The other consideration is the discretion of the director. If the color of
the car as supplied did not fit the director's mental image of the scene,
the car could very well have been painted to suit. This is usually painfully
obvious in modern films, when they don't bother to paint the door jambs the
new color!
Since the film is in color, a close examination of the film (perhaps on DVD,
where the action can be stopped with crystal clarity) might yield some
further evidence.
In a similar vein, old black-and-white moviemakers would choose a color
based on how it looked on camera. Hitchcock's favorite "blood" was purported
to be chocolate syrup - just the right texture, and in b&w, looked just
right on the screen. Someone once tried to colorize Casablanca, using the
original prop records to determine the colors actually used when the film
was made. It was a dismal failure. Somehow, the bar just didn't look right
with green walls and purple carpet!
Jon Arzt
Omaha, NE USA
----- Original Message -----
From: <Jay_Laifman@countrywide.com>
To: <alpines@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2002 6:48 PM
Subject: Bond Car Colors
> A couple people have told me that not only was the Bond Alpine not black,
> it was not Wedgewood Blue, but Lake Blue. However, my books all say that
> Lake Blue was a S1 color only. Wedgewood Blue is a S2 and on color. The
> Bond Alpine was a S2. Thus, the Bond Alpine cannot be a Lake Blue color.
> The only way it could be is (1) Lake Blue was not a S2 color only, (2) it
> was a special order color on that car, or (3) the Bond Alpine was a S1.
> Given the dramatic change in colors on film, new and old, not to mention
> how personal TV sets are adjusted, I would not accept that the
> determination of the color is based upon viewing the movie.
>
> I do recall this was grandly discussed in previous Alpine list e-mails,
> with no good conclusion.
>
> Oddly enough, this same issue exists with another famous Alpine in the
> movies. Ever see "To Catch a Thief" and the Alpine on it? There is a
> equally contentious dispute about the color of that car. The early
> Alpines only came in 4 colors, and each of the 4 only came with a certain
> interior. There is no doubt many people believe that the Thief Alpine is
> "Alpine Mist," a light silvery blue. However, the Alpine Mist cars did
> not come with Fawn (light tan) interiors, only Red interiors. The blue
> car that came with Fawn was "Sapphire Blue." This is not even a year
> thing. So, similar to above, unless special order, which also has been
> called unlikely, it is Sapphire Blue and it's just another instance of the
> color not coming through true on film.
>
> Jay
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