The Dynamic Frame: Camera Movement in Classical Hollywood

2.x8 Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

When the title character leaves his beloved small town, Gary Cooper performs the scene against a rear-projection screen. Although Deeds looks crisp in the foreground, the small-town crowd looks hazy on the always-imperfect rear screen. The effect is oddly expressive, enhancing our sense that Deeds’s move to the city is severing his connection to small-town life. Compare to 2.x7, which uses a travelling matte.

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