Finally finished the loading (yes, slow connection) and this latest sample is awesome!
Not to take away from the dedicated and great work on all the preservations and restorations, but I never thought, "now that looks like the first-run pristine movie". It's always something -- tint, contrast, noise, something. Even when working off better quality "special editions" or Blu-ray, it still is off. It's George Lucas, even here, getting his way ..
"When Lucas is asked which version he hopes audiences will be watching 20 years from now, his candid reply is a bit Orwellian: 'There will only be one. ... The other versions will disappear. Even the 35 million tapes of Star Wars out there won't last more than 30 or 40 years. A hundred years from now, the only version of the movie that anyone will remember will be the DVD version [of the Special Edition]...' "
- American Cinematographer: Star Wars, The Special Edition - An Expanded Universe (page 4)
I'm happy to say your minimalist approach, not trying to "fix it" with a sledgehammer, really gives it that delicate "first run" look. (Take that, George!) 