Criterion release of 'The Magnificent Ambersons'

[Roger Ryan]

I'm sure this has been asked before but does anybody know how many stills of the deleted footage exist? I have seen about half a dozen.

There are approximately thirty extant frame enlargements (from actual footage shot for the film) although about a quarter of these are from scenes/shots that are still in the released version (three or four are taken from footage deleted prior to the assembly of the 131 minute fine initial edit, i.e. the POV footage of George walking through the abandoned mansion). In addition, there are numerous production stills taken throughout the shooting. In all, nearly every deleted scene/shot is represented by a photographic image. The exceptions to this are any shots of the Amberson family plot, George's diploma, the argument between George and Jack in the rainstorm (only represented by a behind-the-scenes still), Eugene entering/exiting the hospital, and the closing matte shot of Eugene's car being driven away through the city (although Joseph McBride says he saw a frame enlargement of this shot in 1970).

The most elusive of the frame enlargements was one showing the second porch scene with Fanny and Major Amberson. In the U-M Special Collections library, I came across a sheet of four negative frame enlargement images. Three images had corresponding positive prints that existed in the collection, but the fourth didn't - the sole image showing the second porch scene. I had the library staff digitally convert the negative image to a positive one...and, if you look closely at the DVD Beaver review, you'll discover it!

[atcolomb]

Just went to DVD Beaver site and saw the pic of the porch scene with Fanny and Major Amberson. Thanks for pointing that out Roger.

[Terry]

Lovely composition in that shot (of course, it being 1941 Welles.)

If only.

[MartynH]

Thanks for the info. The reason why I asked is I would have liked them to have been showcased as part of the extras for this release.

[DexyMan]

Obviously I'm excited about this release but I'm a bit baffled why there are no special features regarding the missing complete print. If this was a bonus feature on the laserdisc (I believe in the form of an audio essay with pictures of the stills) surely they could make a more elaborate version all these years later. I understand they can't magically make the print appear but it feels like a wasted opportunity to not provide us with as much info about it as possible.

[RayKelly]

Obviously I'm excited about this release but I'm a bit baffled why there are no special features regarding the missing complete print.

I learned in January 2016 that The Criterion Collection had acquired the rights to The Magnificent Ambersons from Warner Bros.
With Roger Ryan's permission, I pitched his reconstruction to Criterion. I forwarded a copy of it for possible inclusion or as the basis of a similar presentation they might want to undertake.
After consideration, Criterion opted not to address the missing footage in that manner.
From what I understand, the deleted scenes will be discussed in a featurette featuring film historian Joseph McBride. Frame enlargements graciously provided by Roger will be used in that featurette.

[jbrooks]

The IFC Center in New York is going to premiere the 4K restoration of "Ambersons" and show 9 other Welles films in a week-long salute running up to the opening of "Wind."

http://www.ifccenter.com/series/directe ... on-welles/

[DexyMan]

That seems to be typically the way Criterion operates, for example they didn't offer the colorized version of the F For Fake trailer either. But on the other hand The Complete Mr. Arkadin didn't adhere to their typical rules as it included a cut of the movie that was made specifically for the Criterion release. I sure wish they would have done something like that for Ambersons as this seems like it may be its last shot in the physical release realm. Thanks for giving it a shot; it's really great that you seem to be a go-between for us Wellesians and the companies that run things.

[RayKelly]

That seems to be typically the way Criterion operates, for example they didn't offer the colorized version of the F For Fake trailer either. But on the other hand The Complete Mr. Arkadin didn't adhere to their typical rules as it included a cut of the movie that was made specifically for the Criterion release. I sure wish they would have done something like that for Ambersons as this seems like it may be its last shot in the physical release realm.
Thanks for giving it a shot; it's really great that you seem to be a go-between for us Wellesians and the companies that run things.

Thanks for the kind words. There are a few things I quietly worked on in recent years. As for the future, I helped advance a print Welles project that will hopefully be announced in 2019. However, I have had zero luck in making a home video release of Fountain of Youth and Portrait of Gina a reality.
The Criterion Collection has a purist view and I respect that. (Hey, I don't want the colorized Ambersons tacked on as a bonus feature.)
As you noted, they broke their own unwritten rule with the addition of the comprehensive version of Mr. Arkadin -- a film like The Magnificent Ambersons, which was drastically cut against Welles' wishes.
At the very least, I would like to have seen a photo gallery of existing frame enlargements of the deleted scenes on the upcoming Ambersons Blu-ray.

[Roger Ryan]

I think it's important to note that Criterion has been willing to include pre-existing reconstructions (such as the reconstructed "roadshow" approximation done for It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World) as part of its releases, but is less likely to put money and time into doing new ones. The Comprehensive cut of Mr. Arkadin was an exception, but a rough edit had already been completed by Stefan Drossler and Claude Bertemes, and since much of the footage came from the other two edits Criterion had scanned in HD for release, it didn't take a huge amount of effort to assemble this third version.

[tonyw]

I'm looking forward to reviewing this for FILM INTERNATIONAL. But the reconstructions done by yourself and Jaimie Marzol in the past have stimulated one of the students for my 400 Welles class, now working as a producer and independent film director, to embark on beginning his own version. I'm sure Orson would be delighted with those working on variant versions as he did constantly re-editing his own films.

[DexyMan]

Fountain of Youth is so good. That would be an absolute ace bonus feature on a Welles release but it's quality is so high that like you said if you paired it with something like Portrait of Gina then it would make a fine release. I may be alone but I much prefer Youth to Immortal Story and that got a very nice Criterion release.

I also want to make it clear that I still think Criterion is the best. If it were virtually anyone else handling it my expectations would be low, but when I hear Criterion is involved my expectations get very high - and they usually deliver. Ambersons on Laserdisc, Arkadin on DVD and Othello and Chimes at Midnight on Blu ray being my personal favorites. I completely agree that at the very least a photo gallery would have been nice. I feel like photo galleries have all but disappeared in the blu ray age.

[CineCraft]

Can anyone who might be in the know comment on the source for the new Criterion restoration. I'd heard rumors (I stress rumors) that the cut camera negative for the 88 minute version had been located, but then again, based on the initial screencaps I saw from DVD Beaver, it looked more likely that the source was an interpositive.

[jbrooks]

Per IFC's website:

"The new 4K restoration of THE MAGNIFICENT AMBRERONS was undertaken by the Criterion Collection from a well-preserved 35mm nitrate fine-grain made from the original camera negative and held by the Museum of Modern Art. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from a 35mm print with a Duplex Variable Area optical track held by the British Film Institute’s BBC Collection."

[edmoney]

Can anyone who might be in the know comment on the source for the new Criterion restoration. I'd heard rumors (I stress rumors) that the cut camera negative for the 88 minute version had been located, but then again, based on the initial screencaps I saw from DVD Beaver, it looked more likely that the source was an interpositive.

"The new 4K restoration of THE MAGNIFICENT AMBRERONS was undertaken by the Criterion Collection from a well-preserved 35mm nitrate fine-grain made from the original camera negative and held by the Museum of Modern Art."

In layman's terms, how close would this be in quality to the original camera negative? CineCraft, what is it that you see in the screencaps that tells you that the source was an interpositive? I know a scan from the OCN is always the highest goal when possible, but how much of a drop-off in quality is there by scanning from an IP? I will add that the screencaps look pretty terrific to me and am just curious how they could theoretically look better.