UNIVERSAL: Horse Feathers needs restoration! (1 Viewer)

[Patrick McCart]

I caught the classic Marx Bros. comedy, Horse Feathers on TCM today and a scene in the print they used had nearly 10 jump cuts within a minute.

It cut out part of the excellent dialogue and was very distracting.

I suspect that this is what the old Image DVD had (the transfer) and this is not a good way to present this movie!

Restore, retransfer, and release this film to DVD.

I have the good mind to join a club and beat you with it!

 

[Rain]

I agree completely. It's in rough shape.

That being said, Duck Soup could also use a restoration, though it is not quite as bad as Horse Feathers.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Oh...I'd also like to add that the print TCM showed of A Night At The Opera looked great...and it was made only 3 years after Horse Feathers.

 

[Steve Christou]

Yep I agree, I've had many various copies of this classic comedy since the early 80's and there is one particular sequence involving Groucho and Thelma Todd which was badly mangled and jumped all over the place, losing some precious Groucho quips in the process, all my copies had the same damaged print.

I'm a huge Marx Bros fan and would love to find a restored version of this movie.

In fact I wish they start remastering all the Marx Bros classics on dvd in the near future.

 

[Jaime_Weinman]

A lot of Marx Brothers movies need restoration because they were chopped up on re-release. Here are two others that come to mind:

- A Night at the Opera: When this film was reissued by MGM in 1942, they cut it up to -- believe it or not -- remove all reference to the fact that the opening scenes of the movie take place in Italy! (So where Chico once said "What do you care, some Italian name, I can't pronounce it," it became "What do you care--" (jump cut) "--I can't pronounce it.") This reissue print is the only one we ever see.

- Animal Crackers was edited on re-release to remove slightly off-color jokes that no longer passed muster (it was made in 1930, a few years before the Production Code was adopted by the studios). Worst edit: They took out the line "I think I'll try and make her" from "Hooray for Captain Spaulding."

The original versions of these films have to exist somewhere, don't they?

 

[JohnS]

YES!! any and all Marx Bros. movies.
I'm a huge fan and these classics, which are far the funniest things around, need a serious touch up on DVD!

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I once had a 16mm print of HORSE FEATHERS and the jump cuts and splicey dialogue was also on the print. The old MCA Videocassette also had the same problem and the Image DVD does as well. wonder if perhaps all of the surviving elements have this damage.:frowning: I hope not, it's a great movie and the damaged scene in particular is priceless.
If a restoration can be accomplished, I'll be first in line to buy it! The Criterion laserdisc of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is gorgeous and well worth obtaining.