I believe Sony only has the newer prints in inventory of Lawrence that were struck just a couple of years ago, this is what the Ziegfeld showed last time they ran it. I don’t remember the sound format, but I’m leaning towards it having been magnetic and not DTS.
From what I understand, Sony only has the newer prints that were struck a couple of years ago, which the Ziegfeld played at that time. I don’t remember what sound format it was, however.
“Bubble” is a disaster – after two weeks, it’s dropped to #58 at the box office with a total gross of $135,996. It came out two weeks ago on DVD and didn’t crack the Top 35 rental chart, nor the Top 20 sales charts.
I set up the Lafayette’s screen the same as Bob did at the Jersey. It’s the best solution for a movie house built pre-1953 with the original proscenium still in place.
Robert – If I remember correctly, MFL does not have an overture. Similar to West Side Story, the “overture” plays over images of the flowers for a few moments before the titles start.
Andreco – 40 minutes out of Manhattan and most of your wishes have been coming true for the past three years. If I may say so myself, the Lafayette Theatre in Suffern, NY has been consistently showing the best and most comprehensive series of classic films in the New York metro area. No, we don’t have Cinerama, but we do have double-system polarized 3-D, a silver screen, a pipe organ, and just about anything else you’d want in a renovated 1000 seat 1924 neighborhood movie palace. I welcome you to check out our spring season of events and I hope to see you at a show.
I’m glad the Ziegfeld is running this current series – the more opportunities audiences get to see classic films in a proper theatrical setting means that they will continue to seek them out at other venues.
Pete Apruzzese
Director of Film Programming
Big Screen Classics at the Lafayette Theatre
Yes, CConnolly, those two films have built-in intermission, as many of the 3-hour films of the past did. Regarding newer films, adding an intermission to a movie not specifically edited to accomodate one is a bad idea, IMO, as it will disrupt the carefully constructed flow of the film.
The 35mm prints of West Side Story that MGM distributed until last year were on LPP stock from the mid-90s and had Dolby SR soundtracks. Now that Sony distributes West Side Story, they’ve struck even newer 35mm prints with Dolby SR and DTS digital tracks. I don’t know if they’ve struck any new 70mm prints but I doubt it. The My Fair Lady prints that currently circulate via the company Hollywood Classics are all 35mm Dolby (Type “A”, if I recall correctly) from the 1994 restoration. I don’t know that any of the 70mm prints from 1994 survive. Most likely that every film in the series will be shown on 35mm.
There’s no way that the faded print you saw of MFL in the late 90s was from the 1994 restoration. Those 1994 prints were made on LPP film stock which does not fade. They were obviously misinformed and received an original print from the 60s or 70s.
REndres -
Thanks for clarifying the early days of CinemaScope via Marty Hart’s site. I haven’t read through all of his material in a long time.
Regarding the weight of 70mm reels, how would you compare it to a fully-loaded 6000' reel of 35mm acetate? I’ve always wanted to run 70mm but, sadly, will probably never get to do it. But at least I’ve run just about every 35mm format during my festivals at the Lafayette.
In terms of standard 35mm “anamorphic” (CinemaScope, Panavision, et al), no correction was made to the prints. The reason they curved the ‘scope screens for 35mm early on was because it was easier to get a focus on the edges of the image. As the projection optics improved, the curvature wasn’t as neccesary.
For films exhibited in 70mm single-lens Cinerama, they made optically-rectified (on the sides) prints to compensate for the extreme curvature of the screen. Standard 70mm films (West Side Story, Sound of Music, et al) were generally not designed for curved screens. Please note that there are also exceptions, MGM’s Camera65 productions such as Ben-Hur had special 70mm prints made that required a special anamorphic lens to project the extreme wide ratio of that film. Normal 70mm films are not as wide as 35mm CinemaScope/Panavision films.
Much more information about this can be gained by visiting the Widescreen Museum website: www.widescreenmuseum.com
No, a run of 27 shows wouldn’t wear a print out unless there was a mechanical issue. But that print and the other MFL’s from 1993 – there were probably only 3 or 4 struck – played a number of other venues and at each stop there would certainly be a chance for additional wear and tear. When most films finish their runs, the majority of the prints are junked whether they are worn or not. The Music Hall print would have come from Kit Parker, so it’s most likely gone. If MOMA has a 70mm print in their permanent collection, they probably would not loan it out.
Vincent – Not neccesarily, but it will be more and more rare since the only new prints they can strike are 70mm DTS prints and there are even fewer theatres that can play that format than standard 70mm mag sound. And virtually all of the vintage 70mm prints from prior to 1983 have faded and/or succumbed to warping by now. So the only 70mm prints you’d be seeing – if any – will be prints struck from 1983-2001 (that probably have a lot of mileage) or newly struck with DTS tracks. If you want to see 70mm, your best bet is to keep your eyes on the festivals in L.A. in England, where they sometimes run the rare good condition studio prints but often also run totally faded prints.
Re: junking prints – they would usually do it once the print reached a certain level of wear. And when a company closes up shop, it’s cheaper to junk the prints than it is to store the films until the new buyer is ready for them. Sad but true.
I would doubt that they are in 70mm – I don’t think MGM had any runable prints of WSS in 70mm and now that Sony owns the film, they would probably not strike 70mm prints since the capability to run them is so limited (they can’t do magnetic striping at the labs any longer). I think MFL’s 70mm prints were junked when Kit Parker Films closed up shop. I don’t know about Ben-Hur, the last 70mm of it that I saw was in 1990 or so – I’m running it in 35mm for 4 days in April at the Lafayette.
The Lafayette Theatre in Suffern, New York currently has the capability to run dual-strip 3-D films and even had a three-day festival in early 2004. We recently ran House of Wax and a program of super rare 3-D short subjects in November of 2005. There will be more 3-D in 2006.
No, if a building’s design causes it to block the signals, that is not against the law. Using a device such as a cell phone jammer to jam or block signals is against the law.
It’s federal law to tamper with cell phone communication signals, it’s not a lightweight thing. See the stories about the guy in New Jersey who is being prosecuted for innocently focusing a key-chain laser beam onto an airplane from his backyard.
That blocking system would be illegal in the United States as the laws currently stand. Many theatres do not have auditorium paging systems – I’ve never heard one in all my years of going to and working in theatres.
From what I understood, the organ always used to be amplified – the microphones were embedded in the outer edges of the chambers. Once when the interior was repainted, the microphones were painted over and ruined and then never used again. As of now, it’s difficult to hear the organ when there’s a large crowd.
UPDATE for those who’ve asked regarding the print quality for the festival, I’ve inspected and run the following:
Abbott & Costello Meet Captain Kidd looks excellent, sharp as a tack with very good color (compared to the ever-so-slightly soft look of the SuperCineColor original). The print itself appears flawless and new.
Doctor X is a slightly older print – mid-90s – but also looks great. The odd two-color Technicolor look is maintained in this printing and it makes the movie even creepier than I remembered.
The Big Parade is brand spanking new, right out of the lab and never run, it appears. It’s the full-length version complete with color tints.
A Star is Born, again a beautiful-looking UCLA preservation of the Technicolor original. The print itself appears flawless.
I saw the 3-D Follies prints 18 months ago and they are uniformly excellent. The only other print I’m waiting for is the Hell’s Angels, but Universal assured me it would be their best copy.
Pete Apruzzese
Director of Film Programming
Big Screen Classics at the Lafayette Theatre
I believe Sony only has the newer prints in inventory of Lawrence that were struck just a couple of years ago, this is what the Ziegfeld showed last time they ran it. I don’t remember the sound format, but I’m leaning towards it having been magnetic and not DTS.
From what I understand, Sony only has the newer prints that were struck a couple of years ago, which the Ziegfeld played at that time. I don’t remember what sound format it was, however.
“Bubble” is a disaster – after two weeks, it’s dropped to #58 at the box office with a total gross of $135,996. It came out two weeks ago on DVD and didn’t crack the Top 35 rental chart, nor the Top 20 sales charts.
I set up the Lafayette’s screen the same as Bob did at the Jersey. It’s the best solution for a movie house built pre-1953 with the original proscenium still in place.
Robert – If I remember correctly, MFL does not have an overture. Similar to West Side Story, the “overture” plays over images of the flowers for a few moments before the titles start.
Andreco – 40 minutes out of Manhattan and most of your wishes have been coming true for the past three years. If I may say so myself, the Lafayette Theatre in Suffern, NY has been consistently showing the best and most comprehensive series of classic films in the New York metro area. No, we don’t have Cinerama, but we do have double-system polarized 3-D, a silver screen, a pipe organ, and just about anything else you’d want in a renovated 1000 seat 1924 neighborhood movie palace. I welcome you to check out our spring season of events and I hope to see you at a show.
I’m glad the Ziegfeld is running this current series – the more opportunities audiences get to see classic films in a proper theatrical setting means that they will continue to seek them out at other venues.
Pete Apruzzese
Director of Film Programming
Big Screen Classics at the Lafayette Theatre
Yes, CConnolly, those two films have built-in intermission, as many of the 3-hour films of the past did. Regarding newer films, adding an intermission to a movie not specifically edited to accomodate one is a bad idea, IMO, as it will disrupt the carefully constructed flow of the film.
But as of right now, “digital” isn’t even close to 35mm quality. It’s certainly not an ideal archiving medium, either.
The 35mm prints of West Side Story that MGM distributed until last year were on LPP stock from the mid-90s and had Dolby SR soundtracks. Now that Sony distributes West Side Story, they’ve struck even newer 35mm prints with Dolby SR and DTS digital tracks. I don’t know if they’ve struck any new 70mm prints but I doubt it. The My Fair Lady prints that currently circulate via the company Hollywood Classics are all 35mm Dolby (Type “A”, if I recall correctly) from the 1994 restoration. I don’t know that any of the 70mm prints from 1994 survive. Most likely that every film in the series will be shown on 35mm.
Bill Kallay:
There’s no way that the faded print you saw of MFL in the late 90s was from the 1994 restoration. Those 1994 prints were made on LPP film stock which does not fade. They were obviously misinformed and received an original print from the 60s or 70s.
REndres -
Thanks for clarifying the early days of CinemaScope via Marty Hart’s site. I haven’t read through all of his material in a long time.
Regarding the weight of 70mm reels, how would you compare it to a fully-loaded 6000' reel of 35mm acetate? I’ve always wanted to run 70mm but, sadly, will probably never get to do it. But at least I’ve run just about every 35mm format during my festivals at the Lafayette.
Ed Solero:
In terms of standard 35mm “anamorphic” (CinemaScope, Panavision, et al), no correction was made to the prints. The reason they curved the ‘scope screens for 35mm early on was because it was easier to get a focus on the edges of the image. As the projection optics improved, the curvature wasn’t as neccesary.
For films exhibited in 70mm single-lens Cinerama, they made optically-rectified (on the sides) prints to compensate for the extreme curvature of the screen. Standard 70mm films (West Side Story, Sound of Music, et al) were generally not designed for curved screens. Please note that there are also exceptions, MGM’s Camera65 productions such as Ben-Hur had special 70mm prints made that required a special anamorphic lens to project the extreme wide ratio of that film. Normal 70mm films are not as wide as 35mm CinemaScope/Panavision films.
Much more information about this can be gained by visiting the Widescreen Museum website: www.widescreenmuseum.com
No, a run of 27 shows wouldn’t wear a print out unless there was a mechanical issue. But that print and the other MFL’s from 1993 – there were probably only 3 or 4 struck – played a number of other venues and at each stop there would certainly be a chance for additional wear and tear. When most films finish their runs, the majority of the prints are junked whether they are worn or not. The Music Hall print would have come from Kit Parker, so it’s most likely gone. If MOMA has a 70mm print in their permanent collection, they probably would not loan it out.
Vincent – Not neccesarily, but it will be more and more rare since the only new prints they can strike are 70mm DTS prints and there are even fewer theatres that can play that format than standard 70mm mag sound. And virtually all of the vintage 70mm prints from prior to 1983 have faded and/or succumbed to warping by now. So the only 70mm prints you’d be seeing – if any – will be prints struck from 1983-2001 (that probably have a lot of mileage) or newly struck with DTS tracks. If you want to see 70mm, your best bet is to keep your eyes on the festivals in L.A. in England, where they sometimes run the rare good condition studio prints but often also run totally faded prints.
Re: junking prints – they would usually do it once the print reached a certain level of wear. And when a company closes up shop, it’s cheaper to junk the prints than it is to store the films until the new buyer is ready for them. Sad but true.
I would doubt that they are in 70mm – I don’t think MGM had any runable prints of WSS in 70mm and now that Sony owns the film, they would probably not strike 70mm prints since the capability to run them is so limited (they can’t do magnetic striping at the labs any longer). I think MFL’s 70mm prints were junked when Kit Parker Films closed up shop. I don’t know about Ben-Hur, the last 70mm of it that I saw was in 1990 or so – I’m running it in 35mm for 4 days in April at the Lafayette.
This theatre has apparently closed permanently as of last Thursday.
Correct. The Galaxy Theatre Corp. operates out of New Jersey – their website is www.bigscreenclassics.com .
The Kendig Square 6 is being re-configured for traditional retail space by the landlord.
The Lafayette Theatre in Suffern, New York currently has the capability to run dual-strip 3-D films and even had a three-day festival in early 2004. We recently ran House of Wax and a program of super rare 3-D short subjects in November of 2005. There will be more 3-D in 2006.
The theatre is closed and Albert Bialek, the landlord, is searching for a new tenant to replace Mr. Elson.
No, if a building’s design causes it to block the signals, that is not against the law. Using a device such as a cell phone jammer to jam or block signals is against the law.
It’s federal law to tamper with cell phone communication signals, it’s not a lightweight thing. See the stories about the guy in New Jersey who is being prosecuted for innocently focusing a key-chain laser beam onto an airplane from his backyard.
Check your email – the link to “remove” is at the bottom of it.
That blocking system would be illegal in the United States as the laws currently stand. Many theatres do not have auditorium paging systems – I’ve never heard one in all my years of going to and working in theatres.
From what I understood, the organ always used to be amplified – the microphones were embedded in the outer edges of the chambers. Once when the interior was repainted, the microphones were painted over and ruined and then never used again. As of now, it’s difficult to hear the organ when there’s a large crowd.
UPDATE for those who’ve asked regarding the print quality for the festival, I’ve inspected and run the following:
Abbott & Costello Meet Captain Kidd looks excellent, sharp as a tack with very good color (compared to the ever-so-slightly soft look of the SuperCineColor original). The print itself appears flawless and new.
Doctor X is a slightly older print – mid-90s – but also looks great. The odd two-color Technicolor look is maintained in this printing and it makes the movie even creepier than I remembered.
The Big Parade is brand spanking new, right out of the lab and never run, it appears. It’s the full-length version complete with color tints.
A Star is Born, again a beautiful-looking UCLA preservation of the Technicolor original. The print itself appears flawless.
I saw the 3-D Follies prints 18 months ago and they are uniformly excellent. The only other print I’m waiting for is the Hell’s Angels, but Universal assured me it would be their best copy.
Pete Apruzzese
Director of Film Programming
Big Screen Classics at the Lafayette Theatre