A Few Words About A few words about...™ Can-Can (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

For a March, 1960 release, which would indicate the very worst period of Eastman Color negative productions, Fox's new DVD of Can-Can looks remarkably good.

With the exception of occasional problems and what appear to be some shot to shot color sync issues, possibly with mistimed sep masters (I have no real information on this) the new DVD looks and sounds remarkable.

While I wish it were a true classic musical, which it is not, the film will still be a major addition to the musical collections of many fans and DVD aficionados.

From a purely technical position, Can-Can finds itself an interesting historical oddity. Following the original Todd-AO 30 fps productions, Oklahoma! and Around the World... as well as the abortive, but technically interesting 55mm process which yielded both Carousel and King and I, Can-Can was one of the earliest 70mm / 5 perf productions, which while still called Todd-AO were actually the beginning of two decades of both standard spherical, as well as anamorphic Camera 65, Super Panavision 70 and Ultra Panavision 70.

If one has an overriding desire to own examples of all of the large format processes Can-Can should not be overlooked.

As a film, however...

Recommended.

RAH

 

[Simon Howson]

It was directed by Walter Lang - not exactly the most imaginative film director of all time.

 

[Drew Salzan]

I had started another thread that nobody replied to, but what is the deal with the Entr'acte that is cut off at the end?

 

[Matt Hough]

The sharpness and remarkable depth of the image were really spectacular, but I found the color fluctuations so distracting that it ruined many scenes for me. True, not a great musical (neither was the stage version), and there was some serious miscasting among the principal actors. Still, I'm glad to have it, flaws and all.

 

[Chuck Pennington]

Ah, but the stage version was fun and had lots of great songs cut from the film. I saw the 2004 Encores! production with Patti LuPone and enjoyed it tremendously! The plot was thin, but with the songs and attitude it worked. I don't see how such a middling film could've been made from that source material, but oh well...

 

[Greg_M]

Love the under scoring. Many of the cut songs are included here and sound wonderful, though "Never Give Anything Away" doesn't have a music only track (the music right before the Apache dance) too bad this was always one of my favorites - was it an oversight as the rest of the under score is included on the music only track?

 

[Mark B]

No one has mentioned the "Technicolor" credit present on this print. The previous issues were "Color by DeLuxe."

 

[Porter Faulkner]

The 35mm prints were De Luxe. Technicolor was the only company that could process and mass produce 70mm release prints at that time. Later in the 1960's Metrocolor and the dreaded De Luxe took this on as well.

Can-Can truly is an oddity. Many of the things that are wrong with it can be traced to a studio in crisis at that time. Contract director, a star with too much power and no taste, a property that was sold through several regimes at different studios. However, the pluses are those songs and that it looks great due to styling by the legendary Tony Duquette and stunning Irene Sharaff costumes. The singing (well, maybe not Shirley) and beautiful music arrangements from Nelson Riddle are the icing on the cake.

Great to have a fresh look at it again even if there are a few flaws in the transfer. Good job Fox.

 

[GerardoHP]

I can't wait to get mine in the mail. It's never been one of my favorite movie musicals mostly because of Shirley MacLaine's attrocious miscasting (she's really crude in a part that should have been pure souffle). Yet, the songs are great and there's a certain kind of glamour to the whole production that one doesn't see on the screen very frequently.

 

[Jefferson]

I, too, heard the cut off note at the end of the "entr'acte"....the exit music uses the "entr'acte" over again in its entirety, so the 'cut' note of the piece can be heard there.