From 1953 to Today, Looking Back in 3-D

Originally posted at The Desk of Brian, www.deskofbrian.com: http://sites.google.com/site/thedeskofbrian/pop-culture-other-topics/untitledpost-2

April 8, 1953, nearly 50 years ago, the first big studio 3-D movie was officially introduced to the mainstream public. "Man in the Dark" was produced by Columbia Pictures and followed Robert Stack in Arch Oboler's "Bwana Devil" (a small production) to usher in the 3-D craze and boom.

Wired Magazine:

"Man in the Dark was a noir film starring Edmond O'Brien, a remake of the 1936 Ralph Bellamy movie, The Man Who Lived Twice. As 3-D it was underwhelming -- the climactic roller-coaster scene was described as flat -- and it apparently wasn't much of a flick, either, at least not to a New York Times critic who called it "a conspicuously low-grade melodrama."

The Globe in New York was the setting as Hollywood would fully embrace the "3-D" film technology and, as they say, the rest is history.

Now our local multiplex is again full of 3-D films. Maybe you endured "Alice in Wonderland" or enjoyed the scenic "Avatar" on an IMAX 3-D sceen. Well, strap yourself in, the list of upcoming 3-D experiences is longer than my grocery list. "Toy Story 3", the 4th Shrek film (Shrek: Forever After", Dreamwork's "Oobermind" and "Dispicable Me" are the creme of the crop for kids and "Harry Potter", "Tron", Joe Dante's "Hole" and a remake of "The Gate" will give adults a dose of the 3-D movie watching.

There is also those nightmarish rumors that "Star Wars" will be re-re-released in 3-D.

Everything seems to come full circle and 3-D technology took a few years to recoup from the disastrous "Jaws 3" but now, nearly 50 years later, fans are still thirsty for the lifelike realism 3-D films delivers.

It's hard to believe is all really exploded with a "Man in the Dark" and a small film with Robert Stack.

For the fanboys: Yes I know "Bwana Devil" was NOT the first 3-D film, but it was the first one in "Natural Vision" (first color stereoscopic 3-D feature). I also know that "Power of Love" in 1922 is officially considered the first 3-D film, however; the point of the article is the recognition of the anniversary of the 1950's 3-D popularity.