Samuel Goldwyn Films Library Discussion Thread. (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS LIBRARY:

THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO
ARROWSMITH
THE AWAKENING*
BALL OF FIRE
BARBARY COAST
BELOVED ENEMY
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
THE BISHOP’S WIFE
BULLDOG DRUMMOND
COME AND GET IT
CONDEMNED
THE COWBOY AND THE LADY
CYNARA
CYTHEREA*
DARK ANGEL*
DEAD END
THE DEVIL DANCER*
THE DEVIL TO PAY!
DODSWORTH
EDGE OF DOOM
ENCHANTMENT
THE GOLDWYN FOLLIES
GUYS AND DOLLS
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
HIS SUPREME MOMENT*
IN HOLLYWOOD WITH POTASH & PERLMUTTER*
I WANT YOU
THE KID FROM BROOKLYN
THE KID FROM SPAIN
KID MILLIONS
THE LITTLE FOXES
THE MAGIC FLAME*
THE MASQUERADER
MY FOOLISH HEART
NANA
THE NIGHT OF LOVE*
ONE HEAVENLY NIGHT
OUR VERY OWN
PALMY DAYS
PARTNERS AGAIN, WITH POTASH & PERLMUTTER*
POTASH AND PERLMUTTER*
THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES
THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE
RAFFLES
RAFFLES (1930)
THE REAL GLORY
THE RESCUE*
ROMAN SCANDALS
ROSEANNA MCCOY
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
SECRETS
A SONG IS BORN
SPLENDOR
STELLA DALLAS
STELLA DALLAS (1925)*
STRIKE ME PINK
TARNISH*
THESE THREE
THEY GOT ME COVERED
THEY SHALL HAVE MUSIC
A THIEF IN PARADISE*
THIS IS HEAVEN*
TWO LOVERS
THE UNHOLY GARDEN
UP IN ARMS
WE LIVE AGAIN
THE WEDDING NIGHT
THE WESTERNER
WHOOPEE!
THE WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH*
WOMAN CHASES MAN
WONDER MAN
WUTHERING HEIGHTS

 

[Capt D McMars]

I was fortunate to get to see this a few Christmases ago (pre-Covid) at the local Alamo Drafthouse theater and the print was immaculate, no missing parts, and though it must’ve been about my tenth viewing overall, it had the greater impact as is so often found when classics are made available for a publicly shared experience. Everyone left the auditorium in a state of warm bliss. With its stellar pedigree, I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be a decent seller for a remastered Blu-ray or even 4K.
With the errors noted on the Blu-ray, I pull out the DVD now for holiday viewing until such time, fingers crossed, they see fit to restore the missing bits.

It seems we all have those titles that we yearn to add to our collections, but as we have seen here so often, it all comes down to two main factors...time and available materials!! Seeing as the studios are also coming out from almost 3 years of infighting and takeovers, adding to the limited to no forward movement in the restoration depts. is a major issue for them.
If you've ever witnessed a major log jam on a large river, it can give you a visual as to the whos and the whys of what's happening ( or not happening) with the studios. They are picking up speed, as we all can see, with hopes of a stronger 2023.

Secondly, is the availablility of as close to OCN s possible matrials in order to assemble a decent hd file for production. I perfect example is Gunga Din, WAC is tring thier hardest to track down the best elelments (both film and audio) but are still laking many that would bring this title into production. So it's a wait and see situation...in the meantime other titles are stacking up!! Kudos to Mr F and the crew at WAC for all that they Do accomplish. If it wasn't for advocates like Mr F behind WAC the disc market would be lesser for it!!

For all the "himing and hawing" that collectors do, me included, we are so greatful for what IS being accomplished. For many, the physical format may be on lifesupport yet, to US we still treasure the joy of unsealing our new found titles, releasing them from their cellophane wrappers, to phisically hold them in our hands and drop them into our players...sit back, turn on our home theaters and grab our Popcorn and smile!!!!!

 

[Nick*Z]

Much of the Goldwyn library is deserving of better than what it's been dealt in the past. The Bishop's Wife is only one such treasure, left lackluster currently on Blu-ray. Wuthering Heights? Wonder Man? The Secret Life of Walter Mitty? Topo kata, topo kata, topo kata! And so on and so forth to those of you who don't speak Danny Kaye.

The Best Years of Our Lives looks fairly atrocious on Blu. I'm not certain if there are any better 'viable' elements to strike a better master. To date, WAC has only given love to Dodsworth - and very much appreciated indeed.

In a perfect world we'd already have The Kid from Brooklyn and Ball of Fire on Blu. And (pregnant pause) Porgy and Bess.

 

[RobertMG]

Much of the Goldwyn library is deserving of better than what it's been dealt in the past. The Bishop's Wife is only one such treasure, left lackluster currently on Blu-ray. Wuthering Heights? Wonder Man? The Secret Life of Walter Mitty? Topo kata, topo kata, topo kata! And so on and so forth to those of you who don't speak Danny Kaye.

The Best Years of Our Lives looks fairly atrocious on Blu. I'm not certain if there are any better 'viable' elements to strike a better master. To date, WAC has only given love to Dodsworth - and very much appreciated indeed.

In a perfect world we'd already have The Kid from Brooklyn and Ball of Fire on Blu. And (pregnant pause) Porgy and Bess.

Goldwyn was a genius he micro managed his films - his friendship with William S Paley was ruined when CBS bought the films for TV first and were airing them at 2am etc they could not convince Goldwyn Paley did not make those decisions - now today his films are really treated like orphans thankfully TCM shows them all the time got the great Kaye set from WB Archive when it was pressed I contacted TCM and I just emailed the National Archives to track down Brit censor notes

 

[uncledougie]

Much of the Goldwyn library is deserving of better than what it's been dealt in the past. The Bishop's Wife is only one such treasure, left lackluster currently on Blu-ray. Wuthering Heights? Wonder Man? The Secret Life of Walter Mitty? Topo kata, topo kata, topo kata! And so on and so forth to those of you who don't speak Danny Kaye.

The Best Years of Our Lives looks fairly atrocious on Blu. I'm not certain if there are any better 'viable' elements to strike a better master. To date, WAC has only given love to Dodsworth - and very much appreciated indeed.

In a perfect world we'd already have The Kid from Brooklyn and Ball of Fire on Blu. And (pregnant pause) Porgy and Bess.

I have never replaced the DVD of The Best Years of Our Lives because from what I discerned, it wasn’t much of an upgrade on the available Blu-ray. For such an esteemed multi Oscar winner, it’s a shame nothing has been seen of a remastering effort. Dodsworth is an exceptional film, glad to see it was done righr with the latest release. Ball of Fire is a top tier screwball comedy with the incomparable Barbara Stanwyck, a genial turn by Gary Cooper and the fabulous supporting cast. (It’s sitting now on the DVR from a recent TCM showing.) I would love the opportunity to experience Porgy and Bess again. I believe it was my first exposure to a Sidney Poitier film (at age 7), and was quite impactful. Like most Goldwyn produced films, it was a first rate effort. I’m in for any newly remastered release of The Bishop’s Wife, of course, but other Goldwyn productions as well.

 

[JoeDoakes]

I think there’s an issue with the Goldwyn owners. I’m not sure they have the resources to devote to their library. I think many of their great titles haven’t gotten the releases we would love to see. Wuthering Heights. Some of the technicolor Bob Hope and Danny Kaye films of the 40s. My guess is that is the root of the problem with Bishops Wife.

 

[RobertMG]

Did not know there was a competition to have a Royal Command Performance of course we know The Bishop's Wife won!
View attachment 166776

Also it seems the CLASSIC Goldwyn library is now with the Academy

The Goldwyn Company was founded in 1979 by Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. It combined his motion picture production corporation with a library of classic American films owned by the original Samuel Goldwyn Productions Company founded by Goldwyn Jr.'s father. In 2012, the Goldwyn Company decided to unify the holdings of some 55 titles from various labs and storage facilities by relocating them to the Academy Film Archive. The over 350 materials received by the Archive from the Samuel Goldwyn Jr. Family Trust are a combination of 16mm and 35mm, and consists predominantly of duplicate negatives (both complete and incomplete) of feature films and trailers. Titles in the collection were produced between 1929 and 1955 by Samuel Goldwyn (Sr.) and include “The Best Years of our Lives” (1946), “Up in Arms” (1944), and “Wuthering Heights” (1939).

 

[RobertMG]

Also it seems the CLASSIC Goldwyn library is now with the Academy

The Goldwyn Company was founded in 1979 by Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. It combined his motion picture production corporation with a library of classic American films owned by the original Samuel Goldwyn Productions Company founded by Goldwyn Jr.'s father. In 2012, the Goldwyn Company decided to unify the holdings of some 55 titles from various labs and storage facilities by relocating them to the Academy Film Archive. The over 350 materials received by the Archive from the Samuel Goldwyn Jr. Family Trust are a combination of 16mm and 35mm, and consists predominantly of duplicate negatives (both complete and incomplete) of feature films and trailers. Titles in the collection were produced between 1929 and 1955 by Samuel Goldwyn (Sr.) and include “The Best Years of our Lives” (1946), “Up in Arms” (1944), and “Wuthering Heights” (1939).

MUST SEE THIS BOB HOPE ON CARSON TALKING ABOUT THE COMMAND PERFORMANCE

 

[mark brown]

Is Porgy and Bess in the collection?

 

[RobertMG]

Is Porgy and Bess in the collection?

Seems no it ends at 1955 Wish the Gershwin estate would release it one time But The Bishops Wife is in there 1948

 

[RobertMG]

I think there’s an issue with the Goldwyn owners. I’m not sure they have the resources to devote to their library. I think many of their great titles haven’t gotten the releases we would love to see. Wuthering Heights. Some of the technicolor Bob Hope and Danny Kaye films of the 40s. My guess is that is the root of the problem with Bishops Wife.

The Family gave the film negs to the Academy meaning we will not see better on The Bishop's Wife until a studio accesses them to upgrade the blu ray and as Mr C and Mr E had said no one knows if WBs deal with Goldwyn is still in effect. Thankfully their is a master that has been on Laser and DVD and is used on TCM seems it is the master in use for decades