How Long before A Re-Mastered Gone With The Wind? (1 Viewer)

[Paul_Scott]

i pulled out the old dvd (WBs re-issue) and now i can see why some people have characterized it as a 'weak' disc.
before, on smaller screens, it seemed to look alright, but now it seems very weak.

i think i recall the owner of Lowery commenting that he would like to have a crack at it, but that would imply that they have no present plans to do it, and since its a 4hr film, once they do start its going to take several years anyway.

does anyone expect to see a better version of this out before we are all watching HD dvds?

i for one would love to see this ultimate popcorn movie get the ultra-resolution treatment that SITR did.

 

[Robert Crawford]

To answer your question NO. I rather see Warner work on releasing other films that haven't seen the light of the day on dvd.

 

[Paul_Scott]

when you put it that way-

ok, i'll trade one Queen Christina, Postman Always Rings Twice, and Libeled Lady for a remastered GWTW

 

[Jeff_HR]

To answer your question NO. I rather see Warner work on releasing other films that haven't seen the light of the day on dvd

Yes there are too many unreleased gems that need to be out before GWTW is redone.

 

[Mark_vdH]

The strange thing is, that Gone With The Wind was already restored by Lowry Digital Images, but only for the PAL format.

Although the PAL versions don't have the theatrical trailer and the original mono track, I traded my R1 copy last week because I knew I wasn't going to watch it again....

 

[SteveP]

Compared to the CAV Laser Disc, the GWTW DVD is downright BROWN in hue.

 

[Jeffrey Gray]

They ARE working on a new SE, I'm sure. They are finally able to go back to the Technicolor separations and truly RESTORE the film, as well as having located privately-owned 3-strip prints with the scenes whose framing was altered over the years, with their original 1939 framing intact. Also, they have located an hour of deleted scenes, and various other things, so it wouldn't be outrageous to expect a 3-to-4-disc SE between now and...I dunno...maybe 2005?

 

[Jeff_HR]

They ARE working on a new SE, I'm sure

What is the source of your info? If your going to make that kind of statement, back it up with hard evidence.

 

[Patrick McCart]

If WB was to do an SE, it would likely be a very grand one. Lowry Digital Images is interested in doing a 2K restoration not unlike Singin' In The Rain: SE from the separations. Plus, there is considerable bonus material all over the place. The score exists separate from the soundtrack, even.

2004 will be the 65th anniversery of the film, so it would be a good time to do it. The current DVD is watchable, but it has its share of flaws.

 

[ScottR]

They need to seriously restore those altered shots...some of them are actually panned and scanned vertically! And the soundtrack deserves a pure restoration as well! GWTW is THE American "Movie" and deserves much, much better.

 

[Rain]

...some of them are actually panned and scanned vertically!

I've been hearing this for a very long time, but I've never seen any evidence. Are you sure this is true?

Anyway, if the presentation can be improved upon, then I'm all for a SE and would certainly upgrade.

 

[Patrick McCart]

For the one of the re-releases, MGM altered several shots by re-framing them for 1.85:1 (or approx.) Even worse, the 1967 70mm reissue reframed the film at 2.21:1!!!!!

These were cut into the Eastmancolor dupe negative...

I think the 3-strip negative may not exist in complete form since UCLA lists "negative scraps" in one of their listings.

 

[Rain]

Yes, Patrick, I know the details.

I'm just wondering where this info comes from.

If this is in fact what occurred, one would expect rather glaring framing problems in those scenes.

I've been over the movie looking for these, and while I can acknowledge noting some framing that could be slightly questionable, I couldn't find anything so horrendous as I would expect if what you stated is correct.

 

[Robert Harris]

There is nothing wrong with GWTW.

The Oneg is fine.

There are multiple sets of fine grains -- not separation masters, as there is nothing to separate. This is a film shot in black and white.

There is nothing here to "restore," with the exception of the three or four shots duped in 1954.

There is nothing beneficial that Lowry Digital could do.

If someone from WB were to actually turn over the Onegs to Lowry, they should not be fired. They should be hanged.

RAH

 

[Jeffrey Gray]

Hey, I think Robert's right...all that needs to be done is Ultra-Resolution. But a new DVD is definitely needed...DVD owners need to be able to experience this movie in TECHNICOLOR...

 

[Damin J Toell]

This is a film shot in black and white.

GWTW wasn't shot in three-strip Technicolor?

DJ

 

[Patrick McCart]

So, it's only the duped sections needing attention?

I'm very happy to know that the film isn't in bad shape.

 

[Paul_Scott]

i thought this was 3 strip also.

i thought some of the fuzziness i was seeing was from mis-alignment and shrinkage of certain 'strips'.

in any case, i thought that tyhe condition of the original elements of SITR were in worse shape than GWTW so that any effort needed to make an 'eye-popping' disc from this film, would be less.

i would also agree with one of the other posters that the current disc has a brownish cast.

i respect that there are a significant # of other films that would be great to see before a remaster of this, but as it is, the current disc isn't much better, relatively speaking, than the copy of Artisans recent Pursued -at least to my eyes.
after a slight de-focusing, i found Pursued to be 'watchable', as i guess many would find GWTW, but it was in no means as stunning as it could have been.
even more so for the for some technicolor beauty like GWTW.

one thing that bothered me about the GWTW disc, is that i can easily see the pixel structure on my screen.
i've been able to blow up anamorphic widescreen movies to twice the size without seeing a 'screendoor', so this to me is very disappointing.
although i've seen this with other early MGM discs.

if it just comes down to a better authoring job, then i don't see why that should impinge much on the efforts for other films.


in any case, i won't be keeping the current version.
i just don't think the disc is up to the caliber of some many other recent classics.
if it means waiting another 10 years to see it done justice, so be it. (although now that i think of it, maybe a new disc in time for its 80th anniversary is not too wild of a speculation- i could easily wait 6 years).

 

[DeeF]

I think we should start a petition for Robert Harris to return Gone With The Wind to its former glory, which he has stated quite clearly is doable (and he's the obvious choice to do it). The negatives are in good shape, but require someone with skill and care to see that they remain so for the next 64 years.

He would make the film itself watchable, and then a new transfer could be made from his work. If digital film restoration were to be needed, it might only be useful to digitally reregister some of the fine-grain master shots which have shrunk differently.

But let's have the film restored in the film domain, not just digitally for DVD.

Petition Signer #1: David Fletcher

P.S. The current DVD isn't so bad: I watch it often.

P.P.S. The 3-strip Technicolor process used 3 separate pieces of black and white film. It isn't a color movie using color film, it's a color movie filmed on 3 separate pieces of black and white film, each dyed a different color, and then the 3 pieces composited together, to produce beautiful Technicolor. This doesn't seem clear to some posters here.

 

[SteveP]

To elaborate on Mr. Harris' comments--- in 1954, when GWTW was first presented in 1.85:1 "widescreen" projection with a directional Perspecta soundtrack, a number of very important long shots (more than 3 or 4, I believe) were hard-matted at the 1.85:1 ratio and built into the ONEG.

In 1.37:1 theatrical projection, these false frame lines are PAINFULLY obvious. If material could be found to correct this flaw, GWTW would be in good shape for properly restored theatrical prints and videos (the altered shots are zoomed in on ALL videos).

The 1988 restoration found the ONEGS to be in basically very good shape except for the altered inserts from 1954.