the best DVD of ONE-EYED JACKS (1961) (1 Viewer)

[Richard--W]

Avoid the German Blu-ray.
Okay, thanks for the alert.

....
Here are some frame grabs from the French DVD.

Many thanks for these frames.
I'm impressed.
The frames don't have the rich dye-transfer color saturation that I've seen on a 35mm print, but it's the best quality picture I've seen yet on DVD. It's desaturated and leaning toward blue. Anyone notice contrast boosting or DNR?
Do you notice the PAL speed-up much, Paula? That 4% can really raise the pitch of a voice. It's more noticeable in some transfers than in others. Why I do not know.
Did amazon.France gouge you on the postage by how much?
I'll buy the French DVD now that I've seen these frames. I've been considering buying the uncut French editions of March Or Die and Zorro (with Alain Delon). Perhaps I will add those to the shipment.

 

[GregoryMesh]

Intergroove Media is releasing US blu-ray edition on November 8. Cover artwork is the same as German blu-ray:

 

[PaulaJ]

Intergroove is the same company that released the German Blu-ray, so no doubt it will be the same exact transfer.
Is there a link to the German board where they posted some frame grabs from the German blu-ray?
Richard -- I didn't notice PAL speedup but I didn't actually watch much of it in my DVD player -- most of it I was looking at in my computer so I could make those screen captures. The shipping from Amazon France was even MORE than the cost of the DVD itself -- 10.90 euros for the shipping!

 

[Marcel H.]

Here are the screengrabs:
http://www.imagebanana.com/view/etkbrf5t/FF4C46736039410A9212498108C86F2A.jpg
http://www.imagebanana.com/view/r0dihj8i/27D63AFF16504693ABE5EC1661707E82.jpg
http://www.imagebanana.com/view/vtzprpsm/314E0E7788CA464A99685B34FCDAE2CD.jpg
http://www.imagebanana.com/view/y810z6qf/E272A789CF8A4ADD9B947DA160F86020.jpg

 

[Richard--W]

The longer I look at those frames fromOne-Eyed Jacks the more I realize all DVD / BR transfers still have a long way to go.

 

[PaulaJ]

Holy smokes, I think the French *standard* DVD is better than that German blu-ray!
Any word yet on the German DVD? Mainly I want to know if the subtitles are removable -- if the PQ is as good as the French one and the subtitles are removable, then I'll get it.
That said, I do agree with Richard -- all the transfers have a longggggg way to go. And as far as I know, the road goes on forever, i.e., nobody's working on it.

 

[Richard--W]

After watching the Wild Side Video DVD from France, I've concluded that it is a port of the Paramount laser-disc subjected to electronic enhancements. Color and density have been tinkered with. In fact, the color is wrong. Blue wood?

The picture looks thin and lacks definition especially in wider angles, and there is considerable contrast boosting. And yet it has something at first glance. Perhaps it's the fact that it's the only anamorphic edition.
I maintain that the best picture quality transfer of One-Eyed Jacks remains the Paramount laser-disc:

in which color and density retain the proper photochemical look and accuracy.
The picture is as sharp as laser disc technology allowed, and that's sharp.
Front Row Features port of the laser-disc remains the best-quality DVD:

Some of you may disagree, which is fine.

 

[PaulaJ]

I don't have the laser disc so I can't comment on it, but I can say that the French DVD is a heck of a lot better than the Front Row DVD. (See pics)
What I want to know is... how is the German DVD compared to the French one, and does the German one have removable subtitles?
Front Row DVD

French DVD

 

[PaulaJ]

I just got the American Blu-ray release of One-Eyed Jacks and it's a joke. Dancing grain in one corner, gyrating pixels in that corner, let the eyeball whiplash begin! Color is very inconsistent. As for image ringing -- it's like a church steeple on a Sunday morning. I'll let someone else judge the sound, I just have your two basic stereo speakers.
It looks to be a direct port of the German Blu-ray...? The credits first say Savoy, then Intergroove. The copyright warning is in German, and the language track default is German -- you have to manually change it to English. At least there are no forced subtitles if you're watching in English.
Stick with the French or German standard DVD for now, until someone FINALLY does the right thing by this film going back to the source elements. (I'm not expecting that to happen any time soon... as in never.)
Was it ever determined if the German standard DVD has forced subtitles if you watch with the English language soundtrack? The French one does, alas, but I haven't heard if the German one does too. I'd really like some info on that if anyone has it.

 

[Bill:N]

No forced German subtitles with the English soundtrack, however the image quality would appear the same as the US one, judging from your comments.

 

[PaulaJ]

I meant the German STANDARD DVD, not the Blu-ray. Forced subtitles or not?
Yeah, I heard the German Blu-ray was a mess too. The American Blu-ray actually IS the German one, what with the German language copyright warning, soundtrack default to German, etc.

 

[AlanP]

Why has there not been a legitimate release of this amazing film ???

 

[Thomas T]

Why has there not been a legitimate release of this amazing film ???

Because it's fallen into the public domain, I suspect Paramount is loathe to put out a pristine print (possibly restored or remastered) only to have it ripped off by the countless PD companies out there.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by Thomas T /t/303390/the-best-dvd-of-one-eyed-jacks-1961/30#post_3870608
Because it's fallen into the public domain, I suspect Paramount is loathe to put out a pristine print (possibly restored or remastered) only to have it ripped off by the countless PD companies out there.

And yet, MGM/Warners went the extra mile to rescue both Till the Clouds Roll By and Royal Wedding and offer splendid looking, official DVD releases. Charade got similar treatment and is now one of Criterion's shining lights and on Blu-ray no less.

I wonder if there are complications with the Brando estate that make it not worth the effort.

 

[ShowsOn]

Because it's fallen into the public domain, I suspect Paramount is loathe to put out a pristine print (possibly restored or remastered) only to have it ripped off by the countless PD companies out there.

Paramount would've bought the rights to adapt the book that the screenplay was based on. The film is an adaptation of that copyrighted work, so even if the film is in the public domain, Paramount could assert its rights to the adaptation of the book, which all the public domain editions of the film infringe upon.
The Brando estate could sue all the public domain companies for exploiting Brando's image by distributing the DVDs that feature his image, e.g. on the cover art as well as the film itself, without the consent of the estate.
There are many ways that the intellectual property of a film can be protected without the film itself being under copyright.

 

[Richard--W]

I don't believe the film is in public domain. This is a misconception on the part of the budget labels. I believe it is jointly owned by Paramount and by the Brando estate. It is clear however that no one is overseeing Brando's estate, or at least his rights in the matter of this film.

 

[jimmcacoe]

One-Eyed Jacks is one of my all-time favorite movies. But most of the VHS or DVD copies available have lousy, grainy, soft image resolution. I tried the Front Row Features dvd that you described as the best copy you have found, but it was still not that good. However, when I purchased the "Double Pack CD Original Soundtrack + DVD Movie" the title across the gold band at the top of the package, I was pleased to discover the dvd of the movie that came with the soundtrack is superb image quality, just superb. Don't despair at the beginning: the opening titles still look bad, but as soon as the camera pans to the shot of the town and it fills the screen you will see the image quality.
The rest of the package has a black border around a black and white shot of Brando behind bars and the woman he loves. The two pack is produced by Centipede Films copyright 2011. I believe the company is in Holland, EEC. the code on the box is CFW040. Good luck.

 

[Colin McGuigan]

I bought the Sony/Impulso release of the movie from Spain, which has optional subtitles. A few screenshots can be viewed here.

 

[Robin9]

I bought the Sony/Impulso release of the movie from Spain, which has optional subtitles. A few screenshots can be viewed here.

At least the sky is slightly blue in your screen shots. Compare those with the grey sky in the previous screen shots. No blue at all - just like the abominable German BRD.

 

[jimmcacoe]

Best Quality DVD of One-Eyed Jacks
Quality DVD's of the great One-Eyed Jacks movie from 1961 are just about impossible to find. I know because I have purchased a bunch of them and they all stink, until now. I found a DVD with extremely high image resolution, a very sharp picture. This is produced by Centipede Films. The product code is CFW040. It is a two-pack, with a CD of the excellent Hugo Friedhofer musical soundtrack and a DVD of the movie. I bought this one from CDImports. The box cover has a gold band across the top: "Double Pack CD Original Soundtrack + DVD Movie -- ONE-EYED JACKS." The rest of the cover border is black, with a black and white photo of Brando behind bars, looking at Pina Pellicer. The names of the three main cast members runs along the bottom of the box in gold. The opening titles of this DVD are not high quality; do not despair. As the camera pans to the opening in the wall and the view of the town expands to fill the screen you will see great image sharpness.