I remember reading about his comments after attending the Oscars together. He could hardly feel ecstasy about his win for Around the World because he kept claiming that Elizabeth should have won for Giant even though she hadn't even been nominated.
RAINTREE COUNTY was filmed in 65mm and as such, it has never been presented properly properly (i.e. in 70mm)
The Mexican Army amassing- right after the river raft sequence- I ran every Cinerama release in 3 strip - except for This Is Cinerama - a reduction print on 70mm. The Mexican Army is spherical Todd-AO footage-I believe that there is a shot from The Alamo that was used in HTWWW.
I realise this thread is for the '56 version of ATWI80D (not that this fact has kept it from digressing wildly at times, ofcourse), but was curious to know if anyone has heard any rumors of a Blu-ray release of the 1989 television miniseries version starring Pierce Brosnan? IMHO that one was also very well done. Unfortunately, the existing DVD's (from E1 Entertainmnt) pictr quality is so-so at best.
Firstly, Mr. Harris my compliments for your work- Andy Pratt labs removed the lacquer on both sides of the 30fps negative - there was nothing mentioned about the 24fps negative. The negative could be printed, but the quality would be lacking. The separation masters are lost. Mike Todd had contact prints made for the 70mm roadshow runs, unlike optical prints today- he was serious about the quality of his prints.This is a film that is in need of a ground-up restoration. There are element problems exacerbated by various other missing elements. As I recall, I believe the current video version is derived from the generic 24fps version. This can be checked by looking at instances of background footage (without actors). If things move slowly, it isn't the Todd-AO version.
RAH
Cheap-assed Warner refuses to spend the $ to restore the negative. They claim they can do this in-house.
They will not release on BR the present digital elements used for the DVD-
To further address cheap-ass Warner- when they re-released 80 Days in 1984 or 5 on 70mm - they used a 35mm negative to make a blow-up. Easy to see, because the change over cues were oval on the screen.
This real 70mm prints were 30 frames/second -
In 1956 - fine grain film stock was not around- the first blow-up using improved grain film was The Cardinal-
Kodak made the film stock and Technicolor did the printing.
The real hell of it: the separation masters are lost -
Thank you Mr. Carver for the 70mm info. You probably already know about it but, there is a great web site on 70mm - http://www.in70mm.com/. Also my father worked for American Optical (the AO in Todd-AO) in Southbridge, MA.
Have you done an inventory of the original elements?
Again, my thanks for your restoration work. You made a believer of RWH - he used IB on his product, you introduced him to the DP70- serious post graduate film school.
My info comes from one of the techs at the lab who did the lacquer removal. I do not know what Warner has. I would guess the LOC has more elements. I am doubtful Warner will do anything further. From the DVD quality, you could better estimate the cost of restoration- Today 2500 feet of color print 70mm is
$ 723.00 - and at 30fps 25,431 feet of print film for 180 minutes. That is only raw stock.
So...
the tech at the lab had no masters?
Why would you doubt Warner's position toward saving the film?
They have a superb record of being extremely pro-active toward their library.
So...
the tech at the lab had no masters?
Why would you doubt Warner's position toward saving the film?
They have a superb record of being extremely pro-active toward their library.
The only element for lacquer removal was the edited negative, it had lacquer on both sides- brown and cracking-
The seps are lost -JJ saw them at the Cinestage basement- but where they are now is anyone's guess. Warner acquired rights in the late 60s as memory serves I ran this in 1967 as a 35mm magnetic print for 6 weeks at the Cinerama house. If they were serious about preserving this 5 Oscar winning film, do you think they would have started 40 years ago.?
With all respect, if they were serious, you would have been working on this after your LOA restoration.
I offered to pay for a 70mm mag print with a 60/40 split ( 60 for exhibitor and myself )- and they were not interested in making any 70mm prints.- At that time the print cost was just under $ 12K.
As the digital insanity has descended upon the art of cinema - a film print is of little importance to Warner.
They would spend less $ on more product than what the pencil pushers have determined the $ for 80 Days would cost. Consider the number of 70mm machines and what pretends to be a moving picture machine operator today. Simply platter monkeys with little knowledge--think UATC "projection attendants"- One venue in LA managed to destroy a print of The Master - opening day.
I take it that despite the extremely high costs Warner will preserve it before it deteriorates too much to be saved?
There were few studio edicts toward preservation, not even thinking about restoration, possibly outside Roger Mayer's work at M-G-M / Turner.
There was virtually no one at the studio level in 1988, when Lawrence was reconstructed and restored, at which time the studios began to take things seriously.
Everything has to fit into budgetary parameters, so please make no presumption that the studio people either don't care, or don't get it.
The edited 30fps 65mm negative was at Andy Pratt Labs. There Kodak generated the process for safely removing the lacquer from the base and emulsion sides of the negative. The YCM separation masters are lost.
As Warner had rights since the mid 60s- and it is now 2017 - do you think enough time has transpired to conclude any restoration work is overdue ?
Yes Warner does take care of their product, They have neglected 80 Days- I can only hope the neg is stored at close to freezing- The revenue stream from BR disk will be a negative pay back..
In the meanwhile, I am content to have a 35mm Technicolor Dye Imbibition 35mm 4 channel magnetic (only) Cinestage print of 80 Days. Perspecta was used on the 35mm mag prints- there are 3 steering tones on T4 30, 34 and 40 Hz. For directing sound as it was mixed for the 6 channel prints.