Franco's Don Quixote

blunted by community · Tue Dec 23, 2003 2:09 pm

sorry, i don't beleive any one but welles did the windmill shot that caught my eye.

that shot was done with a crane. by the time graver came on the scene, early 70s, welles couldn't afford to send graver and a crane to holland to get shots of a windmill. it just doesn't jive.

maybe i'm appreciating the craft of the great franco!

colwood · Post by **colwood** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 6:54 pm

To Sir Bygber Brown and others who may be interested,

Talking about the moviescreen scene that Dragan sent me got me thinking about uploading a file. Thing is, I am a complete novice regarding anything computer related. I probably know as much about computers as the average person would have 8 years ago. But anyway, downloaded a trial program that coverts dvd's into mpeg and avi files. Used it to covert the moviescreen scene to avi and uploaded it to the net for anyone interested in it.

Here's the things you should know. First, to get it you'll need the program hjsplit

http://www.freebyte.com/hjsplit/

and you'll also need access to yahoo groups. Go to

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tributetoorsonwelles/files/

The last two files on that files page are the movie, Welles...001 and Welles...002. Download both and rejoin them using hjsplit. I played the file using three programs. With Windows Media Player and RealPlayer, the files play fine but appear with a green hue. Using DivX, the files play fine but the screen is quite large.

I know the transfer is not perfect, but its something and better than nothing. I hope it comes out ok. Any problems, message me and I'll try it again.

Le Chiffre · Post by **Le Chiffre** » Sun Dec 28, 2003 3:20 pm

Mucho Kudos, Colwood, for putting this legendary scene online for us. Unfortunately, I was unable to make any of the software packages work, but I'd love to see the scene somehow. I'll contact your email about the possibility of some kind of trade package.

colwood · Post by **colwood** » Sun Dec 28, 2003 8:26 pm

mteal, sorry to hear it didn't work for you.

Try this, I took the whole file, zipped it with WinZip, and uploaded it to the same group. Download and unzip, it's in avi file format. Hopefully it should work. If not, you can email me at mrskins13@yahoo.com

Cole · Post by **Cole** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 11:31 am

The film clip works fine on my Windows Media Player. Thanks, Colwood. Mteal: if you’re having problems playing the clip, make sure you have the latest Divx codec installed on your computer. If you run a Google search on “Divx,” you should get to the right place where you can download the codec for free.

After reading Jeff’s review of the Don Quixote DVD, and Rosenbaum’s comments about the Franco version of the film, I’ve had no serious thoughts of ordering the DVD, but after reading some of the comments above, I’m wondering if I should maybe pick up the DVD. I’m thinking that it’s either see the Franco version now while I’m alive, or bank on the very slim chance that after I die I’ll have a post-life existence when I’ll finally get to see all these things I long to see but can’t during this lifetime: a complete Welles version of Don Quixote, the uncut version of The Magnificent Ambersons, passenger pigeons, ivory-billed woodpeckers, etc. So if anyone would like to add more comments regarding the Don Quixote DVD, or the Franco version generally, I’ll be very interested in reading them.

colwood · Post by **colwood** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 11:49 am

Cole, glad to hear it worked.

I just traded for copy of DQ. I wasn't sure I wanted to buy the DVD either. So when a trade was presented, I jumped. I've tried watching it 3x now. As Sir mentioned in the initial post, there are some good scenes here and there. But overall, I just haven't been able to get into it (unlike It's All True which I also didn't like initially but now quite enjoy). Just my opinion....

Le Chiffre · Post by **Le Chiffre** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 10:25 am

Well, I'm getting closer anyway. Now I can get numerous still images and brief flashes of movement (thanks for the divx recommendation, Cole). Enough to get some of the scene's essence. Some casual observations:

The scene features Patty McCormick, so this scene must have been part of Welles' original conception of the film. If he had made a later essay film from the footage - as he said was his intention - this scene would probably have not been part of it.

If memory serves me correctly, previous accounts of this scene indicated that Quixote was attacking the movie in order to save a damsel in distress that he saw on the screen. That's contradicted by this footage which shows some kind of Roman battle going on, with a figure on a cross (presumably Christ) in the middle of it. So Quixote seems to be attacking one of those tacky religious movies that Welles parodied in his play THE UNTHINKING LOBSTER, and which Pasolini would later parody in RoGoPaG, with Welles playing a film director.

The boys cheering from the balcony appear to throw their hats towards Quixote, as if he is a bullfighter slaying a bull. All part of Welles' surreal mix of references.

I probably shouldn't comment anymore untill I see the scene played properly, but even from the still images I've been able to pull up it looks like a fascinating and funny scene, and probably explains why Sancho finds Quixote in a cage later on.

What a shame Welles didn't bother to finish this film. Or did he? According to Audrey Stainton's article on the film, Mauro Bonnani said DON QUIXOTE was finished by Welles. What happened to that complete version? Also, according to at least one recent Welles book, DON QUIXOTE was financed by Frank Sinatra. I've always wondered what Sinatra thought of Welles' unsuccessful (?) struggle to complete the film...with his money.

colwood · Post by **colwood** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 12:50 pm

To anyone who has viewed the clip, my apologies for forgetting to mention the opening second on the clip shows the final page of end credits from another, unrelated Welles program (MF restoration of London).

These credits, mentioning the Munich Filmmuseum and Oja Kodar, have nothing to do with the DQ clip. Sorry....

Sir Bygber Brown · Post by **Sir Bygber Brown** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 10:08 pm

Damn it! Just got back from vacation and just missed out on movie theatre scene!

Thanx 4 putting it up Colwood. Its been too popular, though, maybe - b.c when i try to download it tells me "document is unavailable" because the group has exceeded its download limit. When does the download limit reset, do you think? When will it be available again, do you know?

colwood · Post by **colwood** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 12:19 am

Sir,

I'm surprised it reached its limit since there are only 72 members in that particular yahoo group. Anyhow yahoo groups usually reset their download counters every day and you should be able to download it Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

Sir Bygber Brown · Post by **Sir Bygber Brown** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 12:24 am

Great news, Colwood. Shall try on said days.

Sir Bygber Brown · Post by **Sir Bygber Brown** » Mon Feb 02, 2004 4:10 am

Got movie screen scene to work without a hitch.

What a fascinating scene. Couldn't help notice the prominant Jesus on the cross which appeared in the hole DQ had just slashed in the screen, and the little girl awfully fascinated by what Quixote was doing (unlike everyone else, who was running from the theatre) - as if she only understood the significance of it. Probably more fascinating than much of the stuff Franco decided to leave in his version of DQ.

Kubed · Post by **Kubed** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 11:33 pm

Does it have Orson's dubbed voices?

Or is it silent?

Sir Bygber Brown · Post by **Sir Bygber Brown** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 8:40 am

It has a complete soundtrack - but silent may have been a better solution. We recommend turning the sound off and waiting for a good image to come onscreen (believe me, they eventually do - i'm not talking Touch of Evil images here, but some okay stuff). Orson had not finished doing the voices (he was going to do both Quixote and Sancho and any voiceover, it seems), so you can hear Orson's voice every now and then, and some French actors who are only very slight approximations fill in the gaps. Its quite shoddy because the difference between Orson's voice and the French actors is quite marked. The French actors, from memory, would have been better off to dub the entire thing, or leave it all silent with subtitles maybe.

AndersE · Post by **AndersE** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 5:14 am

DVD Beaver has published a comparison between two DVD releases of Welles Don Quixote.
Both are the Jess Franco version.

Lots of screenshots. The page takes some time to load if you're on a dialup.

Click here to go to DVD Beaver

Anders