TC #104 - Dan Callahan (The Heiress)

The Cinephiliacs

Perhaps in danger of becoming a new cliché for the show, Peter remains fascinated by actors: what is this business they do and how do they do it, especially those stars that littered the studios in Hollywood's Golden Age? Answering that question is film and theatre critic Dan Callahan, who has gone in depth on many of those actors. His new book, The Art of American Screen Acting, explores the Classical Hollywood style of performance through twenty essays on Hollywood's best and brightest. Peter asks about the genesis of the book as well as various technical aspects remarked upon, as well as on Dan's other two totems on Barbara Stanwyck and Vanessa Redgrave. Finally, the two look at the site of a true clash in William Wyler's The Heiress, where four titans of Hollywood—all with different styles—produce one of the most confounding and wondrous mixtures of screen performance one could possibly imagine.

0:00-2:48 Opening4:27-12:56 Establishing Shots — Old Masters, Digital Tricks13:42-1:05:00 Deep Focus — Dan Callahan1:05:41-1:10:01 Sponsorship Section1:11:23-1:31:48 Double Exposure — The Heiress (William Wyler)1:31:53-1:34:27 Close / Outtake