Missing Musicals (1 Viewer)

[John Hodson]

A link to the NYT article is here.

The relevent bit says:

"SWINGTIME"

The very first Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical to bow on DVD is the one many regard as their finest, with a superb Jerome Kern score that includes the Oscar-winning "The Way You Look Tonight." It's one of several titles being newly issued in honor of director George Stevens' 100th birthday, including the long-awaited India adventure "Gunga Din" with Cary Grant, "I Remember Mama" with Irene Dunne, and two documentaries: "George Stevens: D-Day to Berlin" and "George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey" ($19.97 each; Dec. 7).

 

[Paul_Scott]

Swing Time works great as a Christmas/winter-time film.
i don't see any reason why it shouldn't be released this year- especially if (hopefully) it will be a 2 disc SE.
that's kind of a long shot i guess, but frankly, this is the only Fred & Ginger film i'm truly interested in,

although i would more than likely pick up Top Hat and Gay Divorcee somewhere down the line

so has it been confirmed that this is absolutely positively NOT coming out with the other Stevens films?

 

[Charles H]

It would be great to include A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (directed by George Stevens) with Astaire and Joan Fontaine. It was Astaire's only non-Ginger Rogers role in that period and includes a wonderful Gershwin score ("A Foggy Day...", "Nice Work if you can Get It"), Oscar winning choreography by Hermes Pan, and the best movie work by Burns and Allen who even perform a delightful "Fun House" number with Astaire.

 

[RobertSiegel]

Does anyone agree with me that the Hello Dolly! dvd was just fair? I am referring more to the soundtrack. It seems to me that if they went back to the soundtrack stems, they could do much better with this title. There's never even been a soundtrack album except for the one on Phillips which I think is from the album master, not the film master (the cd jacket says mastered from the original masters, but this version is different from the film, especially the first track). The incidental music in this movie is just great. It also seems to me that Fox took out some of the high end on the dvd, because there's a better high end on the ac-3 laserdisc. Anyone? I am also sure Fox might have some of the cut footage of Dolly, and also some great extras, why no special edition? They have never paid much attention to this movie, and regardless of general opinion, it is a very classy looking and well produced musical.

Another musical that could use remastering, picture and sound, is Doctor Dolittle (original). This is an awful transfer.

Finally, I wish the musical HEADIN' FOR BROADWAY would be released (never even been on VHS). This was a story of small town actors heading for Broadway and auditioning.....the movie totally bombed but I found some good entertainment value in it , especially the music. Rex Smith starred, it was made in 1980 and I am not sure it even played theatres, I recorded it off cable in the early 80's and my tape is in such bad shape!

I heard a rumuor that a studio is looking into the rights for MISS SAIGON, now THAT would be an awesome film!

 

[Greg_M]

I am also sure Fox might have some of the cut footage of Dolly

What cut footage are you talking about?

 

[RobertSiegel]

Well, there was a song filmed but that was never put in called MOTHERHOOD, which is in the broadway version. The Streisand biography says this was filmed and cut near release, much to Streisand's dismay....also there were 2 or 3 scenes cut, about 15 minutes worth.

 

[Erik_H]

FYI: three of the missing musicals mentioned in this thread are currently being shown on HD Net: the Streisand "A Star Is Born" (which I believe is scheduled for DVD release this fall), "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" and "Lost Horizon." The transfers were impressive, particularly "Lost Horizon" --- sharp, vivid colors and few blemishes on the print. The latter has one of the odder video histories for a major Hollywood release from the 70s: released on laser but as far as I know, never released on VHS. HD Net is promoting each of these films as "Not Available on DVD."

 

[Joe Caps]

Which version of Lost Horizon - is this the laser version that was stereo and had the three missing songs?

 

[AlanP]

WHere is "FLOWER DRUM SONG" ?????????????????????????

 

[Erik_H]

I am not completely sure which version of "Lost Horizon" is being aired on HD Net. I remember a song called "If I Go Back" (or something to that effect) performed by Peter Finch from either the original theatrical release or the LP; didn't notice it here. Running time was approx. 2 hours and 20 minutes, if that's any help. The musical numbers appeared to be presented in stereo.

 

[Greg_M]

Looking over this post a year later many titles asked for came out:

Easter Parade
The Bandwagon
Finian's Rainbow
Bells are Ringing
Damn Yankees
Li'l Abner
On a Clear Day
My Sister Eileen
7 Brides for 7 Brothers
That's Entertainment
That's Entertainment II
That's Entertainment III
Jumbo
Love Me or Leave Me
R&H Cinderella

And coming in the early fall:
A Star is Born (1976)
Anything Goes (1956)
Darling Lili
Top Hat
Swing Time
Shall We Dance Follow the Fleet
Barkleys of Broadway
(and the rest of the Astaire/Rogers films in 2006)
Tom Sawyer (1973 Sherman Brothers)
Red Garters
Chicago Special Edition
Wizard of OZ (yet again)

There many have been a few I left out. But all in all it was a pretty good year for musicals on DVD.

Rumored but not yet confirmed:

Lost Horizon

Flower Drum Song (someone at Universal mentioned they were looking at the print for a possible Dec release. If Universal was smart they would release the DVD when FOX re-issues "The Sound of Music/Oklahoma/State Fair" later this year)

Oh! What a Lovely War - many sources

Goodbye Mr. Chips (1969) (From the Warner Chat)

The Boy Friend (from the Warner Chat)

 

[Richard M S]

I agree Greg, I have not even watched all of the musicals they isssued this year. Thus far it has been a very good year for DVD releases of classic film musicals, and for me it will rise to excellent if that long-rumored Esther Williams DVD box set ever comes out.

 

[Brent Avery]

Just dusted off my P&S version of the Flower Drum Song on laserdisc - at least the stereo soundtrack was a treat but I sure get bugged everytime the Universal logo at the beginning is framed in the widescreen OAR and then cuts to that wonderful full frame letdown. Sure would be nice to see it released in the near future on dvd.

 

[DeeF]

HDNet has also been showing a High-Def transfer of The King and I, though it has been cropped to 16:9 (after the initial credit sequence).

I believe that Lost Horizon is the entire movie as it was originally presented. There are some cut songs which appeared on the LP soundtrack, but not in the movie, and not in the HDNet version.

 

[DeeF]

I think I've made a mistake. I did see Lost Horizon in its original theatrical run, when I was 15, but I didn't see it in New York for the roadshow run.

According to IMDB:



The version currently showing on HD-Net does not include these songs, so it is edited version.

 

[Joe Caps]

The grapevine is telling me we may get both versions of Oklahoma (Todd AO and Cinemascope) but still only the 1945 State Fair -n What is Foxs problem with the remake?
Also, Fox has a BIG surprise musical release in 2006.

 

[AlanP]

Well what is the SURPRISE ?????????
BERNADINE ???

 

[Paul Linfesty]

What roadshow run?

 

[DeeF]

All I meant, Paul, is that obviously the movie opened with some material which was later excised. I saw Lost Horizon in New Jersey some weeks after its premiere, and none of those songs was in it.

I wonder what Joe Caps is hinting at? Though we already have it on DVD, I sure would like a better version of Gigi.

 

[Joe Caps]

I would also like a Gigi with surrounds (this could be done on a remix as Turner recently did with Brigadoon, Love Me or Leave Me etc) and with a long documentary on how the films was put together. This would be fascinating.
Would also like a better Kismet. this recently showed up on TCM with better sound than the laser disc version.
I think Turner has two outtakes from this film - a long introduction to the song Rhahadlakum that was cut from the movie. and at least part of the number Rhymes Have I

I have also been hearing rumors about an Esther williams Box set. Two items I would like to see included.
1. Pagan love Song - Turner has quite a few fimed outtakes they could include.

1. Jupiters Darling - this was on laser in not very good color but with a wonderful outtake - I Had a Dream - sung by George Sanders. I would love to see these two films on dvd.