Twice in the last week or so, TCM has shown academy-ratio films from the '30s with the tops and bottoms of the image chopped off to fit wide-screen TVs for its HD feed--including this evening's presentation of 1933's STATE FAIR, with Will Rogers. It was pretty much unwatchable (and not helped by the rather poor condition of the print). Unless ... could my cable provider being screwing with this?

There used to be someone on these boards who worked at TCM. Anyone remember who, and know if he's still around? I'd like to drop an email to someone at TCM in protest. This is just as bad as pan-and-scan.

That's odd, given all the posters on Dave Kehr's blog who were complaining about an increasing number of films shown full-frame on TCM HD recently, like HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (which had previously been aired matted).

I believe it was Lang Thompson who works/worked at TCM. You should be able to email him through Mobius.

I recorded TOWN WITHOUT PITY this morning, and, according to IMDb, it's 1.66, and TCM's airing was 1.33. This has been happening a lot lately.

When Jack Cardiff's INTENT TO KILL was on TCM recently, it opened with a card that apologized for the fact that TCM was running a pan & scan version because that was all that Fox had to offer.

Has TCM-HD ever gotten around to showing anything in true high definition, or are they approaching three full years of nothing but upconverts?

TCM HD is a pain in Canada. When they don't have the Canadian rights to a movie, another film is substituted...but only on the SD version. TCM's HD channel is simply blacked out for the duration.

Only the HD feed was affected on STATE FAIR last night--that is, it was shown full frame, not letterboxed, in the SD feed. But my cable service dropped the SD feed on its HD service, so I couldn't watch that on my widescreen TV. I did catch a bit on my old TV, where it was much easier on the eyes, despite the print's blemishes. At least everyone's heads weren't cropped off at the forehead. But I shouldn't have to change rooms to watch it that way.

UPDATE: Well, I know someone at CNN who has some contacts at TCM, and she's going to see what, if anything, she can find out. I'll report back if she's able to get any info.

Most of the time, this kind of thing has nothing to do with TCM- they prefer OAR on everything if available. If it's being shown 1.33 if a title is 1.66 or 1.85, usually it's because the licensor does not have a 1.66LB master. Such is the case with TOWN WITHOUT PITY.

The aspect ratio problem on the HD feed is a different issue entirely. They do not show anything in HD at this point, still upconverting the SD material to the best of my knowledge.

It appears that in order not to show movies windowboxed in that feed, they are globally blowing up the image so that the image fills the screen from left to right. It's all fine for movies 1.85 or wider. The added bandwith makes widescreen movies look a tad less compressed than the SD feed, but this appears to be ruinous to 1.33 movies, which have to be more than 50% of what they show.

If it's 1.33 switch to the SD feed and you're fine, but it sounds like some companies have done away with that feed which is bizarre.

My friend Deb at CNN bugged a couple of people at TCM and got this response:

Hey Deb,

Some folks checked it out and found proof that State Fair did indeed air incorrectly and they are pursuing it with the proper authorities.

Please thank your friend for their concern and assure them that these isolated incidences are unintentional mistakes and that TCM still prides itself on airing films in their original format, uncut and commercial free.

Thanks,

Jay

Update--Mobian Lang T. also confirmed w/ a TCM VP that the STATE FAIR reformatting was an error, not intentional.

But as it was the second time I saw this top-and-bottom cropping recently, it seems like a problem they need to keep an eye on.

I was indeed told that the State Fair broadcast was an error though from reading this thread it sounds like the HD feed has some issues that make these problems more likely. TCM goes to a lot of trouble to get OARs and in some cases as pointed out the licensor doesn't have it, the wrong tape is pulled to air, etc. (That's not even getting into the open question status of some films - correct ratio for Touch of Evil anyone?)

And fyi I was a regular freelancer at TCM from shortly after it went on air until about 3-4 years ago.

The cropping on STATE FAIR's opening credits was quite obvious, but less so once the feature started (or at least it was less distracting). I really enjoyed seeing the film for the first time.

There was an unexpectedly poignant line of dialogue that I loved, spoken on the airplane ride at the fair. Unfortunately I can't recall it. Anyone know what I'm talking about? I'll be on the lookout for TCM's make-good airing (should there be one) and keep a pen handy.

Unless the TV I saw it on had its adjustments screwed up (this wasn't at home, so I'm not 100% sure), TCM did the same thing--chopping top and bottom off to make fake widescreen--last week to the 1943 version of JANE EYRE.

This drives me crazy.