Note: This is an encore post, Mary’s first from 2011!
Mary says: For Thelma Todd, 802 is the production number for FOLLOW THRU. The 154 could be a scene code; usually that’s after a dash following the main number. Paramount used a numbering system, which sometimes can be confusing, because there were East and West Coast branches through the early 1930s and they used the same codes.
Regular Daily Mirror readers will recognize author and photo archivist Mary Mallory as a key member of the Brain Trust. She’s agreed to contribute items and here’s her debut post. Thanks, Mary!
I thought I’d start with a little history as to production numbers and still codes and explain why Larry has to hide them in the movie star mystery photo postings. Studios and production companies shot production and publicity photographs from early on as both reference for that and future productions and to help promote the films.
These photographs were called stills for a reason: the actors would pose after finishing a scene and remain motionless for several seconds while photographers using 8×10 negatives took aim. Most of the very first stillsmen were cinematographers, who would take production photos after finishing a scene. Almost none received or took credit.
