Joan Crawford's BERSERK (1 Viewer)

[bob kaplan]

While ago there was a bit of a burst of releases of several of Ms. Crawford's titles such as STRAIT JACKET from Columbia. With the release of her wonderful performance in TROG, from Waners, i was hoping that BERSERK might be finding its was to DVD. The LaserDisc from years back suffered a huge rot problem, and i would enjoy having this title available. Has anyone heard if there might be rights problems of just lack of interest?

 

[Dick]

This was one of the final attractions at the last old-time cinema in our city, and as such has a nostalgic value for me (although it was not at all a good movie), so I would be interested in having a dvd of it.

 

[Chuck Pennington]

I had the Laserdisc, but the transfer that has been showing on TCM is SO MUCH better! The Laserdisc source print was turning red. The only problem is it seems 2 reels of the version shown on TCM are out-of-sync. Both times I've caught it on there those same reels are out-of-sync. :-(

 

[Junior_V]

They should release these 5 in a box

Berserk
Thay All Kissed They Bride
Harriet Craig
Autum Leaves
The Story Of Esther Costello

 

[Chuck Pennington]

The version of THEY ALL KISSED THE BRIDE that TCM plays looks awful, and the sound is overmodulated and quite awful. HARRIET CRAIG, BERSEK and AUTUMN LEAVES look ready for DVD.

 

[Charles Ellis]

Beserk! may have been Crawford's penultimate film, but it was really her last role as a leading lady, adding classic Hollywood glamour to what was otherwise a "B" British ripoff of the better horror films made by Hammer. She dominates the screen here, and in that ringmaster outfit (designed by an uncredited Edith Head as a favor to Joan), she proves that she still had 'it'- even though she was over 60 at this point!

 

[Miguel M Santos]

BERSERK and HARRIET CRAIG are now available in R2 in Spain and soon in Portugal (costing a few more euros - must be the translator's fees for the text in the box). If the quality is similar to that of AUTUMN LEAVES it leaves a lot to be desired but it seems these are the only official releases of these films so far...

 

[Matt Hough]

More than any of those, I want FEMALE ON THE BEACH which Universal controls.

 

[Corey]

It was rumored that Sony is planning to release a double feature of Craig's Wife and Harriett Craig.

 

[Charles Ellis]

With Sony/MGM/UA being under Fox's video distribution, pehaps a boxed set of all of Joan's Columbia films (including the already-out Queen Bee and Strait-Jacket) is feasible, and Fox could add the previously released Daisy Kenyon and The Best of Everything to the mix. Also, there's The Caretakers which was a United Artists release.

 

[ahollis]

That would be some collection, except Fox does not control the Sony product, only the MGM catalog. It is very confusing in these days, but here it goes.

Sony along with Comcast and other investors purchased the assets of MGM in 2005 for about 5 billion. The idea was for the MGM catalog to be controlled by Sony. As with any forced family, problems appeared and in 2006 the other investors backed MGM to server its home video output ties with Sony. It appeared that they would make a deal with Warner Brothers, but at the last moment Fox came in and gave them a deal they could not refuse. It involved guaranteed payments and the agreement would last for five years.

Sony is still releasing its catalog titles. With the resurgence in interest from Sony understanding what a treasure they have, I would say that Berserk will appear sometime in the next couple of years. This is if we support their efforts between now and then.