VistaVision--film by film chat and vote (1 Viewer)

[Todd J Moore]

I would like to toss a vote to ST. LOUIS BLUES. Never seen it myself, but as a Nat King Cole fan I'd buy a blu of it instantly.

 

[benbess]

I would like to toss a vote to ST. LOUIS BLUES. Never seen it myself, but as a Nat King Cole fan I'd buy a blu of it instantly.

I agree! It's worth it for the singing alone. Cole isn't a great actor, and the script is not exactly an accurate bio pic of W. C. Handy as the "father of the blues," but I think it's an entertaining and interesting film. And you get not only the singing of Cole but performances by Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kit, and others. And the musical arrangements were by the great Nelson Riddle.
If WB now has access to these VistaVision titles (is that right? Paramount just gave them up?) then it would be fun to maybe see a whole VistaVision series that was marketed that way. Collect them all! and so on. Maybe just make them bare bones releases but with jaw dropping transfers of the films themselves. Maybe list them at $20 or $25 rather than $35? That way more people could just buy them on a whim....
It's interesting to me that one VistaVision title Warner home video released several years ago prominently advertised VistaVision right on the front. The Searchers looks great on blu-ray, although I know some quibble about the color....If they release other VistaVision titles I think they should also put the logo right on the cover.

 

[benbess]

I've seen a broadcast version of The Desperate Hours in HD; looked rather nice, I'd love to see Powell and Pressburger's Ill Met By Moonlight on BD - it's not highly regarded but I rather like it, And, of course, Hell Drivers.

So, we've got more more votes for Desperate Hours, and apparently a good looking HD transfer already exists. +++
Have not seen Ill Met By Moonlight, but it sounds interesting...

 

[Matt Hough]

Another B&W VistaVision picture I've always liked was The Leather Saint. It's a boxing movie with John Derek playing a priest who takes to the ring to raise money for his parish. Paul Douglas is in it and, of course, the mob tries to latch on to a good thing. Fairly predictable plotting, but I'm not sure I've ever seen the movie in its proper framing. it's always Academy ratio on television.

 

[benbess]

Another B&W VistaVision picture I've always liked was The Leather Saint. It's a boxing movie with John Derek playing a priest who takes to the ring to raise money for his parish. Paul Douglas is in it and, of course, the mob tries to latch on to a good thing. Fairly predictable plotting, but I'm not sure I've ever seen the movie in its proper framing. it's always Academy ratio on television.

Sounds interesting. And if the list price were c. $19.95—with a street price of c. $14 or something—I think a lot of film fans would take a chance with movies like this one.

 

[benbess]

a list of the Paramount titles filmed in VistaVision....
Films shot entirely in VistaVision
Paramount
White Christmas (1954)
3 Ring Circus (1954)
Artists and Models (1955)
The Desperate Hours (1955) (first b&w film shot in VistaVision)
The Far Horizons (1955)
The Girl Rush (1955)
Hell's Island (1955)
Lucy Gallant (1955)
The Rose Tattoo (1955)
Run for Cover (1955)
The Seven Little Foys (1955)
Strategic Air Command (1955)
To Catch a Thief (1955)
The Trouble with Harry (1955)
We're No Angels (1955)
You're Never Too Young (1955)
Anything Goes (1956)
The Birds and the Bees (1956)
The Court Jester (1956)
Hollywood or Bust (1956)
The Leather Saint (1956)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
The Mountain (1956)
Pardners (1956)
The Proud and Profane (1956)
The Rainmaker (1956)
The Scarlet Hour (1956)
The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
That Certain Feeling (1956)
Three Violent People (1956)
The Vagabond King (1956)
War and Peace (1956)
Beau James (1957)
The Buster Keaton Story (1957)
The Delicate Delinquent (1957)
The Devil's Hairpin (1957)
Fear Strikes Out (1957)
Funny Face (1957)
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
Hear Me Good (1957)
The Joker is Wild (1957)
The Lonely Man (1957)
Loving You (1957)
Omar Khayyam (1957)
The Sad Sack (1957)
Short Cut to Hell (1957)
Spanish Affair (1957)
The Tin Star (1957)
Wild Is the Wind (1957)
Another Time, Another Place (1958)
The Black Orchid (1958)
The Buccaneer (1958)
Desire Under the Elms (1958)
The Geisha Boy (1958)
Hot Spell (1958)
Houseboat (1958)
King Creole (1958)
Maracaibo (1958)
The Matchmaker (1958)
Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958)
St. Louis Blues (1958)
Teacher's Pet (1958)
Vertigo (1958)
But Not for Me (1959)
The Five Pennies (1959)
The Jayhawkers! (1959)
Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)
Li'l Abner (1959)
That Kind of Woman (1959)
The Trap (1959)
Heller in Pink Tights (1960)
It Started in Naples (1960)
One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

 

[Robin9]

The BRD of The Trap is due for release in the next few days.

 

a list of the Paramount titles filmed in VistaVision....
Films shot entirely in VistaVision
Paramount
White Christmas (1954)
3 Ring Circus (1954)
Artists and Models (1955)
The Desperate Hours (1955) (first b&w film shot in VistaVision)
The Far Horizons (1955)
The Girl Rush (1955)
Hell's Island (1955)
Lucy Gallant (1955)
The Rose Tattoo (1955)
Run for Cover (1955)
The Seven Little Foys (1955)
Strategic Air Command (1955)
To Catch a Thief (1955)
The Trouble with Harry (1955)
We're No Angels (1955)
You're Never Too Young (1955)
Anything Goes (1956)
The Birds and the Bees (1956)
The Court Jester (1956)
Hollywood or Bust (1956)
The Leather Saint (1956)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
The Mountain (1956)
Pardners (1956)
The Proud and Profane (1956)
The Rainmaker (1956)
The Scarlet Hour (1956)
The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
That Certain Feeling (1956)
Three Violent People (1956)
The Vagabond King (1956)
War and Peace (1956)
Beau James (1957)
The Buster Keaton Story (1957)
The Delicate Delinquent (1957)
The Devil's Hairpin (1957)
Fear Strikes Out (1957)
Funny Face (1957)
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
Hear Me Good (1957)
The Joker is Wild (1957)
The Lonely Man (1957)
Loving You (1957)
Omar Khayyam (1957)
The Sad Sack (1957)
Short Cut to Hell (1957)
Spanish Affair (1957)
The Tin Star (1957)
Wild Is the Wind (1957)
Another Time, Another Place (1958)
The Black Orchid (1958)
The Buccaneer (1958)
Desire Under the Elms (1958)
The Geisha Boy (1958)
Hot Spell (1958)
Houseboat (1958)
King Creole (1958)
Maracaibo (1958)
The Matchmaker (1958)
Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958)
St. Louis Blues (1958)
Teacher's Pet (1958)
Vertigo (1958)
But Not for Me (1959)
The Five Pennies (1959)
The Jayhawkers! (1959)
Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)
Li'l Abner (1959)
That Kind of Woman (1959)
The Trap (1959)
Heller in Pink Tights (1960)
It Started in Naples (1960)
One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

I would like to see some verification of King Creole and The Trap having been shot in VistaVision. Neither has a VV logo and the artwork of each doesn't mention it either.

 

[benbess]

The list is from wikipedia, and I don't know how accurate it actually is.
There is a picture (posted earlier in the thread, I think) of Elvis with a VV camera. And here's what imdb says (but maybe it's wrong?)
King Creole (1958) More at IMDbPro »
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Film negative format (mm/video inches)
35 mm (horizontal)
Cinematographic process
VistaVision
Printed film format
35 mm
Aspect ratio
1.85 : 1 (intended ratio)
Technical specifications for
The Trap (1959) More at IMDbPro »
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Laboratory
Technicolor
Film negative format (mm/video inches)
35 mm (horizontal) (VistaVision version)
35 mm (spherical version)
Cinematographic process
Spherical (alternative 35 mm version)
VistaVision
Printed film format
35 mm
Aspect ratio
1.37 : 1 (spherical version)
1.96 : 1 (negative ratio) (VistaVision version)

 

[Bob Furmanek]

That picture of Elvis with a VV camera is on the set of LOVING YOU.

 

[Richard--W]

The Searchers looks great on blu-ray, although I know some quibble about the color....If they release other VistaVision titles I think they should also put the logo right on the cover.

Quibble about the color? The color looks like shvt. At one point in the film even John Wayne's horse looks yellow. It ain't no little thing. It's an artistic rape, a violation willful and deliberate. Warner Brothers gets away with it because nobody is complaining. Fans should be demanding refunds and or a corrected disc. There should be loud and persistent protests, especially on HTF.

 

[Robert Harris]

Quibble about the color? The color looks like shvt. At one point in the film even John Wayne's horse looks yellow. It ain't no little thing. It's an artistic rape, a violation willful and deliberate. Warner Brothers gets away with it because nobody is complaining. Fans should be demanding refunds and or a corrected disc. There should be loud and persistent protests, especially on HTF.

Actually far less willful than one imagine. Searchers neg is in similar fade condition to TMWKTM.
At the time this work was performed, this was what they were able to cull from the elements. Today it could look as it did in 1956.
It wasn't the people. It was the process.
And, yes, this should be redone with new technology.
RAH

 

[benbess]

Actually far less willful than one imagine. Searchers neg is in similar fade condition to TMWKTM.
At the time this work was performed, this was what they were able to cull from the elements. Today it could look as it did in 1956.
It wasn't the people. It was the process.
And, yes, this should be redone with new technology.
RAH

That's good news. Since Warner Home Video cares about quality more than most, I hope we can get a redo of this crucial title. The resolution is amazing, but the colors are a bit off. It's still quite watchable imho—although some feel differently—but it could be better.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Robert Harris /t/310885/vistavision-film-by-film-chat-and-vote/330#post_4000792
Actually far less willful than one imagine. Searchers neg is in similar fade condition to TMWKTM.
At the time this work was performed, this was what they were able to cull from the elements. Today it could look as it did in 1956.
It wasn't the people. It was the process.
And, yes, this should be redone with new technology.
RAH

Which will probably happen with this title along with Rio Bravo in the not too distant future.








Crawdaddy

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Robert Crawford /t/310885/vistavision-film-by-film-chat-and-vote/330#post_4000809
Which will probably happen with this title along with Rio Bravo in the not too distant future.


Crawdaddy

Precisely. Same animal, along with a few others.

RAH

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Robert Harris /t/310885/vistavision-film-by-film-chat-and-vote/330#post_4000815

Precisely. Same animal, along with a few others.

RAH

Right, Warner knows what happened and what they have to do in the future to correct the issues.

 

[John Hodson]

Which will probably happen with this title along with Rio Bravo in the not too distant future.

My flabber would be well and truly gasted if both titles didn't come again, as perfectly as is currently possible. I'll be right there.

 

[Richard--W]

Actually far less willful than one imagine. Searchers neg is in similar fade condition to TMWKTM.
At the time this work was performed, this was what they were able to cull from the elements. Today it could look as it did in 1956.
It wasn't the people. It was the process.
RAH

Did the process over-saturate GONE WITH THE WIND with too much yellow?
Did the process over-saturate SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON and other early color titles from Warner Brother with too much yellow?
Does the process account for the additional color timing that is a matter of personal judgment on the part of the person who does it?
If the process had been upgraded, would that somehow prevent an arbitrary and undisciplined timer from imposing his personal bias into the mix?
After the color problems were realized, why was it never acknowledged in some kind of qualification on the packaging?
Was the process responsible for the ongoing repackaging and re-releasing of the corrupted discs with no consideration for the intent of the filmmakers or the consumers?
An entire generation is being taught that the corrupted color is the correct one from these discs.
You're the only one who knows what this new process is, RAH and I accept it on your word, but there is still the personal element involved and the track record of deliberately and willfully mis-timed films.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Richard--W /t/310885/vistavision-film-by-film-chat-and-vote/330#post_4000913
Did the process over-saturate GONE WITH THE WIND with too much yellow?
Did the process over-saturate SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON and other early color titles from Warner Brother with too much yellow?
Does the process account for the additional color timing that is a matter of personal judgment on the part of the person who does it?
If the process had been upgraded, would that somehow prevent an arbitrary and undisciplined timer from imposing his personal bias into the mix?
After the color problems were understand, why was it never acknowledged in some kind of qualification on the packaging?
Was the process responsible for the ongoing repackaging and re-releasing of the corrupted discs with no consideration for the intent of the filmmakers or the consumers?
An entire generation is being taught that the corrupted color is the correct one from these discs.
You're the only one who knows what this new process is, RAH and I accept it on your word, but there is still the personal element involved and the track record of deliberately and willfully mis-timed films.

Such a rant!

 

[Robin9]

Which will probably happen with this title along with Rio Bravo in the not too distant future.
Crawdaddy

You make that sound as if some industry insider has been whispering in your ear.
I'd be more than delighted if both those titles were re-done. Fox was big enough to re-do Patton and to admit by implication that they really dropped the ball on the first BRD release. If Warners are similarly big enough, many will be pleased.