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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: jimmy olsen on February 09, 2013, 04:23:49 AM

Title: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: jimmy olsen on February 09, 2013, 04:23:49 AM
Cool

You can watch the footage here.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2013/02/08/early_color_film_from_1922_actresses_vamp_for_the_camera.html

Quote
This 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage is Strangely Bewitching

By Joan Neuberger

Posted Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, at 1:00 PM ET

This clip is a very early, full-color Kodachrome film made by Kodak in 1922 to test new film stock and color processing. It is a lovely little four-and-a-half minutes of pretty actresses gesturing for the camera. The color and lighting are exquisite—all warm reds with flattering highlights—making it a purely enjoyable thing to watch.

In 1922, for all its technical achievements, Kodak hadn't yet done away with the flicker that gave movies one of their earliest and most enduring nicknames: the "flicks." The flicker resulted from variations in film speed produced by the slow, hand-cranked cameras of the time and by variations in the density of the film itself (as you can read in the post about this film clip on Kodak's blog, A Thousand Words).

Even more interesting to a modern viewer are the women's gestures. They act out fluttery, innocent modesty; warm maternal love; and in the longest sequence, sexy, puckered-lip vamping. Their open expressions of feeling and the particular way they move their hands and tilt their heads, even more than the fashions of their clothes and makeup, immediately mark them as women of the interwar period. Recently a Russian film scholar, Oksana Bulgakowa, has shown how various feelings and meanings were coded in the gestures of early film actors. Some of these are so unfamiliar now, they seem like a foreign language.

Today, when we watch a TV show or a movie, we see a wide range of acting styles and behaviors. A hundred years from now, which ones will be seen as defining our age?
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Eddie Teach on February 09, 2013, 05:10:07 AM
Interesting. Some of their gestures make them seem much older than they are.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Syt on February 09, 2013, 05:23:00 AM
I'd hit all the actresses.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: mongers on February 09, 2013, 11:01:02 AM
Harvesting with Oxen in Cirencester from 1924:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4k5hcndldI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4k5hcndldI)

House of Parliament, 1926:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=G9_gjh_YTJ0&feature=endscreen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=G9_gjh_YTJ0&feature=endscreen)

Much later colour film, 1938, of the English harvest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyzAIkMwrg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyzAIkMwrg)

I really like the quality of this one, scenes from the river Thames,1935:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NObu5VXfTVI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NObu5VXfTVI)


Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Josephus on February 09, 2013, 01:32:29 PM
Quote from: Syt on February 09, 2013, 05:23:00 AM
I'd hit all the actresses.

With what? :hmm:
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: garbon on February 09, 2013, 01:40:01 PM
Quote from: Josephus on February 09, 2013, 01:32:29 PM
Quote from: Syt on February 09, 2013, 05:23:00 AM
I'd hit all the actresses.

With what? :hmm:

His penis :secret:

Also is it just me or is Syt getting a little more rowdy lately?
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: CountDeMoney on February 09, 2013, 01:54:47 PM
QuoteRecently a Russian film scholar, Oksana Bulgakowa, has shown how various feelings and meanings were coded in the gestures of early film actors. Some of these are so unfamiliar now, they seem like a foreign language.

Well duhski, comrade.  How the hell else were supposed to convey and communicate without the ability to speak through a soundtrack?

Russian scholars.  :rolleyes:  Take an undergrad non-verbal communication course.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: CountDeMoney on February 09, 2013, 01:55:13 PM
Quote from: garbon on February 09, 2013, 01:40:01 PM
Also is it just me or is Syt getting a little more rowdy lately?

It's deep winter, which means it's German mating season.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Syt on February 09, 2013, 02:10:55 PM
Quote from: garbon on February 09, 2013, 01:40:01 PM
Also is it just me or is Syt getting a little more rowdy lately?

Am I? Just being myself.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Admiral Yi on February 09, 2013, 02:14:28 PM
Quote from: Syt on February 09, 2013, 05:23:00 AM
I'd hit all the actresses.

I thought they were pretty woofy.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: garbon on February 09, 2013, 02:18:57 PM
Quote from: Syt on February 09, 2013, 02:10:55 PM
Quote from: garbon on February 09, 2013, 01:40:01 PM
Also is it just me or is Syt getting a little more rowdy lately?

Am I? Just being myself.

I don't generally recall you posting these sorts of things.

Quote from: Syt on February 08, 2013, 10:58:55 AM
They should have Spic History Month, though, considering that they're close to (or already have?) overtaken Blacks as largest ethnic minority.

Or is that covered by 5 May?
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: alfred russel on February 09, 2013, 02:23:14 PM
Quote from: mongers on February 09, 2013, 11:01:02 AM
Harvesting with Oxen in Cirencester from 1924:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4k5hcndldI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4k5hcndldI)

House of Parliament, 1926:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=G9_gjh_YTJ0&feature=endscreen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=G9_gjh_YTJ0&feature=endscreen)

Much later colour film, 1938, of the English harvest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyzAIkMwrg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyzAIkMwrg)

I really like the quality of this one, scenes from the river Thames,1935:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NObu5VXfTVI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NObu5VXfTVI)

Thanks for posting those, mongers. The one on the English harvest was especially good, and the comments were fun.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Josephus on February 09, 2013, 02:43:12 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 09, 2013, 02:14:28 PM
Quote from: Syt on February 09, 2013, 05:23:00 AM
I'd hit all the actresses.

I thought they were pretty woofy.

Actually they were allright. The last one, who had about two minutes of screen time was ...meh....but the others were Ok...for a bunch of what is now surely dead old ladies.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Admiral Yi on February 09, 2013, 03:20:40 PM
Quote from: Josephus on February 09, 2013, 02:43:12 PM
Actually they were allright. The last one, who had about two minutes of screen time was ...meh....but the others were Ok...for a bunch of what is now surely dead old ladies.

Chacun a son mauvais gout.

First chick was powerful plain.  Only reasonable one was that chick with the blue hat.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Razgovory on February 09, 2013, 06:02:04 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 09, 2013, 01:54:47 PM
QuoteRecently a Russian film scholar, Oksana Bulgakowa, has shown how various feelings and meanings were coded in the gestures of early film actors. Some of these are so unfamiliar now, they seem like a foreign language.

Well duhski, comrade.  How the hell else were supposed to convey and communicate without the ability to speak through a soundtrack?

Russian scholars.  :rolleyes:  Take an undergrad non-verbal communication course.

Were there were odd styles of movement even before widespread use of motion pictures.  For instance Groucho Marx was know for doing an exaggerated walk with where he was stooped and had one arm on his thigh.  This was a popular fashion in the 1890's, but in the 1930's it looked old fashioned and subsequently funny.  Today, it's simply not recognized.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: CountDeMoney on February 09, 2013, 06:13:19 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on February 09, 2013, 06:02:04 PM
Were there were odd styles of movement even before widespread use of motion pictures.  For instance Groucho Marx was know for doing an exaggerated walk with where he was stooped and had one arm on his thigh.  This was a popular fashion in the 1890's, but in the 1930's it looked old fashioned and subsequently funny.  Today, it's simply not recognized.

And I'm sure kids today don't recognize a zoot suit roll, either.  But so fucking what, if they read a book instead of melting their brains with Facetweeting all day they'd know.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: garbon on February 09, 2013, 06:51:23 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 09, 2013, 06:13:19 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on February 09, 2013, 06:02:04 PM
Were there were odd styles of movement even before widespread use of motion pictures.  For instance Groucho Marx was know for doing an exaggerated walk with where he was stooped and had one arm on his thigh.  This was a popular fashion in the 1890's, but in the 1930's it looked old fashioned and subsequently funny.  Today, it's simply not recognized.

And I'm sure kids today don't recognize a zoot suit roll, either.  But so fucking what, if they read a book instead of melting their brains with Facetweeting all day they'd know.

Maybe you should tweet classic works.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Syt on February 10, 2013, 12:35:25 AM
Interesting idea (though it's probably been done already): set up twitter accounts for all characters in a Shakespeare play, then let them tweet their lines.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Sheilbh on February 10, 2013, 12:41:10 AM
There's a twitter account that tweets a line of Howl every hour. One that's tweeting WW2. One of my favourites is one tweeting Pepys's diary: 'I was drunk and fell in a ditch'...
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: PDH on February 10, 2013, 07:07:01 PM
Quote from: Sheilbh on February 10, 2013, 12:41:10 AM
'I was drunk and fell in a ditch'...

:mad:  He fell into the ditch because it was dark!
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: MadImmortalMan on February 11, 2013, 01:06:38 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on February 09, 2013, 02:23:14 PM
Quote from: mongers on February 09, 2013, 11:01:02 AM
Harvesting with Oxen in Cirencester from 1924:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4k5hcndldI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4k5hcndldI)

House of Parliament, 1926:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=G9_gjh_YTJ0&feature=endscreen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=G9_gjh_YTJ0&feature=endscreen)

Much later colour film, 1938, of the English harvest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyzAIkMwrg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyzAIkMwrg)

I really like the quality of this one, scenes from the river Thames,1935:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NObu5VXfTVI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NObu5VXfTVI)

Thanks for posting those, mongers. The one on the English harvest was especially good, and the comments were fun.

The building across the street from Parliament that has the tube station in the basement and looks like it belongs in Mordor apparently wasn't there in 1926.  :P
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Caliga on February 11, 2013, 01:11:42 PM
It seems like all of those chicks had really nice teeth.  I could be wrong but I don't think many folks got braces back then, so maybe having nice teeth was a requirement of being a film actress back then? :hmm:
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: mongers on February 11, 2013, 01:57:58 PM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 11, 2013, 01:06:38 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on February 09, 2013, 02:23:14 PM
Quote from: mongers on February 09, 2013, 11:01:02 AM
Harvesting with Oxen in Cirencester from 1924:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4k5hcndldI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4k5hcndldI)

House of Parliament, 1926:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=G9_gjh_YTJ0&feature=endscreen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=G9_gjh_YTJ0&feature=endscreen)

Much later colour film, 1938, of the English harvest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyzAIkMwrg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyzAIkMwrg)

I really like the quality of this one, scenes from the river Thames,1935:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NObu5VXfTVI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NObu5VXfTVI)

Thanks for posting those, mongers. The one on the English harvest was especially good, and the comments were fun.

The building across the street from Parliament that has the tube station in the basement and looks like it belongs in Mordor apparently wasn't there in 1926.  :P

Yes, Portcullis House, no surpise it was finished during the first Blair administration and a fine example of public spending, you'll appreciate this google fig trees in relation to the building. 
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Josephus on February 11, 2013, 02:56:11 PM
Quote from: Caliga on February 11, 2013, 01:11:42 PM
It seems like all of those chicks had really nice teeth.  I could be wrong but I don't think many folks got braces back then, so maybe having nice teeth was a requirement of being a film actress back then? :hmm:

Or it probably means that most children do not require braces, despite what dentists say. :shutup:
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Caliga on February 11, 2013, 03:48:24 PM
Could be.  Maybe none of those girls were English. :sleep:
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: jimmy olsen on February 11, 2013, 05:12:36 PM
Quote from: Josephus on February 11, 2013, 02:56:11 PM
Quote from: Caliga on February 11, 2013, 01:11:42 PM
It seems like all of those chicks had really nice teeth.  I could be wrong but I don't think many folks got braces back then, so maybe having nice teeth was a requirement of being a film actress back then? :hmm:

Or it probably means that most children do not require braces, despite what dentists say. :shutup:
After living in a country where kids who need braces often don't get them until they're in college, I'd say a large percentage do.
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Queequeg on February 11, 2013, 05:19:47 PM
Quote from: Sheilbh on February 10, 2013, 12:41:10 AM
There's a twitter account that tweets a line of Howl every hour. One that's tweeting WW2. One of my favourites is one tweeting Pepys's diary: 'I was drunk and fell in a ditch'...
One did Constantine XI.  It got depressing. 
Title: Re: 1922 Kodachrome Test Footage; Kodak's earliest color film
Post by: Syt on February 12, 2013, 12:56:31 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 11, 2013, 05:12:36 PMAfter living in a country where kids who need braces often don't get them until they're in college, I'd say a large percentage do.

Didn't know you spent time in New Jersey.