I came across this on YouTube, and it really gave me a jolt! The film is called SH! THE OCTOPUS, and had certainly been under my radar until yesterday. By all accounts it's decidedly run-of-the-mill fare for the time, but this sequence is just incredible! I imagine they used the same special effects/ makeup technique as in the Mamoulian DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE - removing different coloured filters from the lens in order to expose increasingly different tones of the actor's face. Whatever, I found this an absolute knockout, and scary, few seconds -
SH! THE OCTOPUS (1937) - AMAZING EFFECT - Please Enjoy!
Wow! That's a pretty impressive effect. Not sure I understand how it was accomplished, though.
I think it was that she had makeup already painted on her face, and they simply changed the quality of the light somehow. It's only really possible with B&W photography.
It really IS a startling effect, and makes you appreciate the ingenuity of pre-CGI effects all the more.
From what i gather from the comments they first used a red filter that disguised the red makeup, when they change to another color filter it becomes visible. Pretty cool! Now we need a couple more explosions in the background
That's fracking amazing and far more effective than any lame CGI transformation I see nowadays. Use the tools that work best, not the latest gee whiz tool of the day.
That's fracking amazing and far more effective than any lame CGI transformation I see nowadays. Use the tools that work best, not the latest gee whiz tool of the day.
This particular effect ONLY works in Black-and-White......though I suppose you could shoot it that way and then colorize it!
That's fracking amazing and far more effective than any lame CGI transformation I see nowadays. Use the tools that work best, not the latest gee whiz tool of the day.
This particular effect ONLY works in Black-and-White......though I suppose you could shoot it that way and then colorize it!
I understand that. I just meant studio's generally use CGI for everything when it's not always the best way to accomplish an effect.
I first read about the technique in Zicree's "Twilight Zone Companion." The first season episode "Long Live Walter Jameson" used the same clever effect.
. . . only in the first shot of the transformation, of course.
It's also seen in the first shot of this other transformation in the "Howling Man" episode.
What about the way the wig comes off and the teeth transform though?
The wig is a simple removal by the actor, the hair underneath has been carefully prepared to look awful. The teeth are simply painted like the face, subject to the filtration and the colored light applied.
The woman in question in SHHH! THE OCTOPUS is the wonderful Elspeth Dudgeon. She pulled off another "special effect" back in 1932 when she played 102 year-old SIR Roderick Femm! In fact, they actually billed her as "John" Dudgeon!
The woman in question in SHHH! THE OCTOPUS is the wonderful Elspeth Dudgeon. She pulled off another "special effect" back in 1932 when she played 102 year-old SIR Roderick Femm! In fact, they actually billed her as "John" Dudgeon!
Thanks for answering that question I had in the back of my mind when I saw this clip. I thought she looked familiar!
I remember the first time I saw THE OLD DARK HOUSE many, many years ago before I knew of her, I thought something was "off" about the character she played. (Linda Hunt was hardly the first to tackle this kind of characterization! Then there are also Jack Benny and Ray Bolger! )
I just meant studio's generally use CGI for everything when it's not always the best way to accomplish an effect. 
