Good Things Abounding

There's a new site recently up and running that commands attention of anyone interested in film history and/or screen formats. Bob Furmanek's 3D Film Archive caps his many years at rescuing Hollywood's dimensional past, and readers will relish these accounts of depth features/shorts brought out of seeming oblivion. Furmanek opened my eyes to 3D Myths he dismantles ... I'd been too long falling for several ... and no one is more scrupulous as to facts than he and noted historian Jack Theakston when they micro-studyThe 3-D Release Of Hondo --- a lot of misconceptions are set straight here. You needn't be a 3-D maven to find fascination at this address. I was deep immersed by Furmanek's recount of a youth discovering 3-D and how he began life pursuit of that unique format. Start perusing 3-D Film Archive and you'll not quit till the deed is done. I'll be going back often as Bob promises further 3-D research to come.

The "jewel box" that contains soundtrack CD's is aptly named in the case of Brigham Young University Film Music Archive's release of the majestic Max Steiner score for Since You Went Away, a double-disc of seemingly every note the maestro composed for David Selznick's wartime masterpiece. I've chased this music back to 70's-era Max Steiner Society (remember them?) cassettes that didn't sound half so crisp as this new release. CD bootlegs did the score no credit either. But BYU has now gotten it right and then some. Steiner's work for SYWA should be as well-remembered as his Gone With The Wind ... certainly this is its melodic equal. Worth a purchase price alone is lavish liner notes by experts in the field James D'Arc (curator of the BYU Music Archive), musicologist Nathan Platte, and past-master at restoring classic scores Ray Faiola, whose work in this field is second to none. Since You Went Away is available from Screen Archives, and speaking of which ...

Twilight Time's Blu-Ray series continues apace with vaulties out of Fox and Columbiarendered in best-ever quality. I was glad they went to higher-def for all offerings. When would these have ever seen release otherwise? Screen Archives distributes the Blu's along with their fine soundtrack inventory. What with all this and Olive's avalanche of Paramountand now Republic titles, there's never been a flusher time to collect. Twilightpromises further goodies --- Bing Crosby in High Time is one I particularly look forward to. Will major studios ever implement such a thing as Blu-Ray Movies on Demand? Noticed today that VuDu currently streams 485 pre-1960 titles in High Definition. The ones I've watched look great. Also there's continuing hope of TCM finally going true HD. Can any insider there tip us off?

Finally among books there is a definitive history of RKO from Richard Jewell, foremost authority on that subject and co-author of a previous oversize volume focused on it. RKO Radio Pictures: ATitan Is Born emphasizes corporate history (quite a thicket!) and reveals acreage of data new to me and I suspect anyone who reads this immersing saga. Prof. Jewell takes us just past WWII's beginning, his Volume One of two ending with the upset of Orson Welles and The Magnificent Ambersons. I wish there were history of all major companies so fine as Jewell's of RKO. He's a crack researcher and engagingly narrates those years of seeming non-stop struggle (did any studio have a tougher time just surviving?). By all means, grab this book for a fascinating lowdown.