OCR Text |
Show TECHNICOLOR'S USE CALCULATED TO ENLIVEN FILM But now, according to none other than Jessie L. Lasky, first vice-president in charge of production of the Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation, Corpora-tion, color has graduated from the novelty period in the movies and will be employed henceforth not only to impart added beauty but also to cause emotional and mental reactions in keeping with the spirit of the plot. As such, Mr. Lasky believes, color will fulfiill an important dramatic function. Mr. Lasky put his belief into practice prac-tice in filming "The Vagabond King," a lavishly produced musical romance, starring Dennis King. This production, pro-duction, done completely in technicolor, techni-color, is coming to the Victory Theatre Thea-tre Sunday next for a three day run. From the opening scene to the final fadeout, color is used with the purpose pur-pose of provoking in the audience a sympathetic mood in keeping with the action. Weeks before "The Vagabond King" went into production, Mrs. Natalie Kalmus, color expert of the Technicolor corporation conferred for days with Travis Banton, the studio fashion designer, Hans Dreier, art director assigned to that film, and Ludwig Berger, who hod been selected as director, with the result that not a setmg- or piece ot wardrobe ward-robe was planned that did not enhance en-hance the dramatic mood. Red, a warm color, symbolizing revolution, strife, violence, danger and proved by scientific experiments to have an exciting influence on the human feelings, was agreed upon as the color to predominate in the garb of the turbulent vagabonds of the picture. In one scene an interesting use was made of the conflicting qualities of red hues. Mortal enemies, Dennis King- and Warner Oland fight a duel. To heighten the dramatic effect of the conflict Mrs. Kalmus and Director Direc-tor Berger decided to cosume them for that climatic scene in violently antagonistic shades of red. One wore a low key red, the other an outfit of vivid key red, the result being that the colors themselves clash so decidedly decid-edly that they give the impression of actually fighting each other. Where red is diluted with white and sometimes with blue, resulting in rose and pink, it symbolizes beauty beau-ty and love. Consequently, rose was chosen as the dominant color in rose garden scenes of the production where the deliberate aim is to create the spirit of romance. Eight girls, chosen for their beauty, appeared in filmy rose-tinted gowns for these scenes. Rose was also used extensively exten-sively in ' the wardrobe of Jeanette MacDonald King's leading woman in the picture. ,Yellow also being a warm color, symbolic of light and sunshine and known to exercise an enlivening influence in-fluence upon the spirits, was chosen for extensive use in court fete scenes an dother lively action in the palace of King Louis XI of France. In several sev-eral sequences, the romantic leading man appears in golden tunic and tights while the same warm, rich tones appear often in Miss MacDon-ald's MacDon-ald's gowns. ' Black, through its association with night is the symbol of gloom, menace and terror and this effect was sought in a throne room scene where Bur-gundian Bur-gundian heralds enter and demand that the French King surrender. Three men of gigantic stature were chosen for the parts of the heralds and they were clad completely in black, even their heads being enveloped envel-oped in close fitting black hoods. On their hands they wore gauntlets of black mail. Not a touch of any other color relieved the somebre menace implied by their attire. According to Mrs. Kalmus, every little shade has a dramatic meaning all its own. n |