Clifton Arizona Oliver Risdon photo c.1910-2008
by David Lee Guss
Title
Clifton Arizona Oliver Risdon photo c.1910-2008
Artist
David Lee Guss
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
This is Clifton (Morenci's sister city), Arizona's main street in circa 1910, about the time of future artist Ettore (later called Ted) DeGrazia's birth in Morenci on June 14, 1909 to an Italian immigrant father and (as so he claimed) an Apache mother.
Oliver Risdon is the photographer. The film he used was not fast enough to freeze a frame of a a person running. The extreme depth of field (foreground and background in focus) would indicate it was a longish shutter speed with the camera on a tripod on an elevated platform of some sort, perhaps a buggy or wagon.
The Royal movie theater in the background is still standing but is shuttered. Films shown in 1910 would be short one or two reelers; !0/12 to 20 minutes in length.
D.W. Griffith (1875-1948) entered films in 1908.
In 1914 he made (without a script or even notes) the three hours long "The Birth of a Nation" which ushered in the era of colossal film palaces.
"When it opened in New York City, ticket prices were $2.00 each, which was considered astronomical at the time. In today's currency, accounting for inflation, that would be about $17 - $20. One million people saw the film within a year after its release."
"Future directors John Ford, Raoul Walsh, Elmer Clifton, Joseph Henabery, Karl Brown and Donald Crisp worked on this film as actors and/or crew members. Erich von Stroheim is also credited by some sources - including von Stroheim himself - with being an actor and/or assistant director on this film, but records show that the first time von Stroheim worked for D.W. Griffith was on 'Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages' (1916), which wasn't shot until more than a year after this film."
From 1908 to 1931 Griffith directed 535 films. But his late Victorian world view became increasingly dated in the "Roaring Twenties."
Ted DeGrazia, in turn, would be involved in the making of several film/videos, especially in the 1970's.
He became good friends with fellow motion picture actors Iron Eyes Cody, Broderick Crawford and Lee Marvin and ace cinematographer Lee Garmes.
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December 26th, 2013
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