THE GOLDEN AGE

Classic pictures of those who paved the way!

This one is probably from mid thirties. At that time Studios produced almost all the Movie making equipment "in house" this crane is a great example of that. When I started working at the majors I remember seeing some of these old cranes lying disused in seldom visited areas of the lots. I once got to use one! It was on location in Hawaii were a guy had bought an old one from Paramount or Fox, took it off its original "studio" base and mounted it on a "ten ton" truck. It was quite a contraption. Balance was achieved by using 50 pound "US Navy" ship ballast bars! The brakes were had operated buy turning a large "ships wheel" on the side and you had to level the entire truck by hand!

This is a great picture and shows some of the Crazy places we go and put cameras! Often we come home to wives and girlfriends and they ask "what did you do at work today?" how do you really explain this?

When I started in the Biz our rate cards often had a term "Blue Goose operator" and his rate. Most of us had no idea what that was well this is one of them. The Blue Goose was one of half a dozen or so Studio built cranes. This one is being used on a picture in the late 60's as far as I know. I never saw one in person Chapman cranes had replaced them all as the tool of choice by then.

Another Universal backlot picture featuring a "Lot" crane. This one built on a modified WWII milatary jeep! Uni had seveal of these jeep set up to carry "ARC" lights too.

This is somewhere at the beach but judgeing from coast curving around in the distance and the rocks in the water it just might be the Malibo / Paridise cove area will still shoot in today. Check out the clothes worn by the "grip" working the shiney boards! Nowdays this would be a 2 day rig with platforms, chairs, ez ups, heaters, chase boats, motor homes, hot coffe, sandwichs and more! but the "grip" would still be in the water, cold as hell being told to "hold that thing steady"