Sunday, March 17, 5:00 p.m. | Ending a decades long Swift/Perry-sized feud, Walt Disney brought in Richard Fleischer, son of Betty Boop creator Max Fleischer, to direct this story of male ego and hubris. Disney's first major attempt at serious live action filmmaking brought in a crew of A-list actors—a singing Kirk Douglas, Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre, and a particularly dark and brooding James Mason—and was, at the time of release, among the most expensive films ever made. Much of the cost came from the experimental underwater cinematography, which required custom-built diving suits and air tanks that only allowed for a few minutes of filming at a time. A one-ton, life-sided giant squid operated by a crew of 30 people also had to be redesigned multiple times at enormous expense. The results are, of course, spectacular, testing the limits of practical effects to create a world just as astonishing as in Disney's animated features.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Effects, Special Effects, Academy Awards
TECHNICOLOR WEEKEND celebrates the longevity, beauty, and richness of the technicolor printing process. All presented on 35mm prints that were intended to last only through their initial runs, and have instead endured hundreds of projections, studio mergers, film exchange closures, and multiple private owners. These unlikely survivors offer us a view of what these films looked like before digital color correction and other modern restoration techniques, and are stunning examples of an incredibly complex industrial process that delighted millions. View full series.
ABOUT CHICAGO FILM SOCIETY
Chicago Film Society makes rare and classic films available to local audiences in their original forms—on 35mm and 16mm motion picture film. Our screenings spotlight the restoration efforts of archives, studios, and private collectors, as well as the experience of seeing films projected in a theater with an audience. Through an array of program notes, extended blog entries, and introductory remarks before each screening, the Chicago Film Society endeavors to bring new notions of the cultural and material history of cinema to the public. The Chicago Film Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established by Chicago projectionists in 2011.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu