Lydecker brothers

Infobox_Person
name = Howard Lydecker
residence =
other_names = "Babe"


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birth_date = 8 June 1911
birth_place = Havana, Cuba
death_date = 26 September 1969
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death_cause = Cerebral hemorrhage
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occupation = Special Effects
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employer = Republic Pictures
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Howard and Theodore Lydecker, always known - and billed - as such, were Howard "Babe" Lydecker (8 June 1911-26 September 1969) and Theodore Lydecker (7 November 1908-25 May 1990), a special effects team primarily working as contract staff members of Republic Pictures. They are best remembered as the producers and photographers of some of the best miniature effects of their time.

They both worked at Republic from its creation in 1935 until the company could no longer afford to maintain full-time contract players and behind-the-camera artists in the middle 1950s, after which they went freelance and found themselves in significant demand for both film and television work. Their miniature effects made Republic serials the best for visual effects, far outstripping their competitors at Universal (where special effects maestro John P. Fulton, ASC was forbidden from working on serials) and Columbia Pictures. Their success came from building large, detailed models and filming them in natural light, often in forced perspective to create realistic impressions that they were in fact life-size in relation to other objects and people in a shot, instead of the small models used by others, and the use of slow motion to give the models the appearance of realistic weight when in motion. [ [http://www.vttbots.com/page20.html Howard & Theodore Lydecker: Miniature Effects Geniuses] , retrieved 10/04/07] For instance, in "The Adventures of Captain Marvel", the visuals of Captain Marvel flying appear to be an actual man in flight, not a matted or superimposed image.

They were nominated for an Best Visual Effects Oscar in 1941 for "Women in War" and Howard was nominated again in 1943 for "Flying Tigers".

Later they worked in feature films and Irwin Allen productions such as "Lost in Space" and "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea". In 1966 Howard won the Emmy for "Individual Achievement In Cinematography" with L. B. Abbott for "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea". [ [http://3rd.en.vicdir.com/award-1108.htm Emmy Awards Individual Achievements In Cinematography] , retrieved 10/04/07]

Infobox_Person
name = Theodore Lydecker
residence =
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birth_date = 7 November 1908
birth_place = Englewood, New Jersey USA
death_date = 25 May 1990
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occupation = Special Effects
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employer = Republic Pictures
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Partial filmography

*"Darkest Africa" (1936)
*"Women in War" (1940) "- Oscar nominated"
*"Adventures of Captain Marvel" (1941)
*"Flying Tigers" (1942) "- Oscar nominated"
*"" (1953)
*"Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (1964-1968) "- Emmy winner"

ee also

*Lydecker House

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0527964|name=Howard Lydecker
*imdb name|id=0527966|name=Theodore Lydecker
* [http://www.imdb.com/JointVentures Internet Movie Database Joint Ventures Search]
* [http://www.vttbots.com/page20.html Howard & Theodore Lydecker: Miniature Effects Geniuses]