One Eyed Jacks on Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[rsmithjr]

The clipping from One Eyed Jacks was from Boxoffice Magazine I think. I looks like their style.


In practice, technical information about a film had to be taken with a grain of salt, just as must be today.


I have seen VVLA titles run at 2:1 (generally in theatres that ran Cinemascope at the same AR!) but I cannot imagine doing it myself.


The houses I worked at (indie mostly) back in the day generally had the attitude that we were responsible for what we put on the screen (and the sound) and made our own choices about these matters. We were fastidious about quality and consulted industry pubs and studio stuff but, hey, plenty of room for individual choices. Some of my favorite films were photographed in VVLA.

 

[PaulaJ]

Apologies, I should have included the information that the clipping was from Box Office magazine, as rsmithjr indeed guessed correctly.

 

[OliverK]

The recommendation of 1.85:1 for VistaVision was on the early titles. At some point in the mid-50's, the recommendation was changed to 2:1.


WHITE CHRISTMAS premiered at Radio City Music Hall in 1.97:1.


Here's the framing guide seen on-screen in the upper right at each reel change.

Vistavisionframing.gif

So it should be assumed that by that time cinematographers would be aware and protecting for a 2:1 aspect ratio.

 

[Robert Harris]

The recommendation of 1.85:1 for VistaVision was on the early titles. At some point in the mid-50's, the recommendation was changed to 2:1.

WHITE CHRISTMAS premiered at Radio City Music Hall in 1.97:1.

Here's the framing guide seen on-screen in the upper right at each reel change.

Vistavisionframing.gif

Question is, did Christmas run in 35/8 or 35/4? If 8, an extraction was possible.

 

[Robert Harris]

So it should be assumed that by that time cinematographers would be aware and protecting for a 2:1 aspect ratio.

No. There was nothing to protect. 2:1 was a massive crop.

Please keep in mind what VVLA was, and wasn't.

It was a superb taking mechanism, that had the capability, in ether 8 or 4 perf, of yielding a superior, velvety image, unless over-cropped and over-magnified in 35/4.

It was also a Paramount system, that was not welcomed by the rest of the industry, which used anamorphic 35mm, as well as 55 and 65 for widescreen quality.

VVLA was a failed attempt to be a Swiss Army knife. A one size fits all affair, which never worked.

It was far more sizzle than reality.

RAH

 

[Bob Furmanek]

35/8 at RCMH.

 

[Robert Harris]

35/8 at RCMH.

That's what I presumed. I remember seeing N x NW at the Hall and marveling at the quality. Never absolutely certain of the format.

The only titles of which I'm aware, that definitely ran 35/8, were White and Strategic, which as I recall, was the first V production, but second to hit theaters.

Have you found definite data as to others?

 

[OliverK]

No. There was nothing to protect. 2:1 was a massive crop.

Please keep in mind what VVLA was, and wasn't.

It was a superb taking mechanism, that had the capability, in ether 8 or 4 perf, of yielding a superior, velvety image, unless over-cropped and over-magnified in 35/4.

It was also a Paramount system, that was not welcomed by the rest of the industry, which used anamorphic 35mm, as well as 55 and 65 for widescreen quality.

VVLA was a failed attempt to be a Swiss Army knife. A one size fits all affair, which never worked.

It was far more sizzle than reality.

RAH

Of course it was a massive crop but if cinemas were really supposed to show these movies in 2:1 I would think that the cinematographer was made aware of that. But then Paramount saying that things should be projected a certain way is one thing, what cinemas actually did was probably a much different thing.


My personal opinion is that it is a shame to throw away so much of the negative real estate so it was a good thing that Technirama and Super Technirama 70 were introduced and actually a shame that use wasn't more widespread compared to VistaVision.

 

[Robert Harris]

Of course it was a massive crop but if cinemas were really supposed to show these movies in 2:1 I would think that the cinematographer was made aware of that. But then Paramount saying that things should be projected a certain way is one thing, what cinemas actually did was probably a much different thing.

My personal opinion is that it is a shame to throw away so much of the negative real estate so it was a good thing that Technirama and Super Technirama 70 were introduced and actually a shame that use wasn't more widespread compared to VistaVision.

Vista was a great process for 1.66 - 1.85.

 

[Dr Griffin]

There's been a lot of arguing over aspect ratios in the Blu-ray era. With Vista Vision, it sounds like there's a sweet spot at 1.85. So getting back to One-Eyed Jacks, should we see this on home video at 1.85?

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Personally, and I'm no expert...I think it should be 1.85 for the blu-ray.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

I saw a 35mm IB Technicolor print of Jacks in a private screening a few months ago, it was run approx. 1.85 and looked fine to my eyes. Hard to say if 2:1 would look better since we didn't try it.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

That's what I presumed. I remember seeing N x NW at the Hall and marveling at the quality. Never absolutely certain of the format.

The only titles of which I'm aware, that definitely ran 35/8, were White and Strategic, which as I recall, was the first V production, but second to hit theaters.

Have you found definite data as to others?

No, WC was first. It began filming on September 21, 1953 and SAC began late March, 1954.


No definite data on others exhibited 35/8.

 

[ahollis]

No, WC was first. It began filming on September 21, 1953 and SAC began late March, 1954.

No definite data on others exhibited 35/8.

I have been told by people that knew that SAC played 35/8 at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. That was the only time 35/8 was used at the theatre.

 

[marsnkc]

A few stills from that version here: http://www.altadefinicionhd.com/editorial/124-analisis-blu-ray/e-bd/1659-el-rostro-impenetrable-layons


And the translated comment, "The visual quality of this Blu-ray is terrible, with a look of VHS video showing a discolored picture, no sharpness, no contrast and with a halo around the edges. In addition, the sharpness is absent in the whole film".


No change there then!

The Spanish reviewer in Douglas's link cites the AR as 1.77:1. I gave away the Entertainment One BD in 2011 after suffering through 20 minutes of it, but assuming it was 1.85, it would be interesting to compare the purported 1.77 captures (if native and not resized for the page) with it.


I was hoping to take a photo of the laserdisc image on my TV for the experts here to compare, since 1.75 appears to be a compromise between 1.66 and 1.85. My player, after years of neglect, has given up the ghost, repeatedly rejecting the disc with a grinding sound reminiscent of the Titanic's engine getting under way.


Peter Bogdanovich wrote an indewire article in 2010. Apparently the line I earlier ascribed to Brando, "Get up, you scum-sucking pig" was written by Calder Willingham, as well as the marvelous, "He didn't give me no selection"........ (I met Ben Johnson ca. 1976 at my doctor's office, of all places. Just the two of us in a tiny reception area. A decade later he was one of the celebrities at a rodeo in Burbank. Extraordinary to see a man of his age going at full gallop with both hands twirling the rope).


(Unbelievably, people on Amazon are trying to flog the Entertainment One travesty starting at $119.81. Back in 2011, I quoted from the 'Editorial review' on the Amazon page on another thread here:

'Pain-staking, re-mastering and re-colorized. Enhanced digital sound. A true western drama masterpiece made even better'. I pointed out that 'Pain-staking' is what you do to Dracula. This joke should have suffered a similar fate).

 

[Alan Tully]

With 1:66 there's black lines left & right, 2:1 black lines top & bottom. I'd really prefer the no black lines option.

 

[OliverK]

Vista was a great process for 1.66 - 1.85.

That's about as wide as I would have gone.


As a curiosity some years ago I saw the Japanese production The Great Wall and it was shown in a standard 70mm using the full width of the frame, therefore taking cropping of the VistaVision frame to the extreme. I have to say that it looked quite good and better than standard 35mm BlowUps, still a strange choice.

 

[marsnkc]

Brando's first aid kit for Rio, sitting on the hat that covered the pate on rides through iconic western locations Monument Valley and Lone Pine.

 

[marsnkc]

Sorry, hit the attachment button twice.

 

[Douglas R]

According to Jeffrey Wells, Hollywood Elsewhere, the 4K restoration of ONE EYED JACKS is set for completion next month - with possible theatrical screenings following.

Really looking forward to this on Blu-ray!