Keith Cobby
Senior HTF Member
Perhaps if Warners see the enthusiasm for this film on this thread they might consider releasing Lucy Gallant.
Don't tease me about one of my favorite 50 films. Yes, an honest to goodness guilty pleasure.Keith Cobby said:Perhaps if Warners see the enthusiasm for this film on this thread they might consider releasing Lucy Gallant.
I've long heard that, but isn't that a guy on the back page of the magazine they're holding when discussing the "flattering" or "unflattering" picture of Mary?David Weicker said:One bit of trivia about this 'woman's film' - not a single male is ever on screen - background, long shot, extra, nothing. Even the dogs were female.
Yes it is.Will Krupp said:isn't that a guy on the back page of the magazine they're holding when discussing the "flattering" or "unflattering" picture of Mary?
You're not alone. I saw this a couple of months ago - I rented the DVD so I could eventually compare it to the Blu-ray.Ronald Epstein said:I have never seen this film. Ordered it blindly.
I guess I was just in the wrong mood for this film today.
I turned it off 30 minutes in. To me, just a bunch of cackling women.
I realize it's based on a stage play, and it unfolds pretty much as such.
I am going to revisit this other time when I am in a better mood to sit
through it.
Judging by the Beaver caps, I think by bleeding he is referring to three strip registration misalignment. I love that you laid out the history of the transistion to color. I thought I was the only nerd who waited for it every time I view a new source of this film. I have seen three versions thus far, so the Blu-ray will make 4 apparently. I saw the film projected about 10 years ago and when the color portion came on everything was brownish where the black and white stenciled portion should be. Just blank and brown all around the technicolor stage insert. By brownish, It looked exactly the color of unexposed celluloid back in the day when we used 35mm cameras to shoot still photos. Remember those?Will Krupp said:I watched it too. I agree, strong job. They fixed the "jumping" during the Mary/Crystal showdown in the dressing room and the jittery credits. The cue marks are also gone!
They've played around some more to try to recreate the stencil look of the original black and white to color transition as the original transitional footage is lost. On the DVD the small color image was placed over a black and white still image from later in the fashion show and here they've put the audience members from the still OVER a portion of the color footage so it now appears to be partially "behind" the black and white audience. If you look closely it's not very organic (and they never would have had that capability in 1939) and not really smooth but I appreciate the effort they took for a shot that lasts all of seven seconds. the Technicolor fashion show looks like a dream. Beaver says the footage has color bleed but I didn't see any. I thought it looked bold and rich and very satisfying.
It's funny but each home video incarnation is one step closer in trying to "fix" this transition (it should be the color stage in the middle of the frame with the black and white room surrounding it, only the shot of the black and white room is long gone as it was never more than an odd bit printed onto the beginning of the color reel.) The old VHS tape just had the color shot in the middle of a blank white frame, the DVD put the same shot over the still image and now this. I really do appreciate the ongoing effort
The film looks great!