Matte Shot - a tribute to Golden Era special fx

This blog is intended primarily as a tribute to the inventiveness and ingenuity of the craft of the matte painter during Hollywoods' Golden Era. Some of the shots will amaze in their grandeur and epic quality while others will surprise in their 'invisibility' to even the sophisticated viewer. I hope this collection will serve as an appreciation of the artform and both casual visitors and those with a specialist interest may benefit, enjoy and be amazed at skills largely unknown today.

Showing posts with label A.D Flowers. Show all posts

Friday, 2 March 2012

Green Dolphin Street: Oscar winning mattes and miniatures

I've covered many MGM films in this blog over the past couple of years, with this picture one I've been meaning to pay tribute to for some time. A grand production, based on the best selling novel, MGM's lavish 1947 costume drama of romantic entanglements among 19th Century pioneers in wild New Zealand, GREEN DOLPHIN STREET proved to be a bona fide field day for the Metro visual effects department.

I first saw this film on TV in the seventies - back when NZ Network TV used to always show classic movies uninterrupted on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Those were the days....long gone sadly. Even as a budding effects fan then I was very impressed with the visuals on show here, though as this was pre-VCR there was no way to capture those wonders for repeat inspection. It's long overdue arrival on DVD is most welcome.

The scenario provided the MGM boys a great many opportunities to strut their stuff up on screen - from period matte paintings of 19th century townships and a haunting, forboding mountain top convent - through to a spectacular earthquake and tidal wave which wrecks havoc in pioneer era New Zealand. Interestingly, none of it was actually shot down here, with most of the NZ scenes having a distinctly Californian look - right down to the obviously inaccurate native bush, and the local Maori tribes being clearly played by Hollywood extras in greasepaint - as was the tradition of the day.

Career Metro Goldwyn Mayer special effects chief, A.Arnold (Buddy) Gillespie was in charge of all miniature, process and physical effects, while his counterpart and longtime associate in the matte department, Warren Newcombe, took care of the numerous pictorial demands. I've outlined both of these key players extensive careers in several previous blogs. MGM had a vast stable of top shelf matte artists during this period, though the only name I can say for sure painted on this show was the legendary Norman Dawn. For those not aware, Dawn was the inventor of the painted matte process and contributed hugely to the overall development of the technique. For a few years in the mid forties Dawn worked under Newcombe in the MGM matte department along side such noted artists as Henry Hillinick, Howard Fisher, Joe Duncan Gleason and Rufus Harrington among others. In all likelihood these same painters shared matte duties with Norman on GREEN DOLPHIN STREET, though we shall never really know. Interestingly, in Dawn's own meticulously archived production logs he wrote of being approached by chief art director Cedric Gibbons during the GREEN DOLPHIN assignment to potentially take over the MGM matte department due to ongoing 'issues' - though he declined the offer.

The lengthy narrative is a bit plodding, and the characterisations somewhat stodgy, but it's the visual effects side of the deal that I'm interested in, so let us take a look shall we.

The films stands out in several areas - beautiful matte art and gob smacking miniature work - as was the usual standard from Metro Goldwyn Mayer of the day. I'd like to also draw attention to the outstanding use of rear screen process projection which is featured throughout GREEN DOLPHIN STREET. I'd go so far as to say that I feel MGM really cornered the market in this technique for decades, with just Paramount even coming close.

The use of very large screens, cleverly interwoven with sets and decor was a Metro trademark (just look at the 30's TARZAN pictures for sensational process work). Arnold Gillespie had a lot to do with the development of improved means of producing high quality process shots in later years with astounding results on huge screen Ultra Panavision work on MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1962) using three projectors.

So, here's a tribute to the Oscar winning special visual effects from GREEN DOLPHIN STREET.

Special Effects Supervisor: A.Arnold Gillespie

Miniatures Supervisor: Donald Jahraus

Matte Painting Supervisor: Warren Newcombe

Matte Artists: Norman Dawn and Howard Fisher

Matte Photography: Mark W.Davis and Thomas Tutweiller

Miniature Photography: Maximilian Fabian

Effects Cameramen: Walter Lundeen, Jack Smith and Bill Williams

Miniatures: Curly Hubbard, Roy Cornish and Henry Greutert

Special Effects Technicians: Glen Robinson, Robert MacDonald, A.D Flowers, Robert Staples, Dario Mortar, Carl Friend, Virgil Beck, Hal Dumas and Charles Schulthies.

Scenic Art Supervisor: George Gibson

Meeeow!

That would make it 1847

The opening matte of the hilltop convent in the Channel Islands is an extensive painting with ocean plate. I've recently been informed by visual effects man Jim Danforth that career Metro matte painter Howard Fisher did in fact paint mattes on GREEN DOLPHIN STREET. Jim worked with Howard on the 1962 IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD and Fisher regaled Jim with interesting stories such as how he and other artists under Newcombe discretely painted a pair of copulating dogs in one of the GDS town paintings for fun! Who ever said that matte work was dull.

An artful multi part Newcombe composite of the Gothic looking convent. Painted mountain, convent and sky with twin live action plates either side of the two nuns of the breakers coming in.

The view from the top. Small sound stage set foreground action combined with Newcombe matte of painted mountains, town and sky with actual ocean plate.

One of two confirmed Norman Dawn mattes in this production. This assignment was one of the last effects shots executed by Dawn for Warren Newcombe during Norman's MGM period of employment.

Close up shot breakdown from Norman Dawn's own records demonstrate the painted elements (rooftops) which were added to an existing Metro backlot set.

Throughout his long career, Norman Dawn meticulously catalogued shot by shot breakdowns of every one of his 800 odd trick shots. These are in the collection of the University of Texas and the transcript of all of those effects makes for fascinating reading indeed.

This sprawling matte shot is possibly a Howard Fisher painted shot .

The convent again, this time with a different sky. The vantage point is repeated numerous times throughout the film, with fresh sky and cloud effects on each occasion. Newcombe's unit were top of their game when it came to clouds and beautifully rendered skies. Possibly painted by MGM stalwart Howard Fisher who would have fame in the mid fifties with his iconic Krell Reactor Chamber matte for FORBIDDEN PLANET.

A full screen matte painting of the upward view of the aforementioned convent.

The shaft through the rock which leads up to the convent.

Donald Jahraus' detailed 2 inch to the foot scale model of the Green Dolphin process projected behind actors.

Top shelf process work here, as was customary with this studio. Again, the fairly large scale model ship used here.

Miniatures of The Green Dolphin and township, with painted sky backing in the MGM tank. Arnold Gillespie would oversee all model shots from his custom built camera skow, affectionately known as the S.S Gillespie.

Another excellent example of MGM's rear screen process projection featuring crisp background plate of miniature ship.

A later matte of the shaft in the rock as a character clambers to the opening at the top.

Rear projection scene using a Newcombe painting and ocean matte.

A wonderful flawlessly blended Norman Dawn top up matte shot described in Dawn's own special effects log sheets as: "Effect 671-double exposure matte which created a dock front setting by combining a foreground shot at a coastal town and a pastel sketch background of sea, sky, dock building, pier and sailing ship".

The New Zealand sequences feature a ripper of an earthquake and tidal wave, with several great full scale physical effects such as this shot where the earth opens up and swallows a none too convincing 'NZ Maori' extra. Effects head Buddy Gillespie did similar wonders with James Basevi on an even grander scale years before on SAN FRANCISCO to fine effect. Fred Sersen did even bigger variations on this over at Fox for THE RAIN'S CAME which took an Oscar in 1939. The later 1974 Universal picture EARTHQUAKE floundered in this respect by not being anywhere near as adventurous as these vintage classics.

As mentioned earlier, MGM's rear screen process work was really far and above other practitioners of the day, and is no better demonstrated than in this astonishing set piece where the quake knocks over a vast New Zealand Kauri forest. The considerable Don Jahraus forest set featured exquisite miniature trees constructed by Roy Cornish, who specialised in miniaturised foliage and such.

Frame by frame demonstration of the above sequence, with notably 'even' illumination and contrast of the process plate on a very large translucent screen all tying in perfectly with the foreground action. Fantastic stuff!

Technicolor was never as kind to process photography as was monochrome.

Flawlessly photographed by Maximilian Fabian, this extensive miniature setting of the approaching tidal wave wiping out the gorge is really only let down by the lack of dense native bush foliage which comprises this sort of NZ landscape. The long shot substitutes gypsum for water coming down the mountainside to ensure good scale between foreground and background.

Terrific scale for the convincing deluge, though again, the trees really aren't what we have here - especially for the era. Think more 'Skull Island' jungle and you'd be nearer the truth.

The enormous wave heads downstream. Fabian's outdoor shoot using natural light paid enormous dividends here and on many other MGM effects shows such as 30 SECONDS OVER TOKYO.

A closer look at that most impressive effects sequence.

And if that weren't enough, the giant deluge sweeps on down the Wanganui River, wiping out logging rafts and people along the way. Excellent scaling of water and destruction with superb deep focus cinematography - something which can be lacking in many films of the period where depth of field problems killed the credibility.

An elaborate Don Jahraus miniature set of the Wanganui River, NZ, with highly detailed 'human' figures on the raft built by specialist Henry Greutert in the Metro model shop and shot in daylight for maximum effect.

Now, the topper... the giant wave ploughs it's way down river and into Van Heflin's raft in what can best be described as a truly virtuoso effects shot. The river, water and scenery are all rear projected miniatures which, as soon as the wave reaches a certain point, real water erupts all over the actors, washing them overboard. A great shot that looks sensational in motion. Effects head Gillespie constructed a special device under the process screen that, when triggered, would blast a large volume of water up from under the screen all over the actors and set. Alfred Hitchcock used a similar gag to excellent effect a few years earlier for his wonderful FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT where effects men Paul Eagler and Lee Zavitz blasted water straight through a disposable process screen at the actors.

I'm pretty sure this too is a matte shot depicting the rolling hills and sheep of colonial New Zealand.

The sinking of The Green Dolphin - an elaborate Gillespie miniature effects sequence that was omitted from the final cut and sadly, only verbally referred to in the narrative, which seems such a waste of what was clearly great work.

That Gothic Convent again - this time under atmospheric moonlight.

Sunday, 2 October 2011

TORA, TORA, TORA: Oscar winning expertise recreates day of infamy at Pearl Harbour

I've been a bit slack of late, and somewhat lacking in matte motivation, which given my temperament isn't a surprise for anyone who knows me personally. Lots of posts on the back burner and some more or less ready to go, but I'm the sort of fella who always puts off till 'tomorrow' what might be better carried out 'today' - that is until the proverbial 'stars are in alignment' and the kama is tuned (!), and all the so called creative juices flow like the Japanese Tsunami (maybe that's a bad example... but I'm sure readers will get my drift). I find that those big articles can be trying at the best of times, especially with the 'Blogger' machinery which is very unreliable and simply cannot be relied upon to always save the material during it's preparation. Drives me to distraction! :(

I'm very happy with the feedback I received from my recent Shepperton mega blog - and as always I'm grateful to those dedicated fellows out there who send me amazing material (from where, I've no clue!). Well what's on the agenda today?..... Well, shock of shocks, today's big effects extravaganza retrospective barely falls within the matte category, with just one major matte shot and a small second 'top up' shot comprising all there is paint on glass wise. It's not that I've run low on matte material (you wouldn't believe how much I have.... (over 80 GB of just images alone) but often I feel justified in examining effects shows that I love and as with today's film, were entirely justified in achieving FX Oscar status.

For matte afficienados I must wholly recommend the excellent 90 minute documentary my pal Dennis Lowe has produced on the careers of long time British matte team Doug Ferris and John Grant. Plenty of great stories and behind the scenes info which is a must for fans of the British matte industry. Click here for that.

My Dad took me to see TORA, TORA, TORA back in it's initial release in 1970 - where I'm fairly sure it was a 70mm release - at the now deceased Cinerama theatre in Auckland, on the giant curved screen - a relic from the short lived 3 projector system of the early 60's. As a lad who loved war films and play acting war scenarios with my mates in the dense bush near our house, where camoflage and guerilla style jungle warfare was our kick (though none of this in any way pertains to TORA's naval scenario). But these were the days when TV was black and white, movies were double bills, kids got covered in mud and scratches and the dreaded PlayStation style of 'living room combat' was still a quarter of a century (or more) away. ...as usual, I digress.

Damn..........did TORA make an impact upon me! I loved it. Even on extraordinarily bizzare 1 o'clock Saturday double bills (paired inexplicably with Adam West's BATMAN or Jerry Lewis' THE DISORDERLY ORDERLY (!!) more often than not at the luxurious - and sadly now gone Mayfair cinema in suburban Sandringham, Auckland) I'd always try to catch it, even if it meant wandering out into the late afternoon daylight after it all with bloodshot eyes and stiff neck from sitting too near to the screen - with the oddly paired feature films sometimes turning up in freaky dreams: "I'm confused....what precisely did Batman have to do with the sinking of the US Arizona now?...".

Anyway.... on with my TORA, TORA, TORA photo tribute to a sensational true life bio-pic which still holds together 40 years down the track, largely due to it's one of a kind narrative where both the Japanese and the Americans worked on their own individual segments and brilliantly tied them together as a surprisingly coherent final product. The decision to NOT use any 'name stars' was a wise one. Superb character actors such as the always effective Martin Balsam and real life WWII hero Neville Brand just added to the sense of authenticity. The picture, despite it's two and a half hour length actually manages to rush along at breakneck pace - with facts and actual events never being sidelined by subplots or unnecessary padding - unlike so many epic war pictures. The Richard Fleischer helmed show is a tribute to this director - with his obvious talent in semi-doco features previously scoring bullseye with the excellent Tony Curtis film THE BOSTON STRANGLER a few years prior, Fleischer succinctly pulled off, what could easily have been a 'dud' in the wrong hands (think of just how many great films could have been a disaster in the wrong hands?)

Bob McCall advertising artwork

While Fleischer's US unit tackled the immense Pearl Harbour and Washington sequences involving dialogue and drama, the Japanese based sequences were under the control of Toshio Masuda and Kinji Fukasaka (after the departure of Japanese icon Akira Kurosawa due to that old bugbear 'artistic differences'). I can only imagine the difficulties of coordinating not only a singular feature film technically in this way but even more so the vast, arguably 'different' points of view of the events as seen by the Japanese who at the time this production was greenlit were still not acknowledging the horrors their military might inflicted upon millions of innocent civilians in the Asian region.

In addition to Fleischer, Masuda and Fukasaka, mention must be made of second unit action director, Ray Kellogg. I've written much about Kellogg in previous blogs, so for anyone unfamiliar with Ray's background, he had an almost lifelong association with 20th Century Fox - firstly as chief matte artist under Fred Sersen and later as Sersen's right hand man in the photographic effects department. Kellogg would take over the role upon Sersen's retirement and oversee the effects on many, many Fox films before eventually going solo as a director (of unbelievable bad 'B' monster flicks) and finally as a much in demand and highly respected second unit director on alot of huge pictures of the 60's and early 70's. All of the phenomenal physical effect and stunt sequences were coordinated by Kellogg, and still today are utterly jaw dropping in their realism and toe curling sense of near death peril for all involved in the camera viewfinder (and behind it). I'll demonstrate some of these staggering physical effects in the article which follows.

The Fox tank at Malibu for TORA - all systems 'go'!

In fact, Kellogg's action cameraman Michael Butler, and son of legendary Columbia effects veteran Lawrence W. Butler, said in an interview that several of Kellogg's stunt gags were just too much and a stop was put to them before they got off the ground. I'd love to know what they were, because what's in the film is 'dynamite' - literally!!!

The complex miniature work was supervised by Fox 'lifer', Bill Abbott - of whom I have written much in previous blogs such as my Fox tribute and many one off retrospectives found elsewhere in my blog. For excellent detailed info on the actual aircraft replicated for use in the film, click here and here for even more.

Bill Abbott and A.D Flowers - 1970 Oscar recipients.

This film, and many others like it could not have been half as effective in my view without the genius of mechanical effects and pyrotechnics expert, the late, great A.D Flowers.

Flowers (whose forenames I've never been able to establish) started in the MGM effects department with Arnold Gillespie and among his many, many, many credits were the mindblowing miniature explosions as seen in the brilliant Oscar winning THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO (1944) and later trendsetting squib mayhem in the GODFATHER series (including some in conjunction with make up maestro Dick Smith where bullet hits were detonated actually on Sterling Hayden's forehead - a cinematic first) - and of course the monumental pyro work he oversaw for the incredible APOCALYPSE NOW. Flowers was a one of a kind, with his work on Speilberg's 1941 being, in his words, a career high, and the toughest assignment he'd ever worked on. An amazingly resourceful technician and collaborator, Flowers passed away in 2001.

Much of the TORA fx footage would reappear over the years in films such as THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY (1976) and others, such was the quality of the footage. I should make a mention here I suppose of the more recent 2001 Michael Bay take on this event, PEARL HARBOUR. As battered by the critics as it was, I actually liked the show. In no way can it compare to TORA inasmuch as a vivid historical document, but in itself (once it get's around to the issues at hand that is) is pretty darned exciting. I'd also go so far as to name it as ILM's finest hour since the Lucas factory went computerised. For the most part, Bay tries to avoid the ludicrous fx design which so often defy gravity, laws of physics and just plain common sense (think THE AVIATOR) and sticks with CG fx shots we can believe (I'll forgive that armour piercing bomb POV that ploughs through the ammunition magazine of the Oklahoma... but just this once). In closing, I should do a blog on BATTLE OF BRITAIN (1968) some day, as that was severely overlooked as a potential Oscar contender in the special effects stakes - which were top rung all the way.

Special Photographic Effects - L.B Abbott, ASC and Art Cruickshank, ASC

Special Mechanical Effects Supervisor - A.D Flowers

Second Unit and Action Director - Ray Kellogg

Second Unit and Aerial Cinematographer - Michael Butler: Vision Photography Inc.

Aerial and Action Unit Camera Operators - Tony Butler, David Butler and John Fleckenstein

Matte Artist - Matthew Yuricich

Visual Effects Cameraman: American sequences - Edward Hutton

Visual Effects Cameraman: Japanese Sequences - Masamichi Sato

Miniatures Supervision - Gail Brown and Ivan Martin

Miniatures Consultant - Howard Lydecker

Special Mechanical Effects - Johnny Borgese, Glen Robinson and Greg Jensen

Terrific Bob McCall ad art which drew young lads like me to the cinema back in the day. They don't paint 'em like this anymore, with today's so called ad campaigns as dismal as most of the films they pretend to promote.

...and coupled with Jerry Goldsmith's sudden 'intrusion' of orchestra the title card is memorable indeed!

The familiar Fox SFX trio of Abbott, Cruickshank and Kosa was one man down for TORA, as matte artist Emil Kosa jr had died the previous year. Matt Yuricich would fill Kosa's shoes from here on in - always uncredited.

A somber and simple text overlay says it all

Matthew Yuricich's extensive, sprawling matte painting - one of just two in the film.

The second of just two mattes - with this a minor top up adding distant planes and airstrip hangers.

Solid character actor James Whitmore, (unrecogisable in the year before in Fox's fantastic PLANET OF THE APES) - composited by Art Cruickshank into an utterly convincing tank miniature set photographed on the Fox Ranch at Malibu.

One of the first miniature shots - and probably the least effective due to height of camera point and choice of lens. For shots such as this, some of the models were equipped with their own mini golf cart engines, though for the heavy storm sequences the ships were attached to underwater cables and winched across the tank (see below).

Abbott was in general, a genius at 'miniaturising' water with clever use of large aircraft fans and many smaller studio fans to create whitecaps and the use of chemical agents to reduce 'surface tension' as well as his unique 30 degree angled sloping sides of the tank which prevented manufactured waves from 'echoing' back into the shot. The water was dyed with a blue vegetable dye to lend an opaque quality, partly to obscure the underwater mechanisms used to propel the ships, as the tank was just 3 feet deep. The majority of TORA's tank shots look terrific.

Convincing composite of set and miniature tank.

One of my favourite miniature marine shots in the film. Outstanding 'ocean' and a very convincing sense of weight to the Japanese carrier as it negotiates heavy seas. Great shot.

Again, a phenomenal miniature by Gail Brown's team, and expertly 'lit' and shot by L.B Abbott - sensational! The entire miniature effects shooting schedule was around 40 days

Varying scales of model Japanese vessels (19 in all were built) adds much to diminishing perspective. A three quarter scaled mock up of the Japanese battleship, The Akagi, was actually constructed in part, for deck and bridge sequences where the beach construction zone allowed for excellent real time ocean backgrounds.

Without a doubt, the key to miniature success is use of natural light and phenomena wherever possible.

Fleischer's pace and intercutting establishes one hell of a sense of foreboding tension as the clock ticks by...

The gloves are off! The rug is pulled from under the American's feet.

Battleship Row conflagration aerial view. The miniature effects budget alone was $1'250'000

Torpedo strike. 'Miniaturised' water is especially convincing.

The scale tends to show through in this shot, but intercut with the live action, it holds up well enough.

As I mentioned, it was the full scale physical effects which to this reviewer truly stole the show. None of that lily livered greenscreen CG virtual bullshit here. It's all pure A.D Flowers and Ray Kellogg.... like kids in a candy store..... give them a camera, some TNT, a team of stunt men and alot of film and just wait for the results!

Now check this out - one of the most harrowing action sequences ever filmed (see below too) where P40 taxi to runway is blasted by Zero, the result of which severs the driveshaft of the propellor, whereby the prop - now with a life of it's own - spins at full rev across the airstrip with stunt guys diving for cover!!! Jesus!

The P40 propellor careening out of control. Apparently an accident which some reports claim resulted in loss of life - and other accounts state no death occurred. Whatever the truth, a monumental action set piece.

Brilliant action camerawork by Michael Butler, under Ray Kellogg's direction - with A.D Flowers chillingly convincing fx - check out those stunt guys right there in the thick of it! Sensational stuff!

All action set pieces were multi-camera affairs - and often "one take is all we've got" deals.

Long focal length scope cinematography and multi angle cuts adds considerably to fx sequences.

I'm not sure, but I think I read that much of this set piece comprised of miniatures - although if so they are remarkably convincing and suggest vast scale if it is the case. The aerial view most probably is, but the interior may be actual hangar.

The outcome of the kamikazi direct hit as shown above - possibly miniature?.

All the flying sequences were carefully choreographed actual replica WWII fighters flown by expert pilots, with just the close ups as shown here portrayed via mock ups in front of a front projection process screen (seen at right).

Neville Brand's immortal line: "Do you still want your confirmation, sir?"

More of Abbott's tank work. Apparently much more great work was shot but never made the final cut.

Pyro down scaling here is very good.

Torpedos amok!

The scruffy painted sky backing tends to show through in some shots.

A rare view of the tank, painted backing and some of the miniatures at the Fox Ranch.

Effects technicians in wetsuits preparing model ships.

A close view of the painted sky backing and some of the miniature dock area.

Abbott and producer Elmo Williams with high speed camera set up.

TORA Miniatures built under the supervision of Ivan Martin and Gail Brown.

The technician lends a sense of scale to the set.

Miniature USS Arizona mid capsize.

Some of the ten US ship models, temporarily in 'dry dock' awaiting the go ahead.

In American Cinematographer 1971, Abbott wrote extensively about the making of this film and spoke of the capabilities of the Photosonics High Speed Camera which could be cranked up to 15 times normal frame rate, though this very high speed wasn't always needed. The blowing up of The Arizona was one occasion where maximum frame rate was used.

Effects chief Lenwood Ballard Abbott and producer Elmo Williams.

Some of the original TORA miniatures (along with others such as one from the 1953 TITANIC) shown here as part of an auction sell off of many models and props, probably in the mid 70's.

Life size partial mock up of the USS Arizona.

Abbott and his camera crew with Photosonics camera.

80 foot camera crane achieves POV down view of Battleship Row miniature set as seen by attacking Zero's.

It must be in the blood.... three sons of legendary, iconic special effects wizard Lawrence W.Butler were responsible, with their own independent crew, for all of the aerial, stunt and daredevil physical effect sequences - to jaw dropping effect. The team were initially contracted just to provide background plates for the aerial composites but soon found themselves recruited by Ray Kellogg to shoot all of the explosions and extremely hazardous material as Butler said in the excellent American Cinematographer article: "Ray Kellogg decided, late at night, as he usually did he wanted to get a shot of a B17 plane hitting the runway and bouncing over the camera.......I'm not so sure I'd ever do something like that again...but the enthusiasm was so terrific at the time. I have great respect for Ray and I liked him very much, and he liked me, so when he said "C'mon kid - we'll do it" and I said "okay"....and everybody looked at me as if I was crazy...and I probably was".