No subject

s possible some of may have been staged=2C but certainly not all of it. Cou=
ld the constant circling of certain cars have been simply curious followers=
? A member of the crew who was camera happy and wanted to get his picture t=
aken? Is there any documentation to prove that this was scripted for this p=
urpose? The statement in the article about the film says:

 And it appears the drivers on Market Street were recruited to fill up=20
the screen=2C circling around the camera to make the city look more=20
lively.

The operative phrase "it appears" means that it's only guesswork and specul=
ation. The drivers in the film are so wacko=2C the circling of the cars cou=
ld have been simply the equivalent of mischievous kids running alongside th=
e car and waving: just curious onlookers.=20

You want to see a staged film that kind of reminds me of this? Check out th=
e opening scene to Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil." http://www.youtube.com/wa=
tch?v=3DYg8MqjoFvy4  It's a single crane shot - no cuts - that lasts about =
3 and a half minutes of screen time. Look at all the passersby=2C automobil=
es=2C and even goats that had to be meticulously timed and coordinated in o=
rder to create this scene without stopping the film or changing cameras. It=
's one of the most celebrated openings in film history and must have been a=
 real bear to coordinate. Could that possibly have been staged in 1906? The=
 1906 film is three times as long as the "Touch of Evil" opening=2C and is =
also done in one long take. It would have been impossible back then to have=
 staged any part of this=2C other than the possibly uncontrollable circling=
 of a few cars around the camera. I think it is debatable=2C without any re=
al evidence=2C that any part of the 1906 film was staged. And I like to thi=
nk that way.

Cary Ginell

> From: homzy at vax2.concordia.ca
> Date: Wed=2C 23 Mar 2011 18:55:18 -0700
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: Re: [78-L] It was staged - 1906 film of a cable car ride
>=20
> I'm vindicated! I knew it was staged.
>=20
> Andrew
>=20
>=20
> On 2011-03-23=2C at 3:49 PM=2C DanKj wrote:
>=20
> > This film has been on the American Memory pages of the Library of Congr=
ess for at least 12 years=2C and the description=20
> > includes : "a careful tracking of automobile traffic shows that almost =
all of the autos seen circle around the camera/cable=20
> > car many times (one ten times). This traffic was apparently staged by t=
he producer to give Market Street the appearance of a=20
> > prosperous modern boulevard with many automobiles. "
> >=20
> > http://tinyurl.com/4bp3rk2
> >=20
> > That doesn't mean that the pedestrians or other drivers knew about it -=
 there are some disappointed faces when the=20
> > streetcar fails to stop to pick up passengers.
> >=20
> >=20
> > The newsboys at the end sure knew what a movie camera looked like=2C wi=
th all their waving & smiling - but that's mostly=20
> > AFTER the end of the LoC copy - it is cut short.
> >=20
> >=20
> > ----- Original Message -----=20
> > From: "Sammy Jones" <sjones69 at bellsouth.net>
> > To: <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday=2C March 23=2C 2011 3:17 PM
> > Subject: [78-L] It was staged - 1906 film of a cable car ride
> >=20
> >=20
> >> Here's an interesting article shedding light on much of the mystery ar=
ound the film.
> >>=20
> >> http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2010/10/17/historic-1906-marketstreet=
-film/
> >>=20
> >> Film historian David Kiehn was able to identify several license plates=
 and discover the dates and to whom they were=20
> >> registered.
> >>=20
> >> Somewhere I've read that many of the cars appear over and over again=
=2C suggesting that they circled the trolley throughout=20
> >> the film to give the impression of heavy traffic.
> >>=20
> >> Sammy Jones
> >>=20
> >> Cary Ginell wrote:
> >>=20
> >> I agree with Craig. The logistics of staging such a scenario would be =
ridiculous to do even today. There were too many=20
> >> people looking too natural for it to be phony. That would have taken a=
ll of the charm out of the scene anyway=2C so if it's=20
> >> true=2C I refuse to believe it. Is there evidence that this was staged=
?
> >>=20
> >> Cary Ginell
> >>=20
> >>> Date: Wed=2C 23 Mar 2011 11:47:28 -0500
> >>> From: craigventresco at gmail.com
> >>> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> >>> Subject: Re: [78-L] It was staged - 1906 film of a cable car ride
> >>>=20
> >>> I don't think it was staged. I like near that street and people still
> >>> stumble around there like they're in a  haze!
> >>>=20
> >>> On Wed=2C Mar 23=2C 2011 at 10:43 AM=2C Andrew Homzy <homzy at vax2.conc=
ordia.ca>wrote:
> >>>=20
> >>>> Danger didn't register because it was a staged scene -
> >>>>=20
> >>>> At least=2C that's what I think. Notice how all the u-turns look exa=
ctly the
> >>>> same arc - they even seem to occur at regular intervals.
> >>>>=20
> >>>> Cheers=2C
> >>>>=20
> >>>> Andrew
> >>=20
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> 78-L mailing list
> >> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> >> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l=20
> >=20
> > _______________________________________________
> > 78-L mailing list
> > 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
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>=20
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