One Eyed Jacks on Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Alan Tully]

Well Paramount have the original elements & there was a rumour that they'd done a great looking HD transfer. It seems to me that any Blu-ray worth having has to come from Paramount, if they could ever get all the legal stuff sorted out. I hope so.

 

[Keith Cobby]

This is one of the last VistaVision films and I wouldn't expect to see it released any time soon as I assume that it is part of the package licenced to Warners. Perhaps when the licence expires Olive may release it.

 

[Alan Tully]

This is one of the last VistaVision films and I wouldn't expect to see it released any time soon as I assume that it is part of the package licenced to Warners. Perhaps when the licence expires Olive may release it.

If only it were that simple. The film was made for Paramount by Brando's company Pennebaker Productions. And I understand Brando's estate owns some of it (most of it?), & then the copyright wasn't renewed so (I think) it's now in the public domain. I don't know the ins & outs, but it's a mess. If there was a lot of money to be made from a Blu-ray release, then I'm sure something would be worked out, but to most people it's just an ancient western starring that bloke from The Godfather. But fingers crossed! You never know.

 

[FoxyMulder]

This was one of the films i wanted to come out in 2014, these public domain titles rarely get the loving treatment they deserve on blu ray so it sounds like it will be a long wait before a great version of it is released on disc, Intergroove will likely be using the exact same master as the German company and thus it will be just as poor.

I wonder what the condition of the original negative is, this one could potentially look stunning if they did a new 4K scan of the original camera negative but it sounds like this won't happen, such a shame as it's a fine western but i won't buy rubbish.

 

[JoHud]

With this film, I keep crossing my fingers that on PD outfit might get their hands on a quality print of this film. Apparently, this still hasn't happened (yet). Hopefully someone springs on this Spanish disc so we can know for certain.

 

[Douglas R]

I assume that if Paramount wanted to release it on disc they would want to first regain copyright so as to take it out of the public domain, otherwise anyone could copy their superior version. There was a superb looking widescreen version on British TV some years ago.

 

[Douglas R]

I don't suppose this new Spanish release is any better than all the other versions? Maybe someone can buy it and let us know because I'm fed up with wasting money on buying countless versions of the film!http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00CPHB7TE/ref=pe_143191_43886511_em_1p_0_ti

A few stills from that version here: http://www.altadefinicionhd.com/editorial/124-analisis-blu-ray/e-bd/1659-el-rostro-impenetrable-layons

And the translated comment, "The visual quality of this Blu-ray is terrible, with a look of VHS video showing a discolored picture, no sharpness, no contrast and with a halo around the edges. In addition, the sharpness is absent in the whole film".

No change there then!

 

[FoxyMulder]

I assume that if Paramount wanted to release it on disc they would want to first regain copyright so as to take it out of the public domain, otherwise anyone could copy their superior version. There was a superb looking widescreen version on British TV some years ago.

Hopefully the BBC might show it in HD sometime in the future.

 

[Dick]

I assume that if Paramount wanted to release it on disc they would want to first regain copyright so as to take it out of the public domain, otherwise anyone could copy their superior version. There was a superb looking widescreen version on British TV some years ago.

As far as I know, once a film is in the Public Domain, that's it. Can't renew the copyright, unless you come up with some sort of altered version that is appreciably different from the original so that it qualifies as a "new" and unique film. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[John Hermes]

From what I heard, Fox was able to re-copyright "Beneath The 12 Mile Reef" and has issued a new, very good looking DVD.

 

[jim_falconer]

As far as I know, once a film is in the Public Domain, that's it. Can't renew the copyright, unless you come up with some sort of altered version that is appreciably different from the original so that it qualifies as a "new" and unique film. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Like you, I'm not sure...but wasn't Paramount able to obtain the rights on "It's A Wonderful Life", after it was in PD hell. Part of why you don't see it being aired everyday around Christmas anymore.

 

[Alan Tully]

I can't say I understand any of this stuff, but if the film was in the public domain, couldn't Paramount copyright the HD transfer?

There was talk here of Nick Redmond (Twilight Time) trying to sort something out, I don't know true that was. Oh well, it either will or it won't happen.

 

[JoHud]

Yes, PD films can get re-evaluated for copyright, but it's not all that common. The big change in recent years was when the U.S. law regarding the copyright of many 1930s British films, including the Hitchcocks, was revised to have their copyrights re-instated.

Other individual cases, like It's a Wonderful Life, indeed are back under copyright for one reason or another. Usually those cases involve big moneymakers that companies are willing to go the extra mile to put back under copyright.

As for One-Eyed Jacks, it does seem to be an odd case. Even though it is PD, one would assume that Paramount or another 3rd party licensor like Olive Films would have been able to get either a definitive DVD or blu-ray out there by now like they did for The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. It certainly seems like there is something else holding it up, like the lack of a quality print, another party having control of the print, or something else.

 

[Douglas R]

As for One-Eyed Jacks, it does seem to be an odd case. Even though it is PD, one would assume that Paramount or another 3rd party licensor like Olive Films would have been able to get either a definitive DVD or blu-ray out there by now like they did for The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. It certainly seems like there is something else holding it up, like the lack of a quality print, another party having control of the print, or something else.

Years ago (pre BD) someone from Paramount used to post on HTF and he said it wasn't worth their while releasing their own DVD because there were so many PD copies in the marketplace. So I don't think there are any unusual circumstances as to why they can't release it. Other than, how can they make any money from it when there are so many cheap versions available?

 

[Keith Cobby]

It would have to be a 'limited edition' set at a price to make it viable.

 

[ahollis]

Wonder if Paramount reformats it as 3D they can get a new copyright. Though that would more than likely cost more for them than any sales would cover.

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

The easiest way to exert control on a PD property is through elemental rights. For example, McLINTOCK was considered to be in public domain, but the musical score by Frank DeVol was not, so for years, PD editions of the movie were rescored with library music, while only versions sanctioned by Batjac had the music. Eventually, labels stopped trying to put it out. Republic bought the rights to the original story rights and music score rights to IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, and that was was able to put the film back under copyright protection.I am guessing then, that perhaps the stumbling block to Paramount recopyrighting ONE-EYED JACKS would be the cost of, say, buying the intellectual property rights from Brando's estate.

 

[Doug Bull]

Warner Archives recently released "The Last Time I saw Paris"
I haven't bought it, but looking at the sample sequence on the Warner Archive site it looks very nice.

Now, there are lots of nasty, ugly and cheap public domain copies of that film around, so maybe there is still hope for somebody to stand up and take a chance with "One Eyed Jacks"

In all my years as a film collector I've never come across anybody with a 35mm copy - pity.
Sadly most 50s-60s Paramount films, in the hands of collectors, have all but been destroyed by Vinegar Syndrome.

Let's hope that the original negs are safe.

Doug.

 

[Dick]

Well, perhaps someday Criterion will surprise us...

 

[OliverK]

As we have exciting new developments I am reposting them from a post by moovtune in another thread:

Universal posted their Q2 report today. You may be interested in some of the on-going projects.
[...]

• Mastering & Restoration
• - Began film element research and scan tests for the 4k restoration of “One Eyed Jacks”, Marlon Brando’s only directorial effort. This work is being partially funded by the Film Foundation
  

[...]

I wonder if they will find the cuts made to the much longer version of the movie that Marlon Brando had prepared when Paramount took the movie away from him - not that we would need a 5 hour version but maybe something could be done with it?