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A Few Words About A few words about...™ Pollyanna -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris

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After viewing only a few minutes of David Swift's Pollyanna, a new Disney Blu-ray offered exclusively through the Disney Movie Club, I realized what I was seeing.

One of the very rare live actions Disney productions to be shot in SE.

This was obvious for several reasons.

Original grain structure

Sparkling clarity

Gorgeous colors and densities with rich blacks and proper whites.

This was definitely not off dupe elements.

Then I began to think how haltingly all of the actors would have had to move in order to make this work.

And while the representation of experienced talent in the film, along with a new face -- one Hayley Mills -- might have been able to pull it off in single shots with little movement, it was those in-motion sequences that told me I was off base.

Pollyanna, which was probably shot late 1959 to early 1960, would have been on the worst film stock of the ages, Eastman 5248.

I'm aware of no films of the era that survived its wrath.

And yet, Pollyanna generally looks sensational. Not to bore you with specifics, but bottom line is that it took top talent to restore this film, along with Old Yeller, which would have similar, yet possibly not quite as virulent problems.

From the Disney archival staff that worked on Pollyanna to whomever did the scanning, color and cleanup, the Blu-ray representation of this film was has all the fingerprints of the best of the best.

While Pollyanna is a perfect film for tweens and younger, it won't bore the older folks in the crowd.

And the cast... Jane Wyman, Richard Egan, Karl Malden Nancy Olson, Adolphe Menjou, Donald Crisp, Agnes Moorehead, and the other young'un in the film, Kevin Corcoran.

A beautiful Blu-ray.

Now if we could get Swiss Family, 20,000 Leagues and a few of the other Disney classics looking like Pollyanna and Old Yeller...

Image - 4.8

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Highly Recommended

RAH

 

JohnMor

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LOL. Thanks. I gathered from the following sentence it was an example of his wit, but I just couldn't figure out the acronym.
 

Mark-P

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While there is no information from Disney regarding how the Blu-ray was achieved, there is a documentary on the decade-old DVD showing how they used the separation masters to bring back the color from the faded o-neg.
 

classicmovieguy

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There was a great featurette on the old 2-disc Vault Disney DVD which went into the restoration process of "Pollyanna". It's puzzling to know why nothing in the way of extra material was deemed worthy enough for the upgrade to Blu.
 

Kyrsten Brad

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Hello Robert. I am so glad you put up this thread as Kyrsten and I just finished watching our new Pollyanna blu-ray. Guess that Disney Movie Club membership pays off at times. Instead of retyping a "Brad's Brief" entry, thought I'd just copy over my Facebook posting on this movie.


Oh and I think you just coined a new HTF term, the "Pollyanna Treatment" for a classic Disney blu-ray (or other studios) blu-ray done right.

=======================================================================================


Brad here. Well the night before, Kyrsten and I screened our new movie Pollyanna (1960) on Blu-ray from Disney Movie Club. I heard of this movie but never had seen it. Kyrsten's mom has seen it about 15 times by her count. But it was a first for me and Kyrsten. To put it simply, color me IMPRESSED!! I was very impressed with the movie and the PQ (picture quality) of the Blu-ray on the 70". This movie, featuring the lovely and talented to this day Hayley Mills was just such a pick-me up kind of movie. Believe me they don't make them like this nowadays (sadly).
Hayley did this movie 1 year prior to her well-known Disney film "The Parent Trap" (1961).


(Note to Disney Movie Club. Still waiting for blu-rays for The Black Hole (1979), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), The Ugly Dachshund (1963), The Three Musketeers (1993) and 20000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954). Also add in The Absent Minded Professor (1961)


Oh and how could I forget The Parent Trap (1961). If Disney was smart, they'd offer a Parent Trap Compendium in Blu-ray consisting of:


The Parent Trap (1961)

The Parent Trap II (1986)

The Parent Trap (1998 remake)






As for Kyrsten, she loved the movie so much, the Pollyanna blu-ray case (with disc) is now on display in our home theater room as a decoration (right there with my Casablanca 70th Anniversary Blu.







 

Will Krupp

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classicmovieguy said:
There was a great featurette on the old 2-disc Vault Disney DVD which went into the restoration process of "Pollyanna". It's puzzling to know why nothing in the way of extra material was deemed worthy enough for the upgrade to Blu.

That is perhaps the best restoration documentary I have ever seen, anywhere! I can't believe it didn't make the cut :eek:
 

classicmovieguy

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Will Krupp said:
That is perhaps the best restoration documentary I have ever seen, anywhere! I can't believe it didn't make the cut :eek:
Another symptom of the current malaise in the Disney camp.
 

David Weicker

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Will Krupp said:
That is perhaps the best restoration documentary I have ever seen, anywhere! I can't believe it didn't make the cut :eek:

Robert Harris said:
It didnt make the cut because this is an entirely new restoration, created from different elements.


You mean a company could release a film that had a famous restoration, and yet include an entirely different version on the disc. And still include the documentary about the non-used restoration?

That never happens.


:eek:
 

Mike Frezon

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John Hermes said:


John: Thanks so much for posting that link! I just watched the doc from stem to stern. Very nice, indeed.


I've just been pushed eventhatmuchcloser to a DMC membership!


When my wife heard the audio from the clip emanating from my laptop she said, "Oooh. I'd watch Pollyanna!" :biggrin:
 

davidmatychuk

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There are lots of bonus features on the DVD of "Pollyanna". Why are they not on the Blu-Ray? Is there a "Pollyanna" fan who wouldn't want to hear a Hayley Mills commentary? Why not give the public as many reasons to choose physical copies over streaming as possible?
 

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