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A Few Words About A few words about...™ It Happened One Night -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris

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Frank Capra's 1934 It Happened One Night was shot on a tiny budget during the depression years. Its leading actor, Clark Gable was sold into veritable slavery by M-G-M for being problematic, and sent across town to Columbia.  As a result of his punishment, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.  The film took all five of the major awards his leading lady, Claudette Colbert, his director, Mr. Capra and screenwriter, Robert Riskin.

The fifth award was Best Picture of 1934.

Criterion's new Blu-ray of this extraordinary film, is not only a testament to filmmaking of the era -- the film is as fresh and entertaining today as it was eighty years ago -- but of that trade we call film restoration.

Selecting the finest surviving film elements for image and audio, Columbia's Rita Belda,who oversaw the project took Grover Crisp's normal "no prisoners" approach to the task, and along with colorist Scott Ostrowski, created a digital restoration that at once mimics the looks and textures of black and white nitrate film -- that occasionally glowing silvery look bathed in charcoally accents -- but is accessible on one of those tiny Blu-ray discs.

The work is perfect.

One of the greatest romantic comedies in the history of film, finally makes it way to home video on Blu-ray with absolute perfection.

One my very short list for Best Blu-ray Classic release of 2014.

Image - 5*

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Extremely Highly Recommended

For those unaware, miss this one at your peril.

RAH

 

BarryR

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I ordered it even before reading this--so glad it's on its way!
 
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lukejosephchung

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Am waiting for this to arrive along with "A Pocketful Of Miracles"(1962)from Kino Video via Amazon Prime...it will be a veritable Capra holiday film festival when these come to my home on Tuesday along with "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington"(1939)on Dec. 2nd...thank you for your rave review on this long-awaited Sony/Criterion restoration, Robert!!! :cheers:
 
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Frank Ha

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This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I'll be getting this for sure. Thanks, Robert, for the review.
 

Mark-W

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Hoping to pick it up on Tuesday at Barnes & Noble during their 50% off Criterion sale.

I will be keeping the Columbia DVD for the commentary track by Capra Jr.
 

Josh Steinberg

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atcolomb said:
One of Capra's best and a easy buy. Hope to see Lost Horizon released on blu-ray soon.
That's going to be one gorgeous Blu-ray. I just saw a new 4K restoration of "Lost Horizon" last month and it looks better than we've ever seen it before. They found a little more of the missing footage, so there are still some sections that are stills and audio only, but there's a little less of the stills than on the DVD. You can still tell which footage came from 16mm prints but the digital magic they worked on the movie makes those transitions from 35mm to 16mm and back again less abrupt than on the DVD. I am very, very excited for a potential future Blu-ray for that. (As I am for all of the Capra classics!)
 

Colin Jacobson

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Mark Walker said:
Hoping to pick it up on Tuesday at Barnes & Noble during their 50% off Criterion sale.

I will be keeping the Columbia DVD for the commentary track by Capra Jr.
I was more disappointed that the Criterion Blu-ray dropped the vintage radio show. I think the commentary's pretty forgettable but the radio show was a nice addition...
 

JoeDoakes

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Josh Steinberg said:
That's going to be one gorgeous Blu-ray. I just saw a new 4K restoration of "Lost Horizon" last month and it looks better than we've ever seen it before. They found a little more of the missing footage, so there are still some sections that are stills and audio only, but there's a little less of the stills than on the DVD. You can still tell which footage came from 16mm prints but the digital magic they worked on the movie makes those transitions from 35mm to 16mm and back again less abrupt than on the DVD. I am very, very excited for a potential future Blu-ray for that.(As I am for all of the Capra classics!)
What was the new footage in Lost Horizon?
 

AnthonyClarke

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Maybe when they found it again?
That's really good news .. 'Lost Horizons' is one of my favourite old movies and I'd love to have it on Blu.
Now if they only restored 'Random Harvest' as well .... I believe there is an HD scan out there but I'd like it on disc!
 

Josh Steinberg

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JoeDoakes said:
What was the new footage in Lost Horizon?
Oof, it's been so long since I had watched my DVD so I can't say for sure. There weren't any stills in the scene when Ronald Colman meets Sam Jaffe for the first time when I just saw it, and I think there were on the DVD, so maybe that one?
 

bruceames

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Colin Jacobson said:
I was more disappointed that the Criterion Blu-ray dropped the vintage radio show. I think the commentary's pretty forgettable but the radio show was a nice addition...
Well if you have the DVD then you'll still have the radio show. It's not like it's going to look better on Blu-ray anyway.
 

bruceames

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Colin Jacobson said:
Not really the point...

I guess if you don't have the DVD, then sure, whatever. I'm disappointed they dropped the commentary since that does affect the presentation. I wouldn't want to rewatch the DVD for that. But a radio show is not going to be improved by having it on Blu-ray. That was MY point.

In a way I'm kinda glad the DVD still serves a purpose, since it is part of a box set that I'll probably never get rid of (and even if I did I would get next to nothing for it anyway).
 

bruceames

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I bought this movie on 4K Sony Unlimited, but will probably end up buying it again on disc for the extras and to satisfy my curiosity to see how they compare PQ-wise.
 

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