Robert Harris on The Bits - 10/3/02 column - OFFICIAL THREAD (1 Viewer)

[Bill Hunt]

We've just posted Robert Harris' new column on The Digital Bits. In this column, Robert discusses musicals, provides a couple more SMPTE charts for your enlightenment and talks about some of the discs that have been spinning in his DVD player lately.
Musicals and More Musings
As always, click on the link to read Robert's comments and then come on back here to this official thread at the HTF to discuss, give feedback, ask questions of Robert and sound off as you will.

 

[BarryR]

Glad to see musicals get showcased this time. Mr. Harris's list is quite good--I appreciate the early talkie musicals being well represented on his list; anyone who can get ahold of a VHS copy of KING OF JAZZ (1930) is in for an interesting experience. The film cost nearly $2 million in 1930 dollars, and is truly spectacular in many scenes (via early Technicolor). I'm not terribly hopeful Universal will ever visit this title on DVD (hahahahaha, what a thought), but at least they issued it on tape way back when. Now, if only Fox can do something about those glorious Technicolor Alice Faye musicals....

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

As usual, another great column, Robert.

Please continue to hammer home the point about film grain being necessary to preserve the unique look of a film. When I read reviews that claim a transfer is virtually grain-free (especially if it's an older title) I wince because that usually means the film has been given one too many digital "smoothings" and will no longer look like a film. To alter a famous film quote slightly: "Grain is good."

 

[GlennH]

From Part 2:

To place the American movie musical in perspective, I offer a list. Close to, but certainly not complete - your corrections and annotations are welcome. From this list, you can deduce how few of the classic musicals have made their way to DVD.

Okay, the list shows films available on DVD in YELLOW text. I noticed the following were not identified, but they are available on DVD:
1956 - The Eddy Duchin Story, Love Me Tender
1958 - South Pacific
1967 - Doctor Dolittle (also spelled wrong in the article)
1968 - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (but it's P&S only )
Also, Xanadu (1980) and Evita (1996) aren't on the list.

 

[Kajs]

Royal Wedding appears to be on DVD in 9 different forms, I doubt any of them are very good.

 

[oscar_merkx]

thanks again for a great article about Musicals, a great read.

 

[Adam_S]

Another wonderful article Mr. Harris, although I don't have much to say on it. I just want to take the oppurtuntiy to thank you again for the stunning restoration work done on Lawrence of Arabia, I took a girl (who had never seen it, but, thanks to me is becoming more an more interested in classic cinema) to see it at the cinerama dome/arclight theater today, and it is solidfying in my life as possibly the most incredible theatrical experience I've ever had. This was the fourth time I'd seen Lawrence of Arabia, but my own first time with 70mm, and it's a terrible thing in my opinion that they EVER stopped making movies in 65mm. The picture was absolutely glorious, and I suddenly understood the incredible power of the 'riding across the desert' scenes that had seemed so gratuitous on a 27 inch tv (in widescreen of course). Thank you once again. One quick question on the restoration, was the tail end of the scene with Feisal and the reporter, at the beginning of the second half, part of the additional footage that had dialogue rerecorded and dubbed? because it seemed that just for this moment that the dialogue was just a little off, other than that it was basically flawless as a presentation, and I would find it impossible to discern any other material that was added back in.


sorry to momentarily hijack the thread. About your article, do all theaters use the patterns you showed to adjust their projectors? Do any theaters manage a 0 percent loss you mentioned as ideal, or is that a total impossibility on the big screen?

Adam

 

[Robert Harris]

We'll add the newly mentioned musicals to the list with the exception of Chitty Bang, which I deny exists.

Re: Lawrence...

We did re-record some lines of dialogue for the Feisal / Bentley scene, a few words of which had to be cut into or squeezed to fit the lip movements.

Sir Alec was recorded in London, directed by Sir David, while Arthur Kennedy was recorded at a TV studio in Savannah with the help of Jim Painten.

RAH

 

[DeeF]

We appreciate your perception of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

Some musicals which I own on DVD:

Carmen Jones (1954)
Gypsy (1962) (with some cut material)

 

[Peter Rohlfs]

Robert,
Great article.

Missing Musicals:
Mikado (1939) *
Pirates of Penzance (1983)
Xanadu (1980) *
Earth Girls Are Easy (1989)*
Evita (1996)*
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (1978)

Elvis musicals *?

If Buddy Holly Story is a musical, include:
Great Balls of Fire (1989)*
La Bamba (1987)*

Are Hard Days Night* and Help* musicals?
Head *(P&S)

What is the guidline for what is a musical vs. a movie that just has alot of music? I didn't think Saturady Night Fever was a musical. If it is, isn't Showgirls a musical?

I haven't seen the Rocky Horror sequel, but I believe that is a musical also.


Peter

 

[Peter Rohlfs]

As a side note, Hook, Return of the Jedi, Monty Pyhton and the Holy Grail, and History of the World have musical numbers.
Peter

 

[Paul W]

What about South Park BLU? Isn't that considered a musical?

 

[Rob Ray]

In addition to others already noted, Young at Heart and The Seven Little Foys are both available in very nice non-studio transfers.

Please add Follow Thru (1931) to your list of 2-strip Technicolor musicals which deserve a release on DVD.

 

[Rain]

Cool. That list is going to come in handy.
A couple of omissions from recent years:
2000: Dancer in the Dark
2001: Hedwig and the Angry Inch

 

[ToEhrIsHuman]

Ahem....I believe the Walt Disney Company has released one or two or, ummmm...maybe THIRTY beloved (for the most part) animated musicals over the past sixty-five years which I don't think should be overlooked, including the wonderful 'Beauty & the Beast', nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, which is to be released on DVD this coming Tuesday. Just my $.02.

 

[GlennH]

What is the guideline for what is a musical vs. a movie that just has a lot of music?

That's a very good question that I also pondered when reviewing the list. Some thoughts:
In a broad sense some may feel that any movie with a lot of individual songs in the soundtrack, not just a musical score, would qualify (e.g., Top Gun). To me, that's not really a "musical." Songs may be emphasized and a prevalent backdrop, but are not really a theme of the film itself.
Some may feel that a musical is any movie where music is a major theme of the movie, or in which the characters sing, dance, or play music. Examples: That Thing You Do!, Flashdance, Footloose. I guess I'll agree with this being classified as a "musical" to a point.
But then there is what I really consider a classic "musical" -- a movie in which the characters express their feelings or communicate with others via song and dance. Generally this is in a totally unrealistic way - real people don't go around bursting into song (well, most of us don't anyway). Examples: Singin' in the Rain, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, The King and I, The Music Man. Some people hate this type of musical because they aren't realistic, as if that's a requirement for a good movie. A truly good musical combines great songs with a good story/plot.

 

[Robert Harris]

I was waiting for someone to bring up the "what defines a musical?" question.

I've added some going in both directions to the list, yet have left many others off.

Is Footloose really a musical? Probably not, but to some it might be.

I generally try to relate musicals as having numbers which are more than "background" or songs, but this line has become quite cloudy in the past two decades.

Are Help! and A Hard Day's Night musicals?

RAH

 

[Patrick McCart]

Great article.

I'm still amazed that MGM would put out a SUPER PANAVISION film on DVD at 1.33:1...They should have retitled it Chitty Bang.

I noticed Singin' In The Rain didn't have an asterix next to it...is it too video-ized or you just haven't gotten to see the new DVD yet?

Also, if you have had the chance to see the discs, what are your opinions on the DVDs for A Hard Day's Night (MPI and/or Miramax) and Help! (MPI)?

 

[george kaplan]

Not only is A Hard Day's Night a musical, it's the best out there (IMO). I think the primary requirement is that the characters be singing the songs, which is definitely the case in the Beatle films.
I remember an episode of Love, American Style where this guy was a musicals freak and would break out in song whenever he was attracted to a girl, leading to lots of problems until he met a girl with the same fetish.

 

[Greg_M]

A few others missing from the list. Bold titles are available on DVD:
The Fantasticks
Evita
Little Shop of Horrors
A Chorus Line
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Street Date January 7, 2003)
Grease 2
Victor/Victoria
Tommy
The Slipper and the Rose
Godspell
Darling Lili
Song of Norway (coming from Anchor Bay)
Scrooge
Goodbye Mr. Chips (Peter O'Toole/Petula Clark)
Oh! What a Lovely War
Yellow Submarine
Half a Sixpence
The Happiest Millionaire
Stop the World I Want to Get Off
State Fair (Pat Boone/Ann-Margret)
Li'l Abner
"Come on babe, we're gonna paint the town...and all that jazz" - "Chicago" opens 12/27/02[