IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoration (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

No one is going to sell the rights to The Alamo for 2.5 million.

And one studio is not about to save a product produced by another.

RAH

 

[Paul_Nyman]

I wrote an email and letter to MGM appealing to them to do a full Restoration on IAMMMMW beofre it becomes to late to save anything!

Robert Harris are there any other avenues besides an online Petition page that you can advise on to alert MGM there are people interested in seeing the elements saved and restored before it becomes to late??

Loved to hear them.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

I doubt that there is much that we can think of that Mr Harris hasn't already thought of or tried.

I think if one of us here chances to win the lottery we should pledge to pay for the restoration (or split it with MGM) I know I would for sure.

Again, If Mr Harris thinks there is anything we can do, then I am with you, but I think he has told us his thoughts in an earlier post where he mentioned banging heads on walls and letting films die their natural death.

Sad but it sounds like its true =(

 

[David Olstein]

Well now I'm thoroughly depressed.

I've written e-mails to both the Film Foundation and Roger Ebert regarding this, and hopefully I'll hear back from one of them.

It seems pretty clear that we need a white knight to come forward to spearhead the preservation efforts with respect to one or both of these films. Apparently Robert Harris, despite the enormous respect he commands among film buffs, does not have enough clout to prod the studios into taking immediate action to save these films. Perhaps there's a high profile director or actor out there who fell in love with one of these films as a child.

 

[Eugene Esterly]

This is just an idea but maybe we can try to get the Library of Congress in on this. The Library Of Congress has something called The Library of Congress Motion Picture Conservation Center. The Library of Congress Motion Picture Conservation Center restored Mr. Deeds Goes To Town. It might be a good idea to get The Library of Congress Motion Picture Conservation Center in on this since MGM doesn't want to pony up the money to restore this movie which is sad.
The Library of Congress Motion Picture Conservation Center has a webpage at http://www.loc.gov/rr/mopic/mpcc.html
The National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress is located at http://www.loc.gov/film/
National Film Preservation Foundation is located at http://www.filmpreservation.org/
The Film Foundation located at http://www.film-foundation.org/. There is a list of addresses at http://www.film-foundation.org/contact.cfm .

 

[Jeffrey Gray]

We must remember, MGM is not the bad guy here. They want to restore these films (and they probably want Robert Harris to do it), but they know it's going to be rather hard, and quite expensive for a restoration, as both are large-format (65mm) films.

And don't forget, many films have been saved when they were on their last legs (Lawrence of Arabia, anyone?)

 

[Jeff Swearingen]

In case anyone is interested, TCM is running IAMMMMW in the 182 minute cut today at 12 noon Eastern).

 

[Matthew H]

It's been a year, how has the progress gotten on this situation? Is MGM willing to restore it?

 

[David Lambert]

...Or have the elements deteriorated past the point of saving by now?

 

[Jo_C]

Reviving this thread yet again...today I had a chance to see a DVD-R dub of the current extended version (which we will now unofficially call the "Extended LaserDisc version"). I compared it to the first DVD issue (side two with the supplements and the deleted scenes) and indeed the footage cut away represented on the DVD is a wee bit worsening (color dropouts, etc.)

What confused me more is that I revisited the "Mad World" article on In70mm.com and it says that the new 70MM print making its way around the revival houses runs 3 hours 17 minutes. Of course, you have to take into account the police calls that now are a part of this print.

Since the extended LaserDisc version does exist in a digital video format, is it possible to do a retransfer to a film output so it can be releaseable at least on a future "Special Edition" DVD release? Or MGM can just take the new 70MM interpositive and release that as a 2-disc "Special Edition".

Robert Harris, I hope you're still pursuing that "Mad World" project because if the deleted elements have gone to pot, this will be the first film restoration in which you have failed. You helped save "Lawrence Of Arabia" and "My Fair Lady"....please help save "Mad World".

 

[Robert Harris]

AFAIK the "extended" edition Mad World does not exist as digital files. Laser discs were analogue video based. Whatever bits and pieces still exist of the cut material are in much worse condition that appear on the DVD, as the DVD material comes from the original tapes produced for the laser.

RAH

 

[MatthewA]

Logistically, who would oversee such a restoration? If MGM is a separate company under Sony's "vassalage" (for lack of a better word), would it be up to them?

If Sony had the say I'd imagine it'd get done.

 

[Steve...O]

Robert Harris, I hope you're still pursuing that "Mad World" project because if the deleted elements have gone to pot, this will be the first film restoration in which you have failed.

No offense to the poster, but I believe this is unduly harsh toward Mr. Harris. In my view, he has not "failed" with Mad World. If the elements are beyond salvation, it certainly was not his doing. If anything, he deserves credit for fighting for this film's "survival".
Mr. Harris' (or Harns as he is sometimes known ) body of work is quite impressive and speaks for itself. Movie lovers everywhere owe a huge debt to him and others in his field.
Steve

 

[Jo_C]

For those who clicked on the original Harris/Mad World restoration attempt article and can't find it, here is that link.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Joe,

I am astounded to find that this article

still exists. When our hard drive crashed

5 months ago this entire article was on it.

Side Note: We are sending that hard drive

out for examination next week. Wish us luck.

How much other material posted on this forum

gets archived somewhere on the web? It would

be a miracle if we could pull all the stuff we

lost (reviews, member meet photos, etc.) from

an archived source.

I am really amazed by what you found. Thanks

for providing this link.

 

[ElevSkyMovie]

Ronald,
Have you tried archive.org for past versions of the site?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

It would appear from the new 70mm print that the camera and track elements for this film are in fine condition and require no "restoration." The only deteriorating materials are the questionable 70mm trims, many of which were not in the preview cut of the film. These trims could be preserved with a minimal expense, as opposed to trying to raise funds for the entire feature.

Don't change and alter this great film with material that was never part of its original presentation.

 

[Robert Harris]

There should be no "restoration" necessary for a 1963 film as long as dupes are not involved or the original elements were not handled properly. With the exception of the main title sequence and a few effects shots, there appear to be no problems with the general release version of Mad World.

The extant trims encompass shots which were either in the final preview prints (for which there would be a sole copy) or edited from the release prints after the premiere in November 1963.

The preview shots are differentiated from those of the premiere, but did make their way into the laserdisc version of the film.

RAH

 

[george kaplan]

I'm not sure exactly what you're arguing for here, but if it's in favor of the current dvd version, I disagree wholeheartedly. We need the laser disc cut plus whatever other cut material an expert such as Robert Harris would add in as appropriate. I realize that the full roadshow version will probably never be recreated, but the extra scenes in the ld are what Kramer wanted in when the ld came out, and I can only pray we get more (such as the Buster Keaton footage).

 

[Ronald Epstein]

We need the laser disc cut plus whatever other cut material an expert such as Robert Harris would add in as appropriate.

George, I agree 100%

I know what Robert Harris is after, but

I would like to see HIS vision and the original

laserdisc cut both included on a DVD.

That laserdisc release was phenomenal.

I have heard the arguments that some of

the extras slowed the pace, but I think

the majority of people that had the chance

to see that version agree that it was a

wonderful treat to watch.

I think the fans would enjoy all the scenes

that were in the laserdisc cut placed back in

a longer extended version.