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I don't know about other people, and no disrespect meant to Nic Raine who does fine work, but I'd love it if James himself conducted another Bernstein score -- his True Grit is FLAWLESS! He perfectly captures Bernstein's idiom, and I'm sure there are some other great Bernstein scores he could tackle that don't survive, at least in complete form.
Yavar
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"Quo Vadis" is awesome, is fantastic is AMAZING !
Thanks James, this is truly incredible!
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I'd much rather leave conducting to those who are actually good at it....although I did wave my arms around a bit on upcoming RED PONY Concert Suite Recording....
I guess you've got a skill for conducting westerns, then. Honestly you're far too modest, as I'm sure fans here of the True Grit recording will tell you. I think Nic Raine or even William Stromberg would be hard-pressed to top what you did in terms of capturing Bernstein. Plus, since Mr. Bernstein's tragic passing, you're shockingly the only one to tackle a new recording of one of his scores!
Can't wait to see what recording The Red Pony suite will be filling out...
Yavar
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Posted: |
Nov 8, 2012 - 6:23 AM
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By: |
pp312
(Member)
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What are his "5 Roadshow historical epics? I can guess, but I would like your confirmation.
Hi. I'm of course using the term "Roadshow" in the sense of exclusive first-run movies of a length requiring Intermission (as QV? originally had and as I saw it on re-release in the early 60s). So the list would be:
Quo Vadis
Ben-Hur
King of Kings
El Cid
Sodom & Gomorrah
Please, other people, don't chime in and say that Ivanhoe or something is an historical epic. I think we can all agree what "Roadshow" meant, at least we oldies can, and only a few films were thus released. S & G probably didn't deserve such deluxe treatment, but it got it nonetheless, at least here in Australia (ran for 3 months, as I recall, as opposed to B-H's 15 and El Cid's 11).
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What are his "5 Roadshow historical epics? I can guess, but I would like your confirmation.
Hi. I'm of course using the term "Roadshow" in the sense of exclusive first-run movies of a length requiring Intermission (as QV? originally had and as I saw it on re-release in the early 60s). So the list would be:
Quo Vadis
Ben-Hur
King of Kings
El Cid
Sodom & Gomorrah
Please, other people, don't chime in and say that Ivanhoe or something is an historical epic. I think we can all agree what "Roadshow" meant, at least we oldies can, and only a few films were thus released. S & G probably didn't deserve such deluxe treatment, but it got it nonetheless, at least here in Australia (ran for 3 months, as I recall, as opposed to B-H's 15 and El Cid's 11).
If SODOM AND GOMORRAH was roadshown in Australia it must have been one of the few countries where it was shown that way. The film wasn't made in 70mm or widescreen (ie 2.35:1) or (as far as I know) stereo sound, as roadshow films usually were. I saw it when it opened in London and it received a standard presentation, although it may still have had the Overture, Entr'acte and Exit Music (I don't remember for sure).
Gordon Gray, who produced the Polydor "Rozsa Conducts Rozsa" albums had an interesting story about the Australian showing of the film, which is on the Miklos Rozsa Society website, as below:
When the first print of SODOM AND GOMORRAH arrived in this country, it was quickly sent to the censors for viewing and classification and then rushed into a city release. I went to see the film in its first week—a ticket sold merely because printed among the credits on the posters outside were the words MUSIC BY MIKLÓS RÓZSA (as if I didn't know that already) . A good presentation took place, the overture was played and the first half was enjoyed. After intermission I listened to the intermezzo playing, it seemed unusually long. Toward the finish it suddenly occurred to me that the music had taken on an 'epilogue' type of arrangement, as if the projectionist had spliced the epilogue onto the end of the intermezzo.
When the second half of the film finished there was no epilogue. Several weeks later I received a copy of the RCA soundtrack record and found that my suspicions had been correct, the two pieces must have been joined together. I happened to be working for the company who were distributing the film throughout Australia, and weeks later when the balance of the prints arrived, I quickly began checking out the reels to find out if the music was in the correct order. I discovered that there was an extra can of film for each print; they had recorded all three items of music on the one reel and marked each one accordingly; I made sure that each print was made up in the correct manner.
I returned to the City Theatre and requested a word with the projectionist. I explained everything to him, and he said he thought the intermezzo and epilogue should have been separate items, but that was the way he received the print. In reply to my request that he make a correction, he said, "I'm sorry, but I cannot do this because Head Office viewed this print first and made up my running times. If I alter it now the intermission will be shorter and somebody will want to know why I altered their running times!" So SODOM AND GOMORRAH had its complete city season in Sydney in that manner.
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Posted: |
Nov 8, 2012 - 7:13 AM
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By: |
joec
(Member)
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What are his "5 Roadshow historical epics? I can guess, but I would like your confirmation.
Hi. I'm of course using the term "Roadshow" in the sense of exclusive first-run movies of a length requiring Intermission (as QV? originally had and as I saw it on re-release in the early 60s). So the list would be:
Quo Vadis
Ben-Hur
King of Kings
El Cid
Sodom & Gomorrah
Please, other people, don't chime in and say that Ivanhoe or something is an historical epic. I think we can all agree what "Roadshow" meant, at least we oldies can, and only a few films were thus released. S & G probably didn't deserve such deluxe treatment, but it got it nonetheless, at least here in Australia (ran for 3 months, as I recall, as opposed to B-H's 15 and El Cid's 11).
Sodom & Gomorrah may have been planned as a roadshow presentation, but it was not shown that way in NYC. In fact it opened in multiple locations for only a few weeks. There is a point in the film where the intermission should have been placed. But apprently the Overture Intermission and exit music were removed for USA distribution. Surprisinely it was not a wide screen film. It would be great to see this film, whatever its merits, as it was initially intended.
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Posted: |
Nov 8, 2012 - 7:31 AM
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By: |
pp312
(Member)
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Sodom & Gomorrah may have been planned as a roadshow presentation, but it was not shown that way in NYC. In fact it opened in multiple locations for only a few weeks. There is a point in the film where the intermission should have been placed. But apprently the Overture Intermission and exit music were removed for USA distribution. Surprisinely it was not a wide screen film. It would be great to see this film, whatever its merits, as it was initially intended.
Sorry, but it was definitely widescreen in OZ. I have no doubt whatsoever on that point. As for the Intermission, it took place just after the Battle by the Dam. Lot announces that the Hebrews will remain near Sodom. Someone asks how they will make a living, and Lot indicates a huge pile of salt left from the breaking of the dam. There's a rather impressive shot of the speakers taken from the top of the salt pile at this point, and a slow fadeout accompanied by a typical Rozsa Intermission climax.
Years later the film showed on Oz TV in truncated form as "The Last Days of Sodom And Gomorrah." It was actually a lot better (or should I say, a Lot better?), as most of the silly "Italianisms" had been removed.
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doug Raynes. were your prints stereo?
When I worked at Pioneer laserdisc, I tried to track down stereo master tracks for this film, but no go. no one had them.
I wold love to see this film on blu ray with roadshow elements and stereo.
The film was never widescreen, but 1:85.
The film was mono where I saw it but I don't know if there were any stereo showings. I have the UK cinema exhibitors brochure giving advice on presentation and publicity which states the running time as;
"153 minutes plus intermission and music. Play-in music: 5 minutes. Intermission music 5 minutes. Play-out music 2 minutes. Certificate 'X'. A Titanus Production distributed by the Rank Organisation, features an original music score, composed and conducted by Hollywood's top composer, Miklos Rozsa."
So the film obviously had the Overture, Intermission etc included on all general release prints.
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I wold love to see this film on blu ray with roadshow elements and stereo.
The film was never widescreen, but 1:85.
What alternate Intermission music was there for Spartacus. This is news to me.
Seems we may have to define our terms. !:85, almost two to one, would look like widescreen to me. Even so, I seem to recall a broader image than that.
Paul, in the early 1960s 1.85:1 was not considered widescreen because that had been the standard aspect ratio for many years. Most cinemas had stopped showing films in 1.33:1 by the mid '50s and I don't think Australia was that much behind the times - or maybe it was  . In those days widescreen meant a CinemaScope size picture to most people at 2.35:1 and SODOM AND GOMORRAH was definitely not filmed with widescreen lenses. I think the advent of DVD confused terms.
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