MovieChat Forums > Wings (1929) Discussion > Theater showings of restored Wings!

Theater showings of restored Wings!

posted 13 years ago by JackBluegrass
9 replies | jump to latest

Some Cinemark theaters in the US showed a restored digital silent Wings yesterday, May 16, 2012. The credits at the end indicate that George Lucas' Skywalker facilities in Marin County was one of the participants in the restoration. Included were Paramount opening logos from the distant past to today. 2012 is Paramount's 100th birthday, and this restoration includes a "100" on the current logo.

You absolutely have to see this work! The photography is nothing short of outstanding. For a film made in 1926-27, the images of aerial warfare will blow your mind. "Special effects" were primitive then, so motion picture cameras were mounted on planes and on just about anything else that moved.

Sounds other than dialogue have been added (World War I fighter plane engines, gunfire, cannon, background music, etc.) Dialogue consists of printed words appearing on screen, as they did in the sound-less 1927 original, but reading the lips of actors and actresses becomes easier as you watch.

My wife and I were amazed at how many teenagers and 20-somethings were in the audience.

[–] magic8ball2112 13 years ago

Saw it last night as part of our local NPR affiliate's Summer movies program.
Pretty appropriate since it was largely filmed here in San Antonio.
Paired up with the 1911 short Billy and his Pal, another film shot here.

Overall, a great film. To be sure the Battle of St. Mihiel near the end is almost epic in scope given the number of people involved!
And, yep, 2 entire screens were sold out by a mix of largely elder types, but plenty of 20 & 30 somethings!

[–] JackBluegrass 13 years ago

magicetc.,
Since you're in San Antonio...I did medic training at Ft. Sam Houston many moons ago. A stone courtyard at Ft. Sam seems to be the location of the movie's exteriors for the induction scene. That site looks very familiar to me. Do I have the place right?

What would draw from teens to 30-year olds to a silent fim? I still haven't figured that one out.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Igenlode Wordsmith 12 years ago

Saw this at the London Film Festival: the print quality is excellent and the original score on the soundtrack is great. (Though judging by the list of song titles credited at the end, there were a lot of references I still didn't get...!)

~~Igenlode

Gather round, lads and lasses, gather round...

[–] JackBluegrass 12 years ago

Mr. Wordsmith, (Catchy name, there!)

What references are you referring to? The digitally restored version shown this year in US theatres named at the end the many entities who performed the restoration.

Stupid!?! I never called you stupid! To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people!

[–] Igenlode Wordsmith 12 years ago

I meant musical references -- songs whose melodies were supposed to evoke their apt titles for a contemporary audience (like "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" in the 'bubbles' scene). I'm reasonably familiar with the popular tunes of the 1920s, but I only got about half of the titles listed in the music credits... the run-down looked like a pretty complete plot summary, from what I recall!

~~Igenlode, who has a collection of contemporary sheet music

Gather round, lads and lasses, gather round...

[–] Skye_Reynolds 12 years ago

I'm jealous.

[–] nbroyles 12 years ago

about to watch it now on TCM :)

[–] ms-zanadu 12 years ago

I'm also watching this on TCM nbroyles ( and for the very first time too ) . Totally agree a restoration was needed for this wonderful silent film . So far I feel sorry for the character Mary in this one . Thanks JackBluegrass for your subject post . Enjoy the movie too nbroyles .