MGM is still neglecting "The Alamo" (1960)

From a 1960 issue of Motion Picture Daily 
(on United Artists releases for 1960).

Since the end of May, numerous film enthusiasts and archivists have called on MGM to restore the "roadshow" version of The Alamo.  This ongoing issue in the field of film preservation has gained significant media attention.  Many (including the author of this blog) have informed MGM that preservation work on the film needs to begin immediately.   This author has also written to The Library of Congress, so that The Alamo can be nominated in this year's National Film Registry.

As of this writing, MGM is still ignoring all options from the film community to save The Alamo.  A new article has appeared on The Digital Bits, written by columnist Bud Elder ("View from the Cheap Seats"). Elder explores the production history of the film, how Wayne's production company (Batjac) originally held  the rights to the film (until selling the rights to the film's distributor, United Artists), and film preservationist Robert A. Harris' warning on MGM's unwillingness to restore the film.

If anyone from the current incarnation of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) is reading this post, please consider restoring The Alamo.  The studio shouldn't be fooling around, they should be focused on preserving the vintage John Wayne film (with outside restoration experts) for all generations to see.  If the studio isn't willing to do this, they should let outside film preservation groups work on restoring the complete "roadshow" version of the picture.

To those that haven't informed MGM, tell them to save the complete "roadshow" version of The Alamo (via the studio's Facebook and Twitter feeds- in a positive manner).  The vintage John Wayne feature film should not be neglected, it should be preserved for all generations to see.

UPDATE: Two recent awareness videos (on MGM's ignorance of The Alamo) have appeared on YouTube- one from Mr. Chris Coombs, and another from Mr. Kevin T. Rodriguez (of The Movie Wizard).

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert in
Life Itself, a Magnolia Pictures release.
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Photo credit: Kevin Horan 

STILL NO WORD (YET) ON "LIFE ITSELF" IN THE FREDERICK AREA:  If you've read the July 2nd edition of At The Matinee, you may have heard about the new documentary on the life and legacy of the late film critic Roger Ebert, titled Life Itself.  ATM is still waiting for comment from the management of MDL Holiday Cinemas (which usually screens second-run theatrical features) to show the Ebert documentary in the area.

ATM and its proprietor hopes to hear from them soon.  If talks falter (between ATM and the Holiday), the author may have to contact another venue for interest in screening the film*.  As I've stated before, since this documentary is being released by Magnolia Pictures- it is being released on various platforms (in addition to cinema exhibition).  According to a recent article in Variety, Life Itself will be telecast on CNN later this year (this film was co-produced by the network's CNN Films unit).

In my view, I think it would be best for the Frederick area to have Life Itself shown on the big screen.

*If any readers of this blog know of some venue (in the Frederick area) that would be interested in screening Life Itself, feel free to drop a line (in the "comments" section of this blog).  Information for theaters (or venues) that would like to screen Life Itself can be found at this link.

Happy Fourth from "At The Matinee"

1959 Trade ad for United Artists and
their package of pre-1948 Warner Bros.
features (for TV), showcasing the 1942 
James Cagney musical Yankee Doodle Dandy.
NOTE: This was when UA had the rights
to the pre-1948 WB features.

At The Matinee wishes everyone out there a happy, fun, and safe Fourth of July weekend!

Turner Classic Movies will be showing many classics (in honor of America's day of Independence), including Yankee Doodle Dandy (which is featured on this post, and will air on the network at 4:15 PM EST), along with several Warner Bros. Technicolor short subjects related to the founding of the United States- Give Me Liberty (a 1936 short on Patrick Henry at 6:00 AM EST), Sons of Liberty (a 1938 short with Claude Rains as Haym Saloman at 8:45 AM), and The Declaration of Independence (also from 1938, which will air at 1:00 PM).

Other films that will be on that day's lineup are the 1972 adaptation of the musical 1776 (at 1:30 PM), a 1959 film on the life of John Paul Jones (with Robert Stack at 6:30 AM), The Howards of Virginia (1940, with Cary Grant & Sir Cedric Hardwicke at 9:15 AM), The Scarlet Coat (1955, with Cornel Wilde, Anne Francis, and George Sanders at 11:15 AM), and The Devil's Disciple (1959, with Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Lawrence Oliver at 6:30 PM).  Future articles on the aforementioned films will be featured on ATM in the near future.

Of course, it wouldn't be Independence Day without the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, which will air live on ESPN2 at 2:00 PM (a repeat broadcast will begin at 6:30 PM).

And there's always A Capitol Fourth on PBS (with Tom Bergeron as host), live at 8:00 PM.

INTERESTING FILMS (AT THEATERS) FOR THE FOURTH:  If you've read the last post on At The Matinee, then you know that Life Itself (a documentary about the life and legacy of the late, renowned film critic Roger Ebert) is being released nationwide.  It will be shown in theaters (and universities) on the fourth (and on various dates thereafter).  ATM is still waiting for correspondence from MDL Holiday Cinemas, on a possible screening of the film (hopefully sometime in the near future).

And let's not forget about Janus Films' revival screening of A Hard Day's Night (in honor of The Beatles' 50th anniversary, the film was released on July 6th, 1964) on the same day.  Rolling Stone had a recent interview with Ryan Hullings, who works as an audio supervisor for Janus/Criterion (along with Giles Martin, son of The Beatles' producer Sir George Martin) on restoring the audio content for the film.

Yet unfortunately, the Frederick area will miss out on the big-screen revival of A Hard Day's Night.  The closest theaters that will show the film are the West End Cinema in Washington, D.C., the Angelika Film Center at Mosaic in Fairfax, the Alamo Drafthouse cinemas in Ashburn (Loudon County) and Winchester, Virginia; the historic Senator Theatre in Baltimore, and the Cinemark Egyptian 24 (at Arundel Mills) in Hanover, Maryland.

The film is now available on DVD & Blu-Ray disc (via The Criterion Collection).  Though this author has seen the brilliant Janus restoration on TCM, it would be nice to see A Hard Day's Night on the big screen in the area (without having to travel far).

It would be great if Janus/Criterion would offer some similar option to theaters that Magnolia is doing with Life Itself (where theaters can easily request possible screening dates from the distributor, as shown here).

To all of the cinema venues in the Frederick area, you're missing out on several big opportunities. We cinephiles want to see vintage films that are being re-released!

With all that aside, do something great (and exciting) on the Fourth.  Happy Independence Day to all of our readers!

"Life Itself" should be shown in Frederick

There are many attractions during the summer- fireworks, festivals, concerts- and movies.  There's those typical "summer blockbusters" in cinemas (and multiplexes) throughout the nation (mostly horror flicks, properties that are based off of action figures, computer-generated features, and unusual comedies).

Documentaries are often ignored (or overlooked) by theaters in the Frederick, Maryland area.  In this author's view, it is unfortunate that these types of films (along with art-house and vintage features) are being under-appreciated in the area.

Roger Ebert (1942-2013) and Gene Siskel (1946-1999) in Life Itself,
a Magnolia Pictures release.  Photo Credit: Kevin Horan

There is one feature-length documentary that I would like to see on the big screen.  Life Itself- a motion picture about the life and legacy of renowned film critic Roger Ebert (1942-2013).  The film is directed by Steve James.  The producers of the documentary are Zak Piper, James Basch, and Garrett Bash.   Martin Scorsese and Steven Zallian served as executive producers of the film.  The Ebert documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

Life Itself will be released to theaters (and universities) nationwide on July 4th.  According to the list of theaters (and venues) that are showing the documentary- none of the theaters in the Frederick, Maryland area are listed.  The closest cinema venue would be the Landmark E Street Cinema in Washington, D.C.

Many of the theaters (listed on the film's website) have Life Itself scheduled for various dates (after July 4th), with the last exhibition date slated for August 22nd (at the University of Wisconsin).

The film is being released by Magnolia Pictures, a company that is known for releasing their line of feature films on various platforms in addition to cinema exhibition (on the same release date).  Magnolia has offered an option for theaters and venues who are interested in showing Life Itself- on the film's website, exhibitionists can request a screening of the film for their cinema (or venue).

At The Matinee has suggested this documentary to the management of MDL Holiday Cinemas, so that they might be interested in showing the film (in the near future).  Be on the lookout for future updates on this.  I think it would be great for the Frederick area to showcase Life Itself on the big screen.

NOTE: I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the "summer blockbusters" in theaters (that are close to ATM's home base)- I just think there should be more variety when it comes to movie choices in the area.

More on The Alamo & Chris Hamby's "ATM" mentioned in "The Digital Bits"

*William Randolph Hearst, 1960 (from Motion Picture Daily).

You may have heard about the well-known DVD/Blu-Ray information site The Digital Bits.   In relation to the ongoing struggle of the restoration status of The Alamo (1960), another story about the film's preservation issue was mentioned on the site- as reported by Bill Hunt in his My 2 Cents column.

If you've read the recent June 27th edition of Hunt's column, you might have noticed something.  My blog, At The Matinee was mentioned in Hunt's article- regarding to the two posts that I did on MGM's negligence in restoring The Alamo. Being mentioned after the Northwest Chicago Film Society on The Digital Bits was a triumphant feat, especially for an upstart blog on classic/contemporary film and media.

Back to The Alamo:  According to recent sources, John Wayne's The Alamo is starting to receive significant attention from the motion picture community (along with fellow classic film enthusiasts). Entertainment columnist Jeffery Wells and his website, Hollywood Elsewhere- is taking note of MGM and its studio leaders' ignorance.  At this point, it seems like the current incarnation of the studio only cares about pleasing their shareholders instead of restoring the company's backlog of vintage feature films (from their United Artists holdings).

Wells has also mentioned that a letter has been drafted to MGM head Gary Barber about The Alamo, and numerous directors have signed it- including Guillermo del Toro and J.J. Abrams.

KENS-TV has mentioned about the film being in danger, in relation to a recent appearance by legendary award-winning musician Phil Collins at the "real" Alamo.  Collins was in San Antonio this past Thursday to donate his personal collection of artifacts and manuscripts (related to the 1836 battle) to the State of Texas.  He is aware of the 1960 film being in danger, but has not been approached by the film community for input on preservation of the motion picture.

Still, if you haven't approached MGM (via the studio's Facebook and Twitter feeds)- keep on pressuring them (in a positive manner) to preserve all versions of The Alamo.  The vintage John Wayne western should not be neglected, and should be preserved for all generations to see.  MGM- no more excuses, the film should be preserved immediately.

*A special "thank you" to columnist Bill Hunt and The Digital Bits for mentioning my blog, At The Matinee!  Keep up the good work!

June 24th: Primary Election Day (Maryland, New York, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Utah)

Vintage Ad Council billboard for Voter Registration.
Source: Duke University Libraries

June 24th is Primary Election day in the following states- Maryland (home base of ATM), New York, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Utah.  Be sure to get out and vote in the primary election (if you reside in one of the aforementioned states).

If you've studied the candidates for office (and their policies/goals), that's great.  Don't stay home all day long- just get out and vote in the primary (if you reside in Maryland, New York, Oklahoma, Colorado, or Utah).  

Don't forget- regardless of party or platform, every vote counts!  A public service message from the management of At The Matinee.

More Developments in Film & Media Preservation

Re-Release poster for John Wayne's
The Alamo (1960).

SAVING “THE ALAMO” (PART II): If you've read the May 30^th edition of At The Matinee*, then you may have known about MGM’s negligence on preserving John Wayne’s The Alamo (1960).  According to a recent column on The Digital Bits, reporter Bill Hunt examined recent tests with film restoration expert Robert A. Harris.

The feature film is in need of restoration, but thanks to Harris' tests- The Alamo could be saved if MGM would let outside film experts work on preserving the vintage John Wayne western (for possible theatrical re-release and on Blu-Ray Disc).  Prior to the current Digital Bits article, a new Facebook site titled Save The Alamo has addressed MGM's refusal, and how film buffs should encourage the studio (via their Facebook & Twitter accounts) in restoring the complete film.

A recent report from Time Warner Cable's public access channel in Austin, Texas had an interview with area resident Richard Curilla.  Curilla viewed The Alamo on the big screen in 1960 (he viewed the film thirteen times), in its original 70mm Todd-AO "roadshow" format.  Because of his interest in the film, he would go on to study film at Penn State, and would take interest in the actual history of the battle of the Alamo.

Many years later, he would become the official caretaker of the private ranch where the film was shot (west of San Antonio).  Curilla (along with area radio talk show host Trey Ware) would like MGM to restore The Alamo immediately.  Joey DeAngelis' Silent Film Saturday has also addressed how MGM should have the film (roadshow and general release versions) preserved for all generations.

If you haven't already, keep posting onto MGM's Facebook and Twitter accounts (in a positive manner) to let the studio know that John Wayne's The Alamo should be preserved- not neglected.  The only other way is to address The Library of Congress' National Film Preservation Board- so that the film can be added to the National Film Registry.

Again, MGM should not let The Alamo rot in its vaults.  They (along with the assistance of outside restoration experts) should preserve the vintage John Wayne film immediately.

*At The Matinee's May 30th edition (about the preservation status on The Alamo) was the most-viewed blog entry out of all posts on the site, and has received significant praise from fellow friends and film enthusiasts.

RARE COLUMBIA "SHORT SUBJECT" ON THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES: Most people know about Columbia Pictures' "short subject" releases, mostly The Three Stooges, Buster Keaton's short films, the Captain Midnight serials, and the later short films of comedian Charley Chase.  Besides those, a rare Columbia short- under the Washington On Parade series (showcased in a newsreel-style presentation) has popped up on the official YouTube channel of The National Archives & Records Administration.

In honor of the agency's 80th anniversary, the National Archives* has put up the Columbia short from 1940- titled The Archives.  It is a fascinating look at the Archives building in Washington, D.C., along with scenes of preservationists restoring paper manuscripts, archivists examining a film of President Theodore Roosevelt, and a technician transferring a disc sound recording of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's inauguration.

The classic short has been recently mastered in High-Definition (for YouTube exhibition), and it looks great (though some sections of the soundtrack could be repaired).  At The Matinee is unsure if any shorts (from the Washington on Parade series) were syndicated in later Columbia (Screen Gems) television packages, though the studio's vintage comedy shorts and serials were common on TV in the late 1950's.  Let's hope that Sony will consider issuing a set of these (possibly through their Choice Collection of vintage Columbia titles) sometime in the near future.

*The author of this blog went on a tour of the Archives building (during a political group field trip to the District while attending Frederick Community College) in 2008.  

Technology Corner: Five Years Ago- The Digital TV Transition

Screenshot of this author's portable 7" Haier Digital TV, which is
great for power outages (and for picking up DTV signals
in other areas when traveling).

Promotional picture for PBS' DTV Readiness Campaign,
with Norm Abram & Kevin O'Connor of This Old House.

June 12, 2009: I can't believe that the transition to Digital Television took place five years ago, yet it seems like it happened yesterday.

It was a day in history, as the nation's full-powered broadcast television stations shifted from the NTSC analog broadcast standard to exclusive telecasts in the ATSC digital broadcast standard. The mandated transition was supposed to take effect in February of the same year, but Congress extended the deadline to make sure that everyone was prepared for the switch-over.  While our other sets in the household were ready (via cable), my family and I purchased a digital converter box for our non-cable Zenith set.

On the day of the transition, I did not get to witness the Washington/Baltimore area stations shutting off their analog transmissions. I was busy working for Frederick Community College's "Ambassador Scholarship" program- covering a charity golf game (with other fellow students in the program) for prominent golfers and college donors.  As the various participants in the charity game went over to our refreshment station (at the Glade Valley Golf Club) for discussion, I asked the players if their TV sets were ready for the Digital switch-over.  Only a few knew about the transition on that day, many were not aware that June 12th was the date for the switch to digital.

I had learned that the Washington stations shut off their analog transmitters around Noon on that day.  Most of the local stations did a quick cut-off (to allow for full-powered digital telecasting). An example of one area station's "farewell" to analog broadcasting (WTTG Channel 5*) can be seen here, along with a vintage DuMont test pattern.

Though five years have passed in Digital TV Broadcasting, there have been many advancements in this field, and the introduction of digital sub-channels for local stations (to compliment their main High-Definition channel, such as MeTV, Antenna TV, Movies!, etc.).

Unfortunately, there are negative sides to the ATSC standard- the picture quality may be perfect, or you may not receive anything.  At The Matinee's home base is in a "digital dead zone" for crystal-clear over-the-air reception (for the Zenith). A standard for "Mobile DTV" is still being debated, yet streaming may be the other "wave of the future" for television broadcasting.

As most people in the nation have been dropping cable and satellite (due to outrageous fees and crummy service, in this author's view), this author thinks that that over-the-air Digital Television broadcasting is still  thriving in this day and age.  Though, they could have come up with a "lossless" digital broadcast standard to reduce signal loss.   I still can't believe the transition took place five years ago.

*WTTG was named after DuMont chief engineer Thomas T. Goldsmith, the network lasted from 1946 to 1956. Channel 5 (and its New York sister station) were independent stations, and would be part of John Kluge's Metromedia group (originally known as Metropolitan Broadcasting).  Kluge would then sell the Metromedia independent stations to controversial Australian tabloid mogul Rupert Murdoch in 1986, which played into the formation of the "Fox Network" (adapted after Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, which Murdoch acquired in 1984).  WTTG has been broadcasting out of its present Wisconsin Avenue facility since 1964 (which also served as Washington offices for Metromedia).