Sound Of Music Is Back in 4K

[Terry Monohan]

I see the folks at Disney are milking more runs of the 20th Century Fox Todd-AO 70mm classic 'Sound Of Music' to a restored 4k release for theatres

I wonder If they took the original 65mm Todd-AO negs and 6 track magnetic sound or a scope 35mm transfer to fix the images and sound for this showing to make more money out of a movie that is still shown on TV every year.

I see no mention of any restored 70mm showings or IMAX 70mm engagements from Disney under 20th Century Studios.

Maybe It will attract a new younger crowd that never saw It in a movie theatre.

I was so glad I got to see this on many curved 70mm Todd-AO screens around the USA when It first came out in the roadshow 1960"s with curtains, programs, reserved seats and a intermission

I wonder if this new 4K transfer for theatres will have a built in Intermission, pre show walk in intro music and stereo surround exit music like the original.

A 4K and Blu Ray version will be out late in September for the home screens. .

The Disney vault folks will be watching if this makes some extra cash, then you will see Oklahoma, Cleopatra and a few other Fox 70mm roadshow movies being brought back in cinemas in 4K.

Will be interesting how they re do the stereo surround sound to get rid of some of the mag hiss and maybe do a split surround type Dolby Digital effect on the side and back surround speakers in the theatres.

[Ryan Gallagher]

We show the existing S220 DCP every year (to huge crowds), I would honestly prefer they released two versions... a full roadshow variant two part DCP and intermission card, as well a single DCP without intermission card for those theatres not set up well to host intermissions.

At minimum I expect there to be an intermission on the DCP, as the currently circulating DCP releases tend to have one.

I would also love to get back to a place where these roadshow type releases provide the full compliment, walkin music, intermission music (if applicable), and walkout music if there is no extended crawl.

For the mix I think it's a toss up, they might keep using their existing 5.1 mix, or maybe it's all being remastered from originals again, ATMOS and other flavors? A classic as released flavor would be nice too.

[Frank Angel]

Since they are bothering to rerelease it at all, they should really try to do the work justice and release the roadshow version so it can be seen with the full impact of the original presentation.

I would honestly prefer they released two versions... a full roadshow variant two part DCP and intermission card, as well a single DCP without intermission card for those theatres not set up well to host intermissions.

For those utilitarian, low-rent theatres that are set up to do just the BARE MINIMUM in presentation, why even bother? People can see that kind of presentation at home, many times with even better niceties. Why let a younger audience see it in a theatre if is in not going to be best version of the classic. Just that fact that it is seen on a movie screen isn't worth the effort if that theatre isn't gong offer a stella presentation of it.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Since they are bothering to rerelease it at all, they should really try to do the work justice and release the roadshow version so it can be seen with the full impact of the original presentation. For those utilitarian, low-rent theatres that are set up to do just the BARE MINIMUM in presentation, why even bother? People can see that kind of presentation at home, many times with even better niceties. Why let a younger audience see it in a theatre if is in not going to be best version of the classic. Just that fact that it is seen on a movie screen isn't worth the effort if that theatre isn't gong offer a stella presentation of it.

Haha, for showmanship reasons I totally agree. But just not trying to be too elitist with the classics.... there are still communities out there with only a modest plex as their only viewing option... and who am I to tell them they don't get to see a 4K version of Sound of Music in a room with lots of other people simply because their venue lacks all the bells and whistles. I mean if you want to be really picky there should be a curtain too, but how many places have those still. Hardly any.

[Frank Angel]

Yes I do see your point. I guess imperfect is better than nothing. I just hate not being able to give an audience the same experience I marveled at when I was younger, seeing those classics. Seeing them in NY, at the Roxy and Radio City Music Hall, RKO Keiths, the great movie palaces, it was those experiences that made me fall in love with The Movies, and the reason I have been running films for audiences the last 50 years.

i remember when I worked my first theatre in College Station TX -- we didn't have mag heads and we got in a print of TSOM -- 4trk mag/optical. I became a lunatic, badgering Mr. Schulman my boss to get two penthouses and the extra amps an speakers so we would play it. It was indeed a roadshow print and to have to play it using half the mono optical track was actually physically painful for me, especially given how awful that half-mono track sounded, needing to up the level to nearly full open fader with all that ground noise -- just shoot me! I even told my boss I would pay as much as I could for the rental, wiping out all of my piddling savings. He wouldn't do it. Then came mag prints of MY FAIR LADY and after that it was THE AGONY AND THE ECSTACY -- agony indeed for kid projectionist wanting to give them the best presentation. There were probably more but those three are burned into my brain on how traumatic they were. We did have a curtain, though, so at least I had that! Each of those prints were full roadshow versions with all the music and intermission breaks. I ran each one with that knife sticking in my back. ?

[Ryan Gallagher]

I hear ya Frank. I recently put my foot down and said no more 70mm mag until they pony up for a second teccon head. We had mismatched worn out ampex head and 1 teccon.

Mgmt was of the opinion no one cared about the pops and crackle coming from old ampex, until I reminded them that running a print on non-existent heads is liable to scratch/trash half a print one day. They are at least aware of the sticker shock of replacing a reel or print and had a change of tune.

But a year later I still don’t have a 2nd teccon, and they conveniently forgot that guidance and tried to book another mag print until I pointed out it was gonna be mag. I can’t blame programming though, without asking myself or the studio, they have little insight into what audio format to expect on any given back catalog 70mm.