A Few Words About A few words about...™ Man of La Mancha -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

The concept of creating a musical entertainment of Cervantes' windmill tilting creation, during the Spanish inquisition, sounds about as likely as a film about a play set in an insane asylum.

As a Hollywood musical, albeit shot in Italy, with Arthur Hiller at the helm, it never seemed to find its way with audiences in 1972.

With Peter O'Toole cast in the lead (voiced by Simon Gilbert), along with Sophia Loren and James Coco, it's an odd, yet interesting film of the off-Broadway, and later Broadway play.

There were some nights, after a fraternity gathering, that I'd stand outside the ANTA, and listen to the final minutes of the show. MoLM opened there in late 1965, moving uptown to the Martin Beck in 1968, when the ANTA was demolished.

The master provided to Shout Factory, is a quality affair, with the audio, which was originally 4 and 6-track mag, offered at DTS-HD Stereo.

Image-wise, the all is well. Those who might be interested in film elements, will note replacement footage derived from the sep masters, at around the 41 minute mark.

A bit more cleanup would have created a finer final product, but no problems.

For musicals fans, a necessity. One of the final roadshow releases.

Image - 4.5

Audio - 4

4k Up-rez - 4.5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Recommended

RAH

 

[Angelo Colombus]

I will say this about Sophia....she looks great in every film i have seen her in.

 

[Jimbo64]

I didn't have as much of a problem as others with Peter or Sophia's singing. They both were so believable in their parts that it worked.... for me at least.

 

[Malcolm Bmoor]

The cast of this film would have been good for a non-musical but the world agreed that this picture, as a musical, was a total stinker.

Although the film making art of substituting voices (see the website MOVIEDUBBERS) had been mainly successful for very many years it seemed to me (and most other people) that it was a failure here. After all, it is a Musical, and if credibility snaps everytime a song begins I think something isn't going well.

I know there are always those to disagree with the prevailing opinion but to anyone who has never seen MAN OF LA MANCHA I would suggest buying the original Broadway CD.

There's also a drawback in the stage recordings as, by contract, Joan Diehner, the wife of the director, usually played Aldonza.

She was appalling and was even, by contract, given top billing in the French version over Jacques Brel.

I have a little inside knowledge as I was friends with someone who played Quixote in London & NY.

 

[Johnny Angell]

The cast of this film would have been good for a non-musical but the world agreed that this picture, as a musical, was a total stinker.

Although the film making art of substituting voices (see the website MOVIEDUBBERS) had been mainly successful for very many years it seemed to me (and most other people) that it was a failure here. After all, it is a Musical, and if credibility snaps everytime a song begins I think something isn't going well.

I know there are always those to disagree with the prevailing opinion but to anyone who has never seen MAN OF LA MANCHA I would suggest buying the original Broadway CD.

There's also a drawback in the stage recordings as, by contract, Joan Diehner, the wife of the director, usually played Aldonza.

She was appalling and was even, by contract, given top billing in the French version over Jacques Brel.

I have a little inside knowledge as I was friends with someone who played Quixote in London & NY.

When the stage version was current or recent, I had the cast LP. I won't claim to be a music critic, but I don't remember the part of Aldonza being terrible. That character is the prostitute and the female lead, right?

 

[RichMurphy]

Joan Diener had a voice that pleased some and drove others crazy. To me, she was the Yma Sumac of Broadway -- a multi-octave vocal range, but odd gutteral sounds in the lower registers and poor transitions into the upper ones. That said, I enjoyed her vocal performance on the LA MANCHA cast album, and wish I could have seen her in the 1992 Broadway revival as a 62-year-old prostitute.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Joan Diener had a voice that pleased some and drove others crazy. To me, she was the Yma Sumac of Broadway -- a multi-octave vocal range, but odd gutteral sounds in the lower registers and poor transitions into the upper ones. That said, I enjoyed her vocal performance on the LA MANCHA cast album, and wish I could have seen her in the 1992 Broadway revival as a 62-year-old prostitute.

Yma Sumac, haven't heard that name in centuries. I seem to recall she appeared in some old 50's movie concerning the Aztecs or something like that.

You enjoyed her performance on the cast album and that is my only exposure to Diener. That would confirm my ears weren't lying to me back then. Thanks.

 

[David Weicker]

I have both the original Broadway CD with Richard Kiley and the London recording (LP and Cassette - no CD) with Keith Michel. Joan Diener played Alfonzo/Dulcinea on both.

To me, Ms Diener's vocals sound more pleasant on the London version. They aren't bad on the Broadway recording.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I have both the original Broadway CD with Richard Kiley and the London recording (LP and Cassette - no CD) with Keith Michel. Joan Diener played Alfonzo/Dulcinea on both.

To me, Ms Diener's vocals sound more pleasant on the London version. They aren't bad on the Broadway recording.

How does Keith Michel compare with Richard Kiley?

 

[PMF]

There were some nights, after a fraternity gathering, that I'd stand outside the ANTA, and listen to the final minutes of the show.

I always felt that the scoring and orchestrations for the film was among the best of the Broadway adaptations.
Nice to know that the tracks remain full; as the sound was the first of my interests in matters concerning this BD.
Looking forward to this purchase.

BTW, I was a Muleteer. Local stuff, but it was my first show after graduating High School.

For RAH...I now dub thee ANTA of La Mancha.

 

[Mark McSherry]

Yma Sumac, haven't heard that name in centuries. I seem to recall she appeared in some old 50's movie concerning the Aztecs or something like that.

You enjoyed her performance on the cast album and that is my only exposure to Diener. That would confirm my ears weren't lying to me back then. Thanks.

Some like to claim that RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK ripped off that 1954 movie, SECRET OF THE INCAS, with Charlton Heston- and, of course, Yma Sumac. And it's available to watch on youtube.

 

[David Weicker]

How does Keith Michel compare with Richard Kiley?

I think he does a terrific job.

The London recording is almost the entire play (containing the majority of the dialogue)

 

[Matt Hough]

I think he does a terrific job.

The London recording is almost the entire play (containing the majority of the dialogue)

Yes, I have that double LP set, too, and have always hoped it would be released on CD. Alas, no luck.

 

[Malcolm Bmoor]

I'm straying even further from the subject of the film but I worked on two productions with Keith Michel and he told me that the album producer was determined that it wouldn't be longer than two LPs, which it needed to be, so the dialogue was frantically tightened to eliminate pauses. To allow the LP sides to be as long as possible it was cut low and thin.

From the point of view of Joan Diener's colleagues there was more to be upset about than just her performance. You can either enjoy her swooping strange style ..... or not.

Last story: After a stint in London Keith went to NY to take over for a while. On arrival for rehearsals he found that both the principal and understudy were off and he was on instantly with virtually no rehearsal. Fortunately the productions were almost identical but because of his lack of rehearsal a dancer was injured during a sequence in which the productions differed. He was a wonderful person to work with and behaved with outstanding company spirit and consideration.

To return to where this began: I found the film a terrible disappointment musically as the 'box office' casting let it down.

 

[Charles Smith]

That's too bad about the two-LP limitation, when there were a number of regular spoken plays released -- in beautiful sound -- on three, four, and I think even five discs in those years.

Now I'm almost afraid to go back and listen to this one (which I think I've played all of once). But I'll do it.

 

[ArnoldLayne]

The cast of this film would have been good for a non-musical but the world agreed that this picture, as a musical, was a total stinker.

Although the film making art of substituting voices (see the website MOVIEDUBBERS) had been mainly successful for very many years it seemed to me (and most other people) that it was a failure here. After all, it is a Musical, and if credibility snaps everytime a song begins I think something isn't going well.

I know there are always those to disagree with the prevailing opinion but to anyone who has never seen MAN OF LA MANCHA I would suggest buying the original Broadway CD.

There's also a drawback in the stage recordings as, by contract, Joan Diehner, the wife of the director, usually played Aldonza.

She was appalling and was even, by contract, given top billing in the French version over Jacques Brel.

I have a little inside knowledge as I was friends with someone who played Quixote in London & NY.

WEELL, I love it just as is. I thought the leads were just fantastic and strong enough to carry the movie/ musical.

 

[ArnoldLayne]

Joan Diener had a voice that pleased some and drove others crazy. To me, she was the Yma Sumac of Broadway -- a multi-octave vocal range, but odd gutteral sounds in the lower registers and poor transitions into the upper ones. That said, I enjoyed her vocal performance on the LA MANCHA cast album, and wish I could have seen her in the 1992 Broadway revival as a 62-year-old prostitute.

aka Amy Camus.

 

[John Maher_289910]

I hate O'Toole in it. Love Loren. I have no issue with her singing. In fact, it was Joan Diener's voice I had an issue with, when I saw the show in New York. Richard Kiley, was perfection, in every department. Not one of my favorite musicals, though, and the film does nothing to change my opinion of it. If Kiley had re-created his role, there would be a reason to buy it.

 

[OliverK]

The difference in detail compared to the DVD is surprisingly small according to the caps at caps-a-holic.

In case somebody is interested:
http://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x=810&y=256&d1=10400&d2=10399&s1=101398&s2=101389&l=0&i=2&go=1

 

[TJPC]

Sorry, but this is well known as a notorious bomb that trashed a much loved musical and had audiences of 3 people in most theatres during its run. No one can sing a note! Why would you want a clearer picture of what's going on? It would be better for all concerned if it only was available on VHS!