Tonight, Arte is broadcasting the classic “Life is Beautiful” by Frank Capra, but did you know that the film revolutionized the way of making snow in the cinema?
This evening Arte is broadcasting La Vie est belle by Frank Capra, with James Stewart and Donna Reed, one of the most popular Christmas films of all time, as evidenced by its spectator rating on AlloCiné, 4.3 out of 5 on average and nominated for 5 Oscars in 1947.
The story is that of George Bailey (Stewart) who has dedicated his life to helping others, but following a bad patch, considers ending his life. His family's prayers go up to heaven from where an angel comes down to help him see more clearly in his life. A film of hope whose action takes place at Christmas, which poses a problem for director Frank Capra.
Will there be snow… in July?!
RKO James Stewart
Coincidentally with the calendars, the filming of La Vie est belle takes place in the middle of summer in Los Angeles while the film must take place partly under snow and flakes. We will have to make snow, but how?
Before Life is Beautiful, the snow in the cinema is simply made of cereals painted white that are dropped from a height to simulate flakes. Sometimes even cereals are replaced by asbestos or cotton. Except that in all cases, a problem arises during filming: these false flakes, whether cotton or cereal, make noise when falling, in addition to falling like stones without fluttering in the wind like the real flakes.
RKO
As stated in the book Turner Classic Movies: Christmas in the Movies by Jeremy Arnold (quoted by EW), for Life is Beautiful, “Capra wants to be able to record dialogue live and in close-up while the snow is falling, and more generally, needs a lot of snow.”
For what ? Because as Arnold writes: “It not only conveys the joyful atmosphere of New Year's Eve, it is also the rebirth of the character. It indicates to the viewer that George is back in the real world. He has returned from this alternate reality; the snow begins to fall and we let's understand it right away. It's a very soft, purifying snow.”
A revolutionary invention
RKO
Capra therefore offers the services of Russell Shearman, head of the special effects department at RKO, the studio which is preparing Life is Beautiful. He told him of his desire to film the dialogue AND the falling snow, and Shearman invented a mixture of the foam found in fire extinguishers, soap, sugar and water. Expelled from cans at high pressure and gently diffused onto the set using a silent fan, this produces the fine snow that we see falling in the wind on screen in the film.
This invention will prove revolutionary, and taken up by all of Hollywood at the time. After Life is Beautiful, the snow of American cinema will never be the same again.
Shearman had been awarded an Oscar for Best Visual Effects for The Picture of Jennie released a year before Life is Beautiful, and died tragically at the age of 48, electrified on the set of Operation Sharks (1956) while he was repairing the one of the devices in the film.
