Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

[Wisp of Smoke]

So meanwhile, at the WB ranch:

It's time to finally release the Cinemascope (and standard widescreen) versions of SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS. Warner Brothers in 2003 felt, just as they did with iconic film "2001", that the audio could be improved on. Fidelity is now a tick better, but superior to the original mix? Ehhh ... no.

Directional dialog is now less or occasionally absent when compared to the original mix.  And with WB working from stems again, mistakes can and did happen.  

Not my Youtube production, but illustrates the issue perfectly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFceUSsi3GA


Shocking, right?  But at least WB included the original 4.0 mix, like all Fox bluray releases?  Ehhh .... no.

[captainsolo]

I did some digging as I'm not a musicals fan but had no idea they did simultaneous shoots on early Scope films in flat ratio. I had heard they did some with alternate never used Academy versions such as BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK.
The final super rare LD and the DVD SE and the new WAC BD have the 1.85 alternate version and here's some technical notes about how they restored it in 1996 with a new stereo track: https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s417brides.html

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Seven-Brid...06/#Review
The new release is done from a newly discovered IP scanned at 2K and timed against IB prints.

For a fixed audio release you have three options it seems:
First the oldest digital release, the first letterboxed LD should have the original mix untouched as 2ch Dolby surround
https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/02118/ML1...n-Brothers

The rare final LD with ac3:
https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/00280/650...n-Brothers

And the 2000 DVD which likely uses the LD ac3.