A Few Words About A few words about…™ The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[RobertMG]

And a b/w sitting on my computer:

View attachment 103317

The scan of The Little Princess looks like the laserdisc that was taken from a Nitrate Tech original thats what the disc claimed to be from. A simple question - if Herb Kalmus spent all the money to get three strip tech then why did N kalmus make the films look like that? Then in the 40's there was an explosion of Technicolor like in the Fox Musicals!

 

[Robert Harris]

The scan of The Little Princess looks like the laserdisc that was taken from a Nitrate Tech original thats what the disc claimed to be from. A simple question - if Herb Kalmus spent all the money to get three strip tech then why did N kalmus make the films look like that? Then in the 40's there was an explosion of Technicolor like in the Fox Musicals!

It wasn't simply Natalie. The Kalmai were unified.

The early concept was that color needed to be restrained, and was held to a desaturated, warm appearance. It was the production and color design that emerged and took on a different aesthetic.

Three-strip Technicolor in it's negative form has no intrinsic design. It merely captures what is placed in front of it.

Everything else occurs in color timing and reproductive printing.

At one time I had reels of DT Duel in the Sun (now held at AMPAS). Some were a 1954 re-issue print in all it's warm, and slightly desaturated glory. The other was a 1968 print, in full blazing Technicolor with no timing overlays. Night and day.

 

[RobertMG]

It wasn't simply Natalie. The Kalmai were unified.

The early concept was that color needed to be restrained, and was held to a desaturated, warm appearance. It was the production and color design that emerged and took on a different aesthetic.

Three-strip Technicolor in it's negative form has no intrinsic design. It merely captures what is placed in front of it.

Everything else occurs in color timing and reproductive printing.

At one time I had reels of DT Duel in the Sun (now held at AMPAS). Some were a 1954 re-issue print in all it's warm, and slightly desaturated glory. The other was a 1968 print, in full blazing Technicolor with no timing overlays. Night and day.

Isn't that like GWTW wasn't Selznicks 50's print vibrant technicolor compared to 1939s

 

[Robert Harris]

Isn't that like GWTW wasn't Selznicks 50's print vibrant technicolor compared to 1939s

In a general sense, yes and pretty much all films of the era. It's a change in public taste.

But as to GWTW, no.

The original 1939-40 prints were much like Eliz and Essex.

By 1954, the look had changed slightly, but still retained his original vision.

The 1961 prints appeared quite different.

And 1967 were Eastman Color, as was (obviously) the 70mm variant.

Best not to discuss the 1998 prints.

 

[RobertMG]

In a general sense, yes and pretty much all films of the era. It's a change in public taste.

But as to GWTW, no.

The original 1939-40 prints were much like Eliz and Essex.

By 1954, the look had changed slightly, but still retained his original vision.

The 1961 prints appeared quite different.

And 1967 were Eastman Color, as was (obviously) the 70mm variant.

Best not to discuss the 1998 prints.

Wish you could of had a crack at GWTW! I bought the Super 8 sound print and it looks like it had a haze over the image and it did not have the famous SCROLLING titles just the title in a block

GONE WITH
THE WIND

Did original prints or Adv Of Robin Hood look like 1939's Private Lives Of Elizabeth and Essex?? Do u have grabs on that title?

 

[Nick*Z]

Dear Robert:

Actually, I wish you'd comment on those 1998 prints too as I went to the show to see it then and was horrified by what I saw and quite unable to quantify exactly what went wrong. Any clarity you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Best.

 

[Robert Harris]

Dear Robert:

Actually, I wish you'd comment on those 1998 prints too as I went to the show to see it then and was horrified by what I saw and quite unable to quantify exactly what went wrong. Any clarity you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Best.

Although I believe they were produced with the best of intentions, based upon current abilities of theaters to screen a 1.37 image, I work to continue to rid my memory of the screening that my assistant and I attended.

Best not to go there.

 

[RobertMG]

Although I believe they were produced with the best of intentions, based upon current abilities of theaters to screen a 1.37 image, I work to continue to rid my memory of the screening that my assistant and I attended.

Best not to go there.

You would think with all the different incarnations of GWTW a bean counter and marketing genius would re-issue it with this "Now for the first time in decades this classic can be seen as it was first projected in Atlanta December 1939 restoring Selznick's original vision" maybe the film would be a revelation again?

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

I had the misfortune of running one of those 1998 GWTW prints and it was not a pleasant experience. Yes, it was IB Technicolor but it was impossible to get it sharp and the formatting into pillar boxed scope introduced all sorts of geometry problems. Not to mention that the print shed like crazy and the machines were coated in it.

 

[Robert Harris]

Wish you could of had a crack at GWTW! I bought the Super 8 sound print and it looks like it had a haze over the image and it did not have the famous SCROLLING titles just the title in a block

GONE WITH
THE WIND

Did original prints or Adv Of Robin Hood look like 1939's Private Lives Of Elizabeth and Essex?? Do u have grabs on that title?

Not far off.

Here's one from the website that has a seemingly original look, but it probably a re-issue. The others represented there do not appear to be original.

 

[Robert Harris]

You would think with all the different incarnations of GWTW a bean counter and marketing genius would re-issue it with this "Now for the first time in decades this classic can be seen as it was first projected in Atlanta December 1939 restoring Selznick's original vision" maybe the film would be a revelation again?

It would not meet the public's concept of propriety. Although I'd love to see it.

 

[RobertMG]

It would not meet the public's concept of propriety. Although I'd love to see it.

Hope some influential person at Warners is reading these posts! Repackage the recent release with original vision - heck I would triple dip on it! The film's 85th is coming up after all.

 

[Robert Harris]

Wish you could of had a crack at GWTW! I bought the Super 8 sound print and it looks like it had a haze over the image and it did not have the famous SCROLLING titles just the title in a block

GONE WITH
THE WIND

Your S8 is probably derived from the 1967 version.

Back c. 1967-9, I tried to push a concept at WB to allow me to attempt the concept of something that might have been called Warner Bros. - 7 Arts Home Entertainment.

I wanted to take the latest films, and a short time after theatrical, release them in two formats - Sony 1/2 inch reel to reel, and Technicolor S8. The initial titles were to be Bullitt, Bonnie and Clyde and Camelot.

The S8 prints were to be Technicolor DT, printed in quad format (four on a 35mm print), with optical sound tracks, and slit for use.

The feeling was that the concept would not be of interest to the public.

I failed.

 

[RobertMG]

Your S8 is probably derived from the 1967 version.

Back c. 1967-9, I tried to push a concept at WB to allow me to attempt the concept of something that might have been called Warner Bros. - 7 Arts Home Entertainment.

I wanted to take the latest films, and a short time after theatrical, release them in two formats - Sony 1/2 inch reel to reel, and Technicolor S8. The initial titles were to be Bullitt, Bonnie and Clyde and Camelot.

The S8 prints were to be Technicolor DT, printed in quad format (four on a 35mm print), with optical sound tracks, and slit for use.

The feeling was that the concept would not be of interest to the public.

I failed.

At the time with 8mm collecting being popular it would have been a success. Sadly the studios opened up their vaults perfectly timed with the cost of film skyrocketing due to the silver cost increases and then home video happening killing Super 8. My print of OZ is great as is my print of Easter Parade and Showboat too. Amazing how home video started and we need to thank the legendary Bill Blair of VCI. He collected 16mm as a boy then they started their biz of renting prints out to schools etc then when he befriended Buster Crabbe and had him go to OK and speak to college kids and showing a chapter of Flash Gordon, he had recorded interviews with Buster. In 1975 he then started releasing stuff on video. He basically started home video and had special editions with the inclusion of Busters interviews!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Hope some influential person at Warners is reading these posts! Repackage the recent release with original vision - heck I would triple dip on it! The film's 85th is coming up after all.

Some influential person at Warners would be laughed out of the meeting as releasing the original vision to satisfy just a few purists while confusing the masses with two different color schemes isn't a good financial nor marketing decision.

 

[RobertMG]

Some influential person at Warners would be laughed out of the meeting as releasing the original vision to satisfy just a few purists while confusing the masses with two different color schemes isn't a good financial decision.

Disagree - with the film being released on home video and surely being released again for YET another Anniversary might make it feasible, you know things like the PET Rock actually sold? Not in the same league but they repackaged this title and OZ over and over and over and over.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Disagree - with the film being released on home video and surely being released again for YET another Anniversary might make it feasible, you know things like the PET Rock actually sold? Not in the same league but they repackaged this title and OZ over and over and over and over.

You can disagree all you want, but the reality of the situation is that it's not going to happen. There will be only one color scheme if it's released on 4K disc and it will look similar to what audiences have been seeing the last 15 or so years.

 

[RobertMG]

You can disagree all you want, but the reality of the situation is that it's not going to happen. There will be only one color scheme if it's released on 4K disc and it will look similar to what audiences have been seeing the last 15 or so years.

Stranger things have happened ----- and it is 30 plus years, But with the film now being racist maybe its locked away!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Stranger things have happened ----- and it is 30 plus years

We'll see.....

 

[RobertMG]

We'll see.....

Thank u! But you are right probably won't happen.