SEEING FACES IN MOVIES

Felicia is joined by Seth Vargas to discuss Arthur C. Miller’s brooding camera as it follows Jimmy Ringo in The Gunfighter (1950).

We chat about how the photography complements the stories ticking clock, and why the black and white imagery elevates this cerebral western.

This is the final episode in the Arthur C. Miller series and I’m so glad I finally highlighted another cinematographer on the show. I hope you’re inspired to watch more of his work and learn more about his craft.

Send us your thoughts on the episode by sending us a message on any of our social platforms or by email: [email protected]

Find Seth here:
Movie Friends Podcast (website)
Twitter: @moviefriendspod
IG: @moviefriendspodcast
YouTube: @moviefriendspodcast

Listen to our previous episodes here:
Le Bonheur (Agnès Varda 1965)
Woman in the Dunes (Hiroshi Teshigahara 1964)
Late Spring (Yasujirō Ozu 1949)
True Stories (David Byrne 1986)

Sources:
Balshofer, Balshofer, F. J., & Miller, A. C. (n.d.). One reel a Week. University of California Press.

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/7149-the-gunfighter-you-can-t-go-home-again

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/7151-10-things-i-learned-the-gunfighter

https://jeffarnoldswest.com/2023/10/the-gunfighter-fox-1950-2/

https://alexonfilm.com/2023/04/29/the-gunfighter-1950/

https://theasc.com/articles/natural-lighting-for-interior-sets

Outro Song:
The Gunfighter by Alfred Newman

Felicia is joined by Darragh McGrath to discuss the harsh reality that Arthur C. Miller paints in The Prowler (1951).

We chat about his disinterest in soft focus lighting and why he preferred to soft images as close to real life, along with how well he adapted to the directors vision.

Send us your thoughts on the episode by sending us a message on any of our social platforms or by email: [email protected]

Find Darragh here:
Letterboxd: @DarraghMcG
IG: @Dreamworlds_films

Listen to our previous episodes here:
Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder 1951)
Straight Time (Ulu Grosbard 1978)
Minnie and Moskowitz (John Cassavetes 1971)
The Tarnished Angels (Douglas Sirk 1957)

Sources:
https://filmtalk.org/2014/12/05/evelyn-keyes-the-atmosphere-on-the-set-of-gone-with-the-wind-was-almost-partylike/

https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/the-prowler-bd/

https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2003/great-directors/losey/

https://filmtalk.org/2014/12/05/evelyn-keyes-the-atmosphere-on-the-set-of-gone-with-the-wind-was-almost-partylike/

https://dfordoom-movieramblings.blogspot.com/2011/11/prowler-1951.html

https://www.tcm.com/articles/noir/338717/the-prowler-1951

Balshofer, Balshofer, F. J., & Miller, A. C. (n.d.). One reel a Week. University of California Press.

Outro Song:
Music from The Prowler by Lyn Murray

Felicia is joined by Bryan Loomis to discuss Arthur C. Miller’s imprint on one of cinema’s greatest achievements in cinematography, How Green Was My Valley (1941).

We chat about how he understood John Ford’s clear vision for this film and why the black and white imagery adds to the comfort reflected in this family’s story.

Send us your thoughts on the episode by sending us a message on any of our social platforms or by email: [email protected]

Find Bryan here:
Website: PODCAST | What a Picture (whatapicturepod.com)
What a Picture Podcast: https://anchor.fm/what-a-picture

Listen to our previous episodes here:
All the President’s Men (D.O.P. Gordon Willis 1976)
I Was Born, But… (Yasujirō Ozu 1932)
Miracle in Milan (Vittorio De Sica 1951)

Sources:
Balshofer, Balshofer, F. J., & Miller, A. C. (n.d.). One reel a Week. University of California Press.

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/archive/interview/peter-bogdanovich-4/

https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2011/05/10/john-fords-how-green-was-my-valley/

https://goldenglobes.com/articles/restored-hfpa-how-green-was-my-valley-1941/

https://moviecrashcourse.com/2019/03/12/how-green-was-my-valley-1941/

https://www.bbc.com/videos/c4nnj5llx66o

https://starsandletters.blogspot.com/2024/04/casting-how-green-was-my-valley.html

Outro Song:
Huw Walks Among the Daffodils by Alfred Newman

Felicia is joined by Cethan Leahy to discuss the importance of Arthur C. Miller’s black and white photography in Dragonwyck (1946).

We chat about his beginnings in early silent cinema and why he was one of the most revered cinematographers of his era.

This is the first episode in the Arthur C. Miller series, and this film is perfect example of how incredibly skilled he was behind the camera, especially his black and white photography.

Send us your thoughts on the episode by sending us a message on any of our social platforms or by email: [email protected]

Find Cethan here:
Website: https://www.cethanleahy.com/

Listen to our previous episodes here:
A New Leaf (Elaine May 1971)

Sources:
https://vhsrevival.com/2021/12/28/dragonwyck-a-masterpiece-of-the-gothic/

https://trailersfromhell.com/dragonwyck/

https://thelastdrivein.com/category/suspense/dragonwyck-1946/

https://www.tcm.com/articles/253031/dragonwyck

Outro Song:
Suite (Dragonwyck) by Alfred Newman

In today’s Special Features episode Felicia is joined once again by the amazing Seth Vargas to discuss the way David Byrne celebrates uniqueness in his film True Stories (1986).

We chat about the blend of documentary and fiction styles of storytelling, and how great each song is in this musical.

Send us your thoughts on the film and let us know by sending us a message on any of our social platforms or by email: [email protected]

Listen to our previous episodes with Seth here:
Le Bonheur (Agnès Varda 1965)
Woman in the Dunes (Hiroshi Teshigahara 1964)
Late Spring (Yasujirō Ozu 1949)

Follow Seth here:
Movie Friends Podcast (website)
Twitter: @moviefriendspod
IG: @moviefriendspodcast
YouTube: @moviefriendspodcast

Outro Song:
Road Song by David Byrne

Sources:
https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/interview-david-byrne/

https://medium.com/counterarts/david-byrnes-true-stories-as-a-search-for-autistic-connection-43629c62cd07

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/david-byrne-true-stories-interview-754919/

https://www.davidbyrne.com/explore/american-utopia/press/david-byrne-shares-true-stories-from-1986s-true-stories

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6068-true-stories-everybody-has-tones