Overtures, intermission, entr’acte, exit music on Blu-ray (2 Viewers)

[roxy1927]

It seems that Wagon had long roadshow runs in England and Australia. I went to see a roadshow 70mm print at the Warner Cinerama in NY. I went really out of curiosity. I think it was on tv, I had seen it, and it was as bad as they said.
Well seeing it on the vast curved screen in 6 track stereo was quite the experience. I thought it was terrific.
Those men's choruses can never be produced on a Broadway stage.
And I'm one of those people who really enjoys Marvin singing Wandrin' Star. The print I saw probably doesn't exist any longer and if the ocn exists forget about Paramount doing anything with it. I've read the bluray of On a Clear Day is terrible.

 

[RolandL]

It seems that Wagon had long roadshow runs in England and Australia. I went to see a roadshow 70mm print at the Warner Cinerama in NY. I went really out of curiosity. I think it was on tv, I had seen it, and it was as bad as they said.
Well seeing it on the vast curved screen in 6 track stereo was quite the experience. I thought it was terrific.
Those men's choruses can never be produced on a Broadway stage.
And I'm one of those people who really enjoys Marvin singing Wandrin' Star. The print I saw probably doesn't exist any longer and if the ocn exists forget about Paramount doing anything with it. I've read the bluray of On a Clear Day is terrible.

That must have been a re-release at the Warner.

10/15/69 to 2/3/70

 

[roxy1927]

Yes it was. It was in the late 70s.

 

[RolandL]

3/1/78

 

[roxy1927]

Yes that's it.

 

[PaulRossen]

3/1/78
View attachment 156471

I believe that the Warner had their 70mm festival of movie musicals at that time. I saw South Pacific in 70mm at the Warner.

 

[RolandL]

I believe that the Warner had their 70mm festival of movie musicals at that time. I saw South Pacific in 70mm at the Warner.

The Warner (Cinerama after it was divided in 1968 and later RKO Cinerama) had the following titles for the 70mm festival.

 

[uncledougie]

Would love a festival like this one, and it would be great for current generation film lovers (to whatever extent they exist) to experience such filmic grandeur properly on a large screen, sadly too few of which exist anymore. I would note that about half the films listed would’ve been 70mm conversions (Funny Girl, Finian’s Rainbow, Paint Your Wagon, Camelot, Cabaret), while I presume the others were still circulating native 70mm prints at the time. But that’s a great lineup.

 

[RolandL]

Would love a festival like this one, and it would be great for current generation film lovers (to whatever extent they exist) to experience such filmic grandeur properly on a large screen, sadly too few of which exist anymore. I would note that about half the films listed would’ve been 70mm conversions (Funny Girl, Finian’s Rainbow, Paint Your Wagon, Camelot, Cabaret), while I presume the others were still circulating native 70mm prints at the time. But that’s a great lineup.

Three of the titles do say "Presented in 35mm"

 

[KPmusmag]

Three of the titles do say "Presented in 35mm"

I get Funny Girl and Cabaret - they were filmed in 35mm. But why West Side Story?

 

[uncledougie]

Three of the titles do say "Presented in 35mm"

I do see that, plus unfortunately as stated West Side Story, which evidently had no 70mm print available at the time. There were I believe 70mm versions of Funny Girl, though possibly not Cabaret from what I can find. The Seattle Cinerama 70mm festivals always tried to adhere to limiting it to 70mm prints, though technical difficulties more than once led to reverting to digital projection (they had to switch The Sound of Music right after the I Have Confidence sequence due to technical difficulties). So with aging prints and projection equipment, it makes one reflect on how fragile the situation is and can only enhance appreciation when it goes smoothly. Plus it cries out for restoration and preservation of this priceless heritage.

 

[roxy1927]

There isn't a theater in the NY area left that could present those films as the Cinerama could. And remember those were original 70mm prints from their first runs. I saw all the films that I had an interest in leaving out Cabaret, Finian's Rainbow and Camelot. My Fair Lady was especially glorious. I've never seen it since and will never see it like that again. A home theater will never have a 80ft curved screen or those Western Electric horn speakers presenting 6 track stereo. All analog. An irretrievable experience. You have no idea unless you saw those films on their original roadshow engagements.

 

[uncledougie]

You’re exactly correct. It’s an indelible memory for me starting at a very early age (4) when in one year I sat through The Ten Commandments, The King and I, and Around the World in 80 Days. Got bitten by the bug very early LOL.

 

[Malcolm Bmoor]

.....6 track stereo. All analog.

There's no reason to be nostalgic for analogue mag stripe now that we have digital transfers of the Masters.

I was shown on a visit to Technicolor near Heathrow quite some years ago, that because so much was lost copying to those narrow stripes, the transfers were done through a graphic equaliser in order to boost the HF to compensate for the loss inherent on the striped print. Yes, of course we've all heard marvellous results in some cinemas but with all that manipulation it was anything but accurate.

There is no comparison between those compromises and the quality of fresh prints that have digital sound.

 

[roxy1927]

I don't know about that. I remember especially My Fair Lady, South Pacific and Paint Your Wagon having glorious sound. Am I misremembering? The slashing chords opening Lady, the opening notes of Bali Hai which had me pinned to the back of the theater, and the erie murmerings of 'Gold' that start off Wagon. That's not happening in a home theater.

On my stereo system digital end I listened to the Reiner box. Well that was very nice. Out of curiosity on ebay I found a sealed lp copy of his Lt Kije recording which was probably from the 70s(like I was going to find an original sealed affordable pressing!) It was absolutely mind blowing its depth and beauty. Like the walls of my small apartment had disappeared and I found myself traveling in a troika in Russia. And the distant mournful sound of the trumpet! Where did the wall behind my speakers go?

 

[Robert Harris]

I don't know about that. I remember especially My Fair Lady, South Pacific and Paint Your Wagon having glorious sound. Am I misremembering? The slashing chords opening Lady, the opening notes of Bali Hai which had me pinned to the back of the theater, and the erie murmerings of 'Gold' that start off Wagon. That's not happening in a home theater.

On my stereo system digital end I listened to the Reiner box. Well that was very nice. Out of curiosity on ebay I found a sealed lp copy of his Lt Kije recording which was probably from the 70s(like I was going to find an original sealed affordable pressing!) It was absolutely mind blowing its depth and beauty. Like the walls of my small apartment had disappeared and I found myself traveling in a troika in Russia. And the distant mournful sound of the trumpet! Where did the wall behind my speakers go?

While I can't speak for the other titles, if you're having problems with either the restored Blu or 4k of MFL, the problem is with your setup.

Please make certain that you're running the 96k files, as they reproduce precisely the original 6-track magnetic master.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

While I can't speak for the other titles, if you're having problems with either the restored Blu or 4k of MFL, the problem is with your setup.

Please make certain that you're running the 96k files, as they reproduce precisely the original 6-track magnetic master.

And those 16 bit/96kHz tracks are glorious.

 

[Robert Harris]

And those 16 bit/96kHz tracks are glorious.

And a rara avis in the home video world.

 

[Vern Dias]

There isn't a theater in the NY area left that could present those films as the Cinerama could. And remember those were original 70mm prints from their first runs. I saw all the films that I had an interest in leaving out Cabaret, Finian's Rainbow and Camelot. My Fair Lady was especially glorious. I've never seen it since and will never see it like that again. A home theater will never have a 80ft curved screen or those Western Electric horn speakers presenting 6 track stereo. All analog. An irretrievable experience. You have no idea unless you saw those films on their original roadshow engagements.

I saw them all, and I agree with you that the presentations were mostly exceptional. (With one notable exception, that being the 3 strip "How The West Was Won" at the Minneapolis Cooper Theatre).
Despite the engineers initial audio level settings, the local management had apparently decreed that the that the specified levels were "uncomfortable and offensive" to the patron's ears. The volume was so low that after complaining to the management (to no avail), it was the only time I ever walked out of a roadshow performance and demanded a refund.

Another point of view on the HT subject: A home theatre doesn't need an 80' wide screen.

The key parameter that creates the "immersion" or wow factor is viewing angle. A 12' wide screen viewed from 9' away creates the same roughly 90 degree viewing angle and level of immersion as an 80' wide screen viewed from 60' away.

Here is a photo of my HT screen:

And the audio is every bit as impressive in my HT as anything I ever heard (or projected) in a commercial theatre.

 

[RolandL]

I saw them all, and I agree with you that the presentations were mostly exceptional. (With one notable exception, that being the 3 strip "How The West Was Won" at the Minneapolis Cooper Theatre).
the same roughly 90 degree viewing angle and level of immersion as an 80' wide screen viewed from 60' away.

How The West Was Won played for 88 weeks at the Minneapolis Cooper Theatre

100ft louvered screen

3/14/63

11/14/64