Facts about Perspecta Stereophonic Sound (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

High Society was Perspecta.

The only VVLA production in true stereo, of which I’m aware, was Williamsburg: The Story of a Patriot, which was magnetic only 35/8.

 

[dana martin]

"This Island Earth can be yours if THE PRICE IS RIGHT!"

As I already own this,

I bid $1 Drew

 

[Steve Rothaus]

The stereo mix for HIGH SOCIETY was created for the laserdisc release by a longtime MGM employee who was credited on the sleeve for his contributions if I remember correctly. Hopefully someone still owns the disc and can back me up.

You are correct. Found these photos on eBay. Read the back jacket for details about the musical sequences being presented in stereo by MGM's Scott Perry "for the first time anywhere."

High Society - Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra - Laser Disc | eBay

This is a 12" LaserDisc and you need a LaserDisc player for it to work. All movies have been tested and work as they should.

www.ebay.com

 

[Will Krupp]

I would have thought Paramount would have wanted Strategic Air Command first run in directional stereo with planes shooting all over the place.

According to that in70mm link I posted, STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND was encoded with Perspecta but they didn't have the installation complete at the Paramount Theatre in time for the opening so it played New York in regular mono.

The cost of installing stereo sound received a giant pushback from exhibitors to the point that only after making mono prints available did smaller theaters convert. Fox made a dual inventory available to exhibitors until magoptical prints (reducing the width of CinemaScope to 2.35:1) became the standard.

 

[Vern Dias]

While a Perspecta installation cost less than a full 4 track mag installation, its cost certainly wasn't insignificant either. A theatre that objected to the cost of installing 4 track mag would most likely responded similarly to the cost of installing Perspecta.

Operations cost on mag was greater, since the oxide stripes gradually wore the heads, requiring replacement

Comparison of the components required for both systems:

Mag: 3 stage speakers, surround speakers (optional), Mag Penthouses, Mag Preamps, Power Amps

Perspecta: 3 stage speakers, Perspectasound Integrator, Power Amps, possible modifications to existing optical soundheads and preamps to extend low frequency response.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

As the moderators have suggested, the Perspecta discussion would be best had in the dedicated Perspecta thread.

 

[Vern Dias]

Not a Perspecta discussion, but a reply to Will krupps comment on the cost of installing stereo in theatres.

 

[Will Krupp]

While a Perspecta installation cost less than a full 4 track mag installation, its cost certainly wasn't insignificant either. A theatre that objected to the cost of installing 4 track mag would most likely responded similarly to the cost of installing Perspecta.

Yes, but the point of Vista Vision/Perspecta was that, while it WOULD enhance the sound in a quasi-"deluxe" presentation, no one was REQUIRED to install it. Stereo sound was originally a Fox requirement for all theaters installing CinemaScope and the first wave of titles were only released with magnetic tracks. Fox eventually gave in and made mono prints available for all CinemaScope titles and also eventually dropped the requirement for the installation of "Miracle Mirror" screens, thereby completely unpacking the original CS exhibition "specs."

 

[Dick]

So are we saying here that High Society also a musical was released in Mono as it’s VistaVision? I find that very hard to believe that for a film starring Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong? If so what was Paramount’s reasoning - because they bought exclusive rights into an inferior film format? Is that what killed VistaVision? I thought it was the basis for all 70mm films- the granddaddy of them all. I can see it for the Hitchcock films but CJ WC HS and FF makes no sense when CinemaScope and all the others were showcasing stereo as a way to draw in theatergoers.
But I defer to the experts.

I have seen an HD master on Blu-ray that featured a delightful stereophonic soundtrack. I think it was a 5.1 mix, probably taken from the MGM laser disc.

 

[RPMay]

You are correct. Found these photos on eBay. Read the back jacket for details about the musical sequences being presented in stereo by MGM's Scott Perry "for the first time anywhere."

High Society - Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra - Laser Disc | eBay

This is a 12" LaserDisc and you need a LaserDisc player for it to work. All movies have been tested and work as they should.

www.ebay.com

The MGM feature release schedule for 1956 shows HIGH SOCIETY as being "VV., PS"

 

[Rob W]

Perspecta is actually listed on-screen in the opening credits for High Society so there is no doubt that it was a Persepcta title.

However, the wording for the laserdisc refers to the re-mix as true stereophonic sound suggesting that producer Feltenstein & Co. considered Perspecta as a lesser stereophonic system. I'm not suggesting this to start a fight about Perspecta, but for whatever reason the Perspecta mix was not used.

Seems to me we can agree that High Society was originally released theatrically in Perspecta Sound, but the video editions since the laserdisc remaster have all used the Scott Perry re-mixed stereo soundtrack. It's certainly there on my HD iTunes file, and it's great.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

When was that?
Only kidding ... I love interesting diversions. Which is why I love the novel 'Tristram Shandy', which NEVER (well, almost never) stays on its plot-line. If it had one.

 

[William Moore]

The stereo mix for HIGH SOCIETY was created for the laserdisc release by a longtime MGM employee who was credited on the sleeve for his contributions if I remember correctly. Hopefully someone still owns the disc and can back me up.

I have a stereo recording of the track "No You Has Jazz" with Crosby and Satchmo which sounds pretty good. Maybe just the songs in this film were recorded in stereo.

 

[OliverK]

Part 2

Quoted for a cool pic of you from 1996!

Is there a list of titles out there that had their Perspecta sound mix reconstructed for their Blu-ray or even DVD release?

 

[RolandL]

Quoted for a cool pic of you from 1996!

Is there a list of titles out there that had their Perspecta sound mix reconstructed for their Blu-ray or even DVD release?

The titles I know of are:

This Island Earth
Barefoot Contessa
Hidden Fortress

There might be more.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

I can't be certain but I believe CONTESSA was done using the Dolby card which does not accurately replicate the gain control which is a vital component of Perspecta's success.

 

[haineshisway]

The titles I know of are:

This Island Earth
Barefoot Contessa
Hidden Fortress

There might be more.

Pretty sure High and Low is Perspecta

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I know at least one Kurosawa has it but I can’t remember which, it could be more than one.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

HIGH SOCIETY was available to exhibitors in either Perspecta or single-channel mono optical.

 

[Rob W]

Bob, did Perspecta allow for single inventory prints; meaning would a Perspecta print play in proper mono on a non-Perspecta system ? The wording in those trade ads suggest not.