MovieChat Forums > The Valley of Decision Discussion > Greer Garson's blurry close-ups

Greer Garson's blurry close-ups

posted 17 years ago by Bklyn4ever
9 replies | jump to latest

I wondered what was used to create the blurry or foggy quality of Ms. Garson's close-ups in this movie. It was very noticeable that there was some sort of "vaseline lens" and I surmised it was to cover for signs of her age—at 41 she probably had a few lines, but she was playing a romantic lead alongside Gregory Peck (looking heavenly) in his twenties.
Does anyone know how this effect was achieved or have any anecdotes about the age difference in this movie?

[–] jeh041 17 years ago

I noticed Garsons face too. It's the result of a deliberate camera technique called "soft focus". It's done all the time in films and for TV news creatures of a certain age whose faces would look a bit too rough with a conventional sharp focus. It's easy to create - just set the camera to focus in front of the subject.

[–] Bklyn4ever 17 years ago

Thanks--I guess the "vaseline lens" is just an expression. You're right--I have noticed Barbara Walters gets a similar treatment sometimes.

[–] bill3-1 15 years ago

I don't think the soft focus was used to hide any detail of age in Miss Garson's face, its used more as an effect to make her appear softer more beautiful and gentle like, it's a stupid effect which I'm glad they don't use any more. It was way over used in this, the director was retarded for doing it so frequently.

[–] Harold_Robbins 14 years ago

It was used on Joan Crawford starting in the early 1950s, and on Lucille Ball as early as THE FACTS OF LIFE (1960) and CRITIC'S CHOICE (1963), long before the critics kvetched about its use in Ball's last film, MAME (1974).

"Remind me to tell you about the time I looked into the heart of an artichoke."

[–] TomInSanFrancisco 12 years ago

The use of it on Lucille Ball in "Mame" was the worst I've seen -- that time, I think they DID use Vaseline on the lens!

[–] schappe1 14 years ago

People wanted their movies dreamy and romantic. Too much of that then, perhaps, but not enough of it now.

[–] bwalright 14 years ago

It is still used today & with tv commercials 100% of the time there is a female ( with no age limits, even on 20 year olds! ) Ohhhh, the illusion of the media!

[–] aquaprincess 14 years ago

The filter was also used on the 4 stars of Sex and the City most definetly in the 2nd movie, perhaps also in the first. The girls were aging, most notably Kim Cattral as Samantha and without the filter it may have distracted people from the characters. I have to say though I just caught The Valley of Decision on Turner Classic Movies yesterday and I didn't notice the filter at all. I adore Greer Garson as well :)

Don't be ridiculous! Jack would never die without telling me

[–] cpoet 11 years ago

Elizabeth Taylor got the soft focus treatment for her "White Diamonds" perfume commercial. (She steps out from behind a screen and approaches a poker table. She removes a diamond earring and offers it to one of the players, saying "These have always brought me luck.") Saturday Night Live made a spoof of that commercial where the Elizabeth Taylor figure was a blurry smear.

I'm a Taylor fan and I hate the emphasis on youthful beauty in Hollywood, but that spoof was hysterical.