The Gulf Between (1917 film)
Encyclopedia
The Gulf Between was the first motion picture made in Technicolor
, the fourth feature-length
color movie, and the first feature-length color movie produced in the United States. Today, the film is considered a lost film
, with only a few frames of film extant. (See External Links below.)
The Gulf Between was directed by Wray Bartlett Physioc. The lead roles were played by Grace Darmond
and Niles Welch
. The story was about a girl raised by a sea captain, and her rejection by the wealthy family of the young man she loves.
in 1917 by the Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation, using its two-color "System 1", in which, by means of a prism
beam splitter
, two frames of a single strip of black-and-white film were photographed simultaneously, one behind a red filter and the other behind a green filter.
on September 13, 1917, and at Aeolian Hall
in New York City
on September 21, 1917, it was released on February 25, 1918 to play one-week engagements on a tour of a few major Eastern cities, accompanied by the special two-aperture, two-lens, two-filter projector required to exhibit it. Because of the technical problems in keeping the red and green images aligned by prism during projection, it was the only motion picture made in Technicolor's System 1. Technicolor abandoned the additive color
process of System 1, and began work on subtractive color
processes that did not require a special projector.
magazine complained that all colors were reduced into terms of reds and greens, and that "the story is dull, trite, and drawn out interminably."
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
, the fourth feature-length
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
color movie, and the first feature-length color movie produced in the United States. Today, the film is considered a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
, with only a few frames of film extant. (See External Links below.)
The Gulf Between was directed by Wray Bartlett Physioc. The lead roles were played by Grace Darmond
Grace Darmond
Grace Darmond was an American actress from the early 20th century.-Early life:Grace Darmond was born Grace Glionna in Toronto on November 20, 1893. Her parents were James Glionna, a U.S.-born musician who had lived in Canada since 1877, and Alice Glionna, an Ontario native.-Career:Darmond was...
and Niles Welch
Niles Welch
Niles Welch, also known as Niles Welsh, was an American performer on Broadway, and a leading man in a number of silent and early talking motion pictures from the early 1910s through the 1930s....
. The story was about a girl raised by a sea captain, and her rejection by the wealthy family of the young man she loves.
Production
The Gulf Between was filmed on location in Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
in 1917 by the Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation, using its two-color "System 1", in which, by means of a prism
Prism (optics)
In optics, a prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. The exact angles between the surfaces depend on the application. The traditional geometrical shape is that of a triangular prism with a triangular base and rectangular sides, and in colloquial use...
beam splitter
Beam splitter
A beam splitter is an optical device that splits a beam of light in two. It is the crucial part of most interferometers.In its most common form, a rectangle, it is made from two triangular glass prisms which are glued together at their base using Canada balsam...
, two frames of a single strip of black-and-white film were photographed simultaneously, one behind a red filter and the other behind a green filter.
Release
After private trade showings in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
on September 13, 1917, and at Aeolian Hall
Aeolian Hall (New York)
Aeolian Hall was a concert hall near Times Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York City located on the third floor of 29-33 West 42nd Street across the street from Bryant Park. The Aeolian Building was built in 1912 for the Aeolian Company, which manufactured pianos...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on September 21, 1917, it was released on February 25, 1918 to play one-week engagements on a tour of a few major Eastern cities, accompanied by the special two-aperture, two-lens, two-filter projector required to exhibit it. Because of the technical problems in keeping the red and green images aligned by prism during projection, it was the only motion picture made in Technicolor's System 1. Technicolor abandoned the additive color
Additive color
An additive color model involves light emitted directly from a source or illuminant of some sort. The additive reproduction process usually uses red, green and blue light to produce the other colors. Combining one of these additive primary colors with another in equal amounts produces the...
process of System 1, and began work on subtractive color
Subtractive color
A subtractive color model explains the mixing of paints, dyes, inks, and natural colorants to create a full range of colors, each caused by subtracting some wavelengths of light and reflecting the others...
processes that did not require a special projector.
Critical reception
PhotoplayPhotoplay
Photoplay was one of the first American film fan magazines. It was founded in 1911 in Chicago, the same year that J. Stuart Blackton founded a similar magazine entitled Motion Picture Story...
magazine complained that all colors were reduced into terms of reds and greens, and that "the story is dull, trite, and drawn out interminably."
Cast
- Grace DarmondGrace DarmondGrace Darmond was an American actress from the early 20th century.-Early life:Grace Darmond was born Grace Glionna in Toronto on November 20, 1893. Her parents were James Glionna, a U.S.-born musician who had lived in Canada since 1877, and Alice Glionna, an Ontario native.-Career:Darmond was...
... Marie - Niles WelchNiles WelchNiles Welch, also known as Niles Welsh, was an American performer on Broadway, and a leading man in a number of silent and early talking motion pictures from the early 1910s through the 1930s....
... Richard Farrell - Herbert FortierHerbert FortierHerbert Fortier was a Canadian actor of the silent era. He appeared in 53 films between 1915 and 1937.He was born in Toronto and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Selected filmography:* The Gulf Between...
... Robert Farrell - Violet Axzelle ... Marie, as a child (as Violet Axzell)
- Charles Brandt ... Captain Flagg
- Joseph Dailey ... Cook
- George De Carlton ... Dutch
- Caroline HarrisCaroline HarrisCaroline Harris , was an American actress. She appeared in 12 films between 1909 and 1917. Her last film was The Gulf Between, the first film released in the Technicolor process.She died in New York, New York, USA....
... Mrs. Farrell - Virginia Lee ... Millicent Dunston
- Louis Montjoy
- J. Noa ... Pete