joekiddlouischama:
1. The rear-projection shots are a distraction, and it seems to me they are most evident in the river rapids scene. The other action scenes use them far less. The picture won the Oscar for best editing, and I think the editing worked very well to maintain the continuity of those scenes. I still regard the runaway train sequence, despite a few back-projected shots, as the greatest gunfight ever put on film.
Also, a few of the shots, particularly in the Civil War segment, were lifted from another film, Raintree County, not shot in Cinerama, and the depth of vision is missing from those shots, even when projected onto the curved screen.
2. I actually appreciate the archaic nature of the dialog, which I think was deliberately written more old-fashioned than was normal for films of that time. Another movie that deliberately used archaic idioms was, True Grit. Lines like,
"The Stoga family. All eight of 'em!"
"Be they single?"
"He ain't got a wife and six kids. Yet!"
"You know any sweet-talkin' gals in Pittsburg?"
"Nope. Nope. 'Nary a one. Yet!"
"Appears you're doin' well."
"Can't complain. Crick's loaded with beavers and the Indians are plumb cordial."
give the film a very un-Hollywood feel, even for its day. This, together with Alfed Newman's extensive use of authentic period songs, often heard in the background, produces a sense of real nostalgia. I understand too, all the costumes were stitched by hand, so they wouldn't look too modern. I think the producers were really trying to recreate a bygone era.
3. I don't think viewers at the time were anticipating the changes that were on the way. Movies like, The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur and, among westerns, The Big Country, The Magnificent Seven and How The West Was Won were sort of like the clipper ships of the time. For a brief while, they sailed gloriously, too soon to be replaced by efficient, clunky steam-packets. In the wake of How The West Was Won came the anti-heroes, "the man with no name," James Bond, Cool Hand Luke, etc. But I don't think audiences at the time foresaw it. We just revelled in the hey-day of filmdom's golden era. I did, anyway. Of course, I was only eleven at the time....
reply
share
cwente2
10 years ago
"... were sort of like the clipper ships of the time."
I like that!
reply
share
Acceler8
10 years ago
Movies like, The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur and, among westerns, The Big Country, The Magnificent Seven and How The West Was Won were sort of like the clipper ships of the time.
Movies like this would often have roadshow engagements, opening in the grandest theatres with reserved seating and souvenir programs on sale in the lobby. There would be an overture, intermission, entr'acte, and exit music. The theatre curtains would part and open wide as the lights dimmed. Does anybody remember the last time they were in a movie theatre with curtains?
reply
share
jm31315
9 years ago
To respond to your question: I did not see "How the West Was Won" for many years until it was shown on public television here in the U.S. The showing of a Cinerama film would necessitate a trip to a theatre, usually a major metropolitan area in my case (Chicago), that had the three-camera set-up and sound enhancements to show the film as intended by the filmmakers. I saw "Brothers Grimm" which was filmed in Cinerama at a local theatre, but which was projected as a traditional film with the three lines in the screen. I was a bit too young otherwise to enjoy the Cinerama documentary films or the few feature films made.
The last time I saw a first run road-show motion picture was approximately 1968 (Christmas Day), when I saw the Robert Wise film "Star!". The film was shown with reserve seating tickets sold by the mail via coupons or purchased at the theatre's box office, and souvenir programs (along with concessions) were sold.
"Star!" was not filmed in the Cinerama process, but in Todd-AO. The screen was both wide in width and height, but not curved. The visual effect of the film was crystal-clear, and the sound extraordinary, especially in the bass register of the arrangements, which were superb. It was shown as a live theatrical production would have been viewed, with a (real) scrim being pulled, then the filmed orchestra tuning up in the pit in front of the stage, then the (filmed) curtain going up. It was a very extravagant film!
The theatre where the film was shown was the Michael Todd Theatre in downtown Chicago, which had been the Selwyn Theatre (I believe), a legitimate theatre primarily used for dramas or comedies such as Noel Coward's play "Private Lives" which was appropriate as the author appeared in "Star!" as portrayed by actor Daniel Massey.
The DVD of the film is mostly what I saw with my parents; the entr'acte from the original film was trimmed for the DVD release, perhaps due to the length of the film and special features being added. The trim would have been a few minutes in length.
"Star! was not a success upon initial release and shortly thereafter was cut severely and re-released by the studio. Not too many years were left for motion pictures marketed as road-show films as some of them, such as this one, were not financially successful. The video era enabled a reassessment of the film as released in 1968.
Finally: today the exterior, but not the interior of the Michael Todd Theatre, is now part of the Goodman Theatre complex.
reply
share
cfwente
9 years ago
Thanks for the information re the Mike Todd theatre in Chicago. I'm a native and remember seeing the road show engagements of Ben-Hur and The Alamo there as a teen. Wonderful experiences. Haven't been back in years.
reply
share