From Here to Eternity (1953) Blu-ray in October (UK)! (1 Viewer)

[Noach Kowalski]

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment announced From Here to Eternity on Blu-ray October 7th in UK.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/From-Here-to-Eternity-Blu-ray/dp/B00AWN5B6I?SubscriptionId=AKIAIY4YSQJMFDJATNBA&tag=bluraycom-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00AWN5B6I&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

 

[Persianimmortal]

Fantastic news! I love this movie, great to see it finally released on Blu-ray.

 

[mikeyhitchfan]

Always glad to see more Montgomery Clift titles on blu-ray!

 

[Cineman]

A couple of years ago I saw a Los Angeles theatrical screening of a "restored" From Here to Eternity, rumored then to have been in preparation for a Blu-ray release. The late great Ernest Borgnine was a guest speaker and I got him to sign my DVD copy. Wish I'd had a Blu-ray of it then.

It was my first time seeing this great movie in a theater and, naturally, I was struck by how much better the 1953 movie played in a theater full of strangers than in a living room with a handful of friends. An observation; I had always felt Burt Lancaster's drunk performance in the scene with Montgomery Clift where they are sitting in the middle of the road was one of the worst "drunk" performances by any major actor in a classic movie. However, something interesting happens when that scene is played out before a full audience. They laugh in the right way at the right times and it turns out Lancaster's choices work beautifully to set up the wallop of Maggio's (Frank Sinatra) final scene that it segues into. Mind you, I knew Lancaster wanted it to play funny, but assumed he also wanted it to appear "real" and there just wasn't anything real about his performance of a heavily intoxicated man. It worked just the way I have to believe he and everyone else hoped it would work as projected on a big screen before an audience.

 

[Dick]

So, perhaps like OLIVER!, this will only see limited U.S. release through Twilight Time or someone.

 

[Michel_Hafner]

Unlikely. This is one of the biggest blockbusters of the 50s.

 

[ahollis]

Unlikely. This is one of the biggest blockbusters of the 50s.

I don't know. A 1.37:1 black and white movie is not a big seller on store shelves. Perhaps Criterion.

 

[Gary16]

I don't know. A 1.37:1 black and white movie is not a big seller on store shelves. Perhaps Criterion.

Laura?The Maltese falcon?Casablanca?Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein?Treasure of the Sierra Madre?Titanic (Clifton Webb)?Shadow of a Doubt?Strangers on a Train?The postman always rings twice(Lana turner)?Sunset blvd?

 

[Robert Crawford]

I don't know. A 1.37:1 black and white movie is not a big seller on store shelves. Perhaps Criterion.

Nah, I think Sony wants to release this one themselves.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Before it comes up, I'll share the following.

Filming began on March 7, 1953 with the intended aspect ratio of 1.37:1.

When it premiered in New York City at the 4,00 seat Capitol Theatre on August 5, 1953, it was shown in 1.85:1 with three channel stereophonic sound. Somebody shared these memories on Cinema Treasures:

I first saw the Capitol's wide screen for "From Here To Eternity" in August '53, and it struck me as magnificent: rather wider than most and filling the entire proscenium with a gentle curve. And though I might have been wishfully imagining it, I believe the Capitol showed "FHTE" with stereophonic sound, or so I recall hearing planes scoot across the auditorium during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Sadly, the original stereophonic sound no longer survives. Most major playdates were in widescreen but I feel the director-intended AR of 1.37:1 should be preserved.

 

[lukejosephchung]

This film, along with his newly-signed record contract with Capitol, revived Mr. Sinatra's career from the brink of extinction...winning the Oscar for his performance in this classic and the ensuing work he did both on film and recordings for the remainder of the decade catapulted him back to the very pinnacle of show business success. Can't wait to see what Mr. Crisp and his friends at Sony did to make this presentable for HD home theaters!!!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Another thing about this film is that it had one of the most impressive cast of actors for any film in history. Even the character actors in this great film are among the best in film history.

 

[lukejosephchung]

Another thing about this film is that it had one of the most impressive cast of actors for any film in history. Even the character actors in this great film are among the best in film history.

A prime example of this is the casting of Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine ("Marty") in a small but pivotal role in this movie!!!

 

[Bob Furmanek]

At the 1,293 seat Lindsey Theatre in Lubbock, Texas.

 

[Cineman]

This film, along with his newly-signed record contract with Capitol, revived Mr. Sinatra's career from the brink of extinction...winning the Oscar for his performance in this classic and the ensuing work he did both on film and recordings for the remainder of the decade catapulted him back to the very pinnacle of show business success. Can't wait to see what Mr. Crisp and his friends at Sony did to make this presentable for HD home theaters!!!

It is also worth noting is that, knowing how this plumb supporting role at the right time was such a positive game changer for his own career, Sinatra made it a point to "pay if forward" as often as he could for other actors in his movies. You see signs of his choosing to promote and beef up supporting roles for the actors whenever he had the producing control or influence to do so. I'm thinking, for example, of his choice to give Shirley MacLaine a more memorable turn in Some Came Running, he gives Steve McQueen his first A-list movie co-starring role in Never So Few, the big emotional final scene in Devil at 4 O'Clock belongs to Bernie Hamilton (with Spencer Tracy!) instead of Sinatra and Tracy, which could and would have been re-written to give those final moments to him had Sinatra insisted. Tony Musante's interrogation scene in The Detective is another example of Sinatra handing the screen over to the supporting actor to show his stuff to the full extent and make the most of it.

This was typical of Sinatra's seldom mentioned, well, humility about his remarkable career success and his intention to share the bounty of it whenever possible. I will even include his leadership of the "Rat Pack" gatherings as further examples. How important was that for the careers of Sammy David Jr. and Joey Bishop? Moreover, as far as I know, he is the only star singer of his or any era who rarely if ever failed to name and praise the composers and music arranger for virtually every song he sang at his live appearances after those bobby-sox years. And we're talking about hundreds of different songs at thousands and thousands of live performances.

 

[john a hunter]

Unlikely. This is one of the biggest blockbusters of the 50s.

So was Oliver and look where that ended up!

 

[Robert Crawford]

So was Oliver and look where that ended up!

Much more important film tied to Sony's legacy. Anyway, what's the problem if TT releases it?

 

[JoHud]

Much more important film tied to Sony's legacy. Anyway, what's the problem if TT releases it?

I agree. Sony had been working on their own release for quite some time, and this is a 60th Anniversary release that is already confirmed on getting wide UK distribution by Sony themselves. It's all but guaranteed a wide distribution at this point.

Even if there is an off-chance Sony decided to hand this over to TT, there's really no problem. I and probably many others will probably just import the cheaper UK release.

 

[lukejosephchung]

Excuse me for asking, but has anybody confirmed if the UK blu-ray release is region-free??? I looked at the Amazon order page and it says Region B...would like to buy it through this outlet if a domestic release isn't immediately forthcoming!!!

 

[Persianimmortal]

It's normal for it to say Region B at this stage on Amazon. It should be clarified closer to the date as to whether it will be region free. There's a reasonably good chance that it will be region free given past history on UK releases, and Sony has a good record of releasing unlocked movies, especially if this doesn't get a US release.