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

[Albert71292]

My “King of Jazz” just arrived from Amazon. Will start screening today!

Mine came today also. Haven't had a chance to watch yet though. I had pre-ordered mine from Criterion.

 

[Gary16]

I’m almost halfway thru King of Jazz and I’m extremely impressed. The color is overall quite pleasant and I’ve had no trouble adjusting to the two color process. The production techniques are impressive too. Some very inventive camerawork which seems more advanced than the revues from the other studios at the time. Looking forward to watching the rest. Great job Universal.

 

[Casey62]

Some very inventive camerawork which seems more advanced than the revues from the other studios at the time.

I agree. I have on DVD the other studio revues of the day - Warner's THE SHOW OF SHOWS, Paramount's PARAMOUNT ON PARADE and MGM's HOLLYWOOD REVUE of 1929. Universal's offering is easily the most ambitious and creative of the lot. I see in THE KING OF JAZZ hints of things to come in the great Busby Berkeley musicals. For instance, the "Happy Feet" number anticipates the grande finale from 42ND STREET, and "A Bench in the Park" is very similar to "Pettin' in the Park" from GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933.

I may be stretching it a bit, but the scene of Paul Whiteman ominously lit from below, vigorously stirring the "Melting Pot of Music" with those elipses rising from the cauldron reminds me a lot of the climax in another two-strip Technicolor classic, DOCTOR X, where Preston Foster is applying synthetic flesh to his head and face. Same angle, same lighting, same color scheme.

 

[bigshot]

The thing this film has is passion. You can tell that everyone who worked on this film gave it their best.

 

[haineshisway]

Just finished watching this and the trumpets cannot blow loud enough. First of all, it's REALLY entertaining and the dancing is kind of mind-boggling actually - my jaw dropped a few times. The sets and costumes are amazing and the whole thing is just a weird and wacky phantasmagoria and I loved every minute of it. And the transfer and restoration are also mind-boggling - the camera negative stuff is breathtaking and the two-color Technicolor is ravishing and has such incredible texture. Don't sit around reading about this thing, buy it now.

 

[Casey62]

Well, I must say, this release has exceeded all of my expectations. Universal's restoration team and Criterion couldn't have done a better job in giving THE KING OF JAZZ the long-awaited justice it deserves. The 4K transfer is truly astonishing - it's simply the finest example of two-strip Technicolor I've ever seen. In some shots, I got the impression I was watching a color movie from the early '50s, this despite the lack of a three-matrix spectrum. The audio fidelity as well, given its technical limitations, is surprisingly clean and vibrant. I particularly noticed how well the velvety quality of Bing Crosby's voice registers in the "Bluebirds and the Blackbirds" number.

Seeing that THE KING OF JAZZ is among my all-time favorite films, it's easy for me to gush with unabashed enthusiasm over how wonderful this presentation is.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Having never seen the film, but hearing the name over the years and loving two-color Technicolor, it was a blind buy for me. I got up early this morning to watch it and was blown away.

While not every segment works, the majority of it is just incredible. Whiteman and his orchestra were consummate performers, just oozing charm and talent. The dancing, as Bruce mentioned, was some of the most impressive I've seen in any film or on stage. The gargantuan sets and elaborate costumes are the kinds of extravagant touches we never see in films (or on stage) these days. As for the photography itself, I could not believe what I was seeing. This was the work of Director, designers, and technicians who were 100% in command of the Technicolor process. Everything was designed to the smallest detail to exploit the abilities (and play down the limitations) of two-color Technicolor. Seeing this restoration really made me aware of the gorgeous result that could be obtained from the process. The material sourced from the negative was incredible. You could have told me that it was filmed yesterday and I would have believed it. It was beautiful.

I'm so glad I took the plunge and bought this release. It really transported me to another time and place and got me excited for what is possible with modern restoration tools. Universal and the restoration team need to be commended for making this happen.

 

[Gary16]

Having never seen the film, but hearing the name over the years and loving two-color Technicolor, it was a blind buy for me. I got up early this morning to watch it and was blown away.

While not every segment works, the majority of it is just incredible. Whiteman and his orchestra were consummate performers, just oozing charm and talent. The dancing, as Bruce mentioned, was some of the most impressive I've seen in any film or on stage. The gargantuan sets and elaborate costumes are the kinds of extravagant touches we never see in films (or on stage) these days. As for the photography itself, I could not believe what I was seeing. This was the work of Director, designers, and technicians who were 100% in command of the Technicolor process. Everything was designed to the smallest detail to exploit the abilities (and play down the limitations) of two-color Technicolor. Seeing this restoration really made me aware of the gorgeous result that could be obtained from the process. The material sourced from the negative was incredible. You could have told me that it was filmed yesterday and I would have believed it. It was beautiful.

I'm so glad I took the plunge and bought this release. It really transported me to another time and place and got me excited for what is possible with modern restoration tools. Universal and the restoration team need to be commended for making this happen.

I’ll second your comments 100%. Amazing!

 

[Casey62]

I agree with Michael Feinstein's assessment that the film embodies more traditional musical styles of the time as well as what was beginning to emerge. As with any revue of this type, the segments will vary in their individual appeal to each viewer's taste, but even my least favorite doesn't fail to fascinate me at some level. There is a definite "so old it's new" vibe that I get when I watch this movie.

One major oversight in the 1930 opening credits is the omission of the Sisters G, though this was corrected in the 1933 reissue.

 

[Brent Reid]

I saw this restoration at Il Cinema Ritrovato a couple of years ago and was just as impressed with the work done and the film itself as everyone here. My head was spinning with a kaleidoscope of sounds and images as we exited the theatre. If the film has one drawback, it's that's there are simply too many riches to absorb in one sitting. Rather like looking at every painting in a vast art gallery in a single visit.

I'm looking forward to revisiting it in a home theatre environment where I can pause, rewind and, if necessary, break it up into more easily digestible chunks. If anyone is still not convinced by all the gushing praise here, get off the fence and see the bloomin' thing for yourself!

 

[TJPC]

Mine is sitting in my P.O. box and can’t be picked up until April 5th!

 

[BarryR]

I can only echo everyone's praises. I have a special affection for the Sisters G, and the "Happy Feet" number; this sequence alone makes the movie immortal, in my opinion. I saw its re-premiere at MOMA in 2016, and a more wonderful welcoming back of a movie I've never witnessed. I had the VHS cassette from the early '80s, and even that managed to captivate, since it was also my key introduction to early musicals.

On a sidenote, way back in the '70s Bing Crosby was being interviewed, and the interviewer said she had a clip from KOJ to show him. Bing looked so startled! I bet he hadn't seen it since 1930, if at all. Yes, it was a banged up looking clip, but I'm sure it moved him, though I don't recall further details.

 

[Casey62]

I can only echo everyone's praises. I have a special affection for the Sisters G, and the "Happy Feet" number; this sequence alone makes the movie immortal, in my opinion. I saw its re-premiere at MOMA in 2016, and a more wonderful welcoming back of a movie I've never witnessed. I had the VHS cassette from the early '80s, and even that managed to captivate, since it was also my key introduction to early musicals.

The Sisters G are big part of what makes KOJ special for me as well. In fact, after seeing them in this film I was inspired to soak up whatever info I could about them. They appear in most of the numbers, and come close to scene stealing with their iconic Louise Brooks haircuts. As shoddy as that MCA VHS tape was, the infectious quality of the film was still able to cast its spell on me.

 

[BarryR]

The Sisters G are big part of what makes KOJ special for me as well. In fact, after seeing them in this film I was inspired to soak up whatever info I could about them. They appear in most of the numbers, and come close to scene stealing with their iconic Louise Brooks haircuts. As shoddy as that MCA VHS tape was, the infectious quality of the film was still able to cast its spell on me.

As it happens, not until I saw the restored version did i realize how many times The Sisters G were in the movie!

 

[warnerbro]

It looks beautiful. Unfortunately many parts are still lost and they had to had photos over the soundtrack. It's interesting to see how bawdy the comedy sections are. Apparently they were considered so dirty, they excised them from the next release. This is a buried treasure. It would be fun for Warner Bros. to release DOCTOR X (both versions still survive) along with MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM in HD.

 

[bigshot]

The missing bits are mostly introductions to segments by an announcer and they are very short.

 

[Casey62]

If there's one thing - and it's minor - I might quibble about, it's Criterion's choice to not include the original trailer as an extra. Curious, since it's intact and in good shape.

Maybe this was already discussed in another thread, but I heard (at TCM.com and one Amazon reviewer) that there was some color enhancing done to this HD transfer, like adding blue in some scenes. I don't know if there's any truth to this - it doesn't look like it to me. In their book, "The King of Jazz: Paul Whiteman's Technicolor Revue", James Layton and David Pierce don't say that any colors that shouldn't be there were added during the restoration process itself.

 

[aPhil]

Is there anything on the disc(s) regarding Bela Lugosi MC'ing foreign version ?

 

[Casey62]

I went through all the extras and can't recall any mention regarding the foreign version with Lugosi as emcee. I don't think that footage even exists - only stills. It seems like the French version may still exist, as frame enlargements from a nitrate release print appear in Layton and Pierce's book.

 

[Bert Greene]

Really thrilled about the restoration. I'd seen KOJ several times, but not in the past 15 to 20 years. The restored sharpness added so much to the viewing experience, helping me notice and appreciate things so much better, from the dazzling set décor to the sheer spectacle of it all. In a way, the film causes almost a sensory overload. By the close, when Whiteman is stirring his cauldron and the golden-clad dancin' gals emerge from the melting pot, I feel like I've been shot into orbit.

Musically, this is all pretty familiar territory for me. When I was still in 6th grade or so, I had rescued the family Victrola, and was regularly spinning old Whiteman discs, along with those of Isham Jones, Ben Selvin and the like. Eventually collecting slews more by the time I was in high school. When it came to "Song of the Dawn," I was actually more familiar with the George Olsen version for many years before encountering the Whiteman/Crosby disc. Always loved the tune, along with "Happy Feet" (with fun versions also from Trumbauer's small group as well as Cab Calloway).

Back to the film, I think the restoration really made the 'Bridal Veil' sequence really pop visually. Ditto 'Monterey.' Always adored the 'Ragamuffin Romeo' bit. So many amazing parts to this film. Only some of the comedy was rather mildewed (although I do have a weird affection for the 'Nellie' quartet bit, which I'm probably a minority). Anyway, it's been an absolute joy revisiting this, and now having in my fairly modest Blu-ray collection.