Thanks, Jeff, for posting that. I’m a big fan of THE SAND PEBBLES, but I can’t afford to travel all the way to Suffern, NY (I live in NC). Anyway, I have it on Blu-ray, which is mastered from the same 4K scan. I hope the audience was into the movie. Anyway, I’m going to forward your comments, Jeff, to the website www.thesandpebbles.com Hope you don’t mind.
What theatre in NYC was it that “A&C meet Frankenstein” premiered at back in, I think, 1948? I believe I’ve seen a photo of Karloff outside the theatre pointing at the poster.
That marble staircase originally had no escalators in the middle of it, and I think a lot of elegance was lost when they were put in. If I’d owned the place I’d never have done it, but it’s all moot now anyway and it’s still a damn shame the theatre is no more.
Going to the movies at a theatre today just isn’t the same as it was, even as recently as the late 70s. It’ll never be the same. Theatres no longer have the kind of lobbies they used to, nor the poster displays, and just looking at what’s now being asked for popcorn and sodas is enough to make you cry. Even though I like the new stadium seating of some newer theatres, it still kind of sucks going to the movies these days — plus most movies suck!
Thanks for the replies, guys. All of the above having been said, I’m very glad that Fox films from the era look as good as they do on DVD (check out the recent DVD of 1954’s GARDEN OF EVIL). I don’t know how Fox is saving it’s library — both chemically and digitally, I suppose — but after years of awful transfers, the studio seems to be turning things around in the last few years. Fox is my favorite studio — and I’m talking the pre-1970 Fox, not the modern one — so I care. I’m glad THE SAND PEBBLES (1966) and JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (1959) look as good as they do, and I’m hoping the upcoming Blu-ray of PLANET OF THE APES (1968) — my favorite film — will reflect positive restoration efforts despite the “Color by DeLuxe.”
Now, back to posts about what’s playing at the Ziegfeld….
“I worked at Fox in the 50s and Deluxe labs was in the same building, I seem to recall a large inventory of raw stock was always kept on hand.
posted by vito on Jul 17, 2008 at 3:48am”
This is why so many Fox films are “Color by DeLuxe.” I think the were part owners of the company, however I have no idea if the modern Twentieth Century Fox has any connection to the current Deluxe film labs (which has gone digital too and does a lot of DVD mastering) or if even the current Deluxe is the same company?
I’ve also read often that Deluxe film lab back in the 50s thru to the early 70s wasn’t the best lab, and more often than not their prints were notorious for fading, and even many of the original negatives to many Fox films and others have badly faded because they weren’t “fixed” long enough.
I see from an entry way above that THE SAND PEBBLES once played at the Ziegfeld [06.10.1970 … THE SAND PEBBLES (RE, 2 weeks)]. Now, Ziegfeld Man here told me he’s never seen it, but I recommended he get the 2-disc DVD edition from last year and give it a watch. Have you watched it yet, Gary? If you didn’t like it, you won’t hurt my feelings saying so, even if it is one of my favorite movies. What do others who view these posts think of SAND PEBBLES?
That makes me made that Universal has an inferior transfer of FMTW on DVD when there’s better elements out there, but I guess in their greed they’ll ask us to buy it on Blu-ray next year or something.
How were those prints of KING KONG and FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN? I believe what’s on DVD of KING KONG is the best the film has ever looked. I saw KING KONG in a theatre in the seventies, with restored footage, but the print was dark and murky. FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN looks generally OK on DVD, but has a lot of specks and scratches. Unless Universal does a digital restoration, I don’t image any prints out there look that great.
This has been posted on the website Cinemaretro.com:
This Friday, June 13, the landmark Loew’s Theatre in Jersey City, New Jersey will be screening the 1968 sci-fi classic Planet of the Apes starring Charlton Heston to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the movie. Showtime is at 8:00 PM – and the following day, the theater will present three other simian-themed classics:a matinee of Might Joe Young and evening screenings of King Kong/ Son of Kong (both on a bargain two-for-one double bill.) If you feel there aren’t enough big apes on the screen, you can also meet our illustrious editor-in-chief Lee Pfeiffer, who will be introducing Planet of the Apes on Friday (and revealing a bit of news that will excite Ape maniacs!)
The Loew’s is true movie palace that is being painstakingly restored to it’s former glory thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers. The theater is regarded as one of the most magnificent in the nation – and features low admission prices ($6; $4 for seniors and kids aged 12 and under), uniformed ushers (remember those?) who actually escort you to your seat and $1 popcorn and soft drinks. New York movie fans have been patronizing the theater because its only minutes from midtown Manhattan by the Path train service. A great feature of the screenings is that they generally include displays of original movie memorabila and collectibles and movie lovers meet in the luxurious lobby before and after the show to discuss common interests. Oh, and for our latest self-serving promotion, we can say you can now get back issues of Cinema Retro on sale in the theater lobby. So join Cinema Retro in going “Ape” this Friday night.
I asked someone, who claimed to be in the know, about this once. He said that Fox had twelve Mag-Optical 4-channel prints of “Planet of the Apes” made at Todd-AO labs in January 1968, but the studio never picked them up! Seems Fox at the last minute wasn’t sure “Planet” would that big of a hit. No one ever knows what happened to those twelve prints, but I kind of believe the story because why would Fox release “Bandolero!” in stereo in ‘68, and “The Detective,” and not “Planet”? Very strange.
Yeah, the print of “Planet of the Apes” shown recently at the Ziegfeld had restored stereo in Dolby Digital (front channels only), but the image was from an old dupe negative and was soft with little shadow detail and excessive grain. Hopefully the Jersey can get better.
Charlton Heston film festivals are called “Hest Fests.” Anyway, the last Heston movie I watched on DVD was “Diamond Head.” A soap opera, it was originally supposed to be a Clark Gable movie, but it’s not that bad a Heston movie. He played his typical “modern” character — a bastard prick. Hey look, even PLANET’s Taylor wasn’t exactly a nice guy, and look at the character he played years before in “The Naked Jungle.” And as the Ziegfeld will be showing the latest Indiana Jones soon, let’s remember that the model for the character was Heston in a nearly forgotten film, “Secret of the Incas.”
Very ironic. I probably first saw PLANET on April 7, 1968. After that I was a huge Heston fan. I didn’t agree with his politics later on, but I’ve never not been a fan of some of his movies. I think as an actor, if the script and director were good, then Heston could be very good. A lot of people think he was over-the-top in PLANET, but considering what the character had to deal with, I think Heston got the tone just about right.
I had a really strong sense this was about to happen while I was in New York. I just felt there was something larger going on. I was a huge fan of Heston’s when I was a kid.
The digital stuff I saw there that night, Trailers and commercials, looked great, but didn’t fill the entire screen that the later Panavision film projection did.
The Bond films are all going to be digital transfers. They’ve already been shown in England. If you bought the remastered DVDs in the last year or so, I’d expect to see that level of quality-plus, projected on the big screen.
Yes, do indeed tell someone at Fox about this. It’ll be interesting to find out if anyone there even cares. Someone told me, during the first couple days that “Planet of the Apes” was showing that they thought the color balance of the movie looked too blue during the first reel, then a little warmer during the second, then better during the next, and so on. Well, that’s probably just the bulbs warming up during projection, but it shouldn’t be that way. Could be a badly color-balanced print, or it could be bad projection, but really is anything ever going to be perfect? It all starts with the quality of the source material used to make the print, and all I can say is Fox dropped the ball here. (Of course, this doesn’t have anything to do with projectors being out of focus, but I just need to vent here.) They should have provided a restored “archival” print of “Apes.” I know for a fact that Schawn Belston, vice president of film preservation at Fox, has done just such a restoration of “Apes,” because as a work-in-progress it was shown at The George Eastman House in Rochester, NY a few years ago, and it is that — I can only hope! — that’s going to be the source for the Blu-Ray DVD that’s coming out in October. For a 40th anniversary showing in NYC of a landmark film in their library, you’d think Fox would only be interested in the best possible product being presented to the public. You’d think that, but it ain’t so. A theatre in Minnesota (www.heightstheater.com) will be the next to show this print, a “brand new print,” but not one made from a new restored interpositive, that’s for sure. Yes, do indeed tell Fox.
Thanks, Jeff, for posting that. I’m a big fan of THE SAND PEBBLES, but I can’t afford to travel all the way to Suffern, NY (I live in NC). Anyway, I have it on Blu-ray, which is mastered from the same 4K scan. I hope the audience was into the movie. Anyway, I’m going to forward your comments, Jeff, to the website www.thesandpebbles.com Hope you don’t mind.
Is there anyone out there that went to the screening of THE SAND PEBBLES and can report on what the print quality was like?
Gee, I wonder who was there at 9 A.M. for the first showing?!? Thanks.
Anyone happen to see “Planet of the Apes” tonight? I’m wondering how the print quality was?
What theatre in NYC was it that “A&C meet Frankenstein” premiered at back in, I think, 1948? I believe I’ve seen a photo of Karloff outside the theatre pointing at the poster.
That marble staircase originally had no escalators in the middle of it, and I think a lot of elegance was lost when they were put in. If I’d owned the place I’d never have done it, but it’s all moot now anyway and it’s still a damn shame the theatre is no more.
Going to the movies at a theatre today just isn’t the same as it was, even as recently as the late 70s. It’ll never be the same. Theatres no longer have the kind of lobbies they used to, nor the poster displays, and just looking at what’s now being asked for popcorn and sodas is enough to make you cry. Even though I like the new stadium seating of some newer theatres, it still kind of sucks going to the movies these days — plus most movies suck!
Damn! I’m suffern ‘cause I can’t get to Suffern! Ziegfeld Man, if you haven’t watched the DVD yet, wait to see THE SAND PEBBLES there — if you can go.
Thanks for the replies, guys. All of the above having been said, I’m very glad that Fox films from the era look as good as they do on DVD (check out the recent DVD of 1954’s GARDEN OF EVIL). I don’t know how Fox is saving it’s library — both chemically and digitally, I suppose — but after years of awful transfers, the studio seems to be turning things around in the last few years. Fox is my favorite studio — and I’m talking the pre-1970 Fox, not the modern one — so I care. I’m glad THE SAND PEBBLES (1966) and JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (1959) look as good as they do, and I’m hoping the upcoming Blu-ray of PLANET OF THE APES (1968) — my favorite film — will reflect positive restoration efforts despite the “Color by DeLuxe.”
Now, back to posts about what’s playing at the Ziegfeld….
“I worked at Fox in the 50s and Deluxe labs was in the same building, I seem to recall a large inventory of raw stock was always kept on hand.
posted by vito on Jul 17, 2008 at 3:48am”
This is why so many Fox films are “Color by DeLuxe.” I think the were part owners of the company, however I have no idea if the modern Twentieth Century Fox has any connection to the current Deluxe film labs (which has gone digital too and does a lot of DVD mastering) or if even the current Deluxe is the same company?
I’ve also read often that Deluxe film lab back in the 50s thru to the early 70s wasn’t the best lab, and more often than not their prints were notorious for fading, and even many of the original negatives to many Fox films and others have badly faded because they weren’t “fixed” long enough.
Know anything about this, Vito?
Rory
I see from an entry way above that THE SAND PEBBLES once played at the Ziegfeld [06.10.1970 … THE SAND PEBBLES (RE, 2 weeks)]. Now, Ziegfeld Man here told me he’s never seen it, but I recommended he get the 2-disc DVD edition from last year and give it a watch. Have you watched it yet, Gary? If you didn’t like it, you won’t hurt my feelings saying so, even if it is one of my favorite movies. What do others who view these posts think of SAND PEBBLES?
That makes me made that Universal has an inferior transfer of FMTW on DVD when there’s better elements out there, but I guess in their greed they’ll ask us to buy it on Blu-ray next year or something.
How were those prints of KING KONG and FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN? I believe what’s on DVD of KING KONG is the best the film has ever looked. I saw KING KONG in a theatre in the seventies, with restored footage, but the print was dark and murky. FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN looks generally OK on DVD, but has a lot of specks and scratches. Unless Universal does a digital restoration, I don’t image any prints out there look that great.
This has been posted on the website Cinemaretro.com:
This Friday, June 13, the landmark Loew’s Theatre in Jersey City, New Jersey will be screening the 1968 sci-fi classic Planet of the Apes starring Charlton Heston to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the movie. Showtime is at 8:00 PM – and the following day, the theater will present three other simian-themed classics:a matinee of Might Joe Young and evening screenings of King Kong/ Son of Kong (both on a bargain two-for-one double bill.) If you feel there aren’t enough big apes on the screen, you can also meet our illustrious editor-in-chief Lee Pfeiffer, who will be introducing Planet of the Apes on Friday (and revealing a bit of news that will excite Ape maniacs!)
The Loew’s is true movie palace that is being painstakingly restored to it’s former glory thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers. The theater is regarded as one of the most magnificent in the nation – and features low admission prices ($6; $4 for seniors and kids aged 12 and under), uniformed ushers (remember those?) who actually escort you to your seat and $1 popcorn and soft drinks. New York movie fans have been patronizing the theater because its only minutes from midtown Manhattan by the Path train service. A great feature of the screenings is that they generally include displays of original movie memorabila and collectibles and movie lovers meet in the luxurious lobby before and after the show to discuss common interests. Oh, and for our latest self-serving promotion, we can say you can now get back issues of Cinema Retro on sale in the theater lobby. So join Cinema Retro in going “Ape” this Friday night.
I hope there’s someone who goes to see “Planet of the Apes” this Friday (June 13th) that can report on the quality of the print.
Anyone go to see “The President’s Analyst” at the Forum yet? If so, how was the print?
Saw a double feature of PLANET OF THE APES and BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES there in October, 1971. Nice old theatre. Too bad it’s now gone!
I asked someone, who claimed to be in the know, about this once. He said that Fox had twelve Mag-Optical 4-channel prints of “Planet of the Apes” made at Todd-AO labs in January 1968, but the studio never picked them up! Seems Fox at the last minute wasn’t sure “Planet” would that big of a hit. No one ever knows what happened to those twelve prints, but I kind of believe the story because why would Fox release “Bandolero!” in stereo in ‘68, and “The Detective,” and not “Planet”? Very strange.
Yeah, the print of “Planet of the Apes” shown recently at the Ziegfeld had restored stereo in Dolby Digital (front channels only), but the image was from an old dupe negative and was soft with little shadow detail and excessive grain. Hopefully the Jersey can get better.
Charlton Heston film festivals are called “Hest Fests.” Anyway, the last Heston movie I watched on DVD was “Diamond Head.” A soap opera, it was originally supposed to be a Clark Gable movie, but it’s not that bad a Heston movie. He played his typical “modern” character — a bastard prick. Hey look, even PLANET’s Taylor wasn’t exactly a nice guy, and look at the character he played years before in “The Naked Jungle.” And as the Ziegfeld will be showing the latest Indiana Jones soon, let’s remember that the model for the character was Heston in a nearly forgotten film, “Secret of the Incas.”
Very ironic. I probably first saw PLANET on April 7, 1968. After that I was a huge Heston fan. I didn’t agree with his politics later on, but I’ve never not been a fan of some of his movies. I think as an actor, if the script and director were good, then Heston could be very good. A lot of people think he was over-the-top in PLANET, but considering what the character had to deal with, I think Heston got the tone just about right.
I had a really strong sense this was about to happen while I was in New York. I just felt there was something larger going on. I was a huge fan of Heston’s when I was a kid.
The digital stuff I saw there that night, Trailers and commercials, looked great, but didn’t fill the entire screen that the later Panavision film projection did.
The Bond films are all going to be digital transfers. They’ve already been shown in England. If you bought the remastered DVDs in the last year or so, I’d expect to see that level of quality-plus, projected on the big screen.
Yes, do indeed tell someone at Fox about this. It’ll be interesting to find out if anyone there even cares. Someone told me, during the first couple days that “Planet of the Apes” was showing that they thought the color balance of the movie looked too blue during the first reel, then a little warmer during the second, then better during the next, and so on. Well, that’s probably just the bulbs warming up during projection, but it shouldn’t be that way. Could be a badly color-balanced print, or it could be bad projection, but really is anything ever going to be perfect? It all starts with the quality of the source material used to make the print, and all I can say is Fox dropped the ball here. (Of course, this doesn’t have anything to do with projectors being out of focus, but I just need to vent here.) They should have provided a restored “archival” print of “Apes.” I know for a fact that Schawn Belston, vice president of film preservation at Fox, has done just such a restoration of “Apes,” because as a work-in-progress it was shown at The George Eastman House in Rochester, NY a few years ago, and it is that — I can only hope! — that’s going to be the source for the Blu-Ray DVD that’s coming out in October. For a 40th anniversary showing in NYC of a landmark film in their library, you’d think Fox would only be interested in the best possible product being presented to the public. You’d think that, but it ain’t so. A theatre in Minnesota (www.heightstheater.com) will be the next to show this print, a “brand new print,” but not one made from a new restored interpositive, that’s for sure. Yes, do indeed tell Fox.