Circus fans take a good look at this photo. Not only does it show C. B. in his camera chair but take a look at the camera. Have you ever wondered why the color in the Greatest Show on Earth is so vivid and the best you have ever seen. There is a reason why. This is the baby blue Technicolor 3 strip camera that put them on the map as the Greatest color in the movies ever. The magazine on top of the camera holds 3 rolls of 35mm, 1000 foot black and white film. The camera cost $35,000 in 1932 and may be there were like 36 of in the world. The process is very technical but turns out a print that is very like Kodachrome film but the Technicolor red is supposed to be better than the Kodachrome red. That camera up there with C. B. weights 600 pounds alone. There is very little fading with Technicolor and thank goodness that C. B. did this as we have a record on film of the real circus the way it was and the troopers that made it that way. Harry Kingston
It appears that the men are standing on an erected seatwagon with the side rails still down and the chairs are still down as well although a couple are in use at the top of the wagon. Bob
Thanks so much Larry Allen for the kind words. It's been awhile since I have seen you and brings back many memories of you here in Beaumont, Texas for the shrine show and with you doing the big lion act on Ringling. Also with you and Red Hartman and I enjoyed getting to know him and listening to his stories of cat training and what he went through. Bob, I think the railing and chairs are down so the large chapman camera crain could swing back and forth with ease to get the requirws shot. I wish i was there to see all of this when it was being filmed. The guys by DeMille are probably the cameraman, focus puller, grips, etc. as all of these are union men required for movie making. Could be the yes men for DeMille the ones that yell ready when you are C. B. If you look real close DeMille has on his trade mark leather almost knee high buckle up boots on and probably has jodpurs on also. And it looks like a microphone in his hand. It was said you never cussed on a DeMille set as off you went. Also he was God in the air as he ruled the set. Besides circus, cameras is another hobby. Technicolor is very fascinating and the film was balanced for daylight exposure so indoor shooting had to equall the daylight exposure so it required alot of light. DeMille had to go to Technicolor to get a faster speed film to even film the Greatest Show on Earth. If you look real close in the movie you have the Ringling circus lights plus the extra DeMille lights that added to the circus lighting that were operated by remote control boxes on the ground so the lights could be positioned for movie work. Harry Kingston
4 comments:
Circus fans take a good look at this photo. Not only does it show C. B. in his camera chair but take a look at the camera.
Have you ever wondered why the color in the Greatest Show on Earth is so vivid and the best you have ever seen. There is a reason why.
This is the baby blue Technicolor 3 strip camera that put them on the map as the Greatest color in the movies ever. The magazine on top of the camera holds 3 rolls of 35mm, 1000 foot black and white film. The camera cost $35,000 in 1932 and may be there were like 36 of in the world. The process is very technical but turns out a print that is very like Kodachrome film but the Technicolor red is supposed to be better than the Kodachrome red.
That camera up there with C. B. weights 600 pounds alone.
There is very little fading with Technicolor and thank goodness that C. B. did this as we have a record on film of the real circus the way it was and the troopers that made it that way.
Harry Kingston
Great one Harry !
I bet there weren't many circus buffs that knew that probably not many movie buffs either!
It appears that the men are standing on an erected seatwagon with the side rails still down and the chairs are still down as well although a couple are in use at the top of the wagon.
Bob
Thanks so much Larry Allen for the kind words. It's been awhile since I have seen you and brings back many memories of you here in Beaumont, Texas for the shrine show and with you doing the big lion act on Ringling. Also with you and Red Hartman and I enjoyed getting to know him and listening to his stories of cat training and what he went through.
Bob, I think the railing and chairs are down so the large chapman camera crain could swing back and forth with ease to get the requirws shot.
I wish i was there to see all of this when it was being filmed. The guys by DeMille are probably the cameraman, focus puller, grips, etc. as all of these are union men required for movie making. Could be the yes men for DeMille the ones that yell ready when you are C. B.
If you look real close DeMille has on his trade mark leather almost knee high buckle up boots on and probably has jodpurs on also. And it looks like a microphone in his hand. It was said you never cussed on a DeMille set as off you went.
Also he was God in the air as he ruled the set.
Besides circus, cameras is another hobby. Technicolor is very fascinating and the film was balanced for daylight exposure so indoor shooting had to equall the daylight exposure so it required alot of light. DeMille had to go to Technicolor to get a faster speed film to even film the Greatest Show on Earth.
If you look real close in the movie you have the Ringling circus lights plus the extra DeMille lights that added to the circus lighting that were operated by remote control boxes on the ground so the lights could be positioned for movie work.
Harry Kingston
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