The Abbott & Costello Complete Universal Pictures Sets: Could A Blu-Ray Version Be Next? (1 Viewer)

[3D Projectionist]

The last I heard, the master was at the replication facility...

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I wonder if this new disc will contain the out takes of A&C Meet Frankenstein?

It would be nice to see the two Cinecolor films Jack and the beanstalk + Captain Kidd restored on a Blu-Ray in my lifetime. These have been neglected for far to long and a good release is way overdue.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I wonder if this new disc will contain the out takes of A&C Meet Frankenstein?

It would be nice to see the two Cinecolor films Jack and the beanstalk + Captain Kidd restored on a Blu-Ray in my lifetime. These have been neglected for far to long and a good release is way overdue.

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (1952) is technically on Blu-ray, although I have strong doubts regarding there being any significant restoration involved. I just saw it the other day on Amazon UK. I'd love for both of the boys Cinecolor films to get proper restoration for Blu-ray!

CHEERS!

 

[3D Projectionist]

Tony cant see any sign of it.

I personally wouldn't want the precious Cinecolor Bi-pack film look to be over corrected loosing the magic of that color system, these two films would certainly need loving hands during any resto process.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

SuperCinecolor (and regular Cinecolor) does have a pleasing look to it. I restored Bela Lugosi's SCARED TO DEATH and A&C's JACK AND THE BEANSTALK about 20 years ago from excellent 35mm elements. The Lugosi film was nitrate and looked amazing. They were released on laser disc by Image Entertainment and my standard def transfers have been widely bootlegged. (The same happened with AFRICA SCREAMS.)

Here are some frames from INVADERS FROM MARS in SuperCinecolor.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Warner Archive did release a pretty nice looking Abbott and Costello meet Captain Kidd on DVD. It was cleaned up and remastered.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Bob I still have the Laserdisc you did of Africa Screams and Jack and the Beanstalk. I still think they look better than the various bootleg DVD's although the ones released by Roan are pretty close.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

The Roan releases were copied from my masters, without credit!

 

[battlebeast]

Is BATTLE OF THE CENTURY in this set?

 

[Randy Korstick]

The Roan releases were copied from my masters, without credit!

I figured as much and always sad to hear when this happens.

 

[Gary16]

Bob I still have the Laserdisc you did of Africa Screams and Jack and the Beanstalk. I still think they look better than the various bootleg DVD's although the ones released by Roan are pretty close.

I have them too.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Is BATTLE OF THE CENTURY in this set?

Don't even get me started on this Laurel & Hardy title, the near complete version of which, is stuck in a special sort of home video release rights hell!

 

[battlebeast]

Don't even get me started on this Laurel & Hardy title, the near complete version of which, is stuck in a special sort of home video release rights hell!

Dang. Sorry Tom, I won't mention it again.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Don't even get me started on this Laurel & Hardy title, the near complete version of which, is stuck in a special sort of home video release rights hell!

Dang. Sorry Tom, I won't mention it again.

Oh, it's all right. It's just the ridiculous rights issue entanglements that prevent what in my opinion should be a roll out the red carpet home video release of wonderful discoveries such as this that frustrate me to no end! It really sucks to be stuck with the same 9.5 minute reconstructed version of THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY (1927) knowing that ALL of Reel 2 exists, fully restored on a digital 2K scan, no less!

No hard feelings, friend!

CHEERS!

 

[Tony Bensley]

Duplicate post

 

[battlebeast]

Duplicate post

Is there somewhere you know of that I might read up on this film, and it's rights issue?

 

[Tony Bensley]

Getting back to Abbott & Costello, there has been some speculation regarding the UK Universal standalone Blu-ray disc releases of The Mummy titles, as to whether or not they used the same 4K restoration transfers as the Legacy Blu-ray sets.

As a definitive answer has been too long in forthcoming to my liking, I decided to do a little investigating of my own. Thanks to the previous home video issue history of ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY (1955), along with what I found within its UK release liner notes, I believe that I can state the same 4K restorations are being used for the UK Universal standalones!

What did I find on the back liner notes? That the aspect ratio is 1.85:1. No previous release used a widescreen aspect for this film!

Further clarification and confirmation would be greatly appreciated, but I believe that I can say with 99% confidence that Universal used the same 4K restorations for their individual Blu-ray discs as with the UK and US Legacy Blu-ray sets!

CHEERS!

 

[Gary16]

Getting back to Abbott & Costello, there has been some speculation regarding the UK Universal standalone Blu-ray disc releases of The Mummy titles, as to whether or not they used the same 4K restoration transfers as the Legacy Blu-ray sets.

As a definitive answer has been too long in forthcoming to my liking, I decided to do a little investigating of my own. Thanks to the previous home video issue history of ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY (1955), along with what I found within its UK release liner notes, I believe that I can state the same 4K restorations are being used for the UK Universal standalones!

What did I find on the back liner notes? That the aspect ratio is 1.85:1. No previous release used a widescreen aspect for this film!

Further clarification and confirmation would be greatly appreciated, but I believe that I can say with 99% confidence that Universal used the same 4K restorations for their individual Blu-ray discs as with the UK and US Legacy Blu-ray sets!

CHEERS!

You can thank Bob Furmanek for that.

 

[Tony Bensley]

You can thank Bob Furmanek for that.

Indeed! I know that Bob Furmanek pleaded with Universal to include the original widescreen ratio for this, and I believe also their previous "Meet The Keystone Kops" film, on the ABBOTT & COSTELLO: THE COMPLETE UNIVERSAL PICTURES COLLECTION DVD set back in 2008, to no avail. Thank goodness he persisted, and that somebody at Universal finally listened this time around!

Huge Thank Yous, Bob!

CHEERS! :

 

[Gary OS]

I'd double dip on an A&C blu ray release. In a heartbeat.

 

[John Sparks]

Well folks...it finally came in the mail...ABBOTT AND COSTELLO RARITIES!!!

It comes with 2 pressed discs and one BD-R disc, no idea what's on it.

Bob's post #146 is the cover that it comes with, with the words, "HIDDEN FILM AND AUDIO GEMS featuring BUD ABBOTT AND LOU COSTELLO." The audio gems may be the BD-R?

Can't wait to dig into it and a big "SHOUT OUT" to STEVE STANCHFIELD for all the hard work you have done to bring us A&B lovers this BD!!!