Cecil B. DeMille Collection on the 23rd of May (1 Viewer)

[dana martin]

From DVDActive

Title: Cecil B. DeMille Collection
Starring: N/A (Various)
Released: 23rd May 2006
SRP: $59.98

Further Details:
Universal Home Video has sent over some details on a new five-disc Cecil B. DeMille Collection which includes Sign of the Cross, Four Frightened People, Cleopatra, The Crusades and Union Pacific. Each of the films will be presented in 1.33:1 full frame, along with English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono tracks. English, French and Spanish subtitles will also be provided. We have no word on extra material at this time. You'll be able to own this one from the 23rd May, priced at around $59.98 or thereabouts. Stay tuned for the art.

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releas...ollection.html

It actually looks as if someone at Universal is finally starting to take their classics serious, just the titles announced in the last week or so. Thank god they didn't bastardize this with DVD-18, and if the box is done right this could be a great buy.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm all over this boxset.





Crawdaddy

 

[dana martin]

Robert, do you know who's in charge of Universal classic department, it seems as if they are trying to compete with WB, and that could be a really great thing if they do it right.

 

[Richard M S]

Awesome news! I love how they are including an obscure (to me anyway) title like Four Frightened People with 4 classic films. I would think it is likely they included the uncut PRE-CODE Sign of the Cross.

 

[Paul_Scott]

i kind of figured that the only way i would be able to get Cleopatra is if it were released on some kind of legacy or franchise set. Its presence on a Colbert set would have been nice, as there are a few other of her films that Universal owns that are also high priorities for me (Midnight, So Proudly We Hail), but i'm not at all surprised to see it show up on a DeMille collection.
Cleo '34 is one of the very last movies i have kicking around on a laserdisc, and it will be great to finally replace it.

of course, This being Universal my enthusiasm is tempered by experience with faulty product from them, including the Lugosi set and numerous TV titles.


still, this is great news. i hope they keep the Paramount classics coming all year.


WHOA i just read the whole release and didn't realize that the specs were 5 discs @ $59.98.
what happened to them cramming 5 films on a 3 sides of two discs and offering it for $26 MSRP?
not excited about the price, but i'll tell ya, if that cuts down on quality issues, i'm going to be more satisfied than not.
i guess we are looking at something like the WC Fields and Marx Brothers and(to a lesser extent) the Hitchcock sets.

$12 a film (msrp) i don't have a big problem with.
hopefully we'll be able to snag it for ~$35 retail.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

GREAT NEWS! I am very excited about the 1934 "Cleopatra"!!

Andy

 

[Robert Crawford]

I don't know who's in charge at Universal, but I don't think they're anywhere near the level of how Warner releases its classic films. I'm hoping this dvd has some extras, but I seriously doubt it. It would be nice if they can use that DeMille documentary that TCM did about him back in 2004. Also, even though my dvd player doesn't have a problem playing their DVD-18, it would be nice if they're addressing that issue for the consumers that are having those problems.

I think many of you will enjoy the western "Union Pacific" even with it being 135 minutes.






Crawdaddy

 

[John Hodson]

I know I certainly will; it's been on my DVD wishlist for some years now.

 

[Joe Caps]

Its exactly because of films like the uncensored Sign of the Cross, that censorship came in. The original version has to be seen to be believed.
I think because of this film that Claudette Colbert got her nose job. A few years ago, I saw an old Paramount musical with Claudette and her nose is biggr than Durantes in that film !!

Now Paramount, where is DeMilles Samson and delilah ???

 

[dana martin]

Yes that would be nice, but i don't think we will see it, on the Hitchcock set we only got a small snip-it of that AFI Salute, on the Marx, Brothers, the extras could have fit as a supplement to one of the their disc, and of course it was all stuff from parent company NBC. Don't know how they would work that, does TCM Parent company WB own that Doc?
I wasn't stating that they are near as good with there classics as WB, but in the last week or so it looks as if they are trying; just that they are finally getting around to it, no DVD 18 is a start, but a quality product that has been restored, and some effort put in to it does make this something that i am looking forward to!

 

[Charles H]

Of the DeMille films owned by Universal/MCA, REAP THE WILD WIND and THE PLAINSMAN are available on DVD. That leaves the Glorious-Technicolored NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE, THE STORY OF DR. WASSELL, UNCONQUERED, and one fascinating DeMille b-&-w film from 1933 DeMille THIS DAY AND AGE with a memorable conclusion in which a bunch of college students exercise vigillante justice by dangling gangster Charles Bickford over a rat-pit.

 

[CameronMcC]

this is great news....i don't understand the desicion making process between which sets get multiple disc and which ones get crammed onto dvd-18

 

[dana martin]

So the question is why isn't Universal putting all of these together and releasing it, or is it going to be a volume 1 & 2 thing? see how the first sales, the add the two disc already released with the others Joe maybe we can look forward to that after the triple dip of Ten Commandments???

 

[Amy Mormino]

This looks like a great collection! I doubt there will be much extras, but keep in mind that WB's connection with Turner Classic Movies gives them access to a ton of material in the form of documentaries that the other studios just can't match up to.

I hadn't heard of Four Frightened People before, but apparently it is an adventure with Claudette Colbert as a prim lady finding love in the jungle. What classic film lover can resist that?

 

[dana martin]

So what do you think the chances of seeing the uncensored version of Sign of the Cross, and it seems that all three collaboration with DeMille and Colbert is on here so that explains what is missing from the Glamor Collection.

While i understand that TCM has connections, for WB's disc, there are other places as well, UCLA, for one, NBC should have some kind footage, or an interview or audio, for some extras. Then there is always hope that they are willing to put effort into a project like this (fingers crossed). Has anyone heard of a Documentary on Colbert? that could go with this as well.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Even if extras are low, Universal has done an extraordinary job with their film presentations. The a/v on their Hitchcock, Marx, and Fields sets is spectacular (for the most part, of course ).

 

[dana martin]

Checked over at Silent Era, that DeMille Documentary was done by Brownlow's PhotoPlay so actually Universal could get that if that are willing. And agreed great jobs on the Hitchcock and Marx sets minus any real extras, but i sort of expected that. But it would be nice to see them go after this one.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Excellent news (coming from the *joke* worst studio).

I'm not sure if Universal still owns them but I'd like to see DeMille's three versions of THE SQUAW MAN released at some point. I'm going to guess the first two would be public domain but the 1931 version should be held by someone.

With the 10C. already announced this going to be a great year for DeMille fans.

 

[Charles H]

THE SQUAW MAN (1931) is owned by MGM. It is a subtle, character-driven film, very atypical for DeMille and quite good. MGM also owns the surrealistic musical MADAME SATAN and the almost equally bizarre DYNAMITE. These would be a shoo-in for a TCM Archives and they certainly merit commentaries, if only as an example of the genre-hybrids of the transitional silent-to-sound period. They are also pre-code (MADAM SATAN was brought out on VHS as part of the "Forbidden Hollywood" series.)
NBC produced a 90-minute documentary back in 1963 (THE WORLD'S GREATEST SHOWMAN: THE LEGEND OF CECIL B. DEMILLE). It featured appearances by many of his stars (Betty Hutton, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, James Stewart).

 

[TomWoodward]

The artwork is up now

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