My Fair Lady(1964)newly-restored in 4k by CBS...can a PROPERLY-remastered blu-ray be on the way???

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by lukejosephchung, Aug 25, 2014.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. lukejosephchung

    lukejosephchung Forum Resident Thread Starter

    The newly restored-4k scan was introduced by CBS representatives at the Los Angeles-based audio/video event The Reel Thing and a fellow member of the Home Theater Forum attended...he came away suitably impressed. Hoping this means that a PROPERLY remastered blu-ray is waiting in the wings for the 50th Anniversary of this Oscar-winning Best Picture...:wave:
     
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Will they use my mix of the music score and songs? I want my royalties!
     
    Jarleboy and lukejosephchung like this.
  3. lukejosephchung

    lukejosephchung Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Don't have a clue about THAT, Steve...you may wanna ask CBS about that one...:p
     
  4. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Did they use this mix for the Criterion laserdisc in the 1990s? That one sounded very good -- the best that My Fair Lady has ever sounded. Warner took very, very good care of the elements (from what I was told). How did Paramount wind up with the rights?
     
  5. lukejosephchung

    lukejosephchung Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Criterion never did a "My Fair Lady" laserdisc release...it was a 30th anniversary 1994 CBS/Fox release...the film itself has always been owned by CBS as they gave Jack Warner the theatrical rights to the play 50+years ago to release at his studio, but retained the licensing and distribution rights in perpetuity...
     
  6. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    I may be confused because Maria Grumbaus normally supervised all the Criterion transfers and she supervised the My Fair Lady laserdisc transfer, done around 1995 by Mark Nowicki at (I think) Point 360 in Burbank. It's possible she was just freelancing at the time.

    The rights on the film were weird: produced by Jack Warner as he was being bounced out of his own studio, released by Warner Bros., later controlled by CBS/Fox, and now owned by Paramount. I could swear that's a WB logo at the head of the film.
     
  7. The Wanderer

    The Wanderer Seeker of Truth

    Location:
    NYC
    They should and you should.
     
  8. lukejosephchung

    lukejosephchung Forum Resident Thread Starter

    OK, I've just been at Home Theater Forum, where the thread regarding this subject was officially confirmed by legendary film restorer Robert A. Harris...he's putting in the finishing touches on a full-blown 4k restoration of "My Fair Lady" for both theatrical and blu-ray reissue as part of a 50th Anniversary celebration of the film...fans of this film can buy tickets and discs of this newly-minted restoration with confidence, according to him...:goodie:
     
  9. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Let's hope he didn't remix the soundtrack... :eek:
     
    lukejosephchung likes this.
  10. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Again.
     
    Vidiot and lukejosephchung like this.
  11. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    The current (well....a few years old now) 70mm prints look great, supporting Vidiot's statement that the elements are well preserved. (FWIW.)
     
  12. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Did you do a 6-track or just the stereo? Most home video versions these days just provide a 5.1 or 7.1 surround soundtrack, and then they downmix those to stereo for the great unwashed who only listen in stereo. The problem I have with that is often this stereo downmix doesn't get much QC, and bad phasey things can happen.

    There are some movies that provide both 5.1 and discrete stereo mixes, and I think those are optimized better. The trend nowadays (particularly from Dolby) is to use metadata to figure out all these mix decisions; they literally can put dozens of tracks on the disc, then the metadata decides how to grab what track and steer it to which channel, depending on how many speakers you have. This frightens me.
     
  13. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    The MFL originals were four channel, music left/center/right and composite vocal on channel four. Any surround was just faked up. Brings back bad memories..
     
    Vidiot likes this.
  14. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Doh, I have at least 50 major transfers where all I can remember are the problems... Can't remember the plot.

    I bet the new Blu-ray of My Fair Lady looks fantastic -- can't wait to see it. This was the first major feature film to use a wireless mic, since Rex Harrison couldn't lip-sync to a pre-recorded track. Pretty interesting from a technology point of view. They can do a pretty good job synthesizing surround from stereo these days, but they have to use taste and skill to do it right (which is possible... but costs money).
     
  15. Lucidae

    Lucidae AAD

    Location:
    Australia
    It's about time they did this movie justice on home video, thanks for the news update!
     
    Jarleboy likes this.
  16. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Steve,
    Where was your version released and in what format? I have the SACD soundtrack, the 1994 laserdisc boxed set (which includes a gold soundtrack CD), and the stock CD from around that same time.
     
  17. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    No idea, my work was done around 1993 if that helps.
     
  18. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Interesting!

    So you not only remastered Shelly Manne's jazz version of "My Fair Lady," but also the original film soundtrack ... and yet, as far as you know, your work on the original soundtrack may never have seen the light of day?

    Any insights you can share as to your work on the soundtrack, and the issues you addressed?
     
  19. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    That was the time I worked on a bunch of music score restorations for WB. GIANT, RIO BRAVO, THE MUSIC MAN, GYPSY, SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS, THE NUN'S STORY, MY FAIR LADY, SAYONARA, WB CARTOONS, etc.

    Very hard work, had to wear gas mask and goggles, didn't love it too much.
     
  20. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    This is a joke - correct?
     
  21. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Uh, no joke.
     
  22. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    I have heard from other archivists (especially Ron Furmanek) that he's had to dig very deep in horrendous vaults in order to drag out what will hopefully be the correct version of a classic album or film. I have walked through a few studio vaults before, and some had horrible stenches I would not like to smell twice... in my life. If I had had to spend more than 20 minutes in there, I would've had to have worn a mask and goggles like Steve. Hell, and maybe a tank of oxygen, too.
     
    JediJones likes this.
  23. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    So what causes the stench?
     
  24. lukejosephchung

    lukejosephchung Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Chemical fermentation of the physical media...aka "Vinegar Syndrome"...the elements are improperly-stored and therefore literally rotting away...
     
    JediJones and chacha like this.
  25. Derek Gee

    Derek Gee Senior Member

    Location:
    Detroit
    Warners may have not let the elements deteriorate further, but the original negative is in a disastrous state. (Read Harris and Katz's comments in the article below)

    http://in70mm.com/newsletter/1995/38/lady/index.htm


    I think the chain goes like this:

    CBS backed the original Broadway production and is the owner of the property. Warner Bros leased the rights to the film for 7 years (1964 - 1971) at a cost of $5.5 million dollars in 1961.

    In 1971, the film and all elements reverted back to CBS. When CBS was partnered with Fox (CBS\FOX) they issued the videos.

    CBS paid for the 1994 restoration by Harris & Katz.

    Warner Home Video leased the home video rights in 1998 - 2007 from CBS.

    Both CBS & Paramount were owned by Viacom until 2006, so I'm thinking a contract to distribute "My Fair Lady" after the Warners contract ended was set in motion around then.

    Derek
     
    JediJones, chilinvilin and Vidiot like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine