I've been working on these tracks in one form or other for quite a while now. I've just now had the time and tools to put everything together - hope it proves of use or at least interest to someone!
The original Planet of the Apes movie has had quite the convoluted history of soundtracks. Legend has it it initially received a 4-track stereo mix, which some claim to have heard on the film's original run, while others insist that only mono prints ever made it to theatres.
In any event, any original stereo mix is long gone and even that theatrical mono track is something of a rarity, since it was only used in home video releases for a very small window of time before Fox commissioned a stereo rework by Chace Audio (more on that in a moment). Here are the three tracks that make up my Blu-ray synced preservation project, starting with the way it was heard in theatres.
The original mono mix
![[Image: CcUKXts.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/CcUKXts.jpeg)
For my preservation of the theatrical mono, I used the non-CX analogue sound from the 1982 Japanese laserdisc FY515-26MA. It's not terribly high quality, with an overall harsh sound and occasional crackles and pops (none of which I have attempted to clean up). That said, it is clearly a different piece of work from anything released since, with the fantastic music well to the fore as opposed to buried under sound effects (and it's quite obvious now that the so-called original mono on the BD is nothing of the sort). If you want authentic, this is the way to go.
![[Image: 2c4SAxA.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/2c4SAxA.jpeg)
Update: Having finally had the chance to do a proper comparison of the French LD track from Falcon, I would now strongly support that version as the best choice for original mono! This disc was released on the French label PFC Video in 1993, with two digital mono tracks (French and English) presented side by side on the PCM channel. This rendition of the English mono has greater definition and dynamic range than the analogue discs (though not suspiciously so) and, predictably, less noise. I've also confirmed that the content is correct for the original mix, with the music as big and bold as it should be. Thanks Falcon!
The Chace stereo mix
![[Image: MrIaZv9.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/MrIaZv9.jpeg)
Chace's stereo mix was commissioned for the mid-80s VHS release and carried over to the 1990 Special Widescreen Edition laserdisc (1054-80, the belated first issue for this film in the US). While it's undoubtedly cleaner than the old analogue mono, its stereo steering (based on mono dialogue, sound effects and music elements) is forced and phony, and (as mentioned before) the score is frequently buried in the mix. I've captured and synced this track (in digital PCM) for posterity, though it's not really one I'd choose to listen to.
The 5.1 anniversary mix
![[Image: ISysLHk.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/ISysLHk.jpeg)
When the first DVD was released in 2000, the Chace mix was rechanneled to 5.1 and pretty clunky-sounding as a result. A few years later, a new disc was released for the 35th anniversary and a proper 5.1 mix was made from scratch. This mix is far more careful and respectful than the previous remix efforts, with excellent clarity and balance between the elements. The new 5.1 was presented in both Dolby Digital and DTS on the disc - I've losslessly resynced the DTS for this collection. If you want to hear this film in its best fidelity, this is my recommendation.
This timeline brings us to the Blu-ray that these tracks are intended for (the same disc that Fox have repeatedly reissued since its first release 16 years ago). Its DTS-HD master 5.1 is curiously flat compared with the 2003 mix (and clearly still from mono elements, including the music), and the included 'mono' track is most likely a fold-down of the elements prepared for the surround.
Now that I've excavated the first movie as far as currently possible, I'm keen to keep going with the four original sequels, whose sound stories are somewhat simpler than the original (though not without incident). More to follow!
The original Planet of the Apes movie has had quite the convoluted history of soundtracks. Legend has it it initially received a 4-track stereo mix, which some claim to have heard on the film's original run, while others insist that only mono prints ever made it to theatres.
In any event, any original stereo mix is long gone and even that theatrical mono track is something of a rarity, since it was only used in home video releases for a very small window of time before Fox commissioned a stereo rework by Chace Audio (more on that in a moment). Here are the three tracks that make up my Blu-ray synced preservation project, starting with the way it was heard in theatres.
The original mono mix
For my preservation of the theatrical mono, I used the non-CX analogue sound from the 1982 Japanese laserdisc FY515-26MA. It's not terribly high quality, with an overall harsh sound and occasional crackles and pops (none of which I have attempted to clean up). That said, it is clearly a different piece of work from anything released since, with the fantastic music well to the fore as opposed to buried under sound effects (and it's quite obvious now that the so-called original mono on the BD is nothing of the sort). If you want authentic, this is the way to go.
Update: Having finally had the chance to do a proper comparison of the French LD track from Falcon, I would now strongly support that version as the best choice for original mono! This disc was released on the French label PFC Video in 1993, with two digital mono tracks (French and English) presented side by side on the PCM channel. This rendition of the English mono has greater definition and dynamic range than the analogue discs (though not suspiciously so) and, predictably, less noise. I've also confirmed that the content is correct for the original mix, with the music as big and bold as it should be. Thanks Falcon!
The Chace stereo mix
Chace's stereo mix was commissioned for the mid-80s VHS release and carried over to the 1990 Special Widescreen Edition laserdisc (1054-80, the belated first issue for this film in the US). While it's undoubtedly cleaner than the old analogue mono, its stereo steering (based on mono dialogue, sound effects and music elements) is forced and phony, and (as mentioned before) the score is frequently buried in the mix. I've captured and synced this track (in digital PCM) for posterity, though it's not really one I'd choose to listen to.
The 5.1 anniversary mix
When the first DVD was released in 2000, the Chace mix was rechanneled to 5.1 and pretty clunky-sounding as a result. A few years later, a new disc was released for the 35th anniversary and a proper 5.1 mix was made from scratch. This mix is far more careful and respectful than the previous remix efforts, with excellent clarity and balance between the elements. The new 5.1 was presented in both Dolby Digital and DTS on the disc - I've losslessly resynced the DTS for this collection. If you want to hear this film in its best fidelity, this is my recommendation.
This timeline brings us to the Blu-ray that these tracks are intended for (the same disc that Fox have repeatedly reissued since its first release 16 years ago). Its DTS-HD master 5.1 is curiously flat compared with the 2003 mix (and clearly still from mono elements, including the music), and the included 'mono' track is most likely a fold-down of the elements prepared for the surround.
Now that I've excavated the first movie as far as currently possible, I'm keen to keep going with the four original sequels, whose sound stories are somewhat simpler than the original (though not without incident). More to follow!
