Re: Edward Weston Film/Video
upton/jones (yoko@exo.com)
Sat, 02 Aug 1997 12:57:25 -0700
James Luciana wrote:
>
> At 02:08 PM 8/2/97 +0100, you wrote:
> >Hi Folks Although not strictly a matter photo alt i wonder if some
> >knowledgable person on this list would know of the wereabouts of a film
> >made in 1947 on the photographer Edward Weston it showed him atwork in
> >the field and in his darkroom all information gratefully received.
> >--
> >Dennis Klinker
> >
> Dennis,
>
> I have a vague memony of this film (or one like it) and believe it was
> called "The Naked Eye," although I'm not 100% positive. I tried to find it
> recently to show to a few classes but had no luck. I found it during the
> early 70's through BOCES in NYS and would be interested in using it again -
> so if you do locate it please either post it to the list or email to me off
> list.
>
> Thanks,
>
> James
My recollection of the 1947 Weston film is that the title was "The
Photographer" and it was made by Willard Van Dyke for the State Dept.
The intention of the State Dept. was to make a propaganda film about the
life of a "typical American Artist". Fortunately the propaganda message
is less important than the content of the film. I used to show this
film to my students in the 1960s and early 70s. At the time it was
available through the Santa Ana (CA) Public Library.
The Naked Eye was a film by Clyde Louis Stoumen about several
photographers including Weston. Stoumen borrowed footage from the Van
Dyke film. One of the more interesting sequences in Stoumen's film is a
sequence about Weegee.
Both of these films are important contributions to the history of
photography. I hope that someone on this list would know if they are
available.
John Upton