re: THE BOWERY BOYS on DVD: continuing discussion of Warner's eventual release plans
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Originally Posted by Randy Korstick
I think those that do not care about Chronological have not seen these films for quite some time when you see them again you will understand why Chronological is important. This series is much closer to a T.V. series than a collection of films. If you were buying Happy days or Friends or any long running sit-com would you really not care if a set mixed episodes from Season one, Three, Five, Nine etc. I find it hard to believe that most wouldn't at least want each season released together. The same reasons for wanting T.V. Seasons released together would apply to the Bowery Boys. Change in supporting characters, Change Tone, Change in Main characters, etc. Besides Chronological has nothing to do with getting the films released faster. Releasing the films with good prints now or waiting for all the films to be found with good prints is the issue for when they will come out. There seemed to a general consensus a page back in this thread for getting the best prints out now in chronological order and skip the problem prints. So why rock the boat and confuse Warners now?
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I agree -- I thought we had a general consensus! I think the only thing that may confuse Warner is all this going back and forth again!
I wonder when this thread will finally be closed, and Ron and WB may start to evaluate what's been written? Because at this point doesn't it seem like we're going over and over again?
Randy, one thing I must say is that, for me, it does have something to do with releasing these films "faster". Warner already said a couple of years back that they were going to be releasing these films and then stopped because they hit a snag when one of the movies (or perhaps more than one) didn't have great elements to work with. We could wait forever for them to find perfect materials for 48 films. It makes so much more sense to release them chronologically, working with what they've got, and skip a handful if they must until better elements are located. Most of the original fans who are eager for the features either grew up seeing these in theaters or on television, and THEY will be Warner's core audience who will buy first and foremost. They will also be buying irregardless of what final decision the studio makes in how they'll release them, but these folks are older and have families and responsibilities - they're not getting any younger!
I know this will sound like a broken record, Randy, but since I've gotten no response on this point I'd like to repeat again that even when viewed in strict chronological sequence, the Bowery Boys films sometimes went from comedy to drama and then back to comedy again, and so on. I'm basically a supporter of having them all released chronologically (which is how I'd "prefer" almost any film series to be issued) but I have to fall on the side of those who don't think it's that big a deal with the Bowery Boys films. Even with the other members of the cast of supporting characters, most of the time they were just window dressing, and the real draw were Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall. Gabriel Dell was in a lot of the earlier films, and he always shifted the type of character he played from film to film; it didn't matter what order those were watched in. But still -- the idea of releasing them as chronologically as possible right now and going back to problematic prints later seems to be making everyone satisfied.
