- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,438
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
The Egyptian is an odd film.
Following the success of Henry Koster's The Robe, Fox's first CinemaScope film released in the fall of 1953, the format blossomed. The Robe was followed by its sequel, Demetrius and the Gladiators (June, 1954), and The Egyptian, just a couple of months later.
With the production in the hands of director Michael Curtiz, a score shared by Alfred Newman and Bernard Hermann, Darryl F. Zanuck personally producing, and cinematography by the great Leon Shamroy, one can only surmise how the film ended up as it did. I suggest the notes authored by Julie Kirgo, which comes with the new Twilight Time Blu-ray.
While there were only four CinemaScope productions released in 1953, the following year saw M-G-M, WB, Universal and Disney join the fray with over 35 productions, including some stunners -- Brigadoon, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, A Star is Born, There's No Business Like Show Business and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
From a purely archival perspective, these early 'scope productions are a two-edged blade. Many were printed from their original negatives in a time that early separation masters yielded less than stellar quality. Because of the mass printings, original elements such as those for The Robe, create a difficult job toward restoration. Those printed via Technicolor's dye transfer process have survived in better condition.
Printer functions were generally a rather bumpy mess, meaning that fades and dissolves now appear problematic.
There is an absolute that also comes into play here. The more successful the film, the worse the quality of surviving elements.
And this is a huge help to The Egyptian, which is retrospect, with the exception of any scenes in which Bella Darvi appears, is a more than decent film. Beautifully produced on a huge budget, with a terrific cast, inclusive of many of Fox's stock company. As NY Times critic Bosley Crowther put it, [The Egyptian] "glistens with archaeological scenery, rumbles with a sense of human woe - and moves at the pace of a death march across the Roxy's broad CinemaScope screen." Ouch!
The importance to us today, is to appreciate the early use of wide screen cinematography and the CinemaScope process.
And this is where Twilight Time, which has arrived on the scene to distribute films (both standard def as well as Blu-ray), comes into play. Without their desire to bring films to the home theater audience in special, limited editions, we'd not be seeing the likes of The Eqyptian.
The point must also be made that this is no low-budget Blu-ray affair. The Egyptian has been lovingly taken from original elements by Fox's Schawn Belston and his team. The final result is a full studio level release, with terrific dimensional audio, and an image harvested from what appears to be either the OCN or an IP, that has captured the grain structure and generally, the colors of the original. I'm seeing just the slightest bit of fade, which should go unnoticed, in the thinnest areas of the negative, with shadows yielding just the slight bit toward blue. Not a problem. Clean-up of the image has been meticulous, and the final presentation, a thrill to see on a large screen.
With that slight exception, color on The Eqyptian is staggeringly beautiful film for 1954, which was the beginning of the Eastman Color era. Many (non-scope) productions were still using three-strip Technicolor.
The bottom line here is that thanks to the resolve of Twilight Time, The Egyptian is now available in a very limited release of 3,000 units. They are not going to be around long.
Please support Twilight Time's efforts, as there are hundreds of films out there that can use their interest.
Recommended as a film, but...
Highly Recommended as a Blu-ray disc. A beautiful presentation.
RAH
Following the success of Henry Koster's The Robe, Fox's first CinemaScope film released in the fall of 1953, the format blossomed. The Robe was followed by its sequel, Demetrius and the Gladiators (June, 1954), and The Egyptian, just a couple of months later.
With the production in the hands of director Michael Curtiz, a score shared by Alfred Newman and Bernard Hermann, Darryl F. Zanuck personally producing, and cinematography by the great Leon Shamroy, one can only surmise how the film ended up as it did. I suggest the notes authored by Julie Kirgo, which comes with the new Twilight Time Blu-ray.
While there were only four CinemaScope productions released in 1953, the following year saw M-G-M, WB, Universal and Disney join the fray with over 35 productions, including some stunners -- Brigadoon, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, A Star is Born, There's No Business Like Show Business and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
From a purely archival perspective, these early 'scope productions are a two-edged blade. Many were printed from their original negatives in a time that early separation masters yielded less than stellar quality. Because of the mass printings, original elements such as those for The Robe, create a difficult job toward restoration. Those printed via Technicolor's dye transfer process have survived in better condition.
Printer functions were generally a rather bumpy mess, meaning that fades and dissolves now appear problematic.
There is an absolute that also comes into play here. The more successful the film, the worse the quality of surviving elements.
And this is a huge help to The Egyptian, which is retrospect, with the exception of any scenes in which Bella Darvi appears, is a more than decent film. Beautifully produced on a huge budget, with a terrific cast, inclusive of many of Fox's stock company. As NY Times critic Bosley Crowther put it, [The Egyptian] "glistens with archaeological scenery, rumbles with a sense of human woe - and moves at the pace of a death march across the Roxy's broad CinemaScope screen." Ouch!
The importance to us today, is to appreciate the early use of wide screen cinematography and the CinemaScope process.
And this is where Twilight Time, which has arrived on the scene to distribute films (both standard def as well as Blu-ray), comes into play. Without their desire to bring films to the home theater audience in special, limited editions, we'd not be seeing the likes of The Eqyptian.
The point must also be made that this is no low-budget Blu-ray affair. The Egyptian has been lovingly taken from original elements by Fox's Schawn Belston and his team. The final result is a full studio level release, with terrific dimensional audio, and an image harvested from what appears to be either the OCN or an IP, that has captured the grain structure and generally, the colors of the original. I'm seeing just the slightest bit of fade, which should go unnoticed, in the thinnest areas of the negative, with shadows yielding just the slight bit toward blue. Not a problem. Clean-up of the image has been meticulous, and the final presentation, a thrill to see on a large screen.
With that slight exception, color on The Eqyptian is staggeringly beautiful film for 1954, which was the beginning of the Eastman Color era. Many (non-scope) productions were still using three-strip Technicolor.
The bottom line here is that thanks to the resolve of Twilight Time, The Egyptian is now available in a very limited release of 3,000 units. They are not going to be around long.
Please support Twilight Time's efforts, as there are hundreds of films out there that can use their interest.
Recommended as a film, but...
Highly Recommended as a Blu-ray disc. A beautiful presentation.
RAH