A question for RAH about The Godfather (1 Viewer)

[Richard--W]

Do you know of any plans to release The Godfather: A Novel For Television on DVD or Blu-ray? There are two or three different edits of this expanded version. I assume that all the footage was restored when you restored the trilogy, but was one of the Novel For Television / Saga edits restored?
There is a lot of interest in this version of The Godfather.

 

[TonyD]

I would buy it.

 

[kenNew]

So would I. I still have a VHS off-air recording made about 15 years ago. It would be great if Paramount recognised that there are customers waiting to spend money on this version.

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Richard--W /t/320302/a-question-for-rah-about-the-godfather#post_3919995
Do you know of any plans to release The Godfather: A Novel For Television on DVD or Blu-ray? There are two or three different edits of this expanded version. I assume that all the footage was restored when you restored the trilogy, but was one of the Novel For Television / Saga edits restored?

The studio did not wish the add'l material to be dealt with. I'm aware of no plan to release.

 

[Richard--W]

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Peter Neski]

its clear someone restored all the extra footage in the Novel of TV ,most looks very good when it was shown on AMC HD
the first time in 16x9 ,maybe it could have been better if Mr Harris did it,but compared to that old 1:33 footage on the extras
on the Blue Ray set its night and Day
Wonder if the two scenes (one with Mike and Don getting into car to see Genco,and one with communist in Sisely) were remastered too
these scenes aren't in Novel of tv and are only on trilogy,which might be what we get,which would be shame since its missing stuff
on the novel for TV
One scene before horses head scene(in the Novel for TV) which has Brando in it ,simply doesn't make sense ,and doesn't work because its the second part of a scene
which shows up in Godfather 1 and is inter cut with meeting with sollozzo ,which would have to be reedited,and that's why
that Brando scene is missing from The Trilogy

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Peter Neski /t/320302/a-question-for-rah-about-the-godfather#post_3921739
its clear someone restored all the extra footage in the Novel of TV ,most looks very good when it was shown on AMC HD
the first time in 16x9 ,maybe it could have been better if Mr Harris did it,but compared to that old 1:33 footage on the extras
on the Blue Ray set its night and Day
Wonder if the two scenes (one with Mike and Don getting into car to see Genco,and one with communist in Sisely) were remastered too
these scenes aren't in Novel of tv and are only on trilogy,which might be what we get,which would be shame since its missing stuff
on the novel for TV
One scene before horses head scene(in the Novel for TV) which has Brando in it ,simply doesn't make sense ,and doesn't work because its the second part of a scene
which shows up in Godfather 1 and is inter cut with meeting with sollozzo ,which would have to be reedited,and that's why
that Brando scene is missing from The Trilogy

AFAIK, none of the footage needed any sort of "restoration."

Keep in mind that none of this footage was run through printers or scanner more than a half dozen times. The footage should be pristine.

RAH

 

[Peter Neski]

is it just me or does the footage from Godfather 1 look a little better than 2?

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Peter Neski /t/320302/a-question-for-rah-about-the-godfather#post_3922158
is it just me or does the footage from Godfather 1 look a little better than 2?

It's just you!

RAH

 

[Peter Neski]

I am only speaking of Original film stock as seen in Blue Ray,and maybe its because you did more work on it, not sure

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Peter Neski /t/320302/a-question-for-rah-about-the-godfather#post_3922883
I am only speaking of Original film stock as seen in Blue Ray,and maybe its because you did more work on it, not sure

Precisely the same film stock.

Not only that, but same camera and optics.

Different filtration on 2, especially in the early NY sequences. That might be what you're seeing.

RAH

 

[Peter Neski]

Different filtration on 2, especially in the early NY sequences......No those scenes look fine ,
Hard to explain Godfather 2 is a better Looking Film with a Bigger Budget
Maybe because I saw more Bad versions of 1 than 2 in theaters over the years

 

[Richard--W]

It's been a long since I read the interviews in Masters of Light
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520053362/sr=1-1/qid=1336266802/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1336266802&seller=&sr=1-1
but I recall Gordon Willis commenting on the two films. He had put together a specialized kind of "soft light box" for the first film that he was able to improve on for the second film. He had more time to light the second film. There is definitely a refinement in the approach to color and light. If this interview isn't in Masters of Light it's in one of the other cinematography interview books.