During the ’30s and ’40s, Hollywood produced a genre of madcap comedies that emphasized reuniting the central couple after divorce or separation. And the female protagonists were strong, independent, and sophisticated. Here, Stanley Cavell examines seven of those classic movies for their cinematic techniques, and for such varied themes as feminism, liberty and interdependence. Included are Adam’s Rib, Bringing Up Baby, and The Philadelphia Story.
I teach several classes for the Stephens College Low-Residency MFA in Screenwriting, including History of Screenwriting. In fact, I created the curriculum for that course from scratch and customized it to this particular MFA in that it covers ‘Screenwriting’ (not directors) and even more specifically, the class has a female-centric focus. As part History of Screenwriting I, the first course in the four-class series, we focus on the early women screenwriters of the silent film era who male historians have, for the most part, quietly forgotten in their books. In this series, I share with you some of the screenwriters and films that should be part of any screenwriters education. I believe that in order to become a great screenwriter, you need to understand the deep history of screenwriting and the amazing people who created the career. — Dr. Rosanne Welch
“Filming just seven months after the New York subway system opened, cameraman Bitzer captures a unique tracking shot with lights provided by another train running on parallel tracks in tandem with the photographed train. The startling variations within a predetermined form make this work a fascinating predecessor of structural films.” —R. Bruce Elder
Title Interior N.Y. subway, 14th St. to 42nd St.
Other Title Interior New York subway, Fourteenth Street to Forty-second Street
Summary The camera platform was on the front of a New York subway train following another train on the same track. Lighting is provided by a specially constructed work car on a parallel track. At the time of filming, the subway was only seven months old, having opened on October 27, 1904. The ride begins at 14th Street (Union Square) following the route of today’s east side IRT, and ends at the old Grand Central Station, built by Cornelius Vanderbuilt in 1869. The Grand Central Station in use today was not completed until 1913.
Contributor Names Bitzer, G. W., 1872-1944, camera. American Mutoscope and Biograph Company. Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)
Created / Published United States : American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1905.
Subject Headings – Subways–New York (State)–New York – Transportation–New York (State)–New York – Local transit–New York (State)–New York – Subway stations–New York (State)–New York – Grand Central Terminal (New York, N.Y.)
Genre Short films Nonfiction films Actualities (Motion pictures)
Notes – H61570 U.S. Copyright Office – Copyright: American Mutoscope & Biograph Co.; 5June1905; H61570. – Duration: 3:37 (part 1) and 2:41 (part 2) at 15 fps. – Camera, G.W. “Billy” Bitzer. – Photographed May 21, 1905. Location: Interborough Subway, 14 St. to 42nd St., New York, N.Y. – Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as digital files. – Mavis 1810601; Interior N.Y. subway, 14th St. to 42nd St. – viewing print and dupe neg; Received: 1991 from LC lab; preservation; Paper Print Collection. – neg pic; Received: ca. 1989 from UCLA; preservation Paper Print Collection. – paper pos; Received: 1905-06-05; copyright deposit; Paper Print Collection.
Medium viewing print. 1 film reel of 1 (133 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm. dupe neg. 1 film reel of 1 (133 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm. neg pic. 1 film reel of 1 (133 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm. paper pos. 1 roll (133 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
Description The camera platform was on the front of a New York subway train following another train on the same track. Lighting is provided by a specially constructed work car on a parallel track. At the time of filming, the subway was only seven months old, having opened on October 27, 1904. The ride begins at 14th Street (Union Square) following the route of today’s east side IRT, and ends at the old Grand Central Station, built by Cornelius Vanderbuilt in 1869. The Grand Central Station in use today was not completed until 1913.
You Can Please Some of the People Some of the Time… None of the People All of the Time: A History of the Art of Adaptation in Movies like Dune, The Godfather, Harry Potter and More!
Dr. Rosanne Welch speaks on A History of the Art of Adaptation in Movies like Dune, The Godfather, Harry Potter and More! at the California State University, Fullerton Library
Part of the program series for Dune by Frank Herbert: A 50th Anniversary Celebration.
So, because of simply changing his age by a few years they totally tweaked how the book turned into a film and it failed, miserably. They were going to make all 5 films, but they only ended up making two. Which is really kind of amazing when you think about it because it came after Harry Potter. They had a lesson in how to do it properly and they ignored every single moment, which shocks me.
About this talk
Dr. Rosanne Welch (RTVF) speaks on the craft of history of film adaptations from the controversy of the silent film Birth of a Nation (protested by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1915) to Breakfast at Tiffany’s (to which author Truman Capote famously said, “The only thing left from the book is the title”) to The Godfather . Naturally, the behemoth in adaptation – Harry Potter (which depended on the relationship created by adapter Steve Kloves and author J.K. Rowling) will be discussed, as will the subject of this month’s celebration: Dune.
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm
About Dr. Rosanne Welch
Dr. Rosanne Welch is a professor in the Low Residency MFA in Screenwriting Program from Stephens College, California State University, Fullerton, Mount San Antonio Community College and Cal Poly Pomona. In 2007, she graduated with her Ph.D. in 20th Century U.S./Film History from Claremont Graduate University. She graduated with her M.A. in 20th Century United States History from California State University, Northridge in 2004.
Welch is also a television writer/producer with credits for Beverly Hills 90210 , CBS’s Emmy winning Picket Fences and Touched By An Angel . She also writes and hosts her own podcasts on 3rdPass.media, her first one titled “Mindful(I) Media with Dr. Rosanne Welch.”
In “Monstrous Monkee Mash” (written by Neil Nephew and David Panich, directed by James Frawley and edited by Pozen) when a frightened Micky piles chairs before the door to avoid the Wolfman, the film is sped up to highlight his fear and sense of panic. The creative team on The Monkees often used the frenetic personality of Micky’s character in this fashion as in “Alias Micky Dolenz” (edited by Stanley Frazen).
I teach several classes for the Stephens College Low-Residency MFA in Screenwriting, including History of Screenwriting. In fact, I created the curriculum for that course from scratch and customized it to this particular MFA in that it covers ‘Screenwriting’ (not directors) and even more specifically, the class has a female-centric focus. As part History of Screenwriting I, the first course in the four-class series, we focus on the early women screenwriters of the silent film era who male historians have, for the most part, quietly forgotten in their books. In this series, I share with you some of the screenwriters and films that should be part of any screenwriters education. I believe that in order to become a great screenwriter, you need to understand the deep history of screenwriting and the amazing people who created the career. — Dr. Rosanne Welch
From Raff & Gammon price list: Three Japanese ladies in the costumes of their country.
From Edison films catalog: A charming representation of The Mikado dance by three beautiful Japanese ladies in full costume. Very effective when colored. 45 feet. $6.75.
OTHER TITLES Title in Maguire & Gammon catalogue: Japanese dance
CREATED/PUBLISHED United States : Edison Manufacturing Co., [1894]
NOTES Copyright: no reg.
Performers: Sarashe Sisters.
Camera, William Heise.
Filmed ca. October-November 1894, in Edison’s Black Maria studio.
SUBJECTS Dance–United States. Dancers–United States. Japanese–United States. Dance Musical
RELATED NAMES Dickson, W. K.-L. (William Kennedy-Laurie), 1860-1935, production. Heise, William, camera. Sarashe Sisters, performers. Thomas A. Edison, Inc. AFI/Holt (H.L.) Collection (Library of Congress)
You never know when you’ll stumble on a piece of popular culture proof that The Monkees were an entrenched part of the 1960s – and a bonafide world-wide phenomenon of that time. I thought I had found quite a few of them in my research for the book – from the then newest moment on the first season of Grace and Frankie (where Frankie admits she once hung out with Micky) to the couple of Simpsons show references – to the now ubiquitous “I’m a Believer” ending of Shrek (no matter who sings it, that is always a Monkees song).
But watching reruns of the long-running BBC detective series Lewis unearthed a new one I had missed. This moment I’m posting came in Season 3, Episode 3, titled “The Point of Vanishing” in 2009 between characters at a high class Oxford cocktail party. The character properly credits the writer of “I’m a Believer” as Neil Diamond (in my other, non-Monkees-fan life I do teach screenwriting so I’m always pleased to see writers credited) so he does not call it a Monkees song – but we all know that it IS a Monkees song being referenced in this high-end program (it did air in the U.S. on PBS’s Mystery.
To achieve this amount of material to use in the editing bay, directors would have to manage 78 to 100 camera set ups a day, an unheard of number in an era when 30 set ups were considered a long day. They would also have to be free enough creatively to show the audience the metaphorical wizard behind the curtain.
Blondie, the Monkees and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: these were Andy Murray’s musical touchstones as a child. As he explained on Friday, “My mum used to drive us a lot to and from tournaments that were five, six hours away, and singing was one way of keeping us amused.”
![More Percy Jackson from A History of the Art of Adaptation [Video] (0:25)](https://rosannewelch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/adapt-44-more-percy-jackson.jpeg)
