The Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present "The Next Dimension: 3D and the Movies," a look at 3D motion picture technology, on two consecutive Tuesday evenings.
The first presentation will feature film clips and live 3D demos on Tuesday, November 6, at 8 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood.
On the following Tuesday, November 13, at 8 p.m., film critic Leonard Maltin will host the American premiere of John Farrow's newly restored 3D Western Hondo, starring John Wayne and Geraldine Page, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The November 6 program will be moderated by Council member Rob Hummel, and will feature onstage discussions and demonstrations with fellow council members Peter Anderson, a 3D director of photography and visual effects supervisor, and Garrett Smith, vice president of digital mastering operations for Paramount Pictures. The panel will also include visual effects supervisor Eric Brevig, and 3D consultant and former StereoVision International president Chris Condon.
As per the Academy's press release, "the event will reveal the mechanics and marvels of stereo vision, the proscenium arch, interocular distance and convergence, anaglyphs, active vs. passive glasses, and circular vs. linear polarization."
The November 13 program will screen a 3D digital projection of Hondo. On hand will be special guest Gretchen Wayne, president and owner of Batjac Productions, the company founded by John Wayne and producer Robert Fellows in the early 1950s, and later owned and managed by Gretchen's late husband, Michael Wayne, for more than 40 years until his death in 2003.
Based on the Louis L'Amour story "The Gift of Cochise," Hondo was a sizable box-office success in its initial 1953 release, but has rarely been seen in its original 3D format since. In the film, Wayne stars as Hondo Lane, a dispatch rider who attempts to protect an isolated rancher (Geraldine Page) and her young son from a marauding Indian tribe. For her performance, Page earned a best supporting actress Academy Award nomination — her first out of eight Oscar nods.
By the way, L'Amour received a "best motion picture story" Academy Award nomination, but the nod was withdrawn after it was discovered that Hondo's story had initially been published in Colliers magazine the previous year. (I haven't seen the movie, but apparently the credits say nothing about the source of the storyline.) James Edward Grant was credited for the screenplay.
Established in 2003 by the Academy's Board of Governors, the Science and Technology Council provides a forum for the exchange of information, promotes cooperation among diverse technological interests within the industry, sponsors publications, fosters educational activities and preserves the history of science and technology of motion pictures.
Tickets to each of the Academy's 3D events are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets are available for purchase by mail, at the Academy box office, or online at www.oscars.org. Doors open at 7 p.m. All seating is unreserved.
The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For additional information, visit www.oscars.org or call (310) 247-3600.
Photos: Courtesy of the Margaret Herrick Library
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Hondo is one of my all-time favorite movies. Of course I am a huge fan of westerns especially those of John Wayne and James Stewart.
Louis L'Amour had an excellent knack for writing action that translated well to the screen.