Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Acquires Rights To 70 Films From The Samuel Goldwyn Library (1 Viewer)

[Ed Lachmann]

I agree it looks like the studios want to move on to digital, and Warner as usual is leading the way. Disc is still very profitable for new releases but the catalog well has pretty much run dry.

I'm not ready to collect movies on digital UNLESS

1) it's full Blu-ray quality and not available on Blu-ray

2) it's 4k and looks better than the Blu-ray version

I think those are going to happen sooner or later, and when that happens I'll just have to get used to the fact that I won't really "own" those movies (not that I really own them on disc, but I do own the disc, which to me is practically the same thing), but just have the "right" to see them whenever I want.

As for Warner on Blu-ray, it appears they've become disinterested and are making no effort anymore to promote the format or showcase their classics.

Firstly, thanks to everyone whose helpful posts have aided me in wrapping my head around this big ugly mess we've found ourselves in. May I add my own #3 to Bruce's list. If I have to "buy" and download the films I love in HD, and preferably in 4K because I've seen the "1080" crap that friends have downloaded (which look worse than any standard DVD played through my Oppo), I still would want some sort of preservation copy I could shelve from that download. So far, downloads cannot be burned to BD-Rs, I believe that it is "illegal", in fact. I do not feel safe with everything on a Tivo or fragile hard drive that could falter without warning. Would it be too much to ask for the studios to arrange for even a one time ability to burn the bought item onto a disc so we "old timers" who want a disc on our shelf to be brought down whenever we have the whim to see it could, indeed, have one?

 

[Robert Crawford]

I understand the frustration being expressed here and the blame game towards Warner and a few other studios. Unfortunately, I don't think the solution to this problem is easily solved by Warner simply making more of an effort to release product onto BD, without much regard to other issues that perhaps prevent such an easy fix to our situation.

 

[Keith Cobby]

Very quiet on the Goldwyn blu-ray front. I was hoping for an announcement about Walter Mitty and the other Danny Kaye films. It would also be nice to have The Princess & the Pirate on blu-ray.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yes, I would think Warner would've done more with this library by now. I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed in the results so far. Maybe, it's film element related, but I just hope it changes in the upcoming new year. I don't know who to blame so I won't go there with the blame game.

 

[youworkmen]

Wonder Man please

 

[Joel Arndt]

Regarding the remaining four Goldwyn Cantor titles, WAC commented on their FB page recently that they require remastering before they can be released as it's been 30 years since they've been touched. They said they hope to get it done sooner than later.This is probably the case with many other titles in the package. I saw part of Strike Me Pink on TCM a while back and it looked a little rough around the edges. I'm sure as with everything else it's a matter of allocating the time and money to get this done properly and we'll eventually be rewarded with excellent looking prints. Although it never happens soon enough.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

And I suppose it will be a cold day in hell when we EVER see a release of PORGY AND BESS. What a horrible shame.

 

[battlebeast]

Matt brings up a host of good points. The questions, though, that I would have are:1. If one goes to the trouble and expense of a 2K/4K master, why is it not economically feasible to produce BDs, even in limited amounts, for sale to international customers? A recent article stated that BD sales in Germany were booming. But do get rid of the silly region encoding.2. Even though movies are not a dominant force in culture, why is that some of the worst grade D schlock movies, even dated ones that kids wouldn't even know about, are released regularly in BD while bonafide "A list" classics and even Best Picture winners are "too expensive" to release even when 2-4K masters ALREADY exist?3. Similarly, no blu-ray of TRAIL OF '98 I can kind of understand, but the lack of, say, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH and AUNTIE MAME baffles me.4. The idea of "projected targets" in sales would hopefully be somewhat realistic. But, would the above titles really sell less than WITCHBOARD 2? Just how much money do they expect to make?

I bought WITCHBOARD 2. Love that movie!

 

[JoHud]

Regarding the remaining four Goldwyn Cantor titles, WAC commented on their FB page recently that they require remastering before they can be released as it's been 30 years since they've been touched. They said they hope to get it done sooner than later.This is probably the case with many other titles in the package. I saw part of Strike Me Pink on TCM a while back and it looked a little rough around the edges. I'm sure as with everything else it's a matter of allocating the time and money to get this done properly and we'll eventually be rewarded with excellent looking prints. Although it never happens soon enough.

Yeah, the archive is the real saving grace here. While having a pretty slow release rate (makes sense giving how small the library is), we are finally getting Goldwyn titles remastered that have never been on DVD before.

 

[Joel Arndt]

And I suppose it will be a cold day in hell when we EVER see a release of PORGY AND BESS. What a horrible shame.

Agreed, and if you go back to Ron's original post you'll notice that Porgy and Bess is not listed among the titles licensed to WB for release, unfortunately.

 

[Dick]

PORGY AND BESS is not admired by the holders of the rights and from I understand they have no intention of allowing its release.

 

[ahollis]

PORGY AND BESS is not admired by the holders of the rights and from I understand they have no intention of allowing its release.

The Samuel Goldwyn Estate and the Gershwin Estate settled those problems two or three years ago. The present hold up has been noted that it is the condition of the elements.

 

[Keith Cobby]

Very quiet on the Goldwyn blu-ray front. I was hoping for an announcement about Walter Mitty and the other Danny Kaye films. It would also be nice to have The Princess & the Pirate on blu-ray.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was shown on BBC2 HD yesterday. The image looked pristine to me and I cannot understand why this wonderful film still hasn't been released.

 

[turtledove]

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was shown on BBC2 HD yesterday. The image looked pristine to me and I cannot understand why this wonderful film still hasn't been released.

I got really excited when I saw BBC2 are showing Wonder Man next week.....but not in HD

 

[Ed Lachmann]

I bought WITCHBOARD 2. Love that movie!

I edited some dialogue and ADR for Witchboard 2 and the best thing I can say about it is that I was paid a decent wage to do it.

 

[Rodney]

I'm still waiting for Dodsworth...

 

[Mike2001]

I'm still waiting for Dodsworth...

and Wuthering Heights, The Westerner, Pride of the Yankees, Ball of Fire, The Little Foxes, Come and Get It, and These Three (to expand to my personal wish list).

 

[AnthonyClarke]

And where's Whoopee! on Blu?

 

[classicmovieguy]

Somethin' tells me we're going to be waiting a while for any of those...

 

[Dr Griffin]

and Wuthering Heights, The Westerner, Pride of the Yankees, Ball of Fire, The Little Foxes, Come and Get It, and These Three (to expand to my personal wish list).

If I remember correctly, the Wuthering Heights DVD re-release looked a little worse than the original DVD release, or maybe it was the other way around! I remember being a little confused about which release came first after reading the comments and seeing screen caps noticing a slight degradation in the image. Maybe someone can confirm. There is also an awful Spanish bootleg (you're kidding!) Blu-ray out there to avoid. It's a shame this title is not moving forward.