April 8, 1953: first big Hollywood 3D film

On this day's date in 1953, the first 3D movie made by a major Hollywood studio hit screens. I was surprised to learn that it wasn't Jaws 3D House of Wax, but rather Man In The Dark. From Wired:

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."

Link

[#1 posted by BEAUTIFUL , April 8, 2008 3:46 PM]

Now lets see someone try to put THAT on YouTube

[#2 posted by Antinous , April 8, 2008 3:51 PM]

But six months later, Kiss Me Kate was released in 3-D. Eye-blindingly colorful and 3-Delicious. Bob Fosse dances in it and Ann Miller sings a song with the refrain "dick, dick, dick, a dick, dick, a dick, dick." Best viewed at the Castro Theater on acid with a bottle of poppers handy.

[#3 posted by TulsaTV , April 8, 2008 4:11 PM]

The refrain "dick, dick, dick, a dick, dick, a dick, dick" might work better in a later 3D blockbuster, "The Stewardesses":

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/05/04/the-stewardesses-in-.html

[#4 posted by takeshi , April 8, 2008 4:12 PM]

Interestingly, 3D photos have been around since the 1800s. I was surprised to learn that there are 3D photographs of the Lincoln conspirators being hung.

[#5 posted by JamesMason , April 8, 2008 4:23 PM]

Misidentified photo -

They're all watching an atom bomb explode.

[#6 posted by se7a7n7 , April 8, 2008 4:43 PM]

Back then, many in the movie industry thought that all movies would soon be in 3D. Seriously!

[#7 posted by yotta , April 8, 2008 4:48 PM]

Don't forget Bwana Devil (1952). http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0044462
Leaping lions and Anscocolor. Maybe it wasn't a big studio production but who really cares.

[#8 posted by Rob Cruickshank , April 8, 2008 5:40 PM]

And note the polarized glasses! None of the big Hollywood releases used anaglyph.

[#9 posted by Jake0748 , April 8, 2008 6:42 PM]

I always thought (I dunno where I heard it), that Creature from the Black Lagoon was the first Hollywood 3-D movie. I saw it once in a theater, with the glasses, it was cheesy but fun.

[#10 posted by Falcon_Seven , April 8, 2008 8:56 PM]

IMDB lists the USA premiere date as April 9, 1953:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046036/releaseinfo

Hot on the heels of this release was one of my all-time favorites, 'It Came From Outer Space', which was based on a Ray Bradbury short story entitled, 'The Meteor'. It featured Richard Carlson of 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' fame and the always beautiful, Barbara Rush. This film featured excellent 3-D effects which have to be experienced from a good print of the film to be appreciated.

[#11 posted by Belinda , April 8, 2008 9:26 PM]

They are looking into the future...

[#12 posted by buddy66 , April 9, 2008 9:33 AM]

'I am a girl who will marry (who will marry very quick)
'Any Tom, Dick or Harry, any Tom, Harry or Dick.
'I want a Dick Dick Dick, I want a Dick Dick Dick,
'I want a Dick...'

Cole Porter being sexually subversive in 1948.