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

 

Hey there people.  I do know it has been an eternity since considered one of these substantial and worth for cash(!) weblog posts on all nice issues matte associated, however I’ve had different issues to do, comparable to dwelling renovation work after the damaging cyclone and floods right here final January (sure, it took 7 months for the damned insurance coverage to come back via… with 50’000 odd claims, most far extra critical than ours!)

That apart, as talked about advert nauseam over the fourteen or so years that these bloggings have been rolling off the cyber presses, I’ve simply received to be within the precise temper to deal with ’em.  It is a matter of waking up and the considerably rusty mind issuing directions that ‘At this time, is certainly the day’.  I might by no means work to a ‘deadline’ sort situation…. merely does not compute I am afraid.

Anyway, right here we’re, and what a ‘bumper problem’ because the saying goes that I’ve for rabid followers of conventional painted mattes, miniatures and previous handcrafted cel animated gags that all of us love a lot (should you aren’t a lover of these things, then this weblog most undoubtedly ain’t for you!)  None of that CGI crap right here. It is all previous fashion roll-your-sleeves-up,  handcrafted, sweat-off-the-brow, intestine intuition film magic, simply how they used to do it, and we simply liked it.

Among the many fabulous retrospectives on present right here immediately – and I defy anybody to put declare to have seen and even heard of fifty% of the titles reviewed, such is my penchant for digging out misplaced and forgotten gold – I’ve a lushly extravagant MGM musical comedy;  an extended forgotten thirties catastrophe image;  a hokey feline spy thriller(!);  a sweaty & lusty Brit potboiler;  a really darkish PG rated Disney flick; a taut James Stewart WWII drama;  a run-of-the-mill Errol Flynn CinemaScope costumer;  a now confirmed Albert Whitlock matte from way back, AND, better of all, an extended forgotten, filed away file of uncommon Jan Domela mattes and behind the scenes pictures from many Paramount assignments I’ve by no means seen until now!!

So, if that is not sufficient to moist one’s urge for food then I do not know what’s.

Take pleasure in… 

Pete

—————————————————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————————————

A PACKAGE OF LOST & REMARKABLE MATTES BY JAN DOMELA:

I’m at all times grateful when anyone sends me artifacts or photographs that they know will tickle my proverbial fancy, and by no means extra so than when a literal parcel is delivered to my mailbox (the precise mailbox, not the cyber one) from afar.  The parcel in query was despatched to me by the daughter of lengthy, lengthy, very long time Paramount matte and glass shot artist Jan Domela, and contained a bounty of extraordinarily uncommon, by no means seen earlier than 35mm clips, checks and proof sheets. You’ll be able to simply think about the fun for NZ Pete to have possession of such a treasure trove. **Photograph prime proper exhibits Jan seated whereas results cinematographer Irmin Roberts (at left) and an unidentified grip arrange an in-camera glass shot on a location, circa 1930-33.  Extra of that under…

Jan’s daughter Johanna has been extraordinarily useful and beneficiant over time with a ton of previous stills and transcribed letters of her Dad, and I can not thank her sufficient.  I’ve put collectively a collection of matte photographs as enlarged from these 35mm trims (Nitrate!!! Considerably a dodgy proposition in itself, although I am sure that solely these of us of a ‘sure age’ will even know what that quantities to). Most of the later color negs and trims from the sixties have been in actually unhealthy form, so could not be included, although here’s a fairly honest illustration of this misplaced assortment, with most titles a thriller.

On location, circa 1933 based mostly on the traditional envelope included, with a 3 cent Geo.Washington stamp and 1933 postmark addressed to Domela at Paramount. Love this previous stuff a lot.  Prime left is Jan with matte digital camera minus magazine.  Center pic is veteran Paramount results cameraman Irmin Roberts, whereas at proper we see Irmin setting a tough ‘gaffer tape’ define upon the glass in keeping with Jan’s directions as he traces up the potential glass shot.

Irmin Roberts, ASC with matte digital camera.  Irmin had a mammoth profession with Paramount, from round 1927 via to the 1960’s, on massive exhibits like THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, WAR OF THE WORLDS and top-of-the-line vfx motion pictures ever, George Pal’s THE NAKED JUNGLE, with later forays into course of cinematography and 2nd Unit on issues like SHANE; IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD; TORA, TORA TORA; AIRPORT and his final movie, SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION.  Irmin was the inventor of the now well-liked ‘reverse zoom’ so-called trombone digital camera gag for Hitchcock’s VERTIGO, and a few years later utilised extensively by guys like Spielberg to good impact in JAWS as Roy Scheider witnesses the shark eat the child on the boogie board!

The glass rigged awaiting for addition of painted components.

That could be Para’s chief of results, Gordon Jennings at left(?).  Word the momentary ‘shack’ rigged across the glass to get rid of undesirable reflections and many others.

Glass matte artwork from either side.  Domela has painted in an array of buildings to adapt to the cliff edge in addition to a fleet of ships out within the bay.  With these snapshots being taken out of line-up, the ships look like ‘within the sky’, however will all conform properly for the ultimate shot.

An fascinating snapshot at left of Domela by the ‘grip truck’ – actually a studio automotive crammed to the bounds with flats, helps, clamps, screws, rostrums, tripods, magazines, digital camera gear, and presumably the very important paints, brushes and turpentine!  Shot at proper exhibits Jan together with his grip/assistant posing in entrance of completed glass portray.  The precise on display shot is proven under in a bit…

Presumably Gordon Jennings at left.  Jan at proper eyeing up the shot.

This ‘previous stuff’ is totally fascinating to this author/researcher.

Earlier than and after snapshots taken on a stills digital camera.  See under…….

The completed glass shot because it appeared in an unknown movie.  If anybody am i able to.d it, or any of the others featured under, then you understand who to contact!

One of many previous 35mm trims was this good shot from A FAREWELL TO ARMS (1932)

A fantastic matte from a thriller movie.

One other from what appears to be like like the identical movie.

Cityscape painted in for thriller movie?

Very good matted set extension from IF I HAD A MILLION (1932)

Unknown

Romantic Venice, as painted by Jan for, you guessed it, a thriller manufacturing, circa 1930-ish.

Sure…the very same shot, although it was onerous getting a good scan from the 35mm clip so I included ’em each.  **By the way, simply attempting to purchase a slide & neg scanner was a bloody nightmare.  Tried (repeatedly) the completely 101% ineffective Jeff Bezos’ (Bozo extra prefer it) Amazon – which was once soooo dependable and consumer pleasant (particularly the UK retailer), however no extra!  Ordering from that godamned firm is nearly inconceivable today, with the assorted order buy steps, fee and many others carried out solely to get a discover after all that on the very finish of the method “We’re unable to ship to your nation/vacation spot.  Please select one other vacation spot”.  Yeah Jeff…. ship it to damned Uganda or Iceland and I will decide it up from there!  Wankers every body on the pitiful Amazon!  No I am not making this up.

With that off my chest, here is the identical as a romantic moonlit scene.

Forboding wanting penitentiary by Jan Domela from an unknown image.

An exquisite matte, probably from the identical movie?  I even have numerous evening views from the identical setting.

Unknown

This one’s a magnificence… it is from GERONIMO (1939).  The thirties and early forties are my favorite period’s for matte photographs.  There was only a palpable sense of ‘romance’ to the artwork type that I nonetheless discover completely irresistible.

Additionally unknown

Ahhh, this one I do know:  LOVE ME TONIGHT (1932)

Intensive painted additions, above the pedestrian’s heads.  Movie a thriller although.

I do surprise if this belongs to the movie with these jail matte photographs?

This one I recognised from Paramount’s DANGEROUS TO KNOW (1938)

Unsure about this one?  I did surprise if it may need been from SHANE (1953) ??

A number of scope/anamorphic trims have been within the bundle too, with a pair from this movie that I did not determine.  With the color all however gone I am unable to make out the supposed ‘interval’ of the setting.  Possibly Renaissance Italy or one thing?  I do know that Fox wanted assist and employed Jan to color some mattes for the Charlton Heston epic THE AGONY AND THE ECSTACY in 1965, although I do not recognise this, nor the next shot as being from that movie.  Might have been left on the slicing room flooring?

From the identical movie.  I made a monochrome copy from the slide in order to higher observe the setting, however to no avail sadly.

Additionally included have been a complete bunch of takes, checks and finals from the mammoth George Stevens epic THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (1965) on which Jan labored on alongside Matthew Yuricich.  Some fascinating clips, although largely just about buggered so far as rejuvenating any type of color. I am at all times fascinated with out takes and checks comparable to these.  The inscriptions scraped into the emulsion by Jan himself could be a method to maintain a observe of the method and repeat takes or rejects.

A particularly uncommon take a look at considered one of Jan’s work and takes that by no means appeared within the closing print until it did within the unique very, very lengthy minimize as did different deleted mattes I’ve on file earlier than the movie was trimmed.

Take a look at frames from an excellent matte that did make the minimize, apparently often known as the ‘gun sight shot Jerusalem’ for some unusual purpose?

Domela’s closing matte because it appeared within the BluRay version of THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD.

Some fascinating notations made by Jan referring to a number of the different photographs he made, with references to “retake to get rid of mud”, and make alterations to mountains and many others.  Fascinating after which some!

Thanks for these fantastic artifacts Johanna.  I do hope these misplaced earlier than and after slides of Jan’s work for VERTIGO flip up at some stage. 

———————————————————————————————————————

DU BARRY WAS A LADY:  a lavish Technicolor musical comedy from MGM

DU BARRY WAS A LADY (1943) was a humorous, pleasing romp, with a pleasant time journey twist. Grand manufacturing values, nice mattes, eye-popping Gene Kelly dance routines and a few superb Tommy Dorsey orchestral showpieces, together with a few incredible Buddy Wealthy ‘going loopy on his drums’ bits that positively demand rewinding and repeat viewings!

The forged have been nice, and even the often 100% unbearable Zero Mostel had his moments to shine!

Warren Newcombe was credited for ‘particular results’, although as was frequent data, Warren by no means painted any of the photographs himself. He was nonetheless, a grand supervisor and overseer when it got here all the way down to the top quality matte results that got here out of his extremely proficient secure of artists and cameramen, simply among the many greatest the trade had at anybody time.

Prime ups and grand ceilings and many others have been the bread and butter for budding matte exponents all through the golden period of primarily studio sound stage certain film manufacturing.

An outstanding matte out of Newcombe’s division for DU BARRY WAS A LADY.  I heard from Matthew Yuricich that through the conflict years many studio technicians have been overseas combating for the great, so studios have been pressured to rent momentary artists and many others to fill the gaps, with many coming from a ‘technical illustration’ background.

A spectacular matte composite.  I at all times admired the MGM photographs because the matte traces have been nearly at all times inconceivable to detect, with intelligent use and software of soppy splits and skilled mixing.  Mark Davis was chief matte cameraman, with key painters being Howard Fisher and Henry Hillinck amongst others.

———————————————————————————————————————-

JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG – Affirmation of Matte Artist

The good and highly effective Stanley Kramer image JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961) has lengthy had me questioning who painted the only real matte shot which opens the movie.  Now we are able to verify Albert Whitlock offered this shot, as I had suspected all alongside, as per a set of typed paperwork discovered among the many papers held by Syd Dutton.

———————————————————————————————————————–

THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII – Making the earth transfer, 1930’s fashion

Just about the complete crew and trick shot expertise behind the legendary KING KONG and it is unhappy sequel SON OF KONG have been on board for THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1935).  Word, the publicity paste up’s above have been considerably extra thrilling than something the movie delivered, such was movie promotion of the day.

Hand colored front-of-house stills like this most likely did wonders, most likely made for a re-issue.  Scenes like this have been scripted however dumped as a consequence of finances issues sadly.  Large and substantial minimize and paste job right here by some formidable publicity man.

Likewise, a thoughts blowing, although method excessive PR job once more.  By the way, Cooper and Schoedsack had initially meant to make the movie in Technicolor, however the price was simply too nice.

The nice Willis O’Brien headed up the inventive staff of KONG veterans comparable to glass shot artist Byron Crabbe and optical supervisor Vernon Walker.  Harry Redmond had a key position within the bodily facets of the destruction, whereas uncredited miniaturist Gus White and matte cameraman Clarence Slifer – each KONG staffers – performed an essential position as properly.

Willis O’Brien with one of many miniature galleons constructed for POMPEII.  For readers unfamiliar (I discover that arduous to understand!), O’Bie was a licensed genius within the pantheon of visible storytelling, with many hats to his identify, and as many unfinished initiatives as there have been completed and celebrated movies.  O’Bie did some superb trick work even earlier than his monumental traditional KING KONG in 1933, with issues just like the by no means accomplished CREATION and the spectacle THE LOST WORLD – each silents from the twenties.  O’Bie was a visionary, a proficient artist, sculptor, stop-motion animator, cameraman, modeller and matte painter.  He had a grasp of all facets of the ‘incredible’ and the right way to create the inconceivable.  Sadly, Willis was usually sidelined, over dominated and ultimately put out to pasture, regardless of his monumental skills, with later exhibits and dodgy producers merely cashing in on his identify to promote an image, a lot of these ‘B’ at greatest.  So many future results guys owe their lot to the nice Willis H. O’Brien (go on…you understand who you might be!)

Three key gamers in RKO’s ‘Digicam Results Division’.  Left:  Vernon Walker.  Mid:  Willis O’Brien.  Proper:  Linwood Dunn

O’Bie, as he was recognized, exhibits off two of the miniature units constructed by Gus White, one other KONG alumni.

Matte painter Byron Crabbe at work on an unlimited glass shot of the Gladiatorial enviornment that will in the end not be absolutely utilised to it is best benefit within the movie, sadly.  Byron would paint on many movies across the thirties, usually with buddy Jack Cosgrove on numerous initiatives.  Crabbe began designs for matte work on GONE WITH THE WIND underneath Cosgrove, however died out of the blue throughout pre-production.

A pre-production idea sketch rendered by Mario Larrinaga who had a strong affiliation with O’Bie and Crabbe, going method again.

O’Bie with cameraman Eddie Linden who acted as each manufacturing cinematographer and general results cinematographer on POMPEII as he did on KONG, which was fairly uncommon for the time, and barely occurred in any respect even after the actual fact!

A pleasant relaxed second for O’Bie and his miniatures unit, considered one of whom should be W.G ‘Gus’ White who made the memorable mannequin units for KING KONG.

RKO’s resident sculptor, Italian born artisan John Cerasoli and his handcrafted collectible figurines aboard the Roman vessel.  John did comparable assignments for the 2 KONG movies with skillfully sculpted figures and tiny props.

The opening shot was this multi-layered optical/matte with numerous planes of glass artwork, projected smoke, actual water and a foreground with actors added as a travelling matte component, probably by way of the Dunning double matting course of.

Earlier than and after multi-plane glass shot from an article in a technical journal of the day, I feel it was Widespread Mechanics which often had this type of article.

Byron Crabbe’s rendering of Pompeii mixed with water shot off San Pedro.  This unique manufacturing blow up is sweet, however the photographs when seen within the movie have been much less crisp.  With the various exposures required as soon as the reside motion was added with the individuals on the boat, the shot suffered with extreme grain and distinction, which was unavoidable because of the variety of runs via Linwood Dunn’s optical printer.  Cinematographer Eddie Linden wrote in American Cinematographer on the time concerning the visuals:  “One of many first duties was making the Vesuvius smoke and the threatening clouds.  Within the case of the smoke, we shot it in numerous methods at a number of totally different speeds starting from 4 to 12 instances the traditional velocity, and in shades starting from black & white, and only a skinny, lazy wisp, to an impressive roaring quantity.  Hundreds of toes of adverse have been uncovered on smoke alone.  At 700 toes or extra per minute it does not take lengthy to run up a variety of footage!  Then we might get right into a huddle within the projection room and decide the most effective takes to make use of in our numerous composite photographs.  You would be shocked at simply how a lot argument there may be in simply plain smoke!”

The title web page from an previous 1935 problem of American Cinematographer the place cameraman Eddie Linden explains the quite a few processes used.  I’ll embrace numerous quotes as captions henceforth.

Glass shot of the Temple of Jupiter if I recall.

Nearer, sharper copy of the matte shot of the temple as seen in considered one of O’Bie’s fx pictures of 1935.

Higher a part of the body painted in as a value saver and to cover stage fixtures.

An invisible matte painted set extension.  See under…

Earlier than and after tells all.

The spectacular Roman property and sprawling hill suburbs of Pompeii because it seems on display.

The precise Roman property giant scale miniature by Gus White minus the matted in water.  Word the painted background.

Meticulous element on White’s miniature.

A superb addition to a minimal set courtesy of Byron Crabbe’s paint brush.

A hauntingly atmospheric vista of actually Biblical proportions!

Multi-element fx shot with actors added as a travelling matte part.  On the time each the Williams Matting System and the competitor Dunning Double Printing System have been in use in Hollywood, although which was employed for POMPEII I do not know.  Each had their benefits, but each had failings underneath sure situations.

A wider view of the Temple of Jupiter and the crowded sq..  See under for matte artwork!!

An extremely uncommon artifact right here is that this excessive decision image of the unique Byron Crabbe glass portray for the above scene.  I have to thank profusely my fellow matte fan Steven method over there in New York for sending me this superb picture.  Very a lot appreciated my buddy.

Shut up of the detailed brushwork rendered by Crabbe.  Magnificent.

Unsure concerning the shot at left.  Could also be a full set as too giant a shot to be 1935 rear projected properly, and no fringing detectable as a Dunning shot.  Body at proper is a multi-layered vfx shot although.   A miniature of the massive Colossus statue, a glass painted enviornment, projected ‘individuals’ within the stands, a smoke component additionally projected, and this all offered as a plate for the addition of the foreground motion as a travelling matte.

Composite shot down within the enviornment simply earlier than the shit actually hits the fan!

Earlier than and after with Gus White’s miniature set and many others.

Crabbe at work on his enviornment glass portray which sadly is rarely proven to full benefit within the closing minimize.  We solely ever get to see a closely cropped model with barely any matte artwork seen within the completed edit.  The pic at proper is a take a look at that solely seems within the movie with a lot extra shut foreground motion obscuring the matte composite.  The editor ought to have used a full minimize earlier than cluttering up the view.

‘Thar she blows…’

The volcanic blast and subsequent earthquake trigger mayhem.  Colossus cracks aside and falls upon the panicked Gladiators on this mixture miniature/reside motion shot.

One other of the KONG alumni, Clarence W. Slifer was on the unit for POMPEII.  Slifer was matte cinematographer on the movie and would go on to be a significant ‘backroom expertise’ on 100 or so movies at numerous studios over the following 45 years, as results cameraman at Selznick Worldwide, twentieth Century Fox and largely at MGM, although hardly ever credited.  In accordance with his very long time buddy (and occasional nemesis) Matt Yuricich, Clarence simply liked being in his optical room and devising new and improved methods for his optical printers and digital camera tools.

Members of Gus White and Harry Redmond’s results crew shoot excessive velocity take of the Colossus biting the mud.

A pale 1935 color snapshot of Willis in entrance of the majestic Temple of Jupiter miniature, all fastidiously wired and rigged by Harry Redmond for what he hopes will probably be a profitable demolition (it was!)

O’Bie with loudspeaker shouts ‘motion’ together with his twenty man crew all understanding their roles. The mannequin comes down by way of a mass of hidden wires and a sequence of hid steel rods throughout the precise columns that may very well be actually slipped out in phases thus permitting the pre-scored column construction to self collapse.  See under…

A superb composite with miniature beginning to shake and 100 Roman extras fleeing as a travelling matte component, most likely via the Williams Matte Printing Course of.  As I perceive it, such a large shot would have wanted an unlimited quantity of orange mild upon the actors, with a blue display on the again, to facilitate maintain out mattes via the Dunning Course of.  The choice Williams Course of might avail a extra easy brilliant ‘white’ illuminated backing (or typically black) behind the actors to tug excessive distinction silhouette mattes which might later be mixed as bi-pack components.  Later developments by Frank Williams – with John P. Fulton – utilised a blue display backing and white lit actors.

Cameraman Eddie Linden spoke about this within the 1935 American Cinematographer article on the movie’s results:  “One of many most interesting examples of miniature constructing was The Temple of Jupiter, constructed underneath the supervision of Willis O’Brien by Gus White and his assistants.  It was a kind of nerve-racking photographs for it needed to be made, and made proper, in only one take.  The slightest slip up on the a part of any one of many 20 males who labored on this shot would imply weeks of onerous work rebuilding and re-shooting the scene, to not point out the hundreds of {dollars} additional spent by the studio”.

Linden:  “We made checks of the entire results photographs besides the precise crash of the temple – a very powerful impact and the one one we could not take a look at’.

Linden:  “Because of the effectivity of Harry Redmond’s ‘effecters’, solely minor modifications have been wanted.  Rather less smoke right here, somewhat extra flame there, and so forth. Then, the 4 cameras have been once more examined for steadiness, as the actual individuals and the horses needed to be processed in later, and even a film earthquake could not clarify a background that jiggled whereas the foreground did not”.

Linden:  “The checks have been made and projected, and the ultimate minute modifications are made.  Zero hour is now at hand.  The order ‘Hit ’em’ is given by Willis.  The lights blaze on.  Flames and fireplace pots are lighted.  A whole bunch of smoke pots are timed electrically.  Every part is prepared”.

Linden:  “Digicam!  Let ‘er go.  The rocking movement of the quake begins.  The wires begin the constructing to crumble, and ‘go’ she does”.

Linden:  “Aaaah… all palms sigh with reduction.  Excellent the primary time.  Does it look actual?  There have been some who noticed the rushes who would not imagine it was carried out in miniature.”

An excellent full dimension bodily impact by Harry Redmond as the bottom opens up and swallows people.  Related gags have been utilized by Fox in THE RAINS CAME (1939) and at MGM to excellent impact in each SAN FRANCISCO the next 12 months, and the epic GREEN DOLPHIN STREET in 1947 which deservedly gained the Oscar for the results work (as did the aforementioned Fox movie).

Pompeii’s property values undergo a substantial hunch!

A behind the scenes pic of O’Bie and affiliate on the miniature set all rigged up for the nice outpouring of lava (observe cylinders, piping and pumps at proper).

A nonetheless taken on the miniature set because the deluge of lava is unleashed.  The ultimate shot will embrace many extra components comparable to smoke, fireplace, foreground particles falling and naturally, actors, all assembled on Cecil Love and Linwood Dunn’s optical printer underneath Vernon Walker’s supervision.  Lava frames to comply with…

Presumably a break up display shot with mannequin destruction.

In all probability a full sized little bit of mayhem?

One other layered photographic results composite with a lot occurring.

Eddie Linden wrote:  “We had one scene within the movie – the lengthy shot of the destruction of Pompeii – which required seven separate exposures.  Two have been made at six instances the traditional digital camera velocity; one at ten instances regular; three have been stop-motion exposures; and the seventh was a standard 24 fps shot.  In any of those exposures digital camera motion, and even vibration, which might cross unnoticed in a standard shot, would have ruined the complete job as a fancy results shot”. *Word= the stop-motion Linden talked about wasn’t animation per-se, however was body by body miniature rear projection of particular components into photographs.  Pete

Miniature motion mixed with travelling matted extras.  In a number of situations a number of the actors turn into ‘invisible’ or ‘fade out’ because of the inherent difficulties in pulling transferring mattes from an unlimited crowd the place blue (or orange) spill onto actors would bleed out components of the motion.

‘Pompeii………… oh the humanity’.  Not in contrast to Gaza immediately as it’s pummeled to loss of life by it is illegitimate neighbour, although I digress

The lava circulation envelopes the residents of Pompeii.

Cleverly devised arrange with stunt performers doubled into O’Bie’s miniature destruction, with some rotoscoped lava wrapping over the individuals to good impact.

The optical printer(s) and operators certain received a exercise on LAST DAYS OF POMPEII.

Excessive velocity pictures with actors matted as a static matte shot behind some rocks.

Unavoidable matte line fringing across the individuals, however the cuts are speedy and no person actually notices.

Reside motion in a tank, mixed with glass work and added smoke and fireplace.

Massive miniature collapses onto hapless doubled in extras with good closing outcomes.

A extremely complicated shot, as defined by cinematographer Eddie Linden:  “Undesirable digital camera motion of any vibration meant excessive care needed to be taken with the cameras being conditioned, examined and tied down securely.  We have been lucky in solely having to make one take of this shot.  We needed to hold individuals from even strolling throughout the stage flooring once we have been capturing!  Ordinarily, a properly constructed stage flooring could be considered a fairly strong piece of building, however our checks confirmed that atypical footsteps strolling throughout the stage flooring produced sufficient vibration to hazard our shot.  Due to this fact once we made our shot, we needed to rope off the stage in order that no person however the crew truly wanted for the shot might strategy inside 30 toes of the cameras.  The town and volcano, which have been glass work, have been lined up of their correct relation.  The smoke, clouds and the foreground water have been projected into their correct locations by stop-motion rear projection.  The flames – properly a few of them – have been additionally projected in, and others have been painted in on one more glass, fastidiously lined up with the others.  In fact partially silvered mirrors have been employed in some situations, to simplify the bodily grouping of all these numerous components.  Clearly, the shot needed to be lined up very fastidiously, and lots of checks have been made to be sure that the smoke did not roll from the mistaken place, or another mis-alignment did not happen”.

At left is O’Bie posing for a gag photograph with a Marcel Delgado constructed marlin, which was meant as part of the movie the place the Gladiator’s enviornment will get flooded and this nice swordfish goes amok.  It by no means received filmed, although would have made a sensational bit, very like the misplaced spider canyon sequence that O’Brien did on KONG.

————————————————————————————————————————-

SPY HUNT – Espionage with a feline twist