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So with the blu-ray of Steamboat Bill, Jr. we have both the domestic US version and the foreign export version, but in the mini making-of doc they say they're not sure which version is which. Anyone out there have any theories or evidence as to which is the US version and which the foreign version? I'm guessing the Killiam version is probably the US version as that one has been floating around via Blackhawk and Killiam since seemingly forever.

(On a sidenote, anyone know why the Killiam version seems to go soft and out of focus for the entire second half of the film?)

I'm fairly certain, just from comparing the quality of editing and the shots that they picked, that the Killiam Shows version is the domestic, and the Doris print is the foreign.

I found it somewhat puzzling that they couldn't even offer an educated guess. Agree that the Killiam print, disc 1 in the DVD release, is the likely candidate for U.S. version, as this is the version I've always seen (including Rohauer's theatrical re-release in the 70s), and as Jack Theakston says, also evidenced by the choice of shots.

Rollo Treadway wrote:I found it somewhat puzzling that they couldn't even offer an educated guess. Agree that the Killiam print, disc 1 in the DVD release, is the likely candidate for U.S. version, as this is the version I've always seen (including Rohauer's theatrical re-release in the 70s), and as Jack Theakston says, also evidenced by the choice of shots.

Hang on. It's the Keaton Estate / Rohauer version on Disc 1, the Killiam version on Disc 2.
Disc 1 is the version I've always seen theatrically in Rohauer seasons. It's also on Network's "Keaton Chronicles" set in a very bad Rohauer print.
Disc 2 is the usual one on DVD, same as the Blackhawk print, which David Shepard mentioned in another thread as coming from an original nitrate print. This version certainly has the better takes.

It's a pity that the Killiam version (presumably the domestic version) isn't in as good of quality as the Douris version (presumably the export version). But at least it's in pretty good quality, and I suppose we're lucky to have it at all. I'll always treasure the first Kino DVD version and its peerless Gaylord Carter score. I'd buy the Blu-ray, but I'd never watch it.

WaverBoy wrote:It's a pity that the Killiam version (presumably the domestic version) isn't in as good of quality as the Douris version (presumably the export version). But at least it's in pretty good quality, and I suppose we're lucky to have it at all. I'll always treasure the first Kino DVD version and its peerless Gaylord Carter score. I'd buy the Blu-ray, but I'd never watch it.

The first half of the Killiam version looks pretty good on the blu-ray, not as good as the Keaton Estate version but definitely a step up from the DVD. Unfortunately, for whatever reason the entire second half of the film goes really soft. I wouldn't mind so much that the Killiam version doesn't look as good as the Estate version, but the softness in the second half is really distracting. I really had to crank up the sharpness on my TV and even turn on a little bit of edge enhancement (two things that I am normally loath to do, but it does help a little bit given that the film is so drastically soft in the second half).

WaverBoy, while I too lament the loss of the Gaylord Carter score, I am eternally grateful to have another wonderful William Perry score in my blu-ray/DVD library (I'm still holding on to my Kino DVD of It, even though the Milestone DVD of the Brownlow/Gill restoration looks far better). In fact, in hindsight I think it's a real shame that we didn't get Perry's score for The General on blu-ray, but I'm hoping we'll get his score for College when Kino gets around to the eventual blu-ray of that film.

Maybe someday Mr. Shepard will consider doing his own blu-ray of Steamboat Bill, Jr. and resurrect Carter's score, but until then Perry's score is more than a worthy substitute.

(Another note about Perry's scores; not only am I holding on to my Kino DVD of It, but I'm also holding on to my Critic's Choice collection VHS copies of The General and College, and my TCM recording of The Gold Rush from a 2000 broadcast. The Gold Rush may be the biggest loss of all as it's one of Perry's best scores, and we all know about the Chaplin Estate's stubborn stance these days on Charlie's films.)

Yes, I'd have LOVED it if the Blu-ray of The General could have had the William Perry score. It's my favorite.