How High is your Mitchell? Cranes and Booms

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Feel free to discuss any topic related to the Mitchell Camera. Both 35 mm and 16 mm models are welcomed here. Also consider posting topics of other major motion picture cameras that you feel are important to the development of the Mitchell Camera. Feel free to upload a photo from the option on each new post.
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mr. pebbles jacksonville

How High is your Mitchell? Cranes and Booms

Post by mr. pebbles jacksonville » Wed Sep 10, 2014 3:18 pm

Wonderful web site and lots of interesting stuff here. A guy could waste some time if he wasn't careful. I kid, I kid. But seriously folks - I love to see a Hollywood camera high on a big crane and there are some very famous ones out there with lots of history.

I'm talking the cranes that shot all the famous stars and big budget movies. The ones that had the kind of sweeping down from the sky to ground level shots that you identify the entire move with. They made you think. how did they do that? Obviously, in this day and age it is commonplace but in the 30's, 40's and 50's - it was special.

I will try to find some photos of those big budget movie crane shots. But I was hoping that some of you already had some to share?

In the meantime, my submission is this meager shot of a "I dream of Jeannie" crane on it's way to the shoot. That BNC looks pretty high up to me.

pebbles
Attachments
idream of jeannie mitchell.jpg

mgmhobby@att.net

Re: How High is your Mitchell? Cranes and Booms

Post by mgmhobby@att.net » Wed Sep 10, 2014 4:09 pm

Ah, you mean like this?

mgmhobby
Attachments
RKO-crane-mitchell.jpg

samsonwillerd

Re: How High is your Mitchell? Cranes and Booms

Post by samsonwillerd » Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:55 am

I'll play. I saw this one from a desert shoot but I too would love to see one of those giant sound stage cranes they used in the 30's and 40's.

Samson
Attachments
desert-mitchell-and-crane.jpg

sully in ny

Re: How High is your Mitchell? Cranes and Booms

Post by sully in ny » Mon Sep 15, 2014 11:10 am

hey, good shots . wondering what the rules are for this message ? it says how high is your mitchell ? mine is all the way down on the crane , is this one OK ? so my photo's answer would be 2 feet . also , did you see the broadway crane over in another message , now that is one big crane !

see ya,
sully
Attachments
crane mitchell.jpg
answer is 2 feet .

marop
Posts: 125
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:45 pm

Re: How High is your Mitchell? Cranes and Booms

Post by marop » Tue Sep 16, 2014 11:00 am

Here is one of those vintage huge monster cranes; Josef Von Sternberg on the set of The Scarlet Empress. This relates to another thread on Mitchell camera serial numbers by chance.

Mark
Attachments
Von Sternberg on Crane.jpg
Director Josef von Sternberg on the set of The Scarlet Empress

mr. pebbles jacksonville

Re: How High is your Mitchell? Cranes and Booms

Post by mr. pebbles jacksonville » Tue Sep 16, 2014 11:31 am

Now that sir is a CRANE. Looks good Mark, I don't suppose that is Mitchell number 341? That is just a wild guess on my part.

Mark: you seem to have the best photos of Mitchells in action. Enlarges well to boot. Mr. actioncamera in another thread most be envious. However, we appreciate his shots as well. So everybody - keep on sharing!

pebbles

marop
Posts: 125
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:45 pm

Re: How High is your Mitchell? Cranes and Booms

Post by marop » Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:18 pm

Hello, yes, that is a Mitchell Standard inside the blimp. The number is the serial number of the camera, which was sold to Paramount in 1931. Paramount studios would do that. Other studios generally assigned another number. I assume they would number their cameras with their own inventory number and then just use that on the blimp belonging to that particular camera. There is a close up shot, apparently taken at the same time period. That shot is in the other thread I previously mentioned. Mark

Neil Lipes
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2013 3:30 pm

Re: How High is your Mitchell? Cranes and Booms

Post by Neil Lipes » Sat Oct 18, 2014 2:19 pm

sully in ny wrote:hey, good shots . wondering what the rules are for this message ? it says how high is your mitchell ? mine is all the way down on the crane , is this one OK ? so my photo's answer would be 2 feet . also , did you see the broadway crane over in another message , now that is one big crane !

see ya,
sully
Sully the sin/tragedy of the Universal Broadway crane is that in the end it layed rotting on the U back lot, and later I believe was reduced to scrap........that crane cost Universal over $50,000.00 to construct in 1928/9..........the same crane today would cost over 600K to build!

Stay tuned more rare shots from Broadway the crane and backlot soon!!

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