IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoration - Page 13

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

Except that it didn't HAVE to go vinegar. Because it was treated, it went fast. Of course, that's no reason a preservation neg couldn't have been made...

Oh well, who knew?

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

The movie hasn't gone to vinegar. In 2003 when the movie turned 40, it was released at The Cinearma Theater, were it was shown back in 1963.

And the 2003 version had everything in it, inculding the long lost police radio intermision calls.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

Hi!
As far as I can remember, the 2003 edition of IAMMMMW does not contain all the scenes that should be restored. Among missing scenes are the phone call between Spencer Tracy and Buster Keaton, a scene where Dick Shawn steals a car from Barrie Chase´s husband, a song/dance scene and probably also an appearance by Howard da Silva as an airport official. I also think Dorothy Provine is supposed to trip over a sofa in the Big W scene. At least there was a still of this film printed in one of the news flyers for the 90´s Save Mad World restoration campaign.

Barrie Chase´s husband was played by Phil Arnold. This missing part is seldom mentioned in IAMMMW discussions. Chase is usually credited as playing Mrs. Haliburton but on the Imdb her part is now called "Sylvester´s girlfriend". I think the Save Mad World campaign showed some footage of the Arnold scene, but I´m not sure.

Bruce Lawton states in his Keaton book that before the film opened, Kramer cut a scene with Keaton struggling with a garage door and a donkey.

The LD has a wonderful monologue by Lennie Pike (Jonathan Winters), who wants to spend his cut of the loot on a motorized wheelchair for his landlady. This scene apparently was never in the premiere cut. It´s beautifully performed and prime deleted scenes material. It also spells out more clearly that Lennie is an amiable parody of Lennie in OF MICE AND MEN, at least in my eyes.

I´d also like for someone to point out where Barbara Pepper and Minta Durfee made their cameo appearances.

Comments, anyone?

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

I saw the Roadshow version of this at the Cinerama Theater in NYC, Times square. (Also saw How The West Was Won at the same venue..still one of my FAVS!!!) Being I was something like 6 when I saw this, I don't recall TONS, but I do remember the scene where some of the characters were diggin a hole and Jonathan Winters was one of them. However, in an overhead shot, Winters was BOTH in the pit and standing at the edge.

Jeez..the things one remembers...

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

How The West Was One played in Cinerama at the Loew's Capitol(Cinerama) while Mad World was shown at The Warner Cinerama.

A few films might have played at both-though 2001 is the only one I recall. But I don't 'believe' either HTWWW or IAMMMW ever changed theaters.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

I was referring to the only roadshow print of THE ALAMO, which has now hopelessly vinegared, from what I'm told.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

As was I. With respect to The Alamo being "another" victim of vinegar syndrome, it was the opinion of none other than RAH that if something wasn't done with IAMMMMW soon (and this was in 2003), the original preview cut (or as close as we can get to it) would be lost to vinegar syndrome.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

Stephen_J_H wrote:
Let's make sure that It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World doesn't go to vinegar. Someone get a hold of MGM and whoever is restoring this movie and tell them we want to see the restored version in theaters for it's 45 anniversary.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

We told them we wanted it for the 30th anniversary, the 35th anniversary, the 40th anniversary -- now it's the 45th anniversary. Somehow I'm starting to think they won't do it.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

Joe Lugoff wrote:
Enough people want this movie on DVD, so the more we tell them we want It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World the sooner they well release it on DVD with the hours and hours of special features that it deserves.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

Andrew,

The problem is MGM. They own it and don't care.

I have been told point blank that if this were under Warner's
ownership the restoration would have been done long ago.

We are just in a very unfortunate situation where a studio
like MGM is in control of this product.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

Be careful if MGM does release a special 45th anniversary eddition next year as they are famous for releasing these kind of "anniversary" dvd's with the exact same dvd transfer as an earlier release. All one has to do is check out their release last year of Gary Cooper's Pride of the Yankee's 65th Anniversary dvd that had the same dvd transfer as was on the previous release. They also had the same transfer for Ball of Fire. I am not real familar with other MGM re-releases but I am assuming that they do not do restoration work on movies. I personally don't know of any releases that they owned that were restored in special edditions.

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Actually they have released this in 2001 and then again in 2003 so I am sure they are do for another re-release of the same transfer by next year.

I just recorded the tcm version that is 3 hours long. The dvd versions on amazon look to be shorter at 2 hours 41 min and 2 hours and 47 min. So I will just go with the TCM version off of tv as I don't know if that is the extended version or not but seems to be longer than the dvd versions.

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TCM shows what was on the Laserdisc --- and some people have said that some of the restored scenes were actually outtakes, and never in the original roadshow version. I don't know. Most of it seems as if it really belongs where it is.

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TCM version is the closet to the original 1963 roadshow version, that I know of. It's not laserdisc, but VHS from 1991 or 1992.

MGM is notorious for releasing "anniversary editions", with little to no effort with features for example, The Princess Bride 20th Anniversay Edition, had basically crap put on it with nothing exciting or new, the pervious releases are much better than the 20th Anniversary Edition. As for restoration I'm not sure about that as well as transfer either. If WB were to have this release they would have a nice restoration, as well as the whole 192 min cut.

Maybe It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World should go to WB?

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

The laserdisc of this was the SAME version as on VHS. The laserdisc was released 1st, followed by a 'wrong' release of it in VHS. That VHS release was formatted for 1:85:1, and was deleted. The subsequent VHS release was corrected with the correct aspect ratio of 2:35:1

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

I thought the VHS and Laserdisc were the same, my bad.

2:35:1? I thought It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World was 2:55:1, that's what the DVD release from 2001 is formated in.

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You are correct Andrew, my bad........the correct aspect ratio is 2:55:1........had to put my glasses on to read that small print on the back of the DVD!!

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

mike-- wrote:


Yeah the print on the back of the DVD is small, but so is Fox DVD's. Fox now distribute MGM titles, since they left Columbia/Sony.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

Even then you're still wrong, the correct aspect ratio is 2.76:1.

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I just looked at my DVDs. My 1st was the german Pal (R2) and it states 2.35:1. My US (R1) with the flipper disk with the 1 hour of cuts) is 2:55:1! Never noticed the difference before!

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

Ben Hur may be 2.76 but not IAMMMMW.,, correct Super Panavsion aspect is indeed 2.55 .., always was.., .
Maybe the roadshow theatrical prints were screened at 2.76 but not Mad World . The '91 3 disc laser disc set, '01- DVD, and the '92 VHS two pack 188 min version is all 2.55:1 ., .

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

The main reason for this thread is the restoration but let's get things right..
IAMMMMW was indeed filmed in ULTRA Panavision and screened in Cinerama Theatres at close to if not at 2:76. This was the same as Mutiny on the Bounty, 2001, Ben-HUR etc. SUPER Panavision was exhibited at 2:20 and a good example is Lawence of Arabia among others. The IAMMMMW vhs, laser disc and dvd's have one thing in common. None are in the original correct ratio.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

The exposed negative area for Camera 65/Ultra Panavision after unsqueezing is indeed 2.76:1, but that doesn't mean the "correct" aspect ratio is 2.76:1. Go over to the American Widescreen Museum to see 35mm prints of Ben-Hur that were 2.5 or 2.55:1. The first DVD of Ben-Hur was 2.76:1 extracted from one of these prints, thus showing less image area than intended. This was corrected in the newer release, but you can see on that DVD that some could have been trimmed off either side with no damage to the composition.

AWSM will also advise you that the correct A/R for a Cinerama presentation is 2.59:1. Granted, that's three panel, but I doubt Cinerama theatres would have added onto their existing screens for the sole purpose of showing "single-strip Cinerama.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

Cinerama or not, the film's original aspect ratio is 2.76:1, and it was probably shown in that ratio in non-Cinerama corrected 70mm engagements.

We've had this argument before with Ben-Hur and will probably have it again when Raintree County comes out. Let it die will ya.

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And of course the widescreen VHS release was nowhere near 2.55:1, but rather 1.85:1 or so.

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2.55:1 is fine for Ultra Panavision films, especially on DVD. It's a myth that these films absolutely require the entire 2.76:1 width to be shown. By the time It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World came out, 2.55:1 was pretty much dead since CinemaScope/Panavision had switched to 2.35:1 a few years earlier.

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

My head is spinning from all this ratio talk! Let's get back to the main point of this thread- what's the current status of a possible restoration?

Re: IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoratiion

It should be 2.76:1, and there is no restoration happening, unfortunately!

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My only concern is that with all this "it should be 2.76:1" talk, we'll get a replay of the Ben-Hur debacle with any future version of IAMMMMW that gets released, restored or not.