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Mar 16 15 8:37 AM
Mar 16 15 10:50 AM
Mar 16 15 12:45 PM
Burgomaster
Casey62 wrote:Nevertheless, the fact that the script was a hodge-podge of at least six primary sources, Stoker, Deane/Balderston, Stephani, Bromfield, Murphy, and Fort, with even the final version being judiciously altered during production, indicates that Browning had issues with it and felt he could improve upon it. Whatever Browning's vision was, it certainly wasn't confined to the script as Melford's version was, so why use it as a guide to determine Browning's 'true' intentions - assuming he had any other than what we actually see realized in the film? If we reconstruct DRACULA in an attempt to create a version that is faithful to Browning - whatever we think we know that is - then going back to the final shooting script shouldn't enter the picture.
Mar 16 15 1:10 PM
Mar 16 15 1:29 PM
Mar 16 15 1:44 PM
Mar 16 15 1:48 PM
Wich2 wrote:I think the jury's out on that one, Kerry; we've all seen tons of stills that don't directly represent scenes in their films. (In Rhodes' book, he shows several where Seward is posed at Carfax with Van Helsing.)
Mar 16 15 2:10 PM
Mar 16 15 2:20 PM
"Come to think of it, I like them boxes, the ones we had in that ship scene. Git 'em over here onto the abbey set. Have the two old guys pretend they're lookin' for 'em or somethin'. Give Eddy a piece of paper. What? What's the paper supposed to be? Stupid question. Aww, pretend it's a bill of lading or something, that's how they hunt for the bad guy, I dunno. Just take the photograph, will ya?"
"And get the Hunky back into costume. We'll do another shot with him by a window. Yes, with the boxes again. Do I have to explain everything? What? "Do we roll film?" No, of course we're not going to roll film, you muttonhead, we're just shooting publicity shots. And tell Fat Boy to get those shadows right."
Mar 16 15 2:39 PM
Mar 16 15 2:44 PM
Mar 16 15 3:02 PM
Mar 16 15 3:05 PM
Mar 16 15 3:06 PM
Casey62 wrote:I'd say a comparison of Browning's version with Melford's is a pretty fair estimation of seeing how Browning deviated from the script. Dialogue was dropped, a few scenes were rearranged, broken up...
Mar 16 15 3:10 PM
Count Gamula wrote:Casey62 wrote:I'd say a comparison of Browning's version with Melford's is a pretty fair estimation of seeing how Browning deviated from the script. Dialogue was dropped, a few scenes were rearranged, broken up... Which could have been the results of editing, not directorial decisions.
Mar 16 15 3:24 PM
... which is open to debate. Unless someone wants to track down the editor -- Maurice Pivar, was it? -- and ask the 135 year old dead guy if Browning was allowed anywhere near the editors' bungalow. Even given that this was "A Tod Browning Production" it was a Universal picture and Browning was a director for hire. It would not be at all uncommon for the director to have had little say in how the film would be cut together, regardless of his stature in the industry. Even James Whale got his films clipped, trimmed and re-arranged at Universal, both in the Laemmle era and post-Laemmle. Dunno about James Stahl.
(On the other hand... the spirit of the long-stiff Pivar could just be making things up, confusing Browning's absence during editing with Christy Cabanne's two-week booze toot on SCARED TO DEATH, when make-up man Harry Thomas stepped in to direct the comedy stylings of Nat Pendleton then cut the existing footage of Lionel Atwill into mandolin picks. Thomas never directed again, though Cabanne retired happily to operate a raisin mine, cursing Cinecolor to his dying day.).
Mar 16 15 3:31 PM
Mar 16 15 3:41 PM
Mar 16 15 3:43 PM
Mar 16 15 4:10 PM
Ted Newsom wrote:"Come to think of it, I like them boxes, the ones we had in that ship scene. Git 'em over here onto the abbey set. Have the two old guys pretend they're lookin' for 'em or somethin'. Give Eddy a piece of paper. What? What's the paper supposed to be? Stupid question. Aww, pretend it's a bill of lading or something, that's how they hunt for the bad guy, I dunno. Just take the photograph, will ya?" "And get the Hunky back into costume. We'll do another shot with him by a window. Yes, with the boxes again. Do I have to explain everything? What? "Do we roll film?" No, of course we're not going to roll film, you muttonhead, we're just shooting publicity shots. And tell Fat Boy to get those shadows right."
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