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Topic: The Third Man

John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 10-17-1999 06:49 PM

I was building up our new Third Man print last night.

There is no identification on the soundtrack as to what system it uses. The IMDB states it as being mono, but it sure looks as though it may have some dolby encoding (not separation, just noise reduction a-la Woody Allen).

I know our Touch Of Evil print was in SR Mono...

Anyone else here run one of the new issue prints?

Thanks

------------------
John

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-17-2000 05:43 PM

What made you think the print could be Dolby encoded? Was it twin bilaterial variable area and the modulation on one of the tracks looked very slightly different to the other?

I know that the track of THE THIRD MAN was digitally rerecorded by the (British) National Film and Television Archive in 1995, because much of the original sound negative was found to have shrunk badly, making it difficult to sync to the picture. A new negative was created by replaying the digital signal at a fractionally lower speed in order to compensate for the shrinkage and produce a new sound neg that was the same footage of the picture. I suppose they may have used a Dolby format purely for the NR, but I have never shown any prints of the restoration and so don't know whether or not they did. The last print of THE THIRD MAN I showed was variable density.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-17-2000 09:27 PM

The reissue is definitely mono and not matrix stereo. I suppose that it's possible that it has type A or type SR noise reduction, but I doubt it. The print that I saw looked and sounded pretty good. Would someone please confirm or deny that the reissue prints are on Ilford stock? This is some of the nicest B&W lab work that I've seen lately...

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Michael Barry
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 584
From: Sydney, NSW, Australia
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 07-17-2000 10:44 PM

...and the winner of the longest response time to a thread is...

FWIW, I think John was asking because the reissue of 'Touch Of Evil' was in DTS/SR. Therefore, it's quite possible that 'Third Man' may have used SR noise reduction. Woody Allen films have used this technique for about 10 years.

Scott: I seem to remember that it was Eastman B&W, but I could be mistaken. Next time the print turns up I'll make a point to recheck it.

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-18-2000 03:52 PM

Hey, you can't rush these things...

I know there was no separation, but I'm 99% convinced there was some noise reduction encoding on the reissue prints. It's a pity someone involved with this reissue can't reply and confirm or deny it.

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