Check out these ads from the April 1966 edition of American Cinematographer. They might not look like much, yet their style was unusual in a publication that was known for being conservative.
Apparently, the trend didn’t catch on. Across the entirety of the ’60’s, there’s not much else to compare to what you see below – and I often wonder why. Granted, at the time the average ASC member was well over fifty-years-old and probably resistant on some level to the rising counter-culture. Anomalies such as these were tolerated more than endorsed. But from an organization made up of artists, I would have expected more openness to something new.
Maybe the Editorial Advisory Board was trying to be “hip” by signing off on them, or maybe the societal tide was becoming too strong to resist. We’ll never know for sure, but these modest nods to flower power are an amusing aside to the bland pitches that normally appeared in each issue.
By the way, Ray Mercer (1896-1981) was an ASC member who specialized in effects work. Though little is known about him, over a long career he amassed over three-hundred credits. And for being what qualified as an old geezer when his ad appeared, he seems to have had no problem keeping up with the longhairs!
Ray must have had some clout with the ASC at the time.
He must have been somewhat of a hipster at this time in his life.
In 1966 he would have been 70 years old. Most people would
have been long retired. Very mesmerizing ads!
Will you be coming back to the Phoenix area?
Hey Ken – Who knows what was going through their heads back in the mid-60’s? There was a lot of crazy stuff in the air…even more so than today! I don’t have any plans to head back to Phoenix at this moment, but given what we do for a living, that could change at any time. I hope to see you soon!
I’m always amazed at how much change there was in music, cinema, art,
culture, etc. between the end of WW2 and the mid 1960’s.
A period of only twenty years. Richard, look forward to meeting up with you
in the near future!