Rain (1932)

[David Mullen ASC]

I was looking at a review of a new blu-ray of this old movie and wanted to point out the lighting by Oliver T. Marsh, ASC. Some people think that old movies all had hard lighting but the truth is that soft lighting -- with soft lenses and/or diffusion -- was in vogue in the late 1920s and 30s despite the slow-speed of stocks. It was part of what was considered glamour back then, but it also has the effect of feeling more modern sometimes because of small rooms being lit softly.  Poor Marsh (brother of actress Mae Marsh) died in 1941 at the age of 49.