Turner Classic Movies to air LETTERBOXED Around the World in Eighty Days in December! (1 Viewer)

[Mark Zimmer]

Well done, Patrick! I'm enjoying it right now, in its 2.35:1 splendor. Did they say your name enough times at the beginning?
A much darker transfer than their usual P&S version of the film, but at least it's OAR. I was surprised to find the prologue intact...pretty horrifying when it started off in 1.33:1 in a little tiny windowboxed picture, but then it quickly grew to the proper proportions. Whew!

 

[William Miller]

There will be no new angel's wings tonight.

The correct aspect ratio for this movie is 2.2 and not 2.35 as it is tonight on TCM. It's taken from the Cinemascope version.

The prologue is supposed to be 1.33 until the very end of it. But, on TCM it zoomed out to 2.35 too early but that is just a small complaint.

But it is a real treat to at least see it in some kind of widescreen format at last. And I will still hope for the day when we can see the letterboxed, uncut, roadshow version of the Todd-AO print.

Thank you Patrick for spurring TCM on for this fantastic event.

 

[Jo_C]

Well, as of 9:24 Pacific time, the movie is now over. And, as you might have figured out, this was the CinemaScope print of the 1980's reissue version with approx. 40 min. deleted. TCM did report just now that a restoration of the original Todd-AO version "is now in the works". Perhaps someday we will see the full uncut version as intended.

 

[Lannie Lorence]

Congratulations, Patrick!

You da' man. Would you count this amongst some of your proudest moments in life?

 

[John Morgan]

Thanks Patrick!

What a treat! One thing though, on our Times Warner cable at least, by getting letterbox, we lost stereo!!

I don't know if this is a problem at TCM or at our cable company, but this happens too often. I remember having a great sounding stereo prerecord (although pan and scan) of AROUND THE WORLD AND UNDER THE SEA. TCM showed a letterboxed version, so I taped over my prerecorded version, and the TCM broadcast was dead mono!

Another thing I noticed on the AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS showing is there is still that sound problem when they start on their journey in the balloon. When they are over the snow peak shoveling snow to cool their champagne, the music seems to have a print-through problem where you hear the music double; like a second or more apart, a pre-echo or something.

Anyway, it is great seeing it in letterbox.:b :b

 

[Patrick McCart]

Actually, the version they showed is in the correct aspect ratio. CinemaScope prints were made off the 24fps 2.21:1 65mm negative, but had a final aspect ratio of 2.35:1 (Most had mono sound since the 70mm version was the roadshow version which had all the presentation) Todd-AO prints off the 30fps negative were made at 2.21:1.

I would have liked to have seen TCM show what was left of the prologue in 1.33:1 and then zoom out to 2.35:1, but the 1.33:1 portion only lasted a few seconds...the 1.33:1-2.21:1 zoom out would be more effective when the film is full-length and has the full prologue.

All in all, the print TCM used was in fantastic quality! Besides some defects carried from the negative the print was duplicated off of (I noticed some water damage on a few shots...). The color was vibrant. The P&S version looked like it had faded and was washed out. Also, there was lots of dirt and scratches. It's refreshing to see the full width of the frame finally!

And yes, it was neat to have a request fullfilled on national TV!

 

[Mark Zimmer]

When I taped over my old P&S version, I retained the prologue and the first part of the movie for comparison's sake. I'm glad I kept the prologue, since it was on review heavily edited down here, omitting the lenghty excerpt (if not the entire film) of Melies' A Trip to the Moon completely.

Are you certain that the entire prologue is supposed to be 1.33:1? The old P&S version of the prologue still is only the middle part of the version we saw last night, from the point of the rocket launch forward---when we see Murrow for the last time, you see much more of his library in the WS version, so it doesn't look like it was cropped from a FS image. The P&S version of this shot is extremely cramped.

The card game at the beginning is a great WS/P&S example. You see all 6 participants in the WS version; only 4 make it onscreen in the P&S and the camera has to gyrate wildly as each of them talk. What a relief to have even this truncated version in WS!

 

[William Miller]

Yes, the correct aspect ratio for the Cinemascope version is 2.35 but the real correct version for this film is the Todd-AO version which is 2.2

Even though I was very young at the time, I have vivid memories of seeing 80 Days in it's original roadshow engagement. The prologue was very tiny in the middle of the screen with the curtains tightly surrounding it. Then, right at the end of the prologue, the curtains slowly started to expand and the picture expanded with it to the giant Todd-AO screen and everybody in the audience started oohing and ahing.

 

[RolandL]

I only watched a few minutes this morning to see if it recorded OK, it did. I like the wide stereo sound image and the directional dialog!