Might Disney Actually Pass Up the 60th Anniversary of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA? (1 Viewer)

[Randy Korstick]

The absence of their Live Action Films on Blu can be traced back to their removal from the Disney Channel many, many years ago. Disney made an evaluation that the younger generation are not interested in their older films since they are not interested in old films in general. The only exceptions are their animated films and films with significant animation in them like Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
I would love to see it on Blu and it is an important film in their catalog but they are looking at the bottom line. Baby Boomers and people in forums like this would make up the majority of sales and that puts it in the niche category. The only hope I see for their live action films is for them to be released as Disney Club exclusives. That makes them more of a low risk release for Disney similar to a Mod Program like Warner Archive.

 

[Konstantinos]

another option could be if a company like TT made a deal with Disney and saved these films from oblivion.
(as Intrada made a deal with Disney about soundtracks)

 

[Rob_Ray]

The absence of their Live Action Films on Blu can be traced back to their removal from the Disney Channel many, many years ago. Disney made an evaluation that the younger generation are not interested in their older films since they are not interested in old films in general. The only exceptions are their animated films and films with significant animation in them like Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

One makes the younger generation interested in older films by keeping them in high profile exposure. THE WIZARD OF OZ, THE SOUND OF MUSIC and THE TEN COMMANDMENTS are still relevant to younger viewers because those films have never gone away. Annual showings on broadcast television have helped them immeasurably. Meanwhile, two generations haven't a clue who Laurel and Hardy are because the owners of their films have ignored them.

 

[Ray H]

It wouldn't surprise me if Disney planned to tie the Blu-ray release in with David Fincher's big budget remake...only that project never got off the ground.

 

[John Hermes]

[*]Kirk Douglas' 1st (and only) on-screen singing* role.
[/list]


* Not 100% certain of this; research inconclusive; evidence mostly anecdotal.

He also has sings in Man Without A Star and The Last Sunset. 20,000 might have been his first song.

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

I would buy this in a heartbeat. SO glad I didn't get rid of my two-disc SE DVD. I seriously can't figure out why the hell this and THE BLACK HOLE aren't on Blu-Ray already.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I am shocked this film hasn't yet surfaced for Blu-ray release.

It's no secret that a major restoration was done some time ago.

 

[ROclockCK]

Yep. I don't know how anyone could think that 20,000 Leagues was Disney's first all live-action picture (excluding documentaries). It wasn't even the second.
1. Treasure Island
2. The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men
3. The Sword and the Rose
4. Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue
5. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Yeah, I don't even remember where I got that Mark.

Stricken from the record.

 

[ROclockCK]

Yes, there was an undersea sequence using animation. That deleted section is among the special features of the 2-disc DVD Special Edition.

However, he did retain at least one or two schools of superimposed animated fish...most notably, swimming in front of the large porthole when viewed from outside the ship.

 

[ROclockCK]

He also has sings in Man Without A Star and The Last Sunset. 20,000 might have been his first song.

Also stricken John. Although I admitted that I could not find any other biographical evidence of Kirk crooning. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Thomas T]

Also stricken John. Although I admitted that I could not find any other biographical evidence of Kirk crooning. Thanks for the clarification.

Kirk Douglas did an original musical for TV. He did a musical version of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde in 1973 with songs by Lionel Bart (OLIVER!)

 

[Dave B Ferris]

He also has sings in Man Without A Star and The Last Sunset. 20,000 might have been his first song.

John, I know you're a Westerns fan; you're input made me think of Jimmy Stewart (!) singing two songs in "Night Passage". I remember reading that if Anthony Mann had stayed with the film, the songs would not have stayed in the film.

 

[ROclockCK]

Kirk Douglas did an original musical for TV. He did a musical version of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde in 1973 with songs by Lionel Bart (OLIVER!)

Actually, I was aware of that one Thomas, but was simply thinking in terms of B-I-G screen during Douglas' *star* period. I suppose I should have added that to my notation.

My larger point stands though: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was, and still is, a significant milestone not only in terms of 'Scope era motion picture production, but also the future direction of the Disney company. IMO none of what followed, including the focus of the TV show, and even Mary Poppins, would have occurred quite the same way without Disney earning the kind of cross-over credibility in live-action that 20k delivered.

However, I still can't shake my suspicion that the primary reason Disney released a 50th Anniversary Blu-ray of Mary Poppins, while letting the rest of their live-action classics slide, was its deep cross-promotional hooks into Saving Mr. Banks. Without the latter film in release, would they have bothered with a Blu-ray before going 4k for DCP, and download/streaming? Of course, there's no parallel universe handy to test that theory, but Disney's home video release pattern strongly suggests that marketing drove that decision more than a desire to honour film history.

 

[RolandL]

This was an "E" ticket attraction at Disneyland and later Walt Disney World from 1959 to 1994.

 

[smithbrad]

This and Swiss Family Robinson would be high on my list for blu-ray releases. Is there any news or technical reason why Swiss Family Robinson has been held back? Has a new HD master been made of it as well? Or is it just considered to be like 20,000 Leagues and in the same situation, or even worse?

 

[Dick]

The absence of their Live Action Films on Blu can be traced back to their removal from the Disney Channel many, many years ago. Disney made an evaluation that the younger generation are not interested in their older films since they are not interested in old films in general.

Is there a source for this information, or is it speculation on your part?

 

[MatthewA]

This and Swiss Family Robinson would be high on my list for blu-ray releases. Is there any news or technical reason why Swiss Family Robinson has been held back? Has a new HD master been made of it as well? Or is it just considered to be like 20,000 Leagues and in the same situation, or even worse?

Swiss Family Robinson is on Netflix in HD in its OAR. So are Old Yeller, Escape to Witch Mountain and Honey I Shrunk the Kids as well as some non-Diamond animated features and cartoon compilations. If there are HD masters, there are sure to be Blu-rays eventually. Luckily, it seems the live-action titles don't get the over-DNR treatment the animated films get. It's the extras and alternate cuts that have tended to suffer lately.

When this film does come to Blu-ray, based on Disney's track record, I suggest you hold on to the Exclusive Archive Collection laserdisc and the Vault Disney DVD if you want all the extras.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Is there anything really stopping Disney from licensing out these sort of movies?

Yes. Disney.

 

[Worth]

Is there anything really stopping Disney from licensing out these sort of movies?

They have licenced out tiles in the past - The Black Hole, Something Wicked This Way Comes and a few others were released on DVD by Anchor Bay at one point.

 

[ROclockCK]

...actually, a lot of Disney live-action titles first saw DVD release via Anchor Bay, including Island at the Top of the World, The Happiest Millionaire (Roadshow cut), Candleshoe, Watcher in the Woods (2-Disc SE no less) The North Avenue Irregulars, The Castaway Cowboy, Never Cry Wolf, and Big Red, plus the Jack Couffer 'World of Disney' docs Nikki, Wild Dog of the North and The Legend of Lobo. That's just off the top; there might have been others...

Anchor Bay/Starz hasn't been as active with licensed studio product on Blu-ray as they once were with DVD. Probably they got burned too many times by the majors repatriating their titles for in-house release, thus might be reluctant to fan those flames again. But there is precedence for Disney licensing out their live-action catalogue...so I wouldn't rule that out ever happening again.