Warner Archive Discussion Thread (The Announcements/The Films)

Watched a little HOLIDAY IN MEXICO last night.  The transfer and color are great, though the hues are a little soft.  Again, as with SMALL TOWN GIRL, the transfer looks as if it was intended for a standard DVD musical collection release.  I have never seen a VHS copy or a laserdisc (if produced) of the this title, but the main titles were drastically window-boxed, which does find fault with my new transfer assumption as they would window-box titles for VHS transfers.  I was pleased with what I have seen so far.

Where's the guy who usually posts the list of upcoming releases? I'd be glad to do it myself and post the list here, if someone can instruct me how. I tried a few different strategies, like typing Two Seconds, and then typing Edward G. Robinson (one of the titles on the HTF poster's upcoming release list, along with it's starring actor), into the search window, but came up with bupkis. Again, I'm willing to do the work and post the results here, if someone can direct me how to find the list of titles. 

I don't know what method Mr. Mesh uses to find the cover art. I'm sure it's more sophisticated than this. I right-clicked on the cover art for some recent releases on the website and copied the image location URL, then pasted it in another browser tab and manually varied the digits in front of the .jpeg at the end. This trial-and-error method yielded the covers for several of the recently announced titles, plus the ones on Gregory's most recent list of unannounced titles from last week.

I also found the following, which I haven't seen listed on the site or above, but maybe I just missed them:

The Gathering (1977)  - Part 2 was listed previously

Rich, Young and Pretty (1951)

Tiger Shark (1932)

These were all image numbers close to those of other valid covers. I haven't done an exhaustive search of all numbers, or figured out any kind of pattern to them.

I apologize if this is old information, but I'm hoping it's helpful.

As I was checking out the November Mega Sale at DeepDiscount.com tonight I saw this banner ad"

I use exactly the same method.

Quote:

Well that's disappointing.

I was hoping you wrote an advanced web-crawling script that searched through all the numbers and collated them into a directory where you could quickly view all the covers. I'm sure something like that could be done, if anyone out there is savvy enough. (I'm not)


Edited by GlennH - 11/13/09 at 2:37pm

Say,.has anyone put together a list (By date) of all the films currently released via the Archive?

The closest I've come to this is at the following classicflix.com website; look for the Warner Archive listing for each month:

http://www.classicflix.com/articles.php

I'm very glad that Slither and See You In the Morning came out in the Warner Archive 
collection. I've ordered them last week and they just shipped 2 days ago and I think that they
will be coming in the mail tomorrow. Also, I'm excited about what they're gonna be putting out next month because I heard that GregoryMesh said that Just Tell Me What You Want is coming out next week. I've been wanting to see that and I will be getting that at some point.

 I am afraid I have not been actively following this thread and questions  about these two movies might have already been asked and answered but I was wondering about A MAJORITY OF ONE starring Alec Guinnnes and Rosalind Russell. The story is about a relationship between a Japanese gentleman and a Jewish woman and I loved the movie. TCM aired it about a year ago but  I was  only able to catch  a glimpse of it. The other film is THE BURNING HILLS starring Natalie Wood and Tab Hunter. I saw both of these films during their theatrical first run in the late fifties (Burning Hills) and early sixties (Majority) and I would love to have them both on discs.

-Claude

Yes, I've wondered if anybody is compiling a comprehensive running list of releases. Just be aware, classicflix.com will only list, well, "classic" flicks. They will only list or carry pre-1970.

I try to maintain the list at dvdaf.  Here's the list of released titles and here's the list of announced and not announced titles.

Unfortunately, I can't tell when titles are coming, I can only see the titles they plan to release in the near future.

Just saw this discount today in an ad in the New York Times magazine:

20% OFF Warner Archive Titles with the code: THE SEARCH

I haven't tested it, so I don;t know if it's stackable.

Warner Archives has new pre-orders up today:

 

 

Mayday at 40,000 feet

Babe

Because your mine

Betty Ford story

Call it a day

Flight of Dragons

Gun Glory

I love Melvin

Man with two Faces

Manpower

Our vines have tender grapes

Out of the Fog

Rich, Young & Pretty

Tiger Shark

Life & Adventures Santa Claus/ Nestor

the Xmas Donkey

Winter Kill

Two Seconds

Yogi's First Christmas
WB Big Band Shorts collection

 

Any chance they'll ever do this for blu-rays? I've been spoiled and somewhat given up on watching dvds--although that may be a mistake when it comes to oldies...

Also, The Nightcracker ended up being a 1965 TV special.

Three cheers for the WB Big Band Shorts Collection, 6 discs, 63 shorts.  This is going to be great.  Now I am looking forward to those Pete Smith Specialties and James A Fitzpatrick's Traveltalks.  So now as the sun sets we say a fond farewll and leave the wonderful site known as Home Theatre Forum.

2 more titles previously mentioned were added today - Deadly Game and Smilin Through.

Does anyone know where I can find a list of shorts to be included in WB Big Band Shorts Collection?

Add me to the list of folks wanting to see the 63 titles in the WB Big Band Shorts Collection.

Continuing on big band shorts, WB had two multi-disc laser disc collections of Vitaphone shorts, short titles 'Swing, Swing, Swing' Volumes 1 & 2; I have the initial set, 45 titles, but for some reason never purchased the second set and now have no idea what's on it.

Getting the titles of what's in the Archive DVD set will also indicate are all really WB titles and not a marriage with MGM shorts they also have the rights to.

At first this didn't work, but then I typed in  thesearch  and the discount worked fine.

 I don't see Smilin Through, but they now list The Last Gangster and Give A Girl A Break as New Releases. 

The new titles this week contain six Edward G. Robinson movies - what would have been an obvious WB box set a couple of years ago.  As it is, an obvious "Value Pack" if they decide to continue with that marketing strategy. 

I held out for a Jolson value pack and it paid off.  There are any number of obvious packs - but whenever they issue a new one it just strengthens my hope for even more value packs.  The fact that you can get a value pack at $10 per disk - versus the $20 usual price, or even a $15 or $16 price with a coupon - certainly makes the value packs worth waiting for, even if I have to wait till heaven knows when.

I've been buying a lot of Criterion releases over at Barnes and Noble's 50% off sale.  Boy - what you get for your money at those prices!

As for Lionsgate - maybe some of you have heard how they screwed up the recent release of John Huston's The Dead.  They released a truncated version, which has been totally recalled.  I have waited years for that release, and they foul it up!  Did someone say that people are critical of Lionsgate?

It's disappointing that the value paks that disappeared have not returned. If that's what they intend to do, they should make clear that they're available for a limited time only.

Also, whatever happned to the "Women of Warner Bros" value pak, promised 4 months ago?

I don't think we got a firm promise on "Women of Warner Bros.: - i.e, it was mentioned early on, along with a variety of other possible releases, some of which have shown up - others have not.  For example, I distinctly recall the 1954 Beau Brummel with Eliz. Taylor being mentioned as a forthcoming release - but it's still not here.  Nothing seems for sure with this Archive.  (Next thing you know they'll be deleting titles so as to scare us into purchasing titles for fear they might get taken down.)

Earlier today, the Vitaphone Project's Ron Hutchinson provided this information on another forum...

DISC 1:
Ramblin' `Round Radio Row #1 (1932-33)
Ramblin' `Round Radio Row #2 (1932-33)
Ramblin' `Round Radio Row #3 (1932-33)
Ramblin' `Round Radio Row #4 (1932-33)
Ramblin' `Round Radio Row #5 (1932-33)
Ramblin' `Round Radio Row #6 (1932-33)
Ramblin' `Round Radio Row #1 (1933-34)
Ramblin' `Round Radio Row #2 (1933-34)
Ramblin' `Round Radio Row #1 (1934-35)
The Yacht Party
The Audition

DISC 2:
Yamekraw
Smash Your Baggage
That's the Spirit
Pie, Pie Blackbird
Rufus Jones for President
All Colored Vaudeville Show
King for a Day
The Black Network

DISC 3:
Eddie Duchin & Orchestra
Mills Blue Rhythm Band
Isham Jones & His Orchestra
Ben Pollack & His Orchestra
Dave Apollon & Co. in The Wishing Stone
Johnny Green & His Orchestra
Borrah Minevitch & His Harmonica Rascals
Red Nichols & His World Famous Pennies
George Hall & His Orchestra
Harry Reser & His Eskimos
Little Jack Little & Orchestra

DISC 4:
Jimmie Lunceford & His Dance Orchestra
B.A. Rolfe & His Orchestra in Off the Record
Leon Navara & His Orchestra in Sin-Copation
Cab Calloway & His Orchestra in Hi De Ho
Freddie Rich & His Orchestra
Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra
Larry Clinton & His Orchestra with Carol Bruce
Ray Kinney & His Royal Hawaiian Orchestra
Swing Cat's Jamboree
Saturday Night Swing Club
Larry Clinton & His Orchestra in The Dispy Doodler

DISC 5:
Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra
Artie Shaw & His Orchestra in Symphony of Swing
Vincent Lopez & His Orchestra with Betty Hutton
Frances Carroll & the Coquettes
Larry Clinton & His Orchestra with Bea Wain
Rita Rio & Her Orchestra
Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
Henry Busse & His Orchestra
Cliff Edwards & His Buckaroos
Woody Herman & His Orchestra
Skinnay Ennis & His Orchestra

DISC 6:
Hal Kemp & His Orchestra
Glen Gray & the Casa Loma Orchestra
Six Hits and a Miss
Borrah Minevitch & His Harmonica School
Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra
Jammin' the Blues
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
Jan Savitt & His Band
Spade Cooley, King of Western Swing
Stan Kenton and Orchestra
Desi Arnaz & His Orchestra

Sorry if this has already been mentioned but I couldn't see it anywhere, from the NYP Blogs:

DVD Extra: Warner Archive gets some remastering

"Some of the early Warner Archive releases should not have been put out because of the quality, admits Warner Home Video's George Feltenstein, who says the studio has set a "higher bar" because of fan complaints. "We've rejected a lot of things we planned to release, like 'Lucky Night' with Robert Taylor and Myrna Loy, which has a very shaky image," says Feltenstein, who I interviewed recently in connection with this week's superb Blu-ray release of "Gone With the Wind."

The original concept of the Warner Archive was to use existing digital masters created for TCM and VHS to make a large number of films -- more than 350 so far -- available on demand that wouldn't have supported a regular commercial DVD release. "Now we're going to do some re-mastering on a small group of films, and hopefully more if we can get the budget," Feltenstein says. (There are a number of widescreen WB. films from the '50s and '60s, like "The Chapman Report," that presently exist only in old pan-and-scan transfers and would have to be redone in letterbox). 

He is particularly keen on the "beautiful" new high-def master for Roy Rowland's "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes" (1945) with Margaret O'Brien, one of a group of Edward G. Robinson movies that became available yesterday at warnerachive.com. (The others are Raoul Walsh's rousing "Manpower" with Marlene Dietrich and George Raft; Howard Hawks' "Tiger Shark," Mervyn LeRoy's fascinating "Two Seconds" with Mary Astor; "The Man With Two Faces," from a play by Alexander Wollcott and George S. Kaufman; and "The Last Gangster" with a moustachioed James Stewart). Coming up from the Archive is a remastered version of Michael Curtiz' "Mammy" with Al Jolson, complete with restored Technicolor sequences. "That one looks good enough for Blu-ray," he says.

For those "myopic individuals" griping that WHV is focusing its resources away from regular DVD releases to Archive releases and Blu-gray upgrades, Feltenstein says "we have a very robust schedule planned for both regular DVD and the Archive. I think people are going to be pleased." The studio has already announced a 10-title fifth volume for its film noir series for 2010, as as well as another Errol Flynn set (the latter will not include "Santa Fe Trail," which is being photochemically restored after long-missing original elements were discovered).

Over at the Archive, Feltenstein promises more titles featuring stars who haven't been well represented so far -- James Cagney, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart and Wallace Beery. Sales for the relative handful of TV movies and mini-series released so far "blew everyone away. We had our best month yet in October. I have found some stuff nobody even knows about. There was a series called 'Conflict' that Warners made for ABC in the '50s, with a lot of stars in remakes of old movies, like Natalie Wood in a version of 'Pretty Baby.' "

One of the big vintage titles bowing on Blu-ray -- within the next six months, Felteinstein says -- is George Cukor's 1954 version of "A Star is Born" with Judy Garland. "It's an extraordinary presentation, with a lot of exciting extras," he says. Felsteinstein confirmed our earlier report that the extras include a remastered version of William Wellman's classic 1937 version. But not Cukor's "What Price Hollywood," which is considered a precursor. "We considered it, but there wasn't space and it truly isn't a version of the same story."

I'm curious what other titles - besides the ones mentioned in this article - are included in this "very robust schedule" but this is slightly off topic.

Quote:

Thank you for your work keeping dvdaf up-to-date regarding archive titles-- it's appreciated!

At the beginning of the year, Warner said its non-Archive release programme would be "full-steam ahead" and it wasn't. Now George Feltenstein promises a "very robust schedule" for regular DVD even though it's now November and nothing has been announced. I may be "myopic" (literally, as it happens), but I can see a wild exaggeration a mile off.

And where are these announcements of pressed Noir and Flynn sets for 2010? I haven't seen them. Just more Archive crap.

And it's great to see James Cagney, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart will all be dumped in the Archive next year. Such obscure artists certainly "wouldn't have supported a regular commercial DVD release". As they haven't over the past decade, in the years when Warner was a company that took pride in itself.