Tag Archives: 1940s psychedelia

1940s AURORATONE (Restored!) featuring Bing Crosby

17 Feb

Auroratone films were produced by the Auroratone Foundation of America Inc. in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The films showed crystal-like abstract color patterns that changed and blended with each other. The patterns were produced by using crystallizing chemicals and polarized light, which were then synchronized to a variety of recorded musical tracks. The process was developed by English psychologist and scientist Cecil Stokes, who was the founder and technical director of the company. Stokes was issued patent 2292172 on August 4, 1942, for “Process and Apparatus for Producing Musical Rhythm in Color”.

The films were combined into a thirty-minute-long color movie entitled Music In Color. The first films were presented to the public in 1940 in San Diego and were then shown at various theaters in the United States and Canada.

Three Caballeros – Finale

26 Mar

If you went tripping back in the 1940s, the finale for three caballeros would probably have been the most psychedelic video around…

The Lady In The Tutti Frutti Hat – Busby Berkeley

19 Mar

Some 1940s Caribbean psychedelia for you. Courtesy of Busby Berkeley.

(Link: Leor. Thanks!)

Spook Sport (1940)- Mary Ellen Bute

24 Oct

In the spirit of Halloween, this week’s post features spooks, ghosts and bats in Mary Ellen Bute’s experimental animated film from 1940. Mary Ellen Bute was a groundbreaking filmmaker in her own right, but her gender makes her contributions to early experimental cinema all the more powerful. Unfortunately, the you tube upload incorrectly labels Norman MacLaren as the director (the fabulous Mac Laren was indeed an animator on the film, but direction was all Ms. Bute’s). Just look at how awesome she was!

maryellenbute

Dreams That Money Can Buy (1947 Experimental Film)

21 Jan

Ad writes:Here’s a cool full length movie created by some great classic surrealists (including Ernst and Duchamp). It’s called Dreams that Money Can Buy. I’ve been watching it with my cat, who also seems to be enjoying it.

More info on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreams_That_Money_Can_Buy

Thank you Ad!

Norman McLaren – Begone Dull Care 1949

12 Jan

Norman McLaren was an oscar winning animation director who did some groundbreaking work from the 1940s to the 1970s. McLaren “Begone Dull Care” from 1949, was painted directly on film, to create a visual representation of Oscar Peterson’s superb piano – perhaps one of the first video clips ever.

McLaren’s work has a special exploratory quality. You can find more of it on YouTube.