When the 1950s arrived, Americans were wide open There was nothing we wouldn’t do or try. We were suckers for fads and there were many – including 3 D movies.
For the film industry, the 3D films came at an ideal time, when people were staying home to watch Lassie and Gunsmoke on their new Zenith television consoles and keeping movie theater seats unoccupied.
With aid of special glasses, 3D movies gave the illusion of depth to a two-dimension movie scream. The characters and special effects would then pop out to viewers, adding an extra layer of excitement to the movie. It was an ideal format for horror movies where monsters and devils would seemingly be in your lap.
One of the first, was Bwana Devil, a huge box office hit. This was followed my other thrillers including House of Wax, The Mad Magician, Dangerous Mission, Son of Sinbad, Thirteen Ghosts, the House on the Haunted Hill, and It Came From Outer Space.
After millions had headed to the Silver Screen for 3D movies, Americans were now ripe for other fads. Remember Hula Hoops?
