On the Dvd I watched of this film it had a colour version. Does anybody have any iformation as to how this was done? It looks a little too detailed to be hand coloured like other black and white movies were.
I'M WATCHING THIS NOW ....AND THE COLOR IS AWFUL. WHY WOULD THEY DO SUCH A THING TO A GOOD MOVIE?....GOD. JUST FOR A STUPID BUCK. IT'S A SLAP IN THE FACE TO L & H FANS...MISS MARY PETERPUFFER
Not only is the color poor, the focus on the colorized version is very soft and the audio is somewhat muffled. The source it was taken from, apparently an inter-negative, was also rather badly scratched in places.
Oh Lord, you gave them eyes but they cannot see...
The colorized version was done digitally using pioneering colorization technology (essentially systems similar to the early "Paintbox" consoles used in video graphics in the 1980s) in 1985.
Two years prior, Hal Roach Studios had purchased a 50% interest in a company called Colorization, Inc., whose founder Wilson Markle had invented the colorization process in 1970, and proceeded to use them not only on their own films (Roach's "Topper" was the first film ever colorized, "Way Out West" was second), but films from other studios such as "It's a Wonderful Life".
If the process were done again today, it would look far better, given the substantial progress of video and digital film technology.
They've also colourised (I'm not in America) the Alastair Sim version of 'Scrooge' to the extent that it's never shown in black and white in the UK now. Why the Dickens did they do it? (Sorry).
..probably to appease a more contemporary audience not used to seeing films in B&W.
Personally I am not too fussed about the colourisation, given that the latest Boxset includes both versions of not just "Way Out West", but most all of their other classics.
If people prefer colour, then that's their choice and good luck to them. The key thing is that they appreciate the content rather than the presentation.
"One must first get behind someone, in order to stab them in the back!"