lzcutter
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Posts posted by lzcutter
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Anne,
I think it was AMC (pre TCM) that ran the piece you are thinking of.
I agree, it would be great if TCM could run it or better yet, create a new promo that explains why films are kept down in salt mines and such.
Most people tend to think that a studio has a big vault on the lot filled with shelves and shelves of negatives while the truth is very different.
I would still love to see TCM do a documentary on film restoration and preservation with Marty Scorcese, Kevin Brownlow, Roger Mayer, George Feltenstein and Robert Gitt.
I think the folks that post here and most of TCM's viewers would appreciate and could benefit from the information that could be supplied.
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Markus,
There is a really good bio on LB Mayer called "The Lion of Hollywood" by Scott Eyman.
I, too, had heard the "bad" Mayer stories all these years. Garland, I think, exaggerated many of her stories for effect. The woman had a wicked sense of humor and great comedic timing and in watching her in interview footage Mayer is often the bad guy.
Anyways, it's a good book and I recommend it because it gives a view of LB that doesn't fit with the overall bad studio dictator that Garland's stories portray.
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So, Lz, I think you are trying to say that there are a lot of old films still in vaults that have not been copied and have not been dubbed to any kind of tape, and we want to see copies of ALL THE DANGED FILMS that Hollywood still has in its vaults, right? But, some of those film have some problems such as film damage, so it's not an easy matter of just going to the vault, taking out an old copy of an old film and dubbing it directly to a tape, since many of the old films need some kind of repair or restoration before they can be dubbed.>>
Fred,
Yes, that's what I've been trying to get across to folks for over a year now:
http://forums.tcm.com/jive/tcm/thread.jspa?threadID=75381&start=25&tstart=0
And the updated version:
http://forums.tcm.com/jive/tcm/thread.jspa?messageID=7833902
And the recent updated one on Vault Fires and Nitrate:
http://forums.tcm.com/jive/tcm/thread.jspa?messageID=7867907
Thank you for helping spread the word!
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Why do you keep saying that many old films can?t be dubbed to tape because it is ?too expensive??>>
Fred,
I don't mean to imply that they can't be dubbed because it's too expensive.
Studios such as Universal and Paramount don't put major dollars into transferring their titles. The problem is that they aren't exactly burning the midnight oil (or anything else) to transfer their classic libraries. They are using those dollars to transfer their older television shows because the demand for those is higher than their classic films.
Warners (which owns the biggest studio library) believes in restoring their films. Not every film gets a full restoration but the RKO library suffered a great deal of damage back in the late 1950s and early 1960s when their films were aired on television.
So, many of those films they have to go back to the fine grains or the original elements because the prints are badly damaged. And Warner tends to believe (or at least they act as if they do) if they are going to have go that far they may as well do a good job.
It's a situation with a number of different problems and different solutions.
The biggest hurdle is the fact that not every studio cares about the films in their classic library and as long as they don't care about them, they aren't getting transferred.
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I don?t understand what you mean about digital. When digital was first invented all we had to do was plug a cable from an analog recorder into a digital recorder and make the dub. What are you saying is different today?>>
Fred,
By digital, I mean on Digital Betacam or higher (D-1, D-2, etc). Recording a film to Digibeta or higher, is expensive and while in the old days it once meant getting the 3/4" deck or Betacam SP deck out and hooking it up to the TV/film projector, broadcasters don't use that standard anymore.
Today, it is much more expensive and time consuming. Today, Digibeta (and higher) decks are very expensive to own and expensive to maintain.
Most film distributors and film studios, prefer to transfer a film from, at least, a 35mm fine grain and barring that, the negative elements. The majority of restoration work is all done on computers creating digital files. Restoring a film is all about the digital files these days. DVD Authoring is also done with digital files.
Some studios, like Warner Bros, feel if they are going to all that grief they may as well make it the best transfer it can be. The technology that you and I worked in for many, many years was the standard for what, 40 years? VHS tape had a long run being the Home Entertainment standard for almost 25 years.
Now, technology dictates that what the standard is today may have a shelf life of 10 years (if we are lucky) before the next, better thing comes along. If DVDs as a standard last as long as VHS it will be surprising.
TCM does not own any prints and companies today do not ship film prints for broadcasting.
I agree that back in the day it was much easier to convert films to videotape for broadcasting.
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I was under the impression that the supply of the older movies was much lower than before due to not being digital.>>
Yes, that is true. I'm sorry if I give the impression that wasn't/isn't the case. But if you figure they have been on the air for thirteen years, programming movies 24/7, even with time out for Private Screenings, Docs and Cartoon Alley, that's amazing number of films they have shown over the years.
<< If they are continuing to work on converting those older movies we haven't seen in a long time and put their money there I'm all for it>>
On their own and often in partnership with Warner Bros and others, TCM is helping preserve and restore our film heritage. The 'lost" six RKO films that are coming this spring we owe to the hard work of some dedicated TCM staffers.
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Izcutter, would you happen to work for TCM?>>
VirginiaCreeper,
No, I don't work for TCM but have logged way too many years in documentaries as an editor and in historical preservation.
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I'm not sure how these stars who were children when picked up and polished, tossed into that studio system, were able to survive with any sanity remaining intact. Most of them didn't, did they?>>
Actually, I think most of them did. Jane Powell, Ann Miller, Katherine Grayson, Carelton Carpenter, Debbie Reynolds and while Mickey Rooney and Liz Taylor may be bad at picking spouses for the most part, the generation of young actors that went through MGM with Judy fared much better emotionally than Judy.
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Try to watch vintage movies with the mindset of the audiences who watched them in their first runs, and you may come away with a different perspective of the story itself.>>
Anne,
Clapping, clapping, clapping, clapping!
Excellent post!!!!
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Oldmoviebuff,
TCM has recently had great success with obtaining contracts with Sony, Universal and Paramount (their post-1950s catalogue) to broadcast a number of films.
There have been a number of threads the last few months with folks thanking TCM for running films that they have requested so it may be with these new contracts in place that the films you are requesting may in fact be coming to TCM.
I certainly hope so.
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I've made tons of requests for classic movie stars' movies to no avail. Still no Louise Brooks, Clara Bow, Vivien Leigh,>>
Sweetbaby,
As long as IFC has the contract for broadcasting Pandora's Box it probably prevents TCM from running it.
Clara Bow did most of her work for Paramount (I believe) and they are notorious for not taking care of their studio library (especially their silents) except for the very well known titles.
As for Vivien Leigh, most of her early work was done over in England and from the looks of TCM's recent negotiations and screenings of older British titles, it may be that Vivien Leigh will highlighted in this summer's SUTS.
We can keep our fingers crossed.
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One that I've requested several time ("Goodbye, Again"; I can't recall the French name now, although it's not a foreign film) WAS shown on TCM, so I know it's not a matter of them not having it/being able to get it; but "The Producers" is better? >>
Otterhere,
It looks like "Goodbye Again" with Ingrid Bergman and Yves Montand, was released by United Artists but it also looks like there is a Belgium company involved for the European release.
It may be that another channel has the rights or it may have something to do with European contract that is preventing TCM from showing it soon.
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Chipper,
TCM does not own a film library anymore. When Ted Turner did the merge with Time Warner a few years back, the TCM Film library came under the control and care of Warner Brothers.
TCM has to rent the films it shows. The folks at TCM recently did a deal with Sony Pictures to broadcast a number of Columbia Films (the Columbia Film Library is controlled by Sony). How long this contract lasts and for what films I am not sure. But I believe I read somewhere that it is a long-term ongoing contract.
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So last night was my return to the series. And I left the movie thinking I'd just seen the best Bond movie ever. Daniel Craig is excellent and he has the balance of brawn and sophistication that the role requires.>>
Jack,
I wholeheartedly concur.
Anne, when this movie comes to cable, give it a chance. I think you will like it. This is how an agent named Bond becomes James Bond and it is great. I said in another thread it is a Bond for the 21st Century but with his roots very much in the 20th Century.
Loved Jeffrey Wright as Felix! Praying he comes back for the next one and has more to do.
Loved the villians.
Jack,
The villain being chased at the top of the movie- his stunt work is credited in the opening credits.
Loved it, loved it, loved it.
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Casino Royale!
They have reinvented the Bond Franchise. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Pierce Brosnan. But the Bond films of late to me have become caricatures of themselves.
This film takes Bond back to the basics without all the gizmos and without all the silliness.
Has some good laugh out loud moments but is very edge of your seat. Great stunts, though like all Bond films, one that goes on a tad too long.
But Daniel Craig makes a great Bond and this is the story of how an agent named Bond became James Bond.
I don't miss Q (though I love the character) and Judi Dench is wonderful as M.
A Bond for the 21st Century but his roots are very 20th Century.
Loved it!
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I first became acquainted with "The Boston Beguine" from an LP by Joan Morris and William Bolcom titled "Lime Jello - An American Cabaret" Sadly it is OOP and never released on CD as far as I can tell. It is a wonderful set of "pop" cabaret numbers with the just right mix of humor and sentimentality. The original song "Lime Jello Marshmallo Cottage Cheese Surprise" is a particular favorite. Also "Tamara, Queen Of The Nile" about the secret life of a grade school teacher. There is a compilation CD of some of their other Cabaret albums ("Black Max" particularly and one I have on cassette, useless as that is nowadays.) available at Amazon but nothing from the "Lime Jello" recording.>>
Kyle,
I swear there was an article in last summer's LATimes about this album! I'm watching footage of Vince Edwards singing (!) on stage on the Riv and Orson Welles doing his magic act.
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Kim,
As long as Encore's Western Channel has the Audie Murphy westerns on lease (and they do seem to show a good number of them), it's likely that TCM will be unable to show them until Encore's contract expires.
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Bill,
It's doubtful that "The Man Who Would Be King" would have been on television in the late 1970s as it was tied up for awhile in rights hell for anything but film showings.
The film opens with a wizened man (Christopher Plummer as Rudyard Kipling) dropping a sack (to say more would give the movie away) on a table and then telling us the tale in flashback that leads up to him having the sack. No witches, I'm afraid.
It's a great movie and it looks like they are showing a restored print of it at the Robert Osborne Film Festival this March in Athens, GA.
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I think if they put their money into getting the thousands of old movies>>
But they have put their money into getting thousands of old movies. Every week, of every year they delight us with us with them.
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Virginia,
It's been one of those things folks have been concerned about ever since these message boards went live and still some seven+ years later, there are still no commercials.
TCM celebrates films from all decades, always as. Rather than have a hard and fast rule about what it will and will not show, TCM takes the big tent approach allowing us to experience the films we love, the films we watch because their guilty pleasures, the films we watch because we can't believe how bad they are. They also spotlight silents and foreign films.
The sad reality is that there are not enough pre-1960 films available to TCM to only show 1920-1959 films. There are also not enough viewers who would be willing to watch TCM 24/7 if they went that route.
TCM has recently made some incredible lease deals with Sony for their Columbia and post-1986 MGM library, with Universal for its library and the pe-1949 Paramount Films that Universal now owns. TCM has always been doing deals with English companies to bring us Ealing and other British films.
TCM is a well-respected channel that helps film preservation and restoration. They know they don't need to become HBO or Showtime or Flix because they are the one channel that shows films in their original aspect ration, uncut and commercial free.
That's why film fans of all decades love them so and watch them.
And, like I said, they seem very aware of that and are constantly trying to feed our film habits and they must be doing something right viewership wise because they are still commercial free after 13 years.
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SPTO,
There were still films being shot in black and white in the early to mid 1960s but I think by the middle of the decade when the majority of Americans had color televisions, Hollywood was primarily shooting in color.
Films in black and white in the early 1960s:
The Apartment, Fail Safe, The Best Man, The Americanization of Emily (coming to TCM next week, I believe).
There were probably some small budget films that were shot in black and white until around 1970 but they were certainly the minority.
Once America embraced color television, black and white film photography was doomed.
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Here's a link to one by Richard Schickel which appeared in last Sunday's LATimes:
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the actor/dancer must go to a Foley studio and record a tap track on a wooden floor and perfectly match the image on the screen for a clean sound. It's interesting to imagine a Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly or the Nicholas Brothers trying to recreate in sound what they see themselves doing on screen. Anyway, I hope a few of you find this info of interest. >>
Ayres,
The explanation is for the most part how it was done. The only thing I would add is that the majority of top ranked dancers didn't do their own Foley work. Other dancers would be brought in for that.
The only exception I can think of is Fred Astaire.
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I'm finding it interesting to read about the problems with DISH (and I don't imagine DIRECTV is much better)>>
Delores,
I just wanted to say that I think DirecTV does a very good job. We have had Direct for almost ten years now (in two different cities) and do not experience the problems nor the frequency of problems that the folks with Dish do.
The only time we have a problem with our service is in extreme downpours and it is only out briefly then.
I think all satellite subscribers have the occasional frozen frame or pixelatization (see FredC's description of why, it's quite accurate) but Dish TV subscribers seem to have more problems than Direct subscribers (at least here in Los Angeles).
Help Needed With Music In FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933)
in Information, Please!
Posted
Michael,
Those of us in Hollywood and the surrounding 'burbs would be interested in hearing your take on your hometown.