FotoKem completed the digital restoration of Hello, Dolly!, returning the 1969 film adaptation of the beloved musical, directed by Gene Kelly and starring Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau, to its original glory. Under the supervision of 20th Century Fox’s Barbara Crandall, the movie was remastered in 4K for the April 2 Blu-ray release. FotoKem also created a new 70mm print and a new 65mm intermediate positive (IP) for the studio for archival purposes.
“We’re honored to have played a part in Fox’s efforts to restore this classic musical to its original luster for a new generation to enjoy; and we’re proud of the expertise, high quality tools and custom solutions that distinguish our ongoing efforts to preserve cinema’s heritage,” FotoKem’s VP of large format and restoration services, Andrew Oran said.
FotoKem began the restoration process with the creation of a new 70mm answer print and 65mm IP, followed by an 8K scan of the new IP using FotoKem’s large format Imagica scanners. Those files were imported into FotoKem’s digital restoration pipeline at 4K, where cleanup of artifacts – such as dirt, gate hairs, scratches and flicker – was performed.
When restoration was complete, the entire film went through a final grading pass at FotoKem, performed at 4K by colorist Walter Volpatto working in tandem with film colorist Kristen Zimmermann. Performing print and digital color timing of Hello Dolly! in sequence allowed FotoKem to deliver a pristine 4K master that closely matched the projected 70mm version of the classic film.