Just My Type

Let’s Go To The Movies

By Mary Ellen

A recent newspaper article listing the ten must-see movies of the 2021-2022 holiday season reminded me of the many films I’ve seen in my life. That article also prompted thoughts of how the craft of movie making has changed over the years.

A compelling narrative and engaging plot are still paramount to a successful motion picture. Characters with complicated back stories while dealing with love, major life changes, personal losses, and sometimes the end of the world will also keep your eyes riveted to the silver screen. And although those basic story requirements still drive a plot along, special effects such as computer-generated images (CGI) bring unbelievable fantasy civilizations, magical scenes, and supernatural creatures to life. But when did the use of special effects in movies begin?

The earliest known special effects sequence was in the short film, The Execution of Mary Stuart in 1895. Produced by Thomas Edison and directed by Alfred Clarke, the re-enactment is only 18 seconds long and the first to use editing as a special effect to simulate the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots.

One of my favorite holiday movies is Babes in Toyland (1934) aka March of the Wooden Soldiers. As a child I knew the bogeymen in their full-body hairy costumes weren’t real, but even without special effects creating that image, their screaming, snarling faces scared me just the same. What makes this film so unforgettable for me is the last four minutes. Thanks to stop-motion animation, the giant toy soldiers make a dramatic entrance and march triumphantly out of the toy factory to rescue Toyland from evil Silas Barnaby and the dreaded bogeymen.

What about the early horror flicks like Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi, and The Wolf Man (1941) starring Lon Chaney Jr.? Count Dracula transforms into a nocturnal creature off camera with special effects of the day limited to fog, lighting, and large flexible rubber bats suspended by wire. Larry Talbot also turns into The Wolfman off camera, but special effects were employed in his final death scene when he morphed from werewolf back to human form.

As technology became more sophisticated, so did the art of producing extraordinary images on screen. Another personal favorite of mine is “the parting of the Red Sea” in The Ten Commandments (1956). Too complicated to describe the process here in a few sentences, that impressive sequence took six months to create and is considered the most difficult special effect ever performed up to that time and thought by many to be one of the greatest special effects ever created. Rear projection and blue screen methods were also used in scenes throughout the epic biblical drama. John P. Fulton won a Best Photographic Effects Academy Award for his work on the film.

On the other hand, I recently saw the original 1951 version of Angels in the Outfield starring Paul Douglas as the grumpy, potty-mouthed baseball team manager, and Janet Leigh as a newspaper reporter. What makes this movie stand out? No special effects portrayed the ballplaying cherubs. So how did you know there were angels in the outfield? The looks on the actor’s faces alone told you they saw those heavenly beings. My favorite moment was when a single white feather floated to the ground from a celestial wing, indicating angels were present and playing baseball. Brilliant!

There’s no denying that computer-generated images have changed the craft of movie-making and bringing stories to life, such as the Harry Potter series, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Jurassic Park, just to name a few. The list could go on and on, but you get the picture, no pun intended.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that we love movies no matter how they’re made or how we view them. And although we get a little help from our friendly codewriting special effect technicians, one thing remains the same. There must be a story that hooks you and keeps you interested with characters you care about that hopefully live happily ever after.