3D is All the Rage Again
Of all the fads that have come and gone, 3D movies stand out among the rest. Even the Hula Hoop, Yo-Yo and Frisbee can't quite compare to this resilient technology. Of course, today's youth probably think it's brand new. A little history lesson proves otherwise.
As long ago as 1856, a fellow named J. C. d'Almeida figured out that two views of the same scene, photographed from slightly different angles (approximately two and a half inches, the distance between the average pair of eyes) could be projected using red and green slides. So, over 150 years ago, there sat an audience oohing and ahhing over the three-dimensional image, while wearing the now familiar glasses. The home version of 3D, known as the stereoscope, was all the rage. Families would gather and spend Saturday nights passing around the device, looking at 200 different views of the Grand Canyon. Exciting!
Sir Charles Wheatstone patented the first stereoscope in 1838. But a later version, made by Oliver Wendell Holmes (yes, that Oliver, lawyer, author, etc.) was more popular. It remained so, until the end of the century, when pictures that actually moved shocked the world. The Holmes Stereo Viewer was to become a prototype for the familiar View-master that's still sold today.
In 1897, Claude Grivolas used a specially constructed camera and projector that would show prints simultaneously on the same screen by two interlinked projectors. One lens had a red filter and the other a blue one. As before, the audience would wear special glasses, only now there would be a three dimensional moving picture.
However, no matter how excited audiences seemed over the effect, it was only used for short marketing films and "attention-getters", at events like theWorld's Fair. That is, until "Bwana Devil" opened on the 26th of November 1952. It was based on a true story about the building of the Uganda Railway and it was a tremendous success. All the studios rushed to cash in on this new 3D popularity. Warner Brothers released the remake of "The House of Wax" in 1953 and it was a huge hit, scaring the young and old like no previous horror movie. The MGM musical, "Kiss Me Kate" was released in 3D that same year and received rave reviews. All the major studios had 3D films in the theaters during the first half of the decade, although for some, the spectacular effects couldn'tsave a weak script or bad acting. Then there were problems with the movie distributors charging more and patrons not willing to pay extra for 3D. The introduction of the wide screen, CinemaScope was less troublesome for everyone so 3D faded away.
A rediscovery of this technology is upon us, thanks to advanced computer science and digital photography (Avatar). Digital projectors are now being installed in screens so theaters can chose to project either flat or stereoscopic movies. 3D films are becoming almost as commonplace as in the '50's and 3D televisions are selling like hotcakes. What's old is new again!
For more information on 3D technology, visit http://3dbuy.com/p162316-the-rise-of-d-movies-in.cfm.
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