"A HATFUL OF RAIN" 1957

[TheVortex]

Dear Friends,

 

I have noticed in the last year of watching films on Turner Classic Movies that the only film I have seen that was shot in widescreen in 1957 but hasn't been properly formatted to LETTERBOX for the proper widescreen viewing on television is the original version of "A Hatful Of Rain" by Mister Fred Zimmerman. What do any of you think would be the reason for this?

 

God Bless,

The Vortex

[lzcutter]

>I have noticed in the last year of watching films on Turner Classic Movies that the only film I have seen that was shot in widescreen in 1957 but hasn't been properly formatted to LETTERBOX for the proper widescreen viewing on television is the original version of "A Hatful Of Rain" by Mister Fred Zimmerman. What do any of you think would be the reason for this?

 

The reason I usually think of is because Fox provided a pan and scan copy of the film to TCM and prefers to keep the widescreen version for airing on their own movie channel.

[DownGoesFrazier]

Why is A HATFUL OF RAIN unique with respect to that scenario, which it would seem would also apply to OTHER Fox films?

[lzcutter]

>Why is A HATFUL OF RAIN unique with respect to that scenario, which it would seem would also apply to OTHER Fox films?

 

 

Don't know. But Fox does have a widescreen version of the film that they play on their own movie channel and for some reason seems to prefer renting the pan and scan version to TCM.

[TheVortex]

Dear Izcutter and Finance,

 

I thank you both for your REPLIES which are absurd reasons for the improper copy to be shown on Turner Classic Movies. Please understand,I'm not stating your answers are absurd but the Twentieth Century Fox licensing is. I first saw this original screen version in the seventies and I remember how shocking and evil the scene is when Mother/Henry De Silva wants Johnny Pope/Don Murray to guess which hand the heroin packet is in ,left or right,because in one of the other hands is what looks like a bent barbell. Mother with his hands behind his back is waiting for the suffering Johnny to choose and to the left of Mother is Apples/William Hickey,pointing with the finger of one hand to the flat palm of his other as a sign as to which hand to choose for the heroin, although I believe Apples wants to see Johnny choose the barbell to be beaten,namely a brutal hit and not the hit of the heroin hit. This is the main scene that is cut right out off of the screen. But it still begs the question why is this film in an improper format but antoher Twentieth Century Fox film by Mister Henry King,"Love Is A Many Splendid Thing" is not.

 

God Bless,

The Vortex

[DougieB]

There have been recent indications that not only is Fox not interested in doing anything about improper formatting of some of their widescreen films, but now perhaps intend to commit to a NEW improper format for some films. FXM has recently started showing "State Fair" in a new 16:9-friendly but still not widescreen print, even though the widescreen print was released as part of a 2-disc set with the 1940's version. You're so right about the subtleties which can be lost when the films get chopped up. (Not that I'm claiming "State Fair" is all that subtle.)