A Few Words About A few words about...™ A Star is Born (1954) -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Joe Caps]

Yes,it is the tailend of the cue, in fact, I 'm listening to it right now as I type this.

 

[Robert Harris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Caps

Bob Harris. the fade out after its a new world may have been longer with the intermission slug coming right after.


the fade in long shot to the beach may have been slightly longer too, to do what it originally had to do.

Joe,


I'm working from the original cutting notes dated 2 Sept 1954 for the original roadshow version.


While any intermission tag would have been a separate piece of film, release cut, it still would have

had to work with the numbers, as provided per the original cut. And these are not working. Also,

AFAIK, all original prints of the premiere version would have been Eastman.


RAH

 

[Brian Kidd]

You know what I love about the occasional back-and-forths between film experts that we get here on the HTF? The fact that, no matter who is correct, I end up learning things from both parties that I hadn't known before.

 

[Joe Caps]

Robert,you slightly lost mehere.
You say all original premiere prints would be Eastman, what does that have todo with anything I said?

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Joe Caps

Robert,you slightly lost mehere.
You say all original premiere prints would be Eastman, what does that have todo with anything I said?

Merely informational.


It appears that although the OCN seems to have been cut and prepped at Technicolor, that

the initial run of roadshow prints were struck by direct positive, and not dye transfer.


RAH

 

[Charles Smith]

I am shocked, shocked, to find so much time elapsed since the release of this Blu-ray. I bought it right away but have yet to watch it, and it's been so many years since I saw the film that I'm hardly familiar with it at all. This will be remedied within a few days, thanks to my appointment this morning for replacement of a couple of hoses at the VW dealership. Since the good people there are uniquely wonderful in NOT blaring daytime television at their prisoners, I always take good reading material along, and today I grabbed Ronald Haver's history of the film and the story of its reconstruction, a book I've looked forward to getting into for some time. A combination of skimming and narrowing my focus to the last third of the book detailing the reconstruction was more than enough to fire me up, but the historical part looks equally mouthwatering. It will be properly digested from beginning to end once I've got the movie under my belt.


So, a salute to what appears to be a great book.


And I see by a link on this page that the Blu-ray digibook is $13.99 today on Amazon.

 

[Matt Hough]

The book is one of the great ones concerning the making and reconstruction of a classic. And the Blu-ray release of A Star Is Born is as wonderful as this marvelous film deserves.

 

[Will Krupp]

Originally Posted by MattH.

The book is one of the great ones concerning the making and reconstruction of a classic.

I agree, one of my favorites of all time. Beyond the making of the film itself it's great as a historical snapshot of the period as well, going in to great detail about the widescreen upheaval of the 1953-54 period as a whole. It's one of my most treasured possessions (along with Haver's other great book DAVID O. SELZNICK'S HOLLYWOOD.) and it's sad that we lost Ron Haver long before we should have.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by Will Krupp



I agree, one of my favorites of all time. Beyond the making of the film itself it's great as a historical snapshot of the period as well, going in to great detail about the widescreen upheaval of the 1953-54 period as a whole. It's one of my most treasured possessions (along with Haver's other great book DAVID O. SELZNICK'S HOLLYWOOD.) and it's sad that we lost Ron Haver long before we should have.

Amen to that. Ron Haver's commentaries on some of the Criterion laserdiscs are also among my most prized possessions. His Singin' in the Rain commentary is just terrific and worlds better than the patchwork quilt commentary we have on the current DVD.

 

[Richard--W]

I have trouble "sustaining disbelief" while watching movies about movie people, and I include Sunset Boulevard. Watching actors play actors and producers be producers is like some kind of endless ego and vanity trip that calls attention to itself and breaks the fourth wall. That having been said, A Star Is Born is enthralling, and a genuine cinematic experience. What makes it work is James Mason's descent into mental anguish and the arc of Judy Garland's emotional growth. If they were playing diplomats instead of stars, their performances would still ring true. But I have to turn a blind eye to the show biz aspect, if you know what I mean, to stay with them. I agree with the observation above that the stills sequences are jarring. They were jarring thirty years ago when the restoration was screened, and they're jarring now. WB made a serious mistake in not offering a seamless branching option for viewers who prefer watching without the stills sequences.

....I think James Mason, one of my favorite actors, who I had the honor to spend some time with in the early 1982.  Seeing his work in this film once again, I am astounded..... RAH

I wish Fox would upgrade Island In the Sun (1957) and Tiara Tahiti (1962) for Blu-ray, two fine dramas noted for outstanding color photography of exotic locations as well as for James Mason's sterling performances.