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STORY OF A WOMAN (music by John Williams) - coming to Blu Ray


Thornhill

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Discussion about the score to Story Of A Woman pops up now and again... But more in terms of hearsay than actual fact. It’s one of those “often talked but about rarely seen/heard”-building blocks in JW’s career.

 

From what I’ve understood, not only is the score rare, but the film itself has been somewhat lost and forgotten over time.

 

Good to see a BD release, let’s hope for an official soundtrack release to follow. 😊

 

 

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  • 3 months later...

So this supposedly released a few days back. Has anyone ordered or received a copy yet?

 

image.png

 

Doesn't appear to have any special features though, sadly. If ever a release needed an isolated score, this was the one.. :(

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29 minutes ago, aescalle said:

My copy was shipped two days ago from amazon...

 

Fantastic! Any ETA? Would love a review of the audio quality, or even the score itself.

 

I've heard almost nothing except this six minute excerpt, as the film is infamously hard to obtain and the score has never been released on soundtrack. 

 

 

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I look forward to retiring my old copy of the film, which was a shoddy VHS transfer that appeared on Youtube for just a few days several years ago. It didn't even have the prologue, which I've consequently never seen. Curious about that too. I have a few better audio rips than the ones on YT (as linked to above), but curious about the audio on this, especially the Cortina sequence (a cheeseball sequence in the film, but with a superb JW montage cue).

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4 minutes ago, Thor said:

a shoddy VHS transfer that appeared on Youtube for just a few days several years ago.

That just adds charm to the home video presentation.

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16 minutes ago, Thor said:

I look forward to retiring my old copy of the film, which was a shoddy VHS transfer that appeared on Youtube for just a few days several years ago. It didn't even have the prologue, which I've consequently never seen. Curious about that too. I have a few better audio rips than the ones on YT (as linked to above), but curious about the audio on this, especially the Cortina sequence (a cheeseball sequence in the film, but with a superb JW montage cue).

 

How much music would you estimate exists in the film? Did Williams conduct the score? Is there an end credits suite? 

 

It's a total unknown to me. 

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26 minutes ago, crumbs said:

 

Fantastic! Any ETA? Would love a review of the audio quality, or even the score itself.

 

I've heard almost nothing except this six minute excerpt, as the film is infamously hard to obtain and the score has never been released on soundtrack. 

 

 

Years ago I've made a very awful bootleg with a youtube version. But If someone is interested in making a new bootleg with this bluray, with a cleaner result it should be great!

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1 minute ago, aescalle said:

Years ago I've made a very awful bootleg with a youtube version. But If someone is interested in making a new bootleg with this bluray, with a cleaner result it should be great!

 

Absolutely. Hopefully the DTS-HD track is a true stereo mix and not dual-channel mono. 

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Just now, crumbs said:

 

Absolutely. Hopefully the DTS-HD track is a true stereo mix and not dual-channel mono. 

I should try to make a rip of the audio in wave quality when my copy is arriving. Is someone capable here to make a good job to work on it?

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5 minutes ago, crumbs said:

 

How much music would you estimate exists in the film? Did Williams conduct the score? Is there an end credits suite? 

 

It's a total unknown to me. 

 

Oh gosh, I can't really answer that. There is at least an hour's worth of music, if not more; it's pretty tightly scored. Would make for a wonderful 50-60 minute release, if you take out some of the many variations of the central "Uno di Qua, L'altra di La" theme that will no doubt wear out its welcome. I have no idea if Williams conducted it. It was one of those Euro-US puddings, so I don't even know where the recording sessions were held. Could be in Europe, since Williams had other Europe-centric projects at the time, like JANE EYRE. Wasn't HEIDI also done in Europe a few years earlier? I know he stayed in London during prep for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (and Robert Altman was staying in his apartment, prepping IMAGES). There is an end credits suite, but "Cortina" is the best suite-ish cue from the film anyway.

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Sounds great! Plenty of music too. Should definitely fill out a nice CD one day (maybe paired with a few other unreleased Universal scores). 

 

The end credits might list the conductor, just a thought (or were they not credited in this era of films?) 

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8 hours ago, fommes said:

Is this also playable in Region B?

On 02/09/2021 at 12:15 PM, aescalle said:

 

STORY OF A WOMAN (Bluray - Pre order)

Update: "Its not region free as universal only did USA rights" So this release is region A.

 
Release Year: 1970
Running Time: 90
UPC: 7 38329 25580 0
Optional English Subtitles: Yes
Color Type: Color
Country: U.S.
Language: English
Genres: Drama
$29.95 $17.97 (40% off)
 
Avail 9/28/21 - order early
Pre-orders are generally sent several days in advance of street date.
Only ships to US & Canada
 

https://www.kinolorber.com/product/story-of-a-woman-blu-ray

 

Cast

Robert Stack
Bibi Andersson
James Farentino
Annie Girardot
Frank Sundström
Birgitta Valberg
 

Crew

Directed by Leonardo Bercovici
 

From Leonardo Bercovici, the co-writer of The Bishop’s Wife, Kiss the Blood off My Hands and Portrait of Jennie, comes this passionate love story starring Ingmar Bergman regular Bibi Andersson (Duel at Diablo, Persona). While studying to be a concert pianist in Rome, a Swedish girl named Karin (Andersson) falls in love with a handsome medical student named Bruno (James Farentino, Me, Natalie, Dead & Buried). When she discovers that Bruno is married to an older woman, she heads home to Sweden and marries an American diplomat (Robert Stack, The Tarnished Angels, Airplane!). The diplomat is then assigned to Rome, where Karin becomes torn between the two men. This beautiful romantic drama features a wonderful supporting turn by Annie Girardot (Vice and Virtue, Dear Inspector), costumes by the great Edith Head (The Emperor Waltz, The Sting) and a musical score by the legendary John Williams (Jaws, Star Wars).


Blu-ray Extras Include:

Theatrical Trailer

 

 

738329255800.jpg

-
 
SCREAMING WOMAN
released is region A.
 
Release Year: 1972
Running Time: 73
UPC: 7 38329 25592 3
Optional English Subtitles: Yes
Color Type: Color
Country: U.S.
Language: English
Genres: Horror, Drama, Thriller
Select a Format
$24.95 $14.97 (40% off)
temporarily out of stock
Avail 10/5/21 - order early
Pre-orders are generally sent several days in advance of street date.
Only ships to US & Canada
 
Cast
Olivia de Havilland
Joseph Cotton
Walter Pidgeon
Ed Nelson
Laraine Stephens
Lonny Chapman
Charles Drake
Alexandra Hay
 
Crew
Directed by Jack Smight
 

From the mind of Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, TV’s The Martian Chronicles) comes this made-for-television chiller starring the great Olivia de Havilland (The Snake Pit, Not as a Stranger) as a wealthy former mental patient who goes home to her estate to rest and recuperate. While walking the grounds one day she hears the screams of a woman coming from underneath the ground. Her family, however, refuses to believe her story, and sees the incident as an opportunity to prove the woman’s mind has snapped so they can take control of her money. Jack Smight (Harper) directed this screamingly good thriller from a script by Merwin Gerard (TV’s The Victim) based on a Bradbury short story. Ed Nelson (Airport 1975), Laraine Stephens (Hellfighters), Joseph Cotten (Portrait of Jennie) and Walter Pidgeon (Harry in Your Pocket) lead the stellar supporting cast, with costumes by Edith Head (The Sting) and theme music by John Williams (Jaws).


Blu-ray Extras Include:

Brand New 2K Master

NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani

Newly Commissioned Art by Vince Evans

Optional English Subtitles

 

 

738329255923.jpg

 

No region A

I had confirmation by Kinolober & Redcode...

A multregion bluray will be an option. I get mine (a SONY player) from Amazon.

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Not while Williams is alive, I guess.  Remember Roger's post from 2018

 

"Just so you know, Williams isn't particularly interested in having Rare Breed or Story of a Woman released."

 

 

"Not sure why Williams isn't interested in these, but he's the boss so we that's that."

 

http://www.intrada.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=78997#p78997

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@Jay I do of course remember Roger’s post, but you must be forgetting the later post from Mike Mattesino (on the FSM board I think) where he expressed some hope about eventually talking Williams into it, essentially saying “never say never”.

 

Yavar

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  • 3 months later...

I'm a bit late to the game re: this movie. Though not seen as a great movie, it's very sentimental to me in a number of ways. First, I think the bad copy that Thor found on YouTube some years back was my upload. :P Initially recorded on a VCR in the 1980s(missing the first scenes, starting at the "market" scene). I as well, thought that this movie was lost and that YouTube wouldn't have a problem with my upload ...uhm, nope. :) Like Thor's "WHOA!!!", I almost fell off my chair when I recently discovered this movie has been released on blu-ray!!! I immediately ordered, and watched it this weekend.


After watching it, I'm both thrilled and disappointed at the same time. The quality is great! What disappoints me though, is that it was edited with scenes taken out! Why? Why? Why?! I hope there was good reason!(ie. bad quality?) ...including an important scene IMHO, one both for the movie and musically ...cut out ...ARGH!!! The important(IMHO) missing scene is between when Mrs. Cardini visits Karin and the train scene at ~11:25. There's a scene with Bruno also in the apartment, where we're introduced to the most moving piece of music in the film, IMHO. There are bits of it at ~47:00 when Karin tells David she saw Bruno, and at ~1:07:30, beach scene, but the full effect of that piece is in that missing scene. If there's a music soundtrack released, hopefully it will be on that. Thor, you may not want to delete the bad copy just yet as it has that scene...

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Wow, that's disappointing! So the film finally gets released on Bluray and it's not complete?

 

Ordinarily I'd assume they just had a "TV cut" with deleted scenes reinserted, but if they have exclusive music then this wouldn't appear to be the case.

 

At least we know the scoring elements were located and transferred for safekeeping, so I'm sure we'll get everything in the future.

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17 hours ago, arrow201 said:

Thor, you may not want to delete the bad copy just yet as it has that scene...

 

Ouch! Very sorry to hear it. I wonder what the reason was? Perhaps, as you suggest, the reels were too destroyed in those scenes?

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12 hours ago, crypto said:

Wow, that's disappointing! So the film finally gets released on Bluray and it's not complete?

 

Ordinarily I'd assume they just had a "TV cut" with deleted scenes reinserted, but if they have exclusive music then this wouldn't appear to be the case.

 

At least we know the scoring elements were located and transferred for safekeeping, so I'm sure we'll get everything in the future.

6 hours ago, Thor said:

 

Ouch! Very sorry to hear it. I wonder what the reason was? Perhaps, as you suggest, the reels were too destroyed in those scenes?

 

Yes, I always thought an official release would be the full movie! It also ruins the actual conclusion/mood of scenes, i.e. there's a scene with the Russian ambassador(?) where David talks of spies. The Russian ambassador's response was cut out,  and you're under the impression he agrees, but in actuality, the cut part of that scene has him respond and disgusted with David's suggestion of spies. Maybe I'm nit picking, but still disappointed in this editing.

 

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It's possible these scenes were at the start or end of individual reels and had deteriorated, while the rest of the reels were salvageable. That's all I can assume, beyond breathtaking incompetence. 

 

Have you thought about getting in touch with the label who handled the release? Maybe they could clarify what happened, if the elements were damaged, etc. 

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36 minutes ago, crypto said:

It's possible these scenes were at the start or end of individual reels and had deteriorated, while the rest of the reels were salvageable. That's all I can assume, beyond breathtaking incompetence. 

 

Have you thought about getting in touch with the label who handled the release? Maybe they could clarify what happened, if the elements were damaged, etc. 

 

Thank you for your replies. Yes, I've been thinking of getting in touch and asking. The Blu-ray case references two sites: https://www.kinolorber.com and https://www.codereddvd.com, so I'll see if I can get some answers. Normally, I'd think a studio would want to milk it, and come out later with a "directors cut", but i don't think this movie is popular enough for that. :P

 

BTW, this release currently being Region A only, is bad news for many of you. Before I received my disc, and being too excited to wait, I was able to find a copy by Googling, "story of a woman 1970 mkv". Unfortunately, it appears to be gone now, but there is a copy floating around out there which may pop up now and then to "borrow" until other Regions are(hopefully) supported.

 

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  • 7 months later...
On 10/02/2022 at 2:25 AM, arrow201 said:

Thank you for your replies. Yes, I've been thinking of getting in touch and asking. The Blu-ray case references two sites: https://www.kinolorber.com and https://www.codereddvd.com, so I'll see if I can get some answers. Normally, I'd think a studio would want to milk it, and come out later with a "directors cut", but i don't think this movie is popular enough for that. :P

 

Out of interest, did you ever get in touch with the distributor and ask about the missing scenes?

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