A Few Words About While we wait for A few words about...™ The Rodgers & Hammerstein Collection -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[John Maher_289910]

I didn't even order this box set. I only really care about the Todd-AO edition of OKLAHOMA!, which I had on laserdisc, and want on Blu-ray, so I am hoping for separate releases. I just, recently, saw THE KING AND I on stage, again (first show I ever did, way back in 1959), and was reminded how much more I like it on stage, than on film.

 

[JoshZ]

HOW ODD that with only five days to go before official release, there have been NO reviews yet nor definite news on contents, especially a guide to extas.

Fox rarely sends advance screeners to reviewers. They usually ship review copies on street date, because the studio is convinced that all reviewers are dirty, evil bootleggers who will pirate their movies.

 

[John Maher_289910]

Aren't they?

 

[AnthonyClarke]

I hope Robert Harris has some valium handy....

 

[classicmovieguy]

The overture and entr'acte music was not part of the original 1956 release which was not a roadshow. When KING AND I was re-issued in the early 60's and given a 70mm treatment (which was called Grandeur 70), Fox added an intermission (not part of the original release) and the overture and entr'acte music were added at that time. If you are familiar with the film you can even detect where they pulled the music tracks from the underscore to create these. Oddly the Capitol soundtrack album has a very impressive overture which was recorded specifically for the album and included songs that did not get included in the final cut.

The Overture on the album is a lavishly-scored and played version of the original Broadway Overture, full of all those silky Newman strings. What was used for the THX-approved VHS (and the original DVD release) was the 'Anna unpacks' musical cue (which included a cut song, "Western People Funny") over a very "I Love Lucy"-esque pink satin backdrop. The film plays better without the Intermission (which I'm glad to hear wasn't part of the '56 release) as the film isn't really long enough to merit an intermission break anyway.

 

[Doug Bull]

I know I shouldn't say this but that little fact is making me very very nervous. I'm fearing a replay of the AT LONG LAST LOVE "now we have it/now we don't/just kidding we have it/actually, now we're not even sure when it's coming out/okay here it is" back and forth fiasco from last year. I have a nagging worry the unchanged street date will come and go but I hope I'm wrong.

The fact that Fox have officially announced it with photos and there is a customer review of the Blu-ray set including some of it's extra contents on Amazon I hope confirms the release.
Only question is which is the correct release date Amazon's or Fox.

Doug.

 

[moviebuff75]

I will watch:
1. Oklahoma! (TODD-AO)
2. Carousel
3. The King and I
4. State Fair

I will probably re-watch "South Pacific" as well. I just showed "Sound of Music" last summer at my outdoor theater, so watching it indoors on an LCD tv won't be the same.

 

[Will Krupp]

The fact that Fox have officially announced it with photos and there is a customer review of the Blu-ray set including some of it's extra contents on Amazon I hope confirms the release.
Only question is which is the correct release date Amazon's or Fox.

Doug.

The fact that Fox have officially announced it with photos and there is a customer review of the Blu-ray set including some of it's extra contents on Amazon I hope confirms the release.
Only question is which is the correct release date Amazon's or Fox.

Doug.

Just to be clear, Doug, I have no doubt the release is coming and that all we've heard is legitimate. My nervous feeling is centered exclusively around the release date. To conquer it, I've convinced myself that it's not coming until the following week so that, if they make the original release date then it will seem like an early gift. It's called "making self-deception work FOR you"

 

[ahollis]

We'll one thing that excites me is Amazon has not changed the release date nor sent an email stating a change. Usually if a title is not going to make their date they would have notified the pre-orders by now. I will assume the title is in their warehouse now. Hope I did not just jinx this.

 

[Will Krupp]

Hope I did not just jinx this.

You're the most horrible.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Hope I did not just jinx this.

Not yet.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Good lord, that's $106 more expensive than the price many of us locked in.

 

[ahollis]

Good lord, that's $106 more expensive than the price many of us locked in.

Yes it is. Heehee!

 

[Doug Bull]

Mike, how come you are being charged the highest price?
Like many others here I cancelled my original higher priced order and re-ordered the set on March 23rd while the new up-dated $73.99 bargain price was temporarily in play.

I wonder if you can dispute your higher price.

Doug.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Sadly, the "reviews" of the set are filled with people who are angry about the price going back up. I really wish that Amazon was more vigilant with removing reviews that aren't based upon the actual product. They also have a bad habit of including all reviews of a film, no matter the format. There are some films that have reviews of the VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray all mixed in together.

Doug, the reason you got the sale price is because that was the week that the sale was going on.

 

[classicmovieguy]

I believe the page Mark has provided is reflecting the *current* price. If Mark ordered back in March he probably got the discounted price.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I believe the page Mark has provided is reflecting the *current* price. If Mark ordered back in March he probably got the discounted price.

Yup. I got the $73.99 price. The image I posted is from this afternoon (showing the April 29th release date).

--Mark Frezon

 

[Joe Lugoff]

The Overture on the album is a lavishly-scored and played version of the original Broadway Overture ...

No, it isn't. It's a new Overture created just for the Capitol recording. "Getting to Know You," for instance, isn't in the original Broadway Overture (or in the Entr'acte, Exit Music, incidental music or anything, probably because the song was added during the tryout.)

 

[ahollis]

Sadly, the "reviews" of the set are filled with people who are angry about the price going back up. I really wish that Amazon was more vigilant with removing reviews that aren't based upon the actual product. They also have a bad habit of including all reviews of a film, no matter the format. There are some films that have reviews of the VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray all mixed in together.Doug, the reason you got the sale price is because that was the week that the sale was going on.

Because of those reasons I never read Amazon reviews. IAMMMMW Criterion release Amazon reviews is a perfect example of ill informed people.

 

[Doug Bull]

The only relevant Amazon review (by Thomas E Davis) of the new Blu-ray R&H box set informs us of some of the included extras.
Without checking, I'm not sure what, if anything, is new to this set.

a few of the review's listed extras include:
Shirley Jones commentary on both "Carousel" and "Oklahoma!"
Excerpts from a 1954 TV tribute
State Fair TV series pilot
Carousel- deleted songs
The original"Liliom" is included as it was in the DVD set.
Mitzi Gaynor's screen test
segment from tv's 60 minutes
The King & I TV pilot for Anna and the King
Mia Farrow Screen test for SOM.

These are just some of the extras mentioned, I'm sure we will all be pleasantly surprised by many others.

Next week - I can't wait.