Warner- Please release THE GREAT RACE (1 Viewer)

[DP 70]

When i saw The Great Race on the Cinerama screen in Bradford in 2011 i also thought it looked like it could have been shot in 65mm, one of the best blow ups i have seen.
Also before they showed Shellarama aka Push Button Go. The print shown in Bradford was the Push Button Go ,the print shown in NFT 3 4 months before was the Shellarama
print also i saw this in a 70mm prog at the Odeon Marble Arch on the original 70mm screen in the 80,s.
A print of Shellarama is held in NFT 1 box for 70mm testing.
A 4k projector is also being installed in NFT at this time for Lawrence in Oct and Nov.
Also talking of lawrence we had a phone call if we could show 70mm the other week from BAFTA as they had trouble with their mecs, i think it was for a screening of Lawrence old or new
print from the 4k ?
sorry to go on but nothing like 70mm.
Also am i right by thinking Shellarama screened with The Hallelujah trail at the Casino Cinerama?

 

[Stefan Andersson]

I´m in also for The Great Race on Blu!

 

[Douglas R]

Also am i right by thinking Shellarama screened with The Hallelujah trail at the Casino Cinerama?

That is correct. I remember seeing it twice on the Cinerama screen so it must also have been shown with another Cinerama presentation, because I certainly didn't go to see THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL twice! There were a number of 70mm shorts. I remember seeing and enjoying WONDERFUL NEW YORK at the Odeon, Haymarket which played as support to BARABBAS

 

[RolandL]

John - I assumed that THE GREAT RACE was a genuine 70mm film when I first saw it in Cinerama at the London Coliseum. I was surprised to read years later that it was a blow up. The featurette with the DVD clearly shows the cameras in use so someone should know what type of cameras they are!

If you look at the bottom of the ticket flyer it does say PANAVISION which is 35mm scope. If it was 70mm it would be PANAVISION 70 or SUPER PANAVISION 70 or Todd-AO.

 

[john a hunter]

If you look at the bottom of the ticket flyer it does say PANAVISION which is 35mm scope. If it was 70mm it would be PANAVISION 70 or SUPER PANAVISION 70 or Todd-AO.

That's true Roland but it does not explain the obvious quality of the print as remembered by myself, Doug and others. Especially given the American Cinematographer reference.
Any one out there with some more info?
Doug, I too recollect that New York short before Barrabbas- shot in Technirama too as was another about English Gardens that was shown before Mag Men at the Astoria. Remember that ?
Shellarama was a regular at the Casino. As well as showing before Trail, I recall it also before the blow up of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
My favourite 70mm short was Sky Over Holland which as you would have guessed was basically flying over Holland when the tulip fields were in full bloom. MCS-70 was the 65MM process. Love to see that again. Breathtaking.Especially at the Casino.
Never got to see the March of Todd AO till the DVD but The Miracle of .... before South Pacific was always a crowd pleaser especially as originally show at the Dominion when the titles of South Pacific started straight after the motor cycle crashed into the TV repair truck-very symbolic.

 

[Douglas R]

Doug, I too recollect that New York short before Barrabbas- shot in Technirama too as was another about English Gardens that was shown before Mag Men at the Astoria. Remember that ?

Yes John, I remember the English Gardens short before MAG. MEN at the Astoria. I couldn't remember the title; was it actually called that? It looked superb.

 

[john a hunter]

No idea of the title but like you I recall it looked excellent. Did you ever catch Sky Over Holland?

 

[Douglas R]

No idea of the title but like you I recall it looked excellent. Did you ever catch Sky Over Holland?

Never saw Sky Over Holland. At least, I don't remember seeing it. Incidentally, Shellarama is available on the BFI Shadows of Progress DVD box set. I was really pleased to see it again.

 

[jimmyd05]

The film had the misfortune to be released the same year as Doctor Zhivago (which won Best Costume Design), but Edith Head's clothes for Natalie (plus the hilarious, sometimes elaborate outfits that Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis don during the film) would surely have won in another year. Head was actually nominated for another Wood/WB film that year - Inside Daisy Clover rather than The Great Race.

Among my favorite costumes are the two worn by Fate and Max when they ride the rocket. A wonderful extension of the dastardly black outfits they wear throughout. I cannot believe they would nominate Inside Daisy Clover over the beautiful outfits that N Wood and V Vance wear. https://static.hometheaterforum.com/imgrepo/4/4d/4d8ca769_fate.x-ms-bmp Lets hope it gets the royal treatment it deserves if it makes it to Blu-Ray.

 

[Matt Hough]

Indeed! I would really love to see this one on Blu-ray this year if possible.

 

[DP 70]

I would love to see this on Blu.

 

[DP 70]

On You Tube is a bit from the Shellarama restoration in Smilebox taken from an original 70mm 6 track print.

The BFI does hold the original Technirama Negative for this and it could have been scanned at Pinewood, I did inform

David Strohmaier but he had just finished this the night before and did not know the Negative was in the UK.

I hope David does not mind me saying this.

Its great to have this at last in Smilebox and Stereo.

thanks Derek.