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Author
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Topic: Review - Filmtek DVD 'From Cinecolor to Cinerama'
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted October 13, 2011 11:16 AM
From Cinecolor To Cinerama
This is the latest DVD from Filmtek, produced by Keith Wilton at the Sprockethole in Ealing UK. As usual, the DVD is narrated very professionally by Ken Locke.
This is a two disc program running about 3 hours. The subject is a comprehensive history of the 3D and widescreen systems of the 1950’s and the various color film processes used by the different movie studios.
Disc 1 is a detailed review of the Cinerama process, in fact the disc opens up with Lowell Thomas’s famous introduction “Ladies and gentlemen – THIS is Cinerama! We see the Cinerama camera and projectors and the special louvered curved screen being assembled. Then the London premier of the process, showing British stars signing the guest book (I recognized the debonair Nigel Patrick, one of my favorite British actors). 3D films are next up, starting with the first, Bwana Devil. I had no idea that there were so many 3D films made, and there are a whole bunch of 3D trailers for your viewing pleasure, covering the quality 3D movies such as Warner’s House of Wax, to the more cheesy productions from lesser studios. Next up is CinemaScope, and here we get a lot of really interesting material detailing the development of the anamorphic process by Andre Chretien, to its innumerable promotional shorts featuring just about every star under contract to Fox at the time. Super 8mm fans will recognize many outtakes from the Derann S8 personal promo’s by Darryl F. Zannuck.
Zannuck was obviously very proud of the studios anamorphic innovation and used every opportunity to promote it.
Disc 2 provides a great deal of information about Paramount’s VistaVision process and its associated Perspecta sound process. Paramount wanted something better than CinemaScope and they got it with their horizontal running 1.85:1 35mm format. We see lots of photos of the VistaVision camera and projection equipment. I mistakingly thought that VistaVision was never projected horizontally in cinemas, but was only used as a large format to obtain superior quality standard 35mm prints. This was by no means the case, and we see VistaVision projectors being installed in several London cinemas. It must have been a sight to behold! Disc 2 also includes details of the Technicolor 3-strip process and its use from the mid 1930’s to the 1950’s.
Both these discs are first class productions, with great picture and sound quality (I had the NTSC transfer which Keith can provide for all US purchasers).
Crammed with innumerable rare trailers and promos,these discs are like reading a reference book on all the great technological innovations of the cinema. I would venture to say that they include material which has never been seen before by the general public, and the discs are an invaluable resource for any film historian or for anyone even remotely interested in cinema technology and its promotion .
Superb value, and very highly recommended.
Don’t miss this one!
Order from: http://www.bfcc.biz/
Go to Filmtek pages
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