A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC -- film-version coming to DVD!- Page 3

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 11:16pm

ABout what Best12Bars (so odd--I use that same Monty avatar on a movie forum) and others said re stereo.

As I mentioned ALNM came out from Roger COrman's distribution arm (New World Pictures?) and theyw ere *very* cheap, I'm sure this was a factor as to why it was mono--the album is stereo so the songs were recorded in steroe anyway. Of course ALNm wasn't even released widely I believe--

On a movie forum I asked a while back when stereo became a mainstay for theatrical movies and no one knew an answer--wikipedia under stereo is no better (yes geeky questions like this bug me)

I know that the first stereo film was Fantasia with Walt DIsney's specially created Fantasound Surround multiple speaker system but that was only for the full original (flop) roadshow release--it was quickly remixed to mono. By the 1950s with widescreen movies competing with TV stereo also became a part (mid-late 50s) of these *major* movies--again I know Disney's 1959 wide screen Sleepign Beauty had its initial roadshow release in stereo. I think this was common for movies thru the 60s--the epic roadshow releases of major movies anyway would be stereo but most theatres probably still could only show mono and except for the big huge productions most was mono I think (however most musicals of the 60s were big huge productions so prob in stereo).

I assumed stereo was regular with movies by the mid 70s but I think am wrong--I know such major releases from major studios as Dressed to Kill in 1980 and Alien in 1979 were still made only in mono. By 1982/83 though you have even smaller films like Last Unicorn being in stereo so I guess the switch was made for sure by then.

But liek I said because Night Music was so cheaply handled on EVERY level (which is why Id on't think you can even compare it to epic disasters like Mame or say The Little Prince--it was always meant to be a modes tlittle film) none of these aspects (widescreen, stereo sound) that usually affected musicals even in the 70s played a part.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 12:45am

I'll be buying it just for Diana Rigg and the extra verses to "Everyday a Little Death" that have never been published anywhere and for Diana Rigg. She is a joy in this movie. Makes you wish that "Collette" had come in, so that there would have been a cast album.

As for "Something For Everyone", that is an enjoyable film. (Of course, I am a nasty person)

[Dark_Angel]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 1:06am

Ah, yes...."Something For Everyone"! Talk about a film that's virtually faded into obscurity!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 1:34am

Sondheim boy the extra verse (not verses) for Little Death is one of the worse things Sondheim has written I think :P But it's so short and it is a nice little segue into Charlotte visiting Anne--but it makes sense why it was left off the cast album. I know many Sondheim fans alwaso hate his lyrics for Love Takes Time but I enjoy a lot about that song--and of course LOVE the film Glamorous Life (which has never been sung as well in subsequent versions).

Otherwise he made a few changes to Weekend in the Country and re-edited and shortened Now/Later/Soon becomes I think Now/Soon/Later which works.

It is interesting that out of the two Broadway heavyweights in 1973 who were most praised for their "cinematic" way of directing on stage--Fosse and Hal Prince, one mananged to be equally as sinematic on film and one failed so strongly

That one sheet for SOmething for Everyone makes me wanna see it all the more!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 5:44am

someone said:"Importantly, this was the first form of the show to use the beautiful and haunting "Petra's song" -- the piece of "Glamourous Life" that really soars. It's one of Sondheim's most poignant melodies and somehow deepens the beat in the story. "

I hadn't heard this before--do you mean that the melody for the film Glamorous came from a song intended for Petra?

E

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 7:28am

That was me who wrote "Petra's song..." Yes, the Petra verses -- "...and sometime this summer, maybe soon..." -- were introduced in the film, even if Sondheim wrote them earlier. They were not on Broadway. But they were in the National Theater production with Judy Dench -- I have that wonderful CD -- and I believe the verses have been used in the City Opera production, the more recent one, not the Sally Anne Howes.

Someone may contradict me about when it was written, but I am certain that the verses never made it into performance until the film. It does add a great deal to the montage sequence. Some fans find the material intrusive, but I think it's beautiful, and emotionally expands the mother/daughter/grandmother setup at the top. It's basically Petra's "I Want" song, and of course, it's paid off in the moving denouement to the story.

[alterego]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 7:54am

Interesting that there are now two Dames above the title...Dame Elizabeth Taylor and Dame Diana Rigg. Who'd have thought that when they made it that would have happened.

I second the vote for a DVD release of Something For Everyone.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 8:44am

The version of GLAMOROUS LIFE sung in the film (it's FREDIKA's song, not Petra's) was written expressly for the film and never intended originally for the stage.

Sondheim wrote it of necessity, since the Liebeslieders were ousted early on in the film's planning and they wanted a similar way to introduce Desiree. The RNT production with Dame Judi combined both numbers, but Ms. S wasn't happy with result (and is does sound "shoved together" on the CD) and hasn't allowed the experiment to be tried again.

I have to disagree with EricMontreal ... I think LOVE TAKES TIME delightfully delineates the characters, and that Charlotte's added lyrics are delightful and funny. And who can't love it when Dame Diana sings "and the gnats!" in WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY? All top drawer Sondheim, IMHO.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 9:20am

I know this is a total tangent, but elaborating on what EricMontreal22 said regarding stereo movies...

Fantasia was indeed the first. It was presented in 5.0 stereo in only two theatres as an experiment. The rest of the country got the mono release initially in 1940. After that, a few other studios tried it out in the early '40s, most notably Fox on two big band movies ("Sun Valley Serenade" with Sonja Henie and Tyrone Power, and "Orchestra Wives"). Also a few short subjects were tested in stereo, which was still viewed as a novelty (since the theatres were required to have stereo systems installed in order to take advantage of it), much in the same way color was a novelty when it first began commercial use (again Disney was the first to try 3-strip Technicolor for its 1932 Silly Symphony short "Flowers and Trees").

Stereo remained a novelty until TV came along. Then starting in the early to mid 1950's studios wanted to lure audiences back into the theatres with things that TV couldn't do, such as stereo sound and wide screen presentations. So the "event" movies of the '50s came out in full stereo or surround sound (mostly musicals, bible epics, or just "epics" in general, regardless of the genre... but nearly all dramas were still released in mono, and most in B&W as well). This audio trend lasted until around '72, when nearly all movies (including musicals like "Cabaret") were being released in mono. For the next 5 years until '77, virtually ALL movies were released in mono. And then with Close Encounters and Star Wars, the new six-track Dolby surround era began. Again, most dramas were released in mono all the way up to around '84 (including the Best Picture winners Ordinary People and Terms of Endearment). Then starting around '84 and '85 the "mono" era was all but over, and nearly all movies regardless of the genre were being produced in stereo. I'd say you'd be hard pressed to find any feature film today that is produced in mono (at least here in the U.S.).

But with the DVD age came major film restoration for the Home Entertainment market, and they began finding original source materials in vaults that would allow many of these mono movies to be remixed into stereo. Even going back to the old MGM musicals of the '40s like Meet Me In St. Louis, etc. The orchestras at MGM were recorded with several source mics, at least a "right orchestra" and "left orchestra" mic, and the sources were ultimately mixed into mono for the film release. Finding those separate recordings (for each mic) allowed modern mixers to create a true stereo remix of the original recordings. So it's not "faked stereo," even if it's not great stereo. I suppose two mic sources is better than one, but scores for The Wizard of Oz and Meet Me In St. Louis weren't recorded with a dozen mics allowing for advanced mixing. Still it's "real" stereo, and I find it pretty thrilling to hear.

I'm still glad that in most cases, these DVDs have their original mono tracks restored as well, but I prefer the new stereo mixes nearly every time, with only a few exceptions.

*end of tangent*

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 9:45am

I don't have the problem with the amalgamated "Glamourous Life" on the RNC recording, even admitting that there exists a start-stop quality. But I know I'm in the minority. I felt giving Petra the "I Want" moment helped define the story's journey -- and it's such a distinctive, lovely melody (one of my favorite Sondheim's, to be honest.)

But are you absolutely sure it was never used at City Opera? I could've sworn it was.

[morosco]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 11:48am

Worth seeing at least once. Diana Rigg is wonderful.

[bk]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 5:03pm

Most color Cinemascope films from the early to late 50s were in stereo. A few black-and-white scope films, i.e. The Diary Of Anne Frank, were also in stereo. It wasn't just musicals and bible pix and epics. The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit, Spirit Of St. Louis, Bigger Than Life, The Tender Trap, and many, many others were all in glorious stereo. After 1959 or so, stereo seemed to be used for only roadshow films, with some exceptions, such as Bells Are Ringing, Gypsy, The Music Man, none of which were roadshow films and all of which were in stereo in their first run engagements. Smaller non-scope films of the 50s were, of course, mono. Most 60s films were mono, and most 70s films up through Star Wars were mono.

I find the remixing for stereo okay as long as the original mono is included (or the original stereo theatrical mix). These new mixes are all being done by people who had no connection to the film and I always want the mix that the director and re-mixers did, because that's what was released (and won awards) and I don't like some of these re-thought bastardizations, Vertigo being the worst example - it's terrible compared to the original mono mix.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 5:09pm

"It wasn't just musicals and bible pix and epics."

Well, that's what I said, bk.

There's a "mostly" in my post (which I stand by), and I also mentioned other genres.

But you can go ahead and be disagreeable "just because," if you want to.

[Bobo2]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 5:32pm

If I already have the video should I get the DVD? Will there something extra on the DVD?

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 5:39pm

Well, cuing off the packaging images that brodyfosse posted, no.

But you won't have to rewind it, and it won't fall apart in your player or start to degenerate after only a few years. Isn't that reason enough?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/9/07 at 9:40pm

Auggie said: "That was me who wrote "Petra's song..." Yes, the Petra verses -- "...and sometime this summer, maybe soon..." -- were introduced in the film, even if Sondheim wrote them earlier. They were not on Broadway. But they were in the National Theater production with Judy Dench -- I have that wonderful CD -- and I believe the verses have been used in the City Opera production, the more recent one, not the Sally Anne Howes"

I have that CD with Judi--and do u mean in the new amalgamated Glamorous Life? cuz SOndheim said at the time, in the Sondheim Review, that unlike My Husband the Pig, those bits ere written for the movie and never before... (sorry if I'm misreading what you wrote)

Did I knock Love takes Time? I find it kinda uncessary (though it does help set up a bit about the characters--as you say--since Hal Prince always felt his original took too long to introduce real characters starting with the overture and then the dances Prologue which had bits of clever business showing character--but meant nothing to people who didn't know them already) ANyway I like it though I know many fans don't (that lecture/correct your rhyme doens't even bug me :P )

Best--any idea why there was virtually no stereo between 72 and 77? While as a purist i like that most films include the mono track as well (especially and particularly when the stereo tracks add new foley etc like the horrendous Vertigo reissue or Superman--I knwo this is done out of necessity they think but I don't buy it--if your ecord new sound effects yourself why not just record new parts to the visuals to or re-record the score like Disney did with Fantasia for a touted Digital release in the early 80s)


I agree "fake stereo" even to my ears often is pretty thrilling in these movies--it's nothing like the horrible time when Mono LPs were reprocessed witht hat echo effect *grin* (I even have an old issue of the music man cast album on *cd* that has this) I think this process was done pre DVD age though--Disney at least had been doing it since 1990 or so (probably because it was already done for many of their classic theatrical reissues back when they still did that)

About if you should own the DVD if you ahve the video--like I said my video I got from a video rental place second hand is one of the few commercial releases I have that was recorded in EP (aka SLP) speed which is truly dreary--and the actual image jitters about anyway--even though I doubt Hen's Tooth will restore the film I can't imagien it can look anthing but better than the video. As for the letterboxing it's very slight which is disappointing since on video the frame looks VERY squeezed but someone said it looked this way in theatres too (Judging by their release of Company of Wolves 4 years back it won't be anamorphic either which really bugs me--Comapny of Wolves is frustrating because as any fan knows it got a great collectors edition, restored release shortly after in the UK complete with new interviews with Neil jordan and Angela LAnsbury--I really need to invest osmetime in a PAL/region free player)

[jimnysf]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 10:27am

The DVD is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com.

Shipping estimate for these items: June 5, 2007
Delivery estimate: June 7, 2007 - June 9, 2007 1 "A Little Night Music"
Elizabeth Taylor; DVD; $16.99

[fflagg]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 11:03am

Yes.

Love it or hate it, you may preorder it.

I wonder if any of the actors will publicize it?

Maybe Larry King will get Liz on the show again and have her try to talk about the film. I doubt she will sing "Send in the Clowns" although why not "Liaisons"? :)

And how funny that Len Cariou lives in my neighborhood in NJ. Perhaps theatre queens will line up at the bus stop with DVDs singing "A Weekend in New Jersey" for him to autograph??

[bk]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 11:37am

best12bars, I wasn't being disagreeable. I don't make a secret of it when I'm being disagreeable and I can be disagreeable with the best of them. I was simply pointing out that there were more genres than the ones you listed, and that certain black-and-white films were also stereo. None of it was meant to be disagreeable, just factual.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 5:01pm

found more poster art

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 5:10pm

Notice Liz Smith liked it.

Than again she likes everything

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 10:42pm

yeah what is Liz even famous for? she's alwaya quoted about movies (when they seem to need a positive review) yet she's a gossip columnist, right?

[fflagg]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 10:46pm

She is getting more ornery lately. Possibly because she is 900 years old and only doing her column 3 times a week.

Thank you for the cover art. It is nice of you. I wonder if the DVD will have any extras??

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/13/07 at 2:46am

Just to add useless info on the stereo thing--I was flipping thru an old collection of Pauline Kael reviews while waiting for a friend the other day (the same one with the awful one page review of Night Music) and in her glowing review of the 1978 Body Snatchers she mentions the film is low budget but a good percentage of the budget was spent on "Dolby Stereo effects" and how amazing and startling the effects are... I'm sure to modern audiences they'd sound like nothing (though I do remember in the 90s when our local theatre got digital sound and u'd suddenly hear gun bullets rattling off behind your head, etc--some of the sound even sounded gimmicy)

E

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/11/07 at 7:23pm

Bump.

Here's an early review of the DVD release, for those interested.

I also happen to agree (almost) entirely with this reviewer's assessment of the film itself.
Link...