Blu-ray Review Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Charles Smith]

According to IMDb, release date was December 16, 1959, so my memory of seeing it then has us still living in my hometown, Columbus, Ohio. I have a vague memory of the surroundings, and hope to learn which theater (probably downtown) played it.

 

[TheVid]

I haven't received this blu-ray yet, but expect it use a DTS lossless version of the discrete 4-track mix used on the Fox DVD. There are some odd anomalies in the original mix when it comes to the dialogue, but for the most part, it's properly directed across the 3 front channels. There are bits of (mostly) early dialogue coming simultaneously from left and right, as if the actor is standing directly under an overhead microphone aimed for both left and right pickup (which I understand can be the case in some early CinemaScope mixdowns). In any event, the 4-track mix on the dvd is accurate, even with the occasional out-of-phase dialogue placement. It's doubtful that Twilight Time would tamper with this original soundtrack.
I'm really looking forward to this blu-ray, and expect it to be as close a replication of the original theatrical presentation as we've yet to experience in our home theaters!

 

[RolandL]

This is getting to be so common now; I am surprised people are outraged. I guess it is thought that directional dialog doesn't work well in a small "home theater", because the direction could make it appear that a character is on the other side of the viewing room rather than the other side of the screen. I wish they would include both the original multi-directional soundtracks for those as have larger screens and the mixdowns for those as don't.

It's not common. The reviews for Désirée and Demetrius mention the highly directional dialog.

 

[David_B_K]

I meant in DVDs and Blu-rays in general. You've merely listed two Twilight Time releases. I would say those are the uncommon ones.

 

[Rob_Ray]

Fox tends to be the one studio that retains the directional dialogue. Other studios, especially Warner Bros. like to center everything. I believe Mr. Harris was on record years ago when My Fair Lady was restored as preferring more centralized dialogue tracks because most modern theaters and virtually all home setups weren't equipped to accurately recreate the original directionality so that the dialogue perfectly matched the character's onscreen position. I wonder if his philosophy has changed now that sound technology has evolved.

 

[Matt Hough]

Well, I tried Journey to the Center of the Earth on the PS3 this afternoon, and I was still getting centralized dialogue across all three front channels using PCM to the receiver.

 

[RolandL]

I meant in DVDs and Blu-rays in general. You've merely listed two Twilight Time releases. I would say those are the uncommon ones.

I was talking about 20th Century Fox CinemaScope films from the 1950's and early 1960's. Most of them had directional dialog. Those two Twilight Time titles are 20th Century Fox CinemaScope films as is Journey.

 

[RolandL]

Fox tends to be the one studio that retains the directional dialogue. Other studios, especially Warner Bros. like to center everything. I believe Mr. Harris was on record years ago when My Fair Lady was restored as preferring more centralized dialogue tracks because most modern theaters and virtually all home setups weren't equipped to accurately recreate the original directionality so that the dialogue perfectly matched the character's onscreen position. I wonder if his philosophy has changed now that sound technology has evolved.

Fox is the one studio that had directional dialog for most of their CinemaScope films when they were released. Most of the Warner Brothers CinemaScope films did not have directional dialog.

 

[RolandL]

Well, I tried Journey to the Center of the Earth on the PS3 this afternoon, and I was still getting centralized dialogue across all three front channels using PCM to the receiver.

I'll have to check to see if this is the same on DVD. I seem to remember it was directionalized but maybe I'm wrong. I'll check tonight if I can find it!

 

[Mark-P]

I just checked the DVD. It's directionalized but I can see why people think it's not. People aren't used to the sloppy mixes of the 50s where dialog was often recorded with 3 microphones, so that even though the closest mike was supposed to pick up the actor's voice, the other 2 mikes picked up as well. I noticed that with an actor in the center of the screen, his voice was mainly coming out of the center channel until he turned his head to the right and suddenly the left speaker picked up his voice. That's what I mean by a sloppy mix. It's just typical of 50's stereophonic sound. From a purist standpoint it's great to get this mix, but I have no issue with studios remixing soundtracks to tidy things up a bit by today's standards.

I'll have to check to see if this is the same on DVD. I seem to remember it was directionalized but maybe I'm wrong. I'll check tonight if I can find it!

 

[Richard Kaufman]

That sold me. Just put in my order.
I have a vague recollection from the laser disc (one of those wretched Fox $70 releases) that a number (or all?) of Pat Boone's songs were cut prior to the film's release and some were put back for the laserdisc.
No one has mentioned this.

 

[Dick]

I owned the laserdisc and the only song Boone sings onscreen was (and remains) "My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose," which is a sort of pretty number, but is interrupted by a cutaway to a shot of Lindenbrook (Mason) entering the house before returning to the end of the song. There is a second song from Boone available on the Varese Sarabande CD soundtrack, which is still available. I saw this film theatrically in 1959, and do not recall any song except the one we now see on DVD and Blu-ray.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Boone originally sang 4 songs in the film, but three were cut. There's a glimpse of him singing "Faithful Heart" on the raft at the end the trailer.

There was a soundtrack EP issued by Dot with the four songs. It's very rare.
DEP-1091 - Journey to the Center of the Earth - Pat Boone [1959] Faithful Heart/To The Center Of The Earth/My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose/Twice As Tall

 

[Joe Caps]

Pat had only THREE songs to sing in the film. The fourth song on Dot is title song NOT from the ffilm. I have that 45 and it is not a soundtrack.
When I was a kid and went to opeing day, all three songs were still in the film.
How do I know ? back then I always bought any records before the film opened, so I could be this little 8 year old kid, and sing along to what was on the screen. I always did and they never kicked me out. I sang along with all three of Pats songs. Somewhere along the way, the other two were cut, but the version copyrighted at Library of congress is 135 minutes.

 

[Felix Martinez]

Originally Posted by John Skoda /t/320499/journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth-1959-blu-ray-review#post_3922709
I'm gratified to hear that they used the original 4-track CinemaScope sound layout on this, with three channels across the front and one surround. For DEMETRIUS and DESIREE, for some reason, the Twilight Time blus used two front channels and two rear.

I'm a little confused... is the 4-track soundtrack on TT's Journey Blu-ray a L-C-R with a mono surround, or L-R, LS-RS?

I believe I read in another forum that the soundtrack sounded great when run thru a Dolby Surround decoder. I have an Oppo BDP-95 and run all hi-res audio thru the analog outs and avoid any digital processing whenever possible. What is the recommended listening setting?

I'm also a little concerned to read dialogue is spread across all three front channels, which may indicate a steering problem in decoding/conversion if directional dialogue should be the correct outcome.

 

[John Skoda]

I don't have my copy yet, but the review mentions one surround channel and other comments indicate three channels across the front. I hope it's true. That's the way it should be--three front channels and one surround was the standard layout for CinemaScope 4-track soundtracks.
As I said, for some reason, the Twilight Time DEMTRIUS and DESIREE were both L-R, LS-RS.
Don't know why they would fool around with the channels this way. Especially since we're getting lossless sound, we should be getting the channels as they are. We shouldn't need a specific, branded processor to recreate a 'phantom' center channel when the original sound designers created a real one for us right on the print.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Just completed watching my Blu-ray copy.

Wow. I remember being introduced to this film as a child,
watching it several times on the ABC 4pm movie.

All these years later, the film hasn't lost its touch. Still
one of the greatest classic sci-fi films ever made and it
looks rather spectacular on Blu-ray.

You know, this is going to sound odd, but after all these
viewings, I think this was the first time that I connected
Alfred Napier with Alfred of the 60s Batman series. I never
made that connection before for some reason.

Also, the fact that one key scene in this film relates
directly to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and was probably a
huge inspiration to it.

Finally, I do have this question...




Quote:

What the heck were those nasty lizards on the beach?
Those weren't stop-motion animated. Were they just
lizards with webbing stuck on them? Certainly, one of
the most ferocious creatures I have seen in 50s film thanks
to the part they were actually real.

Just a tremendous experience watching this film again.

 

[RobertR]

Finally, I do have this question...
What the heck were those nasty lizards on the beach?
Those weren't stop-motion animated. Were they just
lizards with webbing stuck on them? Certainly, one of
the most ferocious creatures I have seen in 50s film thanks
to the part they were actually real.

Yep, just lizards in "costume". Not as effective as what Ray Harryhausen would have done, but they served the purpose.

 

[dpippel]

Originally Posted by RobertR /t/320499/journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth-1959-blu-ray-review/30#post_3923363
Yep, just lizards in "costume". Not as effective as what Ray Harryhausen would have done, but they served the purpose.

They were Rhinoceros Iguanas fitted with prosthetics. I can't wait to watch this again, so I'm hoping that TT gets it shipped out tomorrow.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein /t/320499/journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth-1959-blu-ray-review/30#post_3923355

Also, the fact that one key scene in this film relates
directly to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and was probably a
huge inspiration to it.







Just a tremendous experience watching this film again.

I did mean to mention that moment in the review. It seems crystal clear to me that Spielberg and Lucas got the inspiration for that moment in Raiders from this movie.