20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

With the release of the Joan Collins box set this week, all in CinemaScope, it seems quite possible within the next three years almost all of Fox's major CinemaScope films will see the light of day on DVD as there aren't that many left to go. Still missing in action (from region one):

Beneath The 12 Mile Reef (rescued from public domain) Robert Wagner, Terry Moore
King Of The Khyber Rifles Tyrone Power, Terry Moore
Adventures Of Hajji Baba John Derek, Elaine Stewart
Desiree Marlon Brando, Merle Oberon
The Egyptian Gene Tierney, Victor Mature
New Faces (rescued from public domain) Eartha Kitt, Paul Lynde
Night People Gregory Peck
Woman's World Lauren Bacall, Fred MacMurray
The Deep Blue Sea Vivien Leigh
Good Morning Miss Dove Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack
How To Be Very Very Popular Betty Grable, Robert Cummings
Left Hand Of God Humphrey Bogart, Gene Tierney
Magnificent Matador Maureen O'Hara, Anthony Quinn
Prince Of Players Richard Burton
The Racers Kirk Douglas
The Rains Of Ranchipur Lana Turner, Richard Burton
Seven Cities Of Gold Anthony Quinn, Rita Moreno
That Lady Olivia DeHavilland, Paul Scofield
Untamed Tyrone Power, Susan Hayward
View From Pompey's Head Richard Egan, Dana Wynter
Violent Saturday Victor Mature, Sylvia Sidney
Best Things In Life Are Free Ernest Borgnine, Gordon MacRae
Bigger Than Life James Mason, Barbara Rush
Bottom Of The Bottle Van Johnson
Hilda Crane Jean Simmons
Lieutenant Wore Skirts Tom Ewell, Rita Moreno
On The Threshhold Of Space John Hodiak
Revolt Of Mamie Stover Jane Russell, Richard Egan
Teenage Rebel Ginger Rogers
23 Paces To Baker Street Van Johnson, Vera Miles
April Love Pat Boone, Shirley Jones
Bernardine Pat Boone, Terry Moore
Boy On A Dolphin Sophia Loren, Alan Ladd
China Gate Angie Dickinson, Nat King Cole
Hatful Of Rain Eva Marie Saint, Anthony Franciosa
No Down Payment Joanne Woodward, Tony Randall
Oh Men Oh Women Ginger Rogers, Tony Randall
Three Brave Men Ernest Borgnine
Way Of The Gold Jeffrey Hunter, Sheree North
Wayward Bus Joan Collins, Jayne Mansfield
Barbarian And The Geisha John Wayne
A Certain Smile Joan Fontaine, Rossano Brazzi
Fiend Who Walked The West Hugh O'Brian
Fraulein Dana Wynter
From Hell To Texas Don Murray, Dennis Hopper
Gift Of Love Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack
Harry Black And The Tiger Stewart Granger, Barbara Rush
In Love And War Robert Wagner, Hope Lange
Mardi Gras Pat Boone, Sheree North
Roots Of Heaven Errol Flynn, Orson Welles
Ten North Frederick Gary Cooper
Beloved Infidel Gregory Peck, Deborah Kerr
Blue Angel May Britt, Curt Jurgens
Blue Denim Carol Lynley, Brandon DeWilde
Holiday For Lovers Jane Wyman, Clifton Webb
Man Who Understood Women Henry Fonda, Leslie Caron
Private's Affair Barbara Eden, Sal Mineo
Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire
Say One For Me Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds
Sound And The Fury Yul Brynner, Joanne Woodward
Woman Obsessed Susan Hayward
Crack In The Mirror Orson Welles
Esther And The King (rescued from public domain) Joan Collins
Flame Over India (rescued from public domain) Lauren Bacall
High Time Bing Crosby, Tuesday Weld
Marriage Go Round James Mason, Susan Hayward
Sons And Lovers Trevor Howard, Dean Stockwell
Story One Page One Rita Hayworth
Third Voice Julie London, Edmond O'Brien
Wild River Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick
All Hands On Deck Pat Boone, Barbara Eden
The Millionairess (availble only in P&S from Fox Lorber) Peter Sellers, Sophia Loren
Sanctuary Lee Remick, Yves Montand
Second Time Around Debbie Reynolds
Bachelor Flat Tuesday Weld, Celeste Holm
The Lion William Holden, Capucine
Lisa Stephen Boyd, Dolores Hart
Tender Is The Night Jennifer Jones, Jason Robards
Condemned Of Altona Sophia Loren, Fredric March
Nine Hours To Rama Jose Ferrer, Diane Baker
The Stripper Joanne Woodward, Claire Trevor
Take Her She's Mine James Stewart, Sandra Dee
Fate Is The Hunter Glenn Ford, Dorothy Malone
Goodbye Charlie Debbie Reynolds, Tony Curtis
Pleasure Seekers Ann-Margret, Gene Tierney
Rio Conchos Anthony Franciosa
Shock Treatment Lauren Bacall, Roddy McDowall
The Visit Ingrid Bergman, Anthony Quinn
Dear Brigitte James Stewart
John Goldfarb Please Come Home Shirley MacLaine, Peter Ustinov
The Reward Max Von Sydow, Yvette Mimieux
Stagecoach (1966) Ann-Margret, Bing Crosby

Well, okay, more than I thought but anyone care to bet that at least 75% of them will see the light of day?

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

I'm willing to bet that 75% of them will NOT see the light of day.

A few of those still have never been shown letterboxed on the Fox Movie Channel, for mysterious reasons.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

Why don't you think Fox will release many more CinemaScope films? By my count they've already released 16 this year. Sure that will probably slow down, but I think they will release more than what they put out on LaserDisc.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

My votes go to THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE (please!!!! ), A BOY ON A DOLPHIN, TEN NORTH FREDERICKS and GOODBYE CHARLIE - many more of course, but those especially

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

I'd like to see THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE OR FREE in the correct aspect ratio, too. Every broadcast of the film on the Fox Movie Channel in the last year has been pan and scan, and I refuse to watch it in such a butchered fashion.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

What a list! Though having seen some of those films, I don't think a release will be coming soon though I guess you never know. Bigger Than Life is the one I want most of all.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

BIGGER THAN LIFE is availabe from Spain with a terrific anamorphic widescreen transfer. I have it and it's pretty good - very sharp and colorful, even if the film gets a little silly.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

I guess I'm cynical, because, as I said, there are still several which have never been shown letterboxed on The Fox Movie Channel.

Besides the already-mentioned "The Best Things in Life Are Free," there's "Prince of Players," "April Love," "Bernardine," "Mardi Gras," etc. etc.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

And half of those films most people have never even heard of, rendering them totally unmarketable.

I'd like to see a special edition of FATE IS THE HUNTER just as much as the next guy, but let's be realistic here.

It'll happen, eventually, but it's gonna happen one film at a time.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

I agree, most people have never heard of most of those films (especially if they're under 50) I worked for FOX way back when and I never heard of most of those films!

It would be really difficult to market those films. They only way it may happen is if FOX does Star drive box sets (Like Warner Bros) and stick the unknown films in with one or two hits)


My guess is that in the next ten years there will be no DVD/highdef DVD - just video on demand - and in which case we will all pay a monthly fee to view unlimited amounts of films. Cable stations like AMC and TCM will vanish and those obscure films will show up on the video on demand film menus.

Although I would still like to be able to purchase Discs, as the studios can pull a film from view at any moment (Disney would probably go this route)

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THE LOST WORLD is coming out in September as a SE. I understand that there are some "rights" issues with FATE IS THE HUNTER. Why is it that THE CONDEMNED OF ALTONA is never shown on TV in any ratio aspect?

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

For those who think it is unlikely Fox would release the majority of CinemaScope titles because "nobody has heard of them" ..... well if Fox can release such in demand recognizable "classics" with big superstars like Convict Stage with Harry Lauter and Donald Barry, House Of The Damned with Merry Anders and Night Train To Paris with Leslie Nielsen and Aliza Gur ... then there's no reason the titles listed can't be released as marketable. I've gone back and added cast members to the titles and some very recognizable names, certainly more famous than Harry Lauter and Merry Anders!

Charles, when The Lost World (or any other CinemaScope title) is officially announced, I'll remove them from the listing.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

Movies Unlimited is taking pre-orders for a 9/11 release of THE LOST WORLD: SE.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

Great news, Charles! I saw that Amazon is taking pre orders, too. I removed it from the list. 1 down and 93 to go!

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I wonder how Pat Boone, who was so popular in his day, feels that there's little, if any, demand for a Pat Boone boxset with "April Love," "Bernardine," "Mardi Gras" and "All Hands on Deck," which so far have been demoted to pan-and-scan limbo on the Fox Movie Channel. (And shouldn't that last title be on the list?)

What about the Regal films Fox released from 1956 to 1959? If they still have the rights to any of them, there are lots more CinemaScope movies to add to the list (although they called it RegalScope.)

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

I don't know why Fox won't release "Left hand of God". That is the only CinemaScope film Bogart ever appeared in. Also, there are several film noir that has been mentioned that have never been released on VHS/Beta or Laser disc. The titles are "Black Widow", "A hatful of Rain", "Violent Saturday","23 Paces to Baker Street". It would be a miracle if they see the light on DVD.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

A new print of Violent Saturday screened at an Italian Film Festival last week. It is a festival that specialises in screening restored and preserved films. See here: http://www.cinetecadibologna.it/en/ritrovato.htm

Hopefully this means a DVD release will be on its way. Fox have already released a lot of Richard Fleischer CinemaScope films (including The Girl in the Red Velvent Swing last week).

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

I recall that VIOLENT SATURDAY was remastered (and an audio commentary was recorded) for the old Fox Noir series. Some speculated that three more noirs are forthcoming. MAN HUNT--if only for the fact that Fritz Lang directed it--would be the other likely candidate.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

Joe, I've added All Hands On Deck to the list. From 1954 on, Fox shot just about ALL of their films in CinemaScope including "B" westerns and other minor films which is why in the original post I said "almost all of Fox's MAJOR CinemaScope films" and why I didn't include their "B" CinemaScope titles or the RegalScope titles.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

Another title I'd add is SANCTUARY with Lee Remick and Yves Montand.

PRINCE OF PLAYERS has been shown on the Fox Movie Channel.

I'm not sure that Fox still controls the rights to CHINA GATE. I saw a screening of it once and the print began with the logo of a different studio (not a major one). I wonder if this is a film Fox distributed rather than produced.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

Samuel Fuller's CHINA GATE came out on VHS via Republic, which means that its dvd fate is in the dubious hands of Lionsgate. By the by, the five Collins' films are sumptuous and it's an extremely entertaining group of films--especially for CinemaScope buffsa. One of the included docs shows Joan Collins' screentest for the b-&-w CinemaScoped THE WAYWARD BUS, and it looks terrific. A rights issue about the Steinbeck property caused it to be dropped from the Mansfield boxset.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

Thanks, Bob. I've added Sanctuary and if I've forgotten any other "important" Fox CinemaScope titles, I'd appreciate the 411.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

But never letterboxed -- or was it, and I missed it?

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I'm pretty sure it was, but it was years ago. I remember making a VHS copy for my brother who is a Lincoln buff and a history teacher

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

Whenever I've seen GOODBYE CHARLIE on TV, it's carried a Warner Bros. TV logo at the end. So I suspect that this film might have reverted to WB, though I suppose Fox still owns the intellectual property, since they did attempt a sitcom version of this story in the late '80's.

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Don't know about that one. Fox did a nice preservation on the title two or three years ago. It looks stunning.

Perhaps the video rights are owned by someone else?

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

my suspicion is that FATE IS THE HUNTER had some literary "rights" issues with the Gann estate.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

Prince of Players is one of the films that Fox has never shown letterboxed.

Others of this group inclue Untamed, Womans World, April Love, the Best Things in Life are free.

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

A anamorphic widescreen transfer DVD is also available in France titled "Derrière le miroir" (in English with removable French subtitles).

gets a little silly? just because James Mason's character wants to sacrifice his son like Abraham and when reminded that an alternative sacrifice was offered, speaks the immortal line G-d was wrong!?

Re: 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope films

Back in my wayward (late) youth hanging out at the video store days (early 1980s), "April Love" was probably the most requested 1950s movie not available on video - it sure beat "Girl Can't Help It" and the perpetually re-released "South Pacific" to mention a couple of Fox titles from the same period.

It was nominated for "best music, original song" Academy Award. Other films have been issued on DVD by Fox based on a nomination.

Fox did use Pat Boone for commentary on the 1962 "State Fair" and Shirley Jones has appeared on several featurettes, so Fox knows they're around for commentary.

21 year old Shirley Jones was never hotter than in this movie.

Whether or not this is included in a "Pat Boone box" this movie should be paired with the original 1944 "Home in Indiana" (also in color) with Jeanne Crain, Walter Brennan, Charlotte Greenwood, and Lon McCallister. And since Shirley Jones worked with Charlotte Greenwood, she could provide commentary on this movie too..

I wonder if Fox is afraid that this type of package will sell too well..