Black Narcissus
Director of Photography on Black Narcissus (GB 1947/Dir. Powell & Pressburger)
Deborah Kerr as Sister Clodagh.
JC: "This mountain here is just a 3-ply cut-out; there was no modelling possible. The only thing to do was painting on it, and it was a very ordinary sort of painting so it's effective because it's supposed to be the dawn light which comes on it - and it looked all right as it happened".
"We thought we were going to India, but at the first general meeting were informed that the whole film was to be made in the studios in England. We all wondered how on earth we were going to get the beautiful atmosphere of India in a studio. At first the painted backing didn't look real enough and we had to use photographic backings. The colour backings were very expensive so we decided to have black and white backings and I suggested we coloured them by rubbing in pastel chalk - blue on the mountains and ochre in the foreground etc. This was very effective".
"The film itself had luke warm reviews, although the photography was generously mentioned, and it was the same in America - Not a big success as a film but the stunning beauty of the Himalayas, the bright sunlight, the constant gentle breeze, the oatmeal white of the nuns' habits greatly helped the photography".
Oscar for Cinematography by Jack Cardiff
