List of 70mm Films on Blu-ray 1926-Present (1 Viewer)

[cinerama10]

A lot of them have been released on DVD, even Cheyenne Autumn, and other more popular titles such as West Side Story, but the main point is Blu-ray. The comment about no 70mm cinemas available was ported over from the Wiki list - I have no idea if it is true or what the circumstances were at the time, so it's a toss up to remove it or not. The Mackenna's Gold info I'll change. Also the info for The Great Meadow DVD would be appreciated; I couldn't find anything for a US DVD release.

WIKIPEDIA is a very flawed site. With tens of thousands of additions daily, there is no way in which such a massive amount of data can be verified. In the old days most studios owned and operated their own cinemas. MGM was no exception and if they did not have 70mm projectors in their cinemas, then they only released them in 35mm.This could also be another reason as to why RAINTREE COUNTY was never released in 70mm. Many of MGM's cinemas were not suitable for 70mm conversion. They owned many cinemas where I lived but none could be adapted for 70mm.

 

[Dr Griffin]

I do have a dvd of THE GREAT MEADOW. It was given to me by a friend in Australia who had a similar interest in 70mm films from the 1929/31 era.He originally got it from the USA - possibly from another collector.There are thousands of old films on video or film that people buy and convert to dvd.The USA publication CINEMA CLASSICS is a much favoured monthly magazine in which to find thousands of titles that are available on dvd .

What is the quality like? I know there are DVD-R's out there of things recorded off of television etc. I've seen some and they are severely lacking.

 

[Brent Reid]

Stanley, you may like to add that The Big Trail (1930) BD is struck from a 35mm anamorphic transfer of the original negative:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Trail#Preservation_and_re-release


Hope you enjoyed it Josh; I think it's a cracking film and screen each version alternately, once every year or so!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Hope you enjoyed it Josh; I think it's a cracking film and screen each version alternately, once every year or so!

Thanks! It just arrived, haven't had a chance to watch it yet. But I couldn't resist a little sneak peak, so I watched the first ten minutes of the 35mm version... even at 1.33:1, the scope of the setting in the opening scene, with all the wagons and extras, was amazing. And then I watched those same ten minutes of the 70mm version, and it was just astonishing. I'm looking forward to seeing the entire movie soon.

 

[Dr Griffin]

The list will now be updated in post #1.

 

[Brent Reid]

You're in for a treat Josh! Personally I'd suggest watching the 35mm version first, waiting a week or so then watching the 70mm. It is, literally and figuratively, a different film. There's a pretty good breakdown of the differences here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Trail#The_two_versions


I don't consider the 35mm inferior in any way; just... different. Bear in mind that's how the overwhelming majority of moviegoers saw it at the time and I'm sure Raoul Walsh and his team put at least as much effort into it as they did the widescreen version.


Now, what I'd really like to see, is those four simultaneously-shot foreign language versions!

 

[Henry Gondorff]

You can get a pretty good look at it on YouTube:



Set the resolution to 720p

 

[Dr Griffin]

You can get a pretty good look at it on YouTube:



Set the resolution to 720p

The depth of field is fantastic!

 

[bujaki]

I saw the 35mm version of The Big Trail first (on film) during the Walsh retro at MoMA, and was frankly not too impressed. Later on MoMA showed the widescreen version and I was floored. Totally different experience, superior in every way!

 

[Brent Reid]

I don't wish to pull this thread any further OT but TBT's 70mm cinematographer (it had another for the 35mm version) contributed a great article to the September 1930 issue of American Cinematographer magazine, online here:

http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/grandeur-sep1930.htm

 

[Dr Griffin]

It seems the reason for the release of 35mm prints of Raintree County had to do with a lack of 70mm projectors. From Widescreen Museum:


Panavision contracted with Mitchell Camera Corp. to build a 65mm camera. Metro dug several 70mm cameras out of storage, (they had been used on a few films in 1929-1930 in their Realife system.), and had Mitchell convert them for use with 65mm Eastmancolor negative. Ultra Panavision was ready for use before the studio was ready to begin filming Ben-Hur. In 1957 the new system was used to produce the studio's Raintree County . M-G-M distributed the film only in 35mm reduction prints, claiming that all available 70mm projectors were tied up showing Mike Todd's Around The World In 80 Days. Of course the projectors were tied up. After all, they were built for Todd-AO and only one film was running in that process so it's obvious that extra 70mm projectors didn't just appear out of thin air.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Since it hasn't been mentioned, widescreenmuseum.com says that all the Fox Grandeur pictures save for Big Trail (preserved on an anamorphic 35mm reduction in the 60s) are lost in that format.

 

[JPCinema]

Ryan's Daughter!!!! I am very excited to have found my most wanted 70mm films on Blu Ray today in Madrid! It is region A-B C

 

[Dr Griffin]

Ryan's Daughter!!!! I am very excited to have found my most wanted 70mm films on Blu Ray today in Madrid! It is region A-B C

Thanks! Added to the list.

 

[Allansfirebird]

Is that a legit release of the film? I'd have thought we'd have heard about it long before now...

 

[JPCinema]

This one looks legit.. I will watch it tomorrow night upon my return to New York. They did put it on in the store and it looked spectacular!

 

[Dr Griffin]

Is that a legit release of the film? I'd have thought we'd have heard about it long before now...

Can't find out much about it. It's only listed on Amazon Spain.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Weird, it looks like it only has a 2.0 PCM English track.

 

[JPCinema]

The aspect ratio says 2.40 and that is wrong. Seeing it on the monitor it was 2.20...the proper ratio.

 

[Jim*Tod]

Interesting that I see no mention anywhere of MGM or Warner Brothers, who in theory would own the rights. Apparently the 5.1 version is in Spanish and the English track is 2.0. Last fall saw a 70mm print with Swedish subtitles, I'd have to wonder what the source element was for this... and why this would show up in Spain before anywhere else. Keep us posted on the quality.