Meet Bob Furmanek: HTF Golden Age 3-D Consultant

3 Stars Mr. Furmanek is our official Golden Age 3-D Consultant
Bob Furmanek Q&A

Home Theater Forum is proud to present Film Historian Bob Furmanek. Mr. Furmanek is our official Golden Age 3-D Consultant who will be contributing content and answering member questions in our 3D Blu-ray forum.

We have provided his BIO below. Please feel free to use this thread to welcome Bob to this forum as well as ask any general questions you may have about his career.

Film historian Bob Furmanek has played an important behind the scenes role in film preservation for more than 30 years.
His first industry job was working at the highly respected John E. Allen film preservation lab in New Jersey. Bob handled nitrate print inspection, including original elements from WAY DOWN EAST and WEREWOLF OF LONDON. In addition, he worked with the handling and inspection of millions of feet of nitrate stock footage, dating back to the turn of the century.
In 1981, he was a research assistant on the David Wolper produced feature film, THIS IS ELVIS, for Warner Bros. Bob was entrusted with the security and handling of some one-of-a-kind 8mm footage taken of the controversial singer by a local police force during an appearance in 1957.
While in Hollywood in 1981, Bob met Dean Martin and began a ten year association. He produced several critically acclaimed Capitol Records re-issues of Dean’s music. One release, the CAPITOL COLLECTORS SERIES, was awarded gold status by the RIAA. Dean was particularly pleased when Bob produced the re-issue of his classic 1955 album, SWINGIN’ DOWN YONDER. He added several other Dixieland tracks from Dean’s catalog, including the previously unreleased “Darktown Strutters Ball.” When presenting him with the new release shortly after his birthday in June 1991, Dean smiled and said “I always loved Dixieland music.”
In June 1982, Bob had a chance meeting on the back lot at Warner Bros. which has enriched his life immensely. He turned a corner and literally stumbled onto legendary entertainer Jerry Lewis while he was filming the movie SMORGASBORD. This lead to an ongoing friendship with Mr. Lewis which continues to this day. Over the next 20 years as Lewis’ personal archivist, Bob was responsible for discovering and cataloging many hidden treasures from his career. Among his finds was one of the earliest surviving color videotapes: a 1959 production of “The Jazz Singer” which aired on NBC and has just been restored for release on DVD. Bob also found a 16mm film which contained a complete performance of Martin and Lewis at New York’s Copacabana in 1954. His archival efforts have led to several retrospective shows, including a salute to Lewis at the American Museum of the Moving Image and a five part documentary series for the Disney Channel.
While living in Hollywood, Bob also became archivist to the Estates of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. He utilized his research expertise to locate many lost elements, including nearly 30 crates of original radio transcriptions from the 1940’s. In addition, he located the surviving 35mm nitrate film elements for AFRICA SCREAMS. Bob funded the 35mm restoration out of his own pocket, and later produced a special edition laser disc for Image Entertainment which was awarded “Best Supplemental Disc of the Year” by Video Magazine in 1988. He also produced a color restoration of JACK AND THE BEANSTALK for laser disc and located the long lost Supercinecolor elements to ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD in England. Bob donated the materials to UCLA and the film was preserved in 2002. The restoration was released on DVD via the Warner Archive Series in 2011.
While working in various film vaults over the years, Bob discovered several important elements, including the 35mm nitrate camera negatives to MEET JOHN DOE (restored by UCLA in 1995) and the 35mm camera negative trims from the original color Star Trek pilot, THE CAGE. He was able to secure preservation by returning the un-marked footage to Gene Roddenberry at Paramount. Bob also located original nitrate 35mm materials for two Bela Lugosi films; THE DEVIL BAT and the Cinecolor feature SCARED TO DEATH which were released on laser disc by Lumivision in 1997.
In 1991, Bob co-authored ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN HOLLYWOOD. Published by Perigee Books/Putnam Publishing, this highly detailed look at the making of Bud and Lou’s feature films received excellent reviews. Library Journal called it a “definitive guide to their 36 movies.” Film historian Leonard Maltin said “More details on the making of their films than any book I’ve ever seen” and Anthony Slide in Classic Images said “This is about as good a “Films of” book as it is possible to compile. It cannot be better. Highly recommended.”
Bob worked for Capitol Records in the early 1990’s and produced 32 CD re-issues, including the RIAA gold certified Louis Prima CAPITOL COLLECTORS SERIES. Other releases in the series included Ella Fitzgerald, Al Martino, The Kingston Trio, The Andrews Sisters, Kay Starr and Grand Funk Railroad. While doing research for the 3 disc FRANK SINATRA: THE CAPITOL YEARS set, Bob discovered a previously unknown recording of “One for My Baby” in the vaults.
In 1992, Bob began an eleven year effort to help save and restore a vintage movie palace: the 1929 Loew’s Jersey Theater in Jersey City, New Jersey. He produced several highly successful shows in the huge lobby in order to raise awareness of the theaters beauty and potential as a showcase for classic film. The historic theater was saved from the wrecker’s ball and with the aid of several industry engineers; 35mm projection capability was restored to the 3300 seat auditorium. The theater is still running classic film to this day.

In the early 1990’s, Bob began his most ambitious crusade to date; to locate, secure and preserve original dual-strip 35mm prints and elements from the Golden Age of 3-D motion pictures: 1952-1955. Forming the non-profit 3-D Film Archive, Bob worked tirelessly over the next decade tracking down and re-combining lost 3-D prints. He eventually built the largest, most complete Archive of vintage 35mm stereoscopic film elements in the world. His efforts led to the highly successful WORLD 3-D FILM EXPO in 2003 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood and the second EXPO in 2006.

Today, Bob is President of the 3-D Film Archive and continues his ongoing efforts to save and restore lost 3-D materials. Most recently, the Archive helped to ensure preservation of the 1954 United Artists feature GOG and has provided important research materials and documentation to Warner Bros. on their 3-D library.

2012 will be a most exciting year for 3-D fans as the Archive makes preparations to share their stereoscopic film treasures with the world!

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Ron is the heart and soul of Home Theater Forum. His dedication since founding the platform in 1997 has shaped it into a leading voice in the home theater industry. Ron currently lives on the east coast.

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Johnny Angell

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Welcome to the forum and I'd like to ask a question. There has been a lot of talk on the forum about Universal releasing some of their monster films on blu-ray. Do you have any idea if some of them will be released in 3D? Specifically, Creature from the Black Lagoon and It Came from Outer Space.
 

ahollis

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Another legend in the business attached to HTF! With your expertise and resources along with the other very notable and knowledgeable consultants, I would think that HTF continues to be a leader. I have certainly enjoyed your previous posts and always learn something from them. I look forward to many more in the future and your guidance through this era of 3D,
 

Bob Furmanek

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Thank you very much for your warm welcome, it's a pleasure to join the team!
As you know, I've been active on this site and have been a participating member for many years. I'm grateful for the opportunity to officially come on board and will be happy to answer any questions that I can. Of course, certain studio updates have to remain confidential. Even though I may be working on a project, I may not always be at liberty to discuss it. I hope you understand.
My particular area of expertise is the Golden Age of 3-D Movies, from SELECTED VIEWS OF YOSEMITE VALLEY in 1922 to THE BUBBLE in 1966.
I've also had the good fortune to work on a variety of different projects over the past 30 years and will be happy to answer any questions about those as well.
So far as plans at Universal, I'm not aware of any developments with their 3-D library. They own six very high quality features from the Golden Age plus three entertaining shorts, including ones with Nat King Cole and Pinky Lee! They were also one of the few studios to produce trailers in 3-D. Five of their six features were intended for widescreen and would look spectacular on the new displays.
Unfortunately, there are no plans for a third Expo at this time. We're focusing all of our energies on restoring the titles that we own. Look for some VERY exciting 3-D announcements on Blu-Ray in the very near future!
Bob
 

Peter Apruzzese

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Hey...I know you! :)
I wasn't able to attend either of the World 3-D Expos in LA, but I can say from the times that I ran double-system 3-D at the Lafayette that it is an extremely time consuming and expensive endeavor to undertake. Producing another festival such as they did would be an enormous task given the state of the materials.
 

Richard--W

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Are the 3-D materials any worse now than they were in 2003 and 2006?
I thought the Expos alerted the studios to the viability of their 3-D films as marketable commodities, and facilitated the striking of new prints and some restoration.
If a 3-D Expo could be done twice before, it can be done again.
And again. And again. And again.
So long as audiences turn out to see them.
With the heightened awareness of classic 3-D now, as a result of the Expos, the progress of the 3-D film industry and its acceptance by the public, I should think another Expo would be more successful than the first two.
Of course it takes effort, but what doesn't take effort in this business.
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Welcome, Bob Furmanek.
 

Mike Frezon

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Hi Bob! Welcome aboard!
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I was delighted to be reading a story in one of the NY tabloids this weekend about the release of the Jerry Lewis 1959 TV version of The Jazz Singer and see your name connected with that project! Very cool.

It sounded like a pretty interesting audio about how you were able to piece together enough elements of that broadcast from the original 2" color tape, a B&W kinescope and separate audio recordings...
 

Bob Furmanek

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Thank you Mike, I found that "Jazz Singer" color tape 26 years ago and have been patiently waiting to see it restored!
I didn't work on the recent audio restoration. That was handled by the amazing David Crosthwaite at http://dcvideo.com/
I agree Richard and when the time is right, I will do my absolute best to make it happen. Right now, my focus is on the restoration of materials that we own and plan to release this year.
My interest in 3-D preservation began in the 1970's and I started aggressively looking for prints and elements in 1990. I'm in the process of writing a detailed article on the history of the Archive. In the meantime, here's a piece that was published in the Big Reel in November 1999.
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moviebear1

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Hey BOB. . . Great to see you are envolved here.
I know you said you can't give any titles out. But you should be able to at least let us know that there will be releases of any of the 1950s 3D titles this year. That would certainly make those of us who are set up with 3D systems happy to look forward to.
Matt Spero
 

Bob Furmanek

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Hi Matt,
Great to see you again!
I can only say that I will personally be releasing some Golden Age material from the Archive. I can't say for certain anything will happen from the studios. I do know that WB is working on at least one, maybe two titles, as we speak...
Bob
 

pinknik

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Exciting news, Bob. I've got several questions, so I'll just fire away. I've seen that Sony has 3-D downloads on their PS3 store of The Mad Magician and Pardon My Backfire. Both pricey. Do you know if either is slated for Blu-ray release? Whatever happened to the Hondo restoration? I read about it several times, then . . . nothing. Is there any movement in the industry to do restorations of classic era films that can be shown in a modern digital 3-D theater, such as a Real-D equipped theater? Will low budget independent fair (fingers crossed: Robot Monster) get a fair shake on blu-ray? Looking forward to seeing your 3-D releases.
 

Chuck Pennington

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Bob, the work you did on your Sinatra set is the BEST those tracks have ever sounded in digital form. Your compilation is apparently the only time the original session masters were used. I wish you had been involved in remastering all of the albums in their entirety. :)
 

Bob Furmanek

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Greg: to answer your questions. I haven't heard anything definite about Sony's plans for Blu-Ray. The same with HONDO. The Wayne Estate has the film in a 3-D digital format but have only had two or three screenings.
D-Cinema would be a natural for some of the classics (Wax, Dial M, Kiss Me Kate, Creature, etc) but I'm not aware of any plans at this time.
I approached the copyright holder of ROBOT MONSTER and offered to fund a full restoration off the original negatives. Unfortunately, he declined.
Chuck: all the credit for that Sinatra release goes to my brother Ron. My involvement on that 3 disc set was in the vaults doing preliminary research, Ron produced it and did all the restoration in the studio.
Bob
 

Robert Harris

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As those on this board become more aware of Mr. Furmanek, one point will become very obvious.

There are few in the industry with more passion and knowledge of their subjects than he. When he believes in something he goes after it, tries to accomplish what needs to be done, and does so with integrity and professionalism.

I couldn't be more pleased that those of you who may not have known who he is, are now being introduced.

RAH
 
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