"...I thought I knew and appreciated 3-D movies before, the World 3-D Film Expo opened my eyes much wider. Thanks to three cheerfully obsessive fellows (Jeff Joseph of Sabucat Productions, Dan Symmes, co-author of the book Amazing 3-D, and film preservationist Bob Furmanek) the Expo went far beyond any festival of this kind ever staged before. They attempted to gather every feature, every short, and every scrap of film extant..." - Leonard Maltin's MOVIE CRAZY (http://www.leonardmaltin.com)


I wanted to thank you for putting on the great 3-D Festival at the Egyptian. I have never written a "thank you note" to anybody who programs a film festival before, but I think (I know) it was the greatest film festival I have ever attended in my life. I saw 16 out of the 33 films, and now I feel badly that I missed the ones that I missed. It was great not only to see these films, but to see them projected so clearly and beautifully. My previous 3-D experiences (seeing anaglyphic, dark, blurry "House of Wax" at the Tiffany in the 70s, when I was 10) were horrible. But it was worth the wait to see all of the films this year. I hope you'll do it again. - Chuck Zigman


" I managed to get to several screenings, enjoyed them all, and heard nothing but compliments for the entire organization and presentation of the festival. Truly a monument in film festival history. My hearty congratulations. I won't say what I'm sure your sick of hearing, but it is, of course, the ultimate compliment when people ask for more. For now, however, you've earned the right to savor your success." - Randy Haberkamp

Thank you again for your efforts in making the finest imaginable 3-D festival available to us. I have been following this process with interest since April 17, 1953, and my interest and enthusiasm for this most realistic film medium to date has not diminished with the passage of time. In watching those 33 films and 20 short subjects I tried to visualize them with the same awe as I first did as a 13 year old, not quite the same, but doggone close considering the span of time.

I live in Dallas and have been friends with Paul Adair for several years. Paul helped tremendously when I sponsored the Dallas premiere of Dial M for Murder in 3-D in November, 1991. What knowledge I have of the technical aspects of 3-D I learned from Paul. I did everything possible to persuade him to attend the event, but as he could not attend I got Paul a copy of the program and DVD, which is a well made production in itself.

There is much I could say about the event, but in summary I am astonished at the hard work that went into the project and assembling the surviving films that do exist. The new Columbia prints from Sony Pictures make the films seem as if they were lensed yesterday. This is good vault management and preservation on the part of Columbia and I laud them for it. The same plaudits for the collectors who furnished the left or right side versions of existing copies or made up new prints. Many of these films I wanted to see for years in the original process, and was not disappointed. Counting the odd reels and pieces from Jivaro, Sangaree, Devil's Canyon, Redheads from Seattle and others, out of the 50 or so 3-D features produced and released from November '52 to May '55, I have now seen 45 of them in the 3-D process at one time or another, many of them at the festival. This is as good as it gets, and although it took me until late middle age to view this many, it was well worth the wait.

I must mention the 20 or so short subject and cartoons shown. I am even more amazed that these exist, let alone be found and shown in such remarkable condition. I would have written them off as lost and discarded decades ago, yet there they were as good as ever. Unbelievable, and what entertainment to see them.

The Egyptian Theater seems the best place for the event, with the courtyard that turned out to be absolutely necessary for crowd management. We tried to calculate just how much the original theater had been reduced in size since 1922, since we could have used the space. We had no doubt the event would be crowded, and I was glad to have a pass. The crowds turned away tell us (or somebody) that there is still a market for double strip polarized 3-D from the 1950s, especially with the quality fare of House of Wax, Dial M for Murder, Kiss Me Kate. A note on KMK for interest; Dallas was one of the few cities it was released in 3-D and I saw it in December, 1953. Of interest to me was the 22 second 3-D demonstration footage included in the print we saw. This footage was not included in the 1953 print, because I certainly would have remembered it. How great to see KMK in 3-D again, now an old friend, with scenes I never saw before!

In summary, many, many thanks for putting on this outstanding event. The hard work and preparations were most obvious, and the projectionists were masterful in their skills. You and your colleagues have truly made a significant contribution to film interest, history and preservation, and because of your work a new generation will have these films available to enjoy and appreciate. I do not have E-Mail addresses for Dan Symmes and Bob Furmanek, but I hope you will share this message with them. A world class project if there ever was one and I enjoyed every day of it immensely. Best regards to you and your future endeavors - Tom Giltner

Impression of 3-D Film Expo: It Was Magic!
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood CA 12-21 SEP 03

I attended the 3-D Film Expo at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood CA 12-21 SEP 03. It was a one-time screening of every 3-D feature film for which both left and right eyes have survived in some form or another, about 33 features out of about 50 made. These features were made in 1952 thru early 1954, then CinemaScope took over. A lot of 3-D shorts and oddities were included. Films were projected by two interlocked projectors, one for the left eye and the other for the right eye, thru polarized filters onto a special silvered screen. We viewed the films using polarized glasses, and program order and sound levels were just as done in the early 1950's. The Expo was organized by Jeff Joseph of SabuCat Productions, who assures it will never happen again.

The 3-D Film Expo was another of my experiences of a lifetime. I saw every scheduled presentation. The quality of the print preparation was exceptional, and the competence in the booth was a wonder to behold. Many new b&w and color prints were struck, in one case of the only surviving eye so the other eye was faded and slugged often (opaque film spliced in, to time it to the good eye print). And the used prints were clean, marvelously clean, I wonder how that was done? In the following, my interest is primarily technical rather than film critic, and my memory is not perfect.

"House of Wax" was probably the outstanding film, for color, story, flow, condition, and consistent use of 3-D. Right behind it were "Gorrilla At Large" and "Phantom of the Rue Morgue". Then, "Miss Sadie Thompson" and "Inferno". "Dial M for Murder" and "Kiss Me Kate" were in a class by themselves.

"Kiss Me Kate" absolutely delighted the audience, which spontaneously applauded after each musical number. Color in the brand-new print was excellent and almost as vivid as IB Tech (dye transfer). We enjoyed insertion of a "lost" short 3-D jesters juggling sequence after the "Kiss Me Kate" banner was carried onto the stage and, I think, a few seconds of greater depth just prior to The End title. Somehow, the wizards who built the stereo sound flowed it right over these inserted segments.

Another sellout-crowd was completely enthused watching "Money From Home", laughing continually at the antics of Martin and Lewis. A film like that would be boring to most audiences of one, but the full theatre resounded with continous hilarity--we were almost wrung out by the time it ended and there was another film yet to see that night.

Jane Russell's 3-D bosum appeared a bit uncomfortable at times in "French Line", as if Howard Hughes and Frederick's of Hollywood were pushing overtime on it. A lot to be said for Howard Hughes funds and ability, in lifting "Second Chance" and "French Line" above what they might have been. The several IB Tech prints were wonderful for their color, including "Flight to Tangiers" (which showed the skeptic that California oaks grow in Morocco).

"Arena" was a nostaligic look at Tucson of fifty years ago and a fine story, and 3-D shots down the cattle chutes at the rodeo arena were standouts. The whole population of Tucson must have been the extras in the stands. All the westerns had their interesting moments, but few appeared to be high budget films. Many viewers were amused by attempts to 3-D the process shots, such as jerkily pulling rocks and bushes across the front of the stage. Fifty years ago, most of the westerns seen on their own would have seemed fascinating films, but seeing them together we were down to remembering what other film a particular rock was in and chuckling that they all were probably filmed within 20 miles of where we were sitting in Grauman's Egyptian Theatre.

We were told that "Hannah Lee" was composited of a number of faded PatheColor bits and pieces, some going vinegar, and the optical sound track was especially faded in stretches. It was surely a labor of love, likely 50 to 100 hours work plus reassembling what was left for their owners, for a film which may never run again.

"Jesse James vs. the Daltons" opened with an especially effective 3-D shot, a long look thru a hangman's noose down the street to an approaching lynch mob carrying a girl from the jail to the waiting noose.

"Dial M For Murder" is basically a stage play, and 3-D made one feel right at the edge of the stage. It was understated and effective. Color of new print was a bit soft, as I've seen on other prints of that title.

Fascinating black and white's too, such as "The Mad Magician" and "Man In The Dark". "It Came From Outer Space" had occasional light contrast in the left eye, but was just as frightening as fifty years ago (and then I got a booth tour and saw the selsyn control for advancing or retarding a projector; disappointed that no booth tour this time). And, the creatures and the robots (Gog and Magog powered by one muscular midget sweating profusly).

The shorts and cartoons and oddities were each unique and interesting. Bracketing Bugs Bunny's "Lumberjack Rabbit", the Warner Bros. concentric circles stepped far back into the screen and Bugs was way out in front, and I think "That's All Folks" was midway. The view along Bug's mine cart track thru carrots he'd gnawed clear to the far horizon was outstanding. And, in Disney's "Working For Peanuts", brightly colored outlines of hearts slowly floated from Chip and Dale out into the audience, one after another, that you could reach out and almost touch as they approached! The Three Stooges used 3-D effectively, and the British short, I think it was something like "Keep Your Eye on the Ball", and a slow float along the Thames River in flood was fascinating. Can't say enough for the 1939 "Motor Rythm", synchronizing music and 3-D.

3-D in these movies seemed to work best when the motion towards the audience was slow and deliberate, did not touch an edge of the screen, and had tremendous depth of focus. The paddleboard sequences in "House Of Wax" qualifiy, as the barker bounced the ball towards the viewer on the same trajectory a number of times before changing heading. Both left and right eye prints need to be pretty well matched for contrast and color (if any) or the brain can become distracted now and again--the 3-D effect is there but the brain doesn't expect sudden imperfections seen by one eye only.

On Monday, Arclight CineramaDome gave us a special noon-time screening of a new documentary about Cinerama, done in "Smile-box" single strip, and then a screening of a brand new three strip print of "How The West Was Won" with excellent color and quality, after which we had the run of the booth. I stayed an hour and a half in the booth and learned a lot, then hoofed it to the Egyptian for "Arena" at 7 PM. I can appreciate that CinemaScope, run by one projectionist, had economic appeal over Cinerama run by five projectionists (one for each of three projectors, one for sound which is on separate 130 pound reels of magnetic track film, and one to coordinate and balance the presentation in the auditorium. Where the projected strips meet on the screen, the edges are blended by a "jigglelo", which mounts behind the aperture in each projector and jitters in synchronization.

The interviews with performers and others associated with films were priceless (and were videotaped). When asked, Kathryn Grayson recalled that filming time for "Kiss Me Kate" was about three months. I expect the filming times for all the other films we saw, if added together, wouldn't total much more than three months--including a few three day wonders!

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre was a comfortable venue, about 660 seats. Ladies snickered, seeing fifty or more fellows lined up for access to four urinals. The spacious courtyard accomodated a line of pass-holders on the left, a line of single ticket purchasers on the right, and a line down the middle of people hoping to purchase a ticket after empty seats were counted. The surrounding area is upgrading, and those I talked with felt safe late at night. Most 3-D films and interviews took longer than scheduled, which was fine, but finding a meal and getting back in line was often catch-as-catch-can. Grauman's Chinese and the El Capitan both hosted premiers on the same night, closing Hollywood and Highland Boulevards, and public areas of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel were often absorbed by functions or filming.

I had hoped to talk with other film collectors and people involved in technical aspects and perhaps catch a seminar but this did not occur. Most in the pass-holders line seemed to be involved with still or video 3-D or were film buffs. The still 3-D folks had displays set up in the lobby and put on several slide shows in the Speilberg (sp?) Screening Room in the lobby.

Aside, I attended a 7PM show of "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" (very unremarkable) at Gruman's Chinese Theatre, and was disappointed by showmanship. Audio too loud, too much subharmonic bass, white screen as title curtain opened, insulting dismissal message adlibed by projectionist after film to clear the house, and only about 100 in audience and each in their own world--no synergism as at the 3-D Expo. I anticipated far better in such a famous house as Grauman's Chinese.

Tremendous thanks to the 3-D Film Expo volunteer organizers, the black tee shirts such as Jeff Joseph, Bob Furmanek, Dan Symmes, and their friends, and the yellow STAFF tee shirts which tirelessly volunteered crowd control and flushed out malingerers hiding in toilet stalls and behind wastebaskets, the competent projection crew, and especially to affectionados at the studios for striking new prints where possible and collectors for loan of their prints (often of one eye as I understand, which had to be matched up with another collector's other eye), and the professionals who donated sound and picture work on the fly (a lot of last minute g-jobs). The finale: a fine early-hours light buffet in the courtyard.

The 3-D Film Expo was wonderful. It was a strenuous float in a world that couldn't be, a time that couldn't happen. It did! It is burned forever in memory. Alas, the magic is over, the trolls have gone back to their day jobs. - Gary A. Hoselton