Posted on 02/28/2025 3:31:15 AM PST by Libloather
Hollywood may soon need to bid farewell to a visual effects giant credited with bringing classic films such as “Gone with the Wind” and “The Wizard of Oz” to full color.
Technicolor, the 110-year-old company that pioneered color motion picture processes, told its employees this week that it has been unable to find emergency investments to keep the firm afloat.
“Due to inability to find new investors for the full Group, despite extensive efforts, [Paris-headquartered] Technicolor Group has filed for Court ‘recovery procedure’ before the French Court of Justice to give a chance to enable to find solutions,” Technicolor Group CEO Caroline Parot wrote in a memo.
“This decision was not taken lightly; every possible path to preserve our legacy and secure the future of our teams will be thoroughly explored to offer a chance to each of its activity to be pursued with new investors,” Parot added.
News of the memo was first reported by the entertainment trade magazine Variety.
Technicolor is renowned for revolutionizing color filmmaking with its groundbreaking Technicolor Process, which introduced rich, vibrant color to cinema.
Established in 1915, the company developed a series of color systems, with Technicolor’s three-strip process, introduced in the 1930s, becoming the most famous.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Hollywood now care more about skin color than Technicolor.
Since most movies are now shot with digital cameras what is technicolor even used for?
Ebony and Ivory...Live together in perfect harmony...LOL
Some theaters are not equipped with digital projectors. They must use film. So, that film has to be printed.
Technicolor never did provide the film for movies. That came from Eastman Kodak. Technicolor is the printing process, usually to Kodak positives.
I believe The Red Shoes was the first Technicolor movie; that was a great movie that I can still watch.
Watching Lawrence of Arabia...The Dark Knight...2001...Jurassic Park...To Kill A Mockingbird...Schindler's List...Bridge on the River Kwai and other classics in 4K is an experience that's hard to top.
As far as recent films are concerned I have very,very little interest indeed.
I think, what companies like Disney & Amazon did to franchises like Star Wars and LOTR should be made criminal, and the heads of studios locked up for such crimes.
I'm pretty sure it's in the 1st Amendment -- no laws abridging freedom of speech except for big studios ruining wonderful old movie franchises....
I'll have to double check to be sure... 😉
Trump is having a chilling effect on the Hollywood haters.
There’s a muted mood in tout Hollywood, a general sense of unease among insiders about what’s to come. “Hollywood has not really figured out what to do yet, how to express themselves, or what’s going to be the most effective,” said Tom Nunan at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
“It’s hard to be creative when you’re afraid,” he added.
<><>afraid by the speed with which Trump moves
<><>afraid of sweeping executive orders across the federal govt —
<><>afraid of the buy-in from corporate leaders —
<><>afraid of how it all could influence future creative content.
Those technicolor cameras were said to provide the truest colors for the big screens.
This is what happens when you move your company out of the US (Paris) I’m sure that a US company can do what they did cheaper.
Most movies these days seem to be shot in fifty shades of green/blue/gray, with maybe two or three lumens krieglights. It’s a happening thing. It’s a drag.
The last Technicolor movie was The Godfather: Part II in 1974. The original 1953 War of the Worlds was in Technicolor.
They are/were? mostly into CGI nowadays:
https://www.technicolor.com/about/work/?category=film-episodic
Many companies enter Chap11 to get rid of horrendous union contracts. This might be the way to legally get rid of DEI hires. The same hires that ruined all of Hollywood by putting out trash films for over a decade.
Movies look uglier than ever . I want to blame digital but im not an expert
Die, Hollywood! Die!
Top 20 Technicolor three strip process films made using Technicolor’s three-strip process (aka “Process 4”) which ran from 1932 to 1955:
1. **Flowers and Trees** (1932) - The first film to use three-strip Technicolor, this Disney short won an Oscar and kicked off the color revolution in animation.
2. **Becky Sharp** (1935) - The first feature-length film shot entirely in three-strip Technicolor, a milestone despite its modest narrative.
3. **The Garden of Allah** (1936) - An early showcase of lush desert hues, starring Marlene Dietrich, proving the process’s outdoor potential.
4. **Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs** (1937) - Disney’s first feature-length animated film, its success solidified Technicolor’s dominance.
5. **The Adventures of Robin Hood** (1938) - Errol Flynn’s swashbuckler dazzles with vivid greens and reds, a Technicolor triumph.
6. **The Wizard of Oz** (1939) - Iconic for its transition from sepia to dazzling color, with ruby slippers and Emerald City shining bright.
7. **Gone with the Wind** (1939) - A sweeping epic where Technicolor amplifies the grandeur of Tara and Scarlett’s fiery spirit.
8. **The Thief of Bagdad** (1940) - A fantasy spectacle with exotic, jewel-toned visuals that push the process to its limits.
9. **Fantasia** (1940) - Disney’s experimental animation pairs music with bold, abstract colors, a technical marvel.
10. **The Black Swan** (1942) - A pirate adventure with Tyrone Power, its rich sea blues and costume palettes pop in Technicolor.
11. **For Whom the Bell Tolls** (1943) - Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman in a war drama with striking Spanish landscapes.
12. **Meet Me in St. Louis** (1944) - Judy Garland’s musical glows with warm, nostalgic hues of turn-of-the-century life.
13. **Leave Her to Heaven** (1945) - A rare Technicolor noir, its lurid colors heighten the psychological drama.
14. **Black Narcissus** (1947) - Powell and Pressburger’s Himalayan tale uses vivid reds and eerie tones to stunning effect.
15. **The Red Shoes** (1948) - A ballet masterpiece with Jack Cardiff’s cinematography making every frame a painting.
16. **Singin’ in the Rain** (1952) - Gene Kelly’s musical bursts with eye-popping yellows, greens, and reds in classic sequences.
17. **Gentlemen Prefer Blondes** (1953) - Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” shines in candy-colored glory.
18. **The Band Wagon** (1953) - Fred Astaire’s musical features the dazzling “Girl Hunt Ballet” in saturated Technicolor.
19. **Brigadoon** (1954) - A mystical Scottish tale with Gene Kelly, its misty landscapes and vivid kilts glow.
20. **The Ladykillers** (1955) - The last film shot with an unmodified three-strip camera, its quirky charm is heightened by rich color.
Been looking for a decent 3 strip technicolor photoshop action for awhile. I have a few, but they are quite involved and complicated, and don’t quite ma5ch the color of true technicolor films.
Martin Scorcese made a documentary about the Powell/Pressburger films, like “The Red Shoes” and “Black Narcissus”. Interesting viewing, if you like their movies.
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