{{Short description|American inventor, cinematographer and entrepreneur (1923–2010)}} '''Chris J. Condon''' (1923 – December 19, 2010), born '''Christo Dimitri Koudounis''', was the inventor of the 3D film system used by his company StereoVision, a cinematographer, and founder of Sierra Pacific Airlines.
==Life and career== He was born in North Chicago, Illinois. During World War II, he received four Bronze Battle Stars while working as combat crew and as a cinematographer on B-24 and A-26 aircraft in the Pacific.<ref name="Chris J. Condon, Pioneer of 3-D">{{cite web|url=http://3d.hollywoodfilmsinternational.com/CHRIS-CONDON-BIO-v2.html |title=Chris J. Condon, Pioneer of 3-D |publisher=3d.hollywoodfilmsinternational.com |date= |accessdate=2010-12-22}}</ref> Upon his death in 2010, he was buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.
After the war, he worked at Douglas Aircraft as a trainee before starting his own business in 1947, Century Precision Optics Company of North Hollywood, California. With the company, he developed the Tele-Athenar telephoto lens which was used by Walt Disney photographers in the True Life Adventures series.<ref name="Chris J. Condon, Pioneer of 3-D"/>
In 1953, he received his first patent for a 3D projection system.<ref name="Chris J. Condon, Pioneer of 3-D"/> The system replaced the previous method of using two cameras. His invention was inspired by the film ''House of Wax''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dore |first=Shalini |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029323?refCatId=13 |title=3D pioneer Chris Condon dies - Entertainment News, Film News, Media |publisher=Variety |date= 2010-12-20|accessdate=2010-12-22}}</ref>
He taught at Columbia College Hollywood from 1958 to 1960.<ref name="Chris J. Condon, Pioneer of 3-D"/>
He co-wrote the American Cinematographer Manual for the American Society of Cinematographers with Joseph V. Mascelli in 1963.<ref name="Chris J. Condon, Pioneer of 3-D"/>
In 1969, he and his partner Allan Silliphant received a patent for the world's first single-camera 3-D motion picture lens and formed the company Magnavision, which later became StereoVision Entertainment. After the success of soft X, eventually the 3D movie ''The Stewardesses'' was R rated.
In 1970, he and Silliphant founded Trans Sierra Airlines, later known as Sierra Pacific Airlines.<ref name="Chris J. Condon, Pioneer of 3-D"/> The airline continued to operate under several newer owners with a fleet of Convair prop-jets and Boeing 737 jets.
In 1972, he received a patent for a special widescreen 3-D camera lens for modern 35mm and 70mm reflex motion picture cameras.<ref name="Chris J. Condon, Pioneer of 3-D"/>
During the 1970s, his lenses were used in ''Andy Warhol's Frankenstein'', ''Dynasty'', and ''Fantastic Invasion of Planet Earth''.<ref name="Chris J. Condon, Pioneer of 3-D"/>
==Credits== *''The Stewardesses'' (filmed in Stereovision 3D) (1969) *''The Volcano Creature'' (co-producer) *''The CIA Girls of Capitol Hill'' (co-producer) *''Mr. Howard's Crazy Airline'' (co-producer) *''The Wild Ride'' (co-producer and director of 3D photography) *''The Volcano Creature and Surfer Girls'' (co-producer and director of 3D photography) *''Magda The Gypsy Fortune Teller'' co-produced with Gary Tomsic and Herb Liteman (filmed in Stereovision 3D) (1999) *''Jaws 3-D'' (Cinematographer and Chief 3-D Consultant) 1983<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0174380/ Chris J. Condon - IMDb<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0174380|Chris Condon}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Condon, Chris}} Category:1923 births Category:2010 deaths Category:American cinematographers Category:American businesspeople in aviation Category:Burials at Riverside National Cemetery Category:People from Chicago Category:3D cinema Category:People from North Chicago, Illinois Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II