Colourised Films

[jools]

Hello My name is Jools a keen collector of Old Black and White movies & TV Programs. I love the old RKO/Universal 1930's Black and White horror films, Ealing comedy's, Hitchcock and a lot of the old B & W comedy 1940-1970.
I recently purchsed a behind the scenes DVD of the old Gerry Anderson's marrionets series called "Supercar" amongst the the behind scenes footage, are some early colour scenes not just photos, but there is a new colourised segment. both for Supercar and Fireball XL5, these were made and shown in Black and White but this new colourised version is really breath taking.

I could sight of a special Doctor Who episode the Doctor was played by
Peter Mc cann? over his shoulder was the Boris Karoff "Frankenstein" film being shown on a monitor in Colour? I did n't know that there was a colour print of this old classic, the colours looked very impressive, for the few seconds that were shown?
Universal Pictures do have some behind the scenes footage of Boris fully made up as the Creature ( Ghost of Frankenstein) poking his tongue out to the camera, this has been repeated a few times on the Biography channel.
But I have not seen any other colourised versions of Dracula or Frankenstein?

Does anybody remember an old Children's TV series/Program (1965/7) called Ramshackle Road, there was a menacing actor called tin chin, there was an awful buzzing noize as he walk around this old house, quiet frighting at the time..

Thank you to anyone who can answer any of these questions.

Jools.

[lordtednfs]

Originally Posted by jools Does anybody remember an old Children's TV series/Program (1965/7) called Ramshackle Road, there was a menacing actor called tin chin, there was an awful buzzing noize as he walk around this old house, quiet frighting at the time.. Thank you to anyone who can answer any of these questions. Jools.

I tried to a little bit of research for this member and found that many sites that I tried to visit were dangerously open to attacks on my pc, thank goodness for a decent anti virus/spyware system which raised alerts all over the place.

No disrespect to new members, maybe you should surf the web for your own information and learn from your mistakes. Many bonafide members here will help you as much as possible and give good sound solid advice, but don't expect the impossible or leave them open to attacks on their pc's. We would not do it you....................

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Hooked off the line

[dylan]

According to Frankenstein (1931) - Alternate versions there is a colourized version of Frankenstein.

D.

[batman]

Originally Posted by dylan According to Frankenstein (1931) - Alternate versions there is a colourized version of Frankenstein. D.

Why? If ever a film revelled in it's B/W glory it's this one!

[PaulPlowman]

I'm almost insanely sure that the subject of colourisation must have appeared in numerous threads, so I'll just compress my thoughts to - "Why?"

[maturin]

Originally Posted by PaulPlowman I'm almost insanely sure that the subject of colourisation must have appeared in numerous threads, so I'll just compress my thoughts to - "Why?"

Yes, colourisation is dangerous subject, like the Dingo Baby or Capturing the Friedmans, best discussed with total strangers that you are sure you will never meet again.



R

[Edward G]

Ha Ha Ha. What a card you are maturin!
Many of Laurel and hardy's films have been colourised. It's great to see that Stan had red hair, for example, but to my eye the black and white prints look sharper....
And Laurel and Hardy producer Hal Roach responded to the colourisation of his own films by saying "But does it make them any funnier?"

Originally Posted by maturin Yes, colourisation is dangerous subject, like the Dingo Baby or Capturing the Friedmans, best discussed with total strangers that you are sure you will never meet again. R

[CaptainWaggett]

List of colourised films. I am appalled.

[Lord Lucan]

Originally Posted by CaptainWaggett List of colourised films. I am appalled.

Captain Wagget lol, I watched the good Captain just a few days ago trying to stop the locals getting their hands on that whisky, great film, an Ealing Classic.

[Joenoir]

Originally Posted by CaptainWaggett List of colourised films. I am appalled.

Some of the films on the list, which includes the technicolored The Birds!, would benefit from colour. However, the process produces some less than satisfactory results, which is presumably why it gets such a bad press.

[Buffalo_Chuck]

There IS justice in the world of such art crimes. Business justice. When WB went to the expense of applying crayons and inks to MALTESE FALCON, those units sold early in their first week, but in weeks and months to come, only the original B&W versions were selling.

By the 4th month, most retailers removed them from their shelves and used the space for DVDs that did sell.

Some reviewers wondered how many times Bogart changed his suit while waiting for the morning sun to arise, as his trousers started in blue, then gray and then brown. Greenstreet's clothing only rotated between brown and gray, and perhaps that was enough, since it wasn't HIS room they were all clustered in.

[booby trap]

Originally Posted by Edward G Ha Ha Ha. What a card you are maturin! Many of Laurel and hardy's films have been colourised. It's great to see that Stan had red hair, for example, but to my eye the black and white prints look sharper.... And Laurel and Hardy producer Hal Roach responded to the colourisation of his own films by saying "But does it make them any funnier?"

You are right, the colourised Laurel and Hardy Prints are very soft in focus, and the frameing is not the same, you can see this more on the titles which are just a still frame from the original titles. I never watch the colourised version, it's not natural colour and like i've said top, bottom and sides are clipped. Always the nice sharpe B&W version for me.

[HitchcockScholar]

I have a colourised version (on VHS) of SUSPICION in my collection.
Terrible!

[Steve Crook]

Even when the colorization isn't done appalling badly like in many of the examples cited, it's still wrong.

Ask the cinematographer and director if they would have still made exactly the same shots if colour stock had been available to them. The answer will very nearly always be a loud NO.

You look for different things in the frame when you're composing a B&W shot or a colour shot.

Colour film isn't just B&W film with colour added

Some people think that colorization adds to a film. It doesn't, it actually detracts from it

Steve

[PaulPlowman]

Originally Posted by CaptainWaggett List of colourised films. I am appalled.

Who on Earth thought that going to the effort of colourising Plan 9 from Outer Space would make it more appealing to anyone? The only reason that it's so well known is because it's so bad. What were they trying to do, make it even worse?