chapter 160 part 1
Chapter 159: Classic Transformation
By Yue Shang Xintou on 2023-05-02
"So dizzy."
"How did it do that!"
"OMG..."
On the big screen, the scene began to rotate from Mickey and Pluto's perspective.
Many audience members felt a bit dizzy, followed by exclamations.
The multiplane camera was a brand-new animation photography technique pioneered by Disney.
By rotating the frames one by one, it created an illusion of visual movement, giving the filmed scenes a "naked-eye 3D" viewing effect.
Of course, achieving this was no easy feat.
Walt Disney had spent nearly a week producing this short shot, just under five or six seconds long.
However, judging by the results, the short film filmed with the multiplane camera technique was clearly more vibrant, creating an immersive illusion.
It was precisely through this attempt in the short film "Superman and Mickey" that Disney would later apply this technique more proficiently in "Snow White," including the princess's nightmarish dash through the forest and the queen's transformation scene after drinking the poison, both visual effects crafted with this new technology.
"Woof, woof, woof..."
"Oh, Pluto!"
Amidst a dizzying whirl of images, the big screen plunged into darkness.
Then Pluto's voice sounded. Mickey opened his eyes and first saw Pluto circling him. Following Mickey's gaze, the bustling cityscape of Metropolis was revealed to the cinema audience. As the camera pulled back, the film's shot quickly zoomed out from Mickey's perspective to an overhead view of Metropolis.
The storyboarding for this sequence was completed by Colin.
Including the scene design for Metropolis, it was all created during his previous trip to Los Angeles, aiming to faithfully recreate the Metropolis scenes from the comics.
"It's Metropolis!"
"I see the Daily Planet building!"
"When is Superman going to appear?"
"Isn't this Superman's movie? Why are they still showing a mouse's story?"
Of course, in addition to the excitement of seeing the Metropolis scenes, many audience members also voiced complaints.
Disney at this time was still far from the household name it would become in later years; the Disney theme park had yet to even appear.
For many viewers who came to the cinema because of Superman, the initial Mickey storyline was completely confusing. They had no idea who the whistling mouse on the big screen was, nor why a mouse could speak while its pet dog couldn't.
With these questions, they continued to watch the short film playing on the screen.
Mickey: "Where is this, Pluto?"
Standing on the streets of Metropolis, Mickey dodged the passing automobiles, a look of bewilderment on his face.
Just then, a convertible sports car suddenly appeared, and a slender mouse driving a convertible sped past Mickey, honked its horn, and drove away with a mocking laugh.
"Mortimer."
Seeing this scene in the short film, a knowing smile appeared on Colin's face in the cinema.
Mortimer was the name Walt Disney had originally conceived for Mickey. Although he later chose the name Mickey at his wife's suggestion, he remained fond of Mortimer. Therefore, when creating the short film "Superman and Mickey," he was willing to spend extra time designing this annoying mouse character to appear as Mortimer.
This was perhaps a creator's little personal indulgence.
Colin had nothing to say about this; after all, Walt Disney himself was the one doing the hard work.
"What a jerk!"
Returning to the short film, Mickey muttered a complaint as he watched Mortimer drive away.
Pluto: "Woof, woof, woof!"
Just as he turned to say something, he suddenly heard Pluto's frantic barks.
Mickey: "What's wrong, Pluto?"
Hearing the sound, Mickey turned and saw Pluto barking incessantly at a building. Mickey followed his gaze upwards and saw thick smoke billowing from the building.
Mickey: "Oh no, it's on fire! Hurry and call the police!"
Seeing the burning building, Mickey's face immediately turned to one of panic and distress, his expression anxious as he tried to call for help.
As Mickey and Pluto panicked over the fire, the camera in the short film finally moved, shifting to a telephone booth.
"I know, Lois, I'll..."
Inside a red telephone booth, a bespectacled man was talking on the phone. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and paused.
"Sorry, Lois, something's come up here."
Saying this, the man hung up the phone.
His gaze shifted, and through his eyes, the distant fire scene and Mickey and Pluto's cries for help became visible and audible.
Upon seeing this, the man wasted no time. He immediately opened the telephone booth, tore open his shirt, revealing the prominent 'S' emblem on his chest.
"It's Superman?!"
"Superman is here!"
Witnessing this scene in the short film, the audience in the cinema let out long-awaited cheers.
And under their gaze, Superman, stepping out of the telephone booth, leaped into the air, striking his classic fist-clenched pose and soaring into the sky.
The telephone booth transformation scene was a design decision made after discussions between Colin and Walt Disney.
Walt Disney had always felt that Superman's entrance needed a special scene, and after consideration, Colin ultimately chose the classic telephone booth as the location for Superman's debut in the film.
In fact, this very scene of Superman's transformation influenced the development of Superman comics, animations, and films for decades to come, receiving countless homages in various forms.
The development of public telephone booths was not long. They were initially designed by Watson, an assistant to Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, with the earliest purpose of better isolating sound, as early telephone reception was not ideal. Another theory claims it was because their landlord couldn't stand their shouting during conversations.
While some telephone booths had appeared in London in recent years, it would still be some time before the classic red telephone booths became truly widespread.
Especially impacted by the Great Depression, the telecommunications industry was also struggling.
Interestingly, after the release of "Superman and Mickey," telephone booths strikingly similar to those in the short film suddenly appeared on the streets of New York.
The Bell Telephone Company officially stated that they drew inspiration from the film, directly naming them 'Superman Telephone Booths'.
Many viewers who had seen the movie even lined up specifically to get a glimpse of the telephone booths and experience what it felt like inside, just like Superman.