The PFA screen becomes a colorful palette tonight as Dan Woodruff, archivist at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, presents a fun and informative, illustrated history of Technicolor, from its not-so-humble 2-strip beginnings to its last Hollywood appearance in the 1970s. What, precisely, is Technicolor? What makes it so special, and why do other color techniques literally pale in comparison? Dan Woodruff will explain this and much more as he traces the development of the technique with rare, early clips from the Academy collection as well as highlights from classic films from the mid-'20s to the 1970s. As some of Technicolor's most glorious moments are re-lived on the screen, you may be surprised to see the changes that it went through over the decades according to the color sense of the era, from the subtle tones of the 1930s to the garish colors of the '50s and the more natural look of the '70s. Included in this program will be a reel from the first all-color musical revue film, The King of Jazz, featuring a number of famous jazz singers, dancers and entertainers from the popular American theater of the 1920s, whose skits are elaborately staged in near-surreal tableaux choreographed on movable stages for the imposing (2-strip) Technicolor camera.