A Few Words About A few words about...™ Camelot -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[NY2LA]

 But she would have been just as wrong for Dolly! as Streisand was (but for different reasons). Camelot  was written for her, so obviously a lot of people on the original team thought plenty would fight a war over her.

I have no investment in her playing Dolly (i just like the story of how she found out) but compared to Barbra, hey at least Julie was on the right side of thirty.

 

[Indy Guy]

I could call myself a "geek" regarding this film. In addition I was able to obtain Arthur's chair from his study with the owl armrests, a promotional replica of Excallibur, and Bob Peak's color comp for the original poster. Back in 67/68 I saw the film many times in the Cinerama Dome. On one of those occaisions I recorded a stereo cassette version of the entire film as it played. That original sountrack varies in several ways from both the Blu-ray and DVD versions. There is a different Overature, there was silence originally when Lance declairs his love for Genny, and now there is missing Ken Darby choral work at the films end where Tom runs back to Camelot.
I offered this primitive but revealing tape to WBHE alon with contact info on producer Joel Freeman, who is still very active. I was not even given the courtesy of a reply!
Redgrave and Nero met, fell in love and had a child as a result of Camelot. After 40+ years they married in a story not too far a field of the film. Instead of that intrigue or their commentary, we get a lame oration on what is visually already obvious about the film.
The beautiful hand painted title cards are for sale at a gallery on Ventura Blvd, and they are not blurry as they are in the Blu-ray. WB did not want to pay to upgrade the "fake" Overature/Entr'act/Exit Music DVD titles so they ported them over and downgraded the film titles to match.
Digital tech could have erased Harris's bandaid in a forest shot, and Pellinor from a premature appearance, but no.
Finally I agree that the soundtrack on the old LD nailed it. This is far inferior and no isolated score to boot. The color favors warm tones and not the cools in theaters and the old DVD, but it is slightly sharper.
This is my first post while passing time in an airport. I have contributed on camera and to commentaries on WD Blu-rays and DVDs.

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Indy Guy /t/319939/a-few-words-about-camelot-in-blu-ray/60#post_3918377
I could call myself a "geek" regarding this film. In addition I was able to obtain Arthur's chair from his study with the owl armrests, a promotional replica of Excallibur, and Bob Peak's color comp for the original poster. Back in 67/68 I saw the film many times in the Cinerama Dome. On one of those occaisions I recorded a stereo cassette version of the entire film as it played. That original sountrack varies in several ways from both the Blu-ray and DVD versions. There is a different Overature, there was silence originally when Lance declairs his love for Genny, and now there is missing Ken Darby choral work at the films end where Tom runs back to Camelot.
I offered this primitive but revealing tape to WBHE alon with contact info on producer Joel Freeman, who is still very active. I was not even given the courtesy of a reply!
Redgrave and Nero met, fell in love and had a child as a result of Camelot. After 40+ years they married in a story not too far a field of the film. Instead of that intrigue or their commentary, we get a lame oration on what is visually already obvious about the film.
The beautiful hand painted title cards are for sale at a gallery on Ventura Blvd, and they are not blurry as they are in the Blu-ray. WB did not want to pay to upgrade the "fake" Overature/Entr'act/Exit Music DVD titles so they ported them over and downgraded the film titles to match.
Digital tech could have erased Harris's bandaid in a forest shot, and Pellinor from a premature appearance, but no.
Finally I agree that the soundtrack on the old LD nailed it. This is far inferior and no isolated score to boot. The color favors warm tones and not the cools in theaters and the old DVD, but it is slightly sharper.
This is my first post while passing time in an airport. I have contributed on camera and to commentaries on WD Blu-rays and DVDs.

That taped reference is extremely valuable, and once vetted, should be followed.

The titles raise some unfortunate questions, that are yet to be answered.

RAH

 

[jseabough]

Did I read somewhere that the CAMELOT exterior castle set was used a few years later for Universal's LOST HORIZON?

 

[Jim*Tod]

Actually LOST HORIZON was from Columbia, but yes. I think also the sets were re-purposed for the KUNG FU tv series.

 

[ahollis]

At the time Lost Horizion was filmed, both Warners and Columbia shared the same studio and backlots as Burbank Studios. There was 6 years between filming Camelot and Lost Horizion.

 

[NY2LA]

I could call myself a "geek" regarding this film. In addition I was able to obtain Arthur's chair from his study with the owl armrests, a promotional replica of Excallibur, and Bob Peak's color comp for the original poster. Back in 67/68 I saw the film many times in the Cinerama Dome. On one of those occaisions I recorded a stereo cassette version of the entire film as it played. That original sountrack varies in several ways from both the Blu-ray and DVD versions. There is a different Overture, there was silence originally when Lance declairs his love for Genny, and now there is missing Ken Darby choral work at the films end where Tom runs back to Camelot.
I offered this primitive but revealing tape to WBHE along with contact info on producer Joel Freeman, who is still very active. I was not even given the courtesy of a reply!
Redgrave and Nero met, fell in love and had a child as a result of Camelot. After 40+ years they married in a story not too far a field of the film. Instead of that intrigue or their commentary, we get a lame oration on what is visually already obvious about the film.
The beautiful hand painted title cards are for sale at a gallery on Ventura Blvd, and they are not blurry as they are in the Blu-ray. WB did not want to pay to upgrade the "fake" Overture/Entr'acte/Exit Music DVD titles so they ported them over and downgraded the film titles to match.
Digital tech could have erased Harris's bandaid in a forest shot, and Pellinor from a premature appearance, but no.
Finally I agree that the soundtrack on the old LD nailed it. This is far inferior and no isolated score to boot. The color favors warm tones and not the cools in theaters and the old DVD, but it is slightly sharper.
This is my first post while passing time in an airport. I have contributed on camera and to commentaries on WD Blu-rays and DVDs.

Mr. Baxter, that name is very familiar. If your day job involves imagination, (excellent work by land and sea) we've met before and you're the best kind of "geek"...
This is the kind of news that turns me right off any enthusiasm for the whole home video scene and certainly keeps me from buying a Blu Ray of a title I was marginal on anyway.
While they've been excellent but imperfect in the past, there seems to be a shift in Warners Homevid performance, and I think their best days are behind them.

 

[GMpasqua]

Roadshow films were tricky in that they had advance ticket sales and a definite opening date that could not be changed. Not every film opened at the same time. A film could open in New York in October and not in Chicago until December. As a result many roadshow films have different versions. Time prevented certain things from getting finished so a temporary solution was made and changed later.

You could have seen "2001: A Space Odyssey" the week it opened in NY and if you went back a week later it was a shorter film and scenes were also altered or added. Same with "The Sand Pebbles" & "South Pacific"

Some Roadshows opened in Stereo in one city but Mono in another. 70MM prints were expensive and back then studios did not make 4,000 prints to run at the multiplex. Some films had different takes for the 35mm version ("Hello Dolly")

The general release prints were also different, sound tracks were usually missing information (A 6 track 70MM converted to a 4 track 35MM might not have the additional channels)

They are people who swore they saw the cut numbers to "Doctor Dolittle" in NY the first week it opened and others who said the film was cut before it opened. Other people saw many of the cuts or alternative versions in test screenings.

Both "Mutiny on the Bounty" and "Oliver!" had prologues which were deleted from the final print. (The "Mutiny on the Bounty" prologue and epilogue were re-instated for the TV premiere

I was told the original overture was the music to "Follow Me" Warner later changed it to the "Camelot" music because he said he paid a lot of money for that song.

A film might have also been altered in a certain city after a few months when ticket sales started to decline or the theaters wanted to add a 3 show a day policy verse two shows a day.

 

[Joe Caps]

A couple of mistakes here.
Greg Pasqua, I love you dearly, but you insist that both burton and Andrews were offered the film, and it is simply not true.
Logan never wanted Andrews because he thought she was too prim for the part.
Redgrave was the only one ever offered the part.
If you don't believe me, you can putll the day by day productioin logs from USC movie adn television library.
Also, Redgrave did not have trouble with the playback for Camelot. The songs (except for Neros ) were recorded live and postdubbed much later. None of Redgraves or Harris songs were done to playbacks.

 

[GMpasqua]

Joe, Andrews was approached for the film - though she wasn't actually offered the role (and this was before Logan came on board)

Back in 1961, Warner purchased the rights to "Camelot" before he purchased the rights to "My Fair Lady" He bought the rights to "Camelot" for Burton. (this was before "Cleopatra" and Liz) Chances are Burton was never formally offered the role either since he showed no interest in doing it.

When it came time to film "Camelot" Burton only wanted to work on films with his then wife (Liz) and passed on "Camelot" When Andrews was approached she saw no point it doing the film without Burton (And she probably was still sore about the My Fair Lady casting). So again no formal offer was ever made. Andrews was also approached to do "Oliver!" but she "didn't want to be in a film in which she didn't appear until halfway and die in the end" Since Andrews was the biggest start in 1966 she could have made which ever film she wanted (and what does she chose? "Star!")

When Redgrave was interviewed about her casting during the shoot she remarked "If Julie Andrews wanted to do this film - she would be doing this film" so Redgrave made sure people knew she didn't steal the role away from Andrews and suffer the backlash Andrey Hepburn had to endure over "My Fair Lady" (Which Warner purchased specially for Hepburn)

Richard Harris disliked working with Julie Andrews so much on the film "Hawaii" that it was only after he learned Andrews didn't want the film of "Camelot" that he agreed to play Arthur ( a role he was dying to play - but one he would have turned down if Andrews was part of the package)

Of course Logan didn't think Andrews was right - and he was probably correct as even now, Andrews never made an impact in a romantic role on film

 

[Jim*Tod]

So I wonder what Harris disliked about Andrews.

 

[GMpasqua]

Originally Posted by Jim*Tod /t/319939/a-few-words-about-camelot-in-blu-ray/60#post_3918490
So I wonder what Harris disliked about Andrews.

I don't know, but here are some quotes for Harris interviews


While Richard Harris confessed to his biographer, Michael Feeney Callan, that after making a movie with Julie he had "rarely, if ever, felt such hatred for anyone"

[COLOR= black]Harris’ co-star Julie Andrews took a dim view of his rabble-rousing and Harris reciprocated in kind after filming. "When I worked with Julie Andrews, I think I experienced the greatest hate I ever had for any human being," he said.[/COLOR]

 

[haineshisway]

I could call myself a "geek" regarding this film. In addition I was able to obtain Arthur's chair from his study with the owl armrests, a promotional replica of Excallibur, and Bob Peak's color comp for the original poster. Back in 67/68 I saw the film many times in the Cinerama Dome. On one of those occaisions I recorded a stereo cassette version of the entire film as it played. That original sountrack varies in several ways from both the Blu-ray and DVD versions. There is a different Overature, there was silence originally when Lance declairs his love for Genny, and now there is missing Ken Darby choral work at the films end where Tom runs back to Camelot.
I offered this primitive but revealing tape to WBHE alon with contact info on producer Joel Freeman, who is still very active. I was not even given the courtesy of a reply!
Redgrave and Nero met, fell in love and had a child as a result of Camelot. After 40+ years they married in a story not too far a field of the film. Instead of that intrigue or their commentary, we get a lame oration on what is visually already obvious about the film.
The beautiful hand painted title cards are for sale at a gallery on Ventura Blvd, and they are not blurry as they are in the Blu-ray. WB did not want to pay to upgrade the "fake" Overature/Entr'act/Exit Music DVD titles so they ported them over and downgraded the film titles to match.
Digital tech could have erased Harris's bandaid in a forest shot, and Pellinor from a premature appearance, but no.
Finally I agree that the soundtrack on the old LD nailed it. This is far inferior and no isolated score to boot. The color favors warm tones and not the cools in theaters and the old DVD, but it is slightly sharper.
This is my first post while passing time in an airport. I have contributed on camera and to commentaries on WD Blu-rays and DVDs.

Which gallery on Ventura? I'll go there right now Is it the one near Woodman? I so wanted to love Camelot on film. I went five or six times at the Dome because I kept feeling it would grow on me - it didn't. It was just too lugubrious and labored. I have tried to watch it on laser and then DVD but hated the quality on both, so never got through it. I'll be interested to see the Blu-ray, although if it's on the brown side then I shan't be happy. Tony Baxter is completely right about the cool colors.

 

[Alan Tully]

In David Hemmings excellent & very funny autobiography, Blow-Up & other Exaggerations, he tells about the first days shooting (in the big hall). All the actors are there in costume & Logan comes in, he can't decide how to start, the actors are standing around & it goes on & on, & in the end he & Harris sneak out of the studio & go to a bar, they're later told that shooting was abandoned for the day as Logan was unwell. Hemmings has a great description of Logan's voice, " He had smoked with true commitment for decades, washing down the nicotine with whisky. His voice was a heavy gravel - rubble, even - being poured from a road builders truck". He goes on to tell how he & Harris sneaked a lot of booze into the studio during the shoot. Hemmings was a bit of a boozer, but not in Harris' league, you'd need a Richard Burton for that! I've read a couple of Richard Harris biographies, & he really went for that part hard, I think he would have played opposite Julie Andrews, to get that part he would have played opposite Marlon Brando in drag! He was very good in the roll. And I think I'd be on Julie Andrews side, as Harris indulged in a lot of boorish behaviour.
I didn't fancy the film at the time, & saw it for the first time about a year ago. I wasn't all that impressed, the editing seemed very choppy, like they were trying to be very 60's. I just didn't think the film had any flow to it, but it looked great.

 

[Paul Rossen]

Which gallery on Ventura? I'll go there right now Is it the one near Woodman? I so wanted to love Camelot on film. I went five or six times at the Dome because I kept feeling it would grow on me - it didn't. It was just too lugubrious and labored. I have tried to watch it on laser and then DVD but hated the quality on both, so never got through it. I'll be interested to see the Blu-ray, although if it's on the brown side then I shan't be happy. Tony Baxter is completely right about the cool colors.

I saw Camelot once...in 70mm during it's initial Roadshow run in NYC at The Warner Theater and came to the same conclusion. Haven't seen it since.

 

[NY2LA]

I don't know, but here are some quotes for Harris interviews
While Richard Harris confessed to his biographer, Michael Feeney Callan, that after making a movie with Julie he had "rarely, if ever, felt such hatred for anyone"
Harris’ co-star Julie Andrews took a dim view of his rabble-rousing and Harris reciprocated in kind after filming. "When I worked with Julie Andrews, I think I experienced the greatest hate I ever had for any human being," he said.

Frankly I think that reflects more negatively on HIM than her, doncha think?

 

[NY2LA]

Which gallery on Ventura? I'll go there right now Is it the one near Woodman?

Bruce, think you could bring a good camera to the gallery and post the results?

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by NY2LA /t/319939/a-few-words-about-camelot-in-blu-ray/60#post_3918592
Bruce, think you could bring a good camera to the gallery and post the results?

I presume that these are part of the Pac Title collection. Many were destroyed/damaged in the '94 quake, inclusive of quite a few of the original My Fair Lady glass pieces.

RAH

 

[NY2LA]

I presume that these are part of the Pac Title collection.  Many were destroyed/damaged in the '94 quake, inclusive of quite a few of the original My Fair Lady glass pieces. RAH

And Robert, If I recall correctly your team took great pains to recreate them, engaging a florist, etc? There's a whole story in just that, no?

 

[Charles Smith]

Oh man, the juxtaposition of those two events just clicked.