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Ahhhhh it is indeed a great film, I absolutely love it!
So many fantastic moments in this film, my favourite being the German ( farm workers? ) not joining in on the Nazi salute and, of course, the great scene with Massey on the train.
I believe many of those involved in the film including the actors and composer RVW gave their services for free.
Hello Timmer. I believe you are correct on this too. It states somewhere during the opening credits that all those associated with the film 'gave of themeselves' towards the making of the film. (or words to that effect) Ralph Vaughn Williams, Laurence Olivier, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, Leslie Howard, Raymond Massey,.... I suppose this could still happen today, but with Star Egos and Handlers handling those egos even if it did it probably would have an aire of 'publicity for publicty's sake' to it.
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Wasn't that great? I forget the name of that Religious Sect that was living in Canada, but it was so...life embracing and gentle.
They're Mennonites.
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So many fantastic moments in this film,...and, of course, the great scene with Massey on the train.
That is EXACTLY what came to my mind upon seeing this thread's title. 'S been ages since I've seen the film. Think last time was one of them "Cinema 13" jobs on Saturday night.
That was probably the americanized version which, typically, cut out crucial dialog about racial predjudice!
Bravo to Criterion for their "rescue" job!
brm
brm
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Come to think of it, McGinnis was Zeus in 'Jason and the Argonauts' alongside Honor Blackman as Hera (who's as beautiful today as she was then, given her age) and did he not play Menelaus in 'Helen of Troy'? He seems to cover the centuries.
This guys' been all over the place! I never put 'the face' with the characters he's played save for when I saw him in '49th Parallel' and remembered him from 'Night of the Demon'. I'd seen 'Jason and the Argonauts' dozens of times and NEVER put the faces together before. And that's when I had plenty of brain cells left!
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Hello Timmer. I believe you are correct on this too. It states somewhere during the opening credits that all those associated with the film 'gave of themeselves' towards the making of the film. (or words to that effect) Ralph Vaughn Williams, Laurence Olivier, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, Leslie Howard, Raymond Massey,.... I suppose this could still happen today, but with Star Egos and Handlers handling those egos even if it did it probably would have an aire of 'publicity for publicty's sake' to it.
Dave. Massey is an AWOL AMERCIAN soldier is he not? His decision to return to the states is symbolic of the sacrifice the US (eventually) makes/made/
brm
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Dave. Massey is an AWOL AMERCIAN soldier is he not? His decision to return to the states is symbolic of the sacrifice the US (eventually) makes/made/
brm
Was he? I've only seen the film once. I'd thought he was an A.W.O.L Canadian Soldier, but I think you're right.. he was going BACK to The US over Niagra Falls. Massey's easy-going, laid back nature here threw me off I guess. I thought he was Canadian.In any event I'm going to re-watch it again this evening. While reading the booklet inside the Criterion box of the 2 disc set there is a 'special thanks' section on the last page. It lists many names and ONE stood out for me among the rest: THELMA SCHOONMAKER POWELL. Martin Scorsese's Film Editor was married to Director Michael Powell? (I mean no disrespect here) but I thought that Mr.Powell was Gay? And even if he wasn't, I'm still surprised that he was married to Thelma Schoonmaker.
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Wasn't that great? I forget the name of that Religious Sect that was living in Canada, but it was so...life embracing and gentle.
They're Mennonites.
I watched the film again tonight. The name of the religious community? They're called HUTTERITES (never heard of them before, but that's how it's spelled in the chapter search)
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Dave. Massey is an AWOL AMERCIAN soldier is he not? His decision to return to the states is symbolic of the sacrifice the US (eventually) makes/made/
brm
I watched the film again tonight. And no, Massey is clearly Canadian. He's talking about his farm in Ontario where they grew grapes for wine. And that he'd been a Royal Canadian Soldier since Canada went to war some (one year or so prior). At that time The United States was STILL Neutral. My instinct was correct on this one. (For once at least!)
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Was he? I've only seen the film once. I'd thought he was an A.W.O.L Canadian Soldier, but I think you're right.. he was going BACK to The US over Niagra Falls. Massey's easy-going, laid back nature here threw me off I guess. I thought he was Canadian.In any event I'm going to re-watch it again this evening. While reading the booklet inside the Criterion box of the 2 disc set there is a 'special thanks' section on the last page. It lists many names and ONE stood out for me among the rest: THELMA SCHOONMAKER POWELL. Martin Scorsese's Film Editor was married to Director Michael Powell? (I mean no disrespect here) but I thought that Mr.Powell was Gay? And even if he wasn't, I'm still surprised that he was married to Thelma Schoonmaker.
Thelma Schoonmaker was, indeed, Mrs Michael Powell, from 1984 until the director's death in 1990.
As for the religious sect, the Hutterites and Mennonites are groups with similar histories and creeds (along with the Anabaptists).
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Except the Anabaptists weren't pacifists and got a few wars started! The main thing in the film is that these sects, mainly Dutch and some Swiss were part of what Adolf assumed 'Germanic' and North European, and largely of peasant stock, (the first such really to be able to read the Bible for themselves in the 16th and 17th centuries), and so supposedly sympathetic to his cause. Not so of course.
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2 disc set?
I never knew there was a 2 disc release? I only have an old single disc with no extras.
What are the extras Dave?
I'm guessing here that '49th Parallel' was previously issued on some other label? I'm curious as to the condition of THAT version. Criterion did this:
49th Parallel is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The picture has been slightly window-boxed to ensure that the maximum image is visible on all monitors. On widescreen televisons, black bars will appear on the eft and right of the image to maintain the proper screen format. This new HIGH-DEFINITION digital transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm nittrate fine-grain master positive preserved by the BFI National Archive,England. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, and scratches were remove using the MTI Digital Restoration System. To maintain optimal image quality through the compression process, the picture on this dual-layer DVD-9 was encoded at the highest possible bit rate for the quantity of material included. The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from a 35mm optical soundtrack print and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss, and crackle. The Dolby Digital 1.0 signal will be directed to the center channel on surround sound systems....'
THE SUPPLEMENTS:
The Volunteer, a 1943 Powell and Pressburger war-effort short starring Ralph Richardson.
Excerpts from Michael Powell's audio dictations for his autobiography.
A Pretty British Affair, a BBC documentary on the careers of Powell and Pressburger, which considers their World War II-era collaborations and features rare footage of the filmmakers together.
Plus: A new essay by film scholar Charles Barr and an excerpt from powell's 1941 premiers speech.
PLUS on disc One (the film): you get the original theatrical trailer and Audio commentary by film and Music historian Bruce Eder - about Ralph Vaugh Williams.
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does anyone know how long the suite from THE 49TH PARALLEL is on the CHANDOS vol.2 and is it the same as was on the old MARCO POLO ? thanks
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does anyone know how long the suite from THE 49TH PARALLEL is on the CHANDOS vol.2 and is it the same as was on the old MARCO POLO ? thanks
Damn! I packed up the Chandos '49th Parallel' for storage already. I didn't know there were 2 versions - interesting!
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does anyone know how long the suite from THE 49TH PARALLEL is on the CHANDOS vol.2 and is it the same as was on the old MARCO POLO ? thanks
The Chandos suite is a very generous 38:43, whereas the Marco Polo doesn't contain a suite at all, just the 2:18 Prelude.
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Wasn't that great? I forget the name of that Religious Sect that was living in Canada, but it was so...life embracing and gentle.
They're Mennonites.
I believe they are HUTTERITES.
brm
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I watched the film again tonight. And no, Massey is clearly Canadian. He's talking about his farm in Ontario where they grew grapes for wine. And that he'd been a Royal Canadian Soldier since Canada went to war some (one year or so prior). At that time The United States was STILL Neutral. My instinct was correct on this one. (For once at least!)
yes, you are right. He was intended as a symbolic American - i.e. not wanting to fight the Nazis. He could have lived as a free man in the USA but allowed himself to be "drafted" by taking the Nazi BACK WITH HIM TO cANADA (where he would face possible desertion charges- a serious offence).
brm
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Timmer at al.
RVW adapted the main theme from 49 into a song called "the new Commonwealth".
I have never seen this piece on any recording.
Info?
thx!
brm
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The Chandos suite is a very generous 38:43, whereas the Marco Polo doesn't contain a suite at all, just the 2:18 Prelude............thank you.
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