|
|
sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
First, the good news – this 3-disc DVD set is probably the best version of the “Magic Ranch” program that you will ever see. The DVD format permits all of the 19 episodes to be indexed, so that you can quickly go to a particular performer or trick. And being on DVD, the material should be fairly well preserved for many years if stored and cared for properly.
As a historical record, the DVD’s are very valuable, providing actual live performance footage of Don Alan, Al Flosso, Jack Gwynne, Jay Marshall, Carroll Fox, Senator Crandall and other greats. Most of the effects are true classics (Miser’s Dream, Stack of Quarters, Chop Cup, Rising Cards, Cut & Restored Rope, Linking Rings, etc.). While you may or may not always agree with the patter or presentation used, it’s always instructive to watch the handling, which in most cases is impeccable. Unfortunately, there is often little to no audience reaction, probably because there was little to no studio audience (this wasn’t NBC or CBS, folks!), and that probably hampered the performers to some degree. Don also had a “junior magician” on each show, often a teenager or even younger child. Once again, these performances are instructive because 1) most of us remember doing the same tricks in the same way, with what I call “pitter-patter”, and 2) they are often good examples of what NOT to do. However, Don did deserve kudos for showcasing and encouraging younger magical talent. What a thrill it must have been for those kids to be performing live on television! Of course, it’s also quite interesting to watch Don Alan go through his paces. He very literally had his spectators right on top of him (and in some cases behind him), yet he still managed to do his sleights and make his loads without a hitch, and he was quite comfortable performing right under their noses. He had a “conversational” style that seemed to put everyone at ease, and he is obviously a polished performer, moving very smoothly through his routines. Now the bad news: these segments are almost fifty years old, and unfortunately they really show their age. Many of the early segments appear to be kinescopes (made by pointing a 35mm camera at a video monitor and filming the picture, a very primitive technique that degrades and distorts the image). Some of the later segments are in color and may have been shot directly on 35mm film, which was a big improvement. However, the source material has apparently been copied one or more times over the years, and was also possibly transferred from film to video at one point (a station logo appears in the lower right-hand corner of most segments, and there is an annoying continuous buzz on the soundtrack of several segments on the first DVD disc that was either part of the source material, or was subsequently introduced in the transfer process and could not be removed.) The kinescoping and/or the subsequent copying/video transfers of the original masters naturally results in a loss of contrast and some blurring of the image. Additionally, the prints used to make the DVD master were somewhat worn and contained various scratches and splices, all of which were automatically transferred to the DVD as well. Although much of this damage could have been digitally repaired, such restoration work is very expensive and time-consuming. This would have materially increased the retail cost of the package, which was already a bit on the high side, in my opinion, given the uneven visual quality of the material. Of course, it’s easy to criticize the image quality of “Magic Ranch” in the present age of progressive scan DVD players and hi-def video, when we are accustomed to seeing visual perfection. But bear in mind that when these programs were created and shot, it was just another local television program, and no one (with the exception of Jay Marshall, who kept copies) realized that magic history was being made. These broadcasts were preserved using the standard technology of that time, at a time when many local TV broadcasts weren’t preserved at all, mostly for economic reasons. So we probably should be grateful for what we have. My only other gripe is the sound quality on the introduction. It sounds as though the Eugene Burger interview was conducted in a barrel, and there is really no excuse for such poor audio quality with today’s technology. But of course the real star of this package is Don Alan, and there is plenty of him to watch and to learn from. If you can put up with the less-than-good visual quality and want to learn from the masters, then this set is worth looking into. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts |
Excellent review. Thank you Seth!!
|
sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
Thanks! In retrospect, maybe I should have discussed the content a bit more, but I felt that it pretty much speaks for itself.
I mainly wanted to make sure folks understood that the visual quality would not always be up to today's standards. I'm sure Todd Karr did the best he could with what he had in remastering these materials for DVD, and I am glad that they are once again generally available. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
Review King Eternal Order 14446 Posts |
I'm am having so much fun watching these. Don's close-up work is a lesson in audience management. On one segment he did his lump of caol routine. Well, the gal he does it for is very "analytical". She could have easily disrupted the timing of a performer. Not Don. He doesn't miss a beat and makes her have a BIG smile at the end.
This set is a must have for any serious student of magic, ro a Don Alan nut like me. I didn't mind the older look of the set. I didn't have a color TV until 1975, so I'm used to black and white!
"Of all words of tongue and pen,
the saddest are, "It might have been" ..........John Greenleaf Whittier |
nondescriptpedestrian New user 1 Post |
Just wondering if anyone can tell me about a magician named Ralph Peirce who was a guest magician on Don Alan's show. I believe this is the man I grew up calling "Uncle." He was a very close friend of our family and he consulted for the movie "Houdini" starring Tony Curtis. I would love to know if it is him on this TV show. I found his name under a Don Alan bio earlier today and didn't know that he had been a part of it! If anyone has any info, that would be fantastic! Thanks!
|
MagicOzzy Regular user Michigan 118 Posts |
I agree with the above review, you would think with the money being spent $100 it is worth the effort to have these re-mastered in anyway possible. Even for the preserving aspect alone. Don't material is great, and it was almost distracting at times to watch.
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Dvd, Video tape, Audio tape & Compact discs. » » Review -- Don Alan's "Magic Ranch" DVD set (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.03 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |