As you know from my earlier posts, the original 35mm negative of JACK AND THE BEANSTALK has been gone since the late 1950s. After a long delay, we have just received the first 4K test scan of an archival 35mm element that I recently found in the UK. I have to tell you, I am absolutely blown away with the quality of this 69 year old print. I've handled many 35mm copies of this film over the past forty years and have never seen the opening sepia footage this clean! Here's a frame from the raw 4K scan: The next step is to acquire a 4K scan of the complete feature and I have given the archive a green light to proceed based on this outstanding quality. Thanks to this recent discovery, you are going to see JACK AND THE BEANSTALK in a restored version that will knock you out!
Oh man that was great...brought me back...I loved that show. I bought the A&C complete TV Show box set... both of them and they both had terrible PQ after promising improved PQ with the second time...NOT! but at least I have them as bad as they are...
The BIG Abbott and Costello announcement that I've been teasing for the past several months will be revealed in 24 hours: May 21 at 11:30 AM EST. Get ready Bud and Lou fans, you are going to love it!
Seventy years ago at this very moment, there was truly magic in the air on stage #1 at the Hal Roach Studios. Now you will experience that magic as never before. Beautifully restored from 35mm master elements, pre-order THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO SHOW Season One on HD Blu-ray and DVD! www.kickstarter.com/projects/3dfilmarchive/pre-order-the-abbott-and-costello-show-season-one-restored Please share this exciting news and help us to reach our goal, thank you!
Bob, Looking forward to this restoration. I bought the E1 DVD set a few years back and despite the hype, they didn’t look restored to me...just slightly enhanced. There was no real detail in these prints. I know its a pipe dream, but when I was a kid watching this show on WPIX, at the very end of the season one episodes instead of closing credits, there was a quick clip that said, “distributed by MCA-TV Limited.” I would love to see this on the restored prints...just for nostalgic reasons. Probably not possible right ? Good luck on your restoration efforts. John
Thanks, John. All existing versions of the show (including "HD" streaming copies) are the same old, tired 40 year old analogue transfers. Night and day difference to our new restorations. The MCA logo was added in the late 1950s for syndication so we will not be restoring it. We are working off the original 35mm elements which do not have a closing logo.
Bob, Thanks for your prompt reply. I kinda figured that was the case with the MCA logo...just thought I’d throw it out there. Any chance on getting some soundtrack music, like the opening curtain fanfare for example ? In any case, the samples look outstanding. Looking forward to this release. John
I really wish the TV show had been filmed in color. That would have been great. Too bad there isn't just one episode in true color. The show is hysterical.
There was some talk about filming episodes in color when they were negotiating with Cinecolor for JACK AND THE BEANSTALK in the spring of 1951. Sadly, it didn't happen.
It isn't that difficult to convert a single episode to color is it? On YouTube they convert newsreels from the 1900s into vibrant color.