Cinerama: Seven Wonders of the World Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Cinerama: Seven Wonders of the World Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 26, 2014

"Seven Wonders of the World" (1956) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent U.S. distributors Flicker Alley. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers for the film; archival French documentary; archival footage from the film's premiere; the documentary "Best in the Biz"; slideshow; and a lot more. The release also arrives with a 28-page facsimile representation of the original program booklet for the film. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Let the journey begin...

Much like the rest of the terrific Cinerama films from Flicker Alley’s catalog, Seven Wonders of the World takes the viewer on an exciting journey around the world. This time the camera follows closely explorer Lowell Thomas as he looks for the seven wonders of the modern world.

The film opens up at the Great Pyramid of Giza, the last of the original seven wonders. (The remaining six are the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia). After a short introduction the film then moves to New York City, perhaps the greatest of all modern cities.

A specially equipped B-25 takes Thomas to South America, where the viewer is introduced to “the most spectacular city in the word”, Rio De Janeiro. Fantastic aerial shots reveal a buzzing metropolis of great contrasts whose residents are always ready to party. Next is Japan, a country with rich history which has started embracing Western musical forms and ideals. In the countryside, Thomas seems particularly impressed with feminine beauty. In India, Thomas visits the great Ganges River and the beautiful Taj Mahal, and then observes a massive wedding ceremony and an enormously intense fight between a cobra and a mongoose.

In Africa, some of Thomas’ most memorable stops are in Cairo, a beautiful city where the old and new try to coexist, and at the Suez Canal, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. In Western Asia, he visits Mount Sinai, the Dead Sea, and Jerusalem.

After a short intermission the journey continues with a quick look at a legendary volcano and a visit to the great River Nile. Next is the former Belgian Congo, a truly exotic place where Thomas’ camera observes a famous Watusi dancer entertaining the local king.

Deep into the heart of Yemen, Thomas visits the ancient city of Shibam. Known as the "Manhattan of the Desert", this exotic metropolis truly has to be seen to be believed.

From Istanbul, the only city in the world to sit across two continents, Thomas and his camera enter Europe. Next stops are Athens, Naples, Mount Vesuvius, the leaning tower of Pisa, the Eternal City, and eventually the Vatican, where a big Papal ceremony is underway.

The film ends in New York City, where Thomas invites the viewers to choose the new seven wonders of the world. Though looking and sounding quite nostalgic -- the Empire State is still referred to as the “tallest of buildings” in America while the Hoover Dam is compared to the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria -- this very energetic and very patriotic epilogue is unquestionably one of the film’s true highlights.

Seven Wonders of the World was directed by Ted Tetzlaff, Andrew Marton, Tay Garnett, Paul Mantz, and Walter Thompson, and lensed by Harry Squire and Gayne Rescher (aerial photography). The film’s soundtrack was created by Emil Newman, David Raksin, and Jerome Moross.

Cinerama: Seven Wonders of the World Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.56:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Cinerama: Seven Wonders of the World arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Flicker Alley. The films is presented in curved screen smilebox simulation.

This is yet another wonderful restoration from David Strohmaier and his team. Generally speaking, detail and clarity are very good. There are areas of the film where some traces of light fading remain -- in the restoration video included on the release, it is easy to see how badly damaged the original elements were, and how seriously color saturation and balance were affected by vinegar syndrome and other deteriorations -- but the film does have a stable organic appearance. Obviously image depth could be substantially better, but contrast stability, color balance and overall image stability are indeed very good. Digital work was done to remove dirt, damage, stains and other imperfections, but grain has been retained as best as possible. There are no traces of compromising sharpening adjustments. Lastly, during the restoration and reconstruction of the film the qualities of the three panels have been well matched and balanced. All in all, considering the condition of the original elements and specifically the fact that some of the original rolls are actually missing, as well as the limited budget the restorers had to work with, the end result is indeed enormously satisfying. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Reconstructed and Remastered by David Strohmaier.
Produced by John Sitting for Cinerama Inc.
Special 6 perf film scanning and image restoration by Image Trends.
Cinerama Sound remastered by Wade Chamberlain.
Seven Channel Cinerama Sound transferred at Chace Audio by Deluxe/Thom Piper, Jr. & Gilbert Paul.

Cinerama: Seven Wonders of the World Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 2.0. For the record, Flicker Alley have not provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

Despite the fact that a lossless track isn't provided clarity and sharpness are very very good. Dynamic intensity can be better, but many of the mass scenes for instance already sound wonderful (see the mass dance from Belgian Congo). The narration is crisp, stable, and easy to follow. There are no pops, distracting crackle, audio dropouts, or digital distortions. The newly restored audio was created from the original 7-channel mix.

Cinerama: Seven Wonders of the World Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Seven Wonders Trailer - widescreen trailer for the restored and reconstructed Seven Wonders of the World. In English, not subtitled. (6 min, 1080p).

• Seven Wonders TV Trailer - original B&W trailer for Seven Wonders of the World. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 1080p).

• Seven Wonders 1960 "Abandoned" Trailer - in English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

• Seven Wonders Breakdown Reel - Cinerama 3-panel system could break down during a show. If this happened, a regular projector had an emergency breakdown reel ready to screen as the projectionist fixed the problem on the Cinerama equipment. Presented here is the breakdown reel for Seven Wonders of the World. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 480/60i).

• Newsreel Opening Night in New York - archival footage from the premiere of Seven Wonders of the World in New York. Included here is a short clip from an interview with Joan Crawford who attended the premiere. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 480/60i).

• Restoration Demonstration of Seven Wonders - in this video piece, David Strohmaier, director of restoration projects an Cinerama, discusses the restoration and reconstruction of Seven Wonders of the World. In English, not subtitled. (16 min, 1080p).

• "Best in the Biz" Cinerama Composers Documentary - this documentary takes a closer look at the Cinerama experience and specifically the 7-track stereophonic sound which was an integral part of it. Included in it are interviews with film music historian Jon Burlingame, composer and conductor William Stromberg, filmmaker Harrison Engle, Cinerama film editor Norman Karlin, and composer and orchestrator John Morgan. In English, not subtitled. (58 min, 1080i).

• "Cinerama Everywhere" - this archival short French film focuses on the promotion and popularity of Cinerama films in France during the 50s. In French, with printed yellow subtitles. (9 min, 480/60i).

• Slideshow - a collection of behind-the-scenes stills and promotional materials from around the world. With music. (5 min, 1080i).

• Booklet - 28-page facsimile representation of the original program booklet.

Cinerama: Seven Wonders of the World Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

David Strohmaier and his team deserve a lot of credit for restoring and reconstructing these Cinerama films and making them available on Blu-ray. Obviously, in an ideal world these films could look and sound better, but considering how problematic the original elements for many of them were (and in some cases some were even missing), the end result is indeed enormously pleasing. If you have even the slightest interest in Cinerama films, I urge to explore Flicker Alley's Blu-ray catalog. (In addition to Seven Wonders of the World, Flicker Alley has released on Blu-ray Cinerama: Holiday, Cinerama: Search for Paradise, Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich, Cinerama: South Seas Adventure, and This is Cinerama). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.