The history of color in movies dates back to the early 1900s when various color effects were used in films. However, the first motion pictures were photographed using a simple homogeneous photographic emulsion that yielded a black and white image. The first full-color movie was Toll of the Sea, released in 1922, which utilized a slightly more advanced Technicolor process that imprinted the color on the actual film. Despite this advancement, color production was still expensive, and filmmakers found it not worth spending the money if audiences were still fond of monochromes and black and white cinematography. As a result, only a few scenes within an otherwise black and white film were colorized.
The process of colorizing black and white films has evolved over time, from hand-painting each frame to using computers to digitally color individual objects. The most recent method of colorization uses software to color each pixel, which is then blended together to create a continuous image. Colorization became popular in the 1980s when audiences didn't want to watch old black and white films but would show up in droves for colorized versions. This led to a debate over the ethics of colorizing black and white films, with many filmmakers and historians arguing that it altered the original artistic intent of the filmmakers. Despite this, colorization remains a popular method for bringing older films to a new audience.