A Few Words About A few words about...™ How the West Was Won -- in Blu-ray (2 Viewers)

[OliverK]

So therefore the 3x existing 2K masters, if recombined, have +50% more width resolution than 4K.

Whether this works depends if the % of black bar height on 2.89:1 gives an equivalent, actual picture area, height information of around 2.25K if adapted to a 4K master or significantly less.

M

Warner most probably did all the matching and blending work within a 2k workflow. Unfortunately this would make the release on UHD a rather expensive undertaking even if they would go back to the original 2k scans.

That or Warner will again be creative and look into ways to keep costs down like they finally did with Grimm.

In any case - whenever this one gets a worthy UHD release count me in!

 

[cinemiracle]

I saw South Pacific in NYC with an Overture long after it’s Roadshow run at a 70 mm festival in the 70’s.

I was referring to it's 'original' Roadshow season in 1958

 

[cinemiracle]

The second cut print did.
As you know the first print when straight into the titles after the motor cycle crash at the end of The Miracle of Todd-AO short.
Great showmanship!!!!

Yes that was indeed great showmanship. Great reaction from the audiences every screening. Had the original ,slightly longer cut of THE MARCH OF TODD-AO been shown ,the effect would have been lost.

 

[RolandL]

I believe the longest running Roadshow film in New York was Around the world in 80 Day’s at the Rivoli Theater at 102 weeks . Sound of Music was cut short at 96 weeks due to arrangements made for the premiere showing of The Sand Pebbles at the Rivoli.

This is Cinerama 123 weeks.

 

[cinemiracle]

Yes that was indeed great showmanship. Great reaction from the audiences every screening. Had the original ,slightly longer cut of THE MARCH OF TODD-AO been shown ,the effect would have been lost.

Meant to say THE MIRACLF OF TODD-AO not 'March".

 

[john a hunter]

MARCH was shown with South Pacific in the States and is no where as interesting as MIRACLE.
Luckily they made the right choice.

 

[cinemiracle]

MARCH was shown with South Pacific in the States and is no where as interesting as MIRACLE.
Luckily they made the right choice.

MARCH was never shown in Sydney, Australia. We screened in in New Zealand where I worked. Pretty sure it was with THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY

 

[Mike Frezon]

Guys: We've given a lot of leeway.

Please lets get back to How the West Was Won.

 

[OliverK]

Maybe it would be nice to have some kind of 70mm / roadshow thread where the very interesting roadshow discussion could be moved to?

 

[dpippel]

Maybe it would be nice to have some kind of 70mm / roadshow thread where the very interesting roadshow discussion could be moved to?

Why not start one?

 

[OliverK]

Why not start one?

I think it was already started here hence the suggestion to move it to another thread.
I do not really have that much to contribute - too young to have witnessed the roadshow era myself.

 

[PMF]

[...] too young to have witnessed the roadshow era myself.

Ah, but never too young to marvel, appreciate and wonder upon its days of romantic cinematic glory. For that, no “Reserved Seats” are required.

 

[OliverK]

Ah, but never too young to marvel, appreciate and wonder upon its days of romantic cinematic glory. For that, no “Reserved Seats” are required.

No, not too young for that indeed. There is a reason I do not post all that much in threads about the latest Marvel or DC comics extravaganza but in threads like these.

 

[Dennis Gallagher]

Back on topic (somewhat): said before, maybe on this forum: my trip to see "How the West Was Won" (in REAL Cinerama) when I was twelve years old changed my life forever and helped create my uber-geeky interest in widescreen motion picture technology and the magic of movies shown with proper majesty in beautiful theatres. Sorry that we've gotten so far away from that (endless commercials before the movie with no curtains and not even proper masking) that I'm not losing much sleep over the problems the larger movie chains are enduring these days.

 

[B-ROLL]

Back on topic (somewhat): said before, maybe on this forum: my trip to see "How the West Was Won" (in REAL Cinerama) when I was twelve years old changed my life forever and helped create my uber-geeky interest in widescreen motion picture technology and the magic of movies shown with proper majesty in beautiful theatres. Sorry that we've gotten so far away from that (endless commercials before the movie with no curtains and not even proper masking) that I'm not losing much sleep over the problems the larger movie chains are enduring these days.

Yes but "Would you like some imitation butter flavor on your popcorn ?"

 

[PMF]

Yes but "Would you like some imitation butter flavor on your popcorn ?"

Not even for a revival showing of Imitation of Life.

 

[cinemiracle]

Owen Marsh -camera operator on HOW THE WEST WAS WON has died aged 90

 

[benbess]

As far as I'm concerned, Debbie is THE star of How the West Was Won. She was the only star whose story went the entire way through the film crossing a couple of generations. Also, she performs three knockout numbers in the movie, songs that got multiple replays on the soundtrack LP and CD down through the years. In fact, my mom once hollered at me from the kitchen, "Stop playing that Debbie Reynolds song all the time!" (It was "What Was Your Name in the States?")

Just finished watching this for the first time in several years. And yes, Debbie Reynolds and her songs help hold the movie together and even made me misty by the end.

This Smilebox presentation is still spectacular. I actually got chills at a few points during this movie. I was sitting close to my screen, and so the movie filled my field of vision.

The stunt work in this movie is often impressive and sometimes even alarming, what with the stuntmen falling artfully off of fast moving trains and horses. For instance, how about that stuntman who jumps from the train going 30 mph or something, and then hugs a giant cactus for a quarter of a second, and then plunges down another 20-30 feet into a ditch. Wowza. And obviously no cgi. Wasn't there a move recently to award Oscars for stunt work? I think they should not only do that, but retroactively award "notices of merit" (or something like that) for stunts done in the past, to recognize all those decades of work the stunt people have done to entertain us (sometimes taking risks that maybe they shouldn't have).

 

[Matt Hough]

Boy, does that bring back many wonderful memories! Thanks, Ben!

 

[uncledougie]

I don’t mind bumping this thread after a year and a half (hope you don’t) to suggest another campaign for Warner to release HTWWW in 4K. With the hundredth anniversary of MGM next year it seems to me one of the outstanding candidates for the upgrade (this year being the 60th anniversary of the U.S. release, the promo could fudge a little either way). My father was den master for my Cub Scout group and took the gang to see this as our monthly special outing. I last saw it onscreen (twice that week) at the Seattle Widescreen Film Festival in the mid-2000s. It was still a stunning experience. It has always held a special place in my movie loving heart, so perhaps someone could put a bug in George Feltenstein’s ear about it.