I watch Turner Classic Movies (TCM) regularly, enjoying some of the great B&W films of the 1930's and 1940's. Sometimes there is a closeup where a portion of the actor's dress or jacket is seen with the fabric in a tight criss-cross pattern, and the fabric will show up with a mild hint of a GREEN hue! This occurs only in a green shade, in a Black & White movie! What is the cause of this? My vision is perfect, with excellent acuity, observing on a HD tv set. Hal
I didn't know, but the internet did. Here is the answer: Mixtures of daylight, tungsten and fluorescent or other light types can produce different color balances. Azo dyes in fabrics can have a similar effect. The spectral reflectance of these dyes do not match up well with the spectral sensitivity of photographic films, and therefore these colors are not imaged accurately. www.thephoblographer.com
I watched a newer movie (Nebraska 2013 with Bruce Dern) that was filmed in Black and White and noticed several times on the edge of the picture there was an orangish color. I wondered if it was on purpose or just a result of the black/white film option. By the way, great movie if you get a chance.