The History of 3D
In April 10, 1953, Warner Bros. premiered André de Toth's "House of Wax" on 3D. It was the first of its kind from a major film studio, a landmark moment if one would look at filmmaking during the following decades.
A remake of Michael Curtiz's "Mystery of the Wax Museum", "House of Wax" was about Henry Jarrod, a talented wax sculptor, and his fascinating collection of wax figures of John Wilkes Booth and other historical figures. But Matthew Burke, his business partner, wanted more, something sensational, in able to increase profit. Jarrod refused, as he rather preferred the purity of his works, as seen in his masterpiece, (the wax figure of) Marie Antoinette. He told his partner to be patient, which the latter couldn't wait. So Burke deliberately set the museum on fire, even splashed kerosene over Jarrod and left him to die. Or so he thought. The sculptor miraculously survived, but he became a changed man. He built a new museum, which had a "Chamber of Horrors" section. It featured some historical crimes and old methods of execution. One of those figures was a hanged fellow, who looked like Burke. Or was it really him?
The 3-D technique heightened the dread that visitors felt when they entered the Chambers of Horrors. André de Toth, a Hungarian filmmaker renowned for his gritty B flicks, attempted to put some humor (in the screenplay), but it barely clicked. After all, Vincent Price played Henry Jarrod, his diabolic features noticeable even if the camera was afar. 3D also breathed life into the museum, especially during night time, when curious visitors entered the premises. (You'll never look at Joan of Arc the same way again.)
During the following years, 3D would be used in some (Hollywood) films, but they weren't worth mentioning. It would be half a century later, after the release of "House of Wax", when 3D became the norm. It was the mainstream resurgence of sort, after Robert Zemeckis used 3D in his computer-animated fantasy films, "Polar Express" (2004) and "Beowulf" (2007). The outcome didn't seem favorable, but any doubts were dispelled with the release of James Cameron's "Avatar" in 2009. This science-fiction epic flick was set in Pandora, a densely forested habitable moon (orbiting the gas giant Polyphemus) in the Alpha Centauri star system. 3D turned this satellite into a tantalizing place. (Who can't resist setting foot in those floating mountains?) On night time, Pandora was magical, so alive that moviegoers could hardly blinked. For Cameron, who also directed "Aliens" (1986) and "The Abyss" (1989), "Avatar" was a cinematic triumph, its huge success set a precedent in filmmaking, which would be all major studios would release their films in 3D.
Some would point out that the 3-D format was one way to earn more, with the proliferation of IMAX (acronym for Image MAXimum) theaters. This couldn't be denied, as producers wanted profit, first and foremost. But there will be the likes of Cameron, who will use 3D in making their vision a reality, turning a movie into something else. "Avatar" will be followed with a sequel, which fans are excited.
