Oral Histories

Interview of Lee Garmes

Cinematographer.
Subtitle:
Filming of “Duel in the Sun”: Recollections of Ray Rennahan, Lee Garmes, and King Vidor
Series:
Oral History of the Motion Picture in America
Topic:
Film and Television
Biographical Note:
Cinematographer.
Interviewer:
Ursini, James
Interviewee:
Garmes, Lee
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
Language:
English
Copyright:
Interviewee Retained Copyright
Series Statement:
These interviews with prominent individuals in the motion picture industry were completed under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Film Institute to the UCLA Department of Theater Arts. The project was directed by Howard Suber, UCLA Department of Theater Arts. The UCLA Oral History Program provided technical advice but was not involved in respondent selection, research participation, research preparation, interviewing, editing, or transcript preparation.
Abstract:
Lee Garmes: Role of Technicolor director of photography; use of three-color process making film in Egypt on life of King Farouk; Selznick's liking for lighting effects and result in Duel; comparison of three-strip Technicolor and present technology; filming of Duel and World War II end simultaneously; William Dieterle as director of Duel after Vidor's departure; break between Vidor and Selznick; Selznick's perfectionism; Menzie's work on Duel; Otto Brower and Reeves "Breezy" Eason; work with Josef von Sternberg on Shanghai Express; Vidor and Selznick's suggestions about Duel; Jones, Gish, and Barrymore; double printing by Slifer and Cosgrov; effect of color red in certain scenes; working with Selznick and Vidor.