Status of George Stevens' "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1 Viewer)

[Mike Boone]

Watched this great movie yesterday, average Blu-ray, noticed just before the movie started there is a disclaimer "This Blu-ray was made from the best elements available". I think that says it all as far as the studio is concerned. Sadly this is the best the movie will ever look on Blu-ray the studio has washed their hands. It is sad but a reality it is all about making money. Restorations are very expensive and timely something studios want to avoid, if possible.

Yes, 5 years ago, my fellow HTF member, Ernest, stated that he thought that the responsible parties at the movie studio, had basically "washed their hands", of becoming involved in any further restoration of The Greatest Story Ever Told.

So to me, anyway, if such a claim is true, it causes a question to spring forth, which is: "Could it be that Pontius Pilate may have been born again, with his modern incarnation now existing in the form of one of MGM's top decision makers?"

 

[john a hunter]

I watched this over Easter. I'd love to see a restored uncut version of this film. I have the re-issued bluray without the funky artwork of the original bluray release. It's interesting that it came with an Exodus study guide. Maybe one day we'll be surprised and get this and a fully restored Alamo at the same time.

And on that day,watch out for flying pigs!!

 

[RolandL]

It was on MGMHD a few days ago. Looks the same as the Blu-ray. Not very good but I've seen worse Blu-ray titles. At least it has the full 2.76 AR and very good sound. The 221 minute premiere version only played that length for two months and then was cut to 194 minutes.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

It was on MGMHD a few days ago. Looks the same as the Blu-ray. Not very good but I've seen worse Blu-ray titles. At least it has the full 2.76 AR and very good sound. The 221 minute premiere version only played that length for two months and then was cut to 194 minutes.

View attachment 94170

It's also being shown on the HDNM channel and it looks ok for cable tv broadcast. The channel will have another broadcast of it tomorrow.

 

[Robert Harris]

If memory serves, a few sequences were directed by David Lean.

 

[Matt Hough]

I first saw this one rainy July night in a giant Philadelphia theater with about a dozen people in the audience, and it was one of my more miserable nights in the cinema. I had wanted to go to The Sound of Music but was outvoted. It seemed endless to me as a teen and too soon after King of Kings to sit through the story once again.

 

[Joe Caps]

Newmans score was mad e a mess in this picture and Nedwman asked to have his name taken off of the credits.
Not only was music cut out and movied around, but the remaining score was woefully underdubbed.
However, on each shorter cut of the film, more of Newmans music was dubbed back into the film.

 

[DVBRD]

Newmans score was made a mess in this picture and Newman asked to have his name taken off of the credits.
Not only was music cut out and moved around, but the remaining score was woefully underdubbed.
However, on each shorter cut of the film, more of Newman's music was dubbed back into the film.

That's a shame because Newman's score is one of the film's strengths.

BTW, how many cuts of this movie did they make? Enough to rival Blade Runner?

 

[mark brown]

I must be in the minority as I saw it in Cinerama in the 60's and it looked and sounded magnificent!

 

[Paul Rossen]

I must be in the minority as I saw it in Cinerama in the 60's and it looked and sounded magnificent!

In it’s original Roadshow run at the Warner Cinerama in NYC it surely was a magnificent looking and sounding film. It’s a shame that TGSET will never be restored to the version I saw way back in Feb 1965.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

Looking at the IMDB website it has the film listed as the original Cinerama version at 260 minutes and then down to 225 minute premiere release and now the current Blu-ray at 199 minutes? Are the cut scenes still available to look at?

 

[Richard Pyke]

I originally saw TGSET during it‘s UK premiere run at the London Casino Cinerama. An excellent presentation with superb image and sound. Whilst not the most commercial of the ‘60s Roadshow Epics, it does deserve to be restored to it’s former glory.

 

[RolandL]

Looking at the IMDB website it has the film listed as the original Cinerama version at 260 minutes and then down to 225 minute premiere release and now the current Blu-ray at 199 minutes? Are the cut scenes still available to look at?

The IMDB is full of mistakes. There never was a 260 minute version. Below a preview ticket for United Artists employees. It mentions 4 hours with intermission. The intermission was 15 minutes and the movie 221 minutes. Also below is a review with the same running time.

 

[RolandL]

If memory serves, a few sequences were directed by David Lean.

Below is a letter from United Artists.

 

[Paul Rossen]

i believe the 260 minute version references a preview or earlier cut of the film. TGSET opened in NYC at 3 hours 40 minutes or so plus intermission.

 

[RolandL]

i believe the 260 minute version references a preview or earlier cut of the film. TGSET opened in NYC at 3 hours 40 minutes or so plus intermission.

The ticket in my previous post was for a preview on February 6, 1965 - same running time as the World Premiere on February 15, 1965 at the Warner Cinerama Theatre in New York City. I cannot find any reference to a previous preview. If there was a 260 minute version, no one saw it in a movie theatre. (A 4 hour and 20 minute version seems to only be a rumor.)

 

[haineshisway]

The ticket in my previous post was for a preview on February 6, 1965 - same running time as the World Premiere on February 15, 1965 at the Warner Cinerama Theatre in New York City. I cannot find any reference to a previous preview. If there was a 260 minute version, no one saw it in a movie theatre. (A 4 hour and 20 minute version seems to only be a rumor.)

Correct. This film may have run 260-minutes in assemblage form, which is just what the name implies - it was never a "cut" of the film. No one was going to show a 260-minute film at any time.

 

[RolandL]

Just a note on the Blu-ray extras. They mention that George Stevens looked at 70mm spherical and 70mm Ultra Panavision tests and decided to film in Ultra Panavision. Actually, he started filming in 3-panel Cinerama and then changed over to Ultra Panavision.

 

[deepscan]

There is a version of the film that exists with the basic credits at the beginning and full technical credits at the end (those credits have the term “In Cinerama”), and these credits go page by page rather than scrolled in all other versions. This version aired both on NBC and in syndication, and it runs about 192 min. I did tape these credits on VHS but accidentally erased them. It is possible these credits were in the original 260-min. cut, if there ever was one.

 

[skylark68]

Very interesting information here. I revisited again this past Easter, I guess it along with Ten Commandments has become a bit of a tradition for me.