Press Release Criterion Press Release: Summertime (1955) (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

The film that ruined her health, she did not just fall in the Venice canal she went under. Basically falling into a HUGE sewer ---- do not know if it was in the script or an unhappy accident

Definitely in the script. And as she told Dick Cavett, she took many precautions to have a place to go to wash immediately after the take, but that she never thought about her eyes after falling in and she contracted an eye infection that never left her.

 

[RobertMG]

Definitely in the script. And as she told Dick Cavett, she took many precautions to have a place to go to wash immediately after the take, but that she never thought about her eyes after falling in and she contracted an eye infection that never left her.

And I heard a lot more than she said publicly

 

[jayembee]

Well, they did compromise on a few titles back in the LD era. In addition to Summertime, others I can recall were oddly released in 1.33:1 were A Hard Day's Night and Help!, Tunes of Glory and The Horse's Mouth, Vengeance Is Mine, Darling, and Carrie (yes, the DePalma film, not the William Wyler).

I had thought to add that while Criterion did this a number of times -- I'm sure there are more than the ones I mentioned above -- the AR was corrected on (as far as I know) every title they got wrong, for later formats/releases. Either by Criterion themselves or another label. Summertime appears to be an exception to that.

 

[bujaki]

Riot on Cell Block 11 was also released Academy Ratio. Should have been WS.

 

[bujaki]

This botched release of Summertime confirmed my fears @Robert Crawford.

 

[jayembee]

Riot on Cell Block 11 was also released Academy Ratio. Should have been WS.

The (non-Criterion) German blu-ray was in Academy Ratio as well.

 

[RobertMG]

This botched release of Summertime confirmed my fears @Robert Crawford.

imdb is this correct --- negative ratio 1:37
intended ratio 1:85

because every dvd blu release around the world is 1:37

Summertime (1955)​

Technical Specifications​

Showing all 9 technical specifications

Runtime	1 hr 42 min (102 min) 1 hr 39 min (99 min) (UK) 1 hr 40 min (100 min) (USA) 1 hr 42 min (102 min) (Argentina) 1 hr 40 min (100 min) (West Germany)
Sound Mix	Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Color	Color
Aspect Ratio	1.85 : 1 (intended ratio) 1.37 : 1 (negative ratio)
Camera	Technicolor Three-Strip Camera (uncredited)
Laboratory	Technicolor, Hollywood (CA), USA (color)
Negative Format	35 mm
Cinematographic Process	Spherical
Printed Film Format	35 mm

 

[Lord Dalek]

Who owns Summertime? Did Criterion finance this new master or are they merely distributing what was made available to them? The “why” of it all is probably within the answers to those questions.

Based off the master that's on Criterion Channel (the same one I assume is on this disc), Janus owns Summertime outright in the states.

Honestly I suspect the reason 1.33:1 appears to be the perfered home video ratio is because the film's main titles don't appear to be properly composed for 1.66 (this is a European United Artists production so 1.66:1 seems like the most correct ratio).

 

[PMF]

Criterion included 3 different ratios for their BD edition of On the Waterfront.

Now, with this BD edition of Summertime, we have the same single ratio as before, while our best people here at HTF are citing that it’s incorrect.

Clearly, Criterion has had an understanding of Aspect Ratios in the past with their other titles.

So…let me propose a possible reason for this 1.37:1 release (despite the fact that Summertime was, indeed, presented theatrically in 1.85:1).

Ready?

It’s because 1.37:1 was David Leans preferred presentation.

Now, I’ll leave it at that and will let other Lean aficionados chime in to correct or validate me.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Well there is a LOT of empty headroom in the Criterion Channel transfer.

Shrugs.

 

[RobertMG]

Well there is a LOT of empty headroom in the Criterion Channel transfer.

View attachment 134537

View attachment 134538

View attachment 134539

Shrugs.

You guys are all spot on - yet why the heck is every release flat not letterboxed something very strange only see one from S Korea claiming 4x3
Region

ALL (You can play this dvd on all players)
Aspect Ratio

NTSC 4:3 (Letter box)
Language

English
Subtitles

Korean, None
Sound

Dolbi Digital 2.0
Running Time

85 minutes

 

[Robert Crawford]

The stream on The Criterion Channel appears to be the same as the iTunes HD digital I purchased back in 2018. I don't think they're derived from the recent 4K restoration/scan.

 

[Robert Crawford]

You guys are all spot on - yet why the heck is every release flat not letterboxed something very strange

Strange and disappointing. I expected more from Criterion especially with a recent 4K scan.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Just a reminder, this piece in Variety was nearly one month before the start of principal photography!

 

[PMF]

Just a reminder, this piece in Variety was nearly one month before the start of principal photography! View attachment 134543

Valid, and from a studio perspective, but would it not be possible that David Lean had arrived at a different thought?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

A good question but did he own the film or was he work-for-hire?

If the latter, then I suspect he followed orders and composed accordingly.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The back cover of the 1998 Criterion DVD:

 

[PMF]

A good question but did he own the film or was he work-for-hire?

If the latter, then I suspect he followed orders and composed accordingly.

David Lean knew how to come out from another hole.

 

[RobertMG]

The back cover of the 1998 Criterion DVD:


View attachment 134545

what was Lean's first widescreen film Kwai?

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

what was Lean's first widescreen film Kwai?

Summertime

Kwai was 1957.