Alec, I agree completely. Oftentimes the cameras look spiffy and natural, but clearly they are seldom USED properly. I guess if the script calls for bursts of flashbulbs from many different cameras in a press conference (e.g. "THE RIGHT STUFF") then that is all the film-makers concern themselves with. Beyond firing bulbs with flashgun buttons, the "extras" never seem to be seen actually fumbling around with spent bulbs, darkslides, setting speeds and apertures, etc. Most of these film cameras don't even have sync cords attached to them, yet we are led to believe that this is the way things operated. Although I will say that in "SEABISCUIT" they do show alot of this stuff, if you watch it closely enough (like i do) to notice such things.

I always have maintained that the Speed Graphic camera would make a great episode of History Channel's "MODERN MARVELS" or some other series. Heck, they could cast the thing with members of Graflex.Org!!!
Then the masses could really see how things worked properly!!!

Well it's not just the new films. I got to watch "Hit the Ice" with Abbott and Costello the other day.

They were street photographers that were confused with hit men by Sheldon Leonard who was about to rob the bank.

Lou had a an early Auto Graflex Jr. with the accordion bellows hood.

Well he was shooting every girl on the side walk but never once did he change film or focus the camera. Then they spotted a building fire and hopped in an ambulance, only to find themselves flying out the back on the gurney. Then there was the tangle with the ladder truck, so he could get stuck on the building. Somewhere in the mayhem, the lens fell out, but he kept on shooting.

Granted Bud & Lou were never supposed to compete with the film of Ken Burns, but it's still irritating to see how, for the sake of moving the film along, they make fools of themselves.

On the other hand we could go too far with this idea. I just got back from a Buick Car National Meet and the difference between the 1st and 2nd place winners was the judges decided that one guy had the cotter pin on one clevis in the "wrong" way. Talk about being overly picky!!!!!

I suppose the longest time a GRAPHIC has appeared in a movie,must be the 1951 classic "The Thing from Another World"where the newspaper reporter on the lonely arctic outpost is carrying around a miniature S.G.nearly every time he appears in shot.

They are usually 5x4's-but this time the opposite.Hope it got payed "extras" money for such a long performance?.

I never had any intensions of getting into this discussion until tonight. Nothing on TV (as usual) so I went to PBS (as usual). Caught the middle of the Seabiscuit documentary. Of course I have absolutely no interest in Seabiscuit or horseracing and almost turned it off until I realised that I was looking at a sea of Speeds in 1938.
It would seem that the best place to see graphics in actual action is old newsreel footage. I was more amazed at how much the cameras _don't_ stand out. They seem to become more of an extension of the arm of the photographer and not all that noticable in true action. Although I did see one photographer in a cowd make an acrobatic maneuver, taking the dark slide off the back of the camera and swooping it into the film holder in the camera in such a fast, natural movement that it looked fake. Like one of those clips shown backwards because it wouldn't be possible otherwise. I did see a few non-Graphics. Possibly a reflex here and there, hard to tell sometimes. And some obvious differences in photographic experience. Very interesting watching old newsreels for what they're showing outside the intended focus!

If you want to see FAST Graphic action, watch some of the old boxing films. Now those guys could fire and change on the fly! Every once and a long while you might even see one of the elusive Graphic Boxing cameras.

I love the ones where they have the Heiland 3-reflector flashes. That was a real burst of light!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: alecj on 2003-07-29 06:48 ]</font>

The other night on PBS there was a program on crime investigation. The scene is a 1930's or 1940's car, looking thru the driver window at the open passenger door, where a photographer has a 5x7 or 8x10 set up and after picking up the shutter release cable with his left hand casually swings a 3 reflector flash into position with the right hand and fires.

Just got around to watching the 2000 movie "What Women Want"with Mel Gibson.At the beginning of the production we have a lovely close-up of a late 5x4 Graphic with top rangefinder with a #2773 flashgun...yes,full screen being held by a lady photographer photographing a line-up of chorus girls.

Guys, I may have missed it in the three pages of earlier posts, but one famous Graphic appearance in a post war film is in the first James Bond movie, Dr. No (1962). The villianess tries to take Bonds picture with a top RF Speed, but is foiled by him hiding behind his hat. She LICKS the expended flashbulb in frustration (ouch). At least it was only a 25 and not a press 40, which would have taken a whole lot o' licking!

There's what might be an Anniversary Speed Graphic in The Ring, right up close but out of focus on a shelf that Noah walks past (and later knocks over) on his way to turn off the TV when it comes on by itself.

i watched the movie 'That Thing You Do!' with my girlfriend a couple weeks ago, and in one scene, a photographer is using a Crown to photograph the band... they even show him ejecting the spent bulb after the picture, which i had never seen on a movie before.

That usually mean't the spent bulbs ending up on the floor...did you EVER see photographers of old putting them away..never!(Press Photographers & the like).

Today,this would be a safety hazard and maybe prosecuted if outdoors as undesirable litter.How times have changed,perhaps for the better.
Who wants crushed flashbulbs under foot?.

We used to put the spent bulbs back into their sleeves and hold them for the litter basket, but we were covering relatively civilized events like press conferences. If I'd ever had to cover a riot or a distaster, I doubt that I'd have worried much about the trash!

indeed, in such a situation one would not care much where their bulbs fell. i suppose it all depends whether or not speed is the key.

Here is one that either nobody has seen(most likely) or are to afraid to admit.

1979's College Exploitations film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079257/">H.O.T.S.</a> One guy carries one around to get his good blackmail photos of the college dean.

One movie we have left out (not intentionally I must add)PEARL HARBOR.The scene with Jon Voight playing the late President Franklin Roosevelt,is seen giving a press call,re the outbreak of war with Japan.A bank of Graphics can be seen,5x4 silver fronts?...Oh!and lets not leave out,flashbulbs popping.