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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc.

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Old 7th Dec 2014, 8:32 pm   #21
red16v
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Default Re: "A Hard Day's Night"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith1973 View Post
Was the Channel 4 building built on the site? As the theatre was demolished in 1969, well before Channel 4 launched.
I was shown around by Ellis Griffiths no less - C4's first chief engineer. It would have been around Autumn 1982. A bit of a rabbit warren I thought really, definitely a conversion and not new build. I'm very certain about the studio floor having to be levelled up, so it must have been an original feature.

I'm glad I didn't get a job there in the end, transmission isn't much fun. Making programmes is where the fun is!
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Old 8th Dec 2014, 12:43 am   #22
dave walsh
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Default Re: "A Hard Day's Night"

It's probaly good to be able to get a Blue Ray Version of this b+w film but it looks pretty crisp in any context. Films were still being made in both mediums at the time. Perhaps it was thought that b+w reflected gritty northern realism-like "A Taste of Honey". In the sixties it was hard work getting info or getting to see bands, even on Television or if you lived in "that" London. Of course rather more people wanted to be at a Beatles performance than was ever going to be achievable. In that sense, the local cinema was our teenage HD feed. Being able to see them in the company of a full house of enthusiastic fans was comparable to a live experience, given the atmosphere generated and we were gratefull for it.

This doesn't mean that some sections aren't a bit pedestrian ie "Grandad", "Casinoe" and Running/Jumping at the end but the pure music sequences on the Railway, in the TV Studio and the live footage seemed extraordinary. The chase sequence at the beginning is very much an accurate representation of the reality seen on the news-the "extras" wouldn't have needed much direction. I suspect that the Studio Interiors would be as it was like-wise! Combined with the sound quality those songs performed on the set, made an impression that's hard to convey half a century later. We thought Magical Mystery Tour [colour on TV] was much better than the expert critics view. The next feature film "Help" was a real clunker with a bizarre storyline - a disappointment despite the new songs. The song Help reflected Lennon's desperation but it might equally have been the production crew!

As an aside-
Victor Spinetti was in the first two and a long lost item "How I Won The War" which featured John Lennon. I thought for a long time he directed it but Mark Lester got the job. It was an anti-war film set in WW2 and the source of his "Granny" NHS spectacles which became a world wide fashion item. The film disappeared without a trace, although I saw it once in 1967. This may have been because it was experimental or that the focus was all on the First World War [as now] with Joan Littlewood and the play/film "Oh What A Lovely War" which didn't impress in the same way. It's been very difficult to find a copy of HIWTW for decades but now it's available [colour].
Dave W

Last edited by dave walsh; 8th Dec 2014 at 12:55 am.
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Old 8th Dec 2014, 4:36 am   #23
BGmidsUK
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Default Re: "A Hard Day's Night"

I have this on LaserDisc and have to say I was very impressed with the picture quality (and naturally the sound too) - this was last played on my CLD1750 a few years ago I think. It's about time to give it another spin, will be interesting to see it played on the DVL909.


Brian
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Old 12th Dec 2014, 10:11 am   #24
paolo
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Default Re: "A Hard Day's Night"

There is a curious problem arising from the use of the live TVs and cameras in the film. Because film generally runs at 24fps and 50i for TV in Europe, the theatre sections were shot at 25fps to avoid flicker or bars on the monitors. The soundtrack was played back at normal speed but when the film is played back at 24fps, the music is slower. Its basically the reverse of the 5% speedup that occurs when a movie is played back at "PAL" standards (or 50i).

When the movie soundtrack was restored by Giles Martin for the recent DVD and Blu Ray, there was some debate about digitally correcting the pitch issues arising, but this was considered to not be authentic to the original release.

Check out "If I Fell in Love With You" in the movie and then on the LP/CD/Cassette/8 track of your choice and you'll see what I mean

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Old 12th Dec 2014, 11:24 am   #25
Restoration73
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Default Re: "A Hard Day's Night"

In an era where film releases go to DVD in less than a year, younger members may not
know that this film did not air on telly until Dec 26 1971 on BBC-1 (seven years !),
"Summer Holiday" and "Help" shown on BBC2 in 1972, 9 and 7 years respectively.
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