Artist Unknown, Busby Berkeley,’s “By A Waterfall” Scene, Computer Graphics, “Footlight Parade” Film Gifs
Lyricist Irving Kahal and composer Sammy Fair had a sixteen year collaboration which started in 1926 and lasted until Kahal’s death in 1942. Among their many notable songs was the 1933 “By a Waterfall”, written for Warner Brothers Picture’s “Footlight Parade”, the third film in the 1933 Gold Diggers Trilogy. The vocal performances were done by actor-singer Dick Powell and actress-singer Ruby Keeler.
Directed by Lloyd Bacon and presenting great cinematography by George Barnes, “Footlight Parade” contained opulent musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley whose routines contributed to the film’s success. Berkeley’s extravagant arrangement features his trademark human waterfall with its synchroniised water ballet of diving and swimming chorus girls, who produce elaborate, geometric patterns in the water.
One entire sound stage was filled with a twelve by twenty-four meter swimming pool with walls and floor made of glass. Two weeks were required for the one hundred chorus girls to practice their routines in it before shooting began. The six days of actual filming for the waterfall scene required that twenty thousand gallons of water per minute be pumped across the set to produce the required effects.
Besides the placement and movement of the dancers, the cameras also had to be positioned to film the entire scope of the choreography. Berkeley set his cameras in motion on monorails and custom-built booms to get the correct angle of shot. Since Berkeley was not hampered by the need to shoot multiple images at once for continuity, he was able to expand his creative potential by fluid camera motion and the use of intricate editing, creating fantasy out of the movement..
Wowee Zowee. I wondered how in the world they did such way back when.
Warner Brothers spent quite a bit of money to produce the three ‘Gold Digger’ movies. There was the cost of all the sets, salaries for the huge construction and technical crews and supporting actors, plus the stars were paid well. This, of course, happened after the stock market crash of 1929 and during the Great Depression when money was tight. The studios still made a substantial profit. Lots of effort put into the film by the studio plus these films were popular,;theater films becoming a top entertainment with the decline of vaudeville acts. No television as yet. By the way, thanks for all your ‘likes’; glad you enjoy the site. Chas
I read your comment on my article of Busby Berkeley’s Waterfall scene. I believe there is a mistranslation error in your comment. I rechecked my research and the article is correct. The entire production time for the film was 3 months, not three years, from June to September in 1933 with the premiere held on September 30th of that year. The waterfall scene took six days of shooting to complete; that does not include all the rehearsal time and equipment set up. No where in the article does the words “three years” appear. Please continue your visits to my site. I do welcome comments. My best to you- Chas (Ultrawolvesunderthefullmoon)