Around The World In 80 Days (1956) (1 Viewer)

[haineshisway]

I am pretty sure that this is what Bruce wanted to point out. The writer of the article seems to mix up print and negative, Eastman and Technicolor and probably some other things.

It is a bit sad that almost all of the great Western 70mm releases where shot on Eastman 5248, 5250 and 5251 but very few know about it.

Exactly right.

 

[OliverK]

It did sound better as it was a trade name that the public knew and it had an undeniable cachet.

When it was discovered, very early on, that the Technicolor camera was incompatible with Cinemascope's anamorphic photography, Fox quietly switched photography on The Robe and How to Marry a Millionaire over to an Eastman negative. They then had Technicolor make just enough prints to justify a "Technicolor" credit but had the majority of release prints made in house-on color positive stock

While I think THAT may have been somewhat dishonest, by the time Ben-Hur rolled around, the credit referred to the lab who processed the negative.

Mr. Harris has AWLAYS told us that TECHNICOLOR can refer to one of three things:
1. A three-strip photographic process
2. A dye-transfer printing process
3. A lab

The first always uses 2 and 3
The second only sometimes uses 1 and always 3
The third only sometimes uses 1 or 2

We also have to remember that not all Eastman negatives are created equally. The look of the negative also has a lot to do with the way it was developed by each particular lab. Technicolor was known to follow all of the rules and steps Eastman set out and fully developed each negative, while some other labs saved money by skipping some "non-essential" steps. A negative processed by Technicolor, for example, is generally better looking than one processed by Pathecolor, even though they're both Eastman.

Technicolor London was known to do very good work so I would not be surprised if their processing would be better than what Pathecolor did. It is just that many people who are not into motion picture history like we are do not associate Technicolor with a lab but with the process.

Not that it matters that much in the all digital present...

 

[garyrc]

Allow me to ask the overriding question.

How many of you have actually seen 80 Days, and would go out of your way to see it again?

• 3 times in 70mm in 1956/1957 (it played well into its second year in 70mm). It was gorgeous, and was responsible for my lifelong (from then on) interest in film, audio, psych of the arts, Berlyne's arousal changing variables (size, brightness, loudness, complexity (6 channel done well) etc. People were talking about it at school, in the barber shop, the local camera shop, as well as a camera shop in the town in which I vacationed, at CSF meetings, in the Science Club, in the Camera Club (called the Circle of Confusion, naturally), at Stairway to Sound, Berkeley Custom Electronics, The San Francisco Film Festival, at Orchestra rehearsals, at William Wyler's night at UC (Albert Johnson's Wyler retrospective; we discussed Todd-AO's aspect ratio to that of Camera 65 that Wyler and Surtees were forced to use for Ben-Hur -- most preferred Todd-AO) at my wife's lab party some 62 years later, in Death Valley, Joshua Tree, the Olympic mountains (perhaps wherever photographers gathered), etc.
• Once in 35mm/horrible mono optical -- almost vomited in disappointment.
• Over and over in VHS, as bad as it was! (my young daughter -- a millennial -- knew a few of the cameos)
• About 4 times on DVD
• A person who has not seen it, asked to see it on our 130" screen, and hear it on our good sound system. I tested the DVD blown up to that size, and it is good enough when the image and sound are painstakingly adjusted, so we are going to show it to her on Friday!

Still longing for it in Blu-ray or 4K etc.

 

[Robert Harris]

• 3 times in 70mm in 1956/1957 (it played well into its second year in 70mm). It was gorgeous, and was responsible for my lifelong (from then on) interest in film, audio, psych of the arts, Berlyne's arousal changing variables (size, brightness, loudness, complexity (6 channel done well) etc. People were talking about it at school, in the barber shop, the local camera shop, as well as a camera shop in the town in which I vacationed, at CSF meetings, in the Science Club, in the Camera Club (called the Circle of Confusion, naturally), at Stairway to Sound, Berkeley Custom Electronics, The San Francisco Film Festival, at Orchestra rehearsals, at William Wyler's night at UC (Albert Johnson's Wyler retrospective; we discussed Todd-AO's aspect ratio to that of Camera 65 that Wyler and Surtees were forced to use for Ben-Hur -- most preferred Todd-AO) at my wife's lab party some 62 years later, in Death Valley, Joshua Tree, the Olympic mountains (perhaps wherever photographers gathered), etc.
• Once in 35mm/horrible mono optical -- almost vomited in disappointment.
• Over and over in VHS, as bad as it was! (my young daughter -- a millennial -- knew a few of the cameos)
• About 4 times on DVD
• A person who has not seen it, asked to see it on our 130" screen, and hear it on our good sound system. I tested the DVD blown up to that size, and it is good enough when the image and sound are painstakingly adjusted, so we are going to show it to her on Friday!

Still longing for it in Blu-ray or 4K etc.

You’re this enamored of fillum, and only 37 previous offerings. There’s obviously much to share.

Might one presume that if 80 ever arrived as a 4k 30 fps DCP, you‘d attend.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

Seen it twice when it's broadcast on TCM and it's a ok travelogue and it's nice to see David Niven in any of his films.

 

[Robert Harris]

Seen it twice when it's broadcast on TCM and it's a ok travelogue and it's nice to see David Niven in any of his films.

The film is so huge, that projection is almost a necessity for it to be fully appreciated.

 

[nara]

I've seen it projected twice. First in 35 mm (...or possibly in Mike Todd's Cinestage format, I'm not sure), in the early 1960s when I was about 13.

Second time was a Todd-AO print on the curved screen in Bradford in 2012. I can't remember what condition the print was in, but it was an amazing experience.

 

[mark brown]

Would like to see it restored beyond the dvd.

 

[battlebeast]

I hope, when Warner Archives releases it, they release ALL the bonus materials from the DVD, including A TRIP TO THE MOON (PD?), maybe a restored version…

 

[garyrc]

Might one presume that if 80 ever arrived as a 4k 30 fps DCP, you‘d attend.

You bet!

The film is so huge, that projection is almost a necessity for it to be fully appreciated.

Agreed.

Also, one needs superb sound. The original was effortlessly super dynamic (better than anything we heard at the subsequent Hi Fi fairs). They had a 114 piece orchestra, I'm told. The music just before the intermission was fantastic, and the audience clapped as the curved curtains swept closed -- first (and only?) time I've seen that. Also, the music as they are at the end of their Atlantic voyage on board the Henrietta. In one showing, a guy down near the front row could not resist conducting it. Fortunately, he did not stand up.

The theater manager told me they used 5 of these JBL monsters behind the screen, which fits with story that Todd-AO hired Ampex to install the sound in most of the theaters, and Ampex hired the "Jim Lansing" company, before it was called JBL.

I understand that at the New York City road show they used Altecs, instead.

The DVD sounds like the bass is rolled off somewhere around, maybe, 50 Hz. I can get some of it back by using about 9 dB bass boost. In that before the intermission sequence, there is one bass chord (the last one) that is present only with the bass boost.

 

[Mrozsa]

I would certainly buy an upgraded version of this film.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Might one presume that if 80 ever arrived as a 4k 30 fps DCP, you‘d attend.

Count me in as one who would book a flight/train right away for that. Restoration on Blu-ray or even UHD would be lovely, but a high quality theatrical screening is on my top ten in terms of wish lists. (Already was able to take 2001 and Lawrence of Arabia off years ago)

Sort of a tangent, but I found it amusing that a lot of people who saw The Fabelmans couldn't believe a young Steven Spielberg would be so enamored with The Greatest Show on Earth. When I was the same age, I became obsessed with Around the World in Eighty Days and probably rented the VHS from my local Blockbuster more than anyone else. Something about these big epics must hit a nerve with kids.

I hope, when Warner Archives releases it, they release ALL the bonus materials from the DVD, including A TRIP TO THE MOON (PD?), maybe a restored version…

I'm really hoping that if this does get the Warner Archive treatment, they at least get the original prologue from the Library of Congress holdings. I'd imagine the behind-the-scenes footage has a lot of interesting stuff, too.

 

[OliverK]

• 3 times in 70mm in 1956/1957 (it played well into its second year in 70mm). It was gorgeous, and was responsible for my lifelong (from then on) interest in film, audio, psych of the arts, Berlyne's arousal changing variables (size, brightness, loudness, complexity (6 channel done well) etc. People were talking about it at school, in the barber shop, the local camera shop, as well as a camera shop in the town in which I vacationed, at CSF meetings, in the Science Club, in the Camera Club (called the Circle of Confusion, naturally), at Stairway to Sound, Berkeley Custom Electronics, The San Francisco Film Festival, at Orchestra rehearsals, at William Wyler's night at UC (Albert Johnson's Wyler retrospective; we discussed Todd-AO's aspect ratio to that of Camera 65 that Wyler and Surtees were forced to use for Ben-Hur -- most preferred Todd-AO) at my wife's lab party some 62 years later, in Death Valley, Joshua Tree, the Olympic mountains (perhaps wherever photographers gathered), etc.
• Once in 35mm/horrible mono optical -- almost vomited in disappointment.
• Over and over in VHS, as bad as it was! (my young daughter -- a millennial -- knew a few of the cameos)
• About 4 times on DVD
• A person who has not seen it, asked to see it on our 130" screen, and hear it on our good sound system. I tested the DVD blown up to that size, and it is good enough when the image and sound are painstakingly adjusted, so we are going to show it to her on Friday!

Still longing for it in Blu-ray or 4K etc.

If you can you should stream it for today's screening - the stream is a lot better than the DVD:

Around the World in Eighty Days streaming online

Around the World in Eighty Days streaming? Find out where to watch online. 45+ services including Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video.

www.justwatch.com

I have seen it four times in cinemas, three times in 70mm but in faded prints. It still was a magnificent experience, especially in 30fps!

2 times in 70mm with 24fps

1 time in 70mm with 30fps

1 time in 34mm with 24fps - could not finish that one as the focus was dire and it was in French.
It was a Cinestage print and IBtech so it was too bad that it wasn't better, interesting concept:

Cinestage in 34mm in London

 

[avroman]

I hope the right people are listening to all the enthusiasm that's around at the moment.
There are obviously many many fans 80 Days, who yearn for a restoration of this milestone epic, the 2nd and last film shot in TODD AO 30 fps. It deserves a 4K upgrade.

 

[Dick]

I hope the right people are listening to all the enthusiasm that's around at the moment.
There are obviously many many fans 80 Days, who yearn for a restoration of this milestone epic, the 2nd and last film shot in TODD AO 30 fps. It deserves a 4K upgrade.

I have a completely unfounded suspicion that WAC has been quietly working on this for years and knows how badly fans want it on Blu-ray. Just keeping it hush-hush until they have all the Todd-AO 30fps elements and are able to restore them, along with the 35mm. Could be a few years more.

 

[OliverK]

I have a completely unfounded suspicion that WAC has been quietly working on this for years and knows how badly fans want it on Blu-ray. Just keeping it hush-hush until they have all the Todd-AO 30fps elements and are able to restore them, along with the 35mm. Could be a few years more.

This would be a mammoth undertaking so not really something that so far would have been associated with the WAC.

It would be nice if this could change as they have shown with other releases what they can do. Maybe they are not the best to give us a special collectors edition tin box with a gazillion trinkets but apart from that I would love for them to be put in charge of bigger projects.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

Mr. Feltenstein said on an episode of I believe it was The Extras that Around the World in 80 Days is in the restoration queue.

 

[PODER]

I hope, when Warner Archives releases it, they release ALL the bonus materials from the DVD, including A TRIP TO THE MOON (PD?), maybe a restored version…

Can't wait! And then it might be time to move on to THE BROADWAY MELODY, THE GREAT ZIEGFELD and the other few Best Picture Oscar winners not yet restored and out on Blu Ray.

 

[Ross Gowland]

This would be a mammoth undertaking so not really something that so far would have been associated with the WAC.

Would it be a much bigger restoration than their one for the Brothers Grimm?

That’s not a rhetorical question, by the way. I genuinely don’t know.

 

[Robert Harris]

Would it be a much bigger restoration than their one for the Brothers Grimm?

That’s not a rhetorical question, by the way. I genuinely don’t know.

Different problems.