Colorized Versions of Old Movies (1 Viewer)

[JohnOPR]

Several older movies with stars like Bogart, Flynn, etc. that were originally made in black and white were later released (on TV) in color. "The Maltese Falcon," "Casablanca," and "They Died With Their Boots On" were just a few of those that were broadcast. Wonder if any of these -- in their colorized version -- will ever be released into the DVD market?

 

[Jason Seaver]

Doubtful; the market's not very large. For the most part, people interested in these movies want them unmolested.

 

[Matt Stieg]

God I hope not.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

The only colorized releases I can think of are some Three Stooges titles. I highly doubt that any of the classics you mention will be released that way -- people are too interested in their original versions.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I thought that colorized versions of some Shirley Temple films had been released? I avoided purchasing them for that reason.

 

[John Hodson]

In R2; similarly the Universal R2 Laurel and Hardy releases have colourised versions where applicable, but more importantly the original monchrome versions are included in every case.

You would have to pin me to a chair and force my eyelids open to get me to watch any colourised movie...

 

[Eric Peterson]

I accidentally rented the colorized version of "The Maltese Falcon" about 6 years ago. As soon as I popped it in the player, I immediately ejected it, and rushed back to the video store. I demanded a free exchange and rented something else.

I wouldn't watch any of these masterpieces colorized at gunpoint.

 

[Steve Phillips]

Those older colorized versions were pretty bad. They wouldn't be acceptable today even to people who actually want colorized versions.

That said, there are quite a few newly colorized movies on DVD, and more are coming, whether we like it or not. Fox distributes material colored by Legend Films, and Sony has many projects in the works too. The good news is, these DVDs all include BOTH the B/W and colorized versions.

Besides the already mentioned Shirley Temple DVDs, on the market already are some Three Stooges discs (more of those coming), NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, CARNIVAL OF SOULS, A CHRISTMAS WISH (aka THE GREAT RUPERT), BEYOND CHRISTMAS (aka BEYOND TOMORROW), REEFER MADNESS, A CHRISTMAS CAROl (1951) and others.

Probably the most bizarre thing on the horizon is a 16X9 anamorphic widescreen colorized version of THE WAR LOVER!

Not defending colorization, just telling you it's been revived a bit lately.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Queue the Orson Welles Ted Turner quotation!

Colorization is an abomination. It is no accident the "colorize" ends with "ize", just like "fertilize".

'nuff said.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Patrick McCart]

Keep Ted Turner and his goddamned Crayolas away from my movie.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

(bleep) Colorization!

 

[John Hodson]

Slightly OT but I have a good friend who has convinced me that messing with movie soundtracks - making 5.1 tracks from original mono or stereo sound - is as criminal as colourisation.

It took a while, but I'm right with him. 'Colouring' the sound is a bad as colouring images...

 

[GregoryMesh]

Artisan released colorized Champion and Universal released colorized Suspicion and Mr & Mrs Smith, but at least those discs included B&W as well (2 of them are compared at DVD Beaver, but be warned!).

Artisan released Blood on the Sun in colorized verison only, but it's available in B&W on various public domain discs.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

I understand this viewpoint and I respect it. However, I think there are varying degrees of "criminal" activities when it comes to the production of DVDs, and in my mind colorizing black & white films is more evil than creating a 5.1 track from a mono or stereo one. That's just my personal opinion, though...

 

[John Hodson]

I should qualify that by saying 'making 5.1 tracks from original mono or stereo sound and not providing the original theatrical soundtrack - is as criminal as colourisation.'

 

[John Hodson]

April 19 will be 'colorization' day in R1. Universal is releasing the Shirley Temple - Little Darling Pack featuring 'crayoned-in' versions of two of her films, and Fox release colour versions of The Jackie Robinson Story, Sherlock Holmes and the Woman in Green, Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon plus the 1957 version of My Man Godfrey.

The only saving grace with the Fox titles is that they also include the black & white versions, but it's a worrying trend.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

The 1957 version of My Man Godfrey was a color/CinemaScope film.

 

[John Hodson]

Now I'm confused; why on earth then include a monochrome version? (Unless Amazon has its facts wrong...)

My apologies, wasn't thinking straight (just flew off the handle at the thought of anything colorized!); Amazon does include cover shots of the other films, but not MMG - it must be an error musn't it? But the other movies definitely are colorized.

 

[Herb Kane]

I'm confused too John... especially since my JRS is an MGM disc. Good news though about the '57 version of MMG.

Was snooping around the Universal site and found this upcoming May release; Bedtime For Bonzo (1951).

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Universal's business site lists the Universal Shirley Temple double-feature release as being in black & white.