matte artwork division, which for a Civil Struggle epic is not actually on!  Little or no ‘broad scale’ within the movie, although the couple of mattes labored properly.  Outdated time MGM veteran Henry Hillinick painted on this movie, assisted by Matthew Yuricich, to whom Henry was mentor.  This establishing shot is sweet, combining a rural locale with some MGM backlot and a great deal of matte artwork to tie all of it collectively.

I’ve zoomed this in for a more in-depth look.

The second, and solely different confirmed matte in RAINTREE COUNTY was this undetectable view on the finish of the very lengthy 3 hour shmooze-fest, with the practice pulling out of the city.  Half the body right here is painted (see beneath), and blended superbly by MGM’s vfx cameraman Mark Davis.  *See beneath for an actual deal with, courtesy of Pete…

From the Matthew Yuricich assortment comes this excellent authentic Henry Hillinick matte, nonetheless in pristine situation.  Matthew stated that when that Kerkorian megalomaniac began to bulldoze all of the outdated MGM backlots and departments within the early 70’s to flog off as actual property – the outdated matte division included – Matthew grabbed a bunch of outdated mattes and saved them, this being one.  He stated it broke his coronary heart to see all these a long time of inventive expertise mainly dumped and carted away, although someplace alongside the methods an excessive amount of these fell into the fingers of others and have subsequently proven up at numerous auctions and many others.  I’ve a pair.

A number of the element that I simply know you wish to look at… Henry was an all spherical ace painter, and Matt held him within the highest regard.  Henry had labored way back to the unique KING KONG doing backings and issues.  Like most matte guys, he by no means had an on-screen credit score.

Extra chic element.  Henry positively wasn’t one of many ‘huge brush’ faculty of matte exponents.  His work was advantageous, detailed and exacting – most likely as a result of head of division Warren Newcombe demanded such.  This detailed piece is essential as this was the place Henry taught Matthew learn how to use a razor blade to create a pleasant textured impact, by gently scraping the blade over the floor of the painted stone and brickwork for the specified texture – one thing Matt used typically and handed on to others like Michele Moen and sure Rocco Gioffre too.

I am unable to affirm what that is from.  The scene would not seem in RAINTREE COUNTY however the portray has the identical ‘really feel’ to it to my eyes and will have been an unused shot.  No matter, right here it’s in all its glory, and an impressive piece it’s too!  Be happy to thank Pete any time now for together with this magnificence,  no matter its certainty!  😉

Element of the comb work.

Extra element.  If anybody can make clear, or put me straight on the doable movie, then let me know.

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CATTLE DRIVE:  Down on the Ranch with Joel McCrea.

I take pleasure in outdated westerns, and with the good Joel McCrea one actually cannot go flawed.  *If any twat asks “who’s Joel McCrea”, I swear I’ll hunt you down and horsewhip you!  See SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS for his most interesting movie, although he acknowledged he all the time most popular appearing in films with horses, tumbleweed and cactus!  True story!

Truly a extremely good little 1951 western, with high notch efficiency by the younger Dean Stockwell (did not he die fairly just lately??)

The movie has a handful of fine matte pictures in it by Russell Lawson, with one shot particularly being an actual standout (I present that one in a bit…)  This one is intriguing.. a nicely rendered full body portray that does not embody a railway observe, although a second lower shortly afterward seems to make use of the identical portray, this time modified considerably, and now with a railroad observe!  It is just like the damned Twilight Zone in that valley – one other dimension!

Earlier than and after Lawson shot, with practice.

Bigger view of the matte with the practice rolling on and a few modified bits of surroundings.

Now mates, that is one terrific matte shot, and one that’s so daring.  Some people dismiss Russ as only a brush for rent, however the man did some ingenious issues over his very in depth profession, principally at Common.  He, and fx cameraman Roswell Hoffman, weren’t afraid of operating matte strains by way of the sky – that’s painted sky to precise sky – as I’ve seen in lots of examples.  Here’s a prime one.  See beneath…

The identical shot damaged down (as finest I can do it, sadly).  Actual practice, actual individuals, actual water spout, half sky actual whereas different half painted.  Giant water tank, ladder, mountains, roof of practice carriages all painted in!  Russ has run his matte line across the fringe of a cloud, which except you had been actually paying consideration, you’d by no means spot.  Lawson and Hoffman did this on many reveals to glorious impact.

Two extra CATTLE DRIVE mattes with mountain vary and skies added in.

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ROBIN HOOD – Starring the Greatest Field Workplace Identify of the Silent Period.

Silent traditional ROBIN HOOD (1922).  Yep, Douglas Fairbanks was the greatest star of his day.  The Tom Cruise of the twenties, besides that Fairbanks might act.  Like Tom, Douglas was a bit of fella, and because the nice ‘Hedley Lamarr’ stated in Mel Brook’s Blazing Saddles, “How did he do such unimaginable stunts, with such little ft”.

Fairbanks on the set leaning in opposition to the largest godammned megaphone ever constructed!

ROBIN HOOD (1922) was a superbly shot journey and consists of a variety of beautiful matte and glass pictures.  Matte artist was the uncredited Ferdinand Pinney Earle – a pioneer within the approach, although a pioneer who appeared to all the time be in lawsuit battles together with his competitor Norman Daybreak, over simply who invented it (my cash’s on Daybreak).  These pictures present Earle and his assistants busy at work on glass pictures in his specialist studio.

Earlier than and afters of probably the most recognisable ROBIN HOOD shot by F.P Earle.

Ferdinand Earle at work, plus an outdated article on his trick work from one in every of his misplaced movies.

Of word to movie buffs – Alan Hale co-starred each right here within the 1922 movie and once more alongside Errol Flynn within the 1938 Technicolor remake – every time as the very same character!  To not be confused together with his son, Alan Hale jnr, who starred in television’s ‘Gilligan’s Island’.  Now keep in mind that reality in case the query comes up if you find yourself going through The Governess on ‘The Chase‘.

The movie opens with this beautiful glass shot.  Will need to have been on glass because the painted clouds are shifting throughout the sky.  A number of mattes have the identical cloud motion.

A superbly carried out tender dissolve from one painted fort to a different.

The intertitles are very poetic.

From one matte painted fort to a different…

Additional tender dissolve brings us this break.  I do surprise if this can be a mannequin or at the very least a partial miniature arrange.  The sky is shifting too.

The manufacturing design was most spectacular and the units had been probably the most talked about and documented of the day.

The grasp shot of the fort and battlements stays an F.P Earle masterpiece.  The precise standing set was immense even earlier than the matte artwork was added.  The clouds right here additionally drift throughout the sky.

A panoramic inside set extension.  Apparently Earle was one robust buyer and never a straightforward fellow to reside with, or so I as soon as learn.  His son grew to become a background artist on 1940’s Disney animated options.

Ferdinand Pinney Earle was classically skilled within the advantageous artwork academies of Paris below first charge painters resembling Bougereau – as another matte exponents did on the time resembling Jan Domela, Hans Ledeboer and I feel Spencer Bagtatopolis, Emil Kosa and perhaps Walter Percy Day too.

Different notable matte artists acquired their begin below F.P Earle resembling Paul Detlefsen who went on to move the Warner Bros matte division and later over at RKO in it is remaining days.

Earle discovered fame together with his illusions by creating movement photos with unique locales nearly solely throughout the silent period studio by way of rigorously deliberate use of his matte artwork methods whereby seemingly inconceivable scenes may very well be dropped at the display screen by merging glass work with individually filmed actors shot in opposition to black velvet, although sadly lots of these movies are misplaced as we speak.

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SAMPO:  Finland’s Fanciful Fairytale

I’ve seen a variety of Nordic-noir thrillers from Finland however by no means earlier than have I come throughout an results crammed fairytale like this.  SAMPO (1959) was a visible feast with competent and sometimes astounding trick work.  I wager you’ve got by no means heard of this one.

No, your eyes aren’t fooling you… Apparently some jerk US distributor purchased the rights and recut and retitled the Finnish flick as, get this, THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE (yeah… actually!) and launched it some years later!  Sadly, the People had a behavior of doing this type of factor to international movies!

I am pondering that may be an results credit score, ‘Trikki…” one thing or different.  It has to be a vfx credit score.

The movie was a grand extravaganza, crammed with color, imaginative vista’s and superb artwork course resembling proven on this matte shot which was made with a pan throughout to left making me assume it was a glass shot mounted in entrance of a studio tank.

I perceive SAMPO was a Finnish-Soviet co-production.  Truly, the Soviet movie business had been extremely adept at produced some superb photographic results work on an ideal many movies – at the very least from the few examples I’ve managed to see.  The matte artist was Zoya Morakova, who would paint on scores of Soviet movies over a protracted profession.  *Another examples are proven on the finish of this SAMPO piece.

This one seems to be a easy perspective gag, with the actor positioned a ways behind the foreground miniature set, a-la DARBY O’GILL.

A lot matte painted set extension right here, and superbly designed too.  The story was type of laborious to observe, however had a lot to do with magical rainbows and a pleasant character making an attempt to cease some devilish witch from stealing the solar – or one thing.  Very fashionable in its homeland of Finland I imagine.

Extra matte artwork right here, used so as to add in a lot of the set above the heads of the forged.

Filmed in 2.35 CinemaScope, or ‘SinemaSkop’, or ‘Dyaliscope’ and even ‘VistaScope’, relying on which promoting materials you come throughout and who you imagine!

Glorious mannequin work for this snow storm, which presumably fashioned the premise of the severely re-cut, dubbed and disemboweled American launch model THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE!

A part of an beautiful fx sequence the place the Northern Lights seem within the evening sky.

Fantastic matte painted composite with light mild within the sky added.

Movie critic and creator Tim Lucas, who used to place out the wonderful evaluation magazine Video Watchdog again within the 90’s referred to as SAMPO “an impossibly stunning movie”.

I might be most intrigued at what number of MatteShot weblog readers have heard of, and even seen this mysterious, but fascinating movie.

I am significantly keen on this matte shot.  Photographic results cameraman was Lev Dovgvillo who did advantageous work with combining Zoya Morakova’s great matte artwork.

Miniature boats with each the ice flows and the sky being matte artwork.  The movie was directed by famend Russian movie maker Aleksandr Ptushko.

One other nice shot from the movie has our character braving the ferocious snow storm on this very properly carried out partial set augmented with matte painted rooftop and bushes.

Though these three photographs are usually not from SAMPO, I made a decision to incorporate them as examples of Zoya Morakova’s matte artwork from different movies.  That is from WALKING OVER THREE SEAS.

Element from a Zoya matte for a similar movie.

A earlier than and after Morakova matte from LOVE FOR LOVE, made in 1983.  I feel I acquired these photographs from my pal in Madrid, Domingo.  If that’s the case, he is aware of much more about Euro-Russian fx than I do.

Mexican poster for SAMPO.

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THE MAN FROM COLORADO:  Nice Solid and Effective Matte Artwork

What may very well be higher than a very good, strong old style western starring each Glenn Ford and William Holden – THE MAN FROM COLORADO (1948) suits the invoice properly.

Columbia had been typically below rated for his or her product, little question because of the tight fisted rule of studio boss Harry Cohn, whom no person appreciated and lots of considered a complete thug.

Though they not often put up a display screen credit score for results, not to mention matte work, Columbia by this time had the legendary Lawrence W. Butler operating the consequences division, with very long time vfx cameraman Donald Glouner and, proven above, skilled matte artist Juan Larrinaga – the brother of Mario Larrinaga who was over at Warner Bros.  Each Juan and Mario labored collectively on KING KONG (1933) and its unhappy sequel, SON OF KONG over at RKO.

The flick is a compact and thrilling little western, and for cowboy buffs like Pete, it was a very good nights viewing.  A number of matte pictures had been used to increase the settings, with this painted venue being an essential a part of the plot.

Now this shot is an impressive matte.  Probably the greatest of its period in truth.  Every thing above the individuals has been added in fantastically.  Fantastically rendered, presumably by Juan Larrinaga, the sensation of sunshine, depth and hue – to not point out the excellent tender mix marrying the artwork to the set, one might nearly be forgiven in accepting it as a 1970’s Albert Whitlock o/neg shot because it’s that good.

Whereas not as efficient because the earlier sensational matte, this nonetheless works.

A better matte view of the canyon the place issues are about to ‘kick off’.

Lawrence and Donald ran the Columbia results dept for a few years earlier than lastly branching out and establishing their very own specialist results home, Butler-Glouner.  Larry’s father William Butler had been a key optical results man for Warners again within the late silent days, with Larry becoming a member of him when aged solely 15.  Larry had an enormous profession, gaining an Oscar for THE THIEF OF BAGDAD in 1940, and would run Warner’s famed ‘Stage 5’ trick division for a few years, whereby that studio’s finest and most adventurous visible results work was created with jaw dropping pictures on issues like RHAPSODY IN BLUE, ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN, HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT and my all time fave fx present, YANKEE DOODLE DANDY.  Even in his outdated age Butler was being wanted for results session.  Spielberg employed him as advisor for CE3K lengthy earlier than Trumbull and co got here on board, and as a small tribute, Steven even named a personality ‘Larry Butler’ within the remaining movie!  True story.

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RUTHLESS:  Sinister goings-ons and treachery afoot

A rip roaring and moody noir-esque melodrama that few as we speak would have heard of, RUTHLESS (1948) was a winner for NZ Pete.  An impressive forged, with Zachary Scott higher than ever.  Plus, any movie with Sidney Greenstreet is a should see for me.

No results credit score however being an Eagle-Lion present I might provide an informed guess that Jack Rabin and Irving Block had been doubtless concerned as their visible results store, Studio Movie Service simply occurred to be proper there on the Eagle-Lion lot.

A darkish and at instances malevolent drama, particularly when Greenstreet is round.  The femme lead, Diana Lynn, was an absolute honey, and thus will get her beautiful picturesque self immortalised without end on this weblog!  Sexist?  So, sue me!

There are only a half dozen mattes within the movie, but it surely’s all the time been my transient to convey ‘unknown’ or forgotten flicks to life by way of my weblog.  It is a nice shot really.  Virtually all painted, with the addition of an animated lighthouse beam excessive atop the body that’s always revolving.

Placing a roof on a set was without end the most typical requirement for a matte shot, be they an enormous cathedral, a ballroom or only a plain flat ceiling to cover the studio lights and rigging, the matte guys did one million ‘high ups’ over time, and most you’d by no means discover.

Reverse angle with all painted in from halfway up the body, together with the ‘candle’ illumination.

Properly rendered sky in what’s just about a 50/50 matte to precise exterior.

Jack Rabin and Irving Block had very lengthy careers in results.  Rabin began with Jack Cosgrove at Selznick, with Rabin and Block assembly up at Fox within the 1940’s.  Block went on to MGM as one in every of Newcombe’s workers of matte painters and ultimately each acquired again as enterprise companions – with title artist Louis DeWitt – and arrange their very own optical facility, specialising in low (and extraordinarily low) finances assignments for guys like cheapskate Roger Corman.  They did do the occasional status job although, resembling Charles Laughton’s traditional NIGHT OF THE HUNTER.

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NATIONAL VELVET:  Liz takes the micky out of Mickey(!)

Star chemistry, after which some!  The very younger Elizabeth Taylor and the massively proficient Mickey Rooney….. what might go flawed?

The massively common household movie NATIONAL VELVET (1944) nonetheless stands the check of time.

Apparently, the actor Jack Nicholson was as soon as interviewed and requested who he thought was the very best actor ever.  He rapidly responded, “Mickey Rooney”.  He stated that Rooney might do something – and he did.  Proper from a small child, by way of to tune and dance, comedy, drama, thrillers, the primary field workplace draw for a number of years…you identify it, the little fella was mega proficient, however should have misplaced a fortune with so many divorces amongst his 8 (depend ’em eight) wives! Jesus!!  Oddly, I feel Liz Taylor went by way of as many husbands as Mickey went by way of wives…. that is like 16 divorces between them! Although, I digress……...

The household movie is loaded to the gills with so many matte pictures.  I nearly misplaced depend.

Warren Newcombe took display screen credit score however as was widespread information by no means a lot as picked up a paint brush.  That is what ‘heads of departments’ get… all of the credit score the place credit score’s not solely due.  Newcombe was nonetheless, an excellent supervisor of his giant workers, and knew precisely what the director required.  As such, MGM turned out lots of the finest mattes in Hollywood, particularly within the 1940’s.

An impressive matte painted London, full with shifting site visitors on the bridge.  This matte would crop up once more in a number of different movies over time.

What all the time impressed me with Newcombe pictures had been the sensible blends between the artwork and the reside motion.  Hardly ever had been there ever any apparent matte strains on present, and nearly all the time senior matte cameraman Mark Davis appeared to make use of tender matte blends – and sometimes within the least apparent of locations.

A typical instance of an excellent mix to marry the actual fact to the fiction, as I prefer to phrase it. That is one firstclass little bit of matte work.

The color matching when exposing the weather was all the time superb at MGM, although issues tended to slide a bit of as soon as CinemaScope got here in.

MGM had the dough to spend and would fee mattes by the rating, even when they weren’t certain they had been wanted.  I’ve seen so many work made for particular movies that by no means appeared within the remaining lower, nearly as in the event that they had been rendered purely as a ‘standby’ simply in case.

A really spectacular tilt down shot the place the complete factor is a big portray, with simply the fluttering flag ‘burnt in’ later.  Quite a few ‘drilled away’ slot gags are evident within the painted crowd, the place ‘motion’ is simulated by way of backlit gadgets behind the art work – an outdated trick that the Newcombe division had been masters at.

Nearer have a look at the portray.

In a variety of pictures the matte artwork is so convincingly assembled that a number of rewinds are so as to determine issues out.

Key matte artists working then had been Howard Fisher, Henry Hillinick, Otto Kiechle, Hernando Villa, Henry Peter McDermott and others.

As unimaginable as it might sound, I heard from Matthew Yuricich that the artists below Warren at MGM had been by no means allowed to view their very own exams or finals within the projection room!  Strictly heads of division to observe, and out of bounds to minions such because the poor son-of-a-bitch who really painted the damned factor!  From these ‘check’ viewings the top of dept would relay to the matte artist what was flawed and the place corrections wanted to be made, with out the artist ever having the good thing about seeing the factor on movie himself!  Unbelievable!

Though NATIONAL VELVET was method earlier than Yuricich’s time, he stated that in line with guys like Howard and Henry, the typical matte would take about 2 to three weeks to finish, as soon as any problematic areas had been sorted out.  That they had a draftsman named Invoice Meyer who would meticulously attract every thing that was required, and the matte painter would by and huge, simply observe that define and fill it in.  Apparently Meyer was very expert with this.

A perfectly invisible matte that may additionally seem years later within the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis comedy MONEY FROM HOME.

The large Derby with little Liz within the entrance.  Plenty of paint right here, with simply the foreground, the horses and a number of the mid-ground crowd being precise.

At MGM, whereas most artists would paint standing up with the normal easel, each Howard Fisher and Henry Hillinick most popular to color whereas seated with their mattes on drawing-drafting tables tilted down.  Howard was what you could possibly name a ‘picture realist’ together with his strategy, whereas Henry tended to be extra experimental at instances and use a thick impasto model for sure issues, probably resulting from his early coaching as a scenic backing painter, although his finely detailed matte on the finish of RAINTREE COUNTY (see earlier on this publish), his work may very well be very meticulous.

For the prolonged racetrack sequence on the climax, scores of mattes had been employed for shot after shot, with many being invisible to the informal viewer.  The entire pictures with the grandstand seen had been painted, and all the distant crowd had been mere art work (see beneath).

I’ve intentionally cropped a few frames right here as an instance simply how a lot of what you noticed on display screen was in truth trick work.  Virtually all the onlookers had been painted in, and augmented by interference gags behind the portray at particular factors to simulate ‘motion’ the place in truth there was none.

These are usually not from NATIONAL VELVET, quite an instance of a painted crowd from one other MGM image TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME which got here out a number of years later.  Notice the obvious consideration to element, although the persons are just about rendered as blotches of paint, although utilized in a way that may learn as the actual factor on movie, particularly with particular ‘slot gags’ in play.

All painted as proven on this shut up, although I solely have B&W excessive rez photographs of this, sadly.

And NATIONAL VELVET concludes with this majestic sundown.  Nearly a full portray right here with only a tiny strip of gravel street with Mickey Rooney on.  Fantastic stuff.

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CUSTER OF THE WEST:  Massive display screen bio-pic of a bigger than life legend.

Sensational advert artwork as was the model within the late sixties, CUSTER OF THE WEST (1968) was an epic mounting of nice scale and ambition.

Among the many sprawling journey had been a number of glorious matte painted pictures, rendered by the legendary Spanish artisan, Emilio Ruiz del Rio.  Though uncredited, Emilio contributed some high notch glass pictures for the large display screen Tremendous Technirama 70mm manufacturing.

Two grasp craftsmen in entrance of a giant miniature set – matte artist Emilio Ruiz at left, and mannequin specialist Francisco Prosper at proper, each males enormously expert and backed up with a whole lot of display screen credit between them.

Though a Cinerama movie ‘presentation’, it wasn’t filmed or projected in true ‘Cinerama’ as that course of had been put out to pasture for some years.  True Cinerama concerned difficult triple head images and the ensuing triple unit projection, spreading 3 particular person strips of movie projected individually in left, centre and proper panels throughout an extraordinarily large display screen to breathtaking impact.  MGM’s HOW THE WEST WAS WON was one of the vital well-known.

An outstanding glass shot by Emilio Ruiz, filmed with a tilt up.  There’s far extra right here painted than you may assume.  See beneath…

An in depth view of considerable art work the place Emilio has added in a whole group of Indian tents in addition to all the background mountain vary.

The left facet has vegetation added in in addition to all the background hills and mountains.

One other of Ruiz’s mattes that idiot the viewer’s eye as being a daily (Spanish) location.

Nearer have a look at it demonstrates glorious brush work and fairly a unfastened model.  Almost certainly carried out on a chunk of sheet metallic, mounted in entrance of the digicam and shot in situ as a foreground matte shot instantly onto the unique unfavorable, which was Emilio’s tried and true methodology for the reason that 1940’s.

One other in digicam matte by Ruiz.  Emilio labored on so many movies – numbering round 400 I imagine – with notable work on issues like the wonderful and sorely below rated GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD, the place CUSTER’s miniatures knowledgeable, Francisco Prosper additionally offered great mannequin units.

A significant motion set piece sees a closely laden locomotive come to grief.

Miniatures supervised by Francisco Prosper who did outstanding work on reveals like the large KRAKATOA EAST OF JAVA and BATTLE OF THE BULGE – each with substantial miniature results necessities.

Bother is afoot, on the foot of the trestle bridge railway.

Runaway carriage…

Fabulous work right here, particularly when in comparison with the dismal work that includes the same practice catastrophe within the 1977 flick THE CASSANDRA CROSSING.

Good scale mannequin building plus capturing in precise daylight makes for top of the range sequence.

The ultimate vfx shot is one other of Emilio’s painted mattes, although they determined to superimpose Robert Shaw over the shot.

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KING RICHARD AND THE CRUSADERS:  An especially miscast large display screen journey.

KING RICHARD AND THE CRUSADERS (1954) – an early enterprise into CinemaScope for Warner Bros. that was a tedious and at instances ludicrous affair.

I really like old style hand painted title playing cards like these – a extremely expert career in itself.  Often hand lettered on glass, they actually had been an artform in a category of their very own.

No results credit score however almost certainly it was Louis Litchtenfield operating the particular photographic results unit at Warners.  Lou was a veteran matte artist together with his work showing in movies like MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, THE FOUNTAINHEAD and LAND OF THE PHAROAHS amongst others.

The primary few mattes are all desert pictures with oasis groves and distant fortifications painted in.

Painted in oasis because the ‘amassing his pay-cheque’ Rex Harrison seems to be on.  Rex was a very good actor in lots of movies, with the licensed traditional UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (1948) being an absolute excessive level whereby I cut up my sides laughing.  In a while he starred within the 100% dreadful DOCTOR DOOLITTLE (1968) and reportedly hated each minute of it with a pathological ardour, bursting right into a tirade each time the director yelled ‘lower’ then resuming character for the subsequent take, then cursing the producer once more when lower was referred to as.  Will need to have been a enjoyable set.  As an apart, that dire DOOLITTLE movie stole the Oscar for it is results from the vastly superior struggle image TOBRUK that yr… however do not get me began on Oscar injustices.

Late within the movie we shift to greener pastures and Litchtenfield offered some quite good mattes.  Love the sky right here.

One other wider view in a while.  Additionally within the Warners matte division on the time was outdated time vfx artist Jack Cosgrove, so maybe he had enter as nicely.

Similar as early fort shot however color hue and time of day and many others are completely different.

Glorious matte of King Richard’s place of residence.  Once more, I just like the sky.

Properly, that is about it for an additional publish/article.  I hope that journey down the film magic rabbit gap was fruitful, fascinating and entertaining.  Your suggestions is welcome.

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FINAL WORD:

My ideas exit to the individuals of the State of Palestine as they face the relentless holocaust that the remainder of the world (with one or two exceptions) see plainly as Israeli state orchestrated ethnic cleaning.

 

The Zionist sanctioned wholesale destruction of the Palestinian inhabitants’s houses, hospitals, faculties, companies, farms, locations of worship and what the fascist Israeli invaders jokingly name ‘secure zones’ the place each Palestinian, no matter age, gender or career is focused with full and unabated prejudice. 

 

The Worldwide Felony Courtroom investigating struggle crimes will strive it is best to prosecute the extremely extremist Netanyahu regime (that’s quickly trying increasingly more ‘Neo-Nazi’ as the times move by) although everyone knows full nicely the US would crawl over damaged glass to dam any and all such justice from having any chance of ever being carried out in any worldwide court docket of regulation.

Oh, and simply to set the file straight, sure, the Jews had been persecuted and murdered on a mass scale by the severely fucked up Nationwide Socialist Germany, with out query, and sure, Hitler and his complete evil band had been full and utter cunts, with out exception, the likes of which the world had by no means seen. However none of that offers the Zionists a ‘free move’ to utterly obliterate the individuals of the State of Palestine as they’ve been slowly and steadily doing by decree for over seven painful a long time.

FREE GAZA NOW … Absolutely all that potential prime coastal actual property is not definitely worth the tens of hundreds of harmless Palestinian lives.  It is all trying increasingly more like one other sorry ‘Ultimate Answer’, this time on the a part of the extremely proper wing authorities of Israel.

Pete