What was Stanley Kubrick’s first film shot in color?

Spartacus was Stanley Kubrick’s first film shot in color.

Released in 1960, Spartacus was the first color feature directed by Kubrick. The historical epic tells the story of the enslaved gladiator Spartacus and the revolt against the Roman Republic. Kirk Douglas stars in the title role, and the large production was made for Universal Pictures.

Kubrick took over the production after Anthony Mann was dismissed early in filming. Spartacus was produced by Douglas, who also played the lead, and its screenplay was written by Dalton Trumbo. The film’s supporting cast included Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, and Peter Ustinov.

Kubrick’s later color films included Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, and The Shining. His earlier features, including Fear and Desire, Killer’s Kiss, The Killing, and Paths of Glory, were black-and-white. Spartacus is therefore an important transition in his filmography, even though Kubrick later regarded the production as less personally controlled than his subsequent projects.