"Porgy and Bess" restoration (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Any news about any activity on this film which might mean we'd be able to get a blu ray?

Nothing that I can relate. It's an expensive proposition, and unfortunately, not a very good film.

 

[TJPC]

My understanding was that the reason this movie was unseen for so long was that the Gershwin estate hated the film and blocked any showings. I do remember seeing it on TV in the late '60s or early '70s.

 

[Garysb]

From a 2014 article:

http://www.indiewire.com/2014/05/wh...-sidney-poitier-and-dorothy-dandridge-235667/

Well, it’s pretty simple. The basic fact is that,
through a contractual agreement, the rights to the film reverted back to the
Gershwin estate, from the Goldwyn company, in 1974, and the estate has kept the
film underwraps since then, rarely allowing it to be seen anywhere except
for very special occasions. Reportedly the estate was never happy with the
film version, since a lot of the original music was cut out, and they were also
very displeased with the orchestral arrangements of the music.

But actually it’s a bit more complicated than that. It
turns out that there are actually two different Gershwin estates that,
reportedly, have never gotten along with each other, and both claim ownership of
the film.

Furthermore, there’s also an issue involving MGM. Years
ago, the studio bought the ancillary rights to most of Goldwyn’s films,
claiming Porgy and Bess as well, and the studio has made claims that any DVD or
cable licensing release, as well as the required restoration, has to be done by
them. However, that too has gotten rather complicated since Warner Bros now owns the
Goldwyn library, so they now rightfully could make the same claims that MGM used
to.

If there is one bright spot, for those who are still hoping
to see the film, the National
Film Registry of the Library of Congress
selected it in 2011 for preservation, saying that it was “culturally,
historically, or aesthetically significant,” and an “overlooked
masterpiece.“

So maybe after the preservation work is done, there
might finally be an opportunity for the public at large to
see the film.

 

[Matt Hough]

The film isn't all it could have been and is a bit ponderous, but when I want to hear Porgy and Bess and don't feel like listening to the entire opera, I put on the soundtrack album which has enough of the big numbers to more than satisfy me. The dubbers they got for Dandridge and Poitier are fantastic.

 

[RichMurphy]

I saw "Porgy and Bess" several years ago at the Library of Congress, and while it doesn't threaten "Citizen Kane"'s place in the pantheon of cinema, the film isn't as bad as the Gershwin estate would have you believe. Indeed, it is light years better and truer to the original than the travesty produced on Broadway several years ago, presumably with the estate's approval.

I think the main problem with the film is that it just SITS there. It's as if Preminger assumed we would all see the film on a giant Todd-AO screen, and could follow the actors with our eyes as the camera stayed stationary and just cranked away, like we were watching it staged in an opera house. André Previn's sumptuous, Oscar-winning musical direction heightens that effect, and must have been thrilling in multi-track stereo. Not very cinematic, true, but interesting for the performances of Dandridge, Bailey, and Davis.

 

[RolandL]

Rumor

MAY 2019

"Porgy and Bess" 65mm and sound elements examined for possible preservation and reprinting

 

[TJPC]

Wow! Where is the pertinent info on that lengthy article?

 

[TJPC]

Ok, I’m a goof! I looked again and found it right at the beginning!

 

[RolandL]

Terrible PQ but the sound is good.

 

[AlanP]

So any updates on it ??

 

[John Maher_289910]

Even though I almost always found something to love about a native 70MM film, this one was the lone exception. Would I watch it, again, to see if my opinion of it has changes? Yes, I would, but I sure did think it was a major stinker during its initial release.

 

[RobertMG]

Even though I almost always found something to love about a native 70MM film, this one was the lone exception. Would I watch it, again, to see if my opinion of it has changes? Yes, I would, but I sure did think it was a major stinker during its initial release.

Never fails to astound this film was a staple here on WPIX TV on holidays etc, to lock up a film yet have it all over youtube boggles the mind. Gershwin Estate needs to restore the film and put it out there - such great talent deserves to be seen and all parties should benefit from a legit release lawyers for Gershwin should be taking down youtube posts and releasing the film. How about a one time airing on TCM? Lots of DVR's will be humming! E-mailed this to the Gershwin company - -Please give TCM the okay to air the film Porgy and Bess just one time? Sad the film is locked up yet can be seen in garbage quality all over the internet. To not restore this film to not let the public see it in quality yet type it in on the net and anyone can watch it boggles the mind! I grew up watching it on Holidays in NY on WPIX TV === great times! Thank you for the time!

 

[richardburton84]

Never fails to astound this film was a staple here on WPIX TV on holidays etc, to lock up a film yet have it all over youtube boggles the mind. Gershwin Estate needs to restore the film and put it out there - such great talent deserves to be seen and all parties should benefit from a legit release lawyers for Gershwin should be taking down youtube posts and releasing the film. How about a one time airing on TCM? Lots of DVR's will be humming! E-mailed this to the Gershwin company - -Please give TCM the okay to air the film Porgy and Bess just one time? Sad the film is locked up yet can be seen in garbage quality all over the internet. To not restore this film to not let the public see it in quality yet type it in on the net and anyone can watch it boggles the mind! I grew up watching it on Holidays in NY on WPIX TV === great times! Thank you for the time!

Yes, to quote a different musical, “is a puzzlement.” One thing I’ve noticed on the upload posted a few posts up compared to past uploads is that the main title (which is similar to the actual overture for the opera) is inexplicably replaced by a drastically shortened version of the overture found on the LP (don’t know if that was the overture that accompanied roadshow screenings or not). If TCM ever gets the okay to broadcast the film, I will definitely be DVRing it just to see if it’s good.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Why the hell does a gorgeous film with fabulous actors and a monumental score have to be "cinematic". If it were made today there would be CGI crap and jarring hand held nausea shots all over the place. I saw a 35mm print at LACMA a decade or so ago. Loved it, so did Sammy Davis' son, who sat close to us and we all thought it looked pretty good.

 

[RobertMG]

Yes, to quote a different musical, “is a puzzlement.” One thing I’ve noticed on the upload posted a few posts up compared to past uploads is that the main title (which is similar to the actual overture for the opera) is inexplicably replaced by a drastically shortened version of the overture found on the LP (don’t know if that was the overture that accompanied roadshow screenings or not). If TCM ever gets the okay to broadcast the film, I will definitely be DVRing it just to see if it’s good.

Great post!

 

[RobertMG]

Why the hell does a gorgeous film with fabulous actors and a monumental score have to be "cinematic". If it were made today there would be CGI crap and jarring hand held nausea shots all over the place. I saw a 35mm print at LACMA a decade or so ago. Loved it, so did Sammy Davis' son, who sat close to us and we all thought it looked pretty good.

Great post!

 

[Noel Aguirre]

One of the greatest soundtrack albums I’ve ever heard - that and Around The World in 80 Days.

 

[AlanP]

I see the soundtrack CD is for sale on Amazon.......
See on Amazon

 

[Matt Hough]

The soundtrack album for Porgy and Bess has been my go-to recording when I want to listen to the score without a massive time investment for sixty years or so.

 

[cinemiracle]

Even though I almost always found something to love about a native 70MM film, this one was the lone exception. Would I watch it, again, to see if my opinion of it has changes? Yes, I would, but I sure did think it was a major stinker during its initial release.

The film was indeed a flop when it was first released. I saw it on a 62 ft wide Todd-AO screen. True there are numerous pirate copies of the film on dvd but are any of them the full Roadshow version length? I doubt it Not a great film but it is worth preserving as it had an amazing cast -Sidney Poitier-Dorothy Dandridge-Sammy Davis Jr-Pearl Bailey-Brock Peters and Diahann Carroll. Has there ever been a film with such a very talented and famous African/American actors in the same film? Maybe CARMEN JONES did? Dandridge, ,Bailey ,Peters and Carroll were in both films