Friday, November 2, 2007

Landmark Film - Gone with the Wind

It is impossible to discuss the impact of colour technology in early cinema without discussing the film Gone with the Wind (1939). Apart from being one of top earning US film, it established the arrival of colour. David O. Selznick (1902 - 1965) was an advocate for colour, particularly the three-strip technicolor system. Prior to Gone with the Wind, Selznick had produced the first feature film in three-colour technicolor Becky Sharp (1935) to a luke a warm reception. The epic film was made only four years later, but the scenes were visually more powerful and more demanding. This is evident in the famous Atlanta burning sequence that required seven technicolor cameras.

1 comment:

caveat emptorium said...

Hello,
Please bear in mind that Selznick wasn't involved with Pioneer until the company founded by his friend Meriam C. Cooper and the Whitneys merged with Selznick International, well after "Becky" premiered.
Thanks for emphasize the importance of GWTW as a boost to Technicolor.
Regards.