For the love of film - The Open Road

 
A 'cinematic postcard of Britain in the 1920s', The Open Road is a very charming and this one is in colour. More clips are added below. Enjoy.

From BFI by Jan Faull, Archive Producer

'The original negatives of The Open Road were deposited with the BFI for preservation in the late 1950s. The nature of the colour process presented a considerable challenge in terms of preserving the original nitrate negatives and creating viewable material. In addition, the content (some three hours in total) was unedited and when viewed did not follow any chronological order. The transfer of the film onto tape enabled the content to be logged and reassembled in a coherent form so that the journey could be recreated.'

'The Open Road is important both as a landmark in the development of colour on film and as a fascinating social record of inter-war Britain. The journey, from Land's End to John O'Groats and back to London, was made in a Vauxhall D type. The travelogue format provided the ideal way to profile the colour process - the natural world was more of a challenge than the contrived studio set, featuring iconic landmarks that would be instantly recognisable to the audience.'
 

This post is part of the For the Love of Film Blogathon, hosted by Ferdy on Films and The Self-Styled Siren and sponsored by The National Film Preservation Foundation, an independent, nonprofit organization created by the U.S. Congress to help save America’s film heritage. They work directly with archives to rescue endangered films that will not survive without public support.  Please donate.
 

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