The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra

The Life and Death of 9413:
a Hollywood Extra
Directed by Robert Florey
Slavko Vorkapich
Produced by Robert Florey
Written by Robert Florey
Slavko Vorkapich
Starring Jules Raucourt
George Voya
Robert Florey
Adriane Marsh
Release dates
 June 17, 1928
Running time
 11 min.
Country United States
Language Silent
English intertitles
Budget $97

The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra (1928) is an American short silent experimental film.

Plot

The film tells the story of a man who comes to Hollywood to become a star, only to fail and be dehumanized. He is identified by the number 9413 written on his forehead, after which he dies and goes to Heaven, where the number is removed.

Production background

The film was written by Robert Florey, and directed by Florey and Slavko Vorkapich, and photographed by Gregg Toland, later famed for his cinematography on films such as Citizen Kane (1941) and The Grapes of Wrath (1939). The film stars George Voya, Adriane Marsh, and Jules Raucourt.

In 1997, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The film has been restored and released on two DVD collections Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant Garde Film 1894-1941 and Avant-Garde: Experimental Cinema of the 1920s and 1930s.

A score for the film was commissioned by the BFI from composer David Sawer and first performed by the Matrix Ensemble, conducted by Robert Ziegler. The work, called 'Hollywood Extra' is scored for 8 players, and published by Universal Edition.

The film was shown in Leeds Film Festival in November 2008, as part of Back to the Electric Palace, with live music by Larry Goves, performed in partnership with Opera North.

Low expenditure

According to Florey. the total expenditure made for the production was $97 as follows:

This low cost was possible due to the use of set made using toys and cardboard buildings. Most of the filming was indoors, primarily on the DeVry motion picture camera, but also on a Mitchell Camera provided by Gregg Toland, who had access through his work as an assistant on larger productions. Lighting was primarily provided by a single 400W bulb: originally two were supposed to be used, but one burnt out, which might have lead to the side-lit look of many scenes.

The actors Jules Raucort and Voya George did not get immediate payment for their work. They were supposed to be compensated with benefits which might accrue later. The role of heroine was played by Adriane Marsh an 'extra girl'.

See also

External links