457 Magnificent Obsession
- Via_Chicago
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:03 pm
457 Magnificent Obsession
Magnificent Obsession
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/1439/457_box_348x490_w100.jpg[/img]
Reckless playboy Bob Merrick (Rock Hudson, in his breakthrough role) crashes his speedboat, requiring emergency attention from the town’s only resuscitator—at the very moment that beloved local Dr. Phillips has a heart attack and dies waiting for the life-saving device. Thus begins one of Douglas Sirk’s most flamboyant master classes in melodrama, a delirious Technicolor mix of the sudsy and the spiritual in which Bob and the doctor’s widow, Helen (Jane Wyman), find themselves inextricably linked to one another amid a series of increasingly wild twists, turns, trials, and tribulations. For this release, Criterion also presents John M. Stahl’s 1935 film version of the Lloyd C. Douglas novel, starring Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor.
SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Audio commentary featuring film scholar Thomas Doherty
- Magnificent Obsession (1935, 102 minutes): a new digital transfer of John M. Stahl’s complete earlier version of the film
- Douglas Sirk: From UFA to Hollywood (1991): a rare 80-minute documentary by German filmmaker Eckhart Schmidt in which Sirk reflects upon his career
- Video interviews with filmmakers Allison Anders and Kathryn Bigelow, paying tribute to Sirk
- Theatrical trailer
- PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Geoffrey O’Brien
Criterionforum.org user rating averages
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/1439/457_box_348x490_w100.jpg[/img]
Reckless playboy Bob Merrick (Rock Hudson, in his breakthrough role) crashes his speedboat, requiring emergency attention from the town’s only resuscitator—at the very moment that beloved local Dr. Phillips has a heart attack and dies waiting for the life-saving device. Thus begins one of Douglas Sirk’s most flamboyant master classes in melodrama, a delirious Technicolor mix of the sudsy and the spiritual in which Bob and the doctor’s widow, Helen (Jane Wyman), find themselves inextricably linked to one another amid a series of increasingly wild twists, turns, trials, and tribulations. For this release, Criterion also presents John M. Stahl’s 1935 film version of the Lloyd C. Douglas novel, starring Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor.
SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Audio commentary featuring film scholar Thomas Doherty
- Magnificent Obsession (1935, 102 minutes): a new digital transfer of John M. Stahl’s complete earlier version of the film
- Douglas Sirk: From UFA to Hollywood (1991): a rare 80-minute documentary by German filmmaker Eckhart Schmidt in which Sirk reflects upon his career
- Video interviews with filmmakers Allison Anders and Kathryn Bigelow, paying tribute to Sirk
- Theatrical trailer
- PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Geoffrey O’Brien
Criterionforum.org user rating averages
- david hare
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:01 pm
- Location: WellyYeller
Just for interest's sake I have a chance to shortly get a copy of the "Real" Scope version of Taza which Sirk and Metty shot in 53 in tandem with the standard Flat version (which looks pretty good to me.)
I appreciate the effort you put into experimenting with various masks. I think one that is definitely worth playing with (although I havent done it) is 1.66 for Mag Obs, All that Heaven Allows and even Written on the Wind (which looks OK to me in 1.85. As does There's ALways Tomorrow.) They are all available as open matte originals and there is the historical reality that 1.66 was a common mask in a lot of American theatres during the 1950s. At least beofre 1.85 essentially became the US standard by 1960 (or thereabouts.)
I appreciate the effort you put into experimenting with various masks. I think one that is definitely worth playing with (although I havent done it) is 1.66 for Mag Obs, All that Heaven Allows and even Written on the Wind (which looks OK to me in 1.85. As does There's ALways Tomorrow.) They are all available as open matte originals and there is the historical reality that 1.66 was a common mask in a lot of American theatres during the 1950s. At least beofre 1.85 essentially became the US standard by 1960 (or thereabouts.)
- david hare
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:01 pm
- Location: WellyYeller
The Carlotta MO is definitely an Eastman print, complete with opticals popping etc. It also shows more grain than an IB would. But given Criterion were also working from Universal's Eastman prints for ATHA and WOTW they might be able to beauty shop it up somewhat.
And, in the end the last word on MO's AR really goes to Metty whose lighting of the headroom is exquisite (as it is in the Academy version of Touch of Evil.)
EDIT: You're right, the Scope print is Sign of the Pagan (which I don't even have in standard ratio!)
And, in the end the last word on MO's AR really goes to Metty whose lighting of the headroom is exquisite (as it is in the Academy version of Touch of Evil.)
EDIT: You're right, the Scope print is Sign of the Pagan (which I don't even have in standard ratio!)
- Via_Chicago
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:03 pm
I should note that when we showed All That Heaven Allows in Chicago, Fred Camper and I sat through the final reel of the film three times, first in 1.85, then 1.66, and finally 1.37. We both agreed that the film looked best in Academy (1.37), although both 1.66 and 1.85 looked fine enough (1.66 of course cutting off less on top and bottom than 1.85). This does not mean that Academy is the "correct" ratio in which to show the film (if such a thing can be said to exist), but it does strongly suggest that Sirk shot the film with Academy framing in mind.davidhare wrote:Just for interest's sake I have a chance to shortly get a copy of the "Real" Scope version of Taza which Sirk and Metty shot in 53 in tandem with the standard Flat version (which looks pretty good to me.)
I appreciate the effort you put into experimenting with various masks. I think one that is definitely worth playing with (although I havent done it) is 1.66 for Mag Obs, All that Heaven Allows and even Written on the Wind (which looks OK to me in 1.85. As does There's ALways Tomorrow.) They are all available as open matte originals and there is the historical reality that 1.66 was a common mask in a lot of American theatres during the 1950s. At least beofre 1.85 essentially became the US standard by 1960 (or thereabouts.)
-
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 2:03 am
- Location: LA CA
I'd caution against a kind of "more is better" thinking. It's clear that the filmmakers knew that MO would be shown in various aspect ratios and that it would have to work in 2:1, 1.66:1, 1.33:1, etc. Of course the lighting looks good in 1.33:1. Of course there is info in the 1.33:1 frame that isn't in the 2:1 frame. How could it be otherwise? But to suggest that there is somehow "crucial" info in the 1.33:1 frame that doesn't make it into the 2:1 frame is, in the end, to suggest that Sirk and Metty weren't doing there jobs properly.
- david hare
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:01 pm
- Location: WellyYeller
Well, yes and no. In the Jon Halliday book, Sirk makes a generally exasperated comment on the hiatus at Universal over varying widescreen and standard Academy regimes in the mid-fifties. His remarks sound, on the surface, like he is only talking about Scope vs Academy, but I feel entitled to take an interpretative swipe at this and read him to mean that up to at least 56 he and Metty were obliged to shoot for both (i.e. at least 2 non-Scope ARs!) Certainly he obviously has a complete grasp of widescreen vocabulary and mise en scene for his first Scope movies starting in 54 with Sign of the Pagan and Captain Lightfoot in 55. By 56 the evidence on the screen is there with There's Always Tomorrow to demonstrate his full mastery of the 1.85 frame.It's clear that the filmmakers knew that MO would be shown in various aspect ratios and that it would have to work in 2:1, 1.66:1, 1.33:1, etc.
There are also at least two television interviews in which Sirk expresses the same exasperation over the uncertainty at the studio surrounding the transition to widescreen. And this is all in the context of his praise for the conditions in which he found himself at Universal and the supportive working relationships he had with Hunter and Zugsmith.
- CSM126
- Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 8:22 am
- Location: The Room
- Contact:
It didn't specify a date. They almost never have in the wacky clues. Some of those clues come along several months before the title is actually added to the schedule (I mean, hell, it was a full year between the White Dog clue and the actual announcement of the title this week...).ebkaram wrote:Well, it looks like there are only two releases for December. Where is Magnificent Obsession? Wasn't the hint in the newsletter for a December release?
Anyway...I seem to remember hearing a while ago (before the clue, even) that Magnificent Obsession is slated for January or February.
- denti alligator
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:36 pm
- Location: "born in heaven, raised in hell"
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
- Finch
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
- Location: Edinburgh, UK
The only thing that makes me go "meh" about this release is yet another commentary by a scholar. Too often I've found sitting through these a chore, dry delivery lacking in real enthusiasm and/or passion. Del Toro on Vampyr is more like it. Reservations about the commentary apart, this still looks like a must-have with the earlier version thrown in for good measure and a meaty documentary.
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Let me cancel your vote out by cheering Criterion for introducing a scholarly track. So few other labels ever bother and even Criterion's are becoming fewer and fewer-- of course, we don't know the nature of this one, it might just be a production historyMr Finch wrote:The only thing that makes me go "meh" about this release is yet another commentary by a scholar.

- Via_Chicago
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:03 pm
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
- colinr0380
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
- Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK
And we can only hope the documentary includes a number of clips of films from his German period.HerrSchreck wrote:The doc is what blew my head up to the ceiling. Meaty background on Sirk from his own countrymen... with extensive German subtext-- that's something to clear the cholesterol!
I'll confess I'm rather lucky in that I *cough.. squirm* haven't seen this film yet.
Very glad to see the 1935 version included too. Along with the doc and commentary this tips this release from a maybe into must buy territory for me, along with the long awaited Rossellini films.
- kaujot
- Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 6:28 pm
- Location: Austin
- Contact:
Rayns on any commentary is great, fully of scholarly analysis as well as anecdotes. Also see commentaries on Straw Dogs, Contempt, etc. I think there's actually a thread around here devoted to the topic.Mr Finch wrote:The only thing that makes me go "meh" about this release is yet another commentary by a scholar. Too often I've found sitting through these a chore, dry delivery lacking in real enthusiasm and/or passion. Del Toro on Vampyr is more like it. Reservations about the commentary apart, this still looks like a must-have with the earlier version thrown in for good measure and a meaty documentary.
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
- denti alligator
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:36 pm
- Location: "born in heaven, raised in hell"
- Finch
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
- Location: Edinburgh, UK
Rayns is generally good value but Schreck's right re Vampyr: Rayns has been more engaging on, say, the Ugetsu Monogatari track. Stephen Prince and Ginette Vincendeau are two other critics/scholars I appreciate but the majority of the rest bores me to tears.
The Sirk is easily my most-anticipated of January's releases. Bring on 2009.
The Sirk is easily my most-anticipated of January's releases. Bring on 2009.
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
Which is why the German doc seems so obscure and intriguing! Who knew such a thing ever even existed. Thank god for the FWMS, which took the time to excavate Habanera. And Kino of course, who put out his lesser known--but no less qualitative-- melodramas like Lured, Scandal In Paris. etc.denti alligator wrote:With English subs, none. Schlussakkord is a masterpiece, but remains unavailable even in Germany.HerrSchreck wrote:I found Rayns on Vampyr kind of detatched & sterile.
Back OT, and speaking for Sirks German films, what aside from La Habanera is available on dvd (and worth watching)?
- Max von Mayerling
- Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 6:02 pm
- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
- whaleallright
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:56 am
Schlußakkord
There's an unsubbed German VHS of Schlußakkord. I have a telecine of an English-subbed print. It's an interesting film; I wouldn't call it a masterpiece.
There's a good chapter about it in Sabine Hake's Popular Cinema of the Third Reich.
There's a good chapter about it in Sabine Hake's Popular Cinema of the Third Reich.