“Film as Art” – Script 4 - Santa Ana College · Web viewHer hero-detective, Hercule Poirot,...

“Film as Art” – Script 4

Part IV of the slide/cassette presentation is the final segment to this course.

As you follow the presentation, the accompanying text will highlight the reasons film

makers choose certain types of literature to become motion pictures.

Ask your instructor for “Fiction into Film: Literature Goes to the Movies,”

Part II.

After viewing the presentation, take Test 4.

Review all four tests and the midterm and take the closed-book final exam.

Film as Art – Script 4 of 18 – 02/2005

PART FOUR

SUMMARY OF CONTENT

FILM IS A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT. LITERATURE AND POPULAR NOVELS ARE A FREQUENT SOURCE OF MATERIAL, ALTHOUGH MANY ALTERATIONS IN ORIGINAL PLOT AND CHARACTERIZATION TAKE PLACE FOR COMMERCIAL REASONS. WHEN A FICTIONAL CHARACTER IS POPULAR ENOUGH, SPINOFFS WILL BE PRODUCED TO CASH IN ON THE SAME CHARACTER OR CHARACTER-TYPE. TODAY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FILM AND FICTION IS CHANGING AND SUCCESSFUL SCREENPLAYS HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN “NOVELIZED”—WRITTEN IN BOOK FORM.

Since the making of a film involves the investment of large sums of money, what is produced is more likely to be based upon what can be sold—what the public wants to see—than upon artistic considerations. Movies, after all, are made for profit.

Sometimes as much creativity goes into publicity for a film as into the making of the film itself. For example, when contractual obligations delayed the release of “Gone with the Wind,” the producer turned the difficulty into an asset by launching a two-year talent search for the perfect Scarlett O’Hara. This device—a real-life Cinderella-story-to-be—kept public attention focused on the film and increased the anticipation of would-be audiences.

Commercial considerations not only determine which stories will be made into films, but what happens to them when they are translated into film scripts. James Thurber’s sad, gentle story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” was converted into a star vehicle for Danny Kaye. Instead of the true-to-life ending of the original story (Mitty awakens to permanent defeat), the screen version shows Mitty getting the girl of his dreams and living happily ever after.

Many films are based on popular novels, genre books that follow a formula and fall into easily identified categories: gothic, suspense, western, science fiction, mystery. The monster story seems to be particularly successful on the screen—consider “King Kong” and “Frankenstein” and their innumerable spinoffs.

Many of Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries have been made into films. Her hero-detective, Hercule Poirot, has appeared in so many of her books that he has become something of a star himself. Similarly, Ian Fleming’s Agent 007 is so well established in the reading public’s mind that five different actors have played the character, James Bond, in the movies without anyone protesting the inconsistency.

Westerns are the present-day version of the morality play—heroic, chivalrous stories in which the good-guy, defender of the helpless, always triumphs.


Although the Hollywood musical often has a literary source, the book is frequently altered almost beyond recognition. consider, for example, the outraged social consciousness expressed by Dickens in his novel Oliver Twist and compare it with the pageantry and gaiety of the musical version, “Oliver!”

Traditionally, books have provided the basis for films. Today, however, we are beginning to see a reversal of the process. A film , such as “Love Story,” comes first and is subsequently “novelized,” or film and book are produced simultaneously, each profiting from the publicity of the other. In any case, Hollywood’s insatiable appetite for stories has provided a new market for the storyteller’s art.


INDEX OF SLIDES

SCRIPT

Time: 17 Minutes

VOICE A:(1) “Listen, I got hold of this weird APE

story from Pierre Boulle called from “Plant of the Apes”Planet of the Apes. I think we film stillmay be able to do somethingwith it.”

VOICE B:“Man, what can you do with asci-fi about apes? We could nevertrain enough monkeys to make itlook real.”

VOICE A:(2) “Come on, think a minute. We MAKEUP FOR APE COSTUME

can do it with makeup—it’ll look from “Planet of the Apes”real enough. . .” publicity still

VOICE B:(3) “Yeah, and then maybe give ‘em a SUPPLICATING HUMAN

star like Charleton Heston to be from “Planet of the Apes”the good-guy caught by the apes film still. . . It might just work!”

VOICE A:(4) “Look, we may have big box- REACHING OUT

office here, and then we come from “Planet of the Apes”back with “Conquest of the Planet film stillof the Apes,” “Return to the Planet of the Apes,”

VOICE B:(5) “Beneath the Planet of the Apes,” APE SOLDIER

from “Planet of the Apes”film still

VOICE A:“Winter on the Planet of the Apes,”


VOICE B:“Love on the Planet of the Apes,”

VOICE A:(6) “Frankenstein on the Planet of TO BATTLE

the Apes,” from “Planet of the Apes”film still

VOICE B:“Romeo and Juliet meet Planet ofthe Apes,”

VOICE A:“Wolfman’s Daughter Meets thePlanet of the Apes,”

VOICE B:“The Ten Commandments Meetthe Planet of the Apes,”

VOICE A:“Making Movies on the Planet ofthe Apes. . .”

TITLE:FICTION INTO FILM:LITERATURE GOES TO THEMOVIES, PART II

MALE NARRATOR:(7) With few exceptions, what we see FILMING A FILM

on the silver screen is determined publicity stillby the many factors convergingon that famous bottom line—profit.

(8) Commercial considerations not “HIGH SIERRA”only affect the choice of literary publicity postersources adapted to film butwhat happens to them as well.

(9) Sometimes the sources are com- OPENING OF “GONE WITH THE WIND”pletely eclipsed and the film takes Wide World Photos, Inc.on a life of its own. Determining photographthe ingredients for a commercialsuccess is a very complex problem.


READER:(10) “There was a land of Cavaliers SCARLETT AT TARA

and Cotton Fields called the Old from “Gone with the Wind”South. . . Look for it only in film stillbooks, for it is no more than adream remembered, a Civilizationgone with the wind.”

FEMALE NARRATOR:(11) When Margaret Mitchell’s novel RHETT AND SCARLETT DANCING

Gone with the Wind was first from “Gone with the Wind”published in 1936, it became a film stillrunaway best seller. This was astory with drama and romance; it had great public appeal.

(12) It also had appeal for David O. DAVID O . SELZNICKSelznick, a Hollywood producer Wide World Photos, Inc.often inclined to make movies photographbased on novels.

(13) Aside from the basic cinematic STARS FROM MOVIEnature of the story, Selznick from “Gone with the Wind”recognized that the characters in film stillsthe book offered dynamic starringroles. And as word was releasedthat he had acquired the filmrights, thousands of letters pouredinto the studio

(14) demanding that Clark Gable be CLARK GABLE AS RHETT BUTLERgiven the lead role of Rhett Butler. from “Gone with the Wind”But this presented a problem: film stillGable was under contract to adifferent studio. A public mandateof such magnitude, however, required special steps.

(15) The resulting financial manipula- RHETT AND SCARLETT ON tions and studio deals freed Gable HONEYMOOMfor the role with the restriction from “Gone with the Wind”that the film could not be released film stillfor two years. The studio then hadto keep public interest alive in a project that was to be delayed.


(16) Out of this need grew a nation- I’M SCARLETTwide publicity campaign, involving Compixa search for an unknown to play photographScarlett O’Hara. Women every-where followed studio talentscouts, proclaiming they were theperfect Scarlett.

(17) As it turned out, English actress VIVIEN LEIGH AS SCARLETTVivien Leigh finally won the role, from “Gone with the Wind”but wasn’t chosen until after the film stillshooting of the film had actually begun.

(18) Despite cast and production “GONE WITH THE WIND”problems—no fewer than five writers publicity posterand four directors left their markon the finished product—“Gonewith the Wind” emerged as one ofHollywood’s all-time commercialsuccesses. The combination of castand story was irresistible.

MALE NARRATOR:(19) Literature can go to the movies in “THE SECRET LIFE OF

ways other than via the best-seller WALTER MITTY”list. A source is often chosen as a publicity posterstar vehicle—it has the potentialto show off the talents of a particularcelebrity. Such was the casewith Danny Kaye in “The SecretLife of Walter Mitty.”

(20) This full-length film was based on MITTY ALARMEDa short-story by James Thurber. from “The Secret Life of WalterAlthough some purists might argue Mitty”that the movie is more Danny film stillKaye than James Thurber, the result is a comic tour de force— as well as a commercial success.

(21) Both the story and film focus on MITTY DAYDREAMINGWalter Mitty’s imaginary escapes from “The Secret Life of Walterfrom a world in which women rule Mitty”his life. Thurber’s story portrays film stillMitty as a henpecked husband. but


Hollywood’s Mitty gets the girl of his dreams at the end of themovie. . .

(22) so his mother becomes the chief MITTY AND MOTHERoffender, with an added sprinkling from “The Secret Life of Walterof fiancée and mother-in-law-to-be. Mitty”

film still

(23) While retaining Thurber’s original SURGEON MITTYdescriptions of Mitty as a steel from “The Secret Life of Walternerved surgeon. Mitty”

film still

(24) and very British RAF pilot, PILOT MITTYfrom “The Secret Life of WalterMitty”film still

(25) new fantasies were created by the DESIGNER MITTYscreenwriters to display Kaye’s from “The Secret Life of Waltercomedic and musical talents. Mitty”

film still

(26) In the movie, Mitty is a proofreader MITTY AT WORKfor a chain of romance and thriller from “The Secret Life of Waltermagazines. His daydreams soon Mitty”merge with reality, and he becomes film stillinvolved in a real-life spy story—

(27) complete with plots against his MITTY AND SPYlife and even a heroine in distress. from “The Secret Life of WalterNone of these plot devices appeared Mitty”in the original story, but contribute film stillto make “Walter Mitty” an interesting example of film adaptation.

FEMALE NARRATOR:(28) Aside from star vehicles and best CREATING MONSTERS

sellers, filmmakers may go to a publicity posterpopular genre, or type of literature,for an original source. . . themonster story, for example. One ofthe most successful films of thiskind was based on a very obscureshort story.


RECORDING:(29) “’King Kong’. . . KING KONG

The horror picture of all times. film still

(30) “’Don’t let him get me!’ FEAR OF KONGA beautiful girl torn from the arms from “King Kong”of her lover by a jungle beast. film still‘King Kong’. . .

(31) “See a battle between prehistoric KONG IN BATTLEmonsters on an island time forgot. from “King Kong”

film still

(32) “See the nightmare jungle creature KONG ON EMPIRE STATE BUILDINGfrom the primeval past stalking from “King Kong”midnight streets. film still‘My baby, it’s got my baby.’

(33) “The jungle epic that can never be “KING KONG”duplicated. See RKO’s original poster‘King Kong’. . .‘King Kong’. . .‘King Kong’. . .

FEMALE NARRATOR:(34) If a particular monster is popular “MIGHTY JOE YOUNG”

enough, like King Kong, movie- publicity postermakers will do spinoffs where othermovies are made to cash in on the same character or character-type.“Kong” inspired “Mighty JoeYoung” and “Son of Kong,”among others.

(35) Frankenstein is a classic example “YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN”of a literary source that has inspired publicity postermany spinoffs. Films based on theoriginal Mary Shelly novel, writtenin 1817, include such diverse titlesas “Young Frankenstein,”


(36) “The Bride of Frankenstein,” “The “THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN”Son of Frankenstein” and even film still“Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’sDaughter.”

(37) The more Frankensteins the merrier YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN ON STAGEwhen it comes to box-office from “Young Frankenstein”success-- film still

(38) even if the films have almost nothing FRANKENSTEINSto do with Mary Shelley’s original film stillsthriller.

(39) The murder-mystery-who-dun-it is SHERLOCK HOLMESanother popular type of fiction film stillthat has made its way into moviedom.The suspense and action elements have wide audience appeal.

(40) As Alfred Hitchcock wrote: WOMAN SCREAMINGfrom “Psycho”

HITCHCOCK: film still“I have to create ‘suspense.’ With-out it people would be disappointed.The audience screams and cannot bear the agony in some of my films.

(41) “That gives me great pleasure; I am CREEPING UP THE STAIRSinterested less in stories than in the from “Suspicion”manner of telling them.” film still

FEMALE NARRATOR:(42) Perhaps the most popular single POIROT AND TRAIN

author of murder mysteries in our from “Murder on the Orient Express”time is Agatha Christie. It is not film stillsurprising that many of her workshave served as the basis for screenadaptations, including Murder onthe Orient Express.

(43) Christie’s story features a familiar HERCULE POIROTcharacter in her fiction, the world- from “Murder on the Orient Express”renowned Belgian detective, film stillHercule Poirot.


POIROT:“’What is it you wish me to dofor you, Monsieur—er—Ratchett?”

RATCHETT:(44) “’Mr. Poirot, I have an enemy. . . POIROT AND RATCHETT

My life has been threatened. For from “Murder on the Orient Express”my money, I feel you’re the man film stillto help me—and I mean big money.’

POIROT:‘I regret, Monsieur, that I cannotoblige you.’

RATCHETT:‘What’s wrong with my proposition’

POIROT:(45) “’If you will forgive me for being POIROT WALKS AWAY

personal—I do not like your face, from “Murder on the Orient Express”Monsieur Ratchett.’” film still

FEMALE NARRATOR:Poirot refuses to help and in duetime the would-be client actuallyis murdered.

(46) This scene is an interesting example POIROT QUESTIONS SUSPECTSof how to achieve box-office success. from “Murder on the Orient Express”Each of the twelve suspects questioned film stillby Poirot is played by a recognized international star—and all are given ample opportunity to demonstrate theirtalents.

MALE NARRATOR:(47) The series approach to literature BOND WALKING

is also popular, and particularly from “Diamonds are Forever”adaptable to the screen. James film stillBond, created in the novels of IanFleming, enjoyed a commercialpopularity almost unsurpassed byother fiction heroes.


(48) These movies made visual an STRUGGLING WITH FOEextraordinary secret agent who from “Diamonds Are Forever”was everything the ordinary film stillperson wasn’t.: an invinciblehero, unafraid of danger,

(49) capable of subduing any foe, BOND WITH GIRLfrom “The Man with the Golden Gun”film still

(50) and always lucky in love. BOND GETS THE GIRLSfrom “Her Majesty’s Secret Service”film still

(51) James Bond’s popularity even THE DIFFERENT FACES OFsurvived the change of the principal JAMES BONDactor who played the role. Audiences film stillscontinued to identify with Agent 007no matter what he looked like.

(52) The western has been a long-standing GOOD-GUYS AND BAD-GUYSfavorite of Hollywood movies—the film still“good guys” and the “bad-guys”are a major component of Americanfolklore.

(53) And literally hundreds of films FILMING A WESTERNfrom both the silent and sound film stilleras were based on the writings ofZane Gray.

(54) For example, Riders of the Purple TOM MIX AND GIRLSage, originally published in 1912, from “Riders of the Purple Sage”served as the literary source for film stilltwo silent films and one talkie. Although the Tom Mix version of1925 looks a bit funny today, itstill manages to evoke a feeling ofthe Old West.

(55) In George Stevens’ film of Jack “SHANE”Schaefer’s novel, Shane, the audience publicity posteris presented with an entire array oftraditional western genre elements.


(56) a bad-guy, BAD-GUYfrom “Shane”film still

(57) a mysterious gunfighter “good- HOMESTEADING FAMILYguy,” who arrives just in time to from “Shane”help a needy homesteading family, film still

(58) and the eventual triumph of right. TRIUMPHBut what made this film remarkable from “Shane”was the choice of locale. The film stillmasterful use of color and on-location photography in Wyomingcombined to make a commercialsuccess as well as an Academy-Award winner.

FEMALE NARRATOR:(59) Musicals comprise another specific DANCING

type of popular Hollywood film from “Oliver!”and provide great family entertain- film stillment. They offer fun and escape,as well as a tune to tap to.

(60) The Academy-Award-winning FAGIN’S GANGmovie “Oliver!,” though based on from “Oliver!”a Broadway hit-musical, owes its film stillmain story line to the Dickens’classic, Oliver Twist.

(61) The film preserves Dickens’ plot PARADEstructure, but lost in the pursuit from “Oliver!”of extravagant production numbers film stilland show stoppers is Dickens’ concern for the underprivileged massesof nineteenth-century England.

READER:(62) “They walked on through the most LONDON SCENE

crowded and densely inhabited by Gustave Dore (Fr.) (1832-83)part of the town; and then, striking engravingdown a narrow street more dirtyand miserable than any (other), paused to look for the house which


was the object of their search.

(63) THROUGH THE SLUMSfrom “Oliver!”film still

(64) “The houses on either side were BLUE GATE FIELDShigh and large, but very old, and by Gustave Dore (Fr.)(1832-83)tenanted by people of the poorest engravingclass: as their neglected appearancewould have sufficiently denoted,without the . . . testimony affordedby the squalid looks of the fewmen and women who occasionallyskulked along.

(65) DANCING IN STREETSfrom “Oliver!”film still

(66) “A great many of the tenements HOUNDSDITCHhad shop-fronts; but they were By Gustave Dore (Fr.)(1832-83)fast closed, and mouldering away; engravingonly the upper rooms beinginhabited. . . The very rats, whichhere and there lay putrefying inits rottenness, were hideous withfamine.”

FEMALE NARRATOR:(67) Although the added pageantry and DANCING WITH FAGIN

diversity of film effects appeals to from “Oliver!”the public, the film adaptation may film stillsacrifice much of the original intentof the source material.

MALE NARRATOR:(68) Books have traditionally served as ASSORTED MOVIES

a source for movies. But today, film stillsmany popular novelists are redefining the relationship offiction and film, writing, perhapsintentionally, with a film sale inmind. Even before some novels arepublished, film companies bargainfor the right to adapt that book into


a movie.

(69) This new attitude has led to a form LOVE STORYof collaboration between the movie film still and book coverand publishing worlds known as the “tie-in.” One form of tie-in is the“novelization” of a screenplay, awork conceived and written formovies. One of the first of thesewas Love Story, by Erich Segal.

(70) Segal originally developed the TOGETHERmaterial for the screen—and then from “Love Story”turned it into a book. The novel film stillwas released before the film andboth were enormously successful.

(71) Another kind of novelization is a THE STINGbook written during or after a film book coveris in production, which is thenpublished when the film is released.The book and film work together—each gaining profit from the other’scommercial appeal.

(72) The coordination of book covers STEPFORD WIVESwith film stills is also a tie-in. After book coverthe movie comes out, publishingcompanies will put a new cover ona book already in circulation andre-release it.

(73) And just as often the new cover DEATH WISHis the publicity poster for the film book cover

(74) One example of a movie with two TRYNG TO ESCAPEbook tie-ins is “The Towering from “The Towering Inferno”Inferno.” Two movie companies film stillpaid for different books about thesame kind of disaster: one wascalled The Tower and the other,The Glass Inferno.

(75) The companies eventually joined THE TOWER/THE GLASS INFERNOforces and co-produced a film book coverswhich combined elements of both


books. The soft-cover editions ofthe books were then changed toindicate that the film was based inpart on each.

(76) To even further assure commercial PAUL NEWMAN/STEVE McQUEENsuccess, the film companies signed from “The Towering Inferno”Paul Newman and Steve McQueen film stillfor leading roles.

(77) The film medium can be intended KING AND QUEENas high art, from “MacBeth”

film still

(78) or as a conscious attempt to make ESCAPEmoney. Clearly though, no literary from “The Man with the Golden Gun”source is safe from screen adaption. film stillAnd if Hollywood keeps makingbooks into movies at the currentrate, this may be next.

(79) DICTIONARYbook cover

(80) “In the beginning, was the word.” THE WORDby Lauren Freudmannphotograph

THE END

*SEE GLOSSARY ON NEXT PAGE.


GLOSSARY

animation. The arrangement of static drawings or objects so that, when photographed, they produce the illusion of movement.

background music. Subdued music accompanying speech, dialogue, sound effects or other recorded music.

camera angle. Angle of view subtended at the lens by the portion of the subject included within the picture area: designation “high angle,” “medium angle” or “low angle”; also “wide angle.”

close-up (CU). Shot taken with the camera very close to subject, revealing a detail only, e.g., the head of a person.

crosscut. An editing method used to create parallel time and space, the juxtaposition of which permits the viewer to be in two or more times and places at once.

cut. 1 (noun) The instant there occurs the joining of two shots for narrative, descriptive or expository purposes. 2 (verb) To trim length of shots; to terminate a shot as the end of a camera operation.

dissolve. Gradual merging of the end of one shot into the beginning of the next, produced by the superimposition of a fade-out onto a fade-in of equal length.

edit. 1 (noun) A cut, the juxtaposition of two shots. 2 (verb) to assemble a complete film from its various component shots and sound tracks.

extreme close-up (XCU). Shot taken with the camera extremely close to the subject, revealing a minute detail, e.g., an eye of a person.

fade-in. Beginning of a shot that starts in darkness and gradually lightens to full brightness.

fade-out. Opposite of fade-in.

flashback. Sequence in a film that takes the action of the story into the past.

frame. A single composition within a shot wherein space has been sharpened, and motion is implied or present.

long shot (LS). Shot covering a setting or landscape or large interior.

medium shot (MS). In general, a shot taken with the camera nearer the subject than


for a long shot, but not so near as for a close-up.

montage. A type of accelerated time. A quick-cut assembly and/or superimposition of shots or sounds made to convey an impression, e.g., the passing of time.

pan. To rotate the camera horizontally in taking a shot from a fixed position.


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