New Restoration of Sunny Side Up Airing Now???

Gagman 66 · Post by **Gagman 66** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 10:24 am

Picture isn't real sharp, but this is definitely not the same tired old print of SUNNY SIDE UP that TCM aired back in December. Much cleaner, clearer audio, very few artifacts as well. Or so I am being told anyway. Not home to see it

. Luckily, I have the broadcast recording now. A friend tells me this must be the recent MoMA restoration. I'm anxious to watch it this evening and find out.

BixB · Post by **BixB** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:46 pm

I would have bet that it would be the same transfer as before. Happy I decided to set the DVR just in case. Here's hoping.

Gagman 66 · Post by **Gagman 66** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:12 pm

BixB,

As all day TCM has been paying tribute to the Museum Of Modern Art, surely somebody should have mentioned ahead of time that this would be the new version? Apparently, not though. I'm taking a look at the recording right now. In comparison to what ran in December, this is clearly a much improved print transfer all around. It maybe isn't as crisp as I hoped it would be. LUCKY STAR released the same year is still a good deal sharper. There also appears to be a few short digital glitches here and there. Maybe this was just a makeshift transfer, not really fully processed? I'm not sure. I mean a broadcast tape run off from a digital copy or something?

I assume that SUNNY SIDE UP was remastered from about a forth or fifth generation source. A little on the dull side. Whereas the LUCKY STAR was probably more like a second or third generation.

LouieD · Post by **LouieD** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:13 pm

Gagman 66 wrote:BixB,

As all day TCM has been paying tribute to the Museum Of Modern Art, surely somebody should have mentioned ahead of time that this would be the new version? Apparently, not though. I'm taking a look at the recording right now. In comparison to what ran in December, this is clearly a much improved print transfer all around. It maybe isn't as crisp as I hoped it would be. LUCKY STAR released the same year is still a good deal sharper. There also appears to be a few short digital glitches here and there. Maybe this was just a makeshift transfer, not really fully processed? I'm not sure. I mean a broadcast tape run off from a digital copy or something?

I assume that SUNNY SIDE UP was remastered from about a forth or fifth generation source. A little on the dull side. Whereas the LUCKY STAR was probably more like a second or third generation.

The way to tell if its the restoration print is in the opening titles. If there is some slight nitrate decomp on the opening titles, it's the restoration.

westegg · Post by **westegg** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 6:27 am

Argh! Missed it! Still, I hope it runs again before 2020.

sethb · Post by **sethb** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 3:08 pm

Not to worry, IMHO you didn't miss a heck of lot.

This was my first chance to see SUNNY SIDE UP, and I was disappointed. Even accounting for the primitive sound technology and its related problems, I thought it was only marginally better than BROADWAY MELODY, which isn't really saying much. Nice tracking shot in the opening, but other than some good full-face closeups during the musical numbers, things went downhill pretty fast from there. After a while, I fast-forwarded through most of the dialogue to get to the musical/dance selections.

I'm glad the movie has been preserved for future generations, but the fact remains that it's really just a historical curiosity at this point. And I say that being a lover of 1920's and 1930's pop music, movie musicals and movies in general. SETH

westegg · Post by **westegg** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 5:36 pm

Actually, I've seen the film but not the restored print. I mainly like the movie because of Marjorie White! However, I guess I would've been more annoyed missing it if it was a newly discovered nitrate with awesome clarity (I'm spoiled by the Kino DVD of CHICAGO). SSU's restored print has to make do with a limited source. Still, I'd like to see it someday.

BixB · Post by **BixB** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 6:47 pm

I need to look at the version TCM ran a bit more closely but from what I've seen I'm a bit skeptical that it's the restored print. A couple of clues are that I would have thought there would be a disclaimer on the front of the film stating that it had been restored by the MoMA. However, they may not go to the trouble of doing that like UCLA does. Secondly, the titles most likely would be window boxed on a new transfer. This was not. I watched as far as the traveling camera opening and the overall quality doesn't seem much improved if at all.

Gagman 66 · Post by **Gagman 66** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:07 pm

westegg wrote:Actually, I've seen the film but not the restored print. I mainly like the movie because of Marjorie White! However, I guess I would've been more annoyed missing it if it was a newly discovered nitrate with awesome clarity (I'm spoiled by the Kino DVD of CHICAGO). SSU's restored print has to make do with a limited source. Still, I'd like to see it someday.

Flicker Alley released CHICAGO last July, not Kino.

westegg · Post by **westegg** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 7:01 am

Woops!