The collection of Paramount Pictures set stills that is being offered in this auction is an extraordinary historical archive from the late 1920s to the early 1970s. Sets stills were taken for continuity purposes and to document the arrangements of the sets and props, etc, during the making of a film. Not only does this collection photographically document the changes in filmmaking through the decades, it details the changing styles of architecture, interior design (the Art Deco sets from the 1930s are astonishingly beautiful), fashion, cars, and more. In the cases of location shooting, one can see the evolution of various southern California towns and landmarks, from the tony nightspots of Hollywood to the open spaces of Brentwood to the artistry of the Paramount Ranch. The photos give a unique behind-the-scenes look at the stars during filming; some vamp for the camera while others avoid it, some study their scripts or confer with the director, and some look incredibly bored. Equally interesting is the appearance of the stars' lookalike stand-ins and famous extras such as Bess Flowers. The unsung heroes of filmmaking, the crews, are seen as well, holding the booms, adjusting the lights, holding the clapper boards, and waiting, waiting, waiting. And speaking of unsung heroes, the talent, imagination, style, and creativity of the art directors and set decorators for these films cannot be overstated. Most of the fashion designers of the 1930s and '40s, such as Edith Head, are recognized for their contributions, as well they should be; however, the set decorators and art directors are grossly overlooked. Masters of their profession such as Hans Dreier, Robert Usher, William Flannery, Hal Pereira, Ernst Fegte, Sam Comer, Walter H. Tyler, A. Earl Hedrick, and so many others, deserve their place in the sun, and hopefully, the future owners of these historic photographs will appreciate their artistry.
Aloma of the South Seas is a 1941 American romantic adventure drama film directed by Alfred Santell and starring Dorothy Lamour and Jon Hall. The film was shot in Technicolor and distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Aloma of the South Seas is based on the 1925 Broadway play of the same name by LeRoy Clemens and John B. Hymer. It is a remake of the 1926 silent film of the same name.[2] Lamour and Hall were the reigning darlings of south sea island adventures of this era having starred in John Ford's The Hurricane. Aloma of the South Seas fits into the romance adventure canon of which Lamour and Hall excelled at
Cast
Dorothy Lamour as Aloma
Jon Hall as Tanoa
Lynne Overman as Corky
Phillip Reed as Revo
Katherine DeMille as Kari
Fritz Leiber as High Priest
Dona Drake as Nea
Esther Dale as Tarusa
Pedro de Cordoba as Raaiti
John Barclay as Ikali
Norma Gene Nelson as Aloma as a child
Evelyn Del Rio as Nea, as a child
Scotty Beckett as Tanoa as a child
William Roy as Revo as a child
Noble Johnson as Moukali