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

[Mark-P]

Brandon, can you explain a little more, like exactly when these binding agreements were made? I find it difficult to believe that it would have been stipulated at the time the film was made because filmmakers of the 1940s didn't know their films would ever be shown on television or any other medium. That's why there are so many music-rights issues with older films because television and video distribution where not considered when contracting music rights. I think perhaps you are confusing the television standards where TV programs must adhere to the 'title-safe" area.

 

[Brandon Conway]

They would have been something the legal departments would have had to consider when releasing a title to home video. I imagine some studios do it as a matter of policy so they don't have to seek any legal clearances - easier just to make sure it's title safe and be done with the matter. The whole reason it's an issue is because, to use your example, the titles back in the 40s just dealt with the film presentation and not any secondary market like home video. There are several examples of titles that have text (and in some cases art work) that are not within title-safe areas even on modern TVs/monitors here: http://annyas.com/screenshots/1940-1944/ Nearly all of them are windowboxed when you click on their unique pages. Compare to these images:

What probably needs to be done is re-adjust what the guidelines are for "title safe", making them less extreme, but I don't see that happening because why change a standard that the major studios would see as largely arbitrary?

 

[Peter Neski]

while its nice having this on Blue Ray ,I would prefer having the dvd of this and a remastered version of The Fugitive ,which is much more in need of work,The archive dvd ,is
just like the poor laser,with soft beat up picture
why? well some might not care for the narrative,I like it somewhat ,But this is one of the all time greatest visual experiences in the whole history of film,Instead of crappy matte paintings
you get incredible locations

 

[John Hodson]

I actually like The Fugitive very much.

 

[Richard--W]

I don't know why THE FUGITIVE gets treated like the evil stepchild in Ford's body of work. No, it isn't exactly like Graham Greene's source novel, but the story Ford makes out of it is compelling and, as you say, one of the great visual experiences in the director's career. I credit cameraman Gabriel Figueroa as much as Ford. Figueroa painted some astonishing images in silvery monochrome. THE FUGITIVE has a brother, also an unwanted stepchild, in THE PEARL / LA PERLA directed the same year by Emilio Fernandez (the John Ford of Mexico), from a script he co-wrote with Steinbeck and photographed by Figueroa in the same locations. It is a visual experience every bit as potent as THE FUGITIVE.
If you like one you have to give the other a look.

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Peter Neski /t/318619/a-few-words-about-fort-apache-in-blu-ray#post_3904251
while its nice having this on Blue Ray ,I would prefer having the dvd of this and a remastered version of The Fugitive ,which is much more in need of work,The archive dvd ,is
just like the poor laser,with soft beat up picture
why? well some might not care for the narrative,I like it somewhat ,But this is one of the all time greatest visual experiences in the whole history of film,Instead of crappy matte paintings
you get incredible locations

The Archive DVD is precisely what it is. An old transfer. We're fortunate to have, at least that.

I'm wondering why, however, you're singling out Fort Apache with your comments regarding The Fugitive? Fugitive is a fine film, but if one were to go through the Ford canon, there are probably a dozen or more films that need the Blu-ray treatment just as much... or more.

RAH

 

[Peter Neski]

are probably a dozen or more films that need the Blu-ray treatment just as much... or more.
well Warners seem to hold Blue Ray for widescreen color movies and leave the B&W ones for archive releases,yet some of these are remastered at least
The fact that they did Fort Apache ,probably has with the fact that the dvd looked very nice,and its a pretty good western and John Wayne is in it
well I hold to a crazy idea that if they spent the money on The Fugitive
perhaps the greatest looking B&W film of all time ,it would be worth a Blue Ray,
I waited a long time for that dvd and they didn't do anything to it!!!!!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Peter Neski /t/318619/a-few-words-about-fort-apache-in-blu-ray#post_3904351
are probably a dozen or more films that need the Blu-ray treatment just as much... or more.
well Warners seem to hold Blue Ray for widescreen color movies and leave the B&W ones for archive releases,yet some of these are remastered at least
The fact that they did Fort Apache ,probably has with the fact that the dvd looked very nice,and its a pretty good western and John Wayne is in it
well I hold to a crazy idea that if they spent the money on The Fugitive
perhaps the greatest looking B&W film of all time ,it would be worth a Blue Ray,
I waited a long time for that dvd and they didn't do anything to it!!!!!

The Fugitive is a very good film, but it's far from among Ford's most popular films. I bought the Warner Archive release knowing full well that it wasn't going to be among the best looking Archive titles. When I found out prior to ordering it that they didn't remastered it like they did "Slim" that cemented that thought. Also, their use of remastered is a far cry than what RAH would call remastered, but that's a discussion for another thread.

Anyway, I feel your pain as it is something I felt with what they've done with the majority of the John Garfield titles.

 

[Robin9]

are probably a dozen or more films that need the Blu-ray treatment just as much... or more.
well Warners seem to hold Blue Ray for widescreen color movies and leave the B&W ones for archive releases,

Warners have released numerous color movies through the Archive Series. I watched Rhapsody last week. It looked pretty bad but it might look and sound fantastic if work was done on it.

 

[Ken Volok]

Million Dollar Movie on RKO channel 9 in LA! You just tipped the scales in favor of getting this blu! How about old Ben Hunter over at ch.11? And of course KTLA's "Movies 'til Dawn". All crucial to my development as an artist and cineaste.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Originally Posted by Ken Volok
Million Dollar Movie on RKO channel 9 in LA! You just tipped the scales in favor of getting this blu! How about old Ben Hunter over at ch.11? And of course KTLA's "Movies 'til Dawn". All crucial to my development as an artist and cineaste.

We had similar programming in New York. We also had Million Dollar Movie and it also was on RKO channel 9. That was where I first saw King Kong. Channel 5 (Metromedia, I believe) had something called "Tune in Anytime Theater" where they showed the same film all day long.

 

[Jacksmyname]

We had similar programming in New York. We also had Million Dollar Movie and it also was on RKO channel 9. That was where I first saw King Kong. Channel 5 (Metromedia,  I believe) had something called "Tune in Anytime Theater" where they showed the same film all day long.

Talk about great memories! I remember Million Dollar Movie like it was yesterday. If memory serves, Monday through Friday was two showings, 7pm and 11pm? Weekend showings were numerous both days. One that stands out in my memory is Yankee Doodle Dandy. We watched the 7pm every day during the week (at that age mom wouldn't let us stay up late enough to watch the later shows). And we watched it several times on Saturday and Sunday.

 

[Ken Volok]

In SoCal our Metromedia station was Ch.11 KTTV where I first saw King Kong too, and changed my life forever.. i was 6. Later from 10 to about 16-17 it was my film school, they and ch.5 KTLA which was then owned by Gene Autry and featured "Movies 'til Dawn". Do you remember when Ch.5 KTLA would play the same movie in Prime time for an entire week, in case you missed it or loved it (or ?) And KTTV would list that say "Citizen Kane" would be in a two hour slot. So it's a 120 minute movie and you're thinking great it''s butchered (and this guy Leonard Maltin I just discovered says it's a must see.. great.." Well guess what, they didn't cut the films they showed late night, they would just spill into each other's time slots! I don't know how they ever got back on schedule to repeat the process the next night. Ah those wonderful old over the air analog days.. sigh

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Originally Posted by Jacksmyname
Talk about great memories!
I remember Million Dollar Movie like it was yesterday. If memory serves, Monday through Friday was two showings, 7pm and 11pm? Weekend showings were numerous both days.
One that stands out in my memory is Yankee Doodle Dandy. We watched the 7pm every day during the week (at that age mom wouldn't let us stay up late enough to watch the later shows). And we watched it several times on Saturday and Sunday.

I too watched Yankee Doodle Dandy many times. Another one I remember seeing multiple times was Lost Continent with Cesar Romero.
I recall one week when they were showing Night Train to Munich. My brother and I were enthralled with the final scene, which involved an attempted escape from Nazi Germany to Switzerland via a cable car. We tuned into the end of the movie several times just to see that scene. It was almost like having a DVR!
The theme song for Million Dollar Movie was "Tara's Theme" from Gone With the Wind.

 

[Robert Crawford]

King Kong was another favorite on the Million Dollar Movie.

 

[ABaglivi]

In New York there was also the Night Owl Theatre on Channel 11 where you could see such things as Siren of Atlantis. Before Channel 13 was a PBS station, it was an NTA outlet that broadcast mostly Fox features. It was a thrill to be introduced to that library although the color films were of course in black and white.

 

[lark144]

Million Dollar Movie was also in NYC, on WPIX. Although I grew up in Syracuse, my grandmother lived in the Bronx, and I used to visit her during school vacations. I remember one Easter week I stayed home almost every afternoon in order to see THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN. (Also Soupy Sales, who wasn't aired upstate) It was only when I bought the Universal Monster Collection on DVD that I realized they had cut the first ten minutes of the movie.

 

[ahollis]

My memories of our local MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE in MS was that it ran Monday - Friday at 3:30 to 5:00. The channel bought packages of Warner, MGM and Universal titles. Most were early 30's and fit into the 90 min slot. They also had a Sunday local movie at 9 pm where they ran the longer A-product. That was called Premire and they used "Tomight" from WEST SIDE STORY as the opening theme. They also ran Tarzan, Shirley Temple and Laurel and Hardy films Saturday and Sunday afternoons when football or baseball was not scheduled.

 

[bryan4999]

Los Angeles also had the Channel 7 3:30 movie; depending on what was showing, I would run home from school in order to see the movie. They typically did not cut anything, longer movies they would show in two parts. "The King and I" was one of my favorites, as was "Gypsy". That is also where I first saw "The Apartment", "Gigi" and "Pillow Talk". For those widescreen movies, they didn't even "pan and scan"; it was always just the center of the frame. There were lots of times you couldn't see who was talking, especially in K&I and Gigi. The split screen in "Pillow Talk" was particularly baffling and I particularly remember in "Gypsy", during "You'll Never Get Away from Me", the only thing you could see was the lamp in the middle of the restaurant table, which is there but hardly noticeable watching it in widescreen format.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by lark144
Million Dollar Movie was also in NYC, on WPIX. Although I grew up in Syracuse, my grandmother lived in the Bronx, and I used to visit her during school vacations. I remember one Easter week I stayed home almost every afternoon in order to see THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN. (Also Soupy Sales, who wasn't aired upstate) It was only when I bought the Universal Monster Collection on DVD that I realized they had cut the first ten minutes of the movie.

Actually, it was WWOR/Channel 9 that had Million Dollar Movie in NYC. WPIX/Channel 11 did have Night Owl Theatre and Chiller Theatre.
Crawdaddy