3D News

More news about Robot Monster and other projects in this interview! We have some big things coming that everyone on the 3D Film Archive team is very excited about! Definitely something you won’t want to miss, so come give it a watch!

Coming Soon on 3-D Blu-ray!
Brand New HD Master – From 4K Scans of the 35mm Camera Original YCM Technicolor Negatives!
3-D Restoration by 3-D Film Archive!
Money from Home (1953) Starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Marjie Millar, Pat Crowley & Robert Strauss – Shot by Daniel L. Fapp (The Great Escape) – Directed by George Marshall (The Ghost Breakers, Scared Stiff).

Click each image for your 3D news!

3d.film.archive

Kickstarter loves our campaign! Don't miss your

Kickstarter loves our campaign!

Don't miss your opportunity to pre-order our new restoration of Arch Oboler's THE BUBBLE (reissued in 1976 as FANTASTIC INVASION OF PLANET EARTH) on 3D Blu-ray. Link in bio.

[url]https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3dfilmarchive/pre-order-arch-obolers-the-bubble-new-3-d-restoration[/url]

#projectwelove

Our new Kickstarter campaign to pre-order Arch Obo

Our new Kickstarter campaign to pre-order Arch Oboler's original 1966 theatrical version of THE BUBBLE is now live!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3dfilmarchive/pre-order-arch-obolers-the-bubble-new-3-d-restoration

Seventy-one years ago, on September 22 and 23, 195

Seventy-one years ago, on September 22 and 23, 1953, legendary Oscar-winning cinematographer James Wong Howe photographed three-dimensional test footage for the Moropticon single-strip system.
Moropticon had been developed in Vienna by producer Boris Morros and it was one of two competing systems (the other being the Nord Extended Area 3-D Process) to place both left/right stereo images onto one-strip of 35mm film.

3-D movies were beginning to perform poorly at the box office in September 1953 and this article by Jack Theakston tells the story. https://3dfilmarchive.com/what-killed-3d-films/

Matthew Fox, a former executive vice-president of Universal-International and partner in United Artists, was president of the newly-formed All Dimensions, Inc. which held all patents to the Moropticon system. The unit was lightweight, compact and could fit in a small carrying case. It would be offered free of charge providing the exhibitor agreed to purchase a minimum monthly order of 2,500 Pola-Lite glasses for a period of one year.

Fox was able to use his influence with Universal-International to shoot two days of Moropticon tests beginning September 22. Howe photographed Christiane Martel, Ingrid Mills, Mara Corday, and Lance Fuller in twenty-two setups on the California Street and Shelby home on the studio's backlot. Sadly, this footage is not known to survive.

You’ll learn all about these single-strip systems in Mike Ballew's forthcoming book, “Close Enough to Touch: 3-D Comes to Hollywood.” Watch this page on our website for additional information on this upcoming definitive tome! https://3dfilmarchive.com/close-enough-to-touch-3-d.../

Coming Soon on 3-D Blu-ray from @kinolorber ! Ster

Coming Soon on 3-D Blu-ray from @kinolorber !
Stereoscopic alignment by 3-D Film Archive – From a 4K Scan of the Sam Sherman/Independent International 35mm composite internegative

Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror (1968) Starring Paul Naschy, Dyanik Zurakowska & Rosanna Yanni – Shot by Emilio Foriscot (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh) – Music by Ángel Arteaga (The Last Kamikaze) – Written by Paul Naschy (Fury of the Wolfman) – Directed by Enrique López Eguiluz (Santo Faces Death).

Stay tuned for an exciting announcement on Sunday

Stay tuned for an exciting announcement on Sunday morning from our good friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics!

3-D Film Archive currently has nine vintage 3-D re

3-D Film Archive currently has nine vintage 3-D restoration projects in the pipeline and our plate is VERY full. With this intense workload, I missed these 70th anniversary posts.

On July 10, 1954, BOWERY SCANDALS, the fifth anaglyphic 3-D short from Broadway Roadshow Productions had its first known playdate at the Harrisburg Drive-In Theatre in Harrisburg, IL. This short contained leftover footage shot in May 1953 for FLAME OF ISLAM aka CLEOPATRA FOLLIES. Ed Wood wrote the scripts for these shorts, please see our August 8, 1953, post for more information.

On July 16, 1954, THE DIAMOND WIZARD opened with eight acts of vaudeville at the legendary Palace Theatre in New York City. Released in two-dimensions only, this stereoscopic gem from the UK had its first official 3-D release by Kino Lorber Studio Classics in November 2022. https://3dfilmarchive.com/available-film-restorations/

Warner Bros’ eighth 3-D feature THE BOUNTY HUNTER had its first known playdates on August 26, 1954, at the Metropolitan and Ambassador Theatres in Washington, DC.

Directed by Andre de Toth (HOUSE OF WAX, THE STRANGER WORE A GUN) this excellent 3-D feature was photographed in widescreen 3-D with the complex Warner Bros. All-Media camera. Due to lack of interest from exhibitors and moviegoers, it was released flat only.

Warner Bros has done archival preservation from the original 35mm left/right elements. Unfortunately, they have not yet created a restored digital 3-D master which would allow both 3-D Blu-ray release and DCP availability for theatrical bookings.

Let's hope that changes very soon so that we can finally experience this classic 3-D western as it was meant to be seen!

We are in the home stretch on finishing our restor

We are in the home stretch on finishing our restoration of Jack Arnold's THE GLASS WEB. The widescreen stereoscopic cinematography by Maury Gertsman is superb.

Stay tuned for updates on this exciting 3-D Blu-ray release that is coming soon from @kinolorber

We are currently restoring Arch Oboler's second 3-

We have received many requests for these MIA 3-D t

We have received many requests for these MIA 3-D titles over the past decade. They all survive and are part of the Warner Bros library. In a September 2013 interview, Ned Price, Warner Bros Vice President of Mastering (now retired) told us the following:

3DFA: "Warner Bros. owns more vintage 3-D films than any other studio, including the MGM and RKO libraries. Are there plans to restore any other 3-D titles in the near future?"

NP: "We completed preservation on all the 3D features, shorts and animated titles. Elements are all prepped for restoration, but there is nothing in the queue at the moment."

That statement was made eleven years ago. Unfortunately, they have still not made digital 3-D masters which would allow both 3-D Blu-ray release and DCP availability for theatrical bookings.

Let's hope that situation changes very soon so that we can experience these highly requested 3-D features as they were meant to be seen!

We have received many requests for these six title

We have received many requests for these six titles over the past decade.

FORT TI, DRUMS OF TAHITI and JESSE JAMES VS. THE DALTONS were directed by legendary cult filmmaker, William Castle.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has done archival preservation from the original left/right 35mm camera negatives of these six MIA vintage stereoscopic features. Unfortunately, they have yet made restored digital 3-D masters which would allow both 3-D Blu-ray release and DCP availability for theatrical bookings.

Let's hope that situation changes very soon so that we can once again enjoy these highly requested 3-D features as they were meant to be seen!

I am thrilled to announce that the 3-D Film Archiv

I am thrilled to announce that the 3-D Film Archive team (Greg Kintz, Jack Theakston, Mike Ballew, Sean Thrunk and Bob Furmanek) will be presenting twice this year at 3D-Con 2024 in Wichita, KS! https://www.3d-con.com/

On July 26 at 9:30, the team will announce an exciting discovery of great historic significance in the world of stereoscopic cinematography. Brought to our attention in February 2022, this is incredibly unique and never-before-seen archival footage and we are thrilled to share the news of this amazing material at 3D-Con.

On July 27 at 9:00, Mike Ballew is the Keynote Speaker and will discuss his upcoming book “Close Enough to Touch: 3-D Comes to Hollywood.” His presentation will be followed with a screening of our latest restoration, BWANA DEVIL.

Just one week to go and we hope that you will consider joining us for this VERY special weekend!

Seventy years ago on June 28, 1954, EL JINETE (THE

Seventy years ago on June 28, 1954, EL JINETE (THE HORSEMAN aka THE RIDER) opened in single-strip red/blue anaglyphic 3-D at the Million Dollar and Mayan Theatres in Los Angeles.

Photographed in dual-35mm, we are told the original left/right elements exist with a distributor in Mexico but have not been preserved or restored. Apparently one side was scanned for a flat master.

Seventy years ago on June 5, 1954, GOG had its wor

Seventy years ago on June 5, 1954, GOG had its world premiere at the Paramount Theatres in Los Angeles and Hollywood.

GOG was photographed by Lothrop B. Worth in Natural Vision 3-D, using the same cameras that were previously used on BWANA DEVIL, HOUSE OF WAX, THE CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER, TOP BANANA and several others. In later interviews, Lothrop considered GOG to be his best work.

GOG was the third science-fiction movie composed for widescreen. (The first two were RIDERS TO THE STARS and KILLERS FROM SPACE.) It was filmed on Eastmancolor negative 5248 (25 ASA tungsten) and processed by the Color Corporation of America laboratory - formerly SuperCinecolor/Cinecolor - in Burbank. By the time it was edited and ready for theatrical release in May 1954, the lab was in financial trouble and had been sold to Benjamin Smith and Associates, owners of the Houston Fearless Corp. 35mm release prints were made by Pathe Laboratories in Hollywood.

GOG remained in theatrical release for the next several years and was sold to television in black and white as part of a 39 feature United Artists package in September 1956. At some point, the 35mm left camera negatives were discarded.

For nearly five decades, GOG was lost in 3-D. I wrote the following in 2016:

"Of all our restoration projects, GOG is the most rewarding for me personally. When I began my search for lost 3-D elements in the early 1980's, GOG was at the top of my want list. Through my archival work with Jerry Lewis, I got to know director Herbert L. Strock quite well. He was immensely proud of his work on this film and lamented the fact that it was lost in 3-D. After extensive research, I found the lost left side faded Pathe color 35mm release print in 2001. I tell the full story of this exciting discovery in the commentary track on the Blu-ray.

After suffering through flat, black and white, full-frame 16mm prints for decades, it's a real thrill to finally see GOG restored as the filmmakers intended - in vibrant color, widescreen and 3-D!"

I am thrilled to announce that the 3-D Film Archiv

I am thrilled to announce that the 3-D Film Archive team (Greg Kintz, Jack Theakston, Mike Ballew, Sean Thrunk and Bob Furmanek) will be presenting twice this year at 3D-Con 2024 in Wichita, KS!

https://www.3d-con.com/

On July 26 at 9:30, the team will announce an exciting discovery of great historic significance in the world of stereoscopic cinematography. Brought to our attention in February 2022, this is incredibly unique and never-before-seen archival footage and we are thrilled to share the news of this amazing material at 3D-Con.

On July 27 at 9:00, Mike Ballew is the Keynote Speaker and will discuss his upcoming book “Close Enough to Touch: 3-D Comes to Hollywood.” His presentation will be followed with a screening of our latest restoration, BWANA DEVIL.

We hope that you will consider joining us for this VERY special weekend!

Seventy years ago on May 18, 1954, Warner Brothers

Seventy years ago on May 18, 1954, Warner Brothers seventh 3-D feature DIAL M FOR MURDER premiered at the 2,200 seat Randolph Theatre in Philadelphia, PA.

The popular myth is that DIAL M was not originally announced for 3-D and the process was forced on a reluctant director at the eleventh hour. That is not true. The first announcement hit the trades on April 5, 1953, four months before the first day of filming. With the headline "Hitchcock to film WB's 'M' in 3-D," Jack Warner expressed his confidence in the future of 3-D movies. During pre-production, Hitchcock gave his thoughts on working in 3-D to Prevue magazine.

The Randolph Theatre was one of the few theaters in the Northeast with four projectors in the booth so they were able to run a 3-D film without an intermission. After one preview performance on Tuesday and four showings on the 19th, the manager frantically contacted the studio and said that people were staying away in droves. He asked for permission to drop 3-D and show it flat.

On Sunday May 23, a Philadelphia Inquirer headline proclaimed: "Play's the Thing as Philadelphia Fans Spurn 3-D for 2-D Version of DIAL M." Mildred Martin wrote: "The first audiences proved to be a jury that could not only make up its mind but could make it up in a hurry. In exhibitors' own terms, DIAL M literally died. And after just four performances on Wednesday, some long-distance telephoning to report complaints, the increasing skimpiness of customers--a good many of them making no bones of their dissatisfaction--permission was given to throw away the glasses and hastily switch to the 2-D version. Whereupon business at the Randolph took a turn for the better."

On May 26, a Variety headline announced "3-D Looks Dead in United States." On June 3, Walter Winchell wrote in his popular, syndicated column, "Trade papers report that the 3-D version of DMFM was dropped since the tri-dimensional gimmick is now considered a box-office liability." Exhibitors could still book the film in 3-D, but very few did. Only a few playdates can be found in small cities.

DIAL M FOR MURDER was restored by Ned Price and his team at Warner Brothers and released on 3-D Blu-ray in 2012.

Seventy years ago on May 14, 1954, the second and

Seventy years ago on May 14, 1954, the second and final 3-D release from 20th Century Fox GORILLA AT LARGE had its gala world premiere at the 1,600 seat Empire Theatre in Portland, ME.

Independently produced by Leonard Goldstein’s Panoramic Productions, the film was intended to provide exhibitors with widescreen, non-CinemaScope 20th Century Fox product. The intended aspect ratio during principal photography was 1.66:1.

We had an opportunity to create a restored digital 3-D master in 2015 when Twilight Time had secured a license. Unfortunately, due to lack of interest from the licensee, those plans were never realized. The rights now belong to Disney.

Let’s hope that eventually this under-rated mystery thriller will be fully restored in third-dimension so that audiences can once again experience this “Terror never known by mortal man” as it was meant to be seen!

Oops, our schedule has been SO full, I completely

Oops, our schedule has been SO full, I completely missed this anniversary post!

Seventy years ago on April 7, 1954, Columbia’s ninth and final Golden Age 3-D release THE MAD MAGICIAN had its first known stereoscopic playdates in six theatres and drive-ins around Los Angeles. Despite excellent cinematography by Bert Glennon, most exhibitors opted to play it flat.

It was the first Golden Age domestic 3-D feature converted to red/cyan anaglyphic 3-D circa 1968 when Columbia’s 8mm division released a 200-foot edition to the home movie market.

THE MAD MAGICIAN was restored by Sony Pictures Entertainment VP of asset management, film restoration and digital mastering Rita Belda and released on 3-D Blu-ray by Twilight Time in January 2017.

WOW, this is quite an unexpected honor and surpris

WOW, this is quite an unexpected honor and surprise. ROBOT MONSTER has won two Rondo Awards; Best Blu-ray and Best Restoration. In addition, the commentary track received an honorable mention in the Favorite Commentator category!

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/monsterkidclassichorrorforum/here-are-the-winners-of-the-gasp-22nd-annual-rondo-t92844.html

This 70th anniversary was a team effort, and please let me acknowledge that team.

Thank you SO much to the 1,153 backers who generously pledged on Kickstarter to bring this project to life. We could not have done it without you.

RESTORATION TEAM
Ray Faiola, Scott Johndrow, Greg Kintz, Thad Komorowski, Brad Miller, Katherine Pratt, and Jack Theakston.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
BayView Entertainment - Peter Castro, Pete Apruzzese.
Bernie Anderson, Mike Ballew, Charles Barnard, Bob Burns, Cal Curran, Josh Carmona, Kevin Scott Collier, Joe Dante, Peter Di Prospero, Shane Fleming, Lawrence Kaufman, Dr. Robert J. Kiss, Eric Kurland/3-D SPACE, Hillary Hess, Carson McKee, Stewart McKissick, Sam Napolitano, Aiden O'Connell, Mitch O'Connell, Kelly Oden, Jonathan Reichman, Gary D. Rhodes, Ben Solovey, Rosa Lee Sonney, Sean Thrunk and Josh Turner.

A VERY special thank you to Mr. Greg Moffett and his wonderful wife Sandy Lynn Helm Moffett. You cannot meet two nicer people.

On behalf of the entire 3DFA team, we are deeply honored to receive these two Rondo Awards and thank you to everyone who voted for us.

Rescuing these lost three-dimensional treasures and bringing them back to stereoscopic life has been my personal goal for over forty years. It is incredibly gratifying to see the remarkable success that ROBOT MONSTER has achieved and it is a joy to watch the film reach a new and appreciative audience. We honor the memory of those talented individuals who came together seventy-one years ago to create this most unusual and entertaining motion picture.

Thank you once again for your kindness and very generous support of our efforts!

Bob Furmanek
Founder and CEO
3-D Film Archive

#bayviewentertainment

The incredibly talented Carl Scheckel is on the te

The incredibly talented Carl Scheckel is on the team for our Robot Monster graphic novel. CarlsComix.com has donated over 70,000 comic books to charity and is doing absolutely wonderful work. Please help make this dream for Carl a reality!
(link in bio)

We are delighted to announce the gala Midwest Prem

We are delighted to announce the gala Midwest Premiere of our new BWANA DEVIL restoration at the beautiful Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, OH. This special presentation will kick-off the annual Columbus Moving Picture Show weekend.

In addition to the feature, acclaimed animation expert Jerry Beck will join 3-D Film Archive Founder Bob Furmanek for a discussion and screening of two restored Golden Age 3-D cartoons: THE HYPNOTIC HICK and BOO MOON. Advance tickets are now on sale.

Don’t miss this very special evening of restored 3-D treasures on the big screen! https://wexarts.org/film-video/bwana-devil

Look for a pre-order announcement for BWANA DEVIL on 3-D Blu-ray from Kino Lorber very soon!

#wexnercenterforthearts #columbusmovingpictureshow #jerrybeck

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