SCARAMOUCHE Coming 7-1 from WB (1 Viewer)

[GerardoHP]

I'm ecstatic about the release of SCARAMOUCHE in just 2 weeks. This is one of the greatest swashbuckling pictures ever and I can only hope WB is giving it the royal treatment it deserves. Does anyone know if this transfer will at least be from a new print of the movie? (Recent WB foul-ups like KISS ME KATE and GIANT have me worried).

 

[Patrick McCart]

Being that this was filmed in Technicolor, the DVD should be pretty good. The problems with Kate and Giant have a lot to do with the formats involved (Kate was filmed in Ansco and was framed to match dye-transfer prints, Giant filmed in Eastmancolor and the crummy WarnerColor lab did the processing and opticals)

WB usually has excellent discs, so I don't see why two discs with just a few problems would signal that they're making only crappy discs.

It seems like every time a studio comes out with a DVD with problems, people instantly think they're going to the worst... :rolleyes

 

[Peter Kim]

Wow! Thanks for the heads up, Gerardo. This is one of my film highlights from my youth.

Almost completely forgot about this title...until now. Automatic purchase and hopefully I can pass on the same thrill I got from my first an only viewing to my infant son (wasn't too violent, was it?).

Will this be an obscure title, and if so, where will you guys buy it?

 

[Robert Crawford]

The film which caused me to fall in love with Eleanor Parker, forever.




Crawdaddy

 

[BarryR]

You too? :b

 

[GerardoHP]

Peter, while this film is not violent by today's standards, it has some powerful fencing sequences and one of them results in the death of a very sympathetic character in the hands of the intensely sadistic villain.
Personally, I wouldn't show SCARAMOUCHE to a kid under 7 or 8 and that's assuming they've been exposed to screen violence before and can handle it. I have watched it with grown-ups on TV over the years and even they never fail to squirm during the fights.

Robert, I hear ya. Eleanor Parker, as they say, commits grand larceny in this picture -- steals every scene she's in. If I remember correctly, her sizzling performance in it won her an MGM contract and gave her career quite a boost in the 50's.

 

[Conrad_SSS]

I love this film too, and am eagerly awaiting the DVD. Another one of my favorites hits that day too from Warner: THE CRIMSON PIRATE. Both are films I frequently looked forward to as a kid when they'd pop up on television. Now, can't wait for the DVDs!!!!

 

[Peter Kim]

Good to know, Gerardo...I do remember being extremely thrilled the first time I saw this film (although I cannot recall how old I was).

Well, at least it will be a wonderful, nostalgic viewing for me.

One of my favorite films of all time (must be, even though I only saw it once...somehow triggers a lot of emotions).

 

[Peter Kim]

Please forgive for bringing something off topic, but since I believe we're birds of a feather with regards to old movies...does anyone know/recall a film starring a real-life opera great, set in Heidelberg, Germany?

Basic storyline...he is a student at the U. of Heidelberg and fences and drinks good beer while singing (eins, zwei, drei, vier, lift you stein and drink your bier!).

Another great movie from my childhood, but I cannot recall the name, much less identify whether it's on dvd.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Jeff:

The Student Prince of Old Heidelberg?

 

[Jim Peavy]

Count me in, too. I'm ready to have my swash buckled (or is that buckle swashed?) July 1!

The climactic swordfight is the best ever. And the outfit Stewart Granger wears would make a super-hero envious!

Terrific stuff. And to think I was so envious, years ago, of a friend who had this on laserdisc.

 

[oscar_merkx]

fantastic news indeed as I had also forgotten about this one

any special features or is this bare bones ?

Which does not really matter anyway

 

[Jim Peavy]

Anybody pick this up yet? I'm thinking of dropping by "Best Buy" tonite and see if they have it in.

 

[Conrad_SSS]

I bought it last week, and it looks terrific. A Very good clean transfer that nicely captures the original Technicolor photography. Anyone into this film would also be pleased to get WB's new DVDs of Errol Flynn's MASTER OF BALLANTRAE and Burt Lancaster's CRIMSON PIRATE. The films are a delight, and the DVD transfers are first-rate as well.

 

[Jon Robertson]

I don't suppose, by a fluke of a chance, it has Criterion's laserdisc commentary track on it, does it? It had three participants - Stewart Granger, film historian Dick Dinman and director George Sidney.

 

[Randy A Salas]

No commentary, Jon.

Extras are minimal on these discs. But Scaramouche has a wonderful retrospective interview with the 85-year-old Mel Ferrer. There's also a short text essay about great movie sword fights, which is up to date enough to cite Die Another Day but omits such recent gems as The Mask of Zorro and The Count of Monte Cristo.

As has been noted elsewhere, Master of Ballantrae has trailers for Sea Hwak, Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood. Knights of the Round Table has an intro by Ferrer and news footage of the premiere. The Crimson Pirate has just a short text essay about Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat's friendship.

 

[Bill Burns]

Listen closely to that premiere footage on Knights and you'll hear a reference to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, with Bing Crosby, which also looks great on DVD (from Universal).

I've only watched a bit of Scaramouche and Knights, to check the transfers, and found them both very pleasing (Scaramouche in particular; sharply detailed, and oh, that first, soft close-up of Janet Leigh! Ooo la la ). Knights does sport occasional print damage, though, but color saturation and gradation, and also overall fine detail, seem very good (and I'm happy to report that it faithfully reproduces the 2.55:1 frame; placing markers on my set for a 2.40:1 transfer, this is notably wider, but anything more precise I'll have to leave to those with the equipment to properly measure the ratio).

I haven't picked up The Crimson Pirate or The Master of Ballantrae yet, but if they look as good as these, they're must buys. After a few of the early Technicolor releases from WB (particularly the downright hideous release of Show Boat), I've been a bit wary of titles that don't claim to be "restored," but it happily looks as if Show Boat and On the Town (better than the former, still not what it should be) mediocrity is a thing of the past.

 

[Derek M Germano]

I have posted a review with some small screenshots for those that may be interested:

http://www.thecinemalaser.com/dvd_20...mouche-dvd.htm

 

[Robert Crawford]

Watched my dvd this weekend. Hubba, hubba to Eleanor Parker.

 

[Roger Rollins]

My compliments to Derek Germano on a very well-written and enticing review of SCARAMOUCHE. It has been years since I've seen this movie, and now after reading that review,
I'll be picking up this disc (as well as some of the other
Warner swordsplay releases) tomorrow!

Thanks, Derek!