Fox Cinema Archives Debuts 18 New Classic Films on DVD starting March 18! (1 Viewer)

[Joel Arndt]

Matt since you get screeners from Fox, do you have any contacts who could tell you why they have never released such musicals as Tin Pan Alley, Centennial Summer, Sun Valley Serenade, the other unreleased 4 Betty Grable titles and the beautiful Technicolor 20's homage Margie ?

TT was supposed to release Centennial Summer in Blu-ray a couple of years ago, but the release has been held up due to rights issues. Would love to see all the titles you mentioned get proper releases.

 

[Matt Hough]

Matt since you get screeners from Fox, do you have any contacts who could tell you why they have never released such musicals as Tin Pan Alley, Centennial Summer, Sun Valley Serenade, the other unreleased 4 Betty Grable titles and the beautiful Technicolor 20's homage Margie ?

I wish I had that kind of a relationship with Fox, but sadly I don't. I'm just as curious about these missing musicals as you are.

 

[lionel59]

Here's the bad news re ON THE THRESHOLD OF SPACE courtesy of ClassicFlix:

Though the film was originally released in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, like most titles in this collection the film will be in a pan and scan presentation.

Thanks again for releasing an unwatchable version of a classic Fox movie, Fox Archives!

 

[classicmovieguy]

I wish I had that kind of a relationship with Fox, but sadly I don't. I'm just as curious about these missing musicals as you are.

"Centennial Summer" almost got released by Twilight Time - I think there are very strange rights issues with the book on which it's based.

 

[lionel59]

A great pity as this MEET ME IN ST LOUIS-inspired period musical has many virtues, including the final score by Jerome Kern. Fox have reportedly already restored the film- only poor quality pirate copies exist as far as I know- so it may look close to its original Technicolor presentation in 1946. The cast is also interesting, including a rare talkie appearance by Dorothy Gish and the talented Constance Bennett in an entertaining character role. Cornel Wilde was reunited with Linda Darnell one year later in FOREVER AMBER and had worked with Jeanne Crain one year earlier in LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN. Darnell and Crain worked together again in A LETTER TO THREE WIVES in 1949. All of the young leads- including William Eythe- have their singing dubbed by others, but effectively so. Eythe was being groomed as a new 'Tyrone Power' by Fox at the time, but for various reasons such was not to be. A pleasing performer nonetheless, who was also good in Preminger's A ROYAL SCANDAL. Let's hope Fox sorts out the legal issues.

 

[classicmovieguy]

There was a VHS rip of "Centennial Summer" on Youtube a while ago (taken, I think, from a Fox cable airing) but it's been taken down. The similarities to "Meet Me in St Louis" are very evident - Jeanne Crain has the Garland part in the story, it's quite certain. But it's a sheer delight. Kritzerland did reissue the soundtrack, though, which is a good sign.

 

[Robin9]

A great pity as this MEET ME IN ST LOUIS-inspired period musical has many virtues, including the final score by Jerome Kern. Fox have reportedly already restored the film- only poor quality pirate copies exist as far as I know- so it may look close to its original Technicolor presentation in 1946. The cast is also interesting, including a rare talkie appearance by Dorothy Gish and the talented Constance Bennett in an entertaining character role. Cornel Wilde was reunited with Linda Darnell one year later in FOREVER AMBER and had worked with Jeanne Crain one year earlier in LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN. Darnell and Crain worked together again in A LETTER TO THREE WIVES in 1949. All of the young leads- including William Eythe- have their singing dubbed by others, but effectively so. Eythe was being groomed as a new 'Tyrone Power' by Fox at the time, but for various reasons such was not to be. A pleasing performer nonetheless, who was also good in Preminger's A ROYAL SCANDAL. Let's hope Fox sorts out the legal issues.

Cornel Wilde and Linda Darnell also worked together in The Walls Of Jericho. Lionel, I take it for granted you have the Spanish DVD.

 

[Joel Arndt]

There was a VHS rip of "Centennial Summer" on Youtube a while ago (taken, I think, from a Fox cable airing) but it's been taken down. The similarities to "Meet Me in St Louis" are very evident - Jeanne Crain has the Garland part in the story, it's quite certain. But it's a sheer delight. Kritzerland did reissue the soundtrack, though, which is a good sign.

Byron, yes, Kritzerland released the soundtrack in conjunction with what was supposed to be the Blu-ray release of the film, so it's been out for a couple of years now. I own it and it's wonderful. Highly recommended and hope the rights issues for the film get sorted out soon.

 

[lionel59]

Yes Robin, I have the Spanish dvd of JERICHO. Great transfer. I also have the Kritzerland CD of CENTENNIAL. Good to at least have a studio-authorized copy of the Kern score. The bootlegs were dismal (on both LP and CD)

 

[GregoryMesh]

May 3 releases.

 

[JPCinema]

Hope against hope.....I wish they were in the Cinemascope aspect ratio

 

[Thomas T]

Hope against hope.....I wish they were in the Cinemascope aspect ratio

As do I but who would have expected the recent Blue Denim to have been a good looking 16x9 anamorphic transfer? So there's always hope. I have the Spanish DVD of The Gift Of Love which is non-anamorphic wide screen but if the MOD is 16x9, I'll bite.

 

[JoHud]

Yes, there's hope with these two. Cross your fingers!

 

[Bert Greene]

Good stuff, but I sort of wish Fox would dig a bit deeper in their library. This weekend I dragged out of my closet some old off-air VHS recordings I taped over 25 years ago, and re-watched some Fox oldies like "Zoo in Budapest," "Jimmy and Sally," "Six Hours to Live" and such. Been eons since I've viewed these things. I'd long hoped the archive line would have delved into some things like this, along with a few more helpings of Jane Withers and Jones Family comedies. Some of those early George O'Brien westerns would be great too. There's also a lot of those Sol Wurtzel B's from the mid-to-late 1940s that have always sounded intriguing. C'mon Fox, cheer me up.

 

[Jobla]

You never know with Fox. BLUE DENIM is excellent, but ON THE THRESHOLD OF SPACE is reportedly full-frame.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Here's the bad news re ON THE THRESHOLD OF SPACE courtesy of ClassicFlix:

Though the film was originally released in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, like most titles in this collection the film will be in a pan and scan presentation.

Thanks again for releasing an unwatchable version of a classic Fox movie, Fox Archives!

That's a shame, I'd have loved to have gotten it, but not panned and scanned.

 

[Matt Hough]

You never know with Fox. BLUE DENIM is excellent, but ON THE THRESHOLD OF SPACE is reportedly full-frame.

I'm getting a review copy of On the Threshold of Space, so I'll certainly know for sure in the coming days.

 

[classicmovieguy]

If the Spanish release of "Gift of Love" was non-anamorphic, chances are the MOD will simply use that same transfer. Hoping good things for "Prince of Players", though.

 

[Justin Ray]

According to classicflix.com Fox released both of these titles in a full screen format. AND the madness ensues...

 

[lionel59]

What an abomination! The CinemaScope logo presented on both covers (especially PRINCE OF PLAYERS) is tantamount to false advertising. The truly clueless Archives people fail to grasp that the niche market for films of this ilk are the cineastes who wish to view these films as they were originally photographed and presented in cinemas. The original reason for reformatting 'Scope movies to the Academy ratio (square TVs) has no validity in the 16:9 monitor era we have lived in for some years now. These masters were no doubt made decades ago for TV prints (and a possible VHS release).
PRINCE got the best reviews for a Fox CinemaScope movie up until the year of its production/release. Inexplicably, it also became the first Fox 'Scope film to lose money. This excellent Philip Dunne movie is held in high regard and boasts a landmark Bernard Herrmann score- let's hope Twilight Time can organize a blu ray release in the future as they did with APRIL LOVE. THE GIFT OF LOVE is a (lesser) remake of SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY starring Lauren Bacall, who reportedly "threw herself into work" in order to cope with the passing of Bogart. The youngster in the Maureen O'Hara version was more appealing than the 'tike' in Bacall's version, nonetheless it has a good score (and title song performed by Vic Damone) and its fans deserve at least a letterboxed transfer (The Fox Movie Channel used to screen it in LBX). Two more reasons from this company to save our money and lean to live with disappointment!