Scopitone Jukebox
Scopitone 450 Jukebox
(U.S.A.)
|
Scopitone films are the
early 1960s forerunners to today's music videos. They were distributed
on color 16mm film with a magnetic soundtrack, and were made to be shown on
Scopitone film jukeboxes. The first Scopitones were made in France
around 1960, and the Scopitone craze spread throughout Europe (particularly
in West Germany and England) before crossing the Atlantic to the United
States in mid-1964. By the end of the 1960s, Scopitones were gone.
Scopitones offer a
music legacy of important early rock n roll artists. Because Scopitones
were filmed in color, they provide an opportunity to see artists more
vibrantly than the black and white standard of a 1960s television broadcast
or B-movie.
In addition to Scopitones,
there were also Soundies, Snader Telescriptions, Official Films, etc.
While these other "music videos" did not play on a Scopitone
Jukebox, they are similar in production quality and are significant in musical
history. They are also very collectable.
The VIDEO BEAT!
carries a small sampling of
Scopitones, Soundies, etc. |
