RE: MY FAIR LADY BLU-RAY

Originally Posted by Nick*Z 

Dear Mr. Harris:
I had the opportunity to prescreen MY FAIR LADY on Blu-ray and was frankly mortified by what I saw. All your fine efforts in the 1994 restoration and subsequent lavish laserdisc box set have been reduced to little more than a wan ghostflower of what the film ought to look like in hi-def.
This is a travesty, and regrettably, one of many being perpetuated on the consumer of vintage and catalogue titles on Blu-ray. I am reminded of WB's abysmal transfer on Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet and Fox's complete debacle on The Greatest Story Ever Told to name but two glaring examples.
What can be done to stop this 'dumping' of great American classics on Blu-ray? As the restoration expert called in by CBS/Fox over a decade ago to resurrect 'the lady' from oblivion, do you have any pull on such matters now.
MY FAIR LADY deserves far better than what it has received in HD. This was such a colossal disappointment it is such to kill future interest in vintage titles on Blu-ray. I am a rabid collector - 3000 DVD and Blu-ray movies and counting. Many are classics. And although I understand that not every title in a studio's backlog can receive the illustrious 1080p full hi-def effort, a film as iconic and beloved as MY FAIR LADY deserves NOTHING LESS than perfection.
As it currently stands, CBS's Blu-ray release is a Frisbee disc - forgettable.
This isn't just a tragedy. It's a travesty. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter at your earliest convenience.
Many thanks for all your hard efforts in restoration and preservation.
It's a pity someone at the top didn't have my respect for them before releasing MY FAIR LADY to Blu-ray.

Originally Posted by Raul Marquez,MD 

Mr. Harris,
Did you see the new reviews for the new Blu-ray discs of MY FAIR LADY and WEST SIDE STORY on the new issue of SOUND and VISION magazine?
You are credited as follows:
"The transfer of My Fair Lady is based on the 1994 restoration by Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz, which was rebuilt from the 70mm negative and all available prints....." . The author of the review, Josef Krebs, states that the transfer "opens disappointingly with a rendering of the Covent Garden sequence that appears grainy, dim, and drained. But when we move into the better-lit interiors, everything is transformed." He goes on to mention the level of detail in this new transfer ranging from the wide range of brown tones in the woodwork to the details in the pleats of Eliza's green dress.
From the text of this review I got the impression that you were behind the Blu-ray transfer, even though I know from the discussion here that this was not the case. I would appreciate reading your comments on this review.
Raul