FILM FILM - University of Macau Library

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Fragmented Pieces: Writing the History of the Lost Hollywood Films 113 for Name the Man, he offers a number of critical remarks in early June, as does Monte M. Katterjohn in mid-June. The shooting started on 23 June and lasted for a month. The male lead had been written for John Gilbert; Eva von Berne, who had just been imported to Hollywood by Irving Thalberg, and thus made her American debut, was engaged for the female lead. According to the Daily Production Report, there seems to have been some hesitation concerning this role. The Daily Production Report from the shooting thus reports in the column “Reason For Delay” on July 2: “Mr. Seastrom in conference with Mr. Thalberg deciding whether the part is to be played by Miss Page or Miss von Berne. Decided to shoot with Miss von Berne, Sent to wardrobe for her dress and touching up her hair.” 44 However, the decision still seems to have been preliminary, as the “Reason For Delay” the next day reads: “Looked at Rushes with Mr. Thalberg at 8-15 to decide on part of Virginia. Decided on Miss Berne. Started with dissolve at fireplace at 9-20.” 45 In this connection, it is also interesting to note that there were few retakes; the last report states that the number of retakes during the whole process of shooting was only 42. 46 Instead, there are frequent mentions of rehearsals in the morning, followed by the shooting of the scenes in the afternoon. On 2 July, however, in connection with the decision on the female lead, there were no less than thirteen retakes. Thus, it is clear that, as a rule, retakes weren’t made, with the exception of mishaps or exceptional circumstances, such as the hiring of a completely new actress within the Hollywood system. This also testifies to the efficiency of the system – to the benefit of production, but less so for the individual director, who – together with the cutter – had no possibility to choose among takes in the end. This, indeed, is a film factory. (FIG. 21) On 26 July, the report states: “Company closed last night. Will lay off until Miss von Bern [sic] is able to work.” There also exists a report from 27 July, which only states “Production closed as of July 25, 1928”, and “Days To Finish (3)”. However, there are additional production reports from no less than ten more days in August, where completing scenes with von Berne and one or two other actors who had to be present in the scene were shot, and the number of “Days To Finish” vary from one to two, whereas the number of “Days Behind” are summed up to six in all. 47 The story is about a Viennese baron, Reiner (John Gilbert), who spends his life pursing beautiful women, and one day falls in love with his best friend’s fiancée, Virginia. His former mistress, as she learns of this, kills herself in despair. Her husband then tries to kill Reiner but is, instead, himself killed by accident. Reiner confesses to his friend who also tries to kill him, but in the end, he is saved, and wins the heart of the girl.
114 Transition and Transformation Fig. 21: Production still from The Masks of the Devil. This Sjöström film, like his next and last Hollywood production A Lady to Love, was never reviewed in Filmjournalen. Instead, short stories containing summaries of the plots, with some quotations from its dialogues, was published with rich illustrations. It is both tempting and quite plausible to draw the conclusion that this choice resulted from an aesthetic evaluation of the films as being inferior to previous productions. To summarize the general attitude of Swedish critics during Sjöström’s American years, the quality of the human drama is often pointed out as the director’s distinctive mark. Still, it is clear from the reviews that American know-how is much admired. In conclusion, European qualities or projects have to be cunningly implemented and/or energetically defended in the United States. This mixture of admiration and contempt reoccurs in several reviews. In American reviews, where the same general attitude dominates, the critics still remained quite sceptical about his last Hollywood films, as in the case of The Masks of the Devil: “The characters in this production, which was directed by Victor Seastrom, dangle rather than live, and yet their weird conduct is not uninteresting.” 48 As concerns A Lady to Love, after praising Edward G. Robinson, the critic also notes the “striving of the other players toward realism that just misses being excellent”. 49 Now, he is
Page 1 and 2:
FILM CULTURE IN TRANSITION Transiti
Page 4 and 5:
Transition and Transformation Victo
Page 6 and 7:
Contents Acknowledgements 7 Introdu
Page 8 and 9:
Acknowledgements This book traces i
Page 10 and 11:
Introduction - From Sjöström to S
Page 12 and 13:
Page 14 and 15:
Page 16:
Page 19 and 20:
18 Transition and Transformation Ge
Page 21 and 22:
20 Transition and Transformation fi
Page 23 and 24:
22 Transition and Transformation in
Page 25 and 26:
24 Transition and Transformation In
Page 27 and 28:
26 Transition and Transformation ho
Page 29 and 30:
28 Transition and Transformation ti
Page 31 and 32:
30 Transition and Transformation an
Page 33 and 34:
32 Transition and Transformation ye
Page 35 and 36:
34 Transition and Transformation Ho
Page 37 and 38:
36 Transition and Transformation Fi
Page 39 and 40:
38 Transition and Transformation St
Page 41 and 42:
40 Transition and Transformation he
Page 44 and 45:
From Scientist to Clown - He Who Ge
Page 46 and 47:
Page 48 and 49:
Page 50 and 51:
Traces of the Narrator If Sjöströ
Page 52 and 53:
tempt to include a dimension which
Page 54 and 55:
tions constructs with its spectator
Page 56 and 57:
Page 58 and 59:
Page 60 and 61:
Page 62 and 63:
Page 64 and 65: A for Adultery - The Scarlet Letter
Page 70 and 71: and being-seen” -takes the relati
Page 78: A for Adultery - The Scarlet Letter
Page 81 and 82: 80 Transition and Transformation Mo
Page 83 and 84: 82 Transition and Transformation it
Page 85 and 86: 84 Transition and Transformation sh
Page 87 and 88: 86 Transition and Transformation Th
Page 89 and 90: 88 Transition and Transformation wh
Page 91 and 92: 90 Transition and Transformation Fr
Page 93 and 94: 92 Transition and Transformation po
Page 95 and 96: 94 Transition and Transformation op
Page 97 and 98: 96 Transition and Transformation he
Page 99 and 100: 98 Transition and Transformation Th
Page 101 and 102: 100 Transition and Transformation p
Page 103 and 104: 102 Transition and Transformation t
Page 105 and 106: 104 Transition and Transformation F
Page 107 and 108: 106 Transition and Transformation F
Page 109 and 110: 108 Transition and Transformation d
Page 111 and 112: 110 Transition and Transformation S
Page 113: 112 Transition and Transformation W
Page 117 and 118: 116 Transition and Transformation e
Page 119 and 120: 118 Transition and Transformation o
Page 121 and 122: 120 Transition and Transformation h
Page 123 and 124: 122 Transition and Transformation p
Page 125 and 126: 124 Transition and Transformation T
Page 127 and 128: 126 Transition and Transformation I
Page 129 and 130: 128 Transition and Transformation c
Page 131 and 132: 130 Transition and Transformation e
Page 133 and 134: 132 Transition and Transformation a
Page 135 and 136: 134 Transition and Transformation b
Page 137 and 138: 136 Transition and Transformation t
Page 139 and 140: 138 Transition and Transformation 1
Page 151 and 152: 150 Transition and Transformation
Page 153 and 154: 152 Transition and Transformation
Page 155 and 156: 154 Transition and Transformation K
Page 157 and 158: 156 Transition and Transformation H
Page 160 and 161: Film Culture in Transition General
Page 162 and 163: Marijke de Valck and Malte Hagener
show all

FILM FILM - University of Macau Library

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?