20th Century Fox's 'Film Noir Classics' DVD Series (1 Viewer)

[Steve...O]

Craig, I assume you know that a particular retailer had plenty of copies of this available on a nationwide basis. You might check with relatives/friends in towns that have this retailer to see if their store still has copies. It'll cost you $15 (the MSRP) but it's still cheaper than ebay.
Still no word on whether Fox will continue this line into 2007?

 

[JohnRa]

I called DDD on Aug. 1 to request a substitute for "Boomerang" and talked with a very agreeable rep.

That afternoon I received an e-mail that the substitute had shipped!! Now it's up to the USPS.

I'm hoping the Fox Noir series continues next year. It has been great fun to watch them so far, and I want more.

 

[Scott Calvert]

So isn't the next wave coming out soon? What are the titles?

 

[Robert Crawford]

So isn't the next wave coming out soon? What are the titles?

They are "Shock", "Vicki" and "Fourteen Hours". I'm especially happy about "Fourteen Hours" which has great performances by Richard Basehart and Paul Douglas.
Crawdaddy

 

[Richard M S]

This series has been great, and I will of course be purchasing all 3 titles, but "Fourteen Hours" is also the title I am most eager to see. Besides all of the other reasons mentioned, it is Grace Kelly's first film, and that alone is a major incentive.

 

[Pete York]

This has probably come up before but these recent releases reminded me of the show 'Hour of Stars' that Fox Movie Channel was showing a few years ago. There was a TV version of FOURTEEN HOURS with Richard Kiley and Vera Miles, and I'm pretty sure there was an episode based on HOUSE OF STRANGERS with John Cassavetes in the Conte role. I wonder if Fox ever considered releasing these as extras? I'm sure there are plenty of reason why it wouldn't have been feasable. Too bad, they were interesting. (This is NOT a complaint, I haven't been let down even once with this line.)

 

[Charles H]

I always wondered why Fox never used "Hour of Stars" as extras. An R2 release of FIVE FINGERS included "Operation Cicero" with Ricardo Montalban. "Hour of Stars" did adaptations of THE GUNFIGHTER, IN OLD CHICAGO, CAVALCADE, THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR, AS YOUNG AS YOU FEEL, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (Maybe they will include it on the SE due in November?), THE FROGMAN, THE OXBOW INCIDENT, TWO FLAGS WEST, SITTING PRETTY, LAURA, and CALL NORTHSIDE 77. They went to an such elaborate and expensive restoration that it certainly merits release on dvd. I believe that Cameron Mitchell had the Basehart role in "Man on a Ledge."

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

^ I've been saying this forever Charles, I completely agree!!!
They would make the definitive extras, topping Warners Night At The Movies even in the quality and value dept!
Some of these TV films were of really high standards! I'd particularly like to see The Gunfighter episode (forget what it's called) paired with an upcoming release of that film on DVD.
I've even emailed Fox to let them know.
I really wish they'd start doing this. It would cost very little considering the condition that they are in as evidenced by their broadcasts on FMC. It would make perfect sense and would cost significantly less than having to create all new features.
I'd just love to see these eventually released in some form or another...

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

I'd also gladly buy a seperate box set of all of these films as well.

 

[GlennH]

A review of FOURTEEN HOURS with screenshots is up at DVDBeaver.

 

[WadeM]

I didn't read through this entire post as it's just too long, but when Fox first announced this series, they said they planned on releasing 24 titles over the next 2 years. With the latest wave, it brings the number up to 21--which means only 3 more titles that they planned, which means one more wave. Below is the list that Herb first posted in this thread of Fox film noirs (with a couple added), with the ones released in bold. Has Fox stated that they will continue the series beyond 24? Or are they going to release others in another series (Cinema Classics Collection?)? Any way, with only 1 more wave left, which 3 are most likely to be included?
There was speculation last year that Fox would release The Lodger & Hangover Square as a double feature (http://www.filmmonthly.com/Video/Art...verSquare.html) but that never materialized.
13th Letter, The (1951) - 20th Century Fox
Backlash (1947) - 20th Century Fox
Blueprint for Murder, A (1953) - 20th Century Fox
Boomerang! (1947) - 20th Century Fox
Brasher Doubloon, The (1947) - 20th Century Fox (Commentary recorded by Eddie Muller, so likely candidate)
Call Northside 777 (1948) - 20th Century Fox
City of Chance (1940) - 20th Century Fox
Cry of the City (1948) - 20th Century Fox
Dark Corner, The (1946) - 20th Century Fox
Don't Bother To Knock (1952) - DVD 20th Century Fox (Marilyn Monroe Diamond Collection)
Fallen Angel (1945) - 20th Century Fox
Fourteen Hours (1951) - 20th Century Fox
Girl in 313 (1940) - 20th Century Fox
Hangover Square (1945) - 20th Century Fox
House of Bamboo (1955) - 20th Century Fox
House of Strangers (1949) - 20th Century Fox
House on 92nd Street, The (1945) - 20th Century Fox
House on Telegraph Hill, The (1951) - 20th Century Fox
I Wake Up Screaming (1941) - 20th Century Fox
...aka Hot Spot
Inferno (1953) - 20th Century Fox
Kiss of Death (1947) - 20th Century Fox
Laura (1944) - 20th Century Fox
Leave Her to Heaven (1945) - 20th Century Fox (Studio Classics Collection)
The Lodger (1945)
Man Who Cheated Himself, The (1950) - 20th Century Fox
Manhunt (1941) - 20th Century Fox
Moontide (1942) - 20th Century Fox
Niagara (1953) - DVD 20th Century Fox (Cinema Classics Collection)
Night and the City (1950) - 20th Century Fox (Criterion)
Night Without Sleep (1952) - 20th Century Fox
Nightmare Alley (1947) - 20th Century Fox
No Way Out (1950) - 20th Century Fox
Other Woman, The (1954) - 20th Century Fox
Panic in the Streets (1950) - 20th Century Fox
Pickup on South Street (1953) (Criterion)
Plunder Road (1957) - 20th Century Fox
Road House (1948) - 20th Century Fox
Seven Thieves (1959) - 20th Century Fox
Shock
Somewhere in the Night (1946) - 20th Century Fox
Strange Triangle (1946) - 20th Century Fox
...aka Strange Alibi (1946)
Street with No Name, The (1948) - 20th Century Fox
Swamp Water (1942) - 20th Century Fox
Thieves' Highway (1949) - 20th Century Fox
...aka Collision (1949)
...aka Thieves' Market, The (1949) (Criterion)
Third Voice (1960) - 20th Century Fox
Vicki
Violent Saturday (1955) - 20th Century Fox
Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) - 20th Century Fox
Whirlpool (1949) - 20th Century Fox

 

[JohnPM]

"Hot Spot" should also be in bold print, since this was the pre-release title of "I Wake Up Screaming", which has been released.
http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/

 

[Pete York]

Well, there's already a recorded commentary for THE BRASHER DOUBLOON so presumably that's one of the three.

 

[Larry Bevil]

Another film that should fit nicely into the Fox Noir series would be The Diplomatic Courier with Tyrone Power. I saw it recently on the Fox Movie Channel and thought it was quite good. It is not currently on video anywhere.

 

[Dave GR]

Another film that should fit nicely into the Fox Noir series would be The Diplomatic Courier with Tyrone Power. I saw it recently on the Fox Movie Channel and thought it was quite good. It is not currently on video anywhere.

I saw this recently as well, and I agree, it's a decent little film. I wouldn't place it in the Fox Noir series though - I don't think it's film noir at all. Maybe a candidate for their Studio Classics range?

 

[JimKr]

Looks like Amazon is selling all the Fox Noirs as a set:
Linky
Now if I could only find a copy of Boomerang at a reasonable price...
The interesting thing about this Amazon page is I have loaded it several times and sometimes Boomerang! shows up in the list as part of the set and other times it doesnt. WTH? Anyone confirm this? I have a screenshot

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

Update from Eddie Muller in his Noir Sentinel via the Back Alley Noir message boards:

"I’m not sure why Fox lost its momentum
last fall, but another three titles, none
of them are Boomerang or The Brasher
Doubloon, will be coming soon. From what
I’ve heard, Boomerang is dead in the water.
Those who got a copy before the recall have
collector’s items. I have no clue why
Doubloon has not been released."

Back Alley Noir

 

[Charles H]

A great idea for a book (or even a screenplay) by Eddie Mueller: The whole history of BOOMERANG from the actual case in the twenties to the story of Homer Cummings to the actual filming in 1946 of BOOMERANG (a huge location filming influence on Kazan) to the Great Mystery of Why this was abruptly dropped from both VHS and DVD release just before release. It's a story that spans more than 80 years wiuth obvious political and/or legal ramifications. Mueller would be the obvious guy to solve it.

 

[Craig Beam]

It's MULLER, not Mueller.

 

[TravisR]

I think WB misspells it on the back of one of the Film Noir Collection Three DVDs too.