Fantastic news! I thought this film would stay in a vault slowly decomposing, & I'd never see a good looking version of it. One to look forward to next year, & like the article says, I don't think it would need much restoration, hopefully the negs are in good condition. A 4k scan, sympathetic colour grade, & a clean-up.
Finally, some good news on ONE-EYED JACKS. It's interesting that the author, Jeffrey Wells, believes that nearly all Paramount VistaVision films were composed for projection at a 1.66:1 ratio. Paramount itself apparently didn't know this when they released their laserdisc in a 1.85:1 ratio.
Thanks for the update, Richard. Hopefully we'll get to see this sooner, and not way later.
Greg Espinoza
I look forward to the day, probably next year sometime, when I will throw out my collection of crappy-looking public-domain DVD's because I've just bought a 4K blu-ray of ONE-EYED JACKS.
Paramount's recommended ratio for VistaVision was 1.85. It could be shown at 1.66 and 2.1 but in trade ads of the period the recommended ratio for optimal results was 1.85.
This, of course, with photos of those ads has been pointed out to Mr. Wells repeatedly - and he ignores them and carries on his inane tirades of which he knows nothing about. I'm glad some cut him slack, but he needs to be shut down. And some are convinced he does it just to get click-throughs to his site.
Thanks for the update, Richard. Hopefully we'll get to see this sooner, and not way later.
Greg Espinoza
I look forward to the day, probably next year sometime, when I will throw out my collection of crappy-looking public-domain DVD's because I've just bought a 4K blu-ray of ONE-EYED JACKS.
The restoration will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month:
• One-Eyed Jacks by Marlon Brando (1961, 2h21, USA) A presentation of Universal Studios and The Film Foundation. Restored by Universal Studios in collaboration with The Film Foundation. Special thanks to Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg for their consultation on this restoration.
Over at Blu-ray.com it's confirmed that it's 1:85. This time last year, a good/great looking One-Eyed Jacks looked a total lost cause, & now it's getting shown at Cannes with a Blu-ray to follow, & I bet it'll look stonking (restoration done by the same team who did Spartacus). It seems all thanks to Martin Scorsese, who puts a lot back into the art form he loves.
I love the Hugo Friedhofer score, & the Kritzerland CD would be one of my desert island discs.
Over at Blu-ray.com it's confirmed that it's 1:85. This time last year, a good/great looking One-Eyed Jacks looked a total lost cause, & now it's getting shown at Cannes with a Blu-ray to follow, & I bet it'll look stonking (restoration done by the same team who did Spartacus). It seems all thanks to Martin Scorsese, who puts a lot back into the art form he loves.
I love the Hugo Friedhofer score, & the Kritzerland CD would be one of my desert island discs.
I'm reliably informed that Universal plans to release the restoration on blu-ray in October. Since Ned Price and his team of bozos at Warner Brothers had no involvement the transfer should look stunning.
Nothing's been said about the excised footage being found and reinstated, so it will be probably be the same length as always.
Who would have thought? ONE-EYED JACKS restored blu-ray in six-months. It's been a long-time coming.
