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Is "South Pacific" a Good Transfer? (1 Viewer)

GMpasqua

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[COLOR= #a52a2a]Many a new day will dawn, before I'm Blu[/COLOR]


[COLOR= #a52a2a][/COLOR]
 

Cinescott

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I do not know the source of this image, but this is not an exaggeration regarding how much color tinting is used. A good artistic choice? Well, that's an individual opinion. The blu-ray reproduces it perfectly, though................Kudos to the sound on the disc, however. I've never heard the soundtrack sound better and this is a soundtrack that deserves first class treatment.

 

GMpasqua

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Quote: Originally Posted by Cinescott I do not know the source of this image, but this is not an exaggeration regarding how much color tinting is used. A good artistic choice? Well, that's an individual opinion. The blu-ray reproduces it perfectly, though................Kudos to the sound on the disc, however. I've never heard the soundtrack sound better and this is a soundtrack that deserves first class treatment.




1. You picked the most extremely sequence in the film with a filter (the rest much less intense and sometimes hardely noticable)

2. Look at the shots leading up to that sequence. Without the color filters it would be gray, overcast and gray.

3. The island (Bali Hi) wasn't there, it was superimposed and the filters help hide that fact.
 

GMpasqua

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I might also add that most people thought that was the one sequence where the color filters did work (song: Bali Hi)
 

GMpasqua

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The evening shots where done in blue. These were day for night (since they couldn't shoot at night in 1958 and capture all the detail) otherwise these shots would have had to be done on a soundstage. Instead they shot during the day and put the blue filters over the lens to create the illusion of night. The filters (according to the cameraman who told us this at a party one night, the filters were mostly used to hide the weather, rain and day for night shots.)



My guess is they knew the weather was causing production delays and costing money. Using a filter would hide the gray. The studio tech processing guys over staurated the color (Maybe the studio liked it, Logan didn;t and asked they be toned down. He was told it would take 6 months to de process the color and the opening was a reserved seat attraction and could not be moved since sales were already in place.


Actually some of the filters do put you into a trance and then we're back to reality, So they aren't so bad and sometines quite good


"Carousel" had been shot on location at night in 1955 and the footage was deemed unusable due to the lighting etc. Those scenes were re-shot on a Sound stage (you can notice a distinct difference)
 

Cinescott

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It's always been interesting to me why Bali Hai needed to be a special effect. After all, there are islands in Hawaii that are visible from the shore of other islands. Very scenic islands; I have seen them with my own eyes.


Regarding the filtered sequence, yes, it's extreme, but not an exaggeration. The image is taken directly from the movie. While other sequences are less severe, I'd wouldn't call them "hardly noticeable." The blue, gold, magenta, and blurring effects are very apparent, some more than others. Good or bad is not for me to say. The blu-ray makes them less problematic for me and I am a huge fan of this movie.
 

GMpasqua

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Hall: When you gonna shoot my song?

Logan: When the weather clears up

Hall: By that time I'll be on Broadway starring in "Flower Drum Song"!

Logan: Leon Shamroy - put a filter on her!





They washed the gray right out of her song
 

Cinescott

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Day for night shots have never bothered me much. There are sequences in South Pacific when it's pretty obvious this is happening, such as when sunlight on water and clearly-visible sunlit clouds are in-frame, supposedly at night. It seems like this is where the somewhat-subtle bluish filter is used and that seems logical, since night can be rather bluish with moonlight.

The portions before and during Bali Hai, though seem to be filmed in broad daylight, although perhaps they were falling behind and needed to continue at night. I can see where weather could be a problem on Kauai, since even in the dry season the clouds can move in and out pretty rapidly. This is obvious in the "There's Nothing Like a Dame" part, when the frame changes from bright sunlight to overcast and back again pretty rapidly. The weather there could probably turn a director prematurely grey. Maybe Joshua Logan had lost enough money with delays and went with the tinting process. Regardless, even with all its flaws, South Pacific is magnificent. I'd say it's my favorite R&H musical. An outstanding blu-ray that I will watch many times over in the future.
 

Charles Smith

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My guess is that Bali Ha'i was a special effect because they wanted it to have a very distinctive, highly exotic profile, and the color filters enhanced that even further.


I saw the (sublime) Lincoln Center stage revival last year, and the one moment I thought their lighting effects slightly cheated us was during the song "Bali Ha'i", when they very subtly brought out the image of the island and it seemed a little too faint and too fleeting. Talk about being spoiled by a movie!
 

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I like the surreal special effectsy Bali Ha'i island. Musicals on their own are so surreal--people breaking into song and all--that I felt it added to the effect of it being a "fantasy island." The fantasy and surrealism mixed with the real location photography does make this movie special for me. I've watched it 3 times since I got it about a year and half ago. I like the message it has too. It's a guy flick and chick flick in one, in a sense. But I do have a friend whose opinion on musicals I respect feels a bit let down when it comes to SP. He feels that the casting was not as good as it could have been. Perhaps he's right. But it works well enough for me...
 

GMpasqua

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Quote: Originally Posted by Cinescott Day for night shots have never bothered me much. There are sequences in South Pacific when it's pretty obvious this is happening, such as when sunlight on water and clearly-visible sunlit clouds are in-frame, supposedly at night. It seems like this is where the somewhat-subtle bluish filter is used and that seems logical, since night can be rather bluish with moonlight.

The portions before and during Bali Hai, though seem to be filmed in broad daylight, although perhaps they were falling behind and needed to continue at night. I can see where weather could be a problem on Kauai, since even in the dry season the clouds can move in and out pretty rapidly. This is obvious in the "There's Nothing Like a Dame" part, when the frame changes from bright sunlight to overcast and back again pretty rapidly. The weather there could probably turn a director prematurely grey. Maybe Joshua Logan had lost enough money with delays and went with the tinting process. Regardless, even with all its flaws, South Pacific is magnificent. I'd say it's my favorite R&H musical. An outstanding blu-ray that I will watch many times over in the future.


The "Bali Hai" song is over saturated to the point of lossing detail. Plus the theater becomes very dark during this sequence. While I understand the use of having to use the color filters, in this instance it was over done. This sequence should have been drained of more color. The "Happy Talk" song isn't as noticable but in that case the red and greens are muted and some detail is lost. But I like the night scenes and "Some Enchanted Evening" and when the song is over and the filter disppears I do feel the mood is broken

"Cockeyed Optimist" didn't need it
 

GMpasqua

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There was a doc on one of the video releases where they focused on the bad weather. At one point even a possible hurriance. It was a big problem, esp since the film was expensive and filmed mostly on location. Few films were filmed in Hawaii at this point and everything (equipment) had to be shipped there. SOme of the songs were filmed twice (R&H liked to do this) once without the filters, my guess is most of that stuff is long gone as were the prior versions of "Wash That Man Oot of My Hair" which Hammerstien didn't like (He wanted to cut the whole song from the film)
Quote: Originally Posted by Cinescott I can see where weather could be a problem on Kauai, since even in the dry season the clouds can move in and out pretty rapidly.
 

Cinescott

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Originally Posted by benbess But I do have a friend whose opinion on musicals I respect feels a bit let down when it comes to SP. He feels that the casting was not as good as it could have been. Perhaps he's right. But it works well enough for me...


Funny, I always thought the casting in South Pacific was one of its strong points. I've seen and heard bits and pieces of Mary Martin's portrayal of Nellie and it never struck me as substantially better than Mitzi Gaynor. Also, although dubbed, I feel Rossano Brazzi does a good job. At least he's given a tenor's voice in this movie, unlike other "modern" adaptations. He seems "French" to me; he certainly looks French.


John Kerr, well, doesn't do much so it's hard to say. Ray Walston, the infamous Mr. Hand, is very funny IMO as Luther. Juanita Hall's Bloody Mary was very good, having done it on Broadway.


It's strange to think that when SP was filmed, Hawaii wasn't even a state yet. It's no wonder it was so difficult and expensive to get people and equipment there. It'd be expensive today; I can't imagine then.


I recently read where the film adaptation of SP is the only adaptation to not cut any songs from the stage version. That's a pretty cool claim to fame. I think the songs in South Pacific hold up even better than those in The Sound of Music, but that just speaks to my taste. I like more of an "operatic" sound. In fact, I've often thought that R&H productions are English operas, in the best sense of the word.
 

Matt Hough

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Originally Posted by Cinescott





Funny, I always thought the casting in South Pacific was one of its strong points. I've seen and heard bits and pieces of Mary Martin's portrayal of Nellie and it never struck me as substantially better than Mitzi Gaynor. Also, although dubbed, I feel Rossano Brazzi does a good job. At least he's given a tenor's voice in this movie, unlike other "modern" adaptations. He seems "French" to me; he certainly looks French.


John Kerr, well, doesn't do much so it's hard to say. Ray Walston, the infamous Mr. Hand, is very funny IMO as Luther. Juanita Hall's Bloody Mary was very good, having done it on Broadway.


I recently read where the film adaptation of SP is the only adaptation to not cut any songs from the stage version. That's a pretty cool claim to fame. I think the songs in South Pacific hold up even better than those in The Sound of Music, but that just speaks to my taste. I like more of an "operatic" sound. In fact, I've often thought that R&H productions are English operas, in the best sense of the word.

Some misstatements here, Scott. Rossano Brazzi was dubbed by Giorgio Tozzi, a bass, and the role has ALWAYS been a bass role (Ezio Pinza, one of opera's most famous bassos, was the original Emile). John Kerr's dubber Bill Lee was a tenor,


South Pacific does indeed include all of the songs from the Broadway version and adds "My Girl Back Home" which was written for the stage but ultimately cut before the show opened. My Fair Lady did not cut any of its stage songs for the movie version (an extra verse for "You Did It" was added). Maybe the person meant that South Pacific was the only R&H musical that didn't lose any songs from stage to screen. Is that what you meant?
 

GMpasqua

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Doris Day and Elizabeth Talyor were both in the running for Nellie. I guess many feel Gaynor was a "B" actress compared to them.

Fernado Lamas was offered the role of Emile but the producers of his Broadway show would not release him from his contract so he was unavailable when filming started (He would have used his own voice though)


Taylor would have been wonderful except she would have been dubbed (then the entire cast would have been dubbed)

Gaynor is the only one who does her own singing
 

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Originally Posted by GMpasqua

Doris Day and Elizabeth Talyor were both in the running for Nellie. I guess many feel Gaynor was a "B" actress compared to them.

Fernado Lamas was offered the role of Emile but the producers of his Broadway show would not release him from his contract so he was unavailable when filming started (He would have used his own voice though)


Taylor would have been wonderful except she would have been dubbed (then the entire cast would have been dubbed)

Gaynor is the only one who does her own singing
And I like Gaynor a lot. She has not only a good voice, but that rare combo of girl next door wholesomeness with high glamour and sex appeal. I like Liz Taylor a lot (those eyes! Just gazed at them in my recent watching of Giant), but I don't think she was right for this. Cleopatra, yes. Army nurse next door. Not so much. Although the way Liz handled Montgomery Clift's horrific and life threatening accident in real life! Pulling his teeth out of his throat so he could breath and then scaring the press away! wow. That's the kind of gal you want on your side...or in your movie, if you can get her. Still, for this part Gaynor works for me...
 

Cinescott

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Yes, bass singers, my error. Rade Serbedzija, however, who did the television adaptation in 2001 with Glenn Close (a large production) was not a bass.
 

AdrianTurner

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South Pacific is my favourite musical and the Blu-ray is one of the very best ever produced, in my view. I also find it very useful to have the deleted sequences from the original roadshow version easily identifiable because of the fading that affected those scenes. The way they cut into "There Ain't Nothin' Like a Dame' is quite extraordinary. I think there has been a lot of confusion and myth regarding where the movie was shot (an island in Malaysia still claims that was Bali Ha'i) and both Moorea and Bora Bora are often connected to Michener's fabled island. So here is a photograph I recently took of the REAL Bali Ha'i, an island called Ambae or Aoba in what was once the New Hebrides but is now Vanuatu. The island, which lies far off the island where Michener was stationed and is usually shrouded in mist, was about ten miles away and rather than the jagged peaks of the movie it's just a huge volcanic hump. The shot was taken at dawn from the deck of the expedition cruise ship Orion:


DSC_1458.jpg
 

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