"Porgy and Bess" restoration (1 Viewer)

[RobertMG]

2016 - - -https://www.cleveland.com/musicdance/2016/10/ultra-rare_screening_of_porgy.html

Another GREAT article! https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment...e-holy-grail-of-missing-movies-160332593.html

 

[cinemel1]

Between 5 and 10 years ago a screening was held at NY’s Ziegfeld Theater. It was shown because a new biography of Otto Preminger was being published. We were told that it wasn’t a Todd AO print. I can’t remember whether it was in stereo, but the PQ was decent. It seemed to be the full roadshow version as it even had the intermission.
I think the picture gets a bad rap as the audience seemed to enjoy it. It’s very statically filmed, lots of long takes, not much cutting. The music is beautifully sung: Robert
McFerrin as Porgy, Adele Addison as Bess, Diahnn Carroll is dubbed, Pearl Bailey and Sammy Davis, Jr. as Maria and Sportin’ Life. Of course, the soundtrack album does not contain the full score, but what is there is fine and in stereo. The soundtrack album has Cab Calloway singing Sammy Davis’ songs as he was under contract to Decca and the soundtrack was on Columbia. Sammy Davis came out with his own Decca album of selections from the film (not soundtrack).

 

[Robert Harris]

You are a class act! Are you working on any major projects?

Screenplays and Napoleon.

 

[Charles Smith]

That Ziegfeld showing was in late 2007, and the print was, excuse the layman’s term, “warped” — which resulted in only one part of the image at a time being in focus. (I welcome a correction from someone who can better explain it.) It was nice to see it again, at a price paid in Excedrin.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Yes, a warped print (shrunken perfs, etc.) makes it nearly impossible to get a clean focus.

 

[AlanP]

Just for fun, here's a test that I did several years ago. This is color corrected, but shadows are still tending to go blue. With newer software, one may be able to dig a bit deeper into the Y layer, and come away with something attractive.
View attachment 130061

WOW, love to see this film !

 

[OliverK]

View attachment 130105


Just a bit better than the YouTube video.
View attachment 130103

I first wasn't sure it was enough of an upgrade but I think this is something I could settle for.

 

[RobertMG]

WOW, love to see this film !

fill out the contact form at Gershwin.com

 

[AlanP]

fill out the contact form at Gershwin.com

Will do

 

[ahollis]

 

[RobertMG]

View attachment 130265

"The" Bosely Crowther went back for a second look at the film Aug 1959

 

[AlanP]

"The" Bosely Crowther went back for a second look at the film Aug 1959

interesting !