Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: High Treason (1929)

This is topic High Treason (1929) in forum Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-16-2016, 10:36 AM:

4 reels
1.37:1 Academy (might actually be 1.19:1 Movietone...will update)
mono

gorgeous 2011 print from the Library of Congress

this was restored from a print that has printed-in "punch"-style c/o cues; ignore these and follow the Clint Phare cues on the print

sound levels and qualty vary from reel to reel

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 01-18-2016, 06:34 PM:

There were both silent and sound versions produced. If you have the silent version and it's not full frame, I'm guessing that it's been optically reduced to Academy. If it's the sound version, I'm guessing Movietone.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-19-2016, 07:41 AM:

This was the sound version. It plays fine in Academy (including titles) (this venue did not have the Movietone lenses and plates), but it plays at a different venue next month and I will confirm. IMDB says that it is Movietone, but IMDB is not exactly the most reliable source.

Posted by Jack Theakston (Member # 4484) on 01-19-2016, 04:09 PM:

It should be Movietone, but even then, that it's a compromised image. Both the silent and sound versions were shot full-aperture, with the British Acoustic sound version getting its audio from an interlocked optical track (running at 180 fpm!). The replaced titles will block for 1.37 because it was released in the U.S. after the SMPE standard was introduced.

If your 'scope lens is a moduled lens, you can take the prime lens off and use it with a 'scope plate for a poor-man's Movietone AR.

Posted by Jack Theakston (Member # 4484) on 01-21-2016, 04:11 PM:

PS. The imdb lists anything made before 1932 as 1.18-1, which is wrong. Movietone was never adopted as an official ratio by any studio other than Fox. Each studio had their own house ratio that ranged anywhere from 1.15-1 to 1.35-1. SMPE agreed upon a standard in December 1929 that every studio except for Fox would go with a 1.33-1 aspect ratio (.800" x .600"). There are exceptions, but you will find that any Hollywood product will be protected for this.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 01-26-2016, 10:37 PM:

Are the frame lines super-thin, or do they appear to be normal thickness?