1931 'Frankenstein' colorized?

[Sly Wolf]

After reading this thread, that cause me to have a flashback of seeing this colorized VHS copy (same cover!) of Maltese Falcon at bookstore couple days ago. Completely forgot about until today, I wish it should stay forgotten in my head. Thank goodness I watched only B&W version of it!

Idea of many film noir films out there to be colored like this, THIS IS MADNESS!!

[Monsters For Sale]

Maltese Falcon in 'color'?

That sounds SO awful!

[Sly Wolf]

Maltese Falcon in 'color'?

That sounds SO awful!

I kid you not. This version actually exist on a VHS tape!

Film noir are meant to be shown in black and white for much better film visuals! German Expressionism style such as found in film noir films works better in B&W.

[Monsters For Sale]

I kid you not. This version actually exist on a VHS tape!

Film noir are meant to be shown in black and white for much better film visuals! German Expressionism style such as found in film noir films works better in B&W.

I just think of all those incredible German impressionist films of the late 20's and early 30's in color!

"White Zombie" in color!

(Quick, someone gouge my eyes out!!)

[Universal Steve]

I hope you don't mind me steering this topic in another direction. My friend and I were discussing the original Phantom Of The Opera with Lon Chaney. This came up because Svengoolie was showing the Claude Rains Phantom this Saturday.  To settle an argument, instead of another remake which we might all hate. if Universal took the original and colorized it (remember there was already a hand tinted scene for the Mask of the Red Death segment) and added a sountrack and got actors to do voice overs (maybe Ron Chaney to keep it in the family and make nice with him because of the lawsuit) and maybe a little touchup of the Phantom in CGI. Would you go see this? I am not a fan of colorization (never was) but I would be curious on how it turned out. Chaneys make up is iconic and the only vision I see when someone mentions The Phantom Of The Opera. It would be a great way to introduce him to a new generation. What do you think?

[Monsters For Sale]

Truthfully, I don't mind anything they do to bring these classics films to a broader audience.

But, as an old-timer, I would not go see it.

[Count_Zirock]

I hope you don't mind me steering this topic in another direction. My friend and I were discussing the original Phantom Of The Opera with Lon Chaney. This came up because Svengoolie was showing the Claude Rains Phantom this Saturday.  To settle an argument, instead of another remake which we might all hate. if Universal took the original and colorized it (remember there was already a hand tinted scene for the Mask of the Red Death segment) and added a sountrack and got actors to do voice overs (maybe Ron Chaney to keep it in the family and make nice with him because of the lawsuit) and maybe a little touchup of the Phantom in CGI. Would you go see this? I am not a fan of colorization (never was) but I would be curious on how it turned out. Chaneys make up is iconic and the only vision I see when someone mentions The Phantom Of The Opera. It would be a great way to introduce him to a new generation. What do you think?

It was already attempted, actually..

After the successful introduction of sound pictures during the 1928-29 movie season, Universal announced that they had secured the rights to a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera from the Gaston Leroux estate. Entitled The Return of the Phantom, the picture would be in sound and color. Now under contract at MGM, Universal could not get Chaney, and unbeknownst to the studio, Chaney was already sick from throat cancer, the disease which would ultimately kill him the following year.

Universal scrapped the sequel idea, and instead opted to re-issue The Phantom of the Opera with a new synchronized score and effects track, as well as new dialog sequences. Directors Ernst Laemmle and Frank McCormick re-shot a little less than half of the picture in sound during August 1929, while the remainder of the film was scored with music and sound effects, with music arranged by Joseph Cherniavsky. Mary Philbin and Norman Kerry reenacted their roles for the sound re-shoot, and Edward Martindel, George B. Williams, Phillips Smalley, Ray Holderness, and Edward Davis added to the cast to replace actors that were unavailable. Universal was contractually unable to loop Chaney's dialogue, but "third person" dialogue by the Phantom was looped over shots of his shadow. (The voice-overs are uncredited, but are probably Phillips Smalley.) Because Chaney's talkie debut was eagerly anticipated by film-goers, advertisements emphasized, "Lon Chaney's portrayal is a silent one!"

The sound version of Phantom opened on February 16, 1930 and grossed another million dollars. This re-issue of the film is lost, although the soundtrack discs survive.

The other complication is that Universal Pictures no longer has the copyright to this film, as they failed to renew it (or "The Hunchback of Notre Dame") in 1953.

Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 4

[Wich2]

>(remember there was already a hand tinted scene for the Mask of the Red Death segment)<

There's more than that to remember - there were the several Technicolor scenes in the original!

Which puts the lie to the theory that the makers of Horror or Noir films back then only envisioned them in B &W; more often than not, the decision was technical and/or financial.

-Craig

[Universal Steve]

It was already attempted, actually..The other complication is that Universal Pictures no longer has the copyright to this film, as they failed to renew it (or "The Hunchback of Notre Dame") in 1953.

I thought they did renew it because whenever there is a Phantom figure or Hunchback  for example from Diamond Select there is the Universal Seal with Frankenstein on it which indidcates a licensed product.

[Count_Zirock]

>(remember there was already a hand tinted scene for the Mask of the Red Death segment)<

There's more than that to remember - there were the several Technicolor scenes in the original!

Which puts the lie to the theory that the makers of Horror or Noir films back then only envisioned them in B &W; more often than not, the decision was technical and/or financial.

-Craig

Indeed, both "Son of Frankenstein" and "The Wolf Man" were originally envisioned as Technicolor films. I think it was also considered for "Son of Dracula."

I thought they did renew it because whenever there is a Phantom figure or Hunchback, for example, from Diamond Select there is the Universal Seal with Frankenstein on it which indicates a licensed product.

They're actually licensed through Chaney Enterprises, hence the current lawsuit. Universal allowed both "Hunchback" and "Phantom" to lapse into public domain. And, technically, Lon Chaney Sr isn't protected by the Celebrity Rights Act, as he died prior to 1938. Chaney Jr, however, is protected by the CRA. Try putting out unlicensed Chaney Sr merchandise, and then try to license Chaney Jr, though. Most companies are interested in both Chaneys, so they license both through the family, and license Chaney Jr characters like The Wolf Man and Count Alucard through the studio. That's why the 1943 "Phantom" is on the Universal Monsters Blu-ray collection, and not the Chaney version.

Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 4