I recently enjoyed one of those on-set moments during which someone tosses out an odd assumption with absolute certitude, then defies the residents of video village to prove them wrong. The issue concerned a moment from the famous crop duster pursuit of Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959; Robert Burks, ASC). One of the producers strongly maintained that it was the best rear-projection shot in the history of cinema. Some of the toadies reflexively agreed, but others – and I was one of them – weren’t so sure.
For the past week I’ve sought this clip out in as high a resolution as I could find, and still…I’m on the fence. Off the top of my head, I’d say it had been shot live; the color and texture of the sun instantly gives it away for me. Plus, it’s just too genuine-looking to have been reproduced on a stage, especially as measured against the blatantly studio-bound shots sprinkled throughout the sequence. But then again, that plane comes really close to Grant as it blasts through the frame. Would Universal really have risked the life and limb of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in such a haphazard way?
Take a look and make your own decision. Be sure to share your opinion in the comments. I’m really curious to hear what everyone else thinks…
The scale and accuracy of the plates help create the magic. The sky plate is forgiving and blends so well with the foreground action, the combo of all these elements create a spectacular sequence.
“Best rear projection shot in the history of cinema?” Then they haven’t realized how often they were seeing a rear projection shot that was so well done that the assumption was that it was done practically.
In my experience of viewing dailies at Technicolor, no one did rear projection better than John Bailey, ASC. John would often fool me to think they must have been out shooting locally, when I would discover he was on a stage.
It was on “Honky Tonk Freeway that I first saw John use not only a rear projection behind an automobile rear window, but would also place a screen above the windshield so that street reflections were seen on the windshield as well when shooting through iot. It really helped sell the shot. Honky Tonk Freeway may not exactly be Casablanca, but John’s rear projection work is invisible.
You can see that effect in this clip from “Accidental Tourist” I just grabbed for you and uploaded to YouTube. The only REAL giveaway that it was shot on a stage is that Gina Davis’ car has the best suspension on the planet, in that the car isn’t moving with any gentle up and down bumps.
https://youtu.be/OZxhhCsOmes
Perhaps not as dramatic as North by Northwest, but In North by Northwest when seen on a big screen the contrast difference between the foreground and the rear screen is noticeable and to any informed viewer is a complete giveaway that it is rear projection.
Looks like the real thing to me, but maybe someone has some inside information? I judge the plane was maybe 15-20 feet above as it passed overhead. Not “dangerously” close, unless something went wrong – but anything has a chance to go wrong.
Larry! The only pilot I would’ve trusted to make that shot would have been YOU!
First, I agree with Larry. I believe the plane is at least 25 feet above Cary. The fact that Cary appears to fall when the plane passes helps sell the stunt.
Second, as to memory, I remember N by NW as being in B&W, so much for visual memory.
I think that particular shot is real — the lighting is too “realistic” and there is more depth of field than is typical for rear projection scenes. And as you say, the other rear projection shots are more obvious. But I could be wrong.
I found this Hitchcock Wiki that might shed some light on this issue.
https://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/Bob_Coe#:~:text=Biography,peacefully%20in%202007%2C%20aged%2085.
Look at the third image on that page’s “image gallery” – it looks like Cary Grant could be stretched out on the ground beneath the plane as it passes over him. What do you think? And damn, it’s close to the ground.
I agree with you, David. It looks too damn good for its time to be rear projection!
Thank you for this, Joe…never saw these stills before.
Hey Rob – I’ve never seen this movie on a big screen, but I can tell you that on the 85″ monitor at the Clubhouse it looks so real you’d think it could give milk!
I want to think that the scene was real. If so, it’s interesting how the pilot
rolls out of his turn and starts his rather steep descent then levels off
upon reaching Carry Grant. At some point he will lose his visual on Carry
Grant below him. The pilot was definitely experienced and skilled.
The timing is perfect as Carry Grant takes one last look over his shoulder
then hits the deck.
The pilot’s name was Robert Coe. He was a B17
and B29 pilot during WW2. He was a crop dusting pilot for 37 years
and supposedly accumulated 10,000 hrs. of flight time. A friend of
mine who knew Carry Grant when he had a bungalow at Universal
thought for insurance reasons they never would have put him at such
great risk. But Hitchcock could be demanding and may have insisted on Cary Grant be part of the scene. Even if it was rear projection they
really pulled it off. I still want to believe it was real.
Oops. Cary Grant not Carry Grant…….