American Cinematographer - May 2020 - 52

Flashbacks to the '60s

The 1959 widescreen saga Ben-Hur, shot by ASC member Robert Surtees, was
covered in the February 1960 issue of AC. The production's crew (inset) captured
elaborate and complex stunts for the movie's thrilling 65mm chariot race.

52

which the actors play the sequence
further points up their solitude - their
incapability of reaching a common
ground. Remarking on this, Martelli
said: 'Director Fellini has given the film
individual style by deliberately distorting the characters and their surroundings, and also by their clear-cut
figures.'"
The magazine's embrace of international production also took flight -
quite literally - with the appointment
of the globetrotting Herb A. Lightman
as editor. Lightman assumed the reins
for one issue, in February 1965, after
the passing of Arthur E. Gavin (who
held the post from July 1948 to January
1965), before ceding the position to Will
Lane (who edited one issue in March
1965) and then Don C. Hoefler (who
served as editor from April 1965 to
January 1966). The editorial baton
passed back to Lightman in February
1966, and he held the position until
June 1982; along the way, he became
well known for visiting sets on location
all over the world.
American Cinematographer additionally paid editorial attention to striking
independent
productions,
experimental cinema and even student
filmmaking during the '60s. The
August 1961 issue had a full feature on
the iconic indie picture Shadows,
directed by John Cassavetes and shot
by Erich Kullmar. Featuring a jazz
May 2020

score and a highly
improvisational,
freeform approach,
the picture came to
epitomize
the
concept of "rebel filmmaking."
Referencing a previous AC piece titled
"The Experimental Film" (AC Jan. '61),
the Shadows article begins by stating,
"While such cinematic sorties are
rarely commercial successes, they
nevertheless are valuable contributions
in filmmaking in that many are possible trail-blazers to fresher, more vital
motion-picture techniques. Shadows,
the initial directorial effort of actor John
Cassavetes, is a phenomenon among
experimental films in that, despite the
fact it was never intended for theatrical
release, it nevertheless is currently
enjoying a successful run on the art
film circuit."
Noting that Shadows had earned
several international awards (including the 1960 Venice Film Critics Award)
and praise from New York Times critic
Bosley Crowther, the article concedes
that the movie might not be for all
tastes, while citing some of its cinematic antecedents: "Other critics have
managed to contain their enthusiasm,
pointing out that the film's narrative
frequently rambles in confused and
tedious circles, and that the technical
quality of sound and photography
'leaves much to be desired.' The
American Cinematographer - 100 Years

controversy reaches a peak in regard to
the basic premise of the film's approach
- that of improvisation. Detractors
point out that the device of improvisation is anything but new, having long
been the mainstay of home-movies, as
well as of Roberto Rossellini, who used
it with stunning impact in Open City
and with considerably less success in
Paisan and several subsequent efforts.
Such critics are not at all certain that the
art of the cinema is exalted by allowing
actors to make up the plot and dialogue
as they go along."
In October 1961, the magazine
threw a spotlight on other indie
strategies with coverage of Pit and the
Pendulum, a horror film from American
International Pictures shot by ASC
member Floyd Crosby for directorproducer Roger Corman, who became
legendary for his thrifty, low-budget
approach to cinema. In a possible
affront to leading man Vincent Price,
the text notes, "Except for the absence
of big name stars in the cast, the film
boasts production values comparable
to pictures costing five times as much."
A hands-on approach to student
filmmaking was praised in the April
1966 article "Film Production by
American Cinematographer - May 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - May 2020
