(1926) “The Open Road“: A Pioneering Journey Through 1920s Britain in Colour. Claude Friese Greene.

Join as a member to support this channel: In 1926, British filmmaker Claude Friese-Greene embarked on a remarkable journey that would become a cinematic time capsule of interwar Britain. His film, The Open Road, captures the country’s landscapes, people, and industries in vibrant colour, offering a unique perspective on a nation emerging from the shadows of World War I. Friese-Greene, a pioneer in colour film technology, envisioned The Open Road as a showcase for his innovative Biocolour process. This method involved filming alternate frames in red and blue-green, which, when projected, created a surprisingly rich and naturalistic colour palette. While not the first colour film, The Open Road stands out for its ambitious scope and its portrayal of everyday life in early 20th-century Britain. A Road Trip for the Ages The film documents a motorcar journey from Land’s End, the southwesternmost point of England, t