New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Deanna Durbin TCM Box Set

post #1 of 33
5/25/10 at 6:17pm
Thread Starter 

Has the Deanna Durbin Box Set announced as a retail Movies Unlimited Only issue been released yet? I cannot locate reviews on the picture quality and noticed its back ordered.

Reply
post #2 of 33
5/25/10 at 8:30pm

Mine hasn't shipped yet.  I'll review it at DVD Beaver as soon as I get it.


Edited by GregoryMesh - 5/26/10 at 4:07am
Reply
post #3 of 33
5/26/10 at 1:57pm

Thanks for reminding me of this release, I'd forgotten about it (!)

Reply
post #4 of 33
5/26/10 at 6:28pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks everyone for your comments. Im a big Deanna Durbin fan and have been looking forward to this set for some time.  I will look for the DVD Beaver review soon.

Reply
post #5 of 33
5/27/10 at 3:30am

The 9th of June is still the release date, and yes, I too am eager to read a review about the picture quality.

 

www.deannadurbindevotees.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reply
post #6 of 33
5/28/10 at 7:24pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks for sharing the Deanna website CanadaStar!  Appreciate it!!!

Reply
post #7 of 33
6/11/10 at 7:05am

So apparently this was moved to June 30th.

I've been wanting another Durbin set, but in today's economy, I was really wanting something in the price range of the earlier set. 

Any word on whether these are to be pressed discs or not? 

Reply
post #8 of 33
6/11/10 at 12:46pm

Besides pressed discs, I am wondering if any extras are included.

Reply
post #9 of 33
6/14/10 at 7:52am
I saw a commerical for this set on TCM and it mentioned it would have photo galleries, rarely seen video and a special introduction by Robert Osborne.
Reply
post #10 of 33
6/15/10 at 9:58am

Thanks Kelly. I wonder if there's tentative plans for her other movies as well?

Reply
post #11 of 33
6/16/10 at 7:47am

Yeah I hope TCM and Universal will remain the rest of her movies. One film of hers I would love to see released is Christmas Holiday. Deanna plays against type in this film along with Gene Kelly and both showcase their acting talents! I don't know if Universal owns the right to the film anymore. I do know it was released on DVD from another studio a couple years ago so it makes me wonder who owns the rights.

Reply
post #12 of 33
6/16/10 at 8:42am

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY was released in the UK as part of the Durbin set.  All but two films of hers were released.  It was only SPRING PARADE and IT'S A DATE that didn't make the set.  PARADE has, I don't believe, ever made it to home video in any official form.  IT'S A DATE, which seems to turn up on TCM more than any of her other films, I don't know what the problem is.  It could be because of Warner remaking it and buying the rights.  I'm not sure.

 

There have been a few companies that have tried to sell versions of her films on Amazon, claiming they were public domain.  But the only official release was that first "Sweetheart Pack"


Edited by Jon Martin - 6/30/10 at 10:44am
Reply
post #13 of 33
6/16/10 at 8:56am

"Christmas Holiday" sure is a misleading title for as dark a picture as this one.  With it starring Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly, one would expect it to be a light, frothy musical suitable for the entire family.  In reality Deanna Durbin is little better than a common call girl who is married to a brutal excaped convict played by Gene Kelly.  There's murder and all sorts of mayhem in this one.  I wonder how popular it was on its initial release.  I could see a lot of Durbin's old-lady fan base being repelled by what they saw.

 

By the way, it's a nifty little noir and I'd love to own a copy.

 

Reply
post #14 of 33
6/16/10 at 12:02pm

I saw Christmas Holiday once on PBS, I think. This was maybe 20-25 years ago. What a depressing picture - I can only imagine the reaction of the wartime audience. But I would love to see it again. The standard "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year" was introduced in that film (and Oscar-nominated for Best Song.)

 

By the way, Warners owns the rights to It's A Date since MGM purchased the rights to the film for the Jane Powell-Ann Sothern remake Nancy Goes To Rio. Warners did release It's A Date on VHS but as I recall, the print used was in rather poor shape.   

Reply
post #15 of 33
6/16/10 at 12:52pm

Christmas Holiday was probably my most wanted of the Durbin titles.

Reply
post #16 of 33
6/16/10 at 9:39pm

Well, if you are interested in CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY, it can be found complete on YouTube (albeit broken up into 10 minute segments.) 

 

Granted it isn't ideal but you can at least see how it holds up.

Reply
post #17 of 33
6/28/10 at 2:26pm

The box set comes out tomorrow, are there any reviews yet? I looked but could not find any.

Reply
post #18 of 33
6/28/10 at 9:25pm

It has been postponed again. Now the release date is 07/08/2010.

Reply
post #19 of 33
6/28/10 at 9:36pm

Mine has not shipped yet.  Considering this title being a store exclusive, I don't think Universal is providing review copies for it...

Reply
post #20 of 33
6/30/10 at 10:43am

Does anyone know what the issue is with the rights for SPRING PARADE?  It has never been issued even on VHS and was one of the two films not included in the UK DVD set. 

 

It was released by Universal but something happened along the way.

Reply
post #21 of 33
6/30/10 at 12:57pm

I believe the rights for the film Spring Parade reverted back to the family of Ernst Marischka, who wrote the original story from which it is based.  Unless I'm mistaken, Universal can't release the movie without going to the family - at least until the film falls into the public domain, which I don't think will happen for another decade or so.

 

I had the opportunity to attend a special screening of the film just over 10 years ago and was struck by two key bits early on.  One is Deanna Durbin having to sing a complete number while holding onto a goat who didn't appeared particularly interested in the song.  The second is a classic bit where she's changing out of what looks like perhaps 10 skirts.  Every time you think she's done with this idea - nope, there's another skirt...

 

I'm happy to have both the Sweetheart DVD set and the laserdisc set.  I'll look into the new release as well.

Reply
post #22 of 33
6/30/10 at 2:50pm

Correction - on checking the situation out, I find that Marischka's daughter wrote Universal some time ago, stating that she would like to see them release the movie on home video.  But Universal chooses not to do so.  I'm not sure if there is concern about someone else in the family popping up to claim an interest, but either way, the film remains unreleased on DVD.

Reply
post #23 of 33
7/1/10 at 11:09am



 

Quote:
Originally Posted by RafaelPires View Post

It has been postponed again. Now the release date is 07/08/2010.



What has been the hold up? I placed my order in March and I'm so anxious to recieve this set!

Reply
post #24 of 33
7/2/10 at 2:37pm

Does anyone know why "!00 Men and a Girl" has had no release here. I believe it was out on DVD in the UK but is no longer available there either.

Reply
post #25 of 33
7/3/10 at 5:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ajabrams View Post

Does anyone know why "!00 Men and a Girl" has had no release here. I believe it was out on DVD in the UK but is no longer available there either.


I don't have any inside information on this, but my guess is something came up with the Stokowski estate. I do know it came out on the Durbin laser collection, and I know it was to be part of the initial Durbin DVD set, but it was replaced. Around this time, there was a problem with the Stokowski estate concerning FANTASIA, so I am guessing a recent rights problem that money changing hands will solve. Universal seems pretty good at working out these kinds of problems if they think it is commercially viable. I am thinking back to things like STRANGE CONFESSION (the Inner Sanctum flick), the three recent Bob Hope films, IT AIN't HAY (Abbott and Costello), etc. I wish they would work out the problems with those three old Paramount FU MANCHU films, although the last one, DAUGHTER OF THE DRAGON did show up on TCM. TCM had scheduled LADY IN THE DARK a few months back, but it wasn't shown, so I think a rights issue came up.

Reply
post #26 of 33
7/3/10 at 10:09am

Thanks for your reply John. That would seem to make the most sense.  I hope the release difficulties do get resolved because it's a truly delightful film and was very important for both Durbin's career and Universal's solvency. 

Reply
post #27 of 33
7/9/10 at 9:36am

My set was shipped on July 7 from Movies Unlimited...

Reply
post #28 of 33
7/9/10 at 1:07pm

My set arrived today.  Once again, a nice job on the set.  They are pressed discs housed in a 5 tray digi-pack.

Reply
post #29 of 33
7/9/10 at 2:27pm

Pressed discs?  Thanks for the confirmation as now I'm willing to pull the trigger.

Reply
post #30 of 33
7/9/10 at 3:23pm

Pressed discs??? Really??? I am placing my order immediately!

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: DVD