Last month I wrote about my adventures in rescuing the 1953 3-D feature INFERNO, and how I helped the Noir City Film Festival screen the digital restoration in San Francisco. Well I have more exciting news about INFERNO. Thanks to my efforts, 20th Century Fox is now making the picture available for additional showings, and the Noir City Fest is bringing it to Los Angeles this month. It will be screening at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theater on Saturday, April 20th, on a double-bill with the 3-D noir MAN IN THE DARK. I would highly recommend both of the classics from 3-D’s golden age.
And speaking of classic 3-D, the TCM Classic Film Fest is coming to Hollywood this month, and they are also showing two excellent films from the 1950s. On Friday, April 26th, they will be screening HONDO, starring John Wayne, and on Sunday, April 28th, they are scheduled to show Alfred Hitchcock’s DIAL M FOR MURDER. Both shows will be digital presentations on the big screen at the Chinese 6 at Hollywood and Highland. Passes to the TCM Fest are available now, and individual tickets will only be sold at the door prior to each show.
I think it’s wonderful that these movies from the 1950s 3-D wave are finally making their way back into theaters, and hopefully they will all eventually be available on Blu-Ray (only DIAL M is currently available). Of course I would also love for the studios to do digital restoration of the other 50 or so classic 3-D films - including KISS ME KATE, HOUSE OF WAX, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, THE GLASS WEB, THE FRENCH LINE, and so on and so on. Of course the studios will only do more releases if audiences show them there’s a market for classic 3-D. So let’s make sure that these local screenings sell out, and prove to the studios that there is a demand for the library titles.
I looked up some statistics, and found that for the first weekend of April, four of the Top 10 movies in theaters were 3-D; three of the last four Oscars for cinematography went to 3-D movies; and ten of the Top 20 boxoffice hits of all-time are available in 3-D (either originally released, or converted and re-released). So clearly, 3-D is here to stay, and it’s profitable. So how about it Hollywood studios? Can’t we please have our classics released on BluRay?
p.s.- There will be another opportunity to see 1950s 3-D movies later this year. Details to come soon...
