More Details

Summary:

LIGHT RHYTHMS is part of the film retrospective UNSEEN CINEMA that explores long-forgotten American experimental cinema. Bute used Melville Webber's experience ("Fall of the House of Usher", "Lot in Sodom") with making cardboard models and with photographing in soft-focus and through prisms to produce multiple refractions and reflections. In addition, she used cellophane, ping-pong balls, sparklers, eggbeaters, and bracelets to create a work that, while pushing toward abstraction, does not completely leave the objective world behind. -R. BRUCE ELDER By 1934, Mary Ellen Bute was purposefully engaged in making abstract films and by 1954 was exploring electronic imagery. Trained in painting and stage lighting, she continued theoretical studies with mathematician Joseph Schillinger and musician Leon Theremin. Her early collaborators in film were Schillinger, Lewis Jacobs and Melville Webber, but it was with cameraman Ted Nemeth that she realized an ongoing series of short "seeing-sound" films. She also filmed in 1966 a feature-length version of James Joyce's "Finnegan's Wake". -BRUCE POSNER Before filming Mary Ellen Bute's short abstract films (1931-53), Ted Nemeth learned his craft creating special effects for feature film "trailers." As head of his own New York studio, founded in 1940 (the year Bute and he were married), he made documentaries, commercials, and short subjects, two of which were Academy Award nominees. -ARAM BOYAJIAN. Melville Webber pursued parallel careers in art history, archeology, poetry, art, and motion pictures. He is primarily known for collaborating on films with Watson, but he also assisted Mary Ellen Bute with "Rhythm in Light" (1934). Soon after, his fortunes shifted, and he suffered a nervous breakdown from which he never recovered. -BRUCE POSNER Alternate title: "Anitra's Dance". 35mm 1.37:1 black and white sound 5 minutes. Music: Edvard Grieg.

Contributors:

Webber, Melville , director

Bute, Mary Ellen , director

Nemeth, Ted, 1911-1986 , director

Language Notes:

Silent with music.

Subjects:

Motion pictures — United States

Experimental films — United States

Motion pictures

Experimental films

United States

Genres:

Abstract films

Silent films

Short films

Experimental films

Online media

Internet videos

Production Credits:

Music: Edvard Grieg.

General Notes:

"Music and abstraction".
Title from resource description page (viewed June 08, 2020).
Streaming media.
Restricted to the University of North Texas System.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (1 video file (6 mins.))

Digital Characteristics:

video file

Call Numbers:

Online Video

OCLC Numbers:

1191033441

Other Control Numbers:

99264932900971 (source: VaAlASP)
5053275 (source: VaAlASP)
[Unknown Type]: ASP5053275/avon