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Isn't it about time for The African Queen? - Page 3

post #61 of 108
8/31/08 at 7:17pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Quote:
Originally Posted by MielR
Thanks- I wasn't sure. Good to know TCM showed it at the correct aspect ratio.
There have been a few films lately on TCM that haven't been OAR (like 'Skidoo').

I guess African Queen was right on the borderline when widescreen became prevalent.


I doubt that Skidoo has a widescreen transfer available so TCM used only what it could. I'm surprised they were able to show the movie at all since it seems that many involved (or their estates) want to pretend this movie doesn't exist.
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post #62 of 108
8/31/08 at 9:39pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig Beam
@#$&!!!!! Missed it! Happily it's got a few more airings coming up:

Sep 28
Oct 14
Nov 26

Craig:

Thanks for the list!

So...for anyone who's seen the TCM airing of TAQ...howzit look?!
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post #63 of 108
9/1/08 at 1:28am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

We are going to be out at Paramount at the end of October.

Someone should nudge me around that time to talk to them
about this title. I may be able to get all of you some sort of
concrete answer on its holdup.
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post #64 of 108
9/1/08 at 10:51am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Quote:
Originally Posted by MielR
I guess African Queen was right on the borderline when widescreen became prevalent.

I can just imagine what “The African Queen” would have looked if it was filmed in Cinemascope. Other films that I would have liked to see in scope are “Samson & Delilah”, “Quo Vadis”, “The Greatest Show On Earth” and “Singing In The Rain.” I know there are others, but all but Samson were filmed right on the edge of the aspect change.
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post #65 of 108
9/1/08 at 5:29pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
We are going to be out at Paramount at the end of October.

Someone should nudge me around that time to talk to them
about this title. I may be able to get all of you some sort of
concrete answer on its holdup.

Sounds good Ron. At least AN answer would be better than dead silence, no?
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post #66 of 108
9/2/08 at 1:13pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Frezon
So...for anyone who's seen the TCM airing of TAQ...howzit look?!

Shabby. Not beat up and damaged, but faded and flat. I don't know the original look, but even if it was filmed with a 'Moby Dick'-like color scheme, it still looked not far from VHS quality.

It will also depend on one's TCM source - DishNetwork compresses TCM to all hell, so saying the image looks 'soft' is not saying much.

I know now and then I watch the TCM version of an anticipated DVD release (like Magnificent Ambersons) to see if they've gotten a new master to show, but so far it looks like the same version they've been showing for years.
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post #67 of 108
9/2/08 at 3:36pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Moroughan
Sounds good Ron. At least AN answer would be better than dead silence, no?

I do repeat what I said something like 2 1/2 years ago . Paramount needs to issue a statement about what is going on here. A simple statement would buy them a lot of good will. People might be upset at legal conniptions, bad sources, etc. but at least they would understand and they would appreciate that Paramount is trying. No statement implies they really don't give a damn. I don't believe that is the case but I would like something to indicate that that belief is unfounded.
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post #68 of 108
9/7/08 at 9:52am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Hear! Hear!
As the years roll on and I acquire even the most insignificant of my movie wish-list, I still cannot believe that this important picture has been swept into a closet somewhere.
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post #69 of 108
9/7/08 at 1:48pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

The African Queen is not in a closet gathering dust. Quite the opposite, in fact.
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post #70 of 108
9/7/08 at 5:45pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Well...under a rug....on the back burner...wherever the dvd version is, it should get here already
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post #71 of 108
9/7/08 at 7:17pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

It is almost inconcievable that in 2008 that there is post 1940 Bogart still not on DVD. That Katharine Hepburn also stars makes it even more mind boggling.

I look forward to reading what HTF founds out when they visit Paramount later this year. Either element issues or rights issues would seem to be the most likely culprit. Surely the rumor that Legend passed on licensing this because it couldn't be colorized is unfounded.

Steve
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post #72 of 108
9/7/08 at 7:50pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

it was shot in color. by jack cardiff.
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post #73 of 108
9/8/08 at 3:41am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_S
it was shot in color. by jack cardiff.

Yes, I know. My comment was meant in jest.
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post #74 of 108
9/8/08 at 11:56am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

perhaps they are waiting to bypass DVD and release it on Blu Ray
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post #75 of 108
10/9/08 at 2:38pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

I am going to be at Paramount in a little over a week. In advance
of our visit, we were asked to submit to them a list of questions we
wanted them to address.

I don't want anyone to submit questions now, because the process
is already done and it's segregated to those in our immediate group.

I just wanted to let you know that the whereabouts of The African
Queen was the question at the top of our list. Watch this thread
as we should have an answer for you within the next two weeks.
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post #76 of 108
10/9/08 at 3:02pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
I am going to be at Paramount in a little over a week. In advance
of our visit, we were asked to submit to them a list of questions we
wanted them to address.

I don't want anyone to submit questions now, because the process
is already done and it's segregated to those in our immediate group.

I just wanted to let you know that the whereabouts of The African
Queen was the question at the top of our list. Watch this thread
as we should have an answer for you within the next two weeks.

I shudder in anticipation...
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post #77 of 108
10/9/08 at 3:11pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

I'll second that
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post #78 of 108
10/9/08 at 5:52pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Thanks, Ron.

I can't believe this thread is 2 years old.
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post #79 of 108
10/10/08 at 12:29pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
I just wanted to let you know that the whereabouts of The African
Queen was the question at the top of our list. Watch this thread
as we should have an answer for you within the next two weeks.

Nice. Thanks, Ron.

I was just remarking in another thread about how much I hate idle speculation on issues like this. It will be so cool to get some kind of answer (hopefully definitive) on the subject.
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post #80 of 108
10/13/08 at 3:45pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

If the film is just being ignored by Paramount, I hope that Criterion picked it up when they grabbed all those delicious Paramount titles that have trickled out so far.
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post #81 of 108
10/13/08 at 6:29pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

TCM will air it again--for anyone who is interested--at 6am ET tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.

I'm interested. I missed it AGAIN in September.
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post #82 of 108
10/14/08 at 10:23am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
I am going to be at Paramount in a little over a week. In advance
of our visit, we were asked to submit to them a list of questions we
wanted them to address.

I don't want anyone to submit questions now, because the process
is already done and it's segregated to those in our immediate group.

I just wanted to let you know that the whereabouts of The African
Queen was the question at the top of our list. Watch this thread
as we should have an answer for you within the next two weeks.
Damn... saw this post on the late but hope one of your questions is to ask why the 1927 silent "Wings" that won the first best picture Academy Award hasn't shown up on DVD yet either? I saw in earlier posts that in 2003 and in 2006 they were "working on it" but know the Laser Disc release was decent so elements should be available. Paramount still holds the rights for this title.

Eric
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post #83 of 108
10/23/08 at 10:18pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Okay I have an update for all of you on The African Queen....

We visited Paramount today and I had the opportunity to talk
with one of the top restorationists there about this film.

Basically, this film has been the subject of all sorts of tie-ups
over the years which has resulted in its delay of getting released.
Among the biggest problem was that the film was not licensed
to Paramount but rather a company named Romulus films.

There was also a problem of two different restoration houses
(one at Paramount and one in the UK) wanting to work on the
project with no mutual agreement on how it was to be done.

All of this caused massive delays in getting dupes struck --
until recently. Over the past few weeks Paramount has been
making some huge strides in their efforts to restore this film
and is very optimistic that they are closer than ever to getting
this film out on DVD and (hopefully) Blu-ray.

Nobody wants to set a particular time of release, but from the
conversation I had with the studio, the restoration is very much
underway.

As for the other questions, especially regarding WINGS,
I unfortunately have no answer. The studio was supposed to answer
a list of questions we had presented to them, but they chose to
instead to address questions privately among all the attendees, and
I did not have enough time to ask about that title but I am hoping
that perhaps someone else in our group did.
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post #84 of 108
10/23/08 at 10:51pm

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

To elaborate more on African Queen, I was told that Paramount owns the rights in the US but didn't have any elements. After they were located overseas, and after an agreement to work together on them was struck (with the overseas rights holder who had the elements, it took an additional 9 months to get an agreement on how to transport them to the US. All that is behind them now and work is progressing. They did not have a release date that they would share yet, but rest assured they are working on it and wanting to give it the attention it deserves.

I did ask about Wings and was told that it is currently being worked on as well for release, but like African Queen they weren't ready to commit to a date. I guess it makes sense to have the restoration complete before to announce it....
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post #85 of 108
10/24/08 at 2:32am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Romulus Films was a British film production company that John Huston did at least 3 films with so I'm not surprised about the legal issues since the original owners are dead. Another Huston/Romulus film is "Beat the Devil" which has suffered a similar fate.

It sounds to me that the earliest we might see this title out is late 2009, but perhaps 2010.






Crawdaddy
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post #86 of 108
10/24/08 at 6:29am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

That's certainly good news about "The African Queen".

I think I'm more surprised that they admit to working on "Wings". Parmount has shown nothing less than disdain for their silent films to this point. Hopefully this means, that they are working on some others also. Have they released anything other than "The Ten Commandments" which was only released as a throw-in on the 2-disc set of the 50's version a few years ago?
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post #87 of 108
10/24/08 at 6:39am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

I don't know about Paramount Home Video, but the studio itself does seem to be a little more open to working on its silent films in recent years than it was previously - the Alloy Orchestra described the new restoration of Underworld they toured with last year as a collaboration, and I believe they worked together again on The Last Command this year. Of course, that hasn't gotten these new prints/scores on DVD.
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post #88 of 108
10/24/08 at 7:47am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Does this mean Paramount is actually getting back to releasing catalog titles again?
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post #89 of 108
10/24/08 at 9:59am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

A big 'thanks' to the owner and admins for both THE AFRICAN QUEEN and WINGS info. They are easily two of the top films that I'm hoping to own soon.
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post #90 of 108
10/24/08 at 10:24am

Re: Isn't it about time for The African Queen?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
Okay I have an update for all of you on The African Queen....

We visited Paramount today and I had the opportunity to talk
with one of the top restorationists there about this film.

Basically, this film has been the subject of all sorts of tie-ups
over the years which has resulted in its delay of getting released.
Among the biggest problem was that the film was not licensed
to Paramount but rather a company named Romulus films.

There was also a problem of two different restoration houses
(one at Paramount and one in the UK) wanting to work on the
project with no mutual agreement on how it was to be done.

All of this caused massive delays in getting dupes struck --
until recently. Over the past few weeks Paramount has been
making some huge strides in their efforts to restore this film
and is very optimistic that they are closer than ever to getting
this film out on DVD and (hopefully) Blu-ray.

Nobody wants to set a particular time of release, but from the
conversation I had with the studio, the restoration is very much
underway.

As for the other questions, especially regarding WINGS,
I unfortunately have no answer. The studio was supposed to answer
a list of questions we had presented to them, but they chose to
instead to address questions privately among all the attendees, and
I did not have enough time to ask about that title but I am hoping
that perhaps someone else in our group did.

Hi Ron

Thanks for taking the time.

Hopefully we will see a superb release on both DVD and Blu Ray

Cheers
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