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Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

post #1 of 47
Thread Starter 
Public domain specialist Alpha Video has a number of upcoming 1950s era TV-on-DVD releases slated for February 26; here’s the lineup:

The Eve Arden Show, vol. 1 (4 eps.)
Golden Age of Television, vol. 2 (Two classic Westinghouse Anthology broadcasts from the 1950's)
Lost Action Shows of the 1950s ("Here Comes Tobor," "Sea Divers," "Captain Fathom," and "Counterspy;" 1 ep. Each)
Lost TV Quiz Shows of the 1950s ("Treasure Hunt," "Juvenile Jury," "Dollar a Second," "It Could be You;" 1 ep. each)
Sheriff of Cochise, vol. 1 (4 eps.)
What’s My Line (4 eps.)

More information available at oldies.com
post #2 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Bob hug:
Quote:
Public domain specialist Alpha Video has a number of upcoming 1950s era TV-on-DVD releases slated for February 26; here’s the lineup:

The Eve Arden Show, vol. 1 (4 eps.)
Golden Age of Television, vol. 2 (Two classic Westinghouse Anthology broadcasts from the 1950's)
Lost Action Shows of the 1950s ("Here Comes Tobor," "Sea Divers," "Captain Fathom," and "Counterspy;" 1 ep. Each)
Lost TV Quiz Shows of the 1950s ("Treasure Hunt," "Juvenile Jury," "Dollar a Second," "It Could be You;" 1 ep. each)
Sheriff of Cochise, vol. 1 (4 eps.)
What’s My Line (4 eps.)

More information available at oldies.com
Thanks for this information. I am familiar with only a couple of those you mention. But it sounds like a treat. I may spring for some of these once they are available. Now all I have to do is to decide which ones....
post #3 of 47
Thread Starter 

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Hug
-Lost Action Shows of the 1950s ("Here Comes Tobor," "Sea Divers," "Captain Fathom," and "Counterspy;" 1 ep. Each)

Looks like all of these were unsold pilots; found these descriptions at Nostalgia Family Video:

HERE COMES TOBOR/TOBOR AND THE ATOMIC SUBMARINE: Unsold pilot produced in 1956. Tobor is a highly developed robot, controlled by built in ESP circuts. Professor Bruce Adams is the brains, but his nephew Tommy is the real operator due to his high ESP rating. In this episode an atomic sub surfaces and a squad of Navy jets is mysteriously downed. By accident, Tobor and Tommy are sent in a guided missle to the sub location, where they find it deserted and timed to explode. Stars Tommy Terrill as Tommy Adams, Arthur Space as Professor Bruce Adams and Tobor as himself.

CAPTAIN FATHOM: Unsold pilot produced in 1955. COLOR. The submarine Explorer, commanded by the mysterious Captain Fathom, encounters high radiation. The Captain, Professor Barclay, Seaman Clyde, and Carol, ship's photographer, investigate, finding a mysterious object. Stars Don Megowan as Captain Fathom, Richard Cutting as Professor Barclay, Kenneth Tobey as Seaman Clyde, and Barbara Wilson as Carol. Written and produced by Curt Siodmak.

SEA DIVERS: Unsold pilot produced in 1956. Two divers are hired to find the wreck of a ship that exploded, in order to retrieve valuable papers which their client says were on board. SEA HUNT, produced two years later, is believed to have "borrowed" its premise from this series. Stars Rhodes Reason, John Smith, Joyce Holden and Jeanne Vaughn.

COUNTERSPY: Pilot episode, 1958. The investigations of U.S. Counterspy, as it tries to protect America from enemy agents at home. A little girl finds a dead man in a wet suit while playing on the beach. How he got there is top secret, and relates to the investigation of a foreign ship that navigated a very difficult harbor without assistance and in record time. Stars Don Megowan as David Harding, with Brad Johnson.
post #4 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

I used to watch "It Could Be You" with Bill Layden every day when coming home from school for lunch. The show always closed with the announcement of a home floral delivery to a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary. And "Treasure Hunt" with Jan Murray is fondly remembered as well. Now we need "The Big Payoff" with Randy Merriman!
post #5 of 47
Thread Starter 

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

The cover art for the upcoming release of "Sheriff of Cochise" from Alpha Video is showing a bonus episode from "Sugarfoot." I'm guessing that it's the same PD episode titled "The Return of the Canary Kid" that's been making the rounds on various PD Western TV compilations. Artwork here:

Sheriff of Cochise - Volume 1 - Television on DVD (1956) Starring John Bromfield; Directed by Paul Guilfoyle; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com
post #6 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Regarding What's My Line- since the entire run of the classic 1950-67 show has been shown on GSN, there may be a question of legality as Fremantle Media is the owner of the show. Has Alpha cleared this DVD as being PD?
post #7 of 47
Thread Starter 

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles Ellis
Regarding What's My Line- since the entire run of the classic 1950-67 show has been shown on GSN, there may be a question of legality as Fremantle Media is the owner of the show. Has Alpha cleared this DVD as being PD?

I have no idea one way or the other, but it's always possible that some of the shows were not properly registered initially or, if they were registered properly at the time of the initial registration, didn't have their copyrights renewed after the initial registration period of 28 years ended.
post #8 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Ooh, The Eve Arden Show. I've always wanted to see that one. Anyone know if there are more eps of it that have survived ?
post #9 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles Ellis
Regarding What's My Line- since the entire run of the classic 1950-67 show has been shown on GSN, there may be a question of legality as Fremantle Media is the owner of the show. Has Alpha cleared this DVD as being PD?


In the USA, the "What's My Line?" eps are NOT in the public domain. They (and any other live broadcasts of the period) would most accurately be described as an unpublished works, subject to the State common law copyright that was in place at the time of their original broadcast (which would generally be the New York statute). As a result of the Sonny Bono Copyright extension, even the earliest episodes of "WML?" will not enter the public domain until 2070.

-Kevin
post #10 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

That's what I've always thought, Kevin, so I wonder just what episodes Alpha could possibly issue. Clips, at least, of Lucy and/or Desi on What's My Line? and I've Got a Secret used to turn up on Lucy-themed VHS "collections" slapped together by p.d. outfits. Perhaps Fremantle has put the kibosh on the use of these clips since those days, though.
post #11 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

And does anyone know what condition any of these eps will be in ?
post #12 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Funny, I was just thinking what a good idea it would be if someone released a DVD series called "UNSOLD PILOTS". Each set would be a different year.

I wonder how many pilots per year fall into this category.

A couple of years back one of the networks dumped their unsold pilots into the April pre-sweeps schedule. ABC, I think.

I wonder why they don't do that more often.
post #13 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

As I recall, not every WHAT'S MY LINE? episode was live - over the run of the show there were shows pre-recorded. If not properly registered or renewed, those would be in the public domain.
post #14 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeWilson
As I recall, not every WHAT'S MY LINE? episode was live - over the run of the show there were shows pre-recorded. If not properly registered or renewed, those would be in the public domain.

Sometimes they'd do a live show and then tape one the same evening so that everyone could have an upcoming Sunday off (as I recall from producer Gil Fates' book on the show).

Weren't kinescopes of live WML shows edited for delayed West Coast broadcasts to remove the word "live" in the "and now, live from New York" announcement? There may not be a surviving copy available to GSN that includes the word "live" for these shows. The edit is easily distinguishable, IIRC, from a prerecorded episode where the announcer originally said only, "and now, from New York." The announcement that a program was recorded isn't always heard nowadays on GSN since they started crunching the end credits on most of the "b/w overnight" shows several months ago.
post #15 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeWilson
As I recall, not every WHAT'S MY LINE? episode was live - over the run of the show there were shows pre-recorded. If not properly registered or renewed, those would be in the public domain.

No-- the same rule applies. Under the old federal guidelines, the work would actually have to have been published without a copyright notification in order to possibly be considered as PD... since the act of broadcasting a program does not qualify as "publication", however, the work is still considered as being unpublished.

[And to clarify, I was using the term "live broadcast" somewhat loosely, to refer to unscripted programming (what we'd call "reality TV" these days), as opposed to scripted dramas, situation comedies, plays, musicals, etc.]

-Kevin
post #16 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Segura
No-- the same rule applies. Under the old federal guidelines, the work would actually have to have been published without a copyright notification in order to possibly be considered as PD... since the act of broadcasting a program does not qualify as "publication", however, the work is still considered as being unpublished.

[And to clarify, I was using the term "live broadcast" somewhat loosely, to refer to unscripted programming (what we'd call "reality TV" these days), as opposed to scripted dramas, situation comedies, plays, musicals, etc.]

-Kevin

Interesting facts.
post #17 of 47
Thread Starter 
post #18 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Thanks Bob. I do the same thing you apparently do. I check Oldies.com almost every day for future releases - but you beat me to it this morning. Thanks again. I don't know much of anything about most of these shows, so I'll probably pick these up when they are released.

Gary "Alpha continues to do well with these PD shows" O.
post #19 of 47
Thread Starter 

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary OS
Thanks Bob. I do the same thing you apparently do. I check Oldies.com almost every day for future releases - but you beat me to it this morning. Thanks again. I don't know much of anything about most of these shows, so I'll probably pick these up when they are released.

Gary "Alpha continues to do well with these PD shows" O.

Gary, with the exception of "The Pinky Lee Show," I'd hazard a guess and say that the other two releases represent pilot episodes that weren't picked up . . . . . at least that's the case with "The Shadow" which has already appeared on Mill Creek's "Best of TV Detectives - 150 episodes" box set.
post #20 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Hug
Gary, with the exception of "The Pinky Lee Show," I'd hazard a guess and say that the other two releases represent pilot episodes that weren't picked up . . . . . at least that's the case with "The Shadow" which has already appeared on Mill Creek's "Best of TV Detectives - 150 episodes" box set.

Yep, that's my thought too Bob.

Gary "these Alpha releases are so inexpensive it makes them worth a blind buy for me" O.
post #21 of 47
Thread Starter 
post #22 of 47
Thread Starter 

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Alpha Video will be releasing four episodes of the comparatively rare-to-see variety series "The Ed Wynn Show" on August 26th; details here:

The Ed Wynn Show - Volume 1 - Television on DVD Starring Gloria Swanson, Hattie McDanial, Buddy Ebsen & Three Stooges; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

The only episode of this series that I've seen guest starred The Three Stooges, but other than that single episode (which I saw on a Stooges compilation DVD, and which appears on this disc), this appears to be the first commercial DVD release of the series.

Also, see Gary OS' thread for a couple of Christmas TV episode compilations coming from Alpha here:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...ed-tv-dvd.html
post #23 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Hug
Alpha Video will be releasing four episodes of the comparatively rare-to-see variety series "The Ed Wynn Show" on August 26th; details here:

The Ed Wynn Show - Volume 1 - Television on DVD Starring Gloria Swanson, Hattie McDanial, Buddy Ebsen & Three Stooges; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

The only episode of this series that I've seen guest starred The Three Stooges, but other than that single episode (which I saw on a Stooges compilation DVD, and which appears on this disc), this appears to be the first commercial DVD release of the series.l[/url]

Hi Bob,

Millcreek's Essential Family TV (150 Episodes) with a release date of July 22, 2008 also contains episodes.

Here's the list:
The Ed Wynn Show 5. 11/3/1949 Victor Moore
The Ed Wynn Show 12. 12/22/1949 Buster Keaton/Virginia O'Brien
The Ed Wynn Show 13. 12/29/1949 Buddy Ebsen/Hattie McDaniel
The Ed Wynn Show 23. 3/11/1950 Elsa Lanchester/Reginald Gardiner
The Ed Wynn Show 25. 3/25/1950 Three Stooges
Millcreeks collection also contains a number of other rare releases. I'll be picking it up even know there is a lot of duplication with the more common shows on the release.

Brian
PS Bob, I emailed the complete episodes list for both set (Family & Spies & Lies) a week ago, You must have missed it. I'll post them in the millcreek thread in a few minutes.
post #24 of 47
Thread Starter 

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian:C
Hi Bob,

Millcreek's Essential Family TV (150 Episodes) with a release date of July 22, 2008 also contains episodes.

Here's the list:
The Ed Wynn Show 5. 11/3/1949 Victor Moore
The Ed Wynn Show 12. 12/22/1949 Buster Keaton/Virginia O'Brien
The Ed Wynn Show 13. 12/29/1949 Buddy Ebsen/Hattie McDaniel
The Ed Wynn Show 23. 3/11/1950 Elsa Lanchester/Reginald Gardiner
The Ed Wynn Show 25. 3/25/1950 Three Stooges
Millcreeks collection also contains a number of other rare releases. I'll be picking it up even know there is a lot of duplication with the more common shows on the release.

Brian
PS Bob, I emailed the complete episodes list for both set (Family & Spies & Lies) a week ago, You must have missed it. I'll post them in the millcreek thread in a few minutes.

Looks like there are at least two eps. duplicated (Three Stooges, Buddy Ebsen/Hattie McDaniel) on the two releases.

Looking forward to the list of episodes. Thanks.
post #25 of 47

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

CAPTAIN FATHOM: Unsold pilot produced in 1955. COLOR. The submarine Explorer, commanded by the mysterious Captain Fathom, encounters high radiation. The Captain, Professor Barclay, Seaman Clyde, and Carol, ship's photographer, investigate, finding a mysterious object. Stars Don Megowan as Captain Fathom, Richard Cutting as Professor Barclay, Kenneth Tobey as Seaman Clyde, and Barbara Wilson as Carol. Written and produced by Curt Siodmak.

SEA DIVERS: Unsold pilot produced in 1956. Two divers are hired to find the wreck of a ship that exploded, in order to retrieve valuable papers which their client says were on board. SEA HUNT, produced two years later, is believed to have "borrowed" its premise from this series. Stars Rhodes Reason, John Smith, Joyce Holden and Jeanne Vaughn.

COUNTERSPY: Pilot episode, 1958. The investigations of U.S. Counterspy, as it tries to protect America from enemy agents at home. A little girl finds a dead man in a wet suit while playing on the beach. How he got there is top secret, and relates to the investigation of a foreign ship that navigated a very difficult harbor without assistance and in record time. Stars Don Megowan as David Harding, with Brad Johnson.

Those three really sound interesting, more of these please.
post #26 of 47
Thread Starter 

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Quote:
Originally Posted by HenryDuBrow
CAPTAIN FATHOM: Unsold pilot produced in 1955. COLOR. The submarine Explorer, commanded by the mysterious Captain Fathom, encounters high radiation. The Captain, Professor Barclay, Seaman Clyde, and Carol, ship's photographer, investigate, finding a mysterious object. Stars Don Megowan as Captain Fathom, Richard Cutting as Professor Barclay, Kenneth Tobey as Seaman Clyde, and Barbara Wilson as Carol. Written and produced by Curt Siodmak.

SEA DIVERS: Unsold pilot produced in 1956. Two divers are hired to find the wreck of a ship that exploded, in order to retrieve valuable papers which their client says were on board. SEA HUNT, produced two years later, is believed to have "borrowed" its premise from this series. Stars Rhodes Reason, John Smith, Joyce Holden and Jeanne Vaughn.

COUNTERSPY: Pilot episode, 1958. The investigations of U.S. Counterspy, as it tries to protect America from enemy agents at home. A little girl finds a dead man in a wet suit while playing on the beach. How he got there is top secret, and relates to the investigation of a foreign ship that navigated a very difficult harbor without assistance and in record time. Stars Don Megowan as David Harding, with Brad Johnson.

Those three really sound interesting, more of these please.

Henry, this release has been out for a while, but these unsold pilots are an interesting view.

"Captain Fathom" plays like a low rent version of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"

"Sea Divers" is said, by some, to be an early "inspiration" for the more popular and later "Sea Hunt."

"Counterspy" is, in my opinion, the best of the bunch and should have been picked up. A very good, solid story told within a half hour timeframe with some location filming in England.

The other episode on this disc, "Tobor" is more of a kids' show, but it's entertaining enough on that level.
post #27 of 47
Thread Starter 

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

Some interesting upcoming vintage TV-on-DVD releases coming from Alpha at the end of October:

Decoy: Police Woman - Volume 3 - Television on DVD (1957) Starring Beverly Garland; Directed by David Alexander; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

This has two episodes that are making their commercial DVD debuts!

Famous TV Detectives (Peter Gunn / Burke's Law / Richard Diamond) - Television on DVD Starring Craig Stevens; Gene Nelson & David Jansen; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

I'm guessing that there's nothing new here that hasn't already been released, in fact it looks quite a bit like a TV detectives release that Platinum Disc Corporation released some years ago. Probably, "Who Killed Jason Shaw?" from Burke's Law, "Let's Kill Timothy" and "The Fuse" from Peter Gunn, and "Picture of Fear" and one other episode from "Richard Diamond."

Lights Out - Volume 3 - Television on DVD Starring Glenn Langan; Berry Kroeger; John Forsythe & Rita Gam; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

and

Lights Out - Volume 4 - Television on DVD Starring Veronica Lake; John Newland; Richard Carlson; Halliwell Hobbs; Jonathan Harris; Josephine Hull & John Forsythe; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

Just in time for Halloween!

Super Circus - Television on DVD Starring Mary Hartline; Claude Kirchner & Nikki The Clown; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

This looks like an oddball release from Alpha; never seen it before.
post #28 of 47
Thread Starter 

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

November 25th releases from Alpha Video include additional volumes of "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (vol. 17), "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" (vol. 7), "Judge Roy Bean" (vol. 3), "The Roy Rogers Show" (vol. 9), "Golden Age of Television" (vol. 7 - TV dramas) and "Shotgun Slade" (vol. 3). Of note will be a couple of children's shows:

Captain Video and his Video Rangers: Captain Video And His Video Rangers - Television on DVD Starring Al Hodge & Richard Coogan; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

and the second volume of "Diver Dan:" Diver Dan - Volume 2 - Television on DVD (1960) Starring Frank Freda; Suzanne Turner & Allen Swift; Directed by Leon Rhodes & Mort Helig; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com
post #29 of 47
Thread Starter 

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

There's a big sale on Alpha Video titles over at Oldies.com. Individual discs can be had for $3.95 each. The vintage TV section begins here:

http://www.oldies.com/collection-view/Alpha-$3.95-DVD-Sale/genre_tv.html
post #30 of 47
Thread Starter 

Re: Upcoming Vintage TV-on-DVD releases from Alpha Video

January 27, 2009 releases from Alpha Video include volumes 2 & 3 of "The Adventures of Sir Lancelot . . .

Volume 2: The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, Volume 2 - Television on DVD (1956) Starring William Russell; Directed by Lawrence Huntington; Ralph Smart & Bernard Knowles; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

Volume 3: The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, Volume 3 - Television on DVD (1956) Starring William Russell; Directed by Lawrence Huntington; Ralph Smart & Bernard Knowles; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

Alpha's also releasing their 11th volume of "The Roy Rogers Show" . . .

Volume 11: Roy Rogers With Dale Evans, Volume 11 - Television on DVD (1952) Starring Roy Rogers & Dale Evans; Directed by Robert G. Walker; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

. . . and the company is releasing another volume of "Lights Out."

Volume 5: Lights Out, Volume 5 - Television on DVD Starring John Newland; Alpha Video : OLDIES.com

The "Sir Lancelot" releases are coming on the heels of Timeless Media's complete series release (including color episodes), but Alpha certainly has the most episodes released on commercially available DVDs for both "Roy Rogers" and "Lights Out."
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