Need help getting info about old 3-D movies
02-23-06, 11:04 AM
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Need help getting info about old 3-D movies
I am in the process of formulating a paper for a class and I am hoping to look into some aspect of genre and space regarding 3-D films. Does anyone know of any good articles or books or maybe any supplements on any DVDs that talk about 3-D in regards to history, presentation, etc? Thank you all-
02-23-06, 11:41 AM
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02-23-06, 12:52 PM
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3-D Movies: A History of the Stereoscopic Cinema by R.M Hayes is in print and is a good reference. There are errors in the book, but for the most part the info is accurate.
Amazing 3-D by Hal Morgan and Dan Symmes is OOP but is also a great reference.
See www.3dfilmfest.com
There is a lot of WRONG info on the net (and elsewhere) about 3-D movies, so check your facts carefully. For example, on the HONDO DVD commentary and featurette, they incorrectly state the film didn't get a wide 3-D release, when in fact it did; it was most widely seen in the 3D version.
The biggest misconception is that the 3-D movies in the 1950's used the poor red/blue anaglyph format. THIS IS FALSE. Every single one of them were originally screened using the clear, polarized glasses, usually with seperate left and right eye prints shown with interlocked projectors. This was the case for both color and black and white 3-D movies, though most of them were shot in color.
A few of the older (usually B/W) 3-D films were later downconverted to the inferior but simple red/blue anaglyph format for re-issue, 16mm rentals, 8mm digests and even TV showings but those versions are nothing at all like the original polarized versions. For example, CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON is often revived in anaglyph but those prints do not represent what the film looked like originally.
Polarized, clear glasses 3-D has always been the traditional way to release
3-D movies from 1952 to date. There were 51 3-D movies made in the US alone between 1952-55. You'll find that back then, they were not low budget exploitation films as a rule but a good mixture of westerns, dramas, action films, horror and even musicals.
See if you can find some newspaper archives from Summer 1953 and check out the movie pages. You'll see some cool ads for 3-D movies.
Only a tiny handful of 3-D movies used the poor red/blue format, mostly 2-D films with short 3-D sequences or cheap porn flicks. THE MASK, FREDDY'S DEAD, SPY KIDS 3-D and SHARK BOY AND LAVA GIRL are the only major films to ever get a wide release in that form. 99% of all 3-D features ever were seen in polarized form.
Amazing 3-D by Hal Morgan and Dan Symmes is OOP but is also a great reference.
See www.3dfilmfest.com
There is a lot of WRONG info on the net (and elsewhere) about 3-D movies, so check your facts carefully. For example, on the HONDO DVD commentary and featurette, they incorrectly state the film didn't get a wide 3-D release, when in fact it did; it was most widely seen in the 3D version.
The biggest misconception is that the 3-D movies in the 1950's used the poor red/blue anaglyph format. THIS IS FALSE. Every single one of them were originally screened using the clear, polarized glasses, usually with seperate left and right eye prints shown with interlocked projectors. This was the case for both color and black and white 3-D movies, though most of them were shot in color.
A few of the older (usually B/W) 3-D films were later downconverted to the inferior but simple red/blue anaglyph format for re-issue, 16mm rentals, 8mm digests and even TV showings but those versions are nothing at all like the original polarized versions. For example, CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON is often revived in anaglyph but those prints do not represent what the film looked like originally.
Polarized, clear glasses 3-D has always been the traditional way to release
3-D movies from 1952 to date. There were 51 3-D movies made in the US alone between 1952-55. You'll find that back then, they were not low budget exploitation films as a rule but a good mixture of westerns, dramas, action films, horror and even musicals.
See if you can find some newspaper archives from Summer 1953 and check out the movie pages. You'll see some cool ads for 3-D movies.
Only a tiny handful of 3-D movies used the poor red/blue format, mostly 2-D films with short 3-D sequences or cheap porn flicks. THE MASK, FREDDY'S DEAD, SPY KIDS 3-D and SHARK BOY AND LAVA GIRL are the only major films to ever get a wide release in that form. 99% of all 3-D features ever were seen in polarized form.
Last edited by Steve Phillips; 02-23-06 at 12:56 PM.
