Editing Film colorization (section)

==Colorization examples, criticism, and controversies==
===Entertainment make-overs===
{{See also|List of black-and-white films that have been colorized}}

In 1983, [[Hal Roach Studios]] became one of the first studios to venture into the business of computerized film colorization. Buying a 50 percent interest in [[Wilson Markle]]'s Colorization, Inc., it began creating digitally colored versions of some of its films. Roach's ''[[Topper (film)|Topper]]'' (1937), followed by ''[[Way Out West (1937 film)|Way Out West]]'' (1937), became the first black-and-white films to be redistributed in color using the digital colorization process,<ref name="Edgerton">{{cite journal |title=The Germans Wore Gray, You Wore Blue |last=Edgerton |first=Gary R. |date=Winter 2000 |journal= Journal of Popular Film and Television|volume = 27|issue= 4|pages= 24–32|doi= 10.1080/01956050009602812|s2cid=159900256 }}</ref><ref name="AFI Topper">{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4530 |title=Topper |website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]] |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=2016-06-28 |archive-date=2016-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408125830/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4530 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media notes |title=Topper |title-link=Topper (film) |year=1985 |publisher=Hal Roach Studios Film Classics, Inc. |quote=It seems fitting that ''Topper'' should again be on the cutting edge of change, this time heralding the age of Colorization as the first completed Color version of a classic black and white motion picture.}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 13, 1985 |title=Roach Enters Home Market |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8SMEAAAAMBAJ&q=colorized&pg=PT11 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=2016-07-03 }}</ref> leading to controversy. Defenders of the process noted that it would allow black-and-white films to have new audiences of people who were not used to the format. Detractors complained (among other reasons) that the process was crude and claimed that, even if it were refined, it would not take into account [[lighting]] compositions chosen for black-and-white [[photography]] which would not necessarily be as effective in color.<ref name="Time">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963207,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106004115/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963207,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 6, 2007 |title=Casablanca In Color? |access-date=2007-01-01 |date=1987-01-12 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |page=3 | first=Charles | last=Krauthammer}}</ref> Figures opposed to the process included [[Roger Ebert]], [[James Stewart]], [[John Huston]], [[George Lucas]], and [[Woody Allen]].<ref name="Edgerton"/>

[[Cary Grant]] was reportedly "very gung-ho with the outcome" of the colorization of ''Topper''.<ref name="Edgerton"/> Director [[Frank Capra]] met with Wilson Markle about colorizing the perennial Christmas classic ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'', ''[[Meet John Doe]]'' and ''[[Lady for a Day]]'' based on Grant's enthusiasm.<ref name="Edgerton"/> Colorization, Inc.'s art director Brian Holmes screened ten minutes of colorized footage from ''It's a Wonderful Life'' to Capra, which led Capra to sign a contract with Colorization, Inc.<ref name="Edgerton"/> However, the film was believed to be in the [[public domain]] at the time, and, as a result, Markle and Holmes responded by returning Capra's initial investment, eliminating his financial participation, and refusing outright to allow the director to exercise artistic control over the colorization of his films, leading Capra to join in the campaign against the process.<ref name="Edgerton"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19850518&id=0tcTAAAAIBAJ&pg=6540,1564442 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711050456/http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19850518&id=0tcTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4gYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6540,1564442 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-11 |title=Carpra's Movies Lead New Lives |access-date=2009-12-24 |publisher=[[MSNBC]] }}</ref>

On a December 27, 1989 episode of ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'' actor Jimmy Stewart criticized efforts to colorize old black-and-white films, including ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]''.

{{Multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| align             = right
| image1            = Night_of_the_Living_Dead_color_1986.JPG
| image2            = Night of the Living Dead color 2004.jpg
| width             = 180
| caption1          = ''[[Night of the Living Dead]]'', colorized in 1986...
| caption2          = ... and colorized in 2004.
}}
In 1986, film critics [[Gene Siskel]] and [[Roger Ebert]] did a special episode of ''[[Siskel & Ebert]]'' addressing colorization as "Hollywood's New Vandalism". Siskel explained how networks were unable to show classic black-and-white films in prime-time unless they offer it in color. "They arrest people who spray subway cars, they lock up people who attack paintings and sculptures in museums, and adding color to black and white films, even if it's only to the tape shown on TV or sold in stores, is vandalism nonetheless." Roger Ebert added, "What was so wrong about black and white movies in the first place? By filming in black and white, movies can sometimes be more dreamlike and elegant and stylized and mysterious. They can add a whole additional dimension to reality, while color sometimes just supplies additional unnecessary information."<ref>[http://siskelandebert.org/video/AH4MXGWKMRGH/Colorizing-Hollywood8217s-New-Vandalism-1986 Colorizing, Hollywood's New Vandalism (1986)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220124816/http://siskelandebert.org/video/AH4MXGWKMRGH/Colorizing-Hollywood8217s-New-Vandalism-1986 |date=2016-12-20 }}, Siskel & Ebert, Buena Vista Television, 1986; air date unknown</ref>

[[Media mogul]] [[Ted Turner]] was once an aggressive proponent of this process, by employing the San Diego firm American Film Technologies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sec.edgar-online.com/american-film-technologies-inc-de/10-k-annual-report/2000/01/25/Section2.aspx |title=AMERICAN FILM TECHNOLOGIES INC /DE/ – AFTC Annual Report (10-K) ITEM 1. BUSINESS |publisher=Sec.edgar-online.com |access-date=2009-11-01 |archive-date=2011-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710171103/http://sec.edgar-online.com/american-film-technologies-inc-de/10-k-annual-report/2000/01/25/Section2.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> When he told members of the press in July 1988 that he was considering colorizing ''[[Citizen Kane]]'',<ref>Bawden, James, "Colorful Turner sees ''Citizen Kane'' in a different light".''[[Toronto Star]]'', July 28, 1988. "''Citizen Kane?'' I'm thinking of colorizing it."</ref> Turner's comments led to an immediate public outcry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=turnerted |title=''The Museum of Broadcast Communications'': Ted Turner |publisher=Museum.tv |access-date=2009-11-01 |archive-date=2011-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110127085242/http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=turnerted |url-status=dead }}</ref> In January 1989 the [[Associated Press]] reported that two companies were producing color tests of ''Citizen Kane'' for [[Turner Entertainment]]. Criticism increased with the AP's report that filmmaker [[Henry Jaglom]] remembered that, shortly before his death, [[Orson Welles]] had implored him to protect ''Kane'' from being colorized.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/4c23402df90437fb0816882f7e22ff27 |title=Turner Says It's Testing To Colorize 'Citizen Kane' |website=[[Associated Press]] |agency=[[Associated Press]], January 30, 1989 |access-date=2014-01-05 |archive-date=2014-01-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106042154/http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1989/Turner-Says-It-s-Testing-To-Colorize-Citizen-Kane-/id-4c23402df90437fb0816882f7e22ff27 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On February 14, 1989, Turner Entertainment president [[Roger Mayer (film industry executive)|Roger Mayer]] announced that work to colorize ''Citizen Kane'' had been stopped:
<blockquote>Our attorneys looked at the contract between [[RKO Pictures]] Inc. and Orson Welles and his production company, [[Mercury Theatre|Mercury Productions]] Inc., and, on the basis of their review, we have decided not to proceed with colorization of the movie. ... While a court test might uphold our legal right to colorize the film, provisions of the contract could be read to prohibit colorization without permission of the Welles estate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/3da27b3969212eb7885db3dbd81b597e |title=We'll Never Know If Rosebud Was Red |publisher=John Antczyk, Associated Press, February 14, 1989 |access-date=2014-01-05 |archive-date=2014-01-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106042152/http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1989/We-ll-Never-Know-If-Rosebud-Was-Red/id-3da27b3969212eb7885db3dbd81b597e |url-status=live }}</ref></blockquote>

One minute of the colorized test footage of ''Citizen Kane'' was included in a special ''[[Arena (UK TV series)|Arena]]'' documentary, ''The Complete Citizen Kane'', produced by the [[BBC]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wellesnet.com/?p=6476 |title=The Complete Citizen Kane' documentary is now online |publisher=Wellesnet, May 13, 2013 |access-date=2014-01-05|date=2013-05-13 }} The footage appears at approximately 1:17:00.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b7b72e91f |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007020356/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b7b72e91f |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-10-07 |title=The Complete Citizen Kane |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=2014-01-06}}</ref>

John Huston's opposition to the colorization of his work led to a landmark three-year French legal case after his death, sparked by a colorized version of ''[[The Asphalt Jungle]]''. His daughter [[Anjelica Huston]] successfully used [[French copyright law]] to set a binding precedent in 1991 that prevents the distribution or broadcasting in France of any colorized version of a film against the wishes of the original creator or their heirs.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/25/movies/film-makers-are-victors-in-a-lawsuit-on-coloring.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/C/Color|title=Film Makers Are Victors In a Lawsuit on Coloring|last=Riding|first=Alan|date=25 August 1991|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2009-04-24|archive-date=2009-06-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616224210/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/25/movies/film-makers-are-victors-in-a-lawsuit-on-coloring.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/C/Color|url-status=live}}</ref> Major legislative reaction in the United States was the [[National Film Preservation Act|National Film Preservation Act of 1988]] (Public Law 100-446), which prohibits any person from knowingly distributing or exhibiting to the public a film that has been materially altered, or a black and white film that has been colorized and is included in the Registry, unless such films are labeled disclosing specified information. This law also created the [[National Film Registry]].

Because of the high cost of the process, Turner Entertainment stopped colorizing titles. With the coming of [[DVD]] technology, the notion of colorization was once again gaining press. Because the DVD format was more versatile, studios could offer viewers the option to choose between both versions without switching discs, and thus, the release of colorized titles once again seemed profitable. Some companies rereleased the older colorized versions from the 1980s—an example of this is the [[Laurel and Hardy]] box set being released in the UK.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews16/laurel_and_hardy_collection_dvd_review.htm |title=The Laurel and Hardy Collection |access-date=2007-01-01 |publisher=DVD Beaver |archive-date=2007-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070409083313/http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews16/laurel_and_hardy_collection_dvd_review.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Other studios, such as [[Sony|Sony Entertainment]], commissioned West Wing Studios to colorize several [[Three Stooges]] films for DVD release. The studio was given access to the original [[Columbia Studios]] props and sets to lend authenticity to the colorized versions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5651949 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519224447/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/5651949 |url-status=live |archive-date=2011-05-19 |title=Stooges DVD revives colorization debate |date=9 August 2004 |access-date=2007-01-01 |publisher=[[MSNBC]] }}</ref>

Both film and television restoration and colorization is produced by the company [[Legend Films]]. Their patented automated process was used to colorize around 100 films between 2003 and 2009. [[Shirley Temple]], [[Jane Russell]], [[Terry Moore (actress)|Terry Moore]], and [[Ray Harryhausen]] have worked with the company to colorize either their own films or their personal favorites. Two movies that Legend Films are noted for is the colorization of the [[exploitation film]] ''[[Reefer Madness]]'', for which certain color schemes were used to create a psychedelic effect in its viewers, and ''[[Plan 9 from Outer Space]]''. Recently (2007), Legend Films colorized ''It's a Wonderful Life'' for [[Paramount Pictures]] (whose subsidiary, [[Republic Pictures]], had regained control of the copyright in the 1990s) and ''[[Holiday Inn (film)|Holiday Inn]]'' in 2008 for rights holder [[Universal Pictures]].

In 2004, a classic Indian film, ''[[Mughal-e-Azam]]'', was colored for theatrical release all over the world by the Indian Academy of Arts and Animation (IAAA) in association with Sankranti Creations. Since 2013, Livepixel Technologies, founded by Rajeev Dwivedi has been the sole player in film colorization business and almost completed more than 100 titles related with World War.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

In 2005, [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]] released the first season of ''[[Bewitched]]'' on DVD. Because the first season was produced in black-and-white, Sony released two versions of the set: one with the episodes as originally broadcast and a second with the episodes colorized. A year later, the second season of ''Bewitched'' and the first season of ''[[I Dream of Jeannie]]'', another show owned by Sony, were released the same way. These releases were colorized by Dynacs Digital Studios, a Florida-based company with film colorization and animation studios in Patna, India.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

[[CBS]] has [[I Love Lucy#Annual colorized specials|colorized a number of episodes]] of ''[[I Love Lucy]]'', ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' and ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'' in the 2010s, which are timed to air on Friday nights in holiday periods.

Colorization has also been used to restore scenes from color films that were cut from the finished product but were preserved in black-and-white. In 2018, the originally intended closing scene to the 1978 film ''[[Grease (film)|Grease]]'' (in which the lead characters kiss) was added to the film's 40th anniversary release. A challenge that still plagues colorization efforts is the fact that the colorized black-and-white film may not match film shot originally in color; [[Randal Kleiser]], the director of ''Grease'', wanted to edit the scene back into the film but found the colors between the scenes did not match well enough to do so. Kleiser is optimistic that colorization technology will be advanced enough to match true color by 2028, when ''Grease'' reaches its 50th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/05/21/grease-anniversary-danny-sandy-finally-get-their-movie-ending-kiss/625512002/|title=Danny and Sandy finally get their movie-ending 'Grease' kiss, 40 years after it was cut|first=Bryan|last=Alexander|work=USA Today|date=May 21, 2018|access-date=May 23, 2018|archive-date=May 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522072601/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/05/21/grease-anniversary-danny-sandy-finally-get-their-movie-ending-kiss/625512002/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Documentary make-overs===
Colorization is sometimes used on [[documentary film|documentary]] programmes. ''[[The Beatles Anthology]]'' TV show colorizes some footage of the band, such as the performance of "[[All You Need Is Love]]" from the TV special ''[[Our World (TV special)|Our World]]'' (1967). In the documentary, this scene begins in its original black-and-white before [[dissolve (film)|dissolving]] into seemingly realistic, [[psychedelia|psychedelic]] color.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beatlesagain.com/breflib/anthvid.html |title=Anthology Home Video |access-date=2007-01-01 |publisher=Beatles Reference Library |archive-date=2010-12-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228050428/http://www.beatlesagain.com/breflib/anthvid.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The color design was based on color photographs taken at the same time as the special was shot. More Beatle footage was colorized for the 2016 documentary ''[[The Beatles: Eight Days a Week]]'', such as a performance of "[[Help! (song)|Help!]]"''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTsB-llTzyc | title=The Beatles - Help! &#91;Blackpool Night Out, ABC Theatre, Blackpool, United Kingdom&#93; | website=[[YouTube]] | date=August 2017 | access-date=2022-12-28 | archive-date=2022-12-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221228183623/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTsB-llTzyc | url-status=live }}</ref>

The documentary series ''[[World War 1 in Colour]]'' (2003) was broadcast on television and released on DVD in 2005. There had previously been full-color documentaries about World War II using genuine color footage, but since true color film was not practical for moving pictures at the time of World War I, the series consists of colorized contemporary footage (and photographs).<ref>{{cite web|last=Bowser|first=Jacquie|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/telegraph-launches-ad-campaign-first-world-war-giveaway/765523|title=Telegraph launches ad campaign for First World War giveaway|work=CampaignLive.co.uk|date=8 November 2007|accessdate=3 October 2017|archive-date=3 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003053714/http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/telegraph-launches-ad-campaign-first-world-war-giveaway/765523|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cosmolearning.org/documentaries/world-war-1-in-colour-406/|title=World War 1 In Colour (2003)|work=cosmolearning.org|accessdate=14 October 2021|archive-date=14 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014062452/https://cosmolearning.org/documentaries/world-war-1-in-colour-406/|url-status=live}}</ref> Several documentaries on the [[Military Channel]] feature colorized war footage from the Second World War and the [[Korean War]].{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

The 1960 [[Masters Tournament]], originally broadcast in black-and-white and recorded on [[kinescope]], was colorized by Legend Films for the documentary ''Jim Nantz Remembers''. This was the first time a major sports event had been rebroadcast using colorization.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-03-27-0703270125-story.html | title=Made-for-TV legend | website=[[Chicago Tribune]] | date=27 March 2007 | access-date=2022-08-02 | archive-date=2022-08-02 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802170117/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-03-27-0703270125-story.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

In [[Peter Jackson]]'s well-received 2018 documentary, ''[[They Shall Not Grow Old]]'', black and white footage from [[First World War]] trenches was colorized.<ref>"The Times" report, 19 November 2018, page 3</ref>

[[1958 NFL Championship Game|The Greatest Game Ever Played]], the 1958 [[National Football League|NFL]] Championship between the [[Baltimore Colts]] and the [[New York Giants]], was colorized by Legend Films for [[ESPN]] for a sports broadcast special in December 2008.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}