Green Dolphin Street

I’ve covered many MGM films in this blog over the past couple of years, with this picture one I’ve been meaning to pay tribute to for some time. A grand production, based on the best selling novel, MGM’s lavish 1947 costume drama of romantic entanglements among 19th Century pioneers in wild New Zealand, GREEN DOLPHIN STREET proved to be a bona fide field day for the Metro visual effects department.

I first saw this film on TV in the seventies – back when NZ Network TV used to always show classic movies uninterrupted on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Those were the days….long gone sadly. Even as a budding effects fan then I was very impressed with the visuals on show here, though as this was pre-VCR there was no way to capture those wonders for repeat inspection. It’s long overdue arrival on DVD is most welcome.

The scenario provided the MGM boys a great many opportunities to strut their stuff up on screen – from period matte paintings of 19th century townships and a haunting, forboding mountain top convent – through to a spectacular earthquake and tidal wave which wrecks havoc in pioneer era New Zealand. Interestingly, none of it was actually shot down here, with most of the NZ scenes having a distinctly Californian look – right down to the obviously inaccurate native bush, and the local Maori tribes being clearly played by Hollywood extras in greasepaint – as was the tradition of the day…

…Read the Full Article @ Matte Shot

This blog is intended as a tribute to the ingenuity of the traditional matte painter where movie magic was created entirely by hand. Some of the shots will amaze in their grandeur and epic quality while others will surprise in their ‘invisibility’ to even the sophisticated viewer. I hope this collection will serve as an appreciation of the artform and both casual visitors and those with a specialist interest may benefit, enjoy and be amazed at skills largely unknown today

NZPete

I have gone further back into the archives of Matte Shot – A Tribute to Golden Era Special FX to feature even more articles from this great site, so  I hope you enjoy this wonderful journey we’re on together.

PJ Max