IMDB South Pacific Technical Specifications Finally Corrected!
cin...@hotmail.com
IMDB (with a lot of help from Martin's website)that South Pacific was
only shot in 65mm not 35mm and 65mm as they had in their entry for
many years.
Of course the information on the "alternate versions" of Lawrence
(Lawrence and Ali in the quicksand together)
is still there.
Regards,
Peter mason
Peter
> After many years and many attempts I have finally managed to convince
> IMDB (with a lot of help from Martin's website)that South Pacific was
> only shot in 65mm not 35mm and 65mm as they had in their entry for
> many years.
After Fox acquired Todd-AO Corp after the death of Michael Todd Sr, and
after the process was almost completely redesigned by Fox from the
ground-up, essentially preserving only the aperture dimensions and the
mag-sound striping, while replacing all its cameras with Mitchell FCs
("Fox Camera") and Mitchell BFCs ("Blimped Fox Camera"), replacing all
its lenses with Bausch & Lomb Super-Baltars, except for "B" camera
work, and changing its frame rate from 30 fps to a more acceptable
(from the wider distribution perspective) 24 fps, thereby facilitating
reduction prints to 35mm from the composited camera negative, rather
than "simu-filmed" in 65mm and 35mm, one might expect IMDb to have the
courtesy to investigate, and to correct, these spurious "alternate
version" fantasies.
Oh, no, better a fantasy than a reality.
Along the same lines as in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance": "This is
the West, Sir! When the Legend differs from the Reality, we print the
Legend!"
What a hoot ... NOT!
--
CinemaScope�: The Modern Miracle You See without Special Glasses!
Martin Hart
@rattlebrain.com says...
A couple of minor corrections below:
> After Fox acquired Todd-AO Corp after the death of Michael Todd Sr, and
> after the process was almost completely redesigned by Fox from the
> ground-up, essentially preserving only the aperture dimensions and the
> mag-sound striping, while replacing all its cameras with Mitchell FCs
> ("Fox Camera") and Mitchell BFCs ("Blimped Fox Camera"), replacing all
> its lenses with Bausch & Lomb Super-Baltars, except for "B" camera
> work,
The original Todd-AO cameras remained in inventory and service into the
early 1960s. Two were used in the filming of John Wayne's "The Alamo" in
1960.
The death of Mike Todd Sr. had nothing to do with Fox's ultimate
acquisition of Todd-AO Corp. From Magna Theatre Corporation. Todd sold
his interest in the company in 1956 to help finance the production of
"Around the World in 80 Days". Fox didn't do their buyout until about
1959, though they had owned an interest in the company from around 1958.
Marty
--
The American WideScreen Museum
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/
Peter
<ema...@thewidescreenmuseum.com> said:
> The original Todd-AO cameras remained in inventory and service into the
> early 1960s. Two were used in the filming of John Wayne's "The Alamo" in
> 1960.
Perhaps.
But the Mitchells and the Bausch & Lombs were in "A" camera service
beginning with Todd-AO feature #3 (South Pacific, which was filmed
using an all-Fox crew and their department heads) and in most cases the
Superfilms and American Opticals were not used at all, or if they were
used, they were used in "B" camera roles.
Wayne's own production company, Batjac, bought brand-new Mitchells and
Bausch & Lombs for its roles in The Alamo. Likely, it rented the
Superfilms and American Opticals, also for "B" camera roles, from
Todd-AO Corp, on an as-needed basis.
The Batjac-owned Todd-AO kits were held by that company for a number of
years after completion, but were sold for very low $$$ in the
classifieds of American Cinematographer. About $8K per kit.
Martin Hart
@rattlebrain.com says...
So are you saying I'm wrong in correcting your statement that ONLY the
BFC/FC cameras were used from the production of the 3rd film on? I
corrected you in two short sentences and you "corrected" me in three
paragraphs.
Facts is facts. I presented facts, and you wrote a novel.
Peter
<ema...@thewidescreenmuseum.com> said:
> So are you saying I'm wrong in correcting your statement that ONLY the
> BFC/FC cameras were used from the production of the 3rd film on?
You're right, but so am I.
Superfilms and American Opticals were done-for, as "A" camera
equipment, for Todd-AO features, after the completion of 80 Days.
The next Todd-AO feature was executed by Fox crews and department
heads, using the new Todd-AO equipment which Fox commissioned from
Mitchell and Bausch & Lomb.
Sure, some of the old gear may have been used again, but not in "A"
camera assignments.
Hauerslev
concept in only 4 months in the spring/summer of 1953.
Brian O'Brien: http://www.in70mm.com/news/2003/todd_ao_birth/index.htm
Then AO asked Mitchell Corp to develop new 65mm cameras for Todd-AO
Corp.
"South Pacific" was a MAGNA production
Cheers Thomas
www.in70mm.com
<<LV>>
> But the Mitchells and the Bausch & Lombs were in "A" camera service
> beginning with Todd-AO feature #3 (South Pacific, which was filmed
> using an all-Fox crew and their department heads) and in most cases the
> Superfilms and American Opticals were not used at all, or if they were
> used, they were used in "B" camera roles.
>
> Wayne's own production company, Batjac, bought brand-new Mitchells and
> Bausch & Lombs for its roles in The Alamo. Likely, it rented the
> Superfilms and American Opticals, also for "B" camera roles, from
> Todd-AO Corp, on an as-needed basis.
I paged through a coffee table book about 'The Alamo' quite a while
back.
Production stills show both a blimped Todd-AO and a BFC being used.
I don't recall whether or not this was mentioned in the text, but I
got the impression that they began shooting with the blimp and that
the BFC was delivered after shooting began.
Here's a still showing the blimped Todd-AO:
http://www.einsiders.com/features/columns/alamo_part5.php
yours in TohoScope,
---LV
Sorry about the size.
Peter
> I don't recall whether or not this was mentioned in the text, but I
> got the impression that they began shooting with the blimp and that
> the BFC was delivered after shooting began.
Wayne:s production company, Batjac, purchased new BFC kits specifically
for The Alamo.
Any Superfilms were rented from Todd-AO.
After Wayne:s death, his estate sold the BFCs.