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50 years ago today....or yesterday...


fieldmixer

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Peter Bull, who played the Russian Ambassador, writes in one of his autobiographical books about the original final scene, in which all the planes are turned back and a massive food-fight ensues, turning the war room into an unholy mess. (Check out the tables full of food off to one side.) Kubrick had a change of heart and required the ending to be re-shot as it now stands, which necessitated a major clean-up of the set.

And of course, when Reagan became POTUS, he was devastated to find that there was no war room in the White House.

A brilliant movie and one of my favourites.

John

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I lived in an area of the U.K. that served as a base for the V-Bombers that formed part of our nuclear defences, hence we were a primary target and had regular air-raid drills during the early years of the 1960s and the film society at my secondary school produced a short film charmingly entitled "Four Minutes To Die" which didn't exactly give me restful nights.

On the subject of Strangelove, I read somewhere that there was extensive use of wireless mics for much of this movie. This must have been pretty rare in the 1960s, I would imagine. Anyone have further knowledge?

John

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On the subject of Strangelove, I read somewhere that there was extensive use of wireless mics for much of this movie. This must have been pretty rare in the 1960s, I would imagine. Anyone have further knowledge?

I don't think this is the case. In the early 60's there were very few choices for wireless mic sets. I think someone is confusing the story, which is true, that Kubrick used wireless mics exclusively on Clockwork Orange. Kubrick did employ a technique which many of us have used, having an open "air mic" to mix in with the rather un-natural, zero-perspective lavs. The majority of Clockwork Orange was recorded this way on an early 2-track Nagra, providing the means to mix the air mic in with the lavs in post. Someone else may be able to fine-tune this history beyond what I have said.

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For those that would want to visit or revisit this timeless masterpiece, and several others, this box set is absolutely fantastic. Also makes a great gift.

At a great price point too. Paid quite a bit more that this.

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Kubrick-Visionary-Filmmaker-Collection/dp/B00GGAK0FS/ref=pd_cp_mov_2

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For those that would want to visit or revisit this timeless masterpiece, and several others, this box set is absolutely fantastic. Also makes a great gift.

At a great price point too. Paid quite a bit more that this.

http://www.amazon.com/Visionary-Filmmaker-Collection-Blu-ray-Stanley/dp/B004MW57KA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1391322171&sr=8-7&keywords=stanley+kubrick+box

 

That looks like a great set, but ironically, it doesn't include Dr. Strangelove.

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Ah, that explains things. Thank you for pointing that out. As a matter of interest, which microphones did you use?

Best wishes,

John

Just a point of clarification, body mics don't always mean radio mics... We use to hard wired lavs a lot in the old days and it worked well. I have no idea about what system was used on Dr Strangelove.

CrewC

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That looks like a great set, but ironically, it doesn't include Dr. Strangelove.

 

The Special edition version of the collection that John mentioned does contain Strangelove and some Strangelove-specific extras, but it's out of print. The Essential Collection version, still available on DVD at least, looks like it has all Stragelovliness too:

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Kubrick-The-Essential-Collection/dp/B004O724M2

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Upon closer inspection they are different but disappointingly similar. u3e7avy4.jpg

Looks like there previously existed a "limited edition collection". As opposed to the

"visionary filmmaker collection"...

uty3a2uh.jpg

I was fooled. My bad. I found some available here. Still worth it IMO.

http://www.amazon.ca/Stanley-Kubrick-Collection-Spartacus-Strangelove/dp/B004VDL7ZE/ref=pd_cp_d_0/180-7479470-2254846

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RCA BK6b's,  Shure 571s, and there was an EV dynamic lav I can't recall the name of, all used hardwired, even for walking shots (cable taped to actor's shoe, they dragged the cable with a helper keeping them from getting tangled.  That was SOP even into the mid 1970s.  We considered the Sony ECM50PS way bad high tech when it arrived--so much better sounding, so much higher gain (esp for ultra crappy mic pres in Shure M67 mixers or 3/4" porto VCRs) and so much easier to hide.  But the actors still had to drag cables....

 

philp

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Great Phil!!

 

Well 50 years ago I worked for a live sound company in very central London

 

West End musicals and big fashion shows were our living

 

I used a very simple radio mike rented from Jennings Musical Industries (maybe the VOX company)

 

Used it at the Albert Hall at the Daily Mirror 50th bash

 

Transmitter level set too hi and the house manager complained about distortion - early days!!!

 

We used the first Audio Ltd VHF radio mikes on musicals with Fostex lavalier (round the neck) mikes

 

Our mainstay were SM57's then we moved on to AKG C60's

 

Great days in Soho in the swinging 60's!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

mike

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Wow John well spotted

 

I was at Stage-Sound from late 1964 to 1966 when I moved to ATV Network

 

ATV had developed it's own radio mikes that were the envy of the local film community

compact re-chargeble transmitters but the receivers were the size of a microwave oven

and complete with a huge VHF ground plane aerial.

 

Geoff Blundell  at Audio Ltd developed a VHF radio mic introduced in 1965

initially used for theatre work and it's first outing for film work and was

alleged to be used for Kubrick's 2001 to overcome mike cables breaking on a

revolving set!

It was an excellent R/F design with no compansion

These mike were adopted by Joe (?) at the London Palladium and I owned

3 channels when I first went free-lance in 1978.

 

So I have worked with radio mikes for 49 now!

 

Mike

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Wow John well spotted

 

I was at Stage-Sound from late 1964 to 1966 when I moved to ATV Network

 

ATV had developed it's own radio mikes that were the envy of the local film community

compact re-chargeble transmitters but the receivers were the size of a microwave oven

and complete with a huge VHF ground plane aerial.

 

Geoff Blundell  at Audio Ltd developed a VHF radio mic introduced in 1965

initially used for theatre work and it's first outing for film work and was

alleged to be used for Kubrick's 2001 to overcome mike cables breaking on a

revolving set!

It was an excellent R/F design with no compansion

These mike were adopted by Joe (?) at the London Palladium and I owned

3 channels when I first went free-lance in 1978.

 

So I have worked with radio mikes for 49 now!

 

Mike

Whoa--pix of these things, please!

 

philp

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