The Fugitive, Season Two Volume 1 - Reviews - Page 23

Carabimero · 06-29-2008, 07:16 AM

I think somebody just got a "bright idea" to save legal the hassle of checking. I really do.

Their spokesperson's statement also leads me to believe that.

Edit: Further, I see no reason there would be a legal gag order preventing them from speaking about the Gunsmoke screwup, so they lose that benefit of the doubt from me on the Fugitive.

Douglas Monce · 06-29-2008, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carabimero

I think somebody just got a "bright idea" to save legal the hassle of checking. I really do.

Their spokesperson's statement also leads me to believe that.

I'm sorry but again I'm not buying that. The legal "hassles" of music clearances would have been much less and much less expensive than re scoring 30 shows.

The only scenario that I can think of where that might have happened is if they knew they would never have rights to the music. Or if someone was demanding SO much money that they could never recover the costs.

Doug

Douglas Monce · 06-29-2008, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carabimero

Edit: Further, I see no reason there would be a legal gag order preventing them from speaking about the Gunsmoke screwup, so they lose that benefit of the doubt from me on the Fugitive.

This is a point well taken. However I was simply putting that out there as a possibility. As someone from inside Paramount stated, "legal issues" came up on a computer with regard to this show. When you get lawyers involved anything is possible.

Doug

Joseph Bolus · 06-29-2008, 11:42 AM

Well, I just ordered the Season 1 Volume One and Two sets *again* -- before CBS/Paramount decides to mutilate them -- and I'm now done with "The Fugitive" until and if this music mess is resolved.

At least, as was posted earlier in this thread, we have this to remember the proper underscore by:

YouTube - David Janssen's Fugitive Tribute

Clugul · 06-29-2008, 11:58 AM

The fact remains that CBS/Paramount did not alert the consumer to the complete re-scoring of the music. They just kept the same standard disclaimer that appeared in both this and the previous S1V2 DVD in very small print: "Some music has been changed for this home entertainment version." And they digitally inserted the new names into the final credits as if these new people were among those named in the original credits.

BillyFeldman · 06-29-2008, 12:01 PM

"UNART may have been Rugolo's own publishing entity"

Unart is the publishing entity of United Artists. This has nothing to do with Pete Rugolo or his estate or any publishing entity he may have had, because Rugolo's music was work for hire - the studio owned it, lock, stock, and barrel, and all Rugolo would have ever seen from it is his standard writer's share of the publishing royalties. It's been that way since year one. From what I understand, this has only to do with a handful of cues from the Capitol library - remove those cues and the problem is solved - unless you're a lawyer working for a studio.

Clugul · 06-29-2008, 03:01 PM

Since I can't post URLs yet, please Google
"the david janssen archive a disturbing update"
for comments and suggestions from the Administrator of The David Janssen Archives.

TravisR · 06-29-2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clugul

Since I can't post URLs yet, please Google
"the david janssen archive a disturbing update"
for comments and suggestions from the Administrator of The David Janssen Archives.

Here's a link:
The David Janssen Archive

To me, the most important part he writes is:

Quote:

So write. Don't ramble or overemotionalize. These people are in professional positions, ones in most cases they've earned. You may not agree with them, but we are at their mercy; they are in charge. Simply state, rationally and intelligently, how YOU feel about what has happened with the music on the new "season 2, volume 1" release. Ask that it be changed and not done again. Don't stir about it at home without action. Contact:

Mr. John Nogawski
President, CBS Television Distribution
2401 Colorado Ave, Ste 110
Santa Monica CA 90404

and:

Mr. Ken Ross
Executive VP, CBS Home Entertainment
1700 Broadway 33rd Floor
New York, NY 10019

Corey3rd · 06-29-2008, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

Right now the only way I know of for a film property to avoid potential tampering is for it to be included on the National Film Registry at the Library Of Congress. Once it's on that list it cannot be changed from its original incarnation in any way, shape or form. I believe this list was started in 1992 as a more or less reaction to the outcry from people who thought that CITIZEN KANE was about to be colorized by alleged philistine Ted Turner. Of course, Turner took the criticism to heart and went on to create the single greatest network in the history of television, Turner Classic Movies. No television series has ever made it to the list, though I think a good argument can be made for THE FUGITIVE above all others, yet it is very unlikely it will happen anytime soon, if ever. At this point the National Film Board does not seem all that interested in episodic television. But short of that, whomever owns the property in question can pretty much do whatever they like with it.

The Registry has nothing to do with dictating how a film on the list can be altered or presented by the copyright holders. It merely means the Library of Congress will do their best to keep an original release version of the film. And that doesn't insure that the LoC has a good 35mm copy. We tried to do a series with them of films on the list and it was amazing at what they didn't have available.

Clugul · 06-29-2008, 04:18 PM

And also write to

President
Paramount Home Entertainment
5555 Melrose Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90038

Gary OS · 06-29-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TravisR

Here's a link:
The David Janssen Archive

I'm in agreement with Travis that it's important that civility be the order of the day. But I also think this portion of the article illustrates a point I've been trying to make for years now:

Quote:

What THE FUGITIVE does not have is a creative champion-- a powerful person in the Hollywood community who can put pressure on the DVD division to spend the addtional resources, time, and money on clearing whatever rights issues appear to be outstanding---a Spielberg who can say "you're not changing the music on my favorite show!". Quinn Martin and Janssen are dead. Producer Alan Armer is retired and learned of this after the fact. Rugolo is over 90 and may not be fit to wage a personal crusade.

Granted music rights are complex issues. No one at this website is privy to the legal or financial particulars of the issues at hand. But this is a solvable problem when people care enough...

We need advocates, in positions of authority, to see a halt to this kind of stuff. For instance I know for a fact that "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" got released on great dvds because of the advocacy of Doug Denoff. Without him going to bat for this show I'm pretty sure Paul Brownstein would have never gone to Image and we wouldn't have got the sets as quickly as we did. I guess we would have eventually seen them surface, but trust me when I tell you that having an advocate with some pull makes a huge, huge difference.

Gary "we really need that type of person to take up the cause for us when it comes to this series" O.

Douglas Monce · 06-29-2008, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyFeldman

"UNART may have been Rugolo's own publishing entity"

Unart is the publishing entity of United Artists. This has nothing to do with Pete Rugolo or his estate or any publishing entity he may have had, because Rugolo's music was work for hire - the studio owned it, lock, stock, and barrel, and all Rugolo would have ever seen from it is his standard writer's share of the publishing royalties. It's been that way since year one. From what I understand, this has only to do with a handful of cues from the Capitol library - remove those cues and the problem is solved - unless you're a lawyer working for a studio.

Ah! This right here maybe part of the answer. When UA was broken up after the Heaven's Gate train wreck, rights to various UA holdings went in many different directions. This is the most likely source of the problem right here. What exactly that problem is I don't know.

Again a few Capitol cues would not prompt them to remove all the music from 30 episodes. That is the least likely answer.

Doug