Astaire / Rogers Collection Vol. 1 coming from Warner in August (1 Viewer)

[Haggai]

Reading the MSRP tea-leaves, if it's $59.92, that might suggest that Top Hat and Swing Time will both be 2-disc SEs. The Broadway to Hollywood box had that same price for 5 movies, with 2-disc SEs for Band Wagon and Easter Parade. The noir box sets are $49.92 for 5 single-disc titles.

 

[glen_esq]

I've seen all 10 of Fred and Ginger's films, I'm very happy with this set, 5 of their 6 films I really like. If it were a box set of 6 which included the Gay Divorcee it would have been perfect.

If they release a set of their other 5 titles, I won't be buying it.

 

[John Hodson]

Full details and gorgeous artwork at DVD Times here - no 2-discers there...

Warner Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of Astaire & Rogers: The Signature Collection Volume 1 for 16th August 2005. You'll Love The Way Fred and Ginger Look Tonight in the 5-film, 5-Disc Astaire and Rogers Collection Volume One, including the highly acclaimed Top Hat and Swing Time.

All five films will be available separately priced at $19.97 SRP each or as part of the signature collection box set, priced at $59.92 SRP. We're still waiting on the final press release but do have early details and artwork for each and every film...

Shall We Dance - To keep musical-comedy star Linda Keene from retiring to marry, her manager Arthur Mille, suggests to the press that she's already married to Petrov, the ballet dancer. The two ultimately decide to marry so that they can have very public divorce and clear the air, but true love blossoms between them.

Features include:
Commentary by Kevin Cole and Hugh Martin
They Can't Take That Away from Me: The Music of Shall We Dance featurette
Musical Short Sheik to Sheik and Classic Cartoon Toy Town Hall

Swing Time - It's Swing Time anytime Fred and Ginger slip on their dancing shoes. Here, Fred's a gambler with a fiancée back home...but one look at Ginger and all bets are off! He pursues, she resists, and it's all tied together by a series of breathtaking dances.

Features include:
Commentary by John Mueller, Author of Astaire Dancing
The Swing of Things: Swing Time Step by Step featurette
Musical Short Hotel a la Swing and Classic Cartoon Bingo Crosbyana

Top Hat - Perhaps the best remembered of the 10 Astaire/Rogers musicals, Top Hat has it all: Art Deco elegance, a wonderfully addled storyline, loopy support from skilled farceurs and the incomparable chemistry of the two leads cheek-to-cheeking to Irving Berlin's finest film score.

Features include:
Commentary by Fred Astaire's Daughter Ava Astaire McKenzie and Film Dance Historian Larry Billman
On Top: Inside the Success of Top Hat featurette
Comedy Short Watch the Birdie with Bob Hope, Classic Cartoon Page Miss Glory

Follow the Fleet - In the fifth of 10 Astaire/Rogers pairings, Fred trades his top hat for a sailor's cap, Randolph Scott gets the girl (pre-Nelson Harriet Hilliard), Ginger gets a tap solo and viewers get the unending delight of seven sparkling Irving Berlin numbers, including Let Yourself Go, We Saw the Sea, the Duo's zany I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket skit and their sublimely powerful Let's Face the Music and Dance.

Features include:
Follow the Fleet: The Origins of Those Dancing Feet featurette
Musical Short Melody Master: Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra and Classic Cartoon Let It Be Me

The Barkleys of Broadway - The last Astaire/Rogers movie, about a show-biz team divided by career ambitions, is also the duo's only color film.

Features include:
Reunited at MGM: Astaire and Rogers Together featurette
Vintage Short Annie Was a Wonder and Classic Droopy Cartoon Wags to Riches

 

[Haggai]

Sweet! Looks great. I guess the featurettes + shorts are what bumps the price up a bit over the noir collections, which have commentaries but no other extras. Still a brilliant bargain either way.

 

[Jing_B]

God Bless you guys at WB!!! I will definetely pick up Top Hat and Swing Time but not the boxset since it's going to be much more expensive than buying only the two very bests.

 

[Bradley-E]

As much as I love the Paramount catalogue titles it is too bad they did not do more with their titles and create boxes like this. Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, Bing Crosby, Kirk Douglas, Charlton Heston, 50's and 60's Sci Fi, Film Noir, Cecil B.Demille, Lewis & Martin, Shirley MacLaine, Paul Newman etc. Include trailers, newreels, interviews. It is a shame because they have a great classic library. I guess it is not too late for some of these, but they do such wonderful transfers it is too bad they do not do the Warner type collector's sets.

 

[Brandon Conway]

No it isn't.

The prices above are the exact same as the recently released Errol Flynn box set.

Right now, at amazon.com a few weeks after release, you can buy two titles from the Flynn box set for $30.96, or you can buy the entire box for $41.94. It's a great value. $11 more for 3 more films, films that some day you may rent to check out - at $4 a piece, which is $1 more than just picking up the box.

I know some may need to be more frugal than others (I haven't bought a ton of DVDs recently for the very same reason), but I can't see the $11 difference as being "much more" expensive. "Slightly more" is what it is.

 

[John Hodson]

I agree; they do indeed produce consistently good transfers, and they more often than not they include restored mono soundtracks where applicable - they could be right up there couldn't they with just a smidgeon more effort.

 

[Brandon Conway]

In all honestly, the Universal sets bug me more because of the lack of individual cases for the different film titles than for a lack of bonus material. I just want my films on my racks in alphabetical order, not in sets by actor. :p)

 

[BrianHass]

I've been awaiting this announcement for awhile now. I'm thrilled. I was also surprised that Top Hat and Swing Time were in the same box set. Thought they would spread them out so the 2nd release would look as attractive as the first. I agree, with Warners box set prices it is a no-brainer to just purchase the set. Although that has meant a whole lot of purchases lately from Warner. (But I'm certainly not complaining) Warner has reinvigorated my love for classic movies immensely. It's been a great journey. Keep them coming Warner and I'll keep buying.
Film Noir Set 2
The Thin Man box
Coming: Gansters Set 2

 

[DaveK]

Out of curiosity...
What's in Gangsters Set 2?

 

[Robert Crawford]

Your guess is as good as mine, since, this boxset isn't coming out until 2006.





Crawdaddy

 

[Marc^H]

How strange Warners putting the 3 greatest Astaire/Rogers titles together in one box--"Top Hat," "Swing Time" & "Follow the Fleet"-- (I'm certainly not complaining!).

The "Swing Time" commentary is from the Criterion laser, and it is excellent.

"Shall We Dance" is funny and glamorous as all get-out, but it's also very gimmicky (ballet, roller skates) and strangely short on romantic dance numbers (for instance, no dance for "They Cant take That Away From Me"!).

"Barkleys of Broadway", their "reunion" film, is harmless but utterly forgettable.

I'm just as anxious for what's in Volume 2:

"Roberta" is a delight: for me, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is their most romantic number--at one point Fred rests Ginger's head on his shoulder while they're dancing. Great song, great number.

"The Gay Divorcee" is so divorced from reality, existing as it does in an alternate art deco universe, it almost qualifies as science fiction. Ditto "Flying Down to Rio."

This whole series is re-watchable in the worst way. I've been addicted to their charms for ages.

OK....bring on the Busby Berkeley box set!

 

[rich_d]

Marc,

I'm with you. I'm quite surprised that those three titles made it to the same boxset. So I'm a very happy camper.

I also really enjoy the art deco staging of many of Astaire's films.

 

[Doug Bull]

I will certainly purchase this set as I will set 2 when it becomes available.

Hopefully Warners will also do a Fred Astaire set that should include all, or most of the following,

Yolanda and the Thief
Three Little Words
The Belle of New York ( please, please )
Damsel in Distress
Dancing Lady
Ziegfeld Follies
and Royal Wedding

 

[Jing_B]

Ok I know what most of you think but which is better buy the boxset or buy just the two best movies "Top Hat" and "Swing Time"?

 

[DaveK]

Doug....
I would leave Ziegfeld Follies out and place it in a boxset which I would title The MGM Star Parade.

This ideal boxset of mine would include
Thousands Cheer (1943)
Broadway Rhythm (1944)
Ziegfeld Follies (1946)
Till The Clouds Roll By (1946)
Words and Music (1948)
Deep In My Heart (1954)

I also propose these movies get the Ultra Resolution treatment by Warners.

 

[Thomas T]

For Mr. B,

For the true Astaire & Rogers afficianado, gotta get the box set. For the Astaire & Rogers dilettantes, the two movies should suffice. It all depends on which side you weigh in on.

 

[Charles H]

BAND WAGON included trailers in their Astaire gallery for THREE LITTLE WORDS and ZIEGFELD FOLLIES that were in outstanding condition. An anticipation of dvds to come (and shortly)?

 

[FrankXS]

All hail Warner !!!
All of the Astaire/Rogers titles are wonderful just because of the two stars. Remember Astaire was the greatest but Rogers did it also but backwards.
When do we see Kitty Foyle/Tom, Dick and Harry and Bachelor Mother