Universal preparing THE MARX BROTHERS and MOVIE MONSTERS 2 COLLECTIONS and MORE for HD! (1 Viewer)

[Tony Bensley]

FINALLY! Marx Brothers! I hope Horsefeathers isn't the edited version Uni has been putting out for the past couple of decades. Odd that they are doing all those Frankensteins and no creatures or invisible mans.


King of Jazz will be amazing I bet!

Hi bigshot!


Unfortunately, I'm not certain that the complete version of HORSEFEATHERS exists. It's been my understanding that only the edited, post Hays Code version is extant, though I'd love to be mistaken regarding this!


A 4K Restoration of KING OF JAZZ? That's a most unexpected but welcome shock!


CHEERS!


Tony

 

[JohnMor]

IF these Monsters and Marx Bros. restorations find their way to blu-ray release (and that is not necessarily a given), they will be day one purchases for me. But even if they don't, glad to hear the studio is investing the time and money in asset protection for these titles.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Yay!! I'm so happy for yet another re-release of HOUSE OF DRACULA while dozens of other Universal horror pictures sit in a vault unreleased. [sarcasm]


Great news for the Marx titles and THE LAST WARNING though.

 

[Douglas R]

I thought Universal purchased all of the pre 1956 films from Paramount @ the start of the VCR era, accept the Cecil B DeMille films?.

It's the pre-end of 1949 Paramount films which Universal own. Of course, anyone can release the film as it's PD but Paramount must still have the original elements.

 

[bigshot]

Unfortunately, I'm not certain that the complete version of HORSEFEATHERS exists. It's been my understanding that only the edited, post Hays Code version is extant, though I'd love to be mistaken regarding this!

I'm told the cut was made by Universal for TV release. It wasn't cut by the Hayes Office, since the Hayes Office didn't exist in 1932.

 

[dirwuf]

HD versions of "Duck Soup", "A Night at the Opera" and "A Day at the Races" have been available for a while as downloads or streaming from iTunes and Amazon, and while the films haven't been restored in any way, they look great...

 

[Richard M S]

VERY exciting news; maybe some of these restored films will have brief theatrical releases or at least show up at some film festivals.


In particular I am eager to see what emerges from the restoration of SHANGHAI EXPRESS, one of my all-time favorite films. This has been released in an incomplete version "since the laser disc era", per Dave Kehr's March 2012 NY Times review of the TCM release.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I'm told the cut was made by Universal for TV release. It wasn't cut by the Hayes Office, since the Hayes Office didn't exist in 1932.

Hi bigshot!


True, but any post mid 1934 reissues had to be cleared first.


By the way, the Hays Office DID exist in 1932, and there was technically speaking, a production code in place. However, it was much less enforced at that time!


CHEERS!


Tony

 

[bigshot]

Horsefeathers was released in 1932, not 1934. The cuts were made for *TV* release long after the film was made. Universal kept using the same TV master on home video. The idea is that now, they will go back to the 35 original elements, not the TV print.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Horsefeathers was released in 1932, not 1934

I do realize that. I meant for ANY film that had a Theatrical Reissue post mid 1934. Sorry I wasn't more clear!


CHEERS!

 

[Rob_Ray]

Horsefeathers was released in 1932, not 1934

The Marx Bros. films were extremely popular and frequently revived. Any post-1934 revival would have had to clear the Breen office. Post-code cuts afflicted many pre-code titles with enduring appeal in later years, such as HORSE FEATHERS, KING KONG and LOVE ME TONIGHT to name but three.

 

[bigshot]

Horsefeathers was never re-released to theaters after 1932 that I know of. The Marx Brothers had gone to MGM and Paramount would have had no reason to promote them. When Universal took over the license to the film, they struck a copy and edited it for contemporary television. That cut never existed in theatrical release until Universal took over distribution. All of the revival house screenings since then have been elements taken from the cut Universal copy, not the Paramount original theatrical elements. This is the first time that perhaps we will see something made off of the theatrical elements in Paramount's film vault, not Universal's TV copy.


By the way, if you are unaware of the segment that was censored, it's the sequence in Connie Bailey's apartment when they all get in a chair with her at one time. There are also other short gags missing throughout the film that were there in the 1932 release.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Regardless of HORSEFEATHERS' previous history, an unedited version would be marvelous to see, if that possibility exists!


CHEERS!

 

[Joel Arndt]

Hi bigshot!


True, but any post mid 1934 reissues had to be cleared first.


By the way, the Hays Office DID exist in 1932, and there was technically speaking, a production code in place. However, it was much less enforced at that time!


CHEERS!


Tony

Your history of the Production Code is 100% accurate from all I've read over the years. I can't speak to when the cuts were made to Horse Feathers, but it would be great if the missing scenes are extant.

 

[Dee Zee]

Super stoked to see the great Marx Brothers get their due and can only hope for a blu-ray box set.

 

[dirwuf]

While it's easy to assume that "Horse Feathers" cuts were made due to Hays Office and US television reasons, no uncut version has yet surfaced overseas (where the original cut was released)...though Allen Eyles' book does seem to indicate one existed in the late 50's-early 60's

 

[cb1]

In for Marx Brothers! awwww

 

[Peter Neski]

Great news for Marx Brothers fans! The Universal films are better (IMO) than those schmaltzy MGM ones!

to skip the first two MGM films is plain insane !!!!! those are classics ,almost as good as Duck Soup !

 

[Peter Neski]

Hope they find a better second source for Coconuts ,and are able to fix those missing frames in Horse Feathers

 

[Squire]

to skip the first two MGM films is plain insane !!!!! those are classics ,almost as good as Duck Soup !

I didn't say that! I just said I prefer the Paramount films to the MGM. I have all of The Marx Brothers films (including Love Happy) on DVD!