A Few Words About A few words about...™ State Fair (1962) -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

It may come as a new factoid to some, that Jose Ferrer (actor) - Lawrence, Caine Mutiny, Ship of Fools, Cyrano - also directed eight films between 1955 and 1962, State Fair being the last.

Rogers and Hammerstein's State Fair began as a non-R&H film, entitled State Fair in 1933, with Janet Gaynor and Will Rogers in the leads. and not a song in sight.

In 1945, the pair were brought in to create a musical version, the result of which was the delightful Technicolor production, starring Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, and Vivian Blaine. That version is available on Blu-ray from Fox.

The 1962 CinemaScope re-make places Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Pamela Tiffin, Ann-Margret, Tom Ewell and Alice Faye (returning to the screen, after a 17 year absence) in the leads.

The final result was less than one might hope for, as the update never really takes wing.

For lovers of screen musicals, however, it's a necessity because of the R&H link.

Fox has supplied Twilight Time with a gorgeous HD master, and their Blu-ray shines, with the original stereo audio intact as 4.0.

Nary a problem in sight.

Image - 5

Audio - 5

4k Up-rez - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

RAH

 

[rsmithjr]

The only pluses are Fox CinemaScope/4 track magnetic, the Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, the always-charismatic Bobby Darin, and Ann-Margret, who is more magnetic than the sound.

I guess it adds up to a buy however.

 

[Larry Geller]

Will they get around to Carousel?

 

[ahollis]

Will they get around to Carousel?

I think as far as Fox is concerned they have done it.

 

[B-ROLL]

I think as far as Fox is concerned they have done it.

They did not put Lilliom on the bluray as they did with the DVD bit that may still be licensed to KINO (as they released the DVD) ...

 

[Robert Harris]

Will they get around to Carousel?

To re-do Carousl would be a huge project with requisite budget,

 

[Mark-P]

They did not put Lilliom on the bluray as they did with the DVD bit that may still be licensed to KINO (as they released the DVD) ...

Liliom is indeed on the Carousel Blu-ray. Albeit only a 1080i upscale, but it's there.

 

[Nick*Z]

They ought to redo Carousel, Oklahoma! (Cinemascope version) and The King and I. Atrocious color on all three and not even basic digital clean up applied on the Oklahoma! Cinemascope. For shame. The only discs in the R&H library that have been given their due so far are The Sound of Music and South Pacific. The rest are colossally disappointing for major releases - not obscure and forgotten C-grade junk.

I get the part about 'cost'. But just do it once, do it right and be done with it. It's the constant re-does that are adding up.

 

[Robert Harris]

They ought to redo Carousel, Oklahoma! (Cinemascope version) and The King and I. Atrocious color on all three and not even basic digital clean up applied on the Oklahoma! Cinemascope. For shame. The only discs in the R&H library that have been given their due so far are The Sound of Music and South Pacific. The rest are colossally disappointing for major releases - not obscure and forgotten C-grade junk.

I get the part about 'cost'. But just do it once, do it right and be done with it. It's the constant re-does that are adding up.

Indeferce to Fox, hardware, digital technology, and software tools, have changed the environment since those films were first done.

It's less a matter of doing it once, and properly, and more the ability to do it by today's standards, at the time it was done.

 

[warnerbro]

The bluray of the Todd-AO Oklahoma is breathtaking and beautiful -- like looking out a window. The Cinemascope version is pretty good. South Pacific is also beautiful -- however, I wish they would do a 4-K of the extended version! Carousel and The King and I are almost unwatchable horrors. The King and I DVD looked much better than the bluray. Not sure how that happened.

 

[RobertSiegel]

I agree with you Warnerbro. I was so disappointed in The King and I, a film that should look absolutely gorgeous on blu-ray. There was a transfer that was showing on HDnet for about 10 years that was stunning, way better than the blu-ray, and it seems they had their own ideas about it. I have not yet watched Carousel, but I think South Pacific and Oklahoma (Todd-AO) are the two stars of the collection.

As most epople know, as I have posted about it so often when the 45th anniversary edition (and 50th) came out, I was not a fan of The Sound of Music transfer. It's my all time favorite movie so I was especially critical. I have 2 huge issues with it. One is the color palette, which I believe to be totally wrong, the film never had such strong earthtones. Robert Wise's approved transfer was for the laserdisc box set and there's a huge difference. When I watch the movie now, I always watch the 40th anniversary DVD as that was as close to what I remember, and many of my friends, some of who projected it in 70mm for years. My other issue is with the sound. Granted, it was great they were able to use, for the first time, the original 6 track sound master. But if you watch the short on disc 2 about the sound restoration, you can see where they are cutting off the high end of the sound to remove the tape hiss. I am adamant about using what exists, and there was no noise reduction like Dolby in 1965, so these tracks have tape hiss. If you listen to the gold CD that came with the laserdisc box set, you can easily hear that tape hiss, and granted that was from the music masters, it wouldn't be much different for the 6 track master for the film.

Even in 2017, as far as I know, there is no way to remove tape hiss without losing the very highest frequencies. I'd much rather hear the tape hiss. If you listen to older versions, there is no way even a partially trained ear cannot hear those beautiful instruments in the high end lose their life. Don't get me wrong, I give a hats off to Shawn at Fox for the clarity of the transfer, the detail of the picture is absolutely stunning. But I think what might happen is that most of the people one could refer to on these issues are gone, and younger professionals are not old enough to remember what it looked like. So I am not sure why they didn't use Robert Wise's laserdisc box set as a reference for the color. I've seen The Sound of Music in theaters literally several hundred times, including over 40 times in 70mm in the 60's and in 1973 for the big reissue. It never looked like the blu-ray as far as color tones. And as for the sound, I think sometimes they try to please the younger audience who would never understand why, in a digital transfer, there would be tape hiss in the soundtrack.

I am praying that when The Sound of Music comes to 4k, which I have a feeling will be in 2020 when it has its 55th anniversary, that they correct the color on the picture and take those high end filters off of the sound. After all, the title of the movie is The SOUND of music. As popular as it is, I am hoping they feel it would be a worthwhile expense.

I have not yet seen this State Fair except for the DVD version, I am excited to see this later this week when it arrives. Now, if only Universal would see some merit in Flower Drum Song for blu-ray, because it has shown up on cable in a brand new transfer that is just stunning.