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

[Robert Harris]

Fox's new Blu-ray of Raoul Walsh and Irving Cummings' In Old Arizona, was a technological game-changer for cinema.

A 1928 production, it was the first major film to attempt to remove the new sound recording technology out of a controlled studio setting, and move it outdoors.

As such, is became the first all-talking, all-singing, all-shooting western.

The Cisco Kid was originally to be played by future filmmaker Raoul Walsh, who was injured, losing an eye (and gaining his iconic patch).

Viewing this film, one must understand the early technology in use, as well as the fact that what has survived seems to come from a used print. With that mindset in place, the film can be an enjoyable -- and historic -- way to spend 99 minutes.

For those who wish to take the ride, get used to occasional missing frames, errant scratches and the like, and enjoy the multi-layered dialogue and simple technology.

Image - 3

Audio - 2.5

Recommended.

RAH

 

[Yorkshire]

Nice review, and well said.

You know, I thnk it's absolutely right we should hope for better quality than a used print.

But when that's all that's available, we have to be charmed by it for what it is.

When I think of how many films we've lost - I mean completely 100% lost - it's inevitable that we're not going to get every film from the OCN. We should be pleased that In Old Arizona is more than just a few lines in a book and a couple of production photographs.

Glass half full time, methinks.

Steve W