Dennis the Menace

Re: Dennis the Menace

Sony's release of "Hazel" could be considered a small ray of hope for other vintage Screen Gems shows such as "Donna Reed Show", "Father Knows Best" etc. so "Dennis The Menace is always possible. After all, they surprised a few people when they released "Gidget".

Re: Dennis the Menace

I hope they decide to release it I remember when TV Land use to show it on weekends.

Re: Dennis the Menace

I've surprisingly never seen it (I don't think) but I'd definitely blindly purchase. I'm almost sure that I'd love it!

Re: Dennis the Menace

I have a feeling "Hazel" didn't sell well. I got it at Sam's Club the day it came out. They had 20 copies. I left behind 19.

I returned two weeks later and they still had 19. Uh oh.

But it's surprising they never released "Dennis the Menace." After all, that comic strip is still running, so it's known to people of all ages. Only old geezers like me have fond memories of "Hazel."

Re: Dennis the Menace

Luckily Sony does all of their authoring in-house so they have a much lower sales point to hit in order for a release to be profitable. Unlike other studios such as Universal and Warner, both of which pay astronomical costs for their transferring making any small niche releases impossible for them to do. That's why Sony has put out things like Tabitha, Here Come the Brides, Gidget, Walking Tall and other not as well know product. They still have an aversion to black and white though (unless it's a show that went to color at some point).

Re: Dennis the Menace

Hazel made it all the way up to amazons top 40 best selling dvds, the week it was released . If a show like that can sell like that, dennis which is much more known to the general public than hazel should sell even better.Im shocked its still not on dvd.Clueless sony !

Re: Dennis the Menace

You never know but since it is based on a comic strip there could very well be a rights issue like there is with Batman.

Re: Dennis the Menace

I believe hazel was a comic strip too.

Re: Dennis the Menace

Mike, that's good info. Thanks, it helps me and others understand some "mysteries" about Uni's and Warner's "no-shows". I had wondered how "Tabitha" got released. I remember being surprised at that one.


Tony, that's an interesting comparison about "Hazel" and "Dennis...". I held off on getting "Hazel" for now since it wasn't toward the top of my list but I'll probably end up getting that one eventually.

As for "Dennis..", thanks "Tom" for this "reminder" thread "Dennis.." was another series from that era that I'd almost forgotton about wanting on DVD and I haven't seen it in syndication for a long time.

Re: Dennis the Menace

Until Sony shows me evidence to the contrary, I'm still going to maintain that they have an aversion to their B&W series. There are too many good shows they have locked in their vault collecting dust to make me feel otherwise.

Gary "and yes, 'Dennis' is one of those shows that deserves a release but may never see the light of day because it's an exclusively B&W series" O.

Re: Dennis the Menace

And the only full black and white series to come out was Naked City, which they licensed out 60 episodes of to Image. However they wouldn't give Image the rest of the series nor will they let anyone else have Route 66. Not that they'll do it themselves but they don't want another company releasing it.

Re: Dennis the Menace

Don't forget the filmed Burns and Allen shows. Another series Sony owns and does not release. Oh well at least we almost have the complete Dick York Bewitched.

I wanted to tell the "Dennis the Menace" fans who have given up hope for a DVD release that this series will be shown on the new network Antenna TV, which starts January 1.  This channel is designed for digital television subchannels, not cable or satellite, so it should be available for free if a station in your city signs on to it.

 

Antenna TV's licensing agreement is with Sony, so they'll also be showing "Father Knows Best," "Hazel," "The Three Stooges," "The Flying Nun," "Burns and Allen" and a whole bunch of others.

 

You can see their planned schedule and what cities and stations have already signed on by going to their website here:

 

http://antennatv.tv/shows/antenna/

Wow! Thanks for the heads up!

I see they also have The Farmer's Daughter!

I hope I get that channel. I would record Hazel, Dennis, and Farmer's Daughter!

Until I see exactly what form they are running these shows, I'm not about to get excited. Having seen the Sony remasters on Burns and Allen and Father Knows Best, I'm not that hopeful. Bad, bad cutting. Commercial breaks in the wrong spots. Just horrible. Of course maybe they went back and remastered to high def and now the shows are better edited or maybe even complete. As with all of the other news, I'm not doing any happy dance like people here do and then wind up disappointed. But if the shows aren't butchered, there is a nice selection, including Here Come the Brides, Ford Theatre, Iron Horse (be great to get rid of those CBN copies finally), and a few others, although its a lot of common stuff mostly. In the meantime, I'll stick with my Nick at Nite Dennis the Menaces, from when Nick ran shows complete.

I am interested in seeing The ADVENTURES Of WILD BILL HICKOK, (I have a 60 episode, or so, pretty good to passable boot). So it's an opportunity for me to get better copies of all Hickok's 113 episodes, some in color.

 

I'll try to record the  IRON HORSE, 47 episodes. An edited version of the Iron Horse pilot, "Scalplock" was on one of the Tales of Wells Fargo releases, wonder if the pilot it will be on AntennaTV? The Scalplock pilot was a SELMUR production. How did Sony end up with the Iron Horse?

 

I'll take a look at Circus Boy and Rin Tin Tin, but probably won't try to record them. I'd buy them if they were released on DVD or Mod though.

 

 

I wonder if RIN TIN TIN will be the original version, or that edited sepia tone version they did in the '70s or '80s?

 

The fly in the ointment for me is that the local affiliate for AntennaTV in my area is the same sub-station that is now showing  THIS/MGM. So I guess THIS is out for me in January.  

 

 

 There are color episodes of ADVENTURES Of WILD BILL HICKOK?

I agree that it's too soon to get excited.  It's unlikely that these are going to be HD transfers -- besides, every subchannel I've seen so far is SD, anyway.  I expect these shows to be cut -- I just hope they're not time compressed (sped up); I can't stand that.

 

It's possible if in the early days they don't sell much commercial time, they might show the episodes complete!  I can dream, can't I?

 

To Neil Brock:  You mentioned "Ford Theatre."  I don't see that on the schedule.  However, I had been wondering what "Showcase 39" and "All Star Theatre" were -- were those syndicated names for "Ford Theatre"?

 

To Bob Gu:  You said "the local affiliate for AntennaTV in my area is the same sub-station that is now showing  THIS/MGM. So I guess THIS is out for me in January."

 

But can't a channel have up to 99 subchannels?  My city has one local channel with two subchannels, and another one has three.  So it's possible you'll get both.

 

I think it's amazing that over-the-air TV now is HD with subchannels.  The future is here!  It's amazing how many people I've talked to don't even know about any of this, because they have cable or satellite.

Joe,  I am hoping my local station is starting up another sub-station for AntennaTv, rather than droping THIS.

 

Locally the CBS station doesn't have any sub-stations yet, NBC has two, ABC has two, PBS has two, another PBS station has two, a religious station has four, the Spanish language station has four, and ION has a couple, to name some.

 

Your right,Joe, nobody knows about these stations.  They have been operating for two years and their schedules are not listed in the papers!  No wonder newspapers are dying!

 

DeWilson, there sure are color episodes of WILD BILL HICKOK. The last 52 of 113 episodes were filmed in color. Like The Adventures of Superman, Hickok was sponsered and financed by Kellogs.  The color episodes of both shows were filmed in the same 1954-58 time frame.

 

There are black and white prints around of Hickok color episodes.  In the color episodes, Guy Madison, as Hickok, wears brown pants and later a brown hat, which appear black in the B&W versions of the color episodes.  So I hope Antenna TV has all the color episodes in color, but I won't be surprised if we get the B&W versions. (I only have seen about five color Hickoks actually in color.)   

 

Here is something interesting from the Shout Factory message boards. There was someone asking about the Dennis The Menace tv show, a few weeks ago. Brian Ward responded with this, " I think youll see Dennis on dvd sooner rather than later."  Now what do you think that could mean ?  I just have a hunch that they secured the rights, begun remastering season 1, but are not allowed to reveal it yet. I could be wrong, but thats what I think. 

Also to add to the last post, Shout if you are reading this, when and if you release this. Please dont release 1 season, then go MOD. That leaves us  european buyers out in the cold.

Personally, I'll be taping the Burns and Allen. I see they're planning on showing two B&A a day, Monday through Friday. That's 10 eps a week. Also, they're on in the middle of the day (1:30 PM) and not at some weird time like 3 AM. I may tape some Dennis as well. The Farmers Daughter is one I've never ever seen, so that may get a look too. I see their schedule is titled "1st Qtr. 2010". That makes me wonder if schedules may change as often as every quarter! Who knows what may get cut after the first or second quarter? Better record while we've got the chance.

 

My dream channel? An all 1950's channel. An all 1960's channel would make a good consolation prize.

I saw this on the Shout Factory message board as well! I think that you could possibly be right, Xenia! I am just crossing my fingers on this one!!!

Im glad Im not the only one who thinks its a possibility.

It's Diamond Jim that's in the Tales of Wells Fargo best of season six color episodes boxed set. An unsold pliot about a colorful old west character named Diamond Jim Brady, played by Dale Robertson. He did that unsold pliot before Scalplock, which sold and became "The Iron Horse". Oh by the way, Diamond Jim came from the same company that brought us COMBAT!----A Selmur Production!