A Few Words About A few words about…™ Auntie Mame — in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Will Krupp]

You should have asked for socks.

NOW you tell me!!

 

[John Hermes]

I received my disc today and have been spot checking it. Wow. Beautiful. The color is rich. The fades and dissolves are A/B rolled too. Yes!!

 

[Robert Harris]

I received my disc today and have been spot checking it. Wow. Beautiful. The color is rich. The fades and dissolves are A/B rolled too. Yes!!

With the exception of a few early large format films, I believe all were cut either A/B or single strand auto-select

 

[KPmusmag]

Auntie Mame will screen in 35mm at the Egyptian and Aero theaters in L.A. Wish I could get to L.A. - I would love to see it on celluloid again.

http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/auntie-mame-9

 

[Matt Hough]

A simply glorious transfer in sharpness, color, and film-like precision. Another beautiful job from Warner Archive. The sound was remarkably full-bodied, too.

 

[Jim*Tod]

Yes.... I was only going to sample it tonight but watched the whole thing. This is a real beauty of a disc. I had never noticed before on the fade outs where Russell is the only thing lit in the frame, the shot ends with just a bit of lavender light on her. Stradling was such a master of this kind of film. The use of filters on Russell is done with incredible finesse. I remember seeing MAME when it came out on huge screen and each time the camera got near Ball it was as if a dense fog as suddenly set in...not at all subtle. This new transfer also makes me appreciate the details in the Orry-Kelly costumes. Let's hear it for old school Hollywood craftsmanship!

 

[nanook]

This is indeed a 'beauty of a disc'. What looked good on the DVD, now looks quite wonderful. Warner Archive has done it again. For those who already own the DVD, it's definitely worth a trade-up. And if you don't already own this film - what are you waiting for-??!! It's just a wonderful story, that's wickedly-funny, and so prefect in every way.

 

[ahollis]

After watching this gorgeous Blu-ray and enjoying the performance of Rosalind Russell, I desire blu’s or at least good DVD’s of Rosie and Oh Dad, Poor Dad. She is so wonderful.

 

[bujaki]

And now do yourselves a favor and READ the book! You won't be sorry. Also the follow up, Around the World with Auntie Mame. They really are wickedly funny.

 

[OliverK]

With the exception of a few early large format films, I believe all were cut either A/B or single strand auto-select

Can't remember to have seen many dupey scenes in 70mm prints except for effects shots in movies like Khartoum, Krakatoa or The Greatest Story Ever Told that looked really bad. One cannot imagine how bad Giant would have looked in 70 mm with all those dissolves!

 

[Matt Hough]

After watching this gorgeous Blu-ray and enjoying the performance of Rosalind Russell, I desire blu’s or at least good DVD’s of Rosie and Oh Dad, Poor Dad. She is so wonderful.

I would LOVE to have Rosie! I was just thinking about it the other day and lamenting how some movies simply drop off the face of the Earth even with big stars and from major studios.

 

[Rob_Ray]

Another vote in favor of Rosie! I haven't seen that one in nearly 40 years and I still remember it fondly.

 

[PMF]

Deleted PUN; 'cause it wasn't as funny as I had hoped.

 

[Conrad_SSS]

WOW! Easily one of the top 10 Blu-rays of the year....if not all time. Technirama euphoria and an immaculate presentation.
Live! Live! Live Auntie Mame!

 

[greg.shoemaker]

Crazy idea: Due to MAME's long running time (2.75 hours), and given the period in which the film was released, did MAME ever receive a roadshow presentation (with extra music and/or intermission) or was such an idea even considered by Warner's? Just thinking.

 

[octobercountry]

Came across the following quote on another board. I have no idea if it is accurate or not, but I do wish I could hear this film in stereo:
----------------
"By the way the movie actually WAS in 4 track stereo sound. My best friend John, who passed away 3 years ago, was a career projectionist since 1953 all the way to working at the Mall of America theaters until they fired all of the projectionists. We talked many times about how he projected Auntie Mame in 4 track magnetic stereo sound, it was one of his favorite films and many days he would go down to the theater to watch different scenes. He even remembered different periods of stereo separation, and said all of the dialogue was panned, the musical score had full stereo separation. He remembered one scene, when Auntie Mame is on stage in Vera's play, how strong the audience was in the surround channel. What a shame that Jack Warner ordered the disposal of all stereo masters, one of the worst moves by any studio executive ever, in my opinion."

 

[MatthewA]

At least Morton DaCosta's next film for Warner Bros., The Music Man, still has a glorious stereo soundtrack that survives. That, Carl Stalling era-Looney Tunes, My Fair Lady and A Star Is Born are what I think of when I think of the distinct sound of Warner Bros. musicals of the 1950s and early 1960s. Even in mono, Auntie Mame still bears similar sonic characteristics and it's good to hear that what has survived and can be accessed by the studio is presented exquisitely.

That American Cinematheque screening sounds mighty tempting, and hopefully the fires in SoCal will have died down by then. If not or if time, money and work make it impossible, the Blu-ray will be the next best thing.

And I do agree about Bronislau Kaper's score. That as much as anything else helped seal its destiny in becoming a musical.

 

[john a hunter]

It was certainly shown here in Australia in 4 track.
A friend who has spent his life working for Columbia saw the 4 track print in the Warner's theatrette here in Sydney.
When I told him of this release, the first words out of his month were "did they find the stereo track. It sounded great".

 

[warnerbro]

It appears that the bluray is the same as the download I got off Amazon -- but I get an isolated music track and trailers on the bluray. It's interesting about the controversy of there being a stereo track on this. There is also a controversy about a stereo track on the Lucy version as well. Can anyone clear that one up? There has been a legend that the movie was filmed in stereo but because Lucy's singing was so bad they released it in mono.

 

[Mark-P]

It appears that the bluray is the same as the download I got off Amazon --

There has been plenty of testimony from the folks at Warner Archive that the Blu-ray is a brand new harvest and cleanup of the film and most definitely NOT the same as what was available through streaming. Now, whether the streaming services have been upgraded with the new version since it became available I couldn't say...