Color-Sonic was a type of visual jukebox developed in the United States in the 1960s. They were the first ones to use continuous loop cartridges, which were both more durable and more easily replaced than the film reels used by their competitors, Cinebox and Scopitone. The Color-Sonic films were shot on 35 mm, as opposed to the 16 mm film used for Scopitone and Cinebox. Before Color-Sonic, Panoram had already pioneered the use of visual jukeboxes in America.
In 1966, Henry A. Schwartz filed a patent for the Color-Sonic, also known as Combi 150 (a visual jukebox) which was assigned to Color-Sonics Inc. alias National Company Inc. in New York. The Color-Sonic machines were manufactured at the facilities of the National Company Inc. in Melrose, Massachusetts. COLOR-SONICS, INC. was incorporated on May 7, 1966, in New York county with company number 198358. It is located at 122 East 42nd St. New York, New York, 10168. The National Company Inc. also used to own The National Radio Company of New York, NY. [1] [2] [3] [4]
The video films themselves were made at Paramount Studios by Official Films, which was headed by Robert Blees, a former producer of TV shows such as Bus Stop and Combat!. Robert Altman was hired to direct several Color-Sonics films: "Girl Talk" by Bobby Troup, a short called The Party set to the song "Bittersweet Samba" by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, and two shorts featuring Lili St. Cyr. In addition, Color-Sonics produced a fairly sophisticated music video titled " These Boots Are Made for Walkin' " by Nancy Sinatra which was directed by Robert Sidney. [4] [5] [6]
Some of the 200 music videos featured on Color-Sonics (with Color-Sonics catalog number in brackets, where known) included;
Color-Sonic was a type of visual jukebox developed in the United States in the 1960s. They were the first ones to use continuous loop cartridges, which were both more durable and more easily replaced than the film reels used by their competitors, Cinebox and Scopitone. The Color-Sonic films were shot on 35 mm, as opposed to the 16 mm film used for Scopitone and Cinebox. Before Color-Sonic, Panoram had already pioneered the use of visual jukeboxes in America.
In 1966, Henry A. Schwartz filed a patent for the Color-Sonic, also known as Combi 150 (a visual jukebox) which was assigned to Color-Sonics Inc. alias National Company Inc. in New York. The Color-Sonic machines were manufactured at the facilities of the National Company Inc. in Melrose, Massachusetts. COLOR-SONICS, INC. was incorporated on May 7, 1966, in New York county with company number 198358. It is located at 122 East 42nd St. New York, New York, 10168. The National Company Inc. also used to own The National Radio Company of New York, NY. [1] [2] [3] [4]
The video films themselves were made at Paramount Studios by Official Films, which was headed by Robert Blees, a former producer of TV shows such as Bus Stop and Combat!. Robert Altman was hired to direct several Color-Sonics films: "Girl Talk" by Bobby Troup, a short called The Party set to the song "Bittersweet Samba" by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, and two shorts featuring Lili St. Cyr. In addition, Color-Sonics produced a fairly sophisticated music video titled " These Boots Are Made for Walkin' " by Nancy Sinatra which was directed by Robert Sidney. [4] [5] [6]
Some of the 200 music videos featured on Color-Sonics (with Color-Sonics catalog number in brackets, where known) included;