Universal Cinema Classics: The Heiress, etc. on 02-06-07 (1 Viewer)

[Eric Peterson]

Anything new on these titles, particularly about picture quality. I know the original "All Quiet on the Western Front" was in really rough shape. I'm curious as to how much effort Universal is putting into these discs and they're only a few weeks away.

 

[Bill Huelbig]

Thanks Shawn and Alejandro, for the fantastic description of Olivia de Havilland's big night. I got the feeling you left out not one detail from the event. Reading your account was the next best thing to being there.

 

[Richard M S]

Eric Peterson I came here tonight to ask the exact same question.

I am so eager to get this line of DVDs, and I too am especially eager to find out about any extras. I hope they include some sort of interview or commentary with Olivia de Havilland regarding The Heiress.

Even Going My Way could feature an interview with the film's last star , Metropolitan Opera Soprano Rise Stevens, who seemed quite herself in interview clips taped just 7 or 8 months ago for the Joseph Volpe Farewell Gala on PBS last year.

 

[Alejandro]

As the release date is approaching, is there any news about extras?

 

[Alejandro]

So, February 6 is so close and you tell me Universal is releasing these movies barebones?

 

[Mark VH]

Yes. They were announced as barebones months ago. Studios don't wait until a week before release to announce extras. Get over it.

 

[John Hodson]

Not quite barebones, each film has an 'Exclusive Introduction by Turner Classic Movies Host and Film Historian Robert Osborne' and a trailer.

 

[PattyFraser]

Considering that the star of "The Heiress" is still with us and was able to do commentaries and interviews at the time of the announcement this is regrettable news indeed. But I've waited so long for this release I'll take it however I can get it.
I just hope that it's not like the recent release of the 1940's Pride and Prejudice, which was so full of "sparkles" from tears, etc. that I was very distracted by this while watching it.

 

[Richard Matich]

Good god people the woman is in her 80s! I seriously doubt that she has the energy or the memory to rehash stuff that happend way back in the 40s. Just an Oscar appearance a few years back probably were brutal for her. Flying all the way from Paris. I want her to just enjoy her retirement. She has already done enough for me by being the actress she was. Archival clips would be nice but you have to get clearances for those.

Get used to these "bare bones" releases from the studios as the lights begins to slowly dim on "standard definition" dvd.

 

[Richard M S]

While I agree the days of vintage star commentaries are pretty much over and bare bones releases will be much more common as "standard" DVDs fade into the sunset, I can understand people anticipating something from Olivia DeHavilland, (who is actually 90, and as of about a month ago, she is staying in California with her daughter, who recently lost her husband).

A few months ago she gave a fascinating interview to the Wall Street Journal detailing her and Ronald Reagan's involvement in politics in the 1940's, as well as her feelings for turning down the lead in A Streetcar Named Desire. It was a fascinating and very enjoyable interview. It revealed her memory, thankfully, remains sharp and vivid.

In any case, even if there are no extras, I do hope the Oscar nominated cinematography as well as the sound (of the great Academy Award-winning Aaron Copland score) are not disappointments.

 

[Shawn Cornwell]

Having seen Ms. de Havilland in person last June at the LA Museum of Modern Art showing of The Heiress, wherein the screen legend talked eloquently about her career and the film, I can tell you she is still extremely lucid and has "total recall" concerning her many achievements (she blew the audience away during the half-hour she spoke). Within the last two years she's also appeared on the Gone With the Wind dvd and on The Adventures of Errol Flynn documentary dvd, so I was hopeful she might appear on The Heiress dvd. Oh well, still can't wait to finally have the movie available in this format.

 

[Thomas T]

re: "as the lights begin to dim on standard definition DVDs" and "much more common as standard DVDs fade into the sunset"

LOL ... we all gotta go sometime but the "standard" DVD is still in the prime of life. Don't write her obituary just yet. Whenever I go DVD shopping, I NEVER see anyone perusing the HD titles, just the standard ones.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Not only that, but the way the studios and industry keep shooting themselves in the foot with these new formats, I expect neither one of them to become mainstream any time soon.

 

[Corey]

I don't know why Olivia de Havilland is honored more. Instead of honoring stars that are in their 50s and 60s, AFI should honor Ms. de Havilland as well as the SAG and Golden Globes. I can name a few stars that should have gotten AFI Life Achievement Awards before Meryl Streep, Robert DeNiro, and Al Pacino such as Mickey Rooney, Lauren Bacall, Shirely Temple, and Doris Day.

 

[Mark VH]

Just found out that my copy of The Heiress (along with Here Comes Mr. Jordan) has shipped. Should be here in a couple of days - I'll report back on PQ as soon as it gets here.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Corey, while you are at it, peel me off a Lubitsch box set, would-ya?

Regards,

 

[Jacqui]

And Sometimes a Great Notion as well perhaps?

I am just getting greedy now

 

[PattyFraser]

Yes, and were you the person who mentioned this on this forum? I did read someone mentioning this, and that was what made me hopeful that she would be interviewed or commentaried (is that a word?) on the disk. I do want her to enjoy her retirement, but it seems to me she said something about this being her favorite movie role--I really expected her to be asked to do this and that she would be on it. Heck, it seems to me that whoever mentioned this showing said they were hoping her talk had been filmed for the disc.

 

[Richard Matich]

I didn't mean that she was senile. I bet she is sharp. I don't know. I like hearing she is doing well. As far as the AFI and others are concearned it is about time to honor HER.

I'm glad to hear also that standard dvd is still hot and smoking. The person that posted about "people looking at standerd dvd shelves in stores and no one at the Hi def shelf. I was in a Best Buy today and I saw just that. I then regreted my writing that about "the lights dimming". That still might be a ways away. Sometimes my mouth gets the better of me. Thats why I like the disscusions here on these forums. Educational for me without all the rudeness and flaming. YOU PEOPLE ARE THE BEST!!!

 

[Eric Peterson]

I couldn't agree more. The idea of giving these awards to middle-aged stars such as Tom Hanks is absurd when there are still some of the all-time greats with us. That's what started the whole AFI tribute series in the 70s. They started with John Ford, Bette Davis, etc... for about 15 years and then completely shifted gears and went to younger stars. It made me lose a lot of respect for the AFI.