THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM [1962 / 2022] [Deluxe 2 Blu-ray Disc Special Edition] [Warner Archive Collection] [USA Release] Great Semi-Biographical Adventurous, Charming, Beguiling Fantasy Movie!
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and CINERAMA® joined forces to produce this lavish spectacular built around the lives of Wilhelm Grimm and Jacob Grimm. Enchanting cinematic versions of three of their most popular fairy tales – “The Dancing Princess,” “The Cobbler and the Elves” and “The Singing Bone” – enhance the Brothers’ Grimm stories. A bevy of talents both in front of and behind the camera lent their skills to create this delightful entertainment. Now meticulously restored to its original Cinerama glory, and it is once again ready to enthral audiences of all ages.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1963 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Costume Design and Colour for Mary Wills. Nominated: Best Cinematography in Colour for Paul Vogel. Nominated: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration in Colour for Edward C. Carfagno, George W. Davis, Henry Grace and Richard Pefferle. Nominated: Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment for Leigh Harline. 1963 American Cinema Editors: Nominated: Eddie Award for Best Edited Feature Film for Walter Thompson. 1963 Golden Globes: Nominated: Best Musical Motion Picture. Nominated: Best Drama Actor for Laurence Harvey. 1963 Laurel Awards: Win: Golden Laurel Award for Special Award. Nominated: Golden Laurel Award for Top Song for Bob Merrill.
FILM FACT No.2: ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ [1962] was filmed in the Cinerama process, which was photographed in an arc with three lenses, on a camera that produced three strips of film. Three projectors, in the back and sides of the theatre, produced a panoramic image on a screen that curved 146 degrees around the front of the audience. In the mid-1950’s, George Pal left Paramount Studios, which had been his base for a number of years. In March 1956, he announced the formation of his own company, Galaxy Pictures, saying he would make six films, including an adaptation of ‘The Time Machine’ written by David Duncan; ‘Captain Cook’ based on the novel “Lost Eden” a film about Atlantis; and “The Brothers Grimm” based on a script by David Harmon adapted from a biography of the brothers by Dr Hermann Gerstner. George Pal had bought the screen rights to Dr Hermann Gerstner's biography in February 1956 and hired David Harmon in March 1956. George Pal signed an agreement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to finance Galaxy's slate, the first film produced being ‘Tom Thumb’ [1958], based on a Grimm Brothers fairy-tale. In 1957, George Pal announced he wanted the Grimm Brothers fairy-tale to follow the film ‘Tom Thumb’ with Alan Young and Eddie Bracken in the leading roles. In April 1958, he signed Mary Brown to do the costumes. However, in May 1958, after discussions with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, George Pal decided to make ‘The Time Machine’ [1960] instead. In July 1960, Hedda Hopper reported that George Pal would make the film in America, not Europe. George Pal wanted to cast Peter Sellers and Alec Guinness as the Brothers Grimm, but was over-ruled by the studio. In March 1961, M-G-M reported Edmund Hartmann was working on the final script. The same month, Karl Boehm was cast as his brother with Yvette Mimieux to play his wife. Yvette Mimieux wound up playing the dancing princess in the film while Barbara Eden was borrowed from 20th Century Fox to play Karl Boehm's love interest. George Pal said three fairy tales were chosen which would look good in CINERAMA® and George Pal also wanted to use lesser-known fairy tales so the audience did not know how they ended and chose “The Dancing Princess,” “The Cobbler” and the “Elves and The Singing Bone.” George Pal left for Munich in April 1961, saying he will use "every trick in the books" in the film. “We hope to get some wonderful special effects especially.” Filming started on the 1st July, 1961. Filming took place on location in Bavaria, at Rothenberg and Dinkelsbühl. The Grimm Brothers originally lived in Kassel which is a city in central Germany, which had been bombed out. After two months filming in Germany, the unit returned to Hollywood. Henry Levin directed the Grimm Brothers’ sequences while George Pal filmed the fairy-tale sections of the film.
Cast: Laurence Harvey, Karlheinz Böhm, Claire Bloom, Walter Slezak, Barbara Eden, Oskar Homolka, Arnold Stang, Martita Hunt, Betty Garde, Bryan Russell, Ian Wolfe, Tammy Marihugh, Cheerio Meredith, Walter Rilla, Yvette Mimieux, Russ Tamblyn, Jim Backus, Beulah Bondi, Clinton Sundberg, Walter Brooke, Sandra Bettin, Robert Foulk, Terry-Thomas, Buddy Hackett, Otto Kruger, Robert Crawford Jr., Sydney Smith, Pamela Baird (uncredited), Billy Barty (uncredited), Jeanine Cashell (uncredited), Regensburger Domspatzen (uncredited), Diana Driscoll (uncredited), True Ellison (uncredited), Stanley Fafara (uncredited), Darby Hinton (uncredited), Jon Lormer (uncredited), Gregory Morton (uncredited), Elisabeth Neumann-Viertel (uncredited), Willy Reichert (uncredited), 'Little Billy' Rhodes (uncredited), Ruthie Robinson (uncredited), Angelo Rossitto (uncredited), Gene Roth (uncredited) and Peter Whitney (uncredited)
Directors: George Pal (fairy tales segments) and Henry Levin
Producer: George Pal (uncredited)
Screenplay: Charles Beaumont (screenplay), David P. Harmon (screenplay/screen story), William Roberts (screenplay), Dr. Hermann Gerstner (based on “Die Bruder Grimm”), Jacob Grimm (stories) (uncredited) and Wilhelm Grimm (stories) (uncredited)
Composer: Leigh Harline
Make-up and Hair Department: John Truwe (Make-up Artist) (uncredited), William Tuttle (Make-up creator) and Sydney Guilaroff (Hair stylist)
Costume Design: Mary Wills
Visual Effects: David Pal (Stop-motion animator) (uncredited), Don Sahlin (Stop-motion animator) (uncredited), Gene Warren (Special visual effects), Jim Danforth (Stop-motion animator) (uncredited) + (Visual effects technician), Pete Kleinow (Stop-motion animator) (uncredited), Peter Van Elk (Stop-motion animator) (uncredited), Robert R. Hoag (Special visual effects), Tim Baar (Special visual effects), Tom Holland (Stop-motion animator) (uncredited) and Wah Chang (Special visual effects)
Cinematography: Paul C. Vogel, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 2.59:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 135 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Cinerama Releasing Corporation / Warner Archive Collection
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: Once Upon A Time there were two brothers named Wilhelm Grimm and Jacob Grimm. They were learned scholars who filled huge libraries with dusty books for other scholars to read. Secretly however, they wrote fairy stories, the most beautiful, imaginative tales anyone ever enjoyed. By now their learned tomes have been forgotten but the fairy stories they collected have made them immortal. This is their extraordinary story of Wilhelm Grimm and Jacob Grimm, of their fantastic lives, their adventures, their romances and their fabulous tales they told. It is a story for everyone and a happy story, especially in the wonderful world of the Brothers Grimm, made everyone’s lives happily ever after.
‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ [1962] is one of the great fantasy film’s by the amazing and prolific George Pal. The picture is a fantasy film directed by Henry Levin and George Pal with an amazing cast that includes Laurence Harvey, Claire Bloom, Barbara Eden Yvette Mimieux, Russ Tamblyn and Jim Backus, just to name a few.
‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ tells the story behind the Brothers Grimm who created beloved fairy tales come to life, with re-enactments of three of their stories. The film tells the story of the brothers’ long struggle for recognition and the sacrifices they and their families made to achieve their goals.
Wilhelm Grimm [Laurence Harvey] and Jacob Grimm [Karl Boehm] work together, pay check to pay check, churning out technical tomes on German grammar and commissioned histories for the local duke. Jacob Grimm is devoted to his work, unable to even notice when a beautiful tourist [Barbara Eden] takes an interest in him. Meanwhile, Wilhelm Grimm finds himself often distracted by the folktales spun by local spinsters and shopkeepers, handing over his pittance salary to their tellers for the right to record them for posterity — money that he barely has to support his wife and children. When Wilhelm Grimm’s fairy tale obsession puts their livelihood at risk, the brothers’ partnership is nearly torn apart.
Russ Tamblyn stars as the resourceful Woodsman in “The Dancing Princess,” winning the heart of the titular royal Princess [Yvette Mimieux] in a gorgeous, forest-set dance number that takes full advantage of the films three-panel Cinerama format. This segment also features an exciting chase scene, as Russ Tamblyn scrambles to keep up with a speeding, horse-drawn buggy in the mountain roads of Bohemia, and supporting appearances from Jim Backus as The King and Beulah Bondi as The Gypsy.
The stars of the Christmas-themed “The Cobbler and the Elves” aren’t big-name actors, but a cadre of George Pal’s trademark “Puppetoon” creations who manufacture an assortment of shoes to music.
The most impressive segment of the trio is “The Singing Bone,” which feature Buddy Hackett as the dim-witted squire Hans to the traitorous Sir Ludwig [Terry-Thomas]. Special effects are particularly on display here, with a stop-motion fire breathing dragon integrated in with the live-action actor Buddy Hackett in a manner that holds up surprisingly well, even today.
Where the film excels is in the fairy tale stories. The people in them, the colour, the effects and the engagement rise every time one starts and some crafty amazing stop motion effects. This is where you get some more lavish costumes and characters and feels like what this film really wants to and should be, as opposed to some odd kind of fictional biopic. These particular sequences are directed by George Pal and showcase a great contrast to the “normal” stuff that it bobs in and out of. We also get some more inventive, immersive and breath-taking work with the CINERAMA® technique.
‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ as moments of greatness but never quite achieves it. Perhaps it is the story and scenes of the Grimm brothers themselves. Or maybe their use of less known fairy tales holds it back. It would have been quite something to have at least one of Rapunzel, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White or Tom Thumb has been adapted into this film. But alas, it is what it is. But if you’re into fantasy, German period films or just the CINERAMA® process, it is more than entertainment enough.
An enchanting faerie tale anthology film, couched in a biographical story that is somewhat less interesting than the stories themselves, which is perhaps inevitable. There are a lot of stars in a lot of stories and Russ Tamblyn shows off some of the fantastic aerobic dancing. Buddy Hackett tries his best to compete with the British comedy actor Terry-Thomas, but does slightly better with the more worthy opponent with the lovely George Pal amazing stop motion fire breathing dragon. The writing is really good and there are also a lot of really fun scenes. The CINERAMA® process is used very beautifully effectively.
The Brothers Grimm earned their place in literary history for their work preserving European folklore in the early Nineteenth century. This 1962 feature directed by Henry Levin and George Pal — the science fiction legend of ‘War of the Worlds’ fame and more — imagines the beginnings of their early careers as gatherers of fairy tales, and punctuates that story with fantastical, special effects-packed versions of three of their famous fables.
‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ is a wonderful technical achievement in the CINERAMA® process that also brings the old school Technicolor joys you may have expected from someone like Disney. Shot on location in West Germany, the innovative production features “Puppetoons” and a technique developed by Oscar-winning special effects expert George Pal and they are totally brilliant and so very magical.
George Pal is best known for his science-fiction films during the 1950’s, which included the classic likes of ‘Destination Moon’ [1950], ‘When Worlds Collide’ [1951], ‘The War of the Worlds’ ([953] and ‘The Time Machine’ [1960]. Less well known is George Pal’s earlier output during the 1940’s of dozens of stop-motion animated shorts. Many of these were adapted from fairy tales. Then George Pal returned and expanded to full-length feature films like ‘Tom Thumb’ [1958]. George Pal later followed up with ‘Tom Thumb’ and then followed up with the more lavishly scaled CINERAMA® ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ film.
George Pal created ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ is a CINERAMA® spectacle. It makes for mind boggling viewing with today’s audiences and especially now viewed on the awesome Blu-ray format. It is filmed almost like a 3-D film, having things popped up and thrown at the audience. George Pal places the camera on top of or down at the wheel level of stagecoaches with the road rushing past on all sides of the screen, or sends it sweeping across the Bavarian landscapes with dizzying surround effect.
‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ is largely overlooked by today’s audiences, the movie was a high-profile production in its day, as it was the first of only two narrative films to be screened using CINERAMA® and is a three-camera process that required a special projection system and a massive curved screen and an early forerunner of IMAX technology. The special effects are crude by modern standards, giving the film a dated feel that nevertheless underscores its appealing sense of innocence. An acclaimed musical score, impressive European locations, and a star-studded cast, including Barbara Eden and Claire Bloom, add to the overall quality of the production.
‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ is incredibly charming, and a very exciting film, visually. If you by chance were underwhelmed by a version you saw elsewhere prior to this, give the film another chance here — the restoration and SMILEBOX® format faithfully restore the films beautiful colours and unusual framing. Restorations such as these are worth supporting, and this release comes with our hearty top five star rating. I think that ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ is a woefully underappreciated. And, although the film took a fast and loose look at the real lives of these men, it is most enjoyable and the stories that come to life are simply charming. Then right at the end of the film we get this wording . . . and they lived happily ever after!
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM MUSIC TRACK LIST
DANCING PRINCESS (Words by Bob Merrill) (Music by Bob Merrill)
AH-OOM (Words by Bob Merrill) (Music by Bob Merrill)
CHRITMAS LAND (Words by Bob Merrill) (Music by Bob Merrill)
DEE-ARE-A-GEE=O-EN [Dragon] (Words by Bob Merrill) (Music by Bob Merrill)
THE SINGING BONE (Words by Charles Beaumont) (Music by Bob Merrill)
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, CINERAMA® Releasing Corporation and Warner Archive Collection presents us the film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ with a very professional and ultimate looking stunning Technicolor 1080p image and of course shown in the spectacular CINERAMA® 2.59:1 aspect ratio. Meticulously restored from its original Cinerama negatives, this fanciful delight is a treat for audiences of all ages and this Deluxe Two Disc Edition gives the viewer the opportunity to watch the film either in a traditional letterbox format, or in the Smilebox format which attempts to re-create the immersive Cinerama experience with a simulated curve to the screen. Both versions bring together the three original Cinerama panels with virtually no trace of the lines that joined them together when originally projected in theaters back in 1962. I do very much recommend the Smilebox. Your eyes will quickly adjust and it is just a pretty immersive and impressive way to take in the film. This has an incredible scale on display, fantastic texture and details and absolutely gorgeous colours. You’ll be stunned just looking at it and wondering how in the hell it was possible. With the smilebox on you get much more the experience of depth of field and scale in a the unique auditorium room encapsulating presentation. Its humongous and pushed back to the highest degree. Movements are filmic, smooth and have no issues with any distortions are any of that mumbo jumbo. Blacks are deep and natural. There’s a great saturation on display and they really crisp up every frame and have some gorgeous shadow work, never erasing any details in the darkness. No crushing witnessed. Colours, along with the depth, are the shining star of this transfer. Everything has a sort of Technicolor gorgeousness to it and it looks vivid, popping right off the screen. Greens, oranges, reds, blues, purples, everything has a romantic beauty to it and in the fairy tale sections of the film, one can just stare off and get high off of every frame. Skin tones are natural and consistent from start to finish of the film. Immaculate facial detail and texture is visible from any distance in the frame. Whether you prefer the traditional 2.59:1 letterbox version (Disc One) or the SMILEBOX® 2.59:1 presentation (Disc Two), you'll walk away wishing all Blu-ray releases looked this good, because the image detail is razor sharp CINERAMA® format from edge to edge. The centre-dominant and mostly symmetrical compositions also take some getting used to if you're not overly familiar with the CINERAMA® format, but it's a sacrifice worth making. Easing the transition for new eyes are those practically totally invisible “join lines,” as this image transfer achieves a seamless transition between all three frames that likely surpasses theatrical showings. The film's Technicolor palette is also very well rendered; most everything appears suitably vivid with excellent saturation, while black levels run deep with no noticeable amounts of visual impairment. As usual, the film plays at a high bit rate on both Blu-ray discs and no flagrant compression artefacts, banding, or other digital defects were seen along the way. Warner Archive Collection's recent press release described this new and exclusive 1080p Blu-ray presentation of ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ as being "restored in 4K master files from 6K files of original CINERAMA® format camera negatives, with the most advanced technology available used by CINERAMA® restoration’s David Strohmaier and Tom H. March, has eliminate all of the “join lines” that plagued traditional Cinerama release prints and early video format releases. Warner Archive Collection extends its deepest thanks to David Strohmaier, Tom H. March, and the Decurion Corporation (parent company of CINERAMA® Inc.), who partnered with Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. to bring this project to fruition. This Blu-ray restoration is dedicated to the memory of the brilliant GEORGE PAL.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, CINERAMA® Releasing Corporation and Warner Archive Collection brings us the film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ with the awesome 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio experience that will leave you speechless. This has a very grand quality of depth and layering to it. There’s a power force in its presentation, which is quite well balanced and feels very genuine to its original theatrical presentation. There is some good bounce from the subwoofer, with good bumps from effects. Most of the deeper sounds come from the bass, horns and strings in the score with good, delicate touches. The soundscape here sweeps around the room for a nice, very full, effective experience to go along with the video. There’s some playfulness abound and the sound travel both pushes with some good power and breezes with accuracy around the room. Vocals are clear and crisp. All in all, this is a totally awesome audio experience that goes well with this spectacular CINERAMA® Blu-ray experience.
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Please Note: In the booklet, they give us the following information and reads as follows: This new HD video master is a totally new representation that captures the essence of the production’s original CINERAMA® Roadshow exhibition by combining the three CINERAMA® film panels into a single, seamless widescreen image. The three 6-perf 35mm original camera negatives had suffered extensive shrinkage, warpage, and moisture damage in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer vaults over 40 years ago. Now with the efforts of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging expert scanning team and CINERAMA® Inc. restoration’s David Strohmaier and Tom H. March, the film has gone through a modern miracle of today’s digital restoration arts to create this 4K restoration. For the first time the film can be enjoyed with all the detail, clarity and sharpness that was experienced by the original 1962 – 1963 audiences in specially equipped CINERAMA® theatres around the world. The alternative SMILEBOX® special version was rendered so that the flat images look as if “Projected” onto a virtual CINERAMA® curved screen to create the wraparound effect. This SMILEBOX® technique was created in 2002 for the historical documentary ‘CINERAMA ADVENTURE’ by several Hollywood visual effects experts, including consultations with the American Society of Cinematographers and CINERAMA® Inc. and SMILEBOX® has been used in all of the CINERAMA® Blu-ray travelogue releases, as well as the home video releases of ‘How The West Was Won’ in 2008.
Special Notice: What is CINERAMA? In the film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ appropriately marks an important anniversary for CINERAMA® and especially its most significant milestone since the historic evening of the 30th September, 1952, when a privileged audience of 110 were invited to a premiere at New York’s Broadway Theatre, on the evening of the 30th September 1952, where cinema audiences were first introduced to the sensational new process that would forever revolutionise the shape of the movie-going experience, where they were shown, ‘This Is CINERAMA’ and gave great cheer of what they viewed. In the years since CINERAMA® most memorable public debut, millions have thrilled to an experience of sight and sound unlike any other. The realism of the breath-taking wide curved CINERAMA® screen and the seven-track sound of unsurpassed fidelity combined to wrap the world with its myriad voices around their theatre seats. Audiences no longer were mere spectators. They toured the globe at the flicker of a CINERAMA® camera shutter, participants in whatever strange and exotic scene and experience CINERAMA® chose to poke its triple-lens, all-seeing camera – from the snow-caped Himalayas to the sun-drenched, multi-hued palette of Polynesia. CINERAMA® is a tribute and monument to the faith and endless patience of the late Fred Waller, a motion special effects expert, and an inventive genius. The scientist in Fred Waller was intrigued during the mid-1930’s by the enhanced illusion of reality created by the wide-angle photography. Fred Waller found the answer in the human eye . . . and set out to prove that the peripheral vision – what is “seen” out of the corners of our eyes – produces the sense of depth without which the world would look strange indeed. Fifteen years of research and continuous experimentation finally produced the result Fred Waller had been seeking, three cameras mounted as one, with a single shutter. The three 27mm lenses covered a field 146 degrees wide, approximately that of the human eye. This was the ideal range for practical and comfortable viewing in a theatre. All CINERAMA® lacked was a sound system to match its visual realism. CINERAMA® Sound was developed by the Hazard Reeves Laboratories and especially Hazard Earle Reeves, Jr. (6th July, 1906 – 23rd December, 1986) who was an American pioneer in sound and sound electronics, and introduced magnetic stereophonic sound to motion pictures. Hazard Earle Reeves, Jr. was also the president of over 60 companies, including CINERAMA® Inc. The matchless seven-track, seven-channel system made it possible not only to follow the action with the eyes, but with the ears as well. With ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM,’ CINERAMA® audiences see and hear more than ever before. Where the original CINERAMA® audience was overwhelmed by the 1700 square foot screen of an ingenious louvered designed screen, the largest ever created up to that time. The minimum CINERAMA® screen now installed is 3000 square feet. The seven-channel CINERAMA® Sound has also undergone improvements, and now is transistorized for even more flawless tonal qualities. Further refinements have been made in the realms of CINERAMA® projection and printing. It can be said, in simple truth, that CINERAMA® is tomorrow’s entertainment is here to be enjoyed today.
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Special Feature: OVERTURE: With this featurette, you get the amazing and wonderful composed film score by Leigh Harline before the CINERAMA® film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ starts and lasts 2 minutes and 39 seconds and the screen is completely a black screen, apart from the word OVERTURE is in red at the bottom of the screen.
Special Feature: INTERMISSION MUSIC: With this featurette, at Chapter 20 at precisely 70:28 you get the dedicated INTERMISSION MUSIC and then you get the ENTR’ACTE which lasts until 76:21 and again a completely black screen, apart from the words in red.
Special Feature: EXIT MUSIC: With this featurette, at Chapter 55 at precisely 139:35 until 140:19 we get the dedicated EXIT MUSIC and again a completely black screen, apart from the words EXIT MUSIC in red.
Special Feature: Brothers Grimm Announcement Trailer [1962] [1080p] [2.59:1] [4:36] With this featurette, we get to view the Original CINERAMA® Theaters Announcement Trailer for the film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ shown in the Letterbox format and fully restored.
Special Feature: Brothers Grimm Letterbox Trailer [1962] [1080p] [2.59:1] [2:26] With this featurette, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and CINERAMA® Presents the Original Theatrical Letterbox Trailer for the film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM.’
Special Feature: Brothers Grimm Radio Interview with Russ Tamblyn [Audio only] [1962] [1080p] [1.78:1] [5:11] With this featurette, we are presented is a short promotional interview with Russ Tamblyn talking to reporter Dick Allen about appearing in the Cinerama feature film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHER GRIMM.’ While viewing this short interview, you get view a black-and-white images of Russ Tamblyn in his scenes in the CINERAMA® film as well as behind-the-scenes stills of Russ Tamblyn on location.
Special Feature: Brothers Grimm Radio Interview with Yvette Mimieux [Audio only] [1962] [1080p] [1.78:1] [5:39] With this featurette, we are presented is another short promotional interview with Yvette Mimieux talking to reporter Dick Allen about appearing in the Cinerama feature film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM.’ While viewing this short interview, you get view black-and-white images of Yvette Mimieux in his scenes in the CINERAMA® film as well as behind-the-scenes stills of Yvette Mimieux on location. While viewing this short interview, you get to view behind-the-scenes stills.
Special Feature: The Epic Art of the Brothers Grimm [2021] [1080p] [1.78:1] [7:00] With this featurette, it is hosted by Justin Humphreys, who is the curator of the George Pal Estate in Hollywood, and Justin Humphreys is also the author of the biography “George Pal: Man of Tomorrow,” and presents two of Reynold Brown stunning paintings and a series of Joe Smith amazing 3D Publicity Art Lithographs in collaboration with his with Margaret Smith and crafted for publicity purposes relating to the Cinerama film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM.’ With the 3D Publicity Art Lithographs we get to view the artistic impressions of Karlheinz Böhm [Jacob Grimm], Laurence Harvey [Wilhelm Grimm], Terry-Thomas [Ludwig], Jim Backus [The King], Buddy Hackett [Hans], Barbara Eden [Greta Heinrich] and Yvette Mimieux [The Princess].
Special Feature: The Wonderful Career of George Pal [2021] [1080p] [1.78:1] [8:47] With this featurette, it is once again hosted by Justin Humphreys who is the curator of the George Pal Estate in Hollywood, and gives a brief overview of George Pal’s career, with an emphasis on the production of ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM.’ Justin Humphreys talks about the fact that George Pal was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres and became an American citizen after emigrating from Europe. Also talks all about the “Puppetoons” series, especially used in the Cinerama film, and is best remembered as the producer of several science-fiction and fantasy films in the 1950’s and 1960’s, such as ‘Destination Moon’ [1950], ‘When Worlds Collide’ [1951], four of which were in collaborations with director Byron Haskin, including ‘The War of the Worlds’ [1953]. George Pal directed ‘Tom Thumb’ [1958] and ‘The Time Machine’ [1960].
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DISC TWO: SMILEBOX® VERSION:
With this second Blu-ray disc, we get to the view ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ film in the CINERAMA® SMILEBOX® version that is best viewed on a curved screen and is as follows:
Special Feature: Brothers Grimm CINERAMA® Announcement Trailer [1962] [1080p] [2.59:1] [4:37] Here we get to view the Original CINERAMA® Theatrical Announcement Trailer for the film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ shown in the SMILEBOX® format, and fully restored.
Special Feature: Brothers Grimm Theatrical SMILEBOX® Trailer [1962] [1080p] [2.59:1] [2:27] Here Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and CINERAMA® Presents the Original Theatrical SMILEBOX® Trailer for the film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM.’
Special Feature: Rescuing A Fantasy Classic [2021] [1080p] [1.78:1] [40:19] Warner Bros. Entertainment and CINERAMA Present A Harrison Engle Film entitled RESCUING A FANTASY CLASSIC of GEORHE PAL’s ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ film. This restoration featurette, helmed by award-winning documentary was produced and directed by Harrison Engle, goes into great in-depth detail about the advanced tools and techniques used to bring ‘The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm’ back to life. There's a lot of ground covered, especially in hearing the mammoth task of restoring this CINERAMA® classic film for the 21st century Blu-ray audiences especially showing off the original CINERAMA® Roadshow presentation to a "print-down" created by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for non-Cinerama theatres with a much grainier image, muddier colours, and even cropping on the left and right sides, and other rescued Blu-ray CINERAMA® titles such as those released by the Flicker Alley Company. From there it goes into a detailed breakdown of the actual 4K restoration, and also informs us about the lengthy process that erased decades of wear and tear including mould, dirt, and warping. We also see techniques used to seamlessly join all three separate image panels, as well as how the SMILEBOX® format is successfully achieved. Comparisons from different sources against the new 4K restoration are also provided. We also get to view a short clip from the now famous Roller Coaster scene from ‘This Is CINERAMA’ [1952] that is now available on a Blu-ray disc from the Flicker Alley Company. We get an exclusive visit to the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging facility in Burbank with David Strohmaier. Now and again we get to view the much damaged frames of the CINERAMA® film and how they replaced it with a good frame via digital wizardry and we also get to view at the top of the screen a much damaged fade CINERAMA® scene from the film and below it we get the same scene that has been digital restored. We finally get to view the final test screening of the CINERAMA® SMILEBOX® ‘The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm’ film on an 146 degree genuine louvered CINERAMA® screen at Tom March’s dedicated screening room in Calgary, Canada, with David Strohmaier to give his final approval, and it was well worth it, and the restoration took over 18 months with a dedicated team’s hard work to bring ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ film to its 21st century spectacular viewing experience and of course the wait for the Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray release was well worth it, especially for all the fans who had been contacting Warner Bros. for a very long time to get it finally released. Contributors include: David Strohmaier [Director of Film Restorations for CINERAMA® Inc.], Randy Gitsch [Film Inspector at PRO-TEK FILM VAULTS], Tom H. March [CINERAMA® Restorations’], James Vandever [CINERAMA® Inc. / Vice President of Decurion Corporation], Steve Anastasi [Former Vice President of Technical Operations at Warner Bros.], Scott Breneman [MPI Scanning], Rene Simen [EFX Visual Effects Artist] and John Polito [Audio Mechanics].
Special Feature: Rothenberg, Germany Location Commemorative Plaque [2021] [1080p] [1.78:1] [0:55] The CINERAMA® film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ was filmed mainly in the town of Rothenberg, Germany. When filming was complete, the town fathers erected a Commemorative Plaque, which remains to this day on the medieval town wall. We get to view the plaque that is superimposed over a scene from the CINERAMA® film ‘The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm’ and it reads as follows: “Photographed in this Beautiful Town. ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM.’ A George Pal Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer CINERAMA® Production 1961.”
Special Feature: A Salute to William R. Forman [2021] [1080p] [1.78:1] [1:49] This special feature is a short tribute to William R. Foreman founder and chairman of CINERAMA® of Pacific Theatres and is introduced by James Vandever of CINERAMA® Inc. / Vice President of Decurion Corporation and we are informed that William R. Forman was totally dedicated and passionate about all aspect of the CINERAMA® format and we can see why this very short special feature is totally dedicated to William R. Forman who pioneered CINERAMA® for everyone to enjoy the spectacular viewing experience.
Special Feature: Brothers Grimm Slideshow [2021] [1080p] [1.78:1] [12:00] Here we get to view ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ plethora of Behind-The-Scene stills, Publicity shots, International Posters and Graphics, Newspaper Advertisement, Consumer Products, Recordings [Long Playing Albums], In Theaters [CINERAMA® Cinemas, Publicity Photographs of famous people, Theatre tickets, Photographs of Wilhelm Carl Grimm and Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm in 1847 and their graveside site in Schöneberg area of Berlin, Germany] and they give special thanks in putting together this brilliant slideshow together and they are Larry Karstens, Roland Lataille and Peter Rest. While viewing this brilliant slideshow, in background we get to hear the brilliant film score composed by Leigh Harline.
BONUS: Included is a superb eight page rare Commemorative Booklet related to the CINERAMA® film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHER GRIMM’ and included are “Once Upon A Time” a short historic information about the brothers Wilhelm Grimm and Jacob Grimm. Also included are the following headings: “George Pal The Producer,” “The Background Story,” “The Story,” “What is Cinerama?” Also included an in-depth information about the restoration of the Cinerama film ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM.’ Plus: lots of wonderful colourful rare promotional photographs.
Finally, ‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROTHERS GRIMM’ [1962; brings us the story behind the Brothers Grimm who created the beloved fairy tales that come to life, with re-enactments of three of their stories. The film tells the story of the Brothers' Grimm long struggle for recognition and the sacrifices they endured and encouraged by their families helped made them achieve their goals in life. Between dreamer Wilhelm Grimm [Laurence Harvey] and practical Jacob Grimm [Karl Boehm], helped make some marvellous fairy tales that were developed. In “The Dancing Princess,” the Princess [Yvette Mimieux] falls in love with a charming Woodsman [Russ Tamblyn]. In “The Cobbler and the Elves,” a Christmas miracle of dedicated labour helps the cobbler out when he most needs it. And in the last story, “The Singing Bone” a fire-breathing dragon threatens the kingdom until a lowly servant Hans [Buddy Hackett] saves the day. Shot on location in West Germany, the innovative production features “Puppetoons,” a technique developed by Oscar-winning special effects expert George Pal. Meticulously restored from its original Cinerama negatives, this fanciful delight is a treat for audiences of all ages, and this Deluxe Two Disc Edition gives the viewer the opportunity to watch the film either in a traditional letterbox format, or in the SMILEBOX® format which attempts to re-create the immersive CINERAMA® experience with a simulated curve to the screen. Both Blu-ray versions bring together the three original CINERAMA® panels with virtually no trace of the lines that joined them together when originally projected in theatres way back in 1962. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
