The Savage Innocents (1959) from Olive? (1 Viewer)

[OliverK]

I just saw this on the Best Buy site:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/the-sav...D=1&siteID=lKqk0WGRBfI-sc5Y9OjL8ak5aTNgYzJRIg

It has been ages since I watched it but directed by Nick Ray with acting from Anthony Quinn and Peter O' Toole together with the large format cinematography can't be all that bad so I look forward to revisit it. Hopefully it really gets released this time around and also looks good enough to notice that it was a large format production.

 

[John Hermes]

Thanks for spotting this. I've never seen the film but anything in Technirama draws my interest.

 

[Robin9]

I saw this film when it was new. I didn't like it at all but as I was in my early teens, that does not mean very much. I would be interested to see this film again, at least once.

 

[OliverK]

I saw this film when it was new. I didn't like it at all but as I was in my early teens, that does not mean very much. I would be interested to see this film again, at least once.

I would also think that I was in my teens when I saw it - on a small tube TV. At least I will have a much better appreciation of the scenery this time around

 

[RolandL]

Cool movie poster:

 

[OliverK]

If only they could adapt that for the Blu-ray cover - together with a white or transparent case

 

[Allansfirebird]

That was one that I wanted to get the Masters of Cinema version from the UK, but it seems it was pulled shortly after release due to a rights issue, and is now practically a unicorn. It's an interesting film, with some beautiful arctic cinematography. A blu-ray release would be welcomed!

 

[OliverK]

On the other site it says that it has been confirmed for a release on the 27th of June and apparently they went back to the TLA negative which is fantastic news.

The way it was reported has me puzzled though:

NEWLY restored from the original VistaVision negative.

One should assume that whoever posted this should know the difference between Super Technirama 70 and VistaVision?

I guess that does not really matter as long as the release looks as good as we now have every reason to expect!

 

[RolandL]

On the other site it says that it has been confirmed for a release on the 27th of June and apparently they went back to the TLA negative which is fantastic news.

The way it was reported has me puzzled though:

NEWLY restored from the original VistaVision negative.

One should assume that whoever posted this should know the difference between Super Technirama 70 and VistaVision?


I guess that does not really matter as long as the release looks as good as we now have every reason to expect!

Technirama and VistaVision negatives are the same size. Technirama has the 1.5 anamorphic squeeze. Super Technirama 70 is the 70mm release print.

 

[OliverK]

Technirama and VistaVision negatives are the same size. Technirama has the 1.5 anamorphic squeeze. Super Technirama 70 is the 70mm release print.

The process name was attached to the production, not just the 70mm prints. Yes the negative size is the same for both processes but not the area intended to be seen in theaters.

 

[Douglas R]

Fascinating and remarkable film. I saw it on first release and had to ask my parents to take me because it had an A certificate which meant unaccompanied children under 16 were not admitted. Until the excellent Masters of Cinema DVD release (which I have), the film had hardly ever been seen. The DVD was also uncut for the first time - the theatrical release certainly didn't show a naked Yoko Tani back in 1960! The DVD booklet includes an intriguing copy of a handwritten note from Hans Ruesch (the film was based on his novel "Top of the World") to Masters of Cinema, saying he would love to have a copy of the film, adding that he is still being pursued by the Swiss authorities (presumably in connection with his then anti-vivisection activities).

 

[OliverK]

You must be one of the very few that managed to get one of these discs!
Did you watch it in 70mm when you were a kid?

 

[Douglas R]

It was surely never shown in 70mm? But in any case our local ABC cinema only had 35mm.

 

[OliverK]

It was surely never shown in 70mm? But in any case our local ABC cinema only had 35mm.

I am sure that it still looked very good in 35mm, those reduction prints usually were of very high quality.

It seems there was a 70mm print in Malaya:
http://www.in70mm.com/news/2017/malaya/index.htm

I am sure there were also 70mm engagements elsewhere, being announced as a Super Technirama 70 production would make it improbable that it was only shown in 70mm in Asia.

 

[Robin9]

The DVD was also uncut for the first time - the theatrical release certainly didn't show a naked Yoko Tani back in 1960!

No, it didn't! I would have remembered that!

 

[OliverK]

Hmmmm, I don't remember it being THAT daring but I will approach the scene(s) in question with an open mind

 

[john a hunter]

I am sure that it still looked very good in 35mm, those reduction prints usually were of very high quality.

It seems there was a 70mm print in Malaya:
http://www.in70mm.com/news/2017/malaya/index.htm

I am sure there were also 70mm engagements elsewhere, being announced as a Super Technirama 70 production would make it improbable that it was only shown in 70mm in Asia.

Not so sure Oliver.
I have seen the very interesting adverts collected at in70mm.
I think they need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
The Big Fisherman in Technirama 70??
I believe that Rank released the film in the U.K and it was not screened in 70 there as Doug comments.
While a Malaya star was in the film and it would have some local importance, as you say,given the expense of a 70 version release, the print would have surely been shown in the U.K or Europe but there seems to be no evidence to support that.

 

[OliverK]

Not so sure Oliver.
I have seen the very interesting adverts collected at in70mm.
I think they need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
The Big Fisherman in Technirama 70??
I believe that Rank released the film in the U.K and it was not screened in 70 there as Doug comments.
While a Malaya star was in the film and it would have some local importance, as you say,given the expense of a 70 version release, the print would have surely been shown in the U.K or Europe but there seems to be no evidence to support that.

Yes but it is mentioned in the text on the left that The Big Fisherman was advertised incorrectly.

This list here also shows it as having a confirmed 70mm screening, further below you see the titles that could not be confirmed:

http://www.in70mm.com/library/process/technirama/index.htm

Apparently it was shown first at the Chelsea in Melbourne.

I also couldn't see any mentioning of it being shown in 70mm in Los Angeles or New York, maybe because it was considered a problematic title? The subject matter was not exactly mainstream and one can certainly assume that the nudity would have been an issue especially in the US.

 

[john a hunter]

Yes but the text is written by someone who knew what they were talking about and is merely correcting the facts .
Also The Big Fisherman moved to another theatre and the wrong advertising credit was never removed.
That gives me doubts as to its veracity.

The Chelsea in Melbourne was apparently a main 70mm venue from June 1960.
If they brought in a 70 there, why was it not shown in Sydney and else where.
The only evidence for a 70 for Savage Innocents is this advert, poor evidence I feel.
If there is also no evidence of it being shown in 70mm in North America, U.K. and Europe the major markets for film then, the lawyer in me says quite clearly that there never was a 70 print made. Sorry my friend..

 

[OliverK]

Yes but the text is written by someone who knew what they were talking about and is merely correcting the facts .
Also The Big Fisherman moved to another theatre and the wrong advertising credit was never removed.
That gives me doubts as to its veracity.

The Chelsea in Melbourne was apparently a main 70mm venue from June 1960.
If they brought in a 70 there, why was it not shown in Sydney and else where.
The only evidence for a 70 for Savage Innocents is this advert, poor evidence I feel.
If there is also no evidence of it being shown in 70mm in North America, U.K. and Europe the major markets for film then, the lawyer in me says quite clearly that there never was a 70 print made. Sorry my friend..

I am not quite sure what proof you would accept at this point but it seems uncontested so far that The Savage Innocents got a 70mm release, even though it was rather limited. It is even possible that the gentleman from Malaya who compiled the list saw it himself back in the day.
As for the limited release there could be many reasons and not just for this movie. The Big Fisherman is said to have had possibly only one 70mm print in Germany where you could also ask why there weren't more prints - the easy answer is that the distributor at the time apparently thought that one print of such a relatively weak movie (in his eyes) was enough, simple as that.
So I am also sorry but I will side with in70mm.com for this one. Not that it really matters any more with all 70mm prints most probably gone at this stage