In Old Arizona Pre-order

[pro-bassoonist]

In Old Arizona Blu-ray

Preliminary street date: June 4th.

Cisco Kid is a tough but charming bandit who always manages to stay one step ahead of the law. That is until a determined sheriff enlists Kid's girlfriend in a clever scheme to disarm him. But with one more trick up his sleeve, The Kid may just have the last laugh. Warner Baxter's unforgettable performance as the legendary Cisco Kid earned him the 1929 Oscar for Best Actor.

Pro-B

[Arkadin]

actually watched this a couple of months ago, as I have had the dvd forever.
really cool classic really older western.
great news!!
Fox really seems to be stepping up its older releases big-time, although I gotta admit this seems a rather odd choice with so many other Fox classics still unreleased.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's amazing that Fox is actually bringing this one to bd, but I wouldn't have thought it would make it out this year.

[bluskies]

Glad to get this one.

[bluknight1]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

actually watched this a couple of months ago, as I have had the dvd forever.
really cool classic really older western.
great news!!
Fox really seems to be stepping up its older releases big-time, although I gotta admit this seems a rather odd choice with so many other Fox classics still unreleased.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's amazing that Fox is actually bringing this one to bd, but I wouldn't have thought it would make it out this year.

I didn't think it would make it out at all, considering what great titles have found their way to Twilight Time, like Leave Her to Heaven. Why would Fox release this and not Leave Her to Heaven?
I'm not all that interested in early talkies, I really don't like the outrageously ham-fisted acting, and painfully static sets and camera work. So, I'm naturally a bit biased against this release. But, considering the historical significance of this film, I may still give it a watch if the sound and image have been sufficiently cleaned up to my liking (I don't mean DNR'd; I mean faithfully restored). I just don't understand how Fox saw marketing potential in this but not great films like The Song of Bernadette and Leave Her to Heaven.

[The Duke]

That old movie poster is a hoot!

The expression on their faces, and then the text -

100% All-Talking Fox-Movietone Feature - What??? No singing, no dancing?

Two Men and a Senorita in a Rodeo of Love - Where to I even start?

[hudakj]

Originally Posted by bluknight1

painfully static sets and camera work

Not true for this film. Much of it was shot on location in Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park and the San Fernando Mission and the Mojave Desert in California. Should be a treat in HD, considering it was directed by the same man who directed The Big Trail with a much more unwieldy camera.

I found it to be a quality western for its time period. There were many westerns of the late 20s and early 30s that still used extensive location shooting compared to the more sound-stage bound efforts that became more the norm later in the 30s and 40s.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by The Duke

That old movie poster is a hoot!

The expression on their faces, and then the text -

100% All-Talking Fox-Movietone Feature - What??? No singing, no dancing?

Two Men and a Senorita in a Rodeo of Love - Where to I even start?

You start by imagining how much that poster; in that condition would be worth.

[The Duke]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

You start by imagining how much that poster; in that condition would be worth.

Oh, I'd love to have that poster framed and on the wall in my home theater room. I just meant that line "Two Men and a Senorita in a Rodeo of Love" is pretty risque for 1928, it kinda suggests a Ménage à Trois, and I don't think that was in the vernacular of most folks back then.

[bigshot]

I blind ordered this on the strength of The Big Trail. That film totally blew me away. Seeing a western shot in the real wilderness, not on a ranch near Los Angeles, was mind blowing. You really get a feel for what it was like back then. Can't wait for this one. Brice is beautiful.

[ArnoldLayne56]

Originally Posted by bigshot

I blind ordered this on the strength of The Big Trail. That film totally blew me away. Seeing a western shot in the real wilderness, not on a ranch near Los Angeles, was mind blowing. You really get a feel for what it was like back then. Can't wait for this one. Brice is beautiful.

I really liked The Big Trail [which I bought at Fry's on a lark, for 6.99] - I may sign up for this also. It could cancelled later if I wanted, OTOH, the pre-order price may go up from here!

[bluknight1]

Despite being initially angered by Fox's decision to release this, I'm starting to develop an interest in seeing the film and will probably give it a blind buy. It'll be interesting to see how this BD's transfer looks and sounds, since it's the first early talkie Fox has released on BD. It may provide an idea of things to come. Considering that In Old Arizona was made in 1928 by Fox Film it probably has some element issues. The Pre-Zanuck Fox library was devastated by a few notable fires, one of them in 1937. That fire smoked most of the OCNs for pre-1935 Fox productions.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by bluknight1

Despite being initially angered by Fox's decision to release this, I'm starting to develop an interest in seeing the film and will probably give it a blind buy. It'll be interesting to see how this BD's transfer looks and sounds, since it's the first early talkie Fox has released on BD. It may provide an idea of things to come. Considering that In Old Arizona was made in 1928 by Fox Film it probably has some element issues. The Pre-Zanuck Fox library was devastated by a few notable fires, one of them in 1937. That fire smoked most of the OCNs for pre-1935 Fox productions.

Is that what happened to the lost Charlie Chan films?

[bluknight1]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Is that what happened to the lost Charlie Chan films?

I'm not certain, but I would say that it's very likely that those fires claimed the lost Chan films.

[bluknight1]

Has anybody revieved this release yet? I can't find any reviews online; most likely due to the fact that Fox doesn't seem to send out review copies of their catalog releases.

[hagios]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

In Old Arizona Blu-ray

Preliminary street date: June 4th.





Pro-B

Great title In Old Arizona would make a classic, scenic, western remake! Would b

[bigshot]

I got this last week. Haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but I fired up the projector and bounced through it. It looks pretty good, nothing like The Big Trail, but very good for its time. There are two soundtracks, restored and original. The restored one is awful.

I'm very glad to have this on bluray. It seems like it may have been intended as a supplement to The Big Trail, but they did the Academy and Widescreen versions as alternates and didn't want to go to another disk with it. Just a guess.

I remember my dad talking about the Cisco Kid. It will be fun to find out what he was talking about all those years ago.

[bluknight1]

Originally Posted by bigshot

I got this last week. Haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but I fired up the projector and bounced through it. It looks pretty good, nothing like The Big Trail, but very good for its time. There are two soundtracks, restored and original. The restored one is awful.

I'm very glad to have this on bluray. It seems like it may have been intended as a supplement to The Big Trail, but they did the Academy and Widescreen versions as alternates and didn't want to go to another disk with it. Just a guess.

I remember my dad talking about the Cisco Kid. It will be fun to find out what he was talking about all those years ago.

I just read the HTF review.

So the lossless restored track doesn't sound good? As in it suffers from limitations in the original recording? Or is it age-related damage? How much worse is the unrestored track?

[bigshot]

The unrestored track sounds fine. I don't know what they were thinking. The "restored" one sounds like you have pillows over your ears.

[bluknight1]

Originally Posted by bigshot

The unrestored track sounds fine. I don't know what they were thinking. The "restored" one sounds like you have pillows over your ears.

Perhaps there was too much noise filtering. I'm happy they gave both options, but it would have been cool if both were lossless like what Criterion did with Last Year at Marienbad.

[bigshot]

Lossless wouldn't make any difference at all. The limitations are all from the early sound technology on this film.

The unrestored has clear dialogue and good balances. That's all one can hope for.