Sound Questions?

image

This is a great film! I've seen this one about a dozen times on TV and video, but last night was the first time I played it in our home theater on the big screen and listened to it through our sound system.

One thing I never really noticed before (I guess because of watching it on TV) is the great stereoscopic sound the film employs. I came away with a few questions for the members of this board after watching it yesterday:

  • Was this the first 1950's Sci-Fi Film to utilize stereo?
  • Why other Sci-Fi Films of the 1950's didn't's follow in the footsteps of this film and also record in stereo.
  • Was it too expensive to record in stereo for low budget Sci-Fi movies?
  • Were most movie palaces/theaters not equipped to play a movie recorded in stereo?
  • Did the film going public not even notice or just not care about this added feature?

I was surprised at how much It Came from Outer Space utilized the front left and right speakers to isolate directional dialog from the characters speaking off screen or the explosions for the rock slide in the rear surround speakers. At first I thought this was a remix, but then I noticed it was the original recording.

Even more impressive when you consider this is 1953!