„Wir sind immer noch hier!“ – Neue Kolumne auf crimemag

Nach meiner langjährigen Kolumne über den Noir Western, wird es eine neue Kolumne von mir geben, diesmal für alle zugänglich im crimemag-Magazin. Es wird in dieser kleinen Geschichte ausgewählter amerikanischer „Indianer“-Western aus einem dreiviertel Jahrhundert tatsächlich um „crime“, um das Verbrechen gehen, aber ebenso um historische Hintergründe, Hintergrundgeschichten, Perspektiven und Perspektivwechsel, nicht zuletzt um Individuen und die Geschichten der Bands/Stämme/Sprachfamilien Nordamerikas, die in diesen Filmen dargestellt werden, der Arapaho, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Chiricahua (Apachen), Cree, Hunkpapa (Lakota/Sioux), Inuit, Lakota (Sioux), Mescalero (Apachen), Oglala (Lakota/Sioux), Osage (Dhegiha/Sioux), Seminolen und Shoshonen.

„Wir sind immer noch hier!“ – so wird der Titel der Kolumne lauten, nach einem Artikel der Blackfeet Lily Gladstone („The Unknown Country“, „Killers of the Flower Moon“):

Alles Weitere demnächst.

 

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3-D ESSENTIAL von “35 Millimeter” – Ein tieferer Einblick

Ein tieferer Einblick in den klassischen 3-D-Film

Im Oktober 2023 ist als Sonderausgabe Nr. 9 von „35 Millimeter – Das Retro-Filmmagazin“ das Heft 3-D Essential erschienen. Der Layouter und Chefredakteur dieser Ausgabe hat jedoch aus den von mir generierten 3-Grafiken und 3-D-Prints Druckvorlagen erstellt, die bezüglich der Helligkeitswerte und Kontraste diese Grafiken nicht adäquat wiedergeben. Zudem wurden meine umfangreichen Vorarbeiten zu den Grundlagen des stereoskopischen Sehens sowie der Geschichte und Technik des 3-D-Films von ihm nicht berücksichtigt.

Auch nach meinem Ausscheiden aus der Redaktion der Zeitschrift, möchte ich den Lesern dieser Sonderausgabe meine Arbeiten (als damaliger Chefredakteur der Sonderausgaben sowie Grafiker) in ihrer ursprünglich intendierten Form nicht vorenthalten – und ihnen auf dieser Seite somit einen tieferen Einblick ermöglichen, als inhaltlich und visuell adäquate Ergänzungen und Illustrationen zu den auch diesmal lesenswerten Beiträgen der Redakteure und Gastautoren der Zeitschrift (das daher empfehlenswerte Heft ist hier erhältlich).

Einige Hinweise zum Anschauen von 3-D-Filmen und -Bildern

Außer THE POWER OF LOVE, wurden alle im Heft vorgestellten Filme ursprünglich im Polarisationsverfahren (polarisiertes 3-D) aufgenommen und aufgeführt. Die 3-D-Bilder wurden für dieses Heft in das Anaglyph-Format (Rot/Cyan) konvertiert, die Standbilder aus THE POWER OF LOVE aus Fragmenten von mir in 3-D rekonstruiert. Durch Konvertierungen in das Anaglyph-Format kommt es bei Farbfilmen und -bildern zu nicht optimalen Farbdarstellungen (insbesondere bei satten Primärfarben). Ebenso kann es ab und an zu „Geisterbildern“ („Crosstalk“) kommen, da die Bildtrennung im Anaglyph-Format nicht so exakt ist, wie im Originalformat.

Durch die Filterprozesse erreicht bei 3-D-Filmen nur noch etwa ein Drittel des ursprünglich aufgenommen Lichts unsere Augen. Daher sollten Sie sich 3-D-Filme in einer abgedunkelten Umgebung anschauen (wie im Kino ja auch). Für das Anschauen von gedruckten 3-Bildern benötigen Sie hingegen viel Umgebungslicht.

Klicken Sie auf die Bilder, um größere Ansichten zu erhalten und schauen Sie sich diese mit einer Anaglyph-3-D-Brille an (linkes Auge: rot, rechtes Auge: cyan):

Um die Bilder auf dieser Seite, die vollständig in Anaglyph-3-D generiert ist, optimal dreidimensional genießen zu können, bewegen Sie ihren Kopf ein wenig hin und her und geben Sie ihren Augen einige Sekunden Zeit, sich an den 3-D-Effekt zu gewöhnen! Der optimale Abstand Ihrer Augen zu den 3-D-Bildern hängt von Ihrer individuellen Sehschärfe ab.

Vollständig in 3-D generiertes Cover und “3-D-Theatre”

 

Cover: Plakatmotiv Virginia Mayos des Noir Western in 3-D HÖLLE DER GEFANGENEN (Devil’s Canyon – Alfred L. Werker, 1953); “3-D-Theatre”: eigens für das Heft generiertes Anaglyph-3-D

Weiterlesen

Hits: 353

Interview über FRITZ LANG IN AMERIKA und Auszug: THE BIG HEAT (1953)

Crimemag von culturmag.de hat FRITZ LANG IN AMERIKA gelesen und mich über das Buch interviewt. Das ausführliche Interview ist hier zu finden: “Auf der Suche nach dem Gold der Zeit”.

Außerdem veröffentlicht Crimemag noch exklusiv einen Auszug aus dem Buch, das Kapitel zu Fritz Langs hartem Film Noir und Protokoll der Kontamination der amerikanischen Gesellschaft mit Korruption und Gewalt: “THE BIG HEAT (Heisses Eisen, 1953)”.

 

Rezension des Buches von Alf Mayer auf Crimemag: “Nicht hoch genug zu loben”. Das Magazin verlost zudem auf den verlinkten Seiten zwei Exemplare der vergriffenen zweibändigen Erstausgabe im Schuber.

Alle weiteren Informationen, noch mehr Rezensionen sowie Bezugsquellen von FRITZ LANG IN AMERIKA gibt es: hier.

 

Hits: 186

SERPENT OF THE NILE (1953) by William Castle [english]

The SERPENT OF THE NILE Files

Films with Rhonda Fleming that have not yet been released in good quality on DVD or Blu-ray are presented in the “Files”

Historical facts:

Cleopatra, (Greek: “Famous in Her Father”) in full Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (“Cleopatra the Father-Loving Goddess”), (born 70/69 bce—died August 30 bce, Alexandria), Egyptian queen, famous in history and drama as the lover of Julius Caesar and later as the wife of Mark Antony. She became queen on the death of her fatherPtolemy XII, in 51 bce and ruled successively with her two brothers Ptolemy XIII (51–47) and Ptolemy XIV (47–44) and her son Ptolemy XV Caesar (44–30). After the Roman armies of Octavian (the future emperor Augustus) defeated their combined forces, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide, and Egypt fell under Roman domination. Cleopatra actively influenced Roman politics at a crucial period, and she came to represent, as did no other woman of antiquity, the prototype of the romantic femme fatale … Many actresses, including Theda Bara (1917), Claudette Colbert (1934), and Elizabeth Taylor (1963), have played the queen, typically in expensive, exotic films that concentrate on the queen’s love life rather than her politics. Meanwhile, Cleopatra’s seductive beauty—a seductive beauty that is not supported by the queen’s contemporary portraiture—has been used to sell a wide range of products, from cosmetics to cigarettes. In the late 20th century Cleopatra’s racial heritage became a subject of intense academic debate, with some African American scholars embracing Cleopatra as a black African heroine. (Britannica.com)

SERPENT OF THE NILE is probably one of the most sensual Technicolor films of the entire 1950s. Its storyline: In 44 BC, after Julius Caesar’s assassination by plotters who accused him of being a dictator, a triumvirate of politicians and generals control Rome. The triumvirate is comprised of generals Mark Antony and Lepidus and politician Octavian who is Caesar’s great-nephew and adopted son. They seek to revenge Caesar’s death by going after the main plotters, senators Brutus and Cassius. Mark Antony and Octavian’s armies destroy those of Brutus and Cassius in battle. Later, Mark Antony and his army embarks on the conquest of Egypt while Octavian remains in Rome. However, the cunning and attractive queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, greets Mark Antony as a friend and lavishes him with praises, feasts, gifts, riches and intimate favors. Impressed, Mark Antony falls in-love with her. Mark Antony spends months on end enjoying the VIP treatment in Cleopatra’s palace in Alexandria, despite warnings from one of his trusted commanders, Lucilius, that Cleopatra is just manipulating him. Cleopatra gets wind of Lucilius’ warnings and first tries to seduce him and later tries to have him killed. He ends up in house arrest in her palace but he’s determined to escape and warn Octavian in Rome. Cleopatra convinces Mark Antony to form an alliance with her and together to fight Octavian for the throne of Rome. Cleopatra suggests that either Mark Antony or her own young son should become ruler of Rome. Her son is also Julius Caesar’s son from Caesar’s past marriage to Cleopatra. Fed-up with Mark Antony’s refusal to ditch Cleopatra and return home to Rome, Octavian dissolves the triumvirate and dismisses Lepidus. Commander Lucilius escapes from Egypt and returns to Rome to warn Octavian and the Roman Senate about Cleopatra and Mark Antony’s military alliance. Octavian forms an army and invades Egypt. Cleopatra and Mark Antony prepare their united forces but they understand that losing the war against Octavian could spell their end. (imdb.com)

In the press:

Quotes:

Rhonda Fleming:

„I have to admit, I was disappointed when I first saw the finished film. And I wasn’t to happy with the way I played the role. There was not enough variety in Cleopatra’s emotions for me to add my performance … The distant painted scenes were definitely not good, very likely due to the low budget. Bill Castle, however, did an incredible job despite the limitations of the production. However, the Technicolor was beautiful and my costumes by Jean Louis were lovely“ (2014).

William Lundigan:

„I have one love scene that has more romance than I’ve had in my last two or three pictures. As for beefcake, I’m not knocking it“ (Aug. 1952).

Jordan Hoffman:

“But there are certainly delights to be found from her run. Serpent of the Nile, in which she plays Cleopatra opposite Raymond Burr as Mark Anthony, is almost a laboratory-made example of B-picture perfection” (Vanity Fair, Oct. 17, 2020).

The SERPENT OF THE NILE Gallery:

Click on thumbnails to see gallery

 
Publicity Photo, 1953
 
Italian poster, 1953
 
Italian poster, 1953
 
Display photo, 1953
Designed by Jean Louis.
Designed by Jean Louis.
Costumes of Rhonda Fleming
 
Matte paintings
Julie Newmar.
Julie Newmar.
Screenshot
 
Publicity Photo, 1953

 

 

SERPENT OF THE NILE

(German title: Die Schlange vom Nil)
USA 1953 (Sam Katzman Productions/Columbia Pictures), 81 min., 35 MM (1.37:1), Technicolor.
Producer: Sam Katzman; Director: William Castle; Screenplay: Robert E. Kent; Cinematography: Henry Freulich; Technicolor Color Consultant: Francis Cugat; Editor: Gene Havlick; Music: Mischa Bakaleinikoff; Art Direction: Paul Palmentola; Set Decoration: Sidney Clifford; Special Effects: Jack Erickson; Make-up: Anatole Robbins; Costume Design: Jean Louis.
Cast: Rhonda Fleming (Cleopatra), William Lundigan (Lucilius), Raymond Burr (Marcus Antonius), Jean Byron (Charmian), Michael Ansara (Captain Florus), Michael Fox (Octavius), Julie Newmar (The Gilded Girl), Fred F. Sears (Off-Screen Narrator), and others.
Premier: May 8, 1953; US box office rank (in the year of release): 192; US domestic actual box office grosses: $1 million.

 

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TROPIC ZONE (1953) by Lewis R. Foster [english]

The TROPIC ZONE Files

Films with Rhonda Fleming that have not yet been released in good quality on DVD or Blu-ray are presented in the “Files”

The novel:

In 1952, producers William H. Pine and William C. Thomas bought the rights to Tom Gill’s novel “Gentlemen of the Jungle” (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1939) specifically for Rhonda Fleming for TROPIC ZONE, the last of the four films under her first contract with them. “The tropics where blood runs hot” promises the new edition from Dell Publishing Company, and continues: with a price on his head and the hand of the world against him, a down-and-out young beachcomber is forced into a treacherous conspiracy against a lovely girl who operates a banana plantation in a Central American republic. There is quality in the man and he meets the chalenge squarely. Fighting tremendous and dangerous odds, he blazes his way along a twisty path of breath-taking adventure and flaming romance to win an exciting duel of wits.

In TROPIC ZONE Flanders White (Rhonda Fleming) operates a banana plantation in Puerto Barrancas, where Hans Lukats (John Wengraf), dishonest town boss and shipping head, crookedly controls the independent growers via his export power. Dan McCloud (Ronald Reagan) lands in the place on a plane pilofied by Tapachula Sam (Noah Beery), and accompanied by entertainer Elena (Estelita), who is in love with him. Lukats hires McCloud to serve as foreman for Flanders but his real job is to disrupt Flanders’ operations, now managed by Bert Nelson (Grant Withers). Instead, McCloud falls in love with Flanders. Action in the outdoor Technicolor adventure drama boils when McCloud goes about exposing Lukats, reaches an exciting climax (from the press book by Paramount Pictures).

In the press:

Quotes:

Producer William C. Thomas:

„As the fermenting bananas mellowed, TROPIC ZONE was the most talked-about picture on the Paramount lot. Gamblers took even-money bets on which would go first – the actors or bananas. The actors wouldn’t touch the bananas, and they wanted to go!“ („Hollywood’s Fabulous Dollar Bills; or, How to Make Money Making Movies,“ 1970).

Variety:

„A typical western plot is transported to a tropical banana-growing country for this round of love and adventure offered under the Pine-Thomas banner … Reagan and Miss Fleming, the latter very attractive in Technicolor and several brief outfits designed by Edith Head, make a pleasing hero-heroine team. Estelita as a fiery café entertainer with a big yen for Reagan gives Miss Fleming some competition“ (Dec. 17, 1952).

Ian and Elisabeth Cameron:

„The inevitable romance is complicated by the presence of a third party, a jolly little singer who does most of her numbers dressed up as a chicken. Such a lady is not to be taken seriously as a rival to Rhonda … Nevertheless Rhonda is keen to see her: ‘They say she has a special appeal to the men. I’d like to study her technique.’ When they meet, Estelita tells her with raised-eyebrow defiance, ‘You try to take my Danny away and I think I kill you!’ ‘Some other time, please,’ replies Rhonda undeterred. The next day she’s discovered practising a few wiggles with bare midriff (or slightly above mid – because of Hollywood’s remarkable attitude at the time to the human navel)” („Broads,“ London 1969).

The TROPIC ZONE Gallery:

Click on thumbnails to see gallery

Novel by Tom Gill, backcover
Novel by Tom Gill, backcover
"Gentleman from the Jungle"
 
With Ronald Reagan
 
Screenshots
 
Mexican lobby card, 1953
 
Mexican lobby card, 1953
 
Movie still
 
US poster
 
German poster
 
With Ronald Reagan

 

TROPIC ZONE

(German title: Tropische Abenteuer)
USA 1953 (Pine-Thomas Productions/Paramount Pictures), 94 min., 35 MM (1.37:1), Technicolor.
Producers: William H. Pine, William C. Thomas; Director: Lewis R. Foster; Screenplay: Lewis R. Foster (based on the novel by John Gill); Cinematography: Lionel Lindon; Technicolor Color Consultant: Monroe W. Burbank; Editor: Howard A. Smith; Music: Lucien Cailliet; Art Direction: A. Earl Hedrick, Hal Pereira; Set Decoration: Sam Comer, Ray Moyer; Make-up: Wally Westmore; Costume Design: Edith Head.
Cast: Ronald Reagan (Dan McCloud), Rhonda Fleming (Flanders White), Estelita Rodriguez (Elena Estebar), Noah Beery Jr. (Tapachula Sam), Grant Withers (Bert Nelson), John Wengraf (Lukats), Argentina Brunetti (Tia Feliciana), Maurice Jara (Macario), and others.
Premier: Jan. 1953; US box office rank (in the year of release): 158; US domestic actual box office grosses: $2.1 million.

 

Hits: 745

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