Sidney W. Pink
Encyclopedia
Sidney W. Pink was an American
movie director and producer. He is considered the father of color 3-D movies, and is also noted for directing early spaghetti western
s, and for discovering Dustin Hoffman
as a movie actor.
He was born in Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
. After playing the film producer in his high school's production of Merton of the Movies
, he first realized this was the profession he would ultimately pursue, calling it his life's ambition. He worked as a projectionist in a movie theater owned by his wife's family. He received a degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh
.
In 1952, Pink produced Bwana Devil
, the first wide-released 3-D movie designed to been seen through the two-toned cardboard glasses. The film was shot using a camera with two lenses. He would go on to produce over 50 3-D movies. In 1959, he produced The Angry Red Planet
, using a new development technique he named CineMagic
to cast a pink coloration across the screen. In 1961, he did the original story for Reptilicus
, which he co-directed and co-produced in Denmark
at Saga Studios
.
In 1966, he discovered the young Dustin Hoffman in an Off Broadway stage production in New York City
and cast him in the lead of Madigan's Millions
, which was filmed in Italy
and Spain
. The movie was not released until 1969, however, two years after Hoffman was introduced to the movie-going public in the 1967 movie The Graduate
.
In the early 1970s Pink owned a chain of movie theaters in Puerto Rico
and Florida
.
He died in 2002 in Pompano Beach, Florida
, following a long illness.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
movie director and producer. He is considered the father of color 3-D movies, and is also noted for directing early spaghetti western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
s, and for discovering Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
as a movie actor.
He was born in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. After playing the film producer in his high school's production of Merton of the Movies
Merton of the Movies
Merton of the Movies is a 1919 book written by Harry Leon Wilson. In 1922, it was adapted into a Broadway play by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly. A 1924 silent movie version was directed by James Cruze and starred Glenn Hunter who had created the role on Broadway...
, he first realized this was the profession he would ultimately pursue, calling it his life's ambition. He worked as a projectionist in a movie theater owned by his wife's family. He received a degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
.
In 1952, Pink produced Bwana Devil
Bwana Devil
Bwana Devil is a 1952 drama based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters. It was written, directed, and produced by Arch Oboler, and is considered the first color, American 3-D feature. It started the 3-D boom in the U.S. film making industry from 1952 to 1954...
, the first wide-released 3-D movie designed to been seen through the two-toned cardboard glasses. The film was shot using a camera with two lenses. He would go on to produce over 50 3-D movies. In 1959, he produced The Angry Red Planet
The Angry Red Planet
The Angry Red Planet is a 1959 science fiction film starring Gerald Mohr and directed by Ib Melchior. The director was given only 10 days to shoot the movie and a budget of $200,000 with which to make it.The movie was made with a CineMagic technique which was applied for all of the scenes on the...
, using a new development technique he named CineMagic
CineMagic (film technique)
CineMagic was the name of film development technique invented by 3-D movie producer Sidney W. Pink and Norman Maurer in the 1959 science-fiction movie The Angry Red Planet to cast a pinkish glow over the screen...
to cast a pink coloration across the screen. In 1961, he did the original story for Reptilicus
Reptilicus
Reptilicus, a giant monster film about a fictional prehistoric reptile, is a Danish-American co-production, produced by American International Pictures and Saga Studios, and is upon close examination two distinctly different films helmed by two different directors.The original version, which was...
, which he co-directed and co-produced in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
at Saga Studios
Saga Studios
Saga Studios was a film production company in Denmark. They produced many films up to the late 60s, many of their films starred Danish comedian Dirch Passer....
.
In 1966, he discovered the young Dustin Hoffman in an Off Broadway stage production 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...
and cast him in the lead of Madigan's Millions
Madigan's Millions
Madigan's Millions , is a 1968 Italian-Spanish movie directed by Stanley Prager and produced by Sidney W. Pink....
, which was filmed in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The movie was not released until 1969, however, two years after Hoffman was introduced to the movie-going public in the 1967 movie The Graduate
The Graduate
The Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
.
In the early 1970s Pink owned a chain of movie theaters in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
He died in 2002 in Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 99,845...
, following a long illness.
Producer
- Man from O.R.G.Y. (aka The Real Gone Girls) - 1970
- Madigan's MillionsMadigan's MillionsMadigan's Millions , is a 1968 Italian-Spanish movie directed by Stanley Prager and produced by Sidney W. Pink....
- 1969 - Finger on the TriggerFinger on the Trigger (film)Finger on the Trigger is a 1965 western film directed by Sidney W. Pink and starring Rory Calhoun. It was distributed on VHS by Troma Entertainment....
- 1965 - ReptilicusReptilicusReptilicus, a giant monster film about a fictional prehistoric reptile, is a Danish-American co-production, produced by American International Pictures and Saga Studios, and is upon close examination two distinctly different films helmed by two different directors.The original version, which was...
- 1961 - The Angry Red PlanetThe Angry Red PlanetThe Angry Red Planet is a 1959 science fiction film starring Gerald Mohr and directed by Ib Melchior. The director was given only 10 days to shoot the movie and a budget of $200,000 with which to make it.The movie was made with a CineMagic technique which was applied for all of the scenes on the...
(aka Invasion of Mars, aka Journey to Planet Four)- 1959 - The TwonkyThe TwonkyThe Twonky is a 1953 comedy-science fiction film, written and directed by Arch Oboler and starring Hans Conried. The script was based on the short story "The Twonky", written by Henry Kuttner and C.L...
- 1953 - Bwana DevilBwana DevilBwana Devil is a 1952 drama based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters. It was written, directed, and produced by Arch Oboler, and is considered the first color, American 3-D feature. It started the 3-D boom in the U.S. film making industry from 1952 to 1954...
- 1952 (associate producer)
External links
- CNN Obituary, October 2002.