Press Release Criterion Press Release: Summertime (1955) (Blu-ray) (7 Viewers)

[PMF]

For Time of the Cuckoo, I am picturing the stage platform being intimately masked at 1.37:1 and for Do I Hear a Waltz? I am picturing it as opened up, due to it being a musical, at 1:85:1.

Hmmm. I wonder if Herbert Ross had staged Elizabeth Allen for a backward fall into the orchestra pit?

But seriously and YES, Thomas T, a filmed musical of Do I Hear a Waltz? would be a wonderful thing. I vote for Linus Sandgren as DP.

 

[bujaki]

I can't get the title tune out of my head! Do I Hear a Waltz?... Another one of Rodgers' famous waltzes.

 

[noel aguirre]

Can someone please explain to this person that One From The Heart played in the academy ratio in 1982 at not only Radio City Music Hall but in cinemas all across the country. Did they buy old retro equipment to show these and were they windowboxed on screens all around the US?? Preposterous! Lol

 

[noel aguirre]

All this Summertime talk makes me wish someone would take a chance on a film version of Do I Hear A Waltz? with songs by Richard Rodgers (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), a musical version of Summertime.

Did they waltz in Summertime?
I recall them dancing but was it a waltz? Looked more like a Mambo.

 

[noel aguirre]

Titles sequence Summertime

Look at all that headroom in that title sequence. Sacrilege!

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Can someone please explain to this person that One From The Heart played in the academy ratio in 1982 at not only Radio City Music Hall but in cinemas all across the country. Did they buy old retro equipment to show these and were they windowboxed on screens all around the US?? Preposterous! Lol

For the prime engagements in normal theaters (outside of RCMH) the distributor rented new plates and lenses. The image was 1.37 and was usually on the 1.85 screen (where I saw it, RKO Rt 4 Paramus, NJ, they opened the top masking to the 70mm height so it was larger than the 1.85 height) . If the venue had side masking, they added material to bring it in to Academy. If there was no masking, they left the screen open. All other normal engagements ran it 1.85.

 

[Trancas]

If Criterion were to include the movie in two different aspect ratios.....maybe it would be better 1:37.1 and 1:78.1 instead of 1:37.1 and 1:85.1. At least the titles work out better that way. And it wouldn't hurt to see a sliver more image at the top and bottom during the actual movie.

These 3 work fine when they're just centered.


These work too - but only if the frame is shifted upwards to varying degrees:

The only problem is Criterion would have to redo dissolves between the individual title cards and re-time everything to the soundtrack.


For comparison here are two examples at 1:85.1 framing:

The difference between 1:85.1 and 1:78.1 is negligible when watching the movie, but titles suffer at 1:85.1

 

[Robert Crawford]

Before this announcement, if Criterion had decided to release this Blu-ray in 1.66 ratio, there wouldn't have been much controversy and that most of us would have applauded them releasing it in widescreen format. Oh well!

 

[PMF]

Before this announcement, if Criterion had decided to release this Blu-ray in 1.66 ratio, there wouldn't have been much controversy and that most of us would have applauded them releasing it in widescreen format. Oh well!

We have too many resources and adroit witnesses at HTF for such an occurrence to ever take place. We’re a pain-in-the-caboose lot, for sure, but always with an eye and ear towards an optimum level of exactitudes that usually has an outcome of being correct, historically true and ultimately for the betterment of all.

“You want me on that wall, you need me on that wall”.
- Col. Nathan R Jessep, A Few Good Men

 

[PaulaJ]

I watched Summertime streaming in 1:37 aspect ratio on the Criterion channel, and to my completely untutored, layperson's eye, the shots that were mostly just of Venice cityscapes looked fine in 1:37, but most of the shots with the characters obviously had too much headroom. It would be interesting to see the film in 1:85. I wish Criterion were providing both options.

Speaking of movies projected in the wrong aspect ratio, I once attended a screening of The Philadelphia Story matted to 1:85. The top third of the picture was missing. I left the auditorium to speak to the people in charge, but they swore the instructions that came with the cans of film (this was before the Age of DCP) said 1:85. They refused to make any changes. OY.

I am waiting for a certain movie blogger to crow happily about the "boxy" 1:37 version of Summertime in the upcoming Blu-ray, because 1:37 will let the movie "breathe."

 

[Gerani53]

We were right to complain. They seem to be getting the message, finally...

 

[Robert Crawford]

We were right to complain. They seem to be getting the message, finally...

What makes you think they're finally getting the message?

 

[ahollis]

We were right to complain. They seem to be getting the message, finally...

I haven't seen any indication of that.

 

[Lord Dalek]

People have been complaining about the previous release of Summertime being MAR here for the better part of 15 years. I don't think they've listened at all.

 

[PMF]

We were right to complain. They seem to be getting the message, finally...

What makes you think they're finally getting the message?

I haven't seen any indication of that.

I believe that this thought might be stemming from Post #296. But this is only a guess.

 

[Gerani53]

Maybe I was mistaken. I seemed to recall there were posts indicating that "Criterion is taking this seriously," or paying some attention, based on our perseverance and an avalanche of widescreen documentation. Sorry if my hopeful nature got the better of me!

 

[B-ROLL]

I believe that this thought might be stemming from Post #296. But this is only a guess.

Context is everything ...

 

[PMF]

Context is everything ...
View attachment 136452

Yup, B-ROLL, that’s the post. But I didn’t want to turn my hopefullness into a misguided and myopic misinterpretation of another fellas meaning.

 

[Gerani53]

Yup, B-ROLL, that’s the post. But I didn’t want to turn my hopefullness into a misguided and myopic misinterpretation of another fellas meaning.

I sit corrected, noble sir. I didn't realize that some hope based on a report that Criterion was taking our concerns seriously constituted "a misguided and myopic" misinterpretation. Just as I'm sure you didn't realize that your needlessly rude reaction to an innocent and understandable comment requires an apology.

 

[haineshisway]

Titles sequence Summertime

Look at all that headroom in that title sequence. Sacrilege!

Titles are not relevant to head room. Photography of the principals is. You could drive a truck through the extra headroom in Academy ratio but again, I recommend strongly learning how motion pictures are framed.