With virtually all original prints only having been seen as optical dupe reductions, which still looked gorgeous, we’re now finally seeing VVLA in all its large format glory. With fewer than 100 productions having been filmed in the format, they now seem to be arriving on Blu-ray at an amazing pace.
Most courtesy of Kino via Paramount.
The majority of the major releases are generally available in either 2 or 4k, with WB recently adding North by Northwest and The Searchers to the library.
As we hit the A minus and B titles, they reach us in 2k, and that’s fine as even projected on a large screen or viewed on a large panel, they still exhibit every bit of their vista heritage.
Two of the latest from Kino – both from 1958 – are sweet little romantic comedies with top talent. Teacher’s Pet, directed by George Seaton and starring Clark Gable and Doris Day is a black and white delight. Silly, and yet fun.
The other is an oddity from director Melville Shavelson – Cary Grant and Sophia Loren in a totally unbelievable tale of paring the odd couple in a story that doubtfully made any sense 60+ years ago.
Both look gorgeous on Kino’s discs, but if you’re going to go for only one, stick with black and white.
Image
Forensic – 10
NSD – 10
Audio – 10 (DTS-HD MA 2.0)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors – Yes
Worth your attention
Teacher’s Pet – Yes
Houseboat – ?
Slipcover rating – n/a
Looks like Film – Yes
Teachers Pet – Recommended
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
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