All Quiet on the Western Front - ??Widescreen?? (1 Viewer)

[Jon_Are]

I'm looking to buy a copy of this classic (the original 1930 version, not the 1979 remake with John Boy Walton).

The listings on ebay all indicate that this is a widescreen release; even the cover art clearly states "widescreen" across the top of the cover.

I know they didn't do widescreen in 1930. One of the ebay listings states "THIS IS THE WIDESCREEN 1930 VERSION OF ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT . IT WAS RENEWED IN 1958 , & THIS CONTAINS RESTORED FOOTAGE".

Anyone know what's going on with this? Are (presumably OAR) fullscreen DVDs available?

Thanks,

Jon

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

I believe the cover was a misprint and was supposed to say 'Collector's Edition', not 'Widescreen Edition'.

 

[Patrick McCart]

The DVD image is the correct fullscreen. Universal somehow made an error. (How you accidentally add a widescreen banner to a 1930 movie is beyond my comprehension.)

My disc lacks this banner, but I've seen some in stores.

 

[Mark_vdH]

I own it, but I hadn't noticed the widescreen banner on the front cover....

The back cover states the correct AR of 1.33:1 though.

 

[Patrick McCart]

The back cover states the correct AR of 1.33:1 though.

Within the 2.35:1 widescreen graphic, though.

I didn't know 1.33:1 was THAT wide!

 

[Geo Gabor]

So....how's the actual DVD? Worth getting?

 

[Rain]

The elements used for the transfer are in very rough shape.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Image and sound quality is ok. Like Rain said...it's in rough shape.

However, keep in mind that a lot of the film was lost over the years and had to be replaced with lesser quality materials.

IMO, Universal should consider a digital restoration either by Cinesite's Cineon process (they recently did it with To Kill A Mockingbird, and also used it for two of their Paramount Hitchcock films) or allow it to be a 4K restoration by Lowry Digital Images.

The audio is fine, though it could use some Sonic Solutions cleanup.

 

[Claes Ljunghorn]

The elements used for the transfer are in very rough shape.

But they are the best elements in existence. Universal spent a lot of time and money on that 35mm film restoration. There just was no better material that had survived...

 

[Derek_McL]

Yes All Quiet is in pretty rough shape but the version on the Universal Region 1 does contain some scenes I had never seen before. The quality of the film itself makes it worth getting and I believe it remains the best anti-war film ever made.

Classic Films On DVD

 

[Peter Kline]

Although "All Quiet" was not filmed in wide screen, two other movies released in 1930 were shot in both 70mm and 35mm. "The Big Trail" starring John Wayne was restored many years ago into a 35mm 2.35:1 release which has popped up tv from time to time. Another film released that year in wide screen was "The Bat Whispers" also filmed in both 70mm and 35 mm.

Infor courtesy of the american widescreen museum.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Although "All Quiet" was not filmed in wide screen, two other movies released in 1930 were shot in both 70mm and 35mm. "The Big Trail" starring John Wayne was restored many years ago into a 35mm 2.35:1 release which has popped up tv from time to time. Another film released that year in wide screen was "The Bat Whispers" also filmed in both 70mm and 35 mm.

Actually, 2.13:1.

 

[Rain]

I had no idea they were the best elements available. If that's correct, it's a real shame.

 

[Seth Paxton]

Well, just consider the bad luck for classics from that era. Sunrise original negs, lost in fire. Metropolis original negs lost. Passion of Joan of Arc original neg, lost. There are many more big ones that I am forgetting (like Greed, though it is a tad earlier).

In many cases its been sheer luck to find good early generation dupes around that were in any kind of decent shape and containing close to the same content.

 

[Damin J Toell]

Metropolis original negs lost.

The Metropolis oneg isn't lost, it's just incomplete. The oneg was used as the basis for the recent restoration, with other prints used to supply some of the missing portions.

DJ

 

[Claes Ljunghorn]

Well, just consider the bad luck for classics from that era.

I guess we should be glad that we still HAVE "Sunrise" and "Passion" The film Murnau made directly after "Sunrise", "4 Devils", has completely disappeared...