TARAS BULBA(1962) Screening in April 1963 at Odeon Haymarket Theatre London!

[c***@hotmail.com]

According to the London times of 5 April 1963 TARAS BULBA was
screening at The Odeon Haymarket Theatre in Panavision 70. This was at
least 8 months before the Premiere of The Cardinal(1963) which
premiered in the USA in December 1963..
TARAS BULBA was the only one of the 35mm to 70mm Blow-ups to be filmed
on the Eastman Color Negative 5250. All the other Blow-ups from 1963
until 1968 were filmed on the improved finer grain Eastman Color 5251
Negative Film.

Most of the film was photographed in Argentina with some sequences
shot in Universal's Backlot.
Does anybody know what Lab did the Blow-up?

Martin Hart commented in a post several years ago that he thought the
film looked grainy, I'm wondering whether this was because it was shot
on the older Eastman 5250 stock?

Regards,
Peter Mason
.

[Martin Hart]

In article <01cebc1b-a5a8-46a4-b325-

Post by c***@hotmail.com
According to the London times of 5 April 1963 TARAS BULBA was
screening at The Odeon Haymarket Theatre in Panavision 70. This was at
least 8 months before the Premiere of The Cardinal(1963) which
premiered in the USA in December 1963..
TARAS BULBA was the only one of the 35mm to 70mm Blow-ups to be filmed
on the Eastman Color Negative 5250. All the other Blow-ups from 1963
until 1968 were filmed on the improved finer grain Eastman Color 5251
Negative Film.
Most of the film was photographed in Argentina with some sequences
shot in Universal's Backlot.
Does anybody know what Lab did the Blow-up?
Martin Hart commented in a post several years ago that he thought the
film looked grainy, I'm wondering whether this was because it was shot
on the older Eastman 5250 stock?
Regards,
Peter Mason

I'll stand by my statement regarding the grain and high contrast in
"Taras Bulba". I just attributed it to a lackluster job at De Luxe labs.
Other films of that era did not have hubcap size grain throughout. One
good thing about "Taras Bulba", and there weren't many, was Franz
Waxman's last music score. It sounded so much better off the film
soundtrack than in the "original motion picture score" issued by United
Artists Records.

I would doubt the accuracy of a report that "Taras Bulba" was run at the
Odeon Haymarket in 70mm blow-up, but anything's possible. Considering
the nature of the film that I saw in what should have been a 35mm
contact print, a blowup would only allow for a brighter grainy image.
The search for truth can go on and on.

Marty

[c***@hotmail.com]

On Mar 25, 2:10 pm, Martin Hart

Post by Martin Hart
In article <01cebc1b-a5a8-46a4-b325-

Post by c***@hotmail.com
According to the London times of 5 April 1963 TARAS BULBA was
screening at The Odeon Haymarket Theatre in Panavision 70. This was at
least 8 months before the Premiere of   The Cardinal(1963) which
premiered in the USA in December 1963..
TARAS BULBA was the only one of the 35mm to 70mm Blow-ups to be filmed
on the Eastman Color Negative 5250. All the other Blow-ups from 1963
until 1968 were filmed on the improved finer grain Eastman Color 5251
Negative Film.
Most of the film was photographed in Argentina with some sequences
shot in Universal's Backlot.
Does anybody know what Lab did the Blow-up?
Martin Hart commented in a post several years ago that he thought the
film looked grainy, I'm wondering whether this was because it was shot
on the older Eastman 5250 stock?
Regards,
Peter Mason

I'll stand by my statement regarding the grain and high contrast in
"Taras Bulba". I just attributed it to a lackluster job at De Luxe labs.
Other films of that era did not have hubcap size grain throughout.

Perhaps it was printed through an Interpositive and Internegative..
Two generations of Eastman Intermediate 5253 will definitely bring up
the grain and increase the Contrast considerably.

On the other hand the 70MM Blow-Up would almost certainly have been
made from
the original camera negative(5250) and produce much better quality.

I would love to know what Lab produced the Blow-up?

Regards,
Peter Mason










One

Post by Martin Hart
good thing about "Taras Bulba", and there weren't many, was Franz
Waxman's last music score. It sounded so much better off the film
soundtrack than in the "original motion picture score" issued by United
Artists Records.
I would doubt the accuracy of a report that "Taras Bulba" was run at the
Odeon Haymarket in 70mm blow-up, but anything's possible.  Considering
the nature of the film that I saw in what should have been a 35mm
contact print, a blowup would only allow for a brighter grainy image.
The search for truth can go on and on.
Marty
--
The American WideScreen Museumwww.widescreenmuseum.com- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

[Martin Hart]

In article <40e02428-4130-4353-ac93-70e5680c1cc9
@z5g2000pbu.googlegroups.com>, ***@hotmail.com says...


<SNIP>

Post by c***@hotmail.com

Post by Martin Hart
I'll stand by my statement regarding the grain and high contrast in
"Taras Bulba". I just attributed it to a lackluster job at De Luxe labs.
Other films of that era did not have hubcap size grain throughout.

Perhaps it was printed through an Interpositive and Internegative..
Two generations of Eastman Intermediate 5253 will definitely bring up
the grain and increase the Contrast considerably.
On the other hand the 70MM Blow-Up would almost certainly have been
made from
the original camera negative(5250) and produce much better quality.
I would love to know what Lab produced the Blow-up?
Regards,
Peter Mason

I'd also like to know what lab did the blow-up. If I recall,
Panavision's Micro-Panatar 35mm anamorphic to flat 70mm printer lens was
at Technicolor in Hollywood at that time. I don't think De Luxe in
Hollywood had one then. It seems like the only blow-ups were in Britain
and Europe. I suppose Technicolor-London could have made the prints
using the lens from the U.S., but who knows? I would certainly hope
that any 70mm prints would have been made by direct optical printing
from the OCN.

Somewhere I have a list of Panavision's printer lenses and their
locations but I'm not motivated enough to go look for it. It's kind of
surprising how few there were for each type of format, many were one-of-
a-kind.

I doubt (meaning I don't know) that the domestic De Luxe prints were
made from an internegative. The interpos and interneg stocks back then
were pretty dreadful. The phrasing of the color credits in the film and
in print ads is unique, possibly indicating that one lab processed the
negative and De Luxe produced domestic prints. European print ads say
only Eastman Color.

While I credit Harold Hecht with producing some wonderful films, "Taras
Bulba" isn't one of them. The costumes are patently ridiculous looking,
as though they'd just come from Western Costume in Hollywood. Every Pole
wears identical clothing and battle regalia and all looked like the dry
cleaners had just finished with them. The matte paintings, and there are
many, were all flat looking. The acting is bad and the direction by J.
Lee Thompson is on the same par. Only the music soars above everything
else in the film; a fitting finale to Waxman's distinguished career.

I just love a mystery.

Marty

[Martin Hart]

In article <01cebc1b-a5a8-46a4-b325-

Post by c***@hotmail.com
According to the London times of 5 April 1963 TARAS BULBA was
screening at The Odeon Haymarket Theatre in Panavision 70. This was at
least 8 months before the Premiere of The Cardinal(1963) which
premiered in the USA in December 1963..
TARAS BULBA was the only one of the 35mm to 70mm Blow-ups to be filmed
on the Eastman Color Negative 5250. All the other Blow-ups from 1963
until 1968 were filmed on the improved finer grain Eastman Color 5251
Negative Film.
Most of the film was photographed in Argentina with some sequences
shot in Universal's Backlot.
Does anybody know what Lab did the Blow-up?
Martin Hart commented in a post several years ago that he thought the
film looked grainy, I'm wondering whether this was because it was shot
on the older Eastman 5250 stock?
Regards,
Peter Mason
.

Yesterday I found a poster for "Taras Bulba" from the U.K. that stated
that the movie was "filmed in Panavision 70". It was apparent to me
that the printer had added the "70" since it made the text off center
(centre for Anglophiles). "Panavision 70" was Panavision's original
trade name for Super Panavision. The term adopted for blowups was "70mm
Panavision" when they even bothered with a special notation. The poster
also stated that the movie was in Eastman Colour, whereas U.S. posters
usually said "Eastman Color by DeLuxe" and the U.S. film credits read
"Color by DeLuxe in Eastman Color".

So who knows what's going on? I obtained a copy of the film and it's
just as dumb and cheesy looking as I remembered it. Some movies don't
improve with age.

Last night I watched "Waterhole #3", probably for the fifth or sixth
time. For me, that's one that DOES improve with age.

Marty

[c***@hotmail.com]

On Mar 29, 10:10 pm, Martin Hart

Post by Martin Hart
In article <01cebc1b-a5a8-46a4-b325-

Post by c***@hotmail.com
According to the London times of 5 April 1963 TARAS BULBA was
screening at The Odeon Haymarket Theatre in Panavision 70. This was at
least 8 months before the Premiere of   The Cardinal(1963) which
premiered in the USA in December 1963..
TARAS BULBA was the only one of the 35mm to 70mm Blow-ups to be filmed
on the Eastman Color Negative 5250. All the other Blow-ups from 1963
until 1968 were filmed on the improved finer grain Eastman Color 5251
Negative Film.
Most of the film was photographed in Argentina with some sequences
shot in Universal's Backlot.
Does anybody know what Lab did the Blow-up?
Martin Hart commented in a post several years ago that he thought the
film looked grainy, I'm wondering whether this was because it was shot
on the older Eastman 5250 stock?
Regards,
Peter Mason
.

Yesterday I found a poster for "Taras Bulba" from the U.K. that stated
that the movie was "filmed in Panavision 70".  It was apparent to me
that the printer had added the "70" since it made the text off center
(centre for Anglophiles).  "Panavision 70" was Panavision's original
trade name for Super Panavision. The term adopted for blowups was "70mm
Panavision" when they even bothered with a special notation.  The poster
also stated that the movie was in Eastman Colour, whereas U.S. posters
usually said "Eastman Color by DeLuxe" and the U.S. film credits read
"Color by DeLuxe in Eastman Color"

Martin,
Check out the June 1999 Thread, " First 35mm to 70mm Blow-
up, TARAS-BULBA.":
Brian Sharp states that he exhibited that 70MM print in 1974 and it
was still in good Condition.

Regards,
Peter Mason

Post by Martin Hart
So who knows what's going on?  I obtained a copy of the film and it's
just as dumb and cheesy looking as I remembered it.  Some movies don't
improve with age.
Last night I watched "Waterhole #3", probably for the fifth or sixth
time.  For me, that's one that DOES improve with age.
Marty
--
The American WideScreen Museumwww.widescreenmuseum.com- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

[m***@hotmail.com]

we ran TB in 2007 in 70mm: http://www.in70mm.com/schauburg/2007/reviews/index.htm

Thomas
in70mm.com

[g***@hotmail.com]

Post by m***@hotmail.com
we ran TB in 2007 in 70mm: http://www.in70mm.com/schauburg/2007/reviews/index.htm
Thomas
in70mm.com

I saw Exodus in Sydney in 70mm on it's last screening in June 1963 .The very next day I saw Taras Bulba on the same size screen.It was common in Sydney at the time to show 35mm films on the full sized 70mm screens. Sydney was not blessed with decent sized 70mm screens. I doubt that we had TB in 70mm at the cinema where it was screened.At another 70mm cinema ,years later, they showed Casino Royale in 70mmm but only advertised it as being in 70mm for the first couple of days.Even much later HAMLET opened in 70mm but reverted to 35mm screenings a few weeks later and in a shorter version. How pathetic that was.With TITANIC you never knew whether the film was screened in 70mm or 35mm as it all depended on the projectionist on duty knowing how to screen 70mm films or not..SWEET CHARITY ran almost a year -opening in 70mm then later reverting to 35mm and then it was back later in 70mm. The print must have been loanned out to another cinema in 70mm for a while.Airpost opened in 35mm but went to 70mm a couple of weeks later. Same for STAR TREK.Even THE BIG TRAIL opened in 35mm in 1931 and a week later it was screened in Granduer before transferring to Melbourne also in Grandeur. It was only recently that I have been able to have it confirmed that the film was shown here in Grandeur.

[Richard]

Post by g***@hotmail.com
I saw Exodus in Sydney in 70mm on it's last screening in June 1963 .The very
next day I saw Taras Bulba on the same size screen.It was common in Sydney
at the time to show 35mm films on the full sized 70mm screens. Sydney was
not blessed with decent sized 70mm screens. I doubt that we had TB in
70mm at the cinema where it was screened.At another 70mm cinema ,years later,
they showed Casino Royale in 70mmm but only advertised it as being in 70mm
for the first couple of days.Even much later HAMLET opened in 70mm but
reverted to 35mm screenings a few weeks later and in a shorter version. How
pathetic that was.With TITANIC you never knew whether the film was screened
in 70mm or 35mm as it all depended on the projectionist on duty knowing how
to screen 70mm films or not..SWEET CHARITY ran almost a year -opening in
70mm then later reverting to 35mm and then it was back later in 70mm. The
print must have been loanned out to another cinema in 70mm for a
while.Airpost opened in 35mm but went to 70mm a couple of weeks later.
Same for STAR TREK.Even THE BIG TRAIL opened in 35mm in 1931 and a week
later it was screened in Granduer before transferring to Melbourne also
in Grandeur. It was only recently that I have been able to have it confirmed
that the film was shown here in Grandeur.

Many many years ago my family owned some movie theatres in
Belgium, including a Cinerama in Brussels.

I remember we received a 70mm print AND a 35mm print of the
movie "McKenna's Gold". The head projectionist ran the first
reel of the 70mm print. It was a brand new print but it was
absolutely bad, VERY bad. He checked the 35mm print and it
was MUCH better. Even projected with the Isco lens
on the full Cinerama screen. The 70mm print was sent back
to Columbia. It never came back.

By the way IMHO the whole movie was a disaster.

PS. Sorry for my poor english, I am a french speaking person.

[c***@hotmail.com]

we ran TB in 2007 in 70mm:http://www.in70mm.com/schauburg/2007/reviews/index.htm
Thomas
in70mm.com

I saw Exodus in Sydney in 70mm on it's last screening in June 1963 .The very next day I saw Taras Bulba  on the same size screen.It was common in Sydney at the time to  show 35mm films on the full sized  70mm screens. Sydney was not blessed with    decent sized 70mm screens. I  doubt that  we  had TB in 70mm at the cinema where it was screened

No, it was advertised in The Daily Telegraph of 6 June 1963 as
Panavision. No mention of 70MM. It was The Paris Cinema, by the way.



.At another 70mm cinema ,years later, they showed  Casino Royale in
70mmm  but only advertised it  as being in 70mm for the first couple
of days.Even much later HAMLET opened in 70mm  but   reverted to 35mm
screenings  a few  weeks later and in a shorter version. How pathetic
that was.With TITANIC  you never knew whether the film was  screened
in 70mm or 35mm as  it all depended on the projectionist on duty
 knowing how to screen 70mm films or not.

Check the change-over cues. The 70MM print had circular Change-over
cue, the 35mm Print had elliptical change-over cues.


.SWEET CHARITY ran  almost a year -opening in 70mm then later
 reverting to 35mm and then it was back later  in 70mm. The print must
have been loanned out to another cinema in 70mm for a while.Airpost
opened in 35mm  but went to 70mm   a couple of weeks  later.

When the Melbourne season finished the Distributor sent their 70mm
print up to Sydney.. If I remember correctly it was well into the
Sydney season before the 70MM print was sent up from Melbourne.


Same for STAR TREK.Even THE BIG TRAIL opened in  35mm in  1931 and a
week later it   was screened in Granduer before  transferring to
Melbourne  also in Grandeur. It was only recently that I have been
able to have it confirmed that the film was shown here in Grandeur.

Yes it certainly was shown in GRANDEUR in both Sydney and Melbourne.
Both Stanley S Crick, the Managing Director of Fox Film Corporation in
Australia and New Zealand and Frank W Thring, Managing Director of
Hoyts Theatres in Australia(and father of the actor Frank Thring) were
strong supporters of GRANDEUR. Indeed Thring had the PLAZA Theatre
built in Sydney specifically to show GRANDEUR.

Regards,
Peter Mason

[c***@hotmail.com]

we ran TB in 2007 in 70mm:http://www.in70mm.com/schauburg/2007/reviews/index.htm
Thomas
in70mm.com

Thomas,
Would this have been the same 70mm print that was shown
at the Odeon Haymarket in London
back in April 1963?

Regards,
Peter Mason

[m***@hotmail.com]

Impossible to say

[c***@hotmail.com]

Post by m***@hotmail.com
Impossible to say

Thomas,
Was it an English Language 70mm print? Did it have
European Subtitles?


Regards,
Peter Mason

[m***@hotmail.com]

http://www.in70mm.com/schauburg/program/index.htm#2007

[c***@hotmail.com]

Post by m***@hotmail.com
http://www.in70mm.com/schauburg/program/index.htm#2007

Thanks Thomas,
BTW, Did you ever manage to check out the 202 mins version of
Lawrence of Arabia, to see if it has directional dialogue?

Regards,
Peter Mason

[g***@hotmail.com]

Post by c***@hotmail.com

we ran TB in 2007 in 70mm:http://www.in70mm.com/schauburg/2007/reviews/index.htm
Thomas
in70mm.com

Thomas,
Would this have been the same 70mm print that was shown
at the Odeon Haymarket in London
back in April 1963?
Regards,
Peter Mason

Sweet charity opened in sydney in 70mm and then went to 35mm well into the season for a short time until reverting back to 70mm.It was the longest running season of the film anywhere in the world