There were only two nominations for black and white photography that year - Anna and the King of Siam, Arthur C Miller - which won - and The Green Years, George Folsey. Not this?? Who was it who called it 'deep space'? Mark Cousins? Andre Bazin? Walter Murch?
I hear he used wide 24mm lenses to help get that deep space. But notice in the booth scene between Andrews and March - March's background is pure black.
May I repeat last time:
The way Teresa Wright tenderly dries Dana Andrews' face. When Frederic March is drunkenly dancing with Myrna Loy there's a sudden, brilliant moment when he looks like he doesn't recognise her. The way Gregg Toland's camera very elegantly moves in the ladies' scene to find a more intimate mirror shot with focus on Teresa Wright learning what Andrews's wife Virginia Mayo is really like. (I could make a short film just about this scene. Are there two camera moves? It's very subtle. There's an intriguing use of mirrors throughout, e.g. when Wright comes in to parent's bedroom you think she's there but in fact it's her reflection that's just walked in.) When March confronts Andrews in the booth at Butch's and tells him he can't see Wright any more, the length of time the camera just rests on Andrews' face, such a long linger, while he's furiously thinking - Dana Andrews' finest moment on film. And the way he tears the foursome photo in half, so it's just he and Wright, but then tears that up as well (a perfect show don't tell). And throughout it all, that emotive, brave, proud score by Hugo Friedhofer (one of its seven Oscars).
Poor old Homer - his family just needed to be really open about it all, especially his little sister - who I'm sure would have adapted to it all quickly as young people can do.
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