Gevacolor

Last updated May 05, 2025

Gevacolor is a color motion picture process. It was introduced in 1947 by Gevaert in Belgium, and an affiliate of Agfacolor. The process and company flourished in the 1950s as it was suitable for on location shooting. Both the companies merged in 1964 to form Agfa-Gevaert, and continued producing film stock till the 1980s.^[1]

History

Although Gevacolor was first produced by Gevaert in 1947, the brand name was only protected three years later, due to the company assuming no-one else would claim the name.^[2] In their internal magazine Foto-dienst, the company specified the two initial types of Gevacolor: one for filming by daylight and one for filming by artificial light. Both were available in small format film (35mm).^[3]

While there are claims that Gevaert was the first company to produce color film in the post-war period, Roosens doubts this claim. Ferrania had already produced a diapositive film during 1942-1944, and again in 1951. Furthermore, in 1946, color film using Agfacolor technology was being produced under Soviet supervision in a factory in Shostka, under the brand name Sovcolor.^[3]

In 1954/5, it was used for Jedda , reputedly Australia's first feature film to be shot in color by Carl Kayser (1909-84).^[4]

List of films taken in Gevacolor

Bangladeshi films

Title	Color	Year	Notes	Ref.
Narom Garom	Gevacolor	Unknown	First feature Bangla film shot in Gevacolor.

Pakistani films

Title	Color	Year	Notes	Ref.
Mera Naam Hai Mohabbat	Gevacolor	1975

Turkish films

Title	Color	Year	Notes	Ref.
Çanakkale Aslanları	Gevacolor	1964

European films

Title	Color	Year	Notes	Ref.
La maison du printemps	Gevacolor	1949	First ever film shot in Gevacolor.
Lúdas Matyi	Gevacolor	1950	First feature film in Hungary to be shot in Gevacolor.
Blaubart	Color	1951	Shot in Gevacolor.
The Heath is Green	Gevacolor	1951		^[5]
Cet âge est sans pitié		1952
Senza veli		1952
Imperial Violets		1952		^[5]
Tarantella napoletana		1953
The Lady of the Camellias		1953
L'uomo, la bestia e la virtù	Partly in colour	1953	Some scenes were shot in Gevacolor.
La nave delle donne maledette	Gevacolor	1953
Königliche Hoheit		1953	For legal reasons, German films shot on Gevacolor had a disclaimer: "Gevacolor nach Agfa und Gevaert Patenten".	^[5]
Joan of Arc at the Stake		1954		^[5]
Orient Express		1954		^[5]
Le comte de Montechristo		1954
Quay of Blondes		1954
Suspiros de Triana^[6]		1955
India: Matri Bhumi		1958	First documentary-hybrid film to be shot in Gevacolor.
The Devil's Nightmare		1971
El asesino de muñecas		1975
L'albero degli zoccoli	1978	Last ever film shot in Gevacolor.

Indian films

Title	Color	Year	Notes
Kalyaanam Pannippaar	Partly in colour	1952	First Tamil and South Indian film with a colour sequence. Song sequence of "Engu Sendraayo" filmed in colour.
Shahenshah	Gevacolor	1953	First full length Indian movie shot in Gevacolor.
Succa Jhoota	Gevacolor	1953	First full length Indian movie shot in Gevacolor.
Kanavaney Kankanda Deivam	Partly in colour	1955	Second Tamil film to have colour sequence. Song sequence of "Jagajothiye" and ending dance sequence in colour.
Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum	Colour	1956	First full length Tamil colour film
Marma Veeran	Partly in colour		Tamil film. Some scenes shot in colour.
Kannin Manigal			Contains sequences in Gevacolor. Tamil film.Lost film.
Thangamalai Ragasiyam		1957	Tamil film. Sequence of the song "Ehalogame" in colour
Rathnagiri Rahasya			Kannada film. Sequence of a song in colour
Ambikapathy			Tamil film. Sequence of duet songs in colour
Allaudinum Arputha Vilakkum			Tamil film. Song sequence of "Chelaadum Neerodai Meethae" in colour
Allavuddin Adbhuta Deepam			Telugu film. One song sequence in color
Nadodi Mannan		1958	Tamil film. Second half in colour
Illarame Nallaram			Tamil film. Dance sequence by Saroja Devi and Kumari Kamala in colour.
Engal Kudumbam Perisu			Tamil film. Children's dance drama in colour
School Master			Kannada film. Children's dance drama in colour
Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu			Telugu film. A dance sequence in color
Thirumanam			Tamil film. Dance sequence by Gopi Krishna, Kumari Kamala and B. Sarojadevi in colour. This is a lost film with no surviving prints.
Minnal Veeran		1959	Tamil film. Some sequences in color.
Deiva Balam			Tamil film. Second half of the film and other segments in colour.
Daiva Balam			Telugu film. Second half of the film and other segments in colour.
Veerapandiya Kattabomman	Gevacolor		Tamil film. Shot entirely in Gevacolor, then prints released in Technicolor.
Athisaya Penn	Partly in Gevacolor		Tamil film. Film was shot in Gevacolor. The climax of this film was shot in Technicolor for 45 minutes.
Adutha Veetu Penn	Partly in colour	1960	Tamil film. The song "Enakkaga Nee Raja" was shot in colour.
Kuzhandhaigal Kanda Kudiyarasu			Tamil film. Some parts of the film appeared in colour.
Pillalu Techina Challani Rajyam			Telugu film. Some parts of the film appeared in colour.
Makkala Rajya			Kannada film. Some parts of the film appeared in colour.
Runanubandham			Telugu film .
Sri Valli	Colour	1961	Tamil film.
Sabarimala Sri Ayyappan	Colour		Only Malayalam film in Gevacolor
Kappalottiya Thamizhan	Partly in colour		Tamil film. A song sequence shot in colour.
Aradhana	Partly in colour	1962	Telugu film. Song sequence of "Ohoho Mavayya" in colour.
Lava Kusa	Gevacolor	1963	Last Tamil film to be shot in Gevacolor.
Lava Kusa	Gevacolor	1963	The first full length Telugu film to be shot in Gevacolor.

Malaysian films

Title	Color	Year	Notes
Buloh Perindu	Gevacolor	1953	First feature film in Malaysia shot in Gevacolor.
Ribut	Gevacolor	1956	Third colour film in Malaysia and the second Gevacolor film.
Mahsuri	Gevacolor	1959	Third Gevacolor in Malaysia

References

↑ Susan Hayward (2013). Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts (4 ed.). Routledge. p. 86. ISBN 978-1135120856.
↑ Roosens, Laurent (1996). Arbeid Adelt. Een geschiedenis van de door Lieven Gevaert opgerichte fotografische industrie. Deel 5b (in Dutch). Mortsel: Agfa-Gevaert. p. 502.
1 2 Roosens, Laurent (1996). Arbeid Adelt. Een geschiedenis van de door Lieven Gevaert opgerichte fotografische industrie. Deel 5b (in Dutch). Mortsel: Agfa-Gevaert. pp. 544–545.
↑ "Australia, enciclopedia del cinema" (in Italian). Retrieved 13 February 2021.
1 2 3 4 5 Roosens, Laurent (1996). Arbeid Adelt. Een geschiedenis van de door Lieven Gevaert opgerichte fotografische industrie. Deel 5b (in Dutch). Mortsel: Agfa-Gevaert. p. 582.
↑ "Suspiros de Triana de Ramón Torrado (1955) contada por Dqvlapeli Blog".

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[1] Susan Hayward (2013). Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts (4 ed.). Routledge. p. 86. ISBN 978-1135120856.

[2] Roosens, Laurent (1996). Arbeid Adelt. Een geschiedenis van de door Lieven Gevaert opgerichte fotografische industrie. Deel 5b (in Dutch). Mortsel: Agfa-Gevaert. p. 502.

[:0-3] 1 2 Roosens, Laurent (1996). Arbeid Adelt. Een geschiedenis van de door Lieven Gevaert opgerichte fotografische industrie. Deel 5b (in Dutch). Mortsel: Agfa-Gevaert. pp. 544–545.

[4] "Australia, enciclopedia del cinema" (in Italian). Retrieved 13 February 2021.

[:1-5] 1 2 3 4 5 Roosens, Laurent (1996). Arbeid Adelt. Een geschiedenis van de door Lieven Gevaert opgerichte fotografische industrie. Deel 5b (in Dutch). Mortsel: Agfa-Gevaert. p. 582.

[6] "Suspiros de Triana de Ramón Torrado (1955) contada por Dqvlapeli Blog".

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