Multicolor
Description
“In the Multicolor (two-color) subtractive process, two negative films are run simultaneously through any standard camera with their emulsion surfaces in contact. The front negative is orthochromatic, with the surface layer dyed orange-red to act as a filter for the image recorded on the rear panchromatic film. Double coated yellow dyed positive film is used for printing the pair of images in register on opposite sides of the film. The images are colored by a combined dye toning and chemical toning method and are varnished before projection to protect them from scratching.”
(Matthews, G.E. (1931): Principles and processes of photography in natural colors. In: The American Annals of Photography, 1930, pp. 222-235. Repr. in: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers 16, 1931, pp. 188-219.)
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Iridescence on Multicolor print, reflection properties. Credit: Library of Congress. Photograph by Barbara Flueckiger
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Magnification 20x. Credit: photomicrograph by Silvana Konermann.
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Magnification 10x. Credit: photomicrograph by Silvana Konermann.
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Magnification 5x. Credit: photomicrograph by Silvana Konermann.
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Source: Eggert, John (1932): Kurzer Überblick über den Stand der Farbenkinematographie. Bericht über den VIII. Internationalen Kongress für wissenschaftliche und angewandte Photographie, Dresden 1931, pp. 214-222. Leipzig: J. A. Barth.
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Credit: Geo. Willeman, Nitrate Film Vault Manager, Library of Congress. Film: Fox Movietone Follies of 1929.
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Source: Coe, Brian (1981): The History of Movie Photography. Westfield, N.J.: Eastview Editions.
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Source: Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall.
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Source: Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall.
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Credit: Illustration by Sarah Steinbacher, Multimedia & E-Learning-Services, University of Zurich. Source: Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall.
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Source: Eggert, John (1932): Kurzer Überblick über den Stand der Farbenkinematographie. Bericht über den VIII. Internationalen Kongress für wissenschaftliche und angewandte Photographie, Dresden 1931, pp. 214-222. Leipzig: J. A. Barth.
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Magnification of an area. Source: Eggert, John (1932): Kurzer Überblick über den Stand der Farbenkinematographie. Bericht über den VIII. Internationalen Kongress für wissenschaftliche und angewandte Photographie, Dresden 1931, pp. 214-222. Leipzig: J. A. Barth.
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Reflection properties. Source: Eggert, John (1932): Kurzer Überblick über den Stand der Farbenkinematographie. Bericht über den VIII. Internationalen Kongress für wissenschaftliche und angewandte Photographie, Dresden 1931, pp. 214-222. Leipzig: J. A. Barth.
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Original Technical Papers and Primary Sources
Otis, Russell M. (1931): The Multicolor Process. In: Journal of the Society of the Motion Picture Engineers, 17, 1931, pp. 5-10. View Quote
Secondary Sources
Alt, Dirk (2011): “Der Farbfilm marschiert!” Frühe Farbfilmverfahren und NS-Propaganda 1933-1945. München: Belleville, on pp. 43–44 View Quote, on p. 48 View Quote and on p. 75. (in German) View Quote
Cleveland, David; Pritchard, Brian (2015): How Films were Made and Shown. Some Aspects of the Technical Side of Motion Picture Film 1895-2015. Manningtree, Essex: David Cleveland, on p. 210. View Quote
Cornwell-Clyne, Adrian (= Adrian Klein) (1951): Colour Cinematography. London: Chapman & Hall, pp. 338-339. View Quote
D’haeyere, Hilde (2013): Technicolor – Multicolor – Sennett-Color. Natural Color Processes in Mack Sennett Comedies 1926-1931. In: Brown, Simon; Street, Sarah; Watkins, Liz): Color and the Moving Image. History, Theory, Aesthetics, Archive. New York, London: Routledge, pp. 23-36, on pp. 29–31. View Quote
Eggert, John (1932): Kurzer Überblick über den Stand der Farbenkinematographie. In: Bericht über den VIII. Internationalen Kongress für wissenschaftliche und angewandte Photographie, Dresden 1931. Leipzig: J. A. Barth, pp. 214–221, on pp. 215–218. (in German) View Quote
Eggert, John; Heymer, Gerd (1937): Der Stand der Farbenphotographie. In: Veröffentlichungen des wissenschaftlichen Zentral-Laboratoriums der photographischen Abteilung Agfa, pp. 7–28, on pp. 20–21. (in German) View Quote
Layton, James; Pierce, David (2015): The Dawn of Technicolor. Rochester: George Eastman House, on pp. 228–229. View Quote
Matthews, G.E. (1931): Principles and Processes of Photography in Natural Colors. In: The American Annals of Photography, 1930, pp. 222-235. Repr. in: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 16, 1931, pp. 188-219. View Quote
Nowotny, Robert A. (1983): The Way of All Flesh Tones. A History of Color Motion Picture Processes, 1895-1929. New York: Garland Pub., pp. 192-195. View Quote
Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, pp 100-102. View Quote
Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1930): Report of Color Committee. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 15, Nov. 1930, pp. 721-724, on p. 721. View Quote
Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1930): Report. Progress in the Motion Picture Industry. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 15, December 1930, pp. 791–793, on p. 792. View Quote
Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1931): Progress Report. Color Cinematography. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 17, July 1931, pp. 99–101, on p. 100. View Quote
Measurements
Absorbances measured with a multispectral imaging system from film areas with pure dyes. Credit: Giorgio Trumpy, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.
See the specific sample from which the spectra were measured.
Multicolor, two-color, possibly Stepping Ahead (Anonymous, USA 1930). Credit: Gert Koshofer Collection. Sample No. 71. Photograph by Barbara Flueckiger.
Absorbances measured with a multispectral imaging system from film areas with pure dyes. Credit: Giorgio Trumpy, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.
See the specific sample from which the spectra were measured.
Multicolor, two-color, possibly Stepping Ahead (Anonymous, USA 1930). Credit: Gert Koshofer Collection. Sample No. 71. Photograph by Barbara Flueckiger.
Absorbances measured with a multispectral imaging system from film areas with pure dyes. Credit: Giorgio Trumpy, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.
See the specific sample from which the spectra were measured.
Films
The Great Gabbo (sequences) (US 1929, James Cruze)2
The Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 (sequences) (US 1929, David Butler)
Hell’s Angels (sequences) (US 1930, Howard Hughes)2
Good News (sequences) (US 1930, Nick Grinde)
The Hawk (released 1936 as The Phantom of Santa Fe) (US 1931, Jacques Jaccard)2
Tex Takes a Holiday (US 1932, Alan James)2,3
Stepping Ahead1
1 Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1931): Progress Report. Color Cinematography. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 17, July 1931, pp. 99–101, on p. 100. View Quote
2 Alt, Dirk (2011): “Der Farbfilm marschiert!” Frühe Farbfilmverfahren und NS-Propaganda 1933-1945. München: Belleville, on pp. 43–44. (in German) View Quote
3 Cleveland, David; Pritchard, Brian (2015): How Films were Made and Shown. Some Aspects of the Technical Side of Motion Picture Film 1895-2015. Manningtree, Essex: David Cleveland, on p. 210. View Quote
Downloads
Otis, Russell M. (1931): The multicolor process. In: Journal of the Society of the Motion Picture Engineers 17, 1931, pp. 5-10.
Download PDF
Patents
E.P. 339,323 (Triggs, William Warren; filed June 4, 1929; Dec. 4, 1930)
Download PDFE.P. 360,819 (Multicolr Films Incorporated; filed May 27, 1930; granted Oct. 27, 1931)
Download PDFE.P. 376,514 (Multicolor Ltd.; filed July 28, 1931; granted July 14, 1932)
Download PDFE.P. 384,334 (Multicolor Ltd.; filed June 4, 1931; granted Dec. 5, 1932)
Download PDFU.S.P. 1,897,369 (Crespinel, William T./Fairall, Harry K.; filed Aug. 17, 1927; granted Feb. 14, 1933)
Download PDF
Contemporary Reception
Anonymous (1932): Tonfilm in Farben. Fortschritte der Filmtechnik. In: Mein Film, 355, p. 8. (in German) View Quote
