frills over onyx

Wow, does that ever look like fun!
This is a great title sequence-
graceful, curvilinear, flowery,
and completely unlike the design of the film itself.
Just like Fred and Ginger with their
graceful steps and her frilled gowns gliding
over the hard flat Art Deco sets.
Its a contrasting platform that serves to highlight the art of the dance
of the hands and of the feet.

Carefree (1938)
directed by Mark Sandrich
art direction by Van Nest Polglase

and now a little art nouveau

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
directed by Ken Hughes
art direction by Harry Pottle
production design by Ken Adam

Just so you know art deco is not the only thing on my mind.

cat and the canary

At first, this didn't seem much like the other Paul Leni films I'd seen.
Ya gotcha long hallway, with fluttering drapery....



...and the extreme angles, to enhance the sense of altered reality...
....and then...



...this lighting...



...shows up and knocks all the cliches right off the screen.

The Cat and the Canary (1927)
directed by Paul Leni
cinematography by Gilbert Warrenton
art direction by Charles D Hall