Warners "CLASSIC MUSICALS FROM THE DREAM FACTORY" in 2006 (1 Viewer)

[RafaelPires]

Certainly a must buy!

 

[DaveK]

Jing_B...
AMEN!!!
LOL

I find it odd that the one MGM film we know has the original negatives (Till The Clouds Roll By) is the one most circulated in PD.

It would've been nice if Warner included a documentary on how this film was restored from its Technicolor negative.

Has there been news of any other pre-1953 MGM films in which the negative still exists???

It says in the description that all the movies have been restored from their "ORIGINAL ELEMENTS", can someone please explain this to me....

As far as the cartoon issue goes, I agree. I can understand if they're not restored due to a possible release in the future (e.g. Tex Avery), but at least show them uncut and not DVNR-ed like the toons from the Thin Man Collection and The Barkleys of Broadway.

 

[Paul Borges]

I thought most of MGM's films were from original elements. Weren't their archives one of the industry's best?

I would also hope they have original elements for Royal Wedding!

 

[Charles Ellis]

Well, many of the original nitrate negatives have been lost to time. However, MGM was smart enough to begin making safety transfers of their older nitrate films to modern safety film in the 1950s. Silver nitrate film, despite the sharp clarity of its imaging (B/W nitrate film gave the screen its 'silverly' glow, hence the phrase 'silver screen') was always quite flammable, and could self-ignite at a moment's notice. Many a film library was lost because of such fires, most famously the Fox fire in the 30s that destroyed a lot of the Fox silents, especially the Theda Bara version of "Cleopatra". (The films were in a New Jersey warehouse)

You'd be surprised at the number of legendary films from the 30s and 40s that don't have a nitrate negative anymore (e.g., "Citizen Kane" and "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington"). We should be lucky that MGM saw early on the value of reissuing films and keeping up its library in the best condition possible, and that's one reason why Warner Home Video has had such success in releasing classic MGM titles.

I can't wait to see what George Feltenstein has up his sleeve for 2006!

 

[Paul Borges]

Box Artwork up at dvdempire.com

http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_ite...item_id=938681

I'm really glad they continued the 'Classic Musicals Collection' artwork.

 

[Corey]

well now that i ordered the busby berkeley set, this is the next set that i will be purchasing.