Paramount Pre-1950 Films owned by Universal

"Can Paramount buy them back?" God forbid! I mean it's not as if Paramount is doing anything with their classic catalog, is it? In fact, while Universal may not be doing enough to satisfy classic film fans, they are still doing a Hell of a lot more than Paramount.

First of all, Universal is releasing catalog titles this year through their new Backlot Series and among them, there are also Paramount titles and let's hope they continue in 2010. And yes, Universal licenses/d out some of their Paramount titles to Criterion.
I have no idea whether Paramount can buy those titles back but with Paramount not even releasing the stuff they own, it would be worse than today.
The only thing that can be done is, buy the stuff that's getting released to show that there is a market and keep asking for titles.

And god knows, maybe they start their own burn on demand programm for lesser known stuff.
 

The Pre-1948 (almost all of the sound films and no silent films) Paramount films were originally sold to MCA in 1955.  In 1958 MCA (Music Corporation of America) purchased Universal so that was when Universal obtained control of the Paramount films.

One well know film that did not go with the purchase was The Buccaneer (1938) along with a couple of others.  The reason for the Buccaneer was the anticipation of a remake in the works.  The major silent pictures stayed with Paramount since MCA saw no monetary value for television sales.  The story goes that Paramount sold their films to raise money for their legal bills in fighting the Consent Decree.

Universal has licensed some of the Paramount titles to Kino, specifically some 1930's musical titles with Maurice Chevalier and some to Criterion such as Sullivan's Travels and Lady Eve, both titles were latter released by Universal in a Preston Sturges collection.

 

It is not that Universal does not care, it is just that they can not get a plan to work that will bring in income.  They are trying hard to do so with the Pre-Code release this past spring and the up coming Claudette Colbert Collection (which by the way I like her, but this collection just does not interest me).  One other side note is that looking at what Universal has released in the past 10 years they have given the Paramount titles more attention than the Universal titles (where is Hellzapoppin'?).

 

I am sure that if the price was right Paramount could buy them back, but Paramount has a worse record in releasing catalog titles than Universal does, Samson and Delilah has never been released on DVD at all let alone a lot of those great westerns.

 

The only thing that can be done is to keep the pressure on Universal as everyone is doing and purchasing their releases (yes I am going to buy the Claudette Collecton) in hopes that they finally hear us.
 

As mentioned in another thead, there's also the issue of the quality on the existing negative/prints on these films to keep in mind.

Correct, it was MCA that made the decision to scape the nitrate negatives.  They only saw a use to sell the films to local TV stations and at that time the stations were using 16mm so MCA did not see a reason pay the cost to store the negatives since they got what they wanted off of a dup.  MCA never anticipated a longer life than twenty years for those films.

I do think that if the films went directly to Universal in the first place, they would have understood the need to keep the negatives, but MCA was a Music Company, Talent Agency and producer of early television shows and everything to them had a beginning and an ending.

On top of the titles already mentioned, Universal is the only studio with a substantial Noir catalog that is virutally untapped.  "The Glass Key" & "The Blue Dahlia" anybody? 

....and where are the remaining Billy Wilder titles?  I would love to see them make a new boxset of his films (minus Double Indemnity).  This would include "Five Graves to Cairo", "The Major and the Minor" (already released), "The Lost Weekend" (I'm sure this could use a new transfer, "A Foreign Affair", & "The Emperor Waltz" (Already Released).  On top of those, they could include some of his early screenwriting credits including "Hold Back the Dawn", "Arise My Love", and "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife".

I think the problem with Universal is that they don't seem to have any vision of their catalog outside of the Classic Monsters.  I don't get it at all!!!

"Bluebeard's Eighth Wife" is part of the Colbert Collection. :)

But Eric is right, Universal has to get those Noirs out.

I forgot about Bluebeard being included in that set.  I just wish that they would put out a focused Billy Wilder set.  I guess it amazes me that Preston Sturges got one, but not Wilder.  They are both major filmmakers of the era, but to compare them now, Wilder wins hands down.  What gives?

Many of these titles have been released across Europe, especially the noir and the Marlene titles, and in the UK they often sell for a few pounds so it might be worth have a look if you have the capability to play R2 discs.

DeMille (NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE, THE STORY OF DR, WASSELL,  THIS DAY AND AGE), Gary Cooper (SOULS AT SEA, THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP, DESIRE), RUGGLES OF RED GAP, ARISE, MY LOVE, HOLD BACK THE DAWN, REMEMBER THE NIGHT, THE GREAT MAN'S LADY, MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH, IF I HAD A MILLION, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, MILLION DOLLAR LEGS, THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK, ANGEL, A FOREIGN AFFAIR, DESIRE, THE ACCUSED, MAN ABOUT TOWN, THE BIG BROADCASTs, ARTISTS AND MODELS (and ABROAD), THANKS FOR THE MEMORY, THE FLEET'S IN, CROSS MY HEART, DREAM GIRL, RED, HOT, AND BLUE, INCENDIARY BLONDE, THE REMARKABLE ANDREW, BLAZE AT NOON, TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST, THE GLASS KEY, THE BLUE DAHLIA, OUR HEARTS WERE YOUNG AND GAY (and GROWING UP), DEAR RUTH, DIXIE, WELCOME STRANGER, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, ARE HUSBANDS NECESSARY?, LET'S FACE IT, AND THE ANGELS SING, PRIVATE WORLDS, CALCUTTA, SAIGON, AND NOW TOMORROW, CHINA, THE GILDED LILY, TONIGHT IS OURS, HERE IS MY HEART, THE LIGHT THAT FAILED, THE WELL-GROOMED BRIDE, BAHAMA PASSAGE, THANKS FOR THE MEMORY, VIRGINIA, MISS TATLOCK'S MILLIONS, DISHONORED, THE VIRGINIAN, INTERNS CAN'T TAKE MONEY, THE PERFECT MARRIAGE, UNTAMED, MINISTRY OF FEAR, SO EVIL, MY LOVE, ALIAS NICK BEAL, SING YOU SINNERS, TILLY AND GUS, MISSISSIPPI, THE GRACIE ALLEN MURDER CASE, CHINA, SPAWN OF THE NORTH, BROKEN LULLABY, THE BIG POND, A BEDTIME STORY, THIS IS THE NIGHT, BELLE OF THE NINETIES, CHICAGO DEADLINE, ROPE OF SAND, DESERT FURY, VARIETY GIRL, SHE LOVES ME NOT, HAPPY GO LUCKY, SEALED VERDICT, REACHING FOR THE SUN.....Now here's the rub: suppose that the only way that these or any of the Universal classic films would ever see the light of day in any venue/context, would be if Universal started a website comparable to the Warner Archive website.....would you as a consumer accept/patronize it?

 I think Universal kept the original negatives for the technicolor Paramount films. One thing, when the elements are in great shape, they look terrific. The old VHS of SUPERNATURAL is superb, as is MURDERS IN THE ZOO. I recently ran my DVD of MY FAVORITE BLONDE (my favorite Bob Hope film) on my home theater screen. Upconverted, it almost looked like a Blu Ray release. 
I think Universal made a deal with TCM similar to the Columbia deal and many of their films will appear on TCM starting next year.
Another pre 1948 Paramount that stayed with Paramount was the Sturges film THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK. It looks terrific.

That is very exciting news! Just thinking of all the obscure pre-codes that will probably never get a DVD release makes me happy.

It will be interesting to see what pops up on TCM - more than just the 'same old same old'.

The deal with TCM is one of the reasons Universal is timidly releasing some older product such as the Pre-Code collection this past spring.  Does anyone know if it sold well?  I certainly hope so for I would love another couple of collection on my shelves.

Great!  I hope, one way or another (DVD or TCM), I can finally see THE STORY OF TEMPLE DRAKE.

The print that TCM uses for "  Remember the Night (1940)" about 

I'd like to see Universal's KING OF JAZZ (1930) appear on TCM. Even AMC used to run it in the early 1980s!

I don't know if this one is now in the hands of Universal, but it's one that I've wanted on DVD for a long time:  "I Walk Alone" (1948)  Paramount property according to IMDb

I'm not holding my breath for better prints :) Due to the existing shape of the library.

I am pretty sure this film stayed with Paramount; the pictures that MCA (Universal) bought were the pre-1948 films.  This came out the same year as Sorry Wrong Number (1948) which Paramount owns.  Also as a Hal Wallis Production, his films stayed with Paramount such as The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers (1946).

I beg your pardon. Universal is doing stellar preservation work on the Paramount library. Bob O'Neil and Mike Feinberg are producing gorgeous prints of these pictures, many of which have been shown at Cinecon in recent years. If Universal is not putting them on DVD, it's not because the materials are imperfect.

Mike S.

Well, their broadcast of SWING HIGH, SWING LOW made REMEMBER THE NIGHT look positively pristine.

No complaints here on the Pre-Code Collection, nor Lonely are the Brave and Trail of the Lonesome Pine.  I am sure the Claudette Colbert collection will be up to their good standards (Kudos to Bob and Mike).  I think everyone is trying to find a reason for the lack of releases this year other than economy and lack of mass interest.  It is hard to accept the fact that millions of people are not breathlessly awaiting the release of a favorite obscure film, but in reality I know that more than likely only about a couple of hundred.  No profit there. 

Edited by ahollis - 10/2/09 at 6:57am

SWING is a public domain title - if a good print exists, I've never seen it.

In an old thread, it was mentioned that Fox probably bought a decent print of SWING HIGH, SWING LOW when they bought the remake rights for WHEN MY BABY SMILES AT ME.  Maybe they even have DANCE OF LIFE?

According to David Cherichetti's biography/filmography of Leisen (Hollywood Director) :
"When Fox bought the rights to "Burlesque" (the original source material for SHSL), Paramount may have sent over the original camera negative, as was often done. In the late '60s, The American Film Institute asked both studios to search for the film and all that turned up was an incomplete nitrate release print at Paramount. Leisen's 16mm print was borrowed from the friend to whom he had willed it and the missing three reels were blown up to 35mm. Thus the film exists now but hardly in a condition to showcase Leisen's beautiful imagry."

"Remember the Night" was released on VHS and the print used for that release was much better than what was shown on TCM. It has also been shown on PBS over the years and looked fine.
I am sure good elements exist for the film. That is why it was a surprise when I saw how poor the film looked on TCM. I hope Universal supplies TCM with better material when it is next shown. It is one of my favorite holiday pictures.TCM will also be showing "Christmas In July" in December, another favorite. "Its not the coffee, its the bunk" Anyone who has seen this picture will know what that means.

TCM first showed "Remember the Night" around Christmas a couple of years ago, and IIRC that print looked fine. I'm not an expert on the fire at Universal and what might have been lost in it, but ever since the fire TCM has run the poorer version of the film with the MCA logo several times.

Dan's right.  The transfer of "Remember the Night" TCM ran years ago was much nicer than the one they've run since the fire.  I've often wondered if this was a coincidence.