A quote from one of the most cinematic-minded of the great authors, Edgar Alan Poe:             “There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness.”             I thought of this the other night while walking to my car after dinner with some friends.  Without being conscious of it, I looked up to a window in … Continue reading “UPBEAT ON THE DOWNBEAT”

         His Highness Jeff IV recently welcomed a group of overseas students to the ASC Clubhouse.  You can tell by their expressions that his powers of charm are in full effect.  Maybe we should make him the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations…

         Hot on the heels of Tuesday’s post regarding Dumont’s Electronicam, here’s an article from the March 1956 issue of American Cinematographer featuring no less an authority than Arthur Miller, ASC’s review of the hybrid system.          Miller was one of the giants of his day.  Nominated six times for an Academy Award, he won … Continue reading “A CLOSER LOOK”

American Cinematographer, March 1956             DuMont’s Electronicam was a hybrid TV/film camera system that allowed the recording of a live television production simultaneously on motion picture film.  Designed and used by the DuMont Television Network in the mid‑’50s, it combined a standard live video camera (image orthicon tube) and a 35mm or 16mm film camera … Continue reading “DUMONT’S ELECTRONICAM”

         George Spiro Dibie, ASC was a pioneering Palestinian-American cinematographer renowned for his extensive work in television sitcoms.  Born in Jerusalem in 1931, he earned a scholarship to study film at Los Angeles City College and the Pasadena Playhouse.  Entering Hollywood as an electrician on Cleopatra (1963; Leon Shamroy, ASC), he soon developed a working … Continue reading “BURIED TREASURE”

         Anybody notice something odd, out-of-place…unusual about this ad?          Barry Ackroyd, BSC is a splendid cinematographer and I’m certain that he had no say in what appeared on the page.  But someone (more likely, a number of someones) in the Kodak world did.  And clearly, they all made a mistake!          I’m not going … Continue reading “GAME TIME!”

         And, in this case, who might be whom?  It’s been awhile since Jeff IV made an appearance here, so I want to assure everyone that all is well in his world.  As for the squirrel?  Uhhhh…maybe not so much. Photo by Tracy Dillon

         For anyone who might think that Master Classes and educational efforts are a recent phenomenon around the ASC Clubhouse, below you’ll find an example of the generous outreach that has always been a hallmark of the organization.  Published in the December 1978 issue of American Cinematographer, it hit the streets right around the time … Continue reading “IF ONLY…”

            William Claxton (1927-2008) was an American photographer best known for his iconic images of jazz musicians as well as mid‑20th century Hollywood and fashion culture.  After studying at UCLA in the early-’50’s, he turned to full-time photography and quickly gained respect for his work documenting such notable figures as Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Duke … Continue reading “A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEKEND”