Friday, March 13, 2015

Tower Drive-In Ad – March 4, 1955

Back when drive-in movie theaters were young, it was apparently a big deal when they reopened for the season. Ads like the one above for the Tower Drive-in – which ran in the Lorain Journal on March 4, 1955 – were pretty common.

March 4th seems kind of early to kick off the drive-in season.

I posted the Tower Drive-in's 1956 Grand Reopening ad here.

That's a pretty unusual double feature – Women's World (1954) and Siege at Red River (1954). Something for both sexes I guess.

If you've got the time (and some popcorn) you can watch Siege at Red River right now below, courtesy of YouTube. It stars Van Johnson and Joanne Dru, who was in another similarly named movie – Red River – with John Wayne.

Siege at Red River has some great artwork during the opening credits.

5 comments:

Wireless.Phil said...

When with my parents as a kid and years later as a teen.

As for the movies back then, I felt the color was better, but was it the film, the type of camera, or most likely the person known as the color timer who added the color?

Wireless.Phil said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wireless.Phil said...

Color Timing
AKA: Color Correction, Color Timer, Color Corrected
A process which adjusts the final print so that colors match from shot to shot, regardless of the film stock and camera used to shoot the scene. So named because one aspect is adjusting the exposure time of each shot. Performed by a color timer. See also color consultant.

Wireless.Phil said...

Let me add to that regarding color:

Color Consultant
A technical advisor with expertise in film stock and film developing, who provides advice for cinematographers and color timers.

Color Temperature
Term that describes the color of light sources; literally, the temperature at which a blackbody emits enough radiant energy to evoke a color equivalent to that coming from a given light source. A high color temperature corresponds to bluer light, a low color temperature to yellow light. The color temperature of daylight is around 5500K.

Color Timing
AKA: Color Correction, Color Timer, Color Corrected
A process which adjusts the final print so that colors match from shot to shot, regardless of the film stock and camera used to shoot the scene. So named because one aspect is adjusting the exposure time of each shot. Performed by a color timer. See also color consultant.

Colorization
AKA: Colorized
A film alteration process where an operator digitally alters a black and white image to include color. It is a controversial practice because many filmmakers and viewers believe it fundamentally alters an artistic creation. Early attempts at colorization in the 1980's were relatively crude in their shading range. Examples of this kind of alteration are versions of Casablanca and It's a Wonderful Life. Citizen Kane is notable in that Orson Welles was able to legally prevent its alteration.

Wireless.Phil said...


Siege at Red River was shot in Technicolor, but that is a hard to explain. Different processes and cameras were used, there is an article in LA Times on it, if I can find it.

Dazzling color films? Thank the wizards at Technicolor
www.latimes.com/entertainment/classichollywood/la-et-mn-ca-technicolor-classic-hollywood-20150215-story.html