Technicolor No. III
Description
The third Technicolor process used the same camera as process no. II to combine a pair of frames of the red and green record respectively on the b/w negative (see image). In contrast to the former process, however, the two images were printed on one side of the positive by the dye transfer or imbibition process.
For the dye transfer, again matrices were prepared by hardening the gelatin with a tanning developer and washing away the soft portions of the gelatin. These wash-off reliefs were then dyed with the complementary hues in green-blue and red-orange respectively. In the actual imbibition process the dyes were transferred by contact onto a blank film which was specially prepared to absorb the color and to prevent it from bleeding.
While this process was very sophisticated in terms of mechanical precision, it was still a two-color process and as such it was not able to display the whole range of colors (see images).
Nevertheless it was an economic success when in the wake of the transition to sound many producers also started to shoot in color at the end of the 1920s. In addition the Technicolor company launched a publicity campaign in fan magazines to support the acceptance of color films. However, the company was not able to handle the sudden huge demand without compromising the quality. Thus after a short peak in color production at the turn to the 1930s the number of films declined very fast again.
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King of Jazz (USA 1930, John Murray Anderson). Credit: Library of Congress. Photographs of the Technicolor No. III dye-tranfer nitrate print from 1930 and 1931 by Olivia Kristina Stutz, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.
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Credit: Images courtesy of the Margaret Herrick Library. Film: Corrine Griffith in The Garden of Eden. Photograph: Barbara Flueckiger.
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Credit: George Eastman House Motion Picture Department Collection. Film: Buffalo Bill’s Last Fight (USA 1927, John W. Noble).
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Technicolor ad in Photoplay, 1930. Source: Photoplay, 1930, see Media History Digital Library
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Technicolor ad in Photoplay, 1930. Source: Photoplay, 1930, see Media History Digital Library
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Photomicrograph, 10x. Credit: Silvana Konermann.
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Photomicrograph, 20x. Credit: Silvana Konermann.
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Doctor X (USA 1932, Michael Curtiz). Credit: UCLA Film & Television Archive. Photographs of the Technicolor No. III dye-tranfer nitrate print by Barbara Flueckiger.
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Doctor X (USA 1932, Michael Curtiz). Credit: UCLA Film & Television Archive. Photographs of the Technicolor No. III dye-tranfer nitrate print by Barbara Flueckiger.
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Original Technical Papers and Primary Sources
Ball, J. Arthur (1935): The Technicolor Process of Three-Color Cinematography. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 25,2, 1935, pp. 127-138, on pp. 128-129. View Quote
Kelley, William Van Doren (1925): Color Photography Patents (cont.). In: Transactions of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 24, Oct., pp. 149–161. Download PDF
Troland, Leonard T. (1927): Some Psychological Aspects of Natural Color Motion Pictures. In: Transactions of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 11, 26.9.1927, pp. 680–698, on p. 689 View Quote, on pp. 694–695 View Quote and on p. 698. View Quote
Secondary Sources
Alt, Dirk (2011): “Der Farbfilm marschiert!” Frühe Farbfilmverfahren und NS-Propaganda 1933-1945. München: Belleville, on pp. 42–43. (in German) View Quote
Anonymous (1929): Making Films in Colour. The Technique of Technicolor. In: The Bioscope, 1203,LXXXI, Oct., p. ix. View Quote
Behlmer, Rudy (1964): Technicolor. In: Films in Review 15,6, 1964, pp. 333–351, on pp. 342–343. View Quote
Bordwell, David; Staiger, Janet; Thompson, Kristin (1985): The Classical Hollywood Cinema. Film Style and Mode of Production to 1960. London: Routledge, on p. 353 View Quote and on p. 355. View Quote
Brown, Simon (2012): Technical Appendix. In: Sarah Street: Colour Films in Britain. The Negotiation of Innovation 1900-55. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 259-287, on pp. 284-286 (all Technicolor processes). View Quote
Cleveland, David; Pritchard, Brian (2015): How Films were Made and Shown. Some Aspects of the Technical Side of Motion Picture Film 1895–2015. Manningtree, Essex: David Cleveland, on p. 219 and on p. 221. View Quote
Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (= Adrian Klein) (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall, pp. 451-479 (all Technicolor processes).
D’haeyere, Hilde (2013): Technicolor – Multicolor – Sennett-Color. Natural Color Processes in Mack Sennett Comedies 1926-1931. In: Simon Brown, Sarah Street and Liz Watkins (eds.): Color and the Moving Image. History, Theory, Aesthetics, Archive. New York, London: Routledge, pp. 23–36, on pp. 26–29. View Quote
Eggert, John (1932): Kurzer Überblick über den Stand der Farbenkinematographie. In: Bericht über den VIII. Internationalen Kongress für wissenschaftliche und angewandte Photographie, Dresden 1931. Leipzig: J. A. Barth, pp. 214–221, on pp. 215–218. (in German) View Quote
Everett, Wendy (2007): Mapping Colour. An Introduction to the Theories and Practices of Colour. In: Wendy Everett (ed.): Questions of Colour in Cinema. From Paintbrush to Pixel. Oxford: Peter Lang, pp. 7–38, on pp. 20–21. View Quote
Flueckiger, Barbara (2015): Zwischen Chromophobie und Farbrausch. Entwicklungslinien des frühen Technicolor. In: Connie Betz, Rainer Rother, Annika Schaefer (Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen) (eds.): Glorious Technicolor. Berlin: Bertz und Fischer, pp. 20–47. (in German) Download
Flueckiger, Barbara (2018): Torn between Chromophobia and Colour Mania. Developments of Early Technicolor. In: Colour Turn, 1,1, Aug., pp. VI–1–VI–36. Online
Haines, Richard W. (1993): Technicolor Movies. The History of Dye Transfer Printing. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, on pp. 8–13. View Quote
Higgins, Scott (2000): Demonstrating Three-Colour Technicolor. Early Three-Colour Aesthetics and Design. In: Film History, 12,4, pp. 358–383, on pp. 358–359. View Quote
Holm, Wilton R. (1957): The Elements of Color in Professional Motion Pictures. Prepared by a Special Committee of the Society. New York: The Society of Motion Picture Engineers, on p. 44. View Quote
Kalmus, Herbert T. (1938): Technicolor Adventures in Cinemaland. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 31,6, 1938, pp. 564–585, on pp. 571–577. View Quote
Kalmus, Herbert T. (1958): The Adventure of Technicolor. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 67,12, pp. 829–830. View Quote
Keating, Patrick (2010): Hollywood Lighting from the Silent Era to Film Noir. Columbia University Press: New York, on pp. 201–203. View Quote
Kitsopanidou, Kira (2009): “Glorious Technicolor”. La stratégie d’innovation de la couleur de Technicolor dans l’industrie cinématographique Américaine. In: Raphaëlle Costa de Beauregard (ed.): Cinéma et couleur. Paris: M. Houdiard, pp. 193–206, on pp. 194–195. (in French) View Quote
Layton, James; Pierce, David (2015): The Dawn of Technicolor. Rochester: George Eastman House, on p. 114 , on pp. 142–145 View Quote, on p. 155 View Quote, on p. 160 View Quote, on pp. 169–170 View Quote, on p. 177 View Quote, on p. 179 View Quote, on p. 181 View Quote, on p. 192 View Quote, on p. 193 View Quote, on p. 205 View Quote, on p. 231 View Quote and on p. 258. View Quote
Mees, C. E. Kenneth (1937): The Development of the Art and Science of Photography in the Twentieth Century. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 28,1, pp. 3–20, on p. 13. View Quote
Montesanti, Fausto (1954): Lineamenti di una storia del film a colori. In: Giuseppe Sala (ed.): Bianco e Nero. Il colore nel cinema. Rassegna mensile di studi cinematografici, XV,2-4, pp. 11–51, on pp. 30–31. (in Italian) View Quote
Neale, Steve (1985): The Beginnings of Technicolor. In: Angela Dalle Vacche and Brian Price (eds.): Color. The Film Reader. New York: Routledge, 2006, pp. 13–23, on pp. 14–15. View Quote
Nowotny, Robert A. (1983): The Way of All Flesh Tones. A History of Color Motion Picture Processes, 1895-1929. New York: Garland Pub, on pp. 225–243. View Quote
Pierotti, Federico (2012): La seduzione dello spettro. Storia e cultura del colore nel cinema. Genova: Le Mani-Microart, on pp. 127–128 View Quote and on pp. 128–130. (in Italian) View Quote
Pierotti, Federico (2016): Un’archeologia del colore nel cinema italiano. Dal Technicolor ad Antonioni. Pisa: Edizioni ETS, on p. 32. (in Italian) View Quote
Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, p. 79. View Quote
Ruedel, Ulrich (2009): The Technicolor Notebooks at the George Eastman House. In: Film History, 21,1, 2009, pp. 47-60, on pp. 49-50. View Quote
Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1930): Report. Progress in the Motion Picture Industry. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 15, December 1930, pp. 791–793, on p. 792. View Quote
Stokes, Melvyn (2009): Colour in American Cinema. From The Great Train Robbery to Bonnie and Clyde. In: Raphaëlle Costa de Beauregard (ed.): Cinéma et couleur. Paris: M. Houdiard, pp. 184–192, on p. 186. View Quote
Street, Sarah (2012): Colour Films in Britain. The Negotiation of Innovation 1900-55. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, on p. 38. View Quote
Street, Sarah; Yumibe, Joshua (2019): Chromatic Modernity. Color, Cinema, and Media of the 1920s. New York: Columbia University Press, on pp. 233–234. View Quote
Measurements
Absorbances measured with a multispectral imaging system from film areas with pure dyes. Credit: Giorgio Trumpy, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.
See the specific sample from which the spectra were measured.
Films
Silent two-color Technicolor dye-transfer features 35mm derived from black and white double frame negative (all features printed on nitrate base):
Casanova (sequences) (MGM, 1928)1
Court Martial (Col, 1928)1
None but the Brave (Fox, 1928)1
Red Hair (sequence) (Par, USA 1928, Clarence G. Badger)1, 30
The Water Hole (Par, 1928)1
The Wedding March (sequences) (Par, USA 1928, Erich von Stroheim)1, 9, 16, 18, 19, 30
Two-color Technicolor dye-transfer features with sound 35mm dye transfer features derived from black and white double frame negative with synchronized soundtracks (some part talkie) (all features printed on nitrate base):
The Viking (Technicolor/MGM, 1928, Roy William Neill)1, 4, 5, 6, 11, 15, 17, 26, 28, 29, 33
Broadway (sequences) (U, 1929)1
Broadway Melody (sequences) (MGM, 1929)1, 4, 5, 10
The Cuckoos (sequences) (RKO, 1929)1
Dance of Life (sequences) (Par, USA 1929, John Cromwell, A. Edward Sutherland)1, 26, 33
Devil May Care (MGM, 1929)1
The Desert Song (sequences) (WB, USA 1929, Roy Del Ruth)1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 16, 26
Footlights and Fools (First National, 1929)1
Glorifying the American Girl (sequences) (Par, USA 1929, Millard Webb, /director of the final revue scenes John Harkrider)1, 16, 33
Gold Diggers of Broadway (WB, USA 1929, Roy Del Ruth)1, 4, 6, 10, 14, 16, 20, 24, 26, 28, 33
Good News (sequences) (MGM, 1929)1
His First Command (sequences) (Pathé, 1929)1
Hollywood Revue of 1929 (sequences) (MGM, 1929)1
Loves of Casanova (MGM, 1929)1
Mamba (Tiffany, USA 1930, Albert S. Rogell)1, 4, 6, 26
Mysterious Island (MGM, 9, Lucien Hubbard and Benjamin Christensen)1, 17, 23
On with the Show (first all talking two strip technicolor feature)(WB, USA 1929, Alan Crosland)1, 4, 5, 6, 10, 15, 20, 26, 28, 33
Paris (sequences) (First National, 1929)1, 7
Peacock Alley (sequences) (Tiffany, 1929)1
Pointed Heels (sequences) (Par, 1929)1
Radio Rambler (sequences) (RKO, 1929)1
Red Hot Rhythm (sequences) (Pathé, 1929)1
Redskin (Par, 1929)1, 4, 5
Rio Rita (sequences) (RKO, 1929)1, 10, 16
The Show of Shows (WB, USA 1929, John G. Adolfi)1, 4, 6, 16, 20, 26
Two-color Technicolor dye-transfer sound films (talkies) 35mm all talking dye transfer features with optical tracks derived from black and white double frame negative (all features printed on nitrate base):
Ben-Hur (sequences) (reissue) (MGM, 1930)1, 9
Bride of the Regiment (First National, USA 1930, John Francis Dillon)1, 4, 6, 26
Bright Lights (First National, USA 1930, Michael Curtiz)1, 4, 6, 26
Chasing Rainbows (sequences) (First National, 1930)1
Dixiana (sequences) (RKO, 1930)1, 13
The Floradora Girl (sequences) (MGM, 1930)1
Follow Thru (Par, USA 1930, Lloyd Corrigan, Laurence Schwab)1, 4, 6, 26, 31
General Crack (sequences) (WB, 1930)1, 5
Golden Dawn (WB, USA 1930, Ray Enright)1, 4, 6, 26
Hell’s Angels (sequences) (Hughes/UA, USA 1930, Howard Hughes)1, 2, 6, 9, 26, 31
Hit the Deck (sequences) (MGM, 1930)1
Hold Everything (WB, USA 1930, Roy Del Ruth)1, 4, 6, 26
Hollywood Revue of 1930 (sequences) (MGM, 1930)1
It’s a Great Life (sequences) (MGM, 1930)1
King of Jazz (USA 1930, John Murray Anderson)1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 13, 16, 25, 26
Leathernecking (RKO, 1930)1
Life of the Party (WB, USA 1930, Roy Del Ruth)1, 4, 6, 26
Lord Byron of Broadway (sequences) (MGM, 1930)1
Lottery Bride (sequences) (UA, 1930)1
Mammy (sequences) (WB, USA 1930, Michael Curtiz)1, 2, 6, 13, 26
The March of Time (unreleased) (MGM, 1930)1
The Melody Man (Col, 1930)1, 10
No, No, Nanette (sequences) (First National, 1930)1, 5, 7, 10
Paramount on Parade (sequences) (Par, 1930)1, 2
Phantom of the Opera (reissue) (U, 1930)1, 9
Puttin’ on the Ritz (sequences) (UA, 1930)1
The Rogue Song (MGM, USA 1930, Lionel Barrymore)1, 2, 4, 6, 26
Sally (First National, USA 1930, John Francis Dillon)1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 26
Showgirl in Hollywood (sequences) (First National, 1930)1
Son of the Gods (sequences) (First National, 1930)1
Song of the Flame (sequences) (First National, USA 1930, Alan Crosland)1, 4, 6, 26
Song of the West (WB, USA 1930, Ray Enright)1, 4, 6, 10, 26
Sweet Kitty Bellairs (WB, USA 1930, Alfred E. Green)1, 4, 6, 26
They Learned About Women (sequences) (MGM, 1930)1
Toast of the Legion (sequences) (First National, 1930)1, 4
Under a Texas Moon (WB, USA 1930, Michael Curtiz)1, 4, 6, 26
The Vagabond King (Par, USA 1930, Ludwig Berger)1, 4, 6, 7, 26, 33
Whoopee (Goldwyn/UA, USA 1930, Thornton Freeland)1, 3, 4, 6, 16, 21, 26, 33
Fanny Foley Herself (sequences) (RKO, USA 1931, Melville W. Brown)1, 4, 6, 26
Fifty Million Frenchmen (WB, USA 1931, Lloyd Bacon)1, 4, 6, 26
Kiss Me Again (First National, USA 1931, William A. Seiter)1, 4, 6, 26
The Runaround (aka Lovable and Sweet) (sequences) (RKO, USA 1931, William James Craft)1, 4, 8, 26
Viennese Nights (WB, USA 1931, Alan Crosland)1, 4, 6, 9, 26
Waiting at the Church (sequences) (RKO, 1931)1
Woman Hungry (First National, USA 1931, Clarence G. Badger)1, 4, 6, 26
Doctor X (First National, USA 1932, Michael Curtiz)1, 4, 6, 9, 25, 26
Manhattan Parade (sequences) (WB, 1932)1, 4
Below the Sea (sequences) (Col, 1933)1
Mystery of the Wax Museum (WB, USA 1933, Michael Curtiz)1, 4, 6, 9, 22, 25, 26, 27, 32
Bathing Girl comedies: silent Sennett shorts with sequences in Technicolor No. III, distributed through Pathé Film Exchanges:
The Girl From Everywhere (Eddie Cline, Dec. 1927)12
Love At First Flight (Eddie Cline, Jan. 1928)12
Run, Girl, Run (Alf Goulding, Jan. 1928)12
The Swim Princess (Alf Goulding, Febr. 1928)12
The Girl From Nowhere (Harry Edwards, May 1928)12
The Campus Carmen (Alf Goulding, Sept. 1928)12
The Campus Vamp (Harry Edwards, Nov. 1928)12
Matchmaking Mamas (Harry Edwards, March 1929)12
Buffalo Bill’s Last Fight (USA 1927, John W. Noble)26, 30
Cleopatra (USA 1928, Roy William Neill)26, 30
The Lady of Victories (1928)
The Virgin Queen (USA 1928, Roy William Neill)26
The Mysterious Island (Technicolor and tinting, with some shots in Kelley Color) (1929)8, 17, 23
Lonely Gigolo (short, USA 1930, Jack Haskell)
Legong: Dance of the Virgins (USA 1935, Henri de la Falaise)32
Putting on the Ritz (1930)10
Nertzy Rhymes (short)9
Mystery of the Wax Museum (USA 1933, Michael Curtiz)22, 25, 27, 32
1 Haines, Richard W. (1993): Technicolor Movies. The History of Dye Transfer Printing. Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland, on pp. 15–16.
2 Haines, Richard W. (1993): Technicolor Movies. The History of Dye Transfer Printing. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, on pp. 8–13. View Quote
3 Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1930): Report. Progress in the Motion Picture Industry. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 15, December 1930, pp. 791–793, on p. 792. View Quote
4 Kalmus, Herbert T. (1938): Technicolor Adventures in Cinemaland. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 31,6, 1938, pp. 564–585, on pp. 571–577. View Quote
5 Nowotny, Robert A. (1983): The Way of All Flesh Tones. A History of Color Motion Picture Processes, 1895-1929. New York: Garland Pub, on pp. 225–243. View Quote
6 Behlmer, Rudy (1964): Technicolor. In: Films in Review 15,6, 1964, pp. 333–351, on pp. 242–243. View Quote
7 Gordon, George (1930): Painting the Shadows. In: Photoplay, 37,5, p. 67 and p. 84. View Quote
8 James Layton in the catalogue of the 33rd Giornate del Cinema Muto festival in Pordenone, 2014, pp. 107–108. View Quote
9 McQueen, Scott (1986): Doctor X. A Technicolor Landmark. In: American Cinematographer, 67, June 1986, pp. 34–42. View Quote
10 Neale, Steve (1985): The Beginnings of Technicolor. In: Angela Dalle Vacche and Brian Price (eds.): Color. The Film Reader. New York: Routledge, 2006, pp. 13–23, on pp. 14–15. View Quote
11 Hall, Mordaunt (1928): A Picture in Colors. In: New York Times, November 29, 1928. View Quote
12 D’haeyere, Hilde (2013): Technicolor – Multicolor – Sennett-Color. Natural Color Processes in Mack Sennett Comedies 1926-1931. In: Simon Brown, Sarah Street and Liz Watkins (eds.): Color and the Moving Image. History, Theory, Aesthetics, Archive. New York, London: Routledge, pp. 23–36, on pp. 26–29. View Quote
13 O’Brien, Charles (2013): Color as Image Schema. Technicolor Number 3 in King of Jazz. In: Simon Brown, Sarah Street, Liz Watkins (eds.): Color and the Moving Image. History, Theory, Aesthetics, Archive. New York, London: Routledge, pp. 37–46. View Quote
14 Stokes, Melvyn (2009): Colour in American Cinema. From The Great Train Robbery to Bonnie and Clyde. In: Raphaëlle Costa de Beauregard (ed.): Cinéma et couleur. Paris: M. Houdiard, pp. 184–192, on p. 186. View Quote
15 Bordwell, David; Staiger, Janet; Thompson, Kristin (1985): The Classical Hollywood Cinema. Film Style and Mode of Production to 1960. London: Routledge, on p. 353. View Quote
16 Bordwell, David; Staiger, Janet; Thompson, Kristin (1985): The Classical Hollywood Cinema. Film Style and Mode of Production to 1960. London: Routledge, on p. 355. View Quote
17 Alt, Dirk (2011): “Der Farbfilm marschiert!” Frühe Farbfilmverfahren und NS-Propaganda 1933-1945. München: Belleville, on pp. 42–43. (in German) View Quote
18 Layton, James; Pierce, David (2015): The Dawn of Technicolor. Rochester: George Eastman House, on p. 205. View Quote
19 Pierotti, Federico (2012): La seduzione dello spettro. Storia e cultura del colore nel cinema. Genova: Le Mani-Microart, on pp. 127–128. (in Italian) View Quote
20 Pierotti, Federico (2012): La seduzione dello spettro. Storia e cultura del colore nel cinema. Genova: Le Mani-Microart, on pp. 128–130. (in Italian) View Quote
21 Street, Sarah (2012): Colour Films in Britain. The Negotiation of Innovation 1900-55. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, on p. 38. View Quote
22 Layton, James; Pierce, David (2015): The Dawn of Technicolor. Rochester: George Eastman House, on p. 264.
23 Layton, James; Pierce, David (2015): The Dawn of Technicolor. Rochester: George Eastman House, on pp. 155–156.
24 Herring, Robert (1935): Technicolossal. In: Life and Letters Today, 13, Sep., pp. 194–196, on pp. 194–195.
25 Behlmer, Rudy (1964): Technicolor. In: Films in Review, 15,6, pp. 333–351, on pp. 343–348.
26 Behlmer, Rudy (1964): Technicolor. In: Films in Review, 15,6, pp. 333–351, on pp. 342–343. View Quote
27 Higgins, Scott (2000): Demonstrating Three-Colour Technicolor. Early Three-Colour Aesthetics and Design. In: Film History, 12,4, pp. 358–383, on pp. 358–359. View Quote
28 Kitsopanidou, Kira (2009): “Glorious Technicolor”. La stratégie d’innovation de la couleur de Technicolor dans l’industrie cinématographique Américaine. In: Raphaëlle Costa de Beauregard (ed.): Cinéma et couleur. Paris: M. Houdiard, pp. 193–206, on pp. 194–195. (in French) View Quote
29 Kitsopanidou, Kira (2009): “Glorious Technicolor”. La stratégie d’innovation de la couleur de Technicolor dans l’industrie cinématographique Américaine. In: Raphaëlle Costa de Beauregard (ed.): Cinéma et couleur. Paris: M. Houdiard, pp. 193–206, on pp. 195–200. (in French)
30 Behlmer, Rudy (1964): Technicolor. In: Films in Review, 15,6, pp. 333–351, on pp. 337–342.
31 Higgins, Scott (2007): Harnessing the Technicolor Rainbow. Color Design in the 1930s. Austin: University of Texas Press, on pp. 213–223.
32 Montesanti, Fausto (1954): Lineamenti di una storia del film a colori. In: Giuseppe Sala (ed.): Bianco e Nero. Il colore nel cinema. Rassegna mensile di studi cinematografici, XV,2-4, pp. 11–51, on pp. 31–32. (in Italian) View Quote
33 Montesanti, Fausto (1954): Lineamenti di una storia del film a colori. In: Giuseppe Sala (ed.): Bianco e Nero. Il colore nel cinema. Rassegna mensile di studi cinematografici, XV,2-4, pp. 11–51, on pp. 30–31. (in Italian) View Quote
Downloads
Ball, J. Arthur (1935): The Technicolor process of three-color cinematography. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 25,2, 1935, pp. 127-138, on pp. 128-129.
Download PDFHerbert T. Kalmus (1938): Technicolor Adventures in Cinemaland. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 31,6, 1938, pp. 564-585
Download PDFKelley, William Van Doren (1925): Color Photography Patents (cont.). In: Transactions of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 24, Oct., pp. 149–161.
Download PDF
Patents
E.P. 263,331 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation/Weaver, Eastman Atkins; filed Feb. 8, 1926; granted Dec. 30, 1926)
Download PDFE.P. 263,650 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation/Weaver, Eastman Atkins; filed Feb. 8, 1926; granted Jan. 6, 1927)
Download PDFE.P. 264,369 (Ball, Joseph Arthur/Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation; filed April 12, 1926; granted Jan. 20, 1927)
Download PDFE.P. 270,279 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation; filed April 19, 1927; granted July 19, 1928)
Download PDFE.P. 270,280 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation; filed April 19, 1927; granted July 19, 1928)
Download PDFE.P. 288,146 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation; filed April 1, 1927; granted June 26, 1929)
Download PDFE.P. 300,818 (Ball, Joseph Arthur/Gallison, Ernest Augustus/Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation/Weaver, Eastman Atkins; filed Dec. 21, 1927; granted Nov. 22, 1928)
Download PDFE.P. 307,659 (Comstock, Daniel Frost/Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation; filed May 14, 1928; granted March 14, 1929)
Download PDFE.P. 319,924 (Kienninger, John Frederick/Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation; filed Sept. 24, 1928; granted Oct. 3, 1929)
Download PDFE.P. 322,173 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation/Tuttle, Bertha Sugden; filed Aug. 23, 1928; granted Nov. 25, 1929)
Download PDFE.P. 343,369 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation; filed April 2, 1930; granted Feb. 19, 1931)
Download PDFE.P. 345,986 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation; filed Nov. 28, 1929; granted March 30, 1931)
Download PDFE.P. 347,946 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation; filed June 16, 1930; granted May 7, 1931)
Download PDFE.P. 353,962 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation; filed May 9, 1930; granted Aug. 6, 1931)
Download PDFE.P. 360,274 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation; filed Jan. 16, 1931; granted Nov. 5, 1931)
Download PDFE.P. 374,849 (Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation/Troland, Leonard Thompson; filed March 9, 1931; granted June 9, 1932)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,535,700 (Troland, Leonard Thompson; filed Sept. 13, 1922, granted Apr. 28, 1925 (for relief matrix)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,579,805 (Ball, Joseph A., Gallison, Ernest A.; filed Aug. 3, 1921; granted April 6, 1926)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,579,806 (Ball, Joseph A., Comstock, Daniel F.; filed Feb. 4, 1922; granted April 6, 1926)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,596,641 (Weaver, Eastman A., Gallison, Ernest A.; filed July 21, 1923; granted Aug. 17, 1926)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,596,808 (Comstock, Daniel F.; filed Jan. 5, 1922; granted Aug. 17, 1926)
Download PDFU.S.P 1,596,809 (Comstock, Daniel F.; filed Jan. 8, 1923; granted Aug. 17, 1926)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,613,300 (Troland, Leonard T.; filed April 25, 1925; granted Jan. 4, 1927)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,641,220 (Comstock, Daniel F.; filed Jan. 8, 1923; granted Sept. 6, 1927)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,661,157 (Ball, Joseph A., Gallison, Ernest A., Weaver, Eastman A.; filed July 21, 1923; granted March 6, 1928)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,677,665 (Weaver, Eastman A.; filed Nov. 2, 1921; granted July 17, 1928)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,692,358 (Sugden, Bertha; filed Jan. 20, 1926; granted Nov. 20, 1928)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,704,328 (Kienninger, John F.; filed May 27, 1927; granted March 5, 1929)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,707,695 (Troland, Leonard T.; filed May 27, 1927; granted April 2, 1929)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,707,699 (Whitney, William E.; filed May 27, 1927; granted April 2, 1929)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,707,710 (Comstock, Daniel F.; filed May 27, 1927; granted April 2, 1929)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,707,733 (Kienninger, John F.; filed May 27, 1927; granted April 2, 1929)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,738,095 (Carleton, Herbert O.; filed May 29, 1925; granted Dec. 3, 1929)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,801,478 (Atwood, Francis C.; filed April 22, 1927; granted April 21, 1931)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,803,115 (Kienninger, John F.; filed Jan. 25, 1930; granted April 28, 1931)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,807,805 (Sugden Tuttle, Bertha; filed April 30, 1926; granted June 2, 1931)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,807,809 (Sugden Tuttle, Bertha; filed April 30, 1926; granted June 2, 1931)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,808,584 (Troland, Leonard T.; filed Sept. 9, 1921; granted June 2, 1931)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,821,680 (Troland, Leonard Thompson; filed June 15, 1929; granted Sept. 1, 1931)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,844,377 (Ball, Joseph Arthur; filed Aug. 21, 1929; granted Feb. 9, 1932)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,860,912 (Troland, Leonard T.; filed May 24, 1928; granted May 31, 1932)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,865,497 (Atwood, Francis Clarke; filed April 30, 1926; granted July 5, 1932)
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Restoration
McQueen, Scott (1986): Doctor X. A Technicolor Landmark. In: American Cinematographer, 67, Jun., pp. 34–42. View Quote
King of Jazz (USA 1930, John Murray Anderson, Pál Fejös):
Layton, James; Pierce, David (2016): King of Jazz. Paul Whiteman’s Technicolor Revue. Severn, MD: Media History Press, on p. 231 View Quote, on pp. 236–237 View Quote and on pp. 244–245. View Quote
Contemporary Reception
Anonymous (1930): Unsatisfactory Colour. In: The Bioscope, 1233,LXXXIII, May, p. i. View Quote
Anonymous (1930): Warners Set Pace in Sound and Color. In: The Bioscope, 1213,LXXXXII, Jan., p. 78. View Quote
Anonymous (1933): Die kulturellen Möglichkeiten des Farbenfilms. In: Film-Kurier. Beilage Kinotechnische Rundschau, 90, 15.4.1933. (in German) View Quote
Belfrage, Cedric (1929): Warner’s Big Strides in Colour. In: The Bioscope, 1183,LXXXIX, Jun., p. 16. View Quote
Gordon, George (1930): Painting the Shadows. In: Photoplay, 37,5, p. 67 and p. 84. View Quote
Mees, C.E. Kenneth (1929): The Processes of Color Photography. III. Color Cinematography. In: The Journal of Chemical Education, 6, pp. 44–51, on pp. 48–49. View Quote
Shirley, Lois (1932): All Hollywood Has Now Gone Color-Conscious. In: Photoplay, 42,3, pp. 48–49 and p. 118, on page 48. View Quote
The Fire Brigade (USA 1926, William Nigh)
Brownlow, Kevin (2022): The Fire Brigade. In: San Francisco Silent Film Festival, 2022, n. p. View Link
King of Jazz (USA 1930, USA 1930, John Murray Anderson, Pál Fejös):
Anonymous (1930): Film Reviews. King of Jazz. In: Variety, XCIX,4, May, p. 21. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
Greene, Walter R. (1930): Opinions On Pictures. King of Jazz Revue. In: Motion Picture News, XLI,14, Apr., p. 46. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
Hall, Mordaunt (1930): The Screen. A Sparkling Extravaganza. In: The New York Times, May, p. 23. View Quote
Full text on The New York Times website. View Link
Layton, James; Pierce, David (2016): King of Jazz. Paul Whiteman’s Technicolor Revue. Severn, MD: Media History Press, on pp. 187–190 View Quote and on pp. 194–196. View Quote
The King of Kings (USA 1927, Cecil B. DeMille; H. B. Warner; Dorothy Cumming; Ernest Torrence; Joseph Schildkraut):
Anonymous (1926): The King of Kings. In: Variety, Dec., n. p. View Quote
Full text on the Variety website. View Link
Red Hair (USA 1928, Clarence G. Badger):
Anonymous (1928): Technicolor Shows Clara Bow at State in Red Hair. In: Reading Eagle, Mar., p. 14. View Quote
Beaton, Donald (1928): As They Appeal to a Youth. In: The Film Spectator, 56, Mar., pp. 16–17. View Quote
Redskin (USA 1929, Victor Schertzinger):
Anonymous (1929): Watch Photoplay’s New Sound Reviews for the Latest Talkie Developments. In: Photoplay, XXXV,3, Feb., pp. 54–55, on p. 54. View Quote
Anonymous (1929): Mr. Dix’s Color Film. In: New York Times, Feb., p. 117. View Quote
Anonymous (1929): Kicking That Red Man Around. In: Motion Picture Classic, XXIX,2, Apr., p. 55. View Quote
Anonymous (1929): Redskin (S). With Richard Dix. In: Harrison’s Reports, XI,6, Feb., p. 22. View Quote
Anonymous (1929): Richard Dix in Redskin. In: The Film Daily, XLVII,28, Feb., p. 8. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
Hall, Mordaunt (1929): The Screen. The Bootlegger’s Boomerang. In: The New York Times, Jan., p. 21. View Quote
Full text on The New York Times website. View Link
Nowotny, Robert A. (1983): The Way of All Flesh Tones. A History of Color Motion Picture Processes, 1895-1929. New York: Garland Pub, pp. 225-243, on p. 230. View Quote
Schader, Freddie (1929): Opinions on Pictures. Redskin. Bang! And Another Redskin Bit the Dust. In: Motion Picture News, XXXIX,5, Feb., p. 369. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
Sally (USA 1929, John Francis Dillon):
Anonymous (1930): Cilly, die erste Farben-Tonfilmrevue. In: Die Kinotechnik, 12,8, Apr., p. 232. (in German) View Quote
Under a Texas Moon (USA 1930, Michael Curtiz):
Anonymous (1930): Critical Comment on Current Films. Under a Texas Moon. In: Screenland, XXI,3, Jul., p. 87. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
Anonymous (1930): Film Reviews. Under a Texas Moon. In: Variety, XCVIII,13, Apr., p. 22. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
Anonymous (1930): Under a Texas Moon. In: Harrison’s Reports, XII,15, Apr., p. 58. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
Anonymous (1930): Under a Texas Moon. In: The Film Daily, LII,5, Apr., p. 40. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
Ashbaugh, Don (1930): Opinions on Pictures. Under a Texas Moon. Fair Western in New Dress. In: Motion Picture News, XLI,15, Apr., p. 43. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
Hall, Mordaunt (1930): The Screen. Don Juan of the Plains. In: The New York Times, Apr., p. 22. View Quote
Full text on The New York Times website. View Link
The Vagabond King (USA 1930, Ludwig Berger):
Anonymous (1930): The Vagabond King. In: Harrison’s Reports, XII,9, Mar., p. 34. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
Evans, Delight (1930): Reviews of the Best Pictures by Delight Evans. The Vagabond King. In: Screenland, XXI,1, May, p. 84. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
Hall, Mordaunt (1930): The Screen. A Romantic Villon. In: The New York Times, Feb., p. 22. View Quote
Full text on The New York Times website. View Link
The Viking (USA 1928, Roy William Neill):
Hall, Mordaunt (1928): A Picture in Colors. In: New York Times, Nov., n. p. View Quote
Whoopee! (USA 1930, Thornton Freeland; Busby Berkeley, Choreography):
Anonymous (1930): When Colour Means Better Sound. Whoopee Marks Big Technicolor Advance. In: The Bioscope, 1252,LXXXV, Oct., p. 23. View Quote
Selected Analyses
Cleopatra (USA 1928, Roy William Neill):
Flückiger, Barbara (2015): Zwischen Chromophobie und Farbrausch. Entwicklungslinien des frühen Technicolor. In: Connie Betz, Annike Schaefer and Rainer Rother (eds.): Glorious Technicolor. Berlin: Bertz und Fischer, pp. 21–47, on p. 36 View Quote and p. 41. (in German) View Quote
Fashion News (USA 1927):
Fischer, Lucy (2003): Designing Women. Cinema, Art Deco and the Female Form. New York: Columbia University Press, on pp. 72–73. View Quote
Street, Sarah; Yumibe, Joshua (2019): Chromatic Modernity. Color, Cinema, and Media of the 1920s. New York: Columbia University Press, on pp. 87–88. View Quote
Mystery of the Wax Museum (USA 1933, Michael Curtiz):
Layton, James; Pierce, David (2015): The Dawn of Technicolor. Rochester: George Eastman House, on pp. 263–264 View Quote and on p. 390. View Quote
Montesanti, Fausto (1954): Lineamenti di una storia del film a colori. In: Giuseppe Sala (ed.): Bianco e Nero. Il colore nel cinema. Rassegna mensile di studi cinematografici, XV,2-4, pp. 11–51, on pp. 31–32. (in Italian) View Quote
Redskin (USA 1929, Victor Schertzinger):
Street, Sarah; Yumibe, Joshua (2019): Chromatic Modernity. Color, Cinema, and Media of the 1920s. New York: Columbia University Press, on pp. 242–244. View Quote
The King of Jazz (USA 1930, John Murray Anderson):
O’Brien, Charles (2013): Color as Image Schema. Technicolor Number 3 in King of Jazz. In: Simon Brown, Sarah Street, Liz Watkins (eds.): Color and the Moving Image. History, Theory, Aesthetics, Archive. New York, London: Routledge, pp. 37–46. View Quote
Pierotti, Federico (2012): La seduzione dello spettro. Storia e cultura del colore nel cinema. Genova: Le Mani-Microart, on pp. 130–131. (in Italian) View Quote
Street, Sarah; Yumibe, Joshua (2019): Chromatic Modernity. Color, Cinema, and Media of the 1920s. New York: Columbia University Press, on pp. 245–249. View Quote
Production Reports
The King of Jazz (USA 1930, John Murray Anderson):
Layton, James; Pierce, David (2016): King of Jazz. Paul Whiteman’s Technicolor Revue. Severn, MD: Media History Press, on pp. 114–121. View Quote
Mystery of the Wax Museum (USA 1933, Michael Curtiz):
Anonymous (1933): Forthcoming Pictorial Productions. In a Waxworks. In: The New York Times, Feb., p. 5. View Quote
Full text on The New York Times website. View Link
The Vagabond King (USA 1930, Ludwig Berger):
Rice, P. F. L (1930): The Influence of Color. In: The International Photographer, 2,1, Feb., p. 8. View Quote
Full text on the Media History Digital Library website. View Link
