Favorite Forgotten Films

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Sol Negrin, ASC

Ihe two cinematographers that have always appealed to me are Harry Stradling Sr. and the great Gregg Toland.

Stradling's photography in The Picture of Dorian Gray, which won him an Academy Award, exemplifies the best of black and white cinematography. The strong compositions, rich blacks, emphatic source lighting and the use of subtle diffusion were most effective. The contrast between the main character, who remains young, and the others around him, who are aging, is enhanced through the sophistication of the photography. The mood of the lighting on the protagonist (Hurd Hatfield) shows his softness and evil as the story is unfolded. His demise in the dramatic climax with the slashing of the painting is dramatically underscored by the use of a single source light from the hanging lamp, moving angrily and slashing light on the walls, the painting and him. This picture has remained implanted in my mind because of the vivid compositions and marvelous lighting.

Gregg Toland was another master of light, space and composition. For his time, he was considered unorthodox in the placement of camera, lens use and extreme compositions. Whether it was Citizen Kane or The Voyage Home, the deep field of his photography captured the mood and atmosphere of the films he photographed. In Kane he was able to embellish a period of time seamlessly. Dealing with black and white removed the monochromatic appearance, and the period changes in lighting, costuming and set design worked together. No doubt Toland was a master of lighting, which was well noted in his Oscar Award for the masterful photography in Wuthering Heights.