Frustrated about MUSICALS (1 Viewer)

[Joe Caps]

We fans of musicals are frustrated. DVD companies are releaseing a ton of war films in the next few months, what seems like a Hundred westerns and handful of musicals and even those aren't arriving when they should.
Thoroughly Moderm Millie gets announced yesterday, again, as a catalog title from Universal. All this time websites have been showing it, for months as a release the first week of March.
sweet Charity specs are finally announcec, but instead of 4.0 sound- which it shoudl be- we get a 2.0 mixdown- Crap!
Fans of Broadway musicals have been waiting forever for Parmount to release Lil Abner and Half a Sixpence. INstead we get a lot of psude musicals (flashdance, Sat Nite Fever etc) and ten - count em - ten- Elvis Presley ka kas.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Well, Joe, hopefully the success of CHICAGO will prompt the studios to release their musicals to dvd. It's taken a while, but I think the studios are finally realising that the Musical is still a popular form of entertainment. Let's just hope they give them decent releases.

 

[Jefferson]

Yes, I hope CHICAGO prompts more to be released.
I'm bewildered. These classics were staples of the VHS and LD catalogs. I have been constantly surprised at their neglected status in the dvd format. When some of the most famous titles are not released at all, or if, like the Fox Rodgers and Hammerstein titles...not anamorphic...I just have to wonder.

 

[Jeff_HR]

I'm not surprised at all by the lack of musicals. Look back at all the threads about the lack of catalog titles being released & then look at all of the "Latest & Not So Greatest" DVD releases of films that lasted 2 weeks in the theatre. The studios IMHO consider the musical to be a small niche category that probably will bring in little $$$$!

These classics were staples of the VHS and LD catalogs

Indeed they were. But unfortunately the thought processes in the heads of the persons who make decisions about which titles get released on DVD have changed for the worst since the days of Laserdiscs. I seriously doubt that some musicals available on LD & VHS will ever see the light of the DVD laser beam.

 

[Greg_M]

If "chiCago" wins best Picture it may give a boast to the film musical.

MGM/UA had been big on musicals (esp on Laserdisc) due to musical VP fan George Feltenstein (back when they owned the MGM library of musicals). George left and MGM lost the MGM library to Warner Bros. leaving them with United Artists titles (most have been released except "Man of La Mancha" which is currently on Broadway again) and still hasn't seen the light and issued a proper "Chity Chitty Bang Bang" (this Super Panavision film is only available in non-Super Panandscanavision.)

Warner Bros has released many musicals on DVD with "Fame" "Finian's Rainbow" and many of the Astaire/Rodgers films on the way (I would like to see "Damn Yankees, while others tell me they want "the Bandwagon" "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Meet Me in St. Louis")

Fox is planning to release more musicals when "chiCago" is released on DVD. They held back all musicals when "All That Jazz" was mixed in the promotion and won't release them until they can tie "All That Jazz" in with "Chicago". I doubt very much we'll see "State Fair" with Ann-Margret or "Call Me Madam" & "Star!" Though I have heard something about the Alice Faye films coming out.

Paramount is the only real hold out. They haven't released many and have some good ones in their library but no plans.
"L'il Abner", "Half a Sixpence", "Oh! What a Lovely War," "On a Clear Day" "Darling Lili", "Scrooge"
I heard the old Pres of HV hated musicals, but now that he's gone and "chiCago" is popular maybe we'll have a change for the better.


What's really frustrating is that the studios say musicals don't sell well, but then release them overseas (where the film musical was never as popular) But they don't release them in the states (All That Jazz, The Best Little Whorehouse, Hello, Dolly, A Chorus Line were all available overseas only now are SOME of then coming to the US :Whorehouse, Chorus Line)

 

[Randy A Salas]

George left and MGM lost the MGM library to Warner Bros

George Feltenstein is now the senior VP of classic catalog at Warner Home Video. He produced the King of Kings DVD that came out today.

 

[MatthewA]

What if Chicago had been a flop? Then we'd never see some of these musicals remastered or released for the first time.

I hate it when releases of some movies are joined at the hip to the success or failure of others.

 

[Jeff_HR]

I hate it when releases of some movies are joined at the hip to the success or failure of others

I've been posting comments in this forum for a long time lamenting the joining at the hip of "Chicago" & "All That Jazz". "All That Jazz" has been ready to go out the door for quite a while. And it would have been released last year if it had not been pulled from the release queue when the possibility of some additional extras came about. Those extras did not come about & ever since "All That Jazz" has been sitting in limbo. I decided that this policy by Fox was not in the best interests of this film's fans & myself. So, consequently, I purchased the R2 version & I have been telling any fan who is multi-regional that they should buy this version.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

George Feltenstein is now the senior VP of classic catalog at Warner Home Video.

Considering the excruciatingly slow pace of Warner releasing its classics to DVD, this has to be one of the easiest jobs in the world. Plenty of time for naps.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Considering the excruciatingly slow pace of Warner releasing its classics to DVD, this has to be one of the easiest jobs in the world. Plenty of time for naps.

Not if you think about the large amount of effort that goes into each classic release of theirs. With few exceptions, most of their classics have restorations, remixes, remastered transfers, featurettes, etc, etc.

Even smaller scale DVDs require a lot of work, so don't cut down efforts because of pace. Criterion doesn't release a classic every week because they have to spend more time on a release.

WB is releasing a DVD of The Jazz Singer with a full restoration, remastered Vitaphone sound, and plenty of extras. I'm sure Mr. Feltenstein has been yawning away this.

 

[Jefferson]

Yes, Mr. Feltenstein's CD, LD and DVD projects are first rate.

and yes, restoration takes time.
But let's face it, the classics do not seem to be a priority in the DVD format.
So far.

 

[Patrick McCart]

But let's face it, the classics do not seem to be a priority in the DVD format.

They may not be the priority, but most studios have put out excellent DVDs of classic cinema.

Kino, Criterion, Warner, and MGM have put out excellent classic DVDs. I don't have one classic DVD from them that I can say is horrible. Even Gone With The Wind and the first 2001 have mediocre transfers, but at least are OK efforts for 1997.

 

[AlanP]

"ON A CLEAR DAY" with all of it put back to it's original
form, that is what I want on DVD.
And Ann-Margaret, Bobby Darrin, and Pat Boone in the
remake of "STATE FAIR", gets lousy reviews but, I LOVE
IT !!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jefferson]

They may not be the priority, but most studios have put out excellent DVDs of classic cinema.

I agree, Patrick.
The quality of what we have is great.
But it is only a drop in the bucket...I'm still
staring at my LD and vhs collection and
thinking...well, by 2015.....I can clear out this shelf
So, call me still frustrated.

 

[Mark Booth]

Any rumors on Hello, Dolly!?? One of my favs!

Mark

 

[Greg_M]

Mark
I believe Hello Dolly is tied to the "ALl That Jazz" promotion. FOX has mention the title over two years ago, then "ATJ" got pushed back, then "Chicago" was going to open, then "Chicago" opened...then "Chicago" was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar...then "Chicago" may win....Fox released both titles overseas...But They are still waiting for the "Right" Window" in other word Don't hold your breath.

 

[Jeff_HR]

in other word Don't hold your breath

If you do, you will die. But seriously, only Fox knows for sure & I doubt that at times.

 

[PatrickL]

sweet Charity specs are finally announced, but instead of 4.0 sound- which it should be- we get a 2.0 mixdown- Crap!

I agree that seems very disappointing. You'd think that for a musical, it would be considered important to deliver the best possible soundtrack. Speaking of frustration, I've been watching carefully for reviews of this disc and haven't seen any yet...I wonder if it is still being released on Tuesday, or if it is also being postponed.

 

[Joe Caps]

It looks like ALL of the Universal musicals (except sweet Charity) are put off till end of may- beginning of June)

 

[BarryR]

I'll believe the world has changed when Universal releases KING OF JAZZ (1930)on DVD and WB does a DVD set consisting of SHOW OF SHOWS, ON WITH THE SHOW and other dawn of sound items. Laser had some extremely good early musical boxed sets; there are a ton of Vitaphone shorts that would make excellent sets too. Hey, add remastered Betty Boop to the mix and you'll have a real party.