As a follow on from yesterdays Jack Cosgrove double feature blog I have the matte shots from the 1948 RKO version of JOAN OF ARC. This is a film I’ve waited decades to see, and have had a hard time in tracking down a print. As far as I know it’s never been on DVD, and television here is abysmal with practically no showings of classic movies whatsoever, so VHS has had to suffice. This in itself was hard to find but I did in the end find one ex rental copy, which is where today’s less than optimal frame grabs come from.
Firstly, the official re-release versions both theatrically and on home video were severely truncated from the original 142 mins down to barely 100 mins – and sadly this NTSC print is one of these abbreviated versions. The film is good, well made and quite grand, with tempestuous GWTW helmsman Victor Fleming directing for indie producer Walter Wanger…
…Read the Full Article @ Matte Shot
A Tribute to Golden Era Special FX
Please Note: Now, I am going further back into the archives of Matte Shot – A Tribute to Golden Era Special FX to feature even more articles from this great site.
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.