Preserving The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind

Posted by Edward E. Stratmann on Apr 16 2009 | Behind The Scenes, Motion Pictures

Eastman House’s camera negatives are at Warner Bros. Studio for Blu-ray scanning

As folks watch The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind on their Blu-ray ® players later this year, it may be interesting to know the images were created from 70-year-old separation camera negatives – as all prints and video copies have been since 1939.

George Eastman House has been the steward for these original camera negatives for decades and it is a testament to our preservation efforts – as well as Kodak’s quality film stock and the Technicolor ® process – that the original material is the best source for all future prints and copies.

These negatives are the actual film in the camera when the movie was shot, just feet away from Judy Garland and Clark Gable as they told the world, “There’s no place like home” and “Frankly, I don’t give a damn.” Well, we very much give a damn at Eastman House, as we care for some of the greatest film collections in the world, including the world’s largest collection of Technicolor ® films – which includes both The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind.

The camera negatives to these two classics recently have traveled from Eastman House in upstate New York to the Warner Bros. Studio on the west coast, so high-res scans can be made. Soon Judy and Scarlet will be back home in our climate-controlled nitrate vaults, enjoying a balmy 40-degrees, where films made before 1951 are stored (the earliest film in the collection dates to1894). And with optimal preservation care, these original camera negatives may be in as pristine condition they are today, for the 200^th anniversary of these films.

Preserving The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind

You May Also Enjoy:

More From Eastman House

Categories

Blogs We Like

Other