The Silver Screen column discussion

[Donat96]

Originally Posted by Robert Siegel

I can tell you that I have an amazing amount of materials on Ben Hur and have already begun working on it, even though several other columns will be coming first. I think you will all enjoy it, it will probably be one of the longest columns to date.

What previously released titles would you like to see covered?

Wow, that sounds amazing. Ben-Hur has always been a favorite of mine, and your columns are excellent and filled with history behind the movies that I never knew about. As to other movies I would like to see covered, I think Metropolis and maybe The Red Shoes. However, I enjoy reading all of them, so I'll take whatever you give.

[Cinemave]

Originally Posted by Robert Siegel

What previously released titles would you like to see covered?

Not to over-cover the Sword and Sandal genre, but The Robe would be a great film to see done, as well as once of my favorite westerns The Big Country. Whatever you pick I know it will be a fascinating look into film history. Thanks again for all your hard work!

[JHas]

Originally Posted by Robert Siegel

What previously released titles would you like to see covered?

I love the column and look forward to it. Some suggestions: The Man Who Would Be King, Treasure of Sierra Madre, Some Like It Hot, The Sweet Smell of Success.

[Erik E. Erik]

Is this the same Robert Siegel that is on NPR? They are both thorough, informative guys named Robert Siegel, so I wonder if it is just a coincidence.

Suggestions for previously released movies in Silver Screen: Sound of Music, Bridge on the River Kwai, Bigger Than Life.

I hope a Dumbo SS is in the works!

[Objectivity]

I know it's not directly related to Charade, but the trivia regarding it's copyright status also plays at least some role in it's success and why there are so many (often poor) versions of the film out there.

The version I heard, and I'm not sure of the details, is that the studio forgot to put a copyright notice at the end of the film. As a result, it immediately entered the public domain. I've always questioned it, because one would assume as the owner of the prints, the studio could exercise control that way.

[dragon53]

Very enjoyable and enlightening commentary on CHARADE, my favorite romantic comedy with an excellent cast and one of Henry Mancini's best themes. It's a credit to the movie that it has stood the test of time and is still a great movie to watch almost half a century later. My mother took us kids to see CHARADE around Christmas of 1963. Now I watch it on dvd every Christmas. I recently got the Criterion Blu-ray to replace the Criterion standard dvd, so I'll be watching it four months.

[singhcr]

Robert,

Your "Silver Screen" articles are fascinating. Many movies that I now love dearly were released far before my time, such as Lawrence of Arabia. For people like me (I'm 27) who never experienced the movie during its initial release, this information is fascinating. I especially enjoy hearing about the technical aspects of the filming like Todd-AO, the special lenses for the Ten Commandments, and the restoration of Lawrence. With Blu-ray it is now possible for me to see a very good representation of these movies, and your articles do a very good job giving me the proper context of the movie during its release, which makes me appreciate them all the more.

Thank you!

Chris

[rondanto]

Anxiously waiting for "King of Kings" and " The Robe

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by Cinemave

Not to over-cover the Sword and Sandal genre, but The Robe would be a great film to see done, as well as once of my favorite westerns The Big Country. Whatever you pick I know it will be a fascinating look into film history. Thanks again for all your hard work!

I will be doing The Robe, and have some very exciting original studio materials for that one, being it was the first Cinemascope film. Fox put out many different materials at the time, and over the years I was lucky enough to get some of them including a few studio letters, Cinemascope introduction guides and other materials.

In my South Pacific column, I wrote a few paragraphs about the Todd-AO process, but left much of that for Oklahoma (when it comes out) since it was the first.

I am hoping to do The Big Country at some point as well, I'd like to cover all of the classics already released eventually.

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by JHas

I love the column and look forward to it. Some suggestions: The Man Who Would Be King, Treasure of Sierra Madre, Some Like It Hot, The Sweet Smell of Success.

Great suggestions. I had already started working on The Man who would be King but then other more popular titles came out during that period. At the time Some like it Hot came out, I had not received the materials I needed to loan from a collector in time, but have those now, instead I did The Misfits with Marilyn Monroe because I already had that, so Some Like it Hot will be coming as well as the others.

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by Erik E. Erik

Is this the same Robert Siegel that is on NPR? They are both thorough, informative guys named Robert Siegel, so I wonder if it is just a coincidence.

Suggestions for previously released movies in Silver Screen: Sound of Music, Bridge on the River Kwai, Bigger Than Life.

I hope a Dumbo SS is in the works!

No, that isn't me on NPR, but he sure is popular as I am asked if that is me on occasion. The Sound of Music is my favorite movie of all time. I am working on bits and pieces of it between other work, as it's going to be, hopefully, an amazing column, I have more in my collection on The Sound of Music than any other movie. Bridge on the River Kwai is absolutely going to be covered.

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by Objectivity

I know it's not directly related to Charade, but the trivia regarding it's copyright status also plays at least some role in it's success and why there are so many (often poor) versions of the film out there.

The version I heard, and I'm not sure of the details, is that the studio forgot to put a copyright notice at the end of the film. As a result, it immediately entered the public domain. I've always questioned it, because one would assume as the owner of the prints, the studio could exercise control that way.

It's interesting that you bring that up, because I tried to speak to someone at Universal who could answer me on that exact question. It's tough getting information from any legal department and of course the folks in publicity don't know much about those issues. If I do find an answer, I will post it here and add it to the column.

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by singhcr

Robert,

Your "Silver Screen" articles are fascinating. Many movies that I now love dearly were released far before my time, such as Lawrence of Arabia. For people like me (I'm 27) who never experienced the movie during its initial release, this information is fascinating. I especially enjoy hearing about the technical aspects of the filming like Todd-AO, the special lenses for the Ten Commandments, and the restoration of Lawrence. With Blu-ray it is now possible for me to see a very good representation of these movies, and your articles do a very good job giving me the proper context of the movie during its release, which makes me appreciate them all the more.

Thank you!

Chris

Chris, your post is very exciting to me! One of my goals with this column was to try and introduce these classics in an exciting way to younger audiences. I am so glad you are enjoying them. I am hoping to do a special column around the holidays about the widescreen film processes. As for Lawrence of Arabia, I am ready for it, when they finally decide to release it. It was one of the first titles announced from Sony/Columbia when the Blu-ray format was introduced, yet it still isn't out. Let's hope for a release soon.

[Robert Siegel]

Just out of curiosity, when did you all first see Charade and at what type of theater? It would be nice to see some discussion about memories of seeing these on the big screen.

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by rondanto

Anxiously waiting for "King of Kings" and " The Robe

King of Kings is coming, I thought perhaps near the holidays might be a good time for that and The Robe.

[Erik E. Erik]

Originally Posted by Robert Siegel

Just out of curiosity, when did you all first see Charade and at what type of theater? It would be nice to see some discussion about memories of seeing these on the big screen.

I'm probably the most recent to see it in a theater-- saw in April of this year for the first time at a great local cinema that specializes in classic films (April was their Mancini month). One of my favorite parts of Charade is the jabs Cary Grant gives himself about his age-- it's the elephant in the room a lot of times in movie pairings, and he talks about how ridiculous the age difference probably would be in real life. (This isn't real life, though!)

[marshmeli]

Good article about Charade... Surprised the funny anecdote about it not being copyrighted (missing the statement at the end of the film) and this being in the public domain in the US (maybe other parts of the world) was not mentioned as it was a rather big mistake.

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by marshmeli

Good article about Charade... Surprised the funny anecdote about it not being copyrighted (missing the statement at the end of the film) and this being in the public domain in the US (maybe other parts of the world) was not mentioned as it was a rather big mistake.

Thank you. I chose not to mention it until I can get the details, I have a few calls in to the studio and a few other sources to find out exactly why.

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by Erik E. Erik

I'm probably the most recent to see it in a theater-- saw in April of this year for the first time at a great local cinema that specializes in classic films (April was their Mancini month). One of my favorite parts of Charade is the jabs Cary Grant gives himself about his age-- it's the elephant in the room a lot of times in movie pairings, and he talks about how ridiculous the age difference probably would be in real life. (This isn't real life, though!)

You're lucky, I have not seen it in any theater, which would be nice! Too bad when these films are restored they don't play for a week or a couple of showings across the world.

[singhcr]

Originally Posted by Robert Siegel

Chris, your post is very exciting to me! One of my goals with this column was to try and introduce these classics in an exciting way to younger audiences. I am so glad you are enjoying them. I am hoping to do a special column around the holidays about the widescreen film processes. As for Lawrence of Arabia, I am ready for it, when they finally decide to release it. It was one of the first titles announced from Sony/Columbia when the Blu-ray format was introduced, yet it still isn't out. Let's hope for a release soon.

You are most welcome!

As much as I am looking forward to the BD release, I'm really anxious to see it on a large screen in the 70mm format. My father saw it in India during its initial release on a giant screen that seated 1000 people and told me that while he enjoyed seeing it on DVD (that was the first time I ever saw the movie) at home, it just wasn't the same as he remembered it. Now I know why.

As great as BD is, it can't hold a candle to the 70mm format. I have seen a 70mm print before, but on a very small screen. Even then, the movie was mesmerizing. Considering how David Lean loves to make movies larger than life through amazing stories and photography, I can only imagine how impactful the movie would have been on a huge screen. In fact I am planning on going to the Czech Republic in the next year or so as there's a large 70mm festival there that shows Lawrence, 2001, Grand Prix, etc. Do you know of any 70mm festivals in the US, or Canada? I'm in MN so the Canadian border isn't that far away for me.