Simon Howson
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2004
- Messages
- 1,780
In an interview for a book called The Celluloid Muse, Negulesco recalls working for the first few days on How To Marry A Millionaire without a camera view finder that decompressed the image. He, and the cinematographer, had to compose the action with the image squeezed. As a result they had to film the sequence on the balcony between the three women several times before acheiving a satisfactory result.
Negulesco also talks about not knowing how to deal with the wide ratio, especially for an intimate comedy. For some scenes of Millionaire, he uses decor elements like a lamp, or the back of a mirror to mask the frame down to smaller proportions. A very common tactic seen at least a bit in most early 'Scope films.
I must admit, I prefer Millionaire and Daddy Long Legs to Three Coins in the Fountain. In the latter film Negulesco just seems to place a desk or chair or something else in the foreground, then use it to motivate actor movement's into that plane. He does it so often that it gets very boring very quickly. At least Millionire and D.L.L feature more variety.
Negulesco also talks about not knowing how to deal with the wide ratio, especially for an intimate comedy. For some scenes of Millionaire, he uses decor elements like a lamp, or the back of a mirror to mask the frame down to smaller proportions. A very common tactic seen at least a bit in most early 'Scope films.
I must admit, I prefer Millionaire and Daddy Long Legs to Three Coins in the Fountain. In the latter film Negulesco just seems to place a desk or chair or something else in the foreground, then use it to motivate actor movement's into that plane. He does it so often that it gets very boring very quickly. At least Millionire and D.L.L feature more variety.