How about a "Ronald Reagan Signature Collection"? (1 Viewer)

[Charles Ellis]

I noticed in the TV Shows section there's a thread on Death Valley Days, and that got me thinking. Considering his unique place in history, why hasn't Warner gotten started releasing the Warner Bros. films of Ronald Reagan on DVD? My idea for a Reagan DVD box set would include:

Kings Row
Knute Rockne, All-American
This Is The Army (the UCLA restored version)
Brother Rat
The Winning Team
and a new documentary on Reagan's Warner years.

Suggestions, please!

 

[george kaplan]

An alternative box set:

The Killers (1964)
Bedtime for Bonzo (1951)
Cattle Queen of Montana (1954)
Mr. Gardenia Jones (1942)
Shoot Yourself Some Golf (1942)
Girls on Probation (1938)
Tugboat Annie Sails Again (1940)
The Bad Man (1941)

 

[Patrick McCart]

I'd really like to see Knute Rockne, All-American after clips were shown on TV so much once Reagan died.

 

[Steve...O]

I almost wonder if one is already in the works. We know that "Storm Warning" is coming. Randy Salas has reported that "Kings Row" is being restored. Vincent Sherman "may" have recorded a commentary for "Hasty Heart". I've gotta believe Knute Rockne (although Reagan's part really isn't that big)is in the pipeline somewhere.

I would add:
Desperate Journey (could be part of Flynn #2)
Voice of the Turtle
Brother Rat & a Baby (not a bad sequel; pulls in the Eddie Albert fans also )

If a Dead End Kids box ever comes out,it would include "Angels Wash Their Faces" (with Ann Sheridan) and "Hell's Kitchen"

Hey, don't overlook George's suggested "Tugboat Annie Sails Again". It's got a great cast of Warner stalwarts (Alan Hale, Jane Wyman, Clarence Kolb, Charles Halton)

Steve

 

[Nick Eden]

Another vote for Voice Of The Turtle here.

 

[Robert Crawford]

His acting career doesn't warrant a documentary nor a box set for that matter. At best, he was a second echelon actor at Warners and there are more deserving actors who require such treatment before him.

 

[Charles Ellis]

Robert, didn't you see my previous posts when I had suggessted box sets for Natalie Wood and Clark Gable? If they aren't major stars, I'll eat my Yankees cap! I'm a Democrat who voted for Mondale, Dukakis, Clinton (twice!), Gore, and Kerry, and I still say that Mr. Reagan deserves a DVD set. Like it or not, this guy did get elected governor of California and President of the US, and for historical reasons a lot of movie fans would like to know about his formative years as a Warners contract player circa 1938-52.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This is not the place for any political discussion! Any further attempt to bring politics into this discussion will be dealt with accordingly. As far as his acting career, he simply doesn't deserve a box set.

 

[Charles Ellis]

To each his own. All I'm saying that there are those of us who would be interested in such a set, as the other posts prove. Some may agree, and some may disagree.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I never said I wouldn't be interested in having some of his films released on dvd. He has appeared in a number of films that I liked enough to buy on dvd. I'm still hoping that one day the following will appear on dvd, however, I don't think a box set is require for that to happen.

• Storm Warning
• Desperate Journey
• The Winning Team
• King's Row
• Knute Rockne All American

Crawdaddy

 

[Charles Ellis]

OK by me. BTW, I'm such a fan of Kings Row I got a copy of Henry Bellamann's 1940 novel a few months ago, and it's one of the best novels I have ever read. Highly recommended. I hope that someone does a remake, hopefully as a TV miniseries. There's a lot in the book that didn't make it into the film version due to the Hays Office: interracial love, homosexuality, incest, euthanasia. I've a sneaking suspicion that this novel inspired Grace Metalious to write Peyton Place fifteen years later!!

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

How about the Raoul Walsh film "Desperate Journey" with Reagan and Errol Flynn. It would be a neat idea if WB packaged it in a box set with some of the more entertaining WWII propaganda features like "All Through the Night", "Watch on the Rhine" and "Air Force".

Regards,

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm betting that "All Through the Night" is going to be part of a Bogart box and Watch on the Rhine in the second Davis box with Desperate Journey part of another Flynn box. However, I can see Warner doing a Hawks box with the following:

• The Big Sky
• Air Force
• Sergeant York
• Red River (restored)
• Corvette K-225
• The Crowd Roars(1932)/Indianapolis Speedway(1939)

EDIT: Unfortunately, I think Red River belongs to MGM/Sony through United Artists.

 

[Charles H]

KING'S ROW was a miniseries as pat of the old "Warner Brothers Presents" package back in the mid-fifties. Jack Kelly played Parris and Robert Horton played Drake. KINGS ROW alternated with CASABLANCA and CHEYENNE. CHEYENNE--the only one not represented by an actual movie antecendent--was the only one that succeeded. An abbreviated version of a "Casablanca" episode appeared on the CASABLANCA SE.

 

[Charles Ellis]

That wasn't a miniseries by the general description- e.g. Roots, Lonesome Dove, The Thorn Birds. That '55 version of was a regular series that alternated with others in a time slot, like NBC's Sunday Mystery Movie in the 70s with Columbo, McMillan & Wife, and McCloud.

 

[Steve...O]

In my opinion, a Reagan set and documentary is a great idea. He may not have had the star power of Cagney, Gable etc. but the fact is his movie career lasted over 2 decades (not all at Warners) and consisted of many fine films. That is no small achievement.

During his period at Warners his films were a facinating range from serious dramas, light comedies, westerns, fictionalized biographies, programmers, etc. His co-stars run the gamet of some of the all time greats (Davis, Bogart, Cagney, Rains, Flynn. Day) to other actors who still remain popular (Dead End Kids, Alan Hale, Patricia Neal, Dick Powell).

Reagan's Hollywood career also extended to his involvement with the Screen Actor's Guild which is quite interesting in itself.

Bottom line...his career is really as much a slice of Hollywood history as it is about his personal story. Those who are not interested in such a set need not buy it, but I think there is plenty of material available to warrant both a collection and a documentary.

Steve

 

[oscar_merkx]

To Charles Ellis

Is there any way I would be able to purchase the novel you are talking about ?

Very intrigued indeed

Oscar

 

[Charles Ellis]

Oscar- here's an Amazon link for the novel. This is the UK site:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...579782-9150203

and here's the US site to get the novel:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...188842-4411331

 

[Bert Greene]

Frankly, I'd love a box-set of Reagan's zippy little b-films, like "Accidents Will Happen," "Girls on Probation," and "Nine Lives are Not Enough." For the most part, I pretty much prefer those to his higher-budgeted, post-war films. Whatever the case, I think a Reagan set would be a nice idea. Although his lesser star status might not seem to merit a box-set ahead of certain others, Reagan's position in history itself should bump him up a few notches. I'd hope to see it somewhere down the pipeline.

 

[Kate*H]

I was surprised no one had released "Million Dollar Baby" with Regan and Priscilla Lane when the Swank movie of the same name came out. It sure would have confused some people into buying it, not knowing that they only thing those two movies had in common was the title. Besides, I'm always looking to add more Lane titles to my collection.