Thursday, February 22, 2018

It's All a Mystery to Me!

I'm rather enamored by this still from The Mystery of Mr. X (1934).  Obviously, the main subject matter, Mr. Montgomery, is of particular interest to me, but the use of shadows is also eye-catching.  Note there are two shadows of Mr. X.  An open door is apparently the source of the brightest lit patch on the wall, producing the darker shadow primarily on the curtain.  A second shadow appears on the far right of the photo, from another light source behind Bob and to our left.  Now,  the true mystery to me is why, with all the lighting in the room, does Mr. X need a flashlight to see the safe? 


Now having a bright light directly on Bob's face, that makes perfect sense.  I mean, we're all looking at Bob anyway, right ladies?  So of course we want a clear view of that great profile!  Just love the nifty hat with the tux. 


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