Gary Oldman and Laura Dern crank projector inside Professor Rinaudo’s Itinerant Show tent at the 90th Academy Awards. (Click on photo for hi-rez version.)
and his Amazing Hand-Cranked
MOVING PICTURE MACHINE
present an Itinerant Tent Show at the
90TH OSCARS
March 4, 2018
Sunday was Hollywood’s biggest night at the 90th annual Academy Awards, and just after the last Oscar was handed out the crowd of Hollywood’s elite made their way to the Academy’s official party, the Governor’s Ball. Being the 90th anniversary of the Oscars, the theme of this year’s ball was the history of filmmaking and on display were many relics such as props from old movies, Oscar statuettes from years past, and even cameras and equipment used by such geniuses of the cinema as Cecil. B. DeMille and Orson Welles.
By special request of the Academy President, one more relic was added to the Governor’s Ball…a living, breathing relic of cinema in the form of the Great Professor Rinaudo and his Amazing Hand-Cranked Moving Picture Machine. A special Silent Movie Tent was constructed as a throw-back to the earliest days of movie making before there were movie theaters when the itinerant projectionist would bring his tent-show to your town and entertain you with the magic of the movies.
Professor Joe Rinaudo was assisted by his able assistant Gary Gibson working the magic lantern along with accompanist Robert Israel playing the piano. Much of Hollywood’s finest made their way through the Professor’s tent including the likes of Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Bradley Whitford (who appeared in two of this year’s films nominated for best picture, Get Out and The Post), Oscar winner for best Cinematography Roger Deakins (Blade Runner 2049), Supporting Actor nominee Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water), and director Guillermo Del Toro clutching an Oscar in each hand for The Shape of Water (one for Best Director and the other for Best Picture).
The Silent Movie Tent became an interactive demonstration as those attending the ball were invited to crank the projector themselves. The first to take the helm from Professor Rinaudo was actress Laura Dern who seemed apprehensive at first, but after some friendly badgering from her friends was having the time of her life cranking and laughing as she made the movies come alive on the silver screen. Ms. Dern was followed by a succession of producers, directors, and cinematographers all excited to play their part in a recreation of the dawn of cinema.
The highlight of the evening came when Gary Oldman, fresh from his Best Actor win for his brilliant portrayal of Winston Churchill in the movie Darkest Hour, came into the tent, took a look at the projector and shouted JOE!!! Mr. Oldman is acquainted with the Professor’s exploits as he is in pre-production of a movie he plans to direct about the earliest days of the moving image. Clutching his Oscar in one hand, and the projector crank in the other, Mr. Oldman cranked the projector and laughed in amazement as he took his turn in that magic moment when the image hits the screen and comes to life.
The final guests into the tent were Academy President John Bailey and his lovely wife Carol, and their guests. Mr. Bailey’s visit was the grand finale to a wonderful evening of fun and education in the way movies were presented in the earliest days of filmmaking. As his wife was cranking the projector, Bailey turned to the Professor and said with a smile “I think the Academy should have more hand-cranked presentations, and as president I can make that happen.”
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“PROFESSOR RINAUDO” as silent cinema aficionados call him, has been my friend for fifty years, since junior high school. Back then Joe Rinaudo was collecting 16mm silent films and would put on shows for his friends.