One Eyed Jacks, VistaVision, & the like... (1 Viewer)

[Richard--W]

Thank you Mark Edward Heuck for the scans.

My French DVD has an entirely different cover.

Please share with us where or how you obtained it?

I want to buy it NOW.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Well, dye-transfer was brought back briefly in the late 1990's, but died off again. The restored Rear Window had some dye-transfer prints made, for example.

I'm afraid that One-Eyed Jacks would probably need a serious amount of restoration since photography was from 1958-1960. That's right when the problem Eastmancolor negative stock was used, which faded quicker than other stocks before and after.

However, granted the film has great VistaVision 8-perf B&W separations (preferably A/B format, which lacks the dissolves and fades). Paramount has a lousy track record of handling faded VistaVision films, though. The Court Jester, To Catch a Thief, Funny Face, and White Christmas have issues from being re-combined from normal 35mm separations (as a result, I think it means the final product is around 4 generations from the negative).

Perhaps Paramount could borrow WB's Ultra-Resolution technology. WB is restoring The Searchers from separations in the Ultra-Resolution process, which means the final product will have optimal sharpness, minimal grain, and better color. They did High Society traditionally, but it looks stunning. Besides a hint of grain in the image, it's great. A far cry from The Court Jester, which is borderline unwatchable on anything other than a 20" tube TV.

 

[Richard--W]

I located on-line retailers in France who sell the region 2 edition of One-Eyed Jacks. I found two different versions of the film, the one I already have and one that Mr Heuck posted the cover art for. However, I can't navigate the sites because I don't savvy the lingo. Perhaps some French-speaking member of HTF could translate.

I tried to post the urls here for everyone to see, but the system won't let me. Moderator, what do you think?

Richard

 

[willyTass]

Aha , confirms my thoughts from post 20.

Now all we need to know is which of these 2 versions gives the best transfer.

How bout the website richard?

 

[TedD]

With the notable exception of "The Five Pennies". After you get past the main titles, the transfer is simply stunning!!!!

Ted

 

[willyTass]

One of my patient's is French and I will haul her into my rooms so I can order the Paramount region 2 version of One Eyed Jacks.

Richard I saw the cover art of your version called "La vengeance aux deux visages" -looks like a copy of the french Paramount release. By the way the official paramount region 2 release is region free. Hopefully it won't have burnt in subs.

If this bloody thing arrives I will advise forumers ASAP of the picture quality. According to the french websites it was remastered and released in April 2005 by paramount so it should be stellar compared to the PD shit that's out there.

 

[Richard--W]

willyTass, check your email.

 

[willyTass]

It seems that the version posted by Mark Edward Heuck is the bona fide Paramount version for 2 main reasons

1. It has the Paramount Logo on the back
2. On all the french websites it is priced 3 times more expensive than the version posted by Richard W.

Has anyone seen the Paramount Region 2 version??

Hopefully it has removable subtitles; I don't know what's worse my public domain version or a good transfer but with frog subtitles.

 

[walter o]

I still want to know how come a Paramount owned film suddenly fell into public dormain?!

 

[Mark Philp]

According to the AFI database it was produced by Pennebaker Productions and distributed by Paramount. The opening title say "A Paramount Release" not "A Paramount Picture" so I would conclude they didn't let it fall into PD because they weren't the copyright holder.

 

[willyTass]

Hello

I have Just ordered my Paramount region 2 Remastered version of One Eyed Jacks from French amazon.com.

Thanks to Richards useful email I located it finally - you have to type "one eyed Jack' in the search field,

My french is pretty bad but here goes; it was express posted to my house in Australia ; it should arrive in 1-3 weeks.

The international postage was nearly twice the cost of the DVD.(FMD!!)

I have spent about 4 hours perusing all the French websites- this is THE ONLY OFFICIAL PARAMOUNT VERSION of one eyed jacks DVD in existence worldwide. (and they claim its a re-mastered version)Release date 14 April 2005

Might help explain why it cost 3 times more than any other version on french websites.

If it arrives I will advise forumers of the quality of the transfer and God willing it will have removable frog subtitles. For many (including me) burnt in subtitles are too obtrusive but there is only one way to find out

I am still in a bit of shock as I never expected to see Paramount release this on DVD.

Thanks to Mark Heuck for the excellent screen cap

 

[Richard--W]

I've now found four different editions in region 2 for the French market, each with different cover art. But Mr. Hueck posted covers for the only authorized edition above.

I'm glad willyTass was able to order the Paramount France DVD, but I'm not having any such luck. What an aggravation!

ONE-EYED JACKS is an authentic American classic, for a western or any other genre, and a genuinely original, creative work. Those of you who are interested in supplementing your viewing experience, try reading Barry Gifford's book Brando Rides Alone: A Reconsideration Of the Film One-Eyed Jacks. As the title indicates, the author seems to have fused the titles of Budd Boeticher's film BUCHANAN RIDES ALONE (1958) with Paul Seydor's book PECKINPAH: THE WESTERN FILMS A RECONSIDERATION. Gifford, an acclaimed novelist and screen writer for David Lynch, travels down some roads one least expects in the essay portion of this book. He even "re-imagines" the scipt as a film noir. It's only 95 pages, dirt cheap and very interesting. Order it from Borders books or amazon.

Richard

 

[Christopher Lee]

Hello Richard,

Try this one if you haven't already:

http://www.glowria.fr/viewTitleDetai...g=AC_ficheDVD#

Good luck!

CLD

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

I suppose the hows and whys of JACKS' PD status would be due to its apparent life as a Paramount negative pickup as opposed to a studio-initiated project. However, as I would understand it, once a studio picks up a negative, they're supposed to have the first notice on the renewal. Ironically, it was Paramount who sent IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE into its initial PD status - they had theatrical control of the RKO catalog at the time (not television) and didn't want to spend the money to renew it since it wasn't their movie (The amount: $7) - but now they have it back from their acquisition of the Republic library.

Depending on who you talk to at Paramount, meanwhile, there is doubt that they even own the movie. They do not offer it for repertory play, according to theatre operators who have tried to book the film. I wonder if perhaps the Brando estate is involved in this matter; maybe the chain of title reverted back to them? Mr. Rollins seems to be very expert on these things, I would like to hear his reply.

 

[Richard--W]

So would I.

Fascinating details, Mr. Heuck.

I had no idea Republic had a hand in One-Eyed Jacks. Whenever I saw it projected in repertory theaters, it was a Paramount. That was in the 1970s and early 1980s when Landmark Theaters was still Parallax. Paramount also issued it on home video domestically. More recently, when it aired on Turner Classic Movies, I thought perhaps the broadcast rights had become part of Turner's library. Since Paramount Pictures France has released the film to home video in France, it may still be in copyright in certain countries but not in others.

 

[Richard--W]

Are you saying that One-Eyed Jacks shot on Eastmancolor stock and was then processed by Technicolor? The opening titles say Technicolor, not Eastmancolor, and the film looks like Technicolor. An aquaintance of mine owns an original 35mm Technicolor print which has held up remarkably well for its age. The color is still a pleasure and an experience to watch.

Regarding To Catch A Thief, I'm disappointed in the overall quality of the DVD but didn't realize the reason why until I read your post above. What elements survive on this title, I wonder.

 

[Douglas R]

Pennebaker Productions was Marlon Brando's production company, which he subsequently sold to Universal.

 

[Patrick McCart]

According to Paramount's website, To Catch a Thief was "restored" by recombining the B&W VistaVision separations into a new duplicate negative. This may have been after the DVD because the DVD has both horizontal and vertical scratch lines on the image - which points to aged 35mm elements being used for the film print used for DVD. My best guess is that they used worn 35mm separations (probably used for the dye-transfer matrices) to make a 35mm duplicate negative. Of course, this means...

VV camera negative to VV interpositive to reduction 35mm duplicate negative to 35mm positive B&W separations to 35mm duplicate negative. Oh, and the final 35mm interpositive from that would be used for the DVD. I don't know if 35mm separations would be made off the VV negative or the 35mm reduction dupe negative, though. The film definately looks like it went through 6 generations of duping.

 

[willyTass]

Richard W

I hope your friend is storing that 35 mm print in a dark temperature controlled room.

It might prove very valuable one day.

Maybe Criterion would like a peak?

 

[Patrick McCart]

Well, the only use for a used 35mm Tech print would be for color reference. Since dye-transfer prints don't fade, the color timing can be applied to the Eastmancolor elements in transfer or in printing.

Also, dye-transfer cannot be transfered to video accurately due to contrast issues. This is why most Technicolor films are either from special interpositives/internegatives constructed from the Tech 3-strip negatives. And there's also the Ultra Resolution films which digitally transfer each strip and re-combine digitally (which allows finer accuracy in re-alignment).

But Tech prints were referenced for restorations of films like Spartacus, My Fair Lady, Star Wars, and the newer Gone with the Wind.