SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS (1961)

WORLD PREMIERE RESTORATION

Director Elia Kazan and cinematographer Boris Kaufman bathed William Inge’s tale of repressed teenaged passion in rich autumnal colors. Its deep palette suggests a fading small-town America on the verge of the Great Depression in this world premiere restoration. Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty star as high-school sweethearts whose hormones overtake their maturity. When their parents browbeat them into taking things slower, the strain wrecks their relationship and drives Wood into an asylum. Beatty’s first big screen appearance heralded the smoldering sexuality that would make him a star, but Wood is the true gem here. She was having trouble adjusting to adult roles until her Oscar-nominated performance for Best Actress propelled her onto a renewed path for stardom through the ‘60s. Inge won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, based on stories from his childhood in rural Kansas, and appears briefly as the town minister.

d. Elia Kazan, 124m, DCP

DCP courtesy of Warner Brothers Classics.

This new 2K restoration was sourced from 4K scans of the original camera negative. The tools of FilmLight Baselight were used to ensure the color matched the richness of the original theatrical release, and an archival 35mm answer print was also utilized for reference. The audio was mixed for theatrical exhibition at WB Post Production Sound.