The Rodgers and Hammerstein Collection Box Set (The King & I/Oklahoma!/The Sound of Music/South Pacific/Carousel/State Fair)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The King & I (1956)

Picture: B     Sound: B-     Extras: B+     Film: B+

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4546/The+King+&+I+–+50th+Anniversary+Edition+(DVD-Video+Set)

 

Oklahoma! (1955)

Picture: B-/B     Sound: B-     Extras: B     Films - 35mm: B   Todd-AO 70mm: B+

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3026/Oklahoma!+-+50th+Anniversary+Edition

 

South Pacific (1958/Original Theatrical Release and Road Show Version)

Picture: B     Sound: B-     Extras: B-     Film: B-/B

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4545/South+Pacific+–+Collector’s+Edition+(DVD-Video)

 

Carousel (1956)

Picture: B-     Sound: B-     Extras: B-     Film: B-

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4544/Carousel+–+50th+Anniversary+Edition+(DVD-Video+Set)

 

State Fair (1945/1962)

Picture: C+/B-     Sound: C+/B-     Extras: B     Films: B-

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2981/State+Fair+-+60th+Anniversary+Edition

 

The Sound of Music (1965)

Picture: B-     Sound: B-     Extras: B-     Film: B-

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2982/The+Sound+Of+Music+-+40th+Anniversary+Edition

 

 

With the musical going into its slow twilight by the 1950s, the phenomenon of Rodgers and Hammerstein in the 1950s and 1960s was the genre’s last hurrah in its Classical form.  While great directors like Fritz Lang and Sergei Eisenstein were horrified by the concept of widescreen filmmaking, the R&H team was never sufficiently impressed with regular 1.33 X 1 block style/narrow vision 35mm film saw the potential for it when they were demonstrated the 70mm Todd-AO format to them.  Instead of a simple block or the seam-line problem with three-projector Cinerama (running 3 at once to make an ultra-wide 2.76 X 1 image), you got a beautiful wide frame, a great 6-track sound system and much better color, detail and depth than had ever been seen before.

 

Of course, State Fair was made in 1945, but for their groundbreaking Oklahoma!, they wanted much, much more and got it.  As a result, it and two other films got the 70mm Todd AO treatment, the two 1956 films are the only ever made with CinemaScope 55 and the 1962 State Fair remake was made in one of the last years of standard CinemaScope.

 

Listed alphabetically, you can click onto any of the links above to read more about these fine DVD sets Fox has issued to celebrate, educate and present as clearly as possible (picture, sound, theme and otherwise) this important section of their catalog.  All sets should be seen at least once, but if you are a fan of most or all of them, you will want this new 12-DVD set putting the double editions in space-saving slender cases that also make a great gift set.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo