6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Romance | 100% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.55:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.55:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
If the 1958 film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's immortal classic South Pacific is remembered at all these days, it tends to be for one of two reasons: either the fact that Doris Day, then arguably one of the biggest film and recording stars in the world, wasn't assigned the role of Nellie Forbush, which she seemed to have been born to play; and perhaps even more controversially, the colored filters that director Joshua Logan had cinematographer Leon Shamroy employ in several scenes, ostensibly to give the film "mood" and/or "flavor". With regard to that second item, there's a rather interesting pull quote from the venerable Bosley Crowther of The New York Times on the back cover of this release which states in part that The Adventures of Hajji Baba is "handsomely photographed in a variety of color combinations, which George Hoyningen-Huene has contrived." The name of George Hoyningen- Huene may not be exactly everyday household material, but some film trivia fans may know he's actually closely associated with another film from 1954, the Judy Garland version of A Star Is Born . Hoyningen-Huene is often listed as a "color consultant", and while that Crowther quote may seem to allude to Shamroy-esque effects, in fact Hoyningen-Heune's contributions to The Adventures of Hajji Baba are more in terms of production design than anything cinematography related. However, in the cinematography department, The Adventures of Hajji Baba was the first Allied Artists release in CinemaScope, in a licensing deal they arranged with 20th Century Fox. As will be discussed below, that particular arrangement may have been a technical challenge for the artisans working on the film, especially since CinemaScope and some notoriously "fussy" lenses were still in their relatively nascent stages.
The Adventures of Hajji Baba is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.55:1. CinemaScope gets featured billing in the credits, and if director Don Weis doesn't always fully exploit the widescreen framings, some of the outdoor desert material in particular looks very good here, with excellent depth of field and nice detail levels despite some rather spacious vistas. There are some issues with color temperature, with the first part of the film looking a bit on the dowdy side, tending toward browns, and with a somewhat gritty looking grain field. Things improve as they go along, and the later parts of the presentation are noticeably warmer, with an overall more nicely suffused look. As alluded to above, it can occasionally look like either lenses were creating a few problems or things weren't completely under control for one reason or the other, and so there are both the expected issues like "mumps", but also some slightly out of focus moments in various parts of the frame (that didn't strike me as having been done intentionally). The film has quite a few optical dissolves, and both image quality in general and color in particular experience expected downgrades in the "bumps" in and out.
The Adventures of Hajji Baba features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 tracks. The surround track isn't always consistently immersive, but it does open up some of the scoring, as well as the ambient environmental effects that accompany some of the outdoor material. In both the 2.0 and 5.1 tracks, the music sounds appropriately full bodied, with Dmitri Tiomkin's colorful score presented with a nice burnished quality. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly, and I noticed no problems with regard to any significant damage or age related wear and tear. Optional English subtitles are available.
The cast is game, and the production design and cinematography generally quite engaging, but the writing just never ends up completely delivering, and in fact may squander possibilities by offering a few too many threats (maybe just one or two too many different forces who are out to prevent Hajji and Fawzia from finding true love, which they are obviously destined to do). The title song by Nat King Cole is kind of unintentionally hilarious, though it does feature a colorful Nelson Riddle arrangement. Video is a little faded looking in the early going but tends to improve as things go along, and audio is fine, while supplements are limited, for those who may be considering making a purchase.
1958
1958
Warner Archive Collection
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Warner Archive Collection
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Warner Archive Collection
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2010
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