Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2020 April 26

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

April 26

Whatsit?

Resolved

 – 06:47, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Some films begin with a short segment that precedes the opening credits. Is there a name for this? 107.15.157.44 (talk) 06:08, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Cold open. --Wrongfilter (talk) 06:30, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Thanks! 107.15.157.44 (talk) 06:47, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Much more common in TV series. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:16, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

As the article notes, in film they're commonly known as pre-credit sequences (e.g. James Bond films). 107.15.157.44 (talk) 08:39, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

We have a Pre-credit article without any references. Scope for a merger perhaps? Alansplodge (talk) 12:17, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Definitely. And the part about "...or before closing credits" makes no sense, as that would mean the entire movie. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:26, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

One anecdotal example of a cold opening (assuming I'm remembering correctly) is 1959's Ben-Hur, which opens with the birth of Jesus, then someone blows a ram's horn, which segues into the trumpet of the opening credits, which are superimposed on Michelangelo's painting of God creating Adam. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:00, 27 April 2020 (UTC)

history of cold opens

Now, opening credits in feature films are usually superimposed on the action (or a lull therein). But there was a time when the credits were always separate; fixed cards early on, then later often a whimsical animation. Can anyone say what was the first major picture to integrate credits with the main action? —Tamfang (talk) 02:47, 27 April 2020 (UTC)

This may not fit your criteria, but Gone With the Wind rolls its credits over a series of establishing vistas, though no dialogue.[1] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:12, 27 April 2020 (UTC)

This question is more to do with opening credits than cold openings, but as you can see in that article, A Farewell to Arms "integrated" the credits into the main action in 1932, some years before Gone With the Wind.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:47, 27 April 2020 (UTC)