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This is intended primarily for Bob Furmanek, though I'd enjoy hearing from anyone who's interested.
There are 3D films not listed in Amazing 3-D. One of these is a Columbia production, released in December 1956, 7th Cavalry. It was a adapted from a short story written in 1955, "A Horse for Mrs Custer", adding a love interest (Barbara Hale) and "promoting" Randolph Scott to Captain. It's well-written and directed, though historically almost a total fabrciation.
I saw it the other night on one of those digital sub-channel networks (GRIT, I think). It took only about a minute to realize it was shot in 3D -- and very well, too. The 3D is used to enhance scenes, rather than hurl things at the audience.
The first 3D bubble burst in 1954. Why Columbia would have made a 3D film in 1956 is hard to grasp. I asked the son of the short story's author whether he knew about it being in 3D, but he didn't know.
About two months ago I saw another "forgotten" 3D Western, but stupidly forgot to write down its name.
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I'm not the sort who sees 3D hiding behind every rock. I've seen enough 3D films to spot the "tells" almost immediately.
For example, I recently tuned in on Jesse James vs the Daltons, not knowing what it was. Within 15 seconds, I knew it was 3D -- and Amazing 3-D confirmed it.
The next time you watch the film, look closely and see whether you agree.
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7th CAVALRY was not filmed - or even considered - for 3-D production.
Columbia's last stereoscopic film was Sam Katzman's JESSE JAMES VS. THE DALTONS which finished shooting on July 18, 1953.
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The New York premiere for 3-D RARITIES and the first NY 3-D screening of HONDO since 1954.
John Wayne's classic will not be released on 3-D Blu-ray. Don't miss it!
There's more information on 3-D RARITIES here: http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/3-d-rarities
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7th CAVALRY was not filmed -- or even considered -- for 3-D production.
Columbia's last stereoscopic film was Sam Katzman's JESSE JAMES VS. THE DALTONS which finished shooting on July 18, 1953.
I think I've found a rational explanation. (And, no, it's not that I'm blind and/or stupid.)
7th Cavalry is "obviously" a 3D film, and anyone viewing it would say that it at least looks like one. The question of why "the stingiest man in town" (Harry Cohn) would have spent money on 3D in 1956 crossed my mind many times before I started this thread.
The film's director, Joseph H Lewis, was one of the great B directors (best-known for Gun Crazy). He earned the nickname "Wagon-Wheel Joe" for shooting scenes through the spokes of wagon wheels, especially when he thought the scene had no particular visual or dramatic interest. He even acquired a collection of wagon wheels, putting one at the edge of a shot to provide a sense of depth.
He wasn't much-interested in directing 7th Cavalry. So it's reasonable to believe he compensated for his disinterest by using virtually every framing device known, turning the film into a visual textbook of such devices -- and making it look as if had been shot in 3D.
This isn't unique to Lewis. Some years ago, I noticed that John Ford would set up shots as if he were shooting in 3D. One of his biographers told me that Ford liked to divide an image into three planes. Ergo...
Now, if I can just remember the name of that bad 3D Western... It had a woman trying to run a ranch, or something like that...
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That's it. Thank you. (It's not listed in Amazing 3-D.)
How about a double feature with Those Redheads from Seattle?
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No, that's not a 3-D production.
There were exactly 50 domestic 3-D features; 51 if you include the never-released 3-D FOLLIES.
Here they are: http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/golden-age-3-d
I'm going to let this drop. Unless I have the wrong film (and I might), I know a 3D film when I see one. (I'm 68, have been watching movies for over 60 years, used to be a serious amateur photographer, have reviewed high-end audio equipment, can hear the difference between MP3 and uncompressed audio, and know a 3D film when I see one, as assuredly as I know whether the sky is cloudy or clear.) If this discussion goes any further, it will get personal, and I don't want that.
Thanks to all to responding to my original post.
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Forgive me for not keeping my promise. The following isn't "personal", so it shouldn't matter.
The issue seems to be whether a film was shot in 3D, versus whether it was released in 3D. I have no argument with the claim that only 50 movies were released in 3D during the first wave.
That doesn't mean there weren't films that were shot in 3D, but never released in 3D. One of these appears to be the 1954 Dragnet. I've seen this film, and it is so obviously -- even "excessively" -- 3D, that it's hard to believe it wasn't shot that way. *
The IMDb entry on has a long discussion (seven pages of messages) as to whether this film was shot in 3D. (I'm hardly the only viewer who's noticed.) It's been suggested that Dragnet was planned for 3D, but budget constraints caused a change of plans. Okay. But if that's the case -- why are the scenes so obviously and aggressively blocked out for 3D?
* By the way, it's a good film, with an ironic, almost nihilistic ending.
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Studio production records have been extensively researched and documented.
DRAGNET was never planned for 3-D filming.
As I mentioned, there were exactly 50 domestic features filmed stereoscopically but not all were released in 3-D.
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Yes, the following seven 3-D features were released flat only:
THE COMMAND
THE BOUNTY HUNTER
JIVARO
SON OF SINBAD
DRAGONFLY SQUADRON
TOP BANANA
THE DIAMOND WIZARD
We've researched this matter extensively since the early 1970's through studio production files. The Golden Age features actually photographed stereoscopically are well documented.
If anybody wants to claim that others are 3-D, please provide documentation from primary source materials. Thank you!
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I can't gainsay someone who's actually done the research. I definitely don't mind being wrong about this.
Should Amazing 3-D ever be revised, perhaps someone will add material about movies that look as if they were shot in 3D, but weren't.
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