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The Linwood Dunn Project

An Investigation of Optical Effects at RKO

Clifford James Galiher, Author

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Linwood Dunn's RKO Effects Reel

Of the several 16mm reels of RKO effects clips that Linwood Dunn assembled in his career, this is the only extant, viewable reel I have been able to find.  Many of Dunn's excerpts are modified from the films in which they are employed, either appearing as demonstration footage of the separate elements used to construct the final shot, or as extended footage that was truncated for its use in the scene.  In instances where two versions are essentially the same, I am showing clips taken directly from the features; when Dunn's version differs from the feature version, I have included both (and bolded the clip I find of greater interest), in order to provide both a sense of how Dunn prioritized this material differently from the rest of the post-production apparatus, and to expose the often imperceptible techniques that went into the construction of these effects shots.

I must express my extreme gratitude to Professor Richard Jewell, without whose expert identification abilities my deductive workload woud have been too daunting to comprehend.



REEL POSITION EFFECT TYPE CLIP (DUNN) CLIP (FEATURE) FEATURE POSITION
0:07 Wipe Pan- Americana Pan- Americana 1:38:21
0:17 In-frame wipe;
Mirror reflection
Bamboo Blonde Bamboo Blonde 0:27:20
0:47 Wipe Mourning Becomes Electra Mourning Becomes Electra 2:23:13; 1:28:24
0:59 Wipe Variety Time Variety Time 0:46:54
1:10 Traveling wipe Bringing Up Baby Bringing Up Baby Unused
1:46 Traveling wipe Bringing Up Baby Bringing Up Baby 0:27:09
2:33 Traveling wipe Bringing Up Baby Bringing Up Baby 0:27:26
3:11 Traveling wipe Bringing Up Baby Bringing Up Baby 1:33:51
3:29 Rear projection Bringing Up Baby Bringing Up Baby 1:11:55
3:54 Rear projection
Bringing Up Baby Bringing Up Baby 0:28:28; unused
4:42 Rear projection Son of Kong Son of Kong 0:38:47
5:21 Process weather effect;
Rear projection
???
(stormy shore)
???  
5:59 Rear projection ???
(castle or cathedral)
???  
6:26 Process weather effect;
Matte composite
The Bride Walks Out The Bride Walks Out 0:40:11;
0:41:00
6:45 Rear projection Sea Devils Sea Devils 0:53:24
6:58 Optical pan;
Invisible wipes
Once Upon a Honeymoon Once Upon a Honeymoon 1:46:25
7:45 Matte composite Follow the Fleet Follow the Fleet 0:01:22
8:08 Matte composite She She 0:17:34
8:22 Optical zoom;
Matte composite
Johnny Angel Johnny Angel 0:06:42
8:48 Optical zoom;
Matte composite
Flight for Freedom Flight for Freedom 1:13:21
9:06 Rear projection;
Matte composite
Mr. and Mrs. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Smith 1:11:12
9:29 Optical zoom;
Matte composite
Anne of Windy Poplars Anne of Windy Poplars 0:07:47
9:52 Optical zoom;
Matte composite
They Met in Argentina They Met in Argentina 0:19:38
10:31 Optical zoom;
Matte composite
Around the World Around the World 1:19:03
10:52 Jump cut;
Matte composite
???
(beheadings)
???  
11:05 Optical pan;
Matte composite;
[rear projection]
Citizen Kane Citizen Kane 0:49:21
11:34 Optical pan;
Matte composite
Citizen Kane Citizen Kane 0:17:16
11:54 Optical pan;
Invisible wipes
Citizen Kane Citizen Kane 1:16:49
12:34 [invisible wipe] Holiday Affair Holiday Affair 1:26:02;
1:26:42
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