A Few Words About A few words about...™ Legend of the Lost -- in Blu-ray (2 Viewers)

[Robert Harris]

Legend of the Lost is an odd one.

Directed by legendary Henry Hathaway, it's a rather bland adventure film, starring John Wayne, and strangely, featuring Sophia Loren and Rossano Brazzi.

Much of it was gorgeously shot on location, in Libya, and that along with its cinematographer and process, are what makes this something that's worth your time.

It was photographed in Technirama (8-perf 35mm), by the great Jack Cardiff.

And it shows on every frame of new Kino Classics Blu-ray, with a master courtesy of MGM. It's a quality affair, and looks the part.

My advice.

Forget the story, although it's fine.

Just pick up a copy, as a technological rarity, with a genius behind the lens.

And enjoy for those attributes alone.

Image - 4.75

Audio - 4.5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Upgrade from the DVD - Yes

Recommended

RAH

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[Thomas T]

So looking forward to this one! I'm a huge Wayne fan (I think I have more John Wayne movies in my collection than any other actor) and if anyone can steal one's attention from Jack Cardiff's lensing, it's Sophia Loren! Great to hear the blu does justice to the film's other visual assets.

 

[jim_falconer]

Thanks for the review RAH. I have the import BD, however, based on your recommendation I'll be double dipping.

 

[OliverK]

Thanks for the review RAH. I have the import BD, however, based on your recommendation I'll be double dipping.

This will probably be from the same master but maybe it will have some interesting extras?

 

[haineshisway]

I'm pretty certain the import, which looks pretty great, is this same transfer.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm pretty certain the import, which looks pretty great, is this same transfer.

Yeah, I agree with only a trailer as the only bonus material on this Kino release.

 

[skylark68]

I'm really looking forward to this one! Thanks for the review, Mr. Harris! I've always enjoyed the story though, it's sort of a proto-Indiana Jones. The location shots in Libya are beautiful. I pre-ordered on day one.

 

[jim_falconer]

Ah, thanks for the clarification all. If this is the same transfer as import, I'll stick with what I already have.

 

[Alberto_D]

I wonder why nobody created some sort of "16mm technirama", to allow use 16mm film and cameras to shoot a frame area size similar to Techniscope (a 35mm format).

Just to remamber, for who are unfamiliar, the film formats we are talking about :

Technirama uses 35mm film in different position (horizontally), in order to get larger frame area, similar to Vistavision :

Usual 35mm 4 perforation :

35mm Techniscope, uses 2 perforations and result in a smaller frame area of the film:

And Imax it's a kind of "technirama from 65mm film" :

 

[john a hunter]

Well Alberto some amateur photographers in the UK in the late 60's and 70's did this.
In those days The Widescreen Association of which I was a founding member was set up to encourage amateurs to film 8 and 16mm widescreen with anamorphics and other formats such as 16mm running horizontally with and without A-Lens (aka Technirama), cropping 16mm and shooting thru an extreme wide angle lens(aka Todd AO).
Fun days!!

 

[Alberto_D]

Interesting... Have you some photo of the adapted cameras ?

Well Alberto some amateur photographers in the UK in the late 60's and 70's did this.
In those days The Widescreen Association of which I was a founding member was set up to encourage amateurs to film 8 and 16mm widescreen with anamorphics and other formats such as 16mm running horizontally with and without A-Lens (aka Technirama), cropping 16mm and shooting thru an extreme wide angle lens(aka Todd AO).
Fun days!!

 

[Allansfirebird]

I've always loved pairing this in a double-feature with Lawrence of Arabia, just for the cinematography. The way Cardiff and Freddie Young shot the desert is simply extraordinary.

 

[OliverK]

Legend of the Lost is a movie where I went in with very low expectations but when it was over I was wondering how the Blu-ray would have looked if it had gotten the Spartacus treatment, it was just so beautifully shot. As for the story I will say that it has its weaknesses but it helps a lot that this movie is comparatively short so it does not drag on and on, at the end it almost felt a bit rushed to me.

 

[Vegas 1]

I will be getting this to replace my non-enhanced DVD

 

[skylark68]

Got this in the mail yesterday (pre-ordered from Amazon). Aside from some very minor specks on the film this is an absolutely beautiful transfer. I definitely recommend to any Wayne or Loren fans. It's a pretty nice adventure yarn as well. I absolutely love the soundtrack. I looked up the composer and it's the same gentleman that composed the soundtrack for Colossus of Rhodes which sounds very similar. Love it.