Entertainment
Why 3D Movies Keep Failing
3D movies seem to be on their deathbed. But this isn’t the first time that the 3D craze has come and gone.
Cheddar looks at the rise and fall of 3D movies, and Hollywood’s insistence on trying again and again to make them stick. Believe it or not, the 3D craze has come and gone multiple times since the advent of film.
The earliest 3D film that we know of was 1922’s The Power of Love, which appears to have been screened only twice in 3D due to a lack of interest from exhibitors.
In addition to being the first film screened in 3D, The Power of Love provided the additional novelty of allowing audience members to choose how the film ended. By closing one eye, the viewer could choose to see a happy ending or a tragic ending.
Despite receiving rave reviews, the film was not picked up by exhibitors in its original format. However, it was widely distributed in 2D under the title Forbidden Lover.
Sadly, the cultural significance of the original movie was not recognised in its time and the film does not appear to have been preserved. As of 2020, there are no known prints of either The Power of Love or Forbidden Lover, with both now being lost to time.
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