Argentine VFX Matte and miniatures
The matte painting technique was known in Argentine as “pintura completiva”. It is very difficult to establish when or who started to use matte and glass painting techniques in Argentine. From what I know, it was used very often during the 40´S.
The first name associated with matte painting photography working in Argentine was Oren “Bob” Roberts. Born in California U.S.A, brother of Irmin Roberts, he started to work at Paramount Studios around 1921 as an FX cinematographer. He moved to Buenos Aires around 1935 and remained there for the rest of his career until the middle 50´S.
Another pioneer was Ralph Pappier born in 1914, in Shanghai, China. In 1936 he moved to Bueno Aires, where he developed a career as an art director and director. Making use of his artistic skills, he was responsible for the special effects in most of his films. He used very often glass painting shots in films like Madame Bovary (1947) or La Guerra Gaucha (1942)
Working very often with Pappier was cinematographer Americo Hoss. Born in 1914 in Budapest, Hungary, was a prolific cinematographer. He moved to Argentine around 1935 and started his career at San Miguel Studios in Buenos Aires where he worked as special effects cinematographer, especially collaborating with Ralph Pappier and art director Gori Muñoz.
1942 – La guerra Gaucha
Director: Lucas Demare / Cinematographer: Bob Roberts /Production Designer and matte paintings: Ralph Pappier
Pappier painted several cloudy skies for that war-epic film.
The landscape on the upper part, over the cannon was painted on glass.
1943 – Cuando florezca el naranjo
Director: Alberto de Zavalía/ Director of photography: Antonio U. Merayo / Production Designer and matte paintings: Ralph Pappier / Special effects photography: Bob Roberts
The last image may be a miniature.
1944 - Cuando la primavera se equivoca
Director: Mario Soffici/ Cinematography: Francis Boeniger/ Production Designer and matte paintings: Ralph Pappier/ Matte photography: Bob Roberts
The last two images I suspect are a foreground miniature for the ceiling.
1944 – Su mejor alumno
Director: Lucas Demare/ Cinematography and matte photography: Bob Roberts/ Production Designer and matte paintings: Ralph Pappier
1947 – Madame Bovary
Director: Carlos Schlieper/ Cinematography: Bob Roberts/ Production Designer and matte paintings: Ralph Pappier/ Matte photography: Americo Hoss
Three matte paintings by Pappier and Hoss.
1947 - Lucrecia Borgia
Director: Luis Bayón Herrera/ Cinematography: Roque Funes/ Production Design: Juan Manuel Concado/ Art Director: Carlos T. Dowling
The film starts with a huge model miniature of St. Peter´s Square in Vatican city.
Uncredited matte paintings for ceilings completing sets.
Some other samples of uncredited matte paintings in Argentine films:
Two ceiling paintings made for the film “La casta Susana” (1944)
For the film “La dama duende” (1945) they used a matte painting or a foreground miniature to complete the set with a ceiling. My guess is the second option.
Two uncredited matte paintings for ” Allá en el setenta y tantos” (1945)
Uncredited matte painting for “El hermoso Brummell” (1951) the art director was Gori Muñoz and the cinematography by Americo Hoss.
