I’m writing an article on John Rawlins, a studio era B-movie director. Most of his movies are justifiably forgotten, yet, at his best, he had a zest for composition and choreography. The opening to Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947) shows what he could do with poverty row material. He starts with an overhead pan from the shadow of a hangman’s noose to the front of a low class bar. Gruesome (Boris Karloff) walks into the shot—still seen from overhead—and goes to the entrance. Inside the bar, Rawlins opens with a jitterbugging couple, and when Gruesome enters the bar, we see him between the dancers. I’m particularly taken with the low angle panning shot of the waiter walking across the crowded bar, the ceiling visible overhead—the dancing couple appearing once again—and ending with a tight shot of the waiter speaking to the pianist. That sequence took brains and planning. If you have the patience, watch for another minute until a bespectacled Skelton Knaggs appears in the tiny security window at Wood Plastics Inc. A nifty piece of expressionist composition. Unnecessary, perhaps, but a pleasure to see.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 08:58:34 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015