Mirage (1965; Edward Dmtryk) is a fair-to-middling, Hitchcock-like thriller starring Gregory Peck and Diane Baker.  It’s worth your time if you happen to catch it on TCM, as I did a week or two ago.          The film’s cinematographer, Joe MacDonald, ASC (1906-1968), was one of the greats of old Hollywood.  Among his many … Continue reading “EARLY INFLUENCER”

         There are many versions of this story; all of them make the same point.          It’s New York Yankees spring training in 1995 and their great first baseman Don Mattingly is running outfield sprints alongside rookie shortstop Derek Jeter.  The pre-season game had ended earlier and the ballpark was empty.  Veteran Mattingly seized on … Continue reading “WORDS TO LIVE BY”

         Last Saturday evening I had the great pleasure of attending the latest iteration of the ASC Photo Gallery at the Clubhouse in Hollywood.  If you’re not fully up to speed with it, here’s a little background from the ASC website:          Over 15 years ago, Francis Kenny, ASC, recognized the photography skills of ASC … Continue reading “THE ASC PHOTO GALLERY”

         Continuing upon last Friday’s post, here are Arthur Miller, ASC’s thoughts on how a producer can influence a cinematographer’s work.          The quote was cribbed from an article in the April 1942 edition of American Cinematographer…          “There are some whose only idea of photography seems to be to get a crisp, recognizable image, … Continue reading “ARTHUR MILLER, ASC ON THE MIGHTY INTANGIBLE”

Miller with his 1912 Pathe 35mm camera.  This exact model is currently on display in the ASC Clubhouse.          Arthur Miller, ASC (1895-1970) is one of our all-time great cinematographers.  A native of Roslyn, NY, he began his career as a lab man in 1908; by 1912 he was filming shorts for a variety of … Continue reading “AN OVERLOOKED PERSPECTIVE”

Have you watched any of the early James Bond films lately…the ones starring Sean Connery?  Though I’ve probably seen Thunderball (1965; Terence Young\Ted Moore, BSC) a dozen times, I recently sat through it again for the benefit of an uninitiated friend.  During our post-screening debrief, one question kept cropping up: How did anyone ever think … Continue reading “ACTION SCHMACTION”

         Epoch making?  Really?         After several readings of this short article from the November 1923 issue of American Cinematographer, I’m still not sure what Gaudio’s process entailed.  It supposedly rendered a convincing day-for-night effect, but in a proprietary stroke the piece fails to deliver much useful information.  We learn that the Schenck organization thought … Continue reading “BUT WHAT EXACTLY DID IT DO?”

         Let’s be clear regarding a painful fact: Leslie Stevens’ Incubus is a terrible movie.  Everything about it is awful.  Even for a cheap horror film, it’s shoddy, pretentious, nonsensical and – worst of all – boring.  It doesn’t warrant expounding upon, but I will note that it’s one of the weirdest films I’ve ever … Continue reading “INCUBUS (1966)”