Warner Archive Discussion Thread (The Announcements/The Films) (3 Viewers)

[ahollis]

I still have the old laserdisc set of the three films (that box set offers the 1951 Show Boat in stereo; the DVD does not), and I routinely watch the 1936 and 1951 versions often. I'm not sure I've ever sat through the entire 1929 one. Might be a good idea to do that one of my off days.

Only a Blu-ray collection of all three films would cause me to give up the Laserdisc set. It is truly a beauty to behold. This collection along with the roadshow laserdiscs of THE ALAMO, HAWAII and the Pioneer disc of 1776 forces me to keep the laser player running.

 

[JoHud]

Okay, so it looks like were only getting the 1936 Show Boat this week. I suspect we'll get news of the 1929 film shortly and word of the current WHV status of the three films.

In addition to Winner Take All (1932), there will be two more James Cagney films this week: The Oklahoma Kid (1939) and Here Comes the Navy (1934). The Oklahoma Kid is also one of the very few Humphrey Bogart vehicles not available on DVD.

The FBI: The Complete Seventh Season is also up for order.

Lastly there is a fourth Joan Crawford film slated for 3/4/2014, Montana Moon (1930), now up for preorder.

 

[[email protected]]

Three new Cagney titles! Woo-hoo!

 

[Rob_Ray]

The Show Boat news is rather disappointing, as I was hoping for a box set of all three versions as a set, even if it was just through the archives. By the way, I must say that my copy of What Price Hollywood arrived yesterday and the picture and sound are both far, far superior to anything I have ever seen on this title in the past. Considering how poor this has always looked and sounded before, it's absolutely stunning and highly recommended, even with no extras.

 

[JoHud]

Despite the disappointment of the lack of a set, there is some good news about the 1936 Show Boat release. It will be pressed making it the first non-Paramount Warner Archive single film disc given such treatment.

Just recently advertised as such on the press release

SHOW BOAT (1936) James Whale’s extremely faithful adaptation of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein musical sensation makes its DVD debut at last! Based on an Edna Ferber novel, Show Boat denotes the romantic misadventures of a central star-crossed pair of river boat performers (Irene Dunne and Allan Jones) and the lives of the river show boat folk on both sides of the racial divide. With Hammerstein enlisted as scripter as well as the stage show’s orchestrator and conductor (Robert Russell Bennett and Victor Baravalle), not to mention a star-studded cast of vets of various stage incarnations (Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Charles Winninger, Sammy White, Francis X. Mahoney, Irene Dunne, Allan Jones), Show Boat is as close as you can come to a 1932 ticket to the Great White Way. Out of home video circulation for years, this boat comes to port at last in a sparkling new edition. Newly Remastered Shop Exclusive! Initial quantities of this release will be traditionally replicated (pressed) in anticipation of high consumer demand.

Also, it does look like the Warner Archive is cooking up something special for its 5 year anniversary this coming March. At the very least, we'll see a nice sale.

 

[Richard M S]

According to the press release for Showboat
Initial quantities of this release will be traditionally replicated (pressed) in anticipation of high consumer demand.

 

[Richard M S]

Oops, JoHud provided a more complete post as I was copying and pasting! Either way, I already ordered it!

 

[Garysb]

It would be odd but nice if the big March announcement was the 3 Showboats on blu.

 

[Charles Smith]

The 3-film box set and Criterion CAV box set for the '36 with all the extras still rank among the centerpieces of my remaining LD collection.

I'll get this DVD, of course, for plain old watching!

 

[David Weicker]

It would be odd but nice if the big March announcement was the 3 Showboats on blu.

I hope if they do end up releasing this on Blu-Ray, there is some compensation for those who purchased the DVD (price break / rebate)

 

[Matt Hough]

I did watch the 1929 part-talkie on laserdisc this afternoon. Boy, it's in rough shape. Not surprising for a film this old and not one that was well regarded enough to take good care of, but a Blu-ray of this would be rather painful to watch unless something major was done to spruce it up, and with all the missing sound elements and all the age-related artifacts, I'm fairly sure we'll be lucky to see this even in the Archives, much less ever on Blu.

 

[Conrad_SSS]

I was delighted to read of this release today, and ordered my copy immediately. The preview clip on the Warner site (even in a low rez format) reveals a far cleaner and more beautiful rendering of this wonderful film than we have ever had before. Superb!

 

[bujaki]

The copyright on the laser disc Show Boat is 1994. I saw the '29 version in 1977, in 35mm and probably better visual condition; however, many of the sound discs were still missing, so it was even more of a silent than a part-talkie. I'm not sure, but more sound discs may have resurfaced since '94.
It's a strange hybrid of a film because it couldn't be the musical, so it hewed closer to the novel; and yet, it tried to convey the feeling of the current musical hit while caught in the difficult transition from silent to sound film.
I still think the worse version is MGM's 1951. Grayson was unbearable; the show boat is all wrong (see previous versions to see a real show boat); and the colors are revolting, even in the Technicolor IB print shown at MoMA. And the pathos of showing the lovers reunited in middle age after a long absence, and Magnolia's success as a stage star, is lost as well. Just my opinion, and I know many disagree with it. So be it.

 

[ahollis]

I did watch the 1929 part-talkie on laserdisc this afternoon. Boy, it's in rough shape. Not surprising for a film this old and not one that was well regarded enough to take good care of, but a Blu-ray of this would be rather painful to watch unless something major was done to spruce it up, and with all the missing sound elements and all the age-related artifacts, I'm fairly sure we'll be lucky to see this even in the Archives, much less ever on Blu.

I understand that Warner and The Vitaphone Project found better elements and discs and Warner worked a long time in this. I do expect a WAC release and think that WAC will announce a Blu of the 1951 in the next coming months.

 

[dana martin]

what i have been waiting on is the Show Boat Uber set that WB said that they were planning, that would contain all versions, will have to order this , but it would be nice to know in advance if they plan on doing a blu that is going to contain all of them.

and not to detract from show boat, but if WAC can release this, then why cant I get Volume 2 of Tom & Jerry?

 

[Joel Arndt]

Regarding Show Boat, WAC posted this on FB-

"The three Show Boats are discussed in depth in the upcoming podcast - stand by!"

Sorry, I don't have a date and time for that.

 

[JoeDoakes]

I understand that Warner and The Vitaphone Project found better elements and discs and Warner worked a long time in this. I do expect a WAC release and think that WAC will announce a Blu of the 1951 in the next coming months.

Personally, I would have expected the 1936 version to be more in demand than the 1951, and a better choice for blu treatment. However, I'm more of a classic movie fan than a musical fan, so what do I know.

 

[ahollis]

Personally, I would have expected the 1936 version to be more in demand than the 1951, and a better choice for blu treatment. However, I'm more of a classic movie fan than a musical fan, so what do I know.

I think all three deserve the Blu treatment. But I'm expecting the 1951 to be announce on Blu since it is in technicolor and an MGM musical which is requested just about every time on MGM musical Blu threads. Just a feeling.

 

[JoHud]

After listening to the podcast, it seems like the long-awaited WHV blu-ray trilogy is still being planned as a set, but George Feltenstein says "...it may be a couple years from now, it may be sooner than that, I don't know..." but the reason the WAC decided to release it was simply because such a decision has taken too long and they felt the 1936 film, the most highly requested and lauded version by die-hard theater buffs, should be available newly remastered. The decision was certainly made earlier since time was needed to remaster the film, the first time the film had been remastered in over 20 years.

Regarding the 1929 film, Feltenstein states that that version had remained unavailable since some of the sound discs were missing as recently as 20 years ago. He also says that "We will be addressing that at a later time as accompanying to making that version available" which strongly implies that the WAC will be releasing that version in the near future as well.

He podcast can be found here

Regarding the planned blu-ray collection, I'm kinda doubtful there. It doesn't sound like it's even been greenlighted yet so I'm not hopeful we'll see it anytime soon.

 

[David Weicker]

Well, I guess I'm kind of relieved that the big Blu set won't be coming soon - since I just ordered the 1936 version yesterday.I would have been upset if I bought the DVD and then learned that a Blu version was already on its way.I would have preferred a full set ( and wonder why the '36 version couldn't have been put on Blu - perfect candidate for an Archive Blu IMO).