[Released] Wallace & Gromit in "The Wrong Trousers" - Original Audio Preservation

[Dek Rollins]

This is something I made and put on OT, but I want to start participating on here more so I thought It'd be good to put my projects over here as well.

Ever since the early 2000s, every release of The Wrong Trousers has had several musical tracks replaced with generic royalty free alternatives, due to copyright issues that were never resolved. For this project, I've restored the original audio to this classic short film.

The specific audio clips that have been restored are as follows:

- The birthday card now plays the "Happy Birthday" song
- The montage of Gromit trying to sleep now plays "Happy Talk" and "How Much Is That Doggy In The Window"
- The next morning, Wallace now hums "How Much Is That Doggy In The Window" as he walks by Gromit
- The small television Gromit watches as he eats his cereal now plays the Open University theme

This is a 3.96 GB MKV that is now available on MEGA. It is HD, 25 fps.

Special thanks to alloneword on OT for the TV rip audio source, which was used for the whole short, with the logos and end credits theme sourced from DVD audio.

[Serums]

I've not seen this in years, but I must have seen it before the audio tracks were replaced. As I remember a lot of what you're describing.

Thanks for restoring the audio.

[spoRv]

Why not using LD audio? It should be better than meagre TV audio - or not?

[Dek Rollins]

I don't have access to LD audio. If someone here has captured it I could re-sync it.

[FrankT]

Sounds alright to me.

[lca96]

been looking for a original copy for years, thanks!

[JayfromOSW]

that is very cool!

I knew something was off (odd musical choices) but couldn't put my finger on it -- reading through this makes complete sense! Are the other Wallace and Gromit specials plagued by the same thing?

[FrankT]

If there was, I'd know; I've seen the originals on tape often enough to be sure of it.

[Hydra Spectre]

that is very cool!

I knew something was off (odd musical choices) but couldn't put my finger on it -- reading through this makes complete sense! Are the other Wallace and Gromit specials plagued by the same thing?

Thankfully, no.
The US Blu-rays even have the original mono (for A Grand Day Out) and Dolby Stereo (for A Close Shave) mixes available alongside new 5.1 remixes for the original trilogy.
The Wrong Trousers is the only exception, as it is the original Dolby Stereo mix but the copyrighted music is replaced from a newer mix.
A Matter of Load and Death was originally mixed in 5.1 so it has no issues and its 2.0 track is a downmix of the 5.1.

I would be happy if someone captures the LaserDisc audio to the original trilogy (or at least A Close Shave) and syncs it to the US Blu-ray versions.
The films played in 24fps in limited cinema showings and it is the original framerate, not 25fps, which is a PAL speedup effect.
The films had very limited showings in cinemas (mostly in film festivals) before their wide TV broadcast.

The Shaun the Sheep series and specials, however, was made in 25fps. Same goes for Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention and Cracking Contraptions.

[Lio]

HS -- are you sure that the original shorts were 24 and not 25 fps? Do you assume this only because they had limited theater showings (which were probably just to qualify them for the Academy Awards)? Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave were funded by the BBC ultimately for television broadcast; I don't think the animators would have filmed at a speed which virtually no audience in England would have used.

Listen to this track from a promo CD and you'll hear that it matches the PAL speed. It would be absurd for them to film at 24 and then send the composer a workprint sped up to 25.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zLi9tgnjRo