FOX/MGM DVDS on 05-22-07 including westerns, musicals and Gary Cooper films. (1 Viewer)

[CineKarine]

I agree, that's an excellent, powerful movie which should be revived. Raft and Cooper make a terrific team.

 

[RafaelPires]

I have to disagree, just love Bluebeard's 8th Wife. The duo of Cooper and Colbert was amazing and I really hope it remains in the selection for a second GC set

 

[DanMel]

Here's a post I got from John at MODA Entertainment ICONS Radio tonight concerning it all. I am posting the entire email as there is really nothing in it that John wouldn't mind me sharing. I am not sure how much of this will interest you all as most of it is really trivia stuff for die hard Gary Cooper fans of which I share all of John's emails with. John seems to be a little less sure this time around but it is the info he heard. And City Streets is in fine shape and contrary to the previous report I stated. I have a rotten copy of City Streets and John never mentioned anything about this movie so I figured it was in very bad shape. I do have prestine copies of Bright Leaf and Ten North Frederick but that is a topic for another post. I personally would hope they released The Spoilers, I Take This Woman and The Texan as three of their five choices as those are the only three movies that I have not seen and do not have copies of in my home, but it would be nice to get Bluebeard's Eigth wife a picture I am sure was ahead of it's time and one of my personal favorites. Well it is my favorite comedy that Gary did at least. The other movies mentioned originally are all fine movies as well. I really would not be a good person to pick just 5 universial movies to release in the next box set as I really couldn't get my choices down to that number with all the great movies he did in the 30's. I am sure that they will not release any demille movies as this will be saved for the next Demille box set and not a cooper one.

"Hey, Daniel:

Understand that WB bought the rights to One Sunday Afternoon when they made The Strawberry Blonde. Not certain whether the rights have reverted back to Universal or Paramount, but the rumor we've heard is that Afternoon might be on the 2nd Universal GC boxed set. Will try to track down more info on this. I don't understand why City Streets and/or The Texan wouldn't be included, actually. Both prints are in the MOMA collection, in excellent shape.

Was in a bar the other night, on the west side, with a weirdly eclectic juke box. Everything from 50 Cent and Beyonce to Bing Crosby and Fitzgerald in the 30s. And one album was the Best of Marty Robbins. Played The Hanging Tree, natch.

Not sure how many know that GC had an excellent voice. And he was originally slotted to sing both the credit title songs for Friendly Persuasion and The Hanging Tree. But both times, after he'd worked hard at doing them, the idea was nixed. Producers felt it would detract from GC, actor, to hear him warbling the title tune. One thing for a Sinatra or Doris Day to do it, they were singers first, but for an actor, first, like GC, felt it would weaken his perf to hear his voice behind the opening credits. Maria remembers hearing him practicing and working on both songs in his study at home.

Also, GC was first choice for Ninotchka, in the role Melvyn Douglas took. Lubitsch really loved GC's acting, as he did Garbo. But GC turned it down because of the poor reception the year before with Lubitsch's Bluebeard's
Eighth Wife. I think he was wrong, Bluebeard's was simply ahead of its time.
Audiences weren't prepared for GC to be that kind of character.

Not sure when Garden Of Evil is slotted for release on dvd, but we were
contacted by Fox this past April about some info on their Making Of doc, and they mentioned that they were in a rush.

Again, will see what we can find out on One Sunday Afternoon.

Best,

John"

 

[DanMel]

To Jim Burr,

We all have are favorite movies and mine and yours are not the same at all. As I stated in a previous post I have seen all but three of his talkies and have seen 6 of his silent movies. Souls at Sea was not one of Gary's favorite movies and not one of mine either. I have it on video tape from Universial and it is a fine print. Probably it did not get shown too much over the years. Cooper's statement on it was something to the regard that the movie was almost interesting it was almost good and he was almost good in it. He felt it missed the mark big time. I wouldn't say it is anywhere near his worst movie of the thirties. That would go to Devil and the Deep for sure. Souls at Sea is a middle of the road thirties movie for me, but then again we all have different tastes. Like I stated in my last post I think I would be most interested in getting restored movies of his from the thirties that we have rotten copies of or no copies of at all. I would say the picture quality on the Universial VHS tape of Souls at Sea rivals some DVD's released today and do have it transferred over to DVD-R with some minor black balance adjustments.

I guess either you like screwball comedies or you don't. Most of your choices are in the drama and adventure realm. I live and breath Gary Cooper 24 hours a day and don't even watch any other movies except for Cary Grant (as I like screwball comedites and really wish Gary Cooper would have done 10 or 15 more). To me though ANY Gary Cooper movie is better than any other movie that doesn't have him in. For example the worst movie The Devil and The Deep is better than any John Wayne movie for me.

Some other considerations for the box set for me would be A Man From Wyoming and Seven Days Leave as I really like Gary Cooper in WW1 movies and Sergeant York is my favorite film that Gary Cooper was in. In fact no other movie even comes close to this movie as it is in number one spot all alone and all the rest are some 50 feet below.

I do have an excellent VHS copy of Bluebeard's Eigth wife but not so good of a copy of One Sunday Afternoon. I really can't see how anyone could not like One Sunday Afternoon or enjoy the Cagney version better. But then everyone has different tastes I guess. Mine are probably no where near yours. Actually while I really like Design for Living and Beau Geast in the vol 1 box set, these are in fact my least favorite movies with Peter Ibbetson being probably the best movie that Cooper did in the entire thirties. Beau Geast is around number 25 on any list I can come up with for favorite Cooper movies and Design for living is way higher on the list. Of course with movies like Bright Leaf and Ten North Frederick and They Came to Cordura making my top 10 list, I guess I must have different tastes in movies to traditional classic movie fans.

I really don't look at what director made what movie and didn't even know that Design for Living and Bluebeard's Eighth wife was directed by the same person. My only consideration is was Cooper in the movie or wasn't he? I normally only post on Gary Cooper boards so I do know that I am quite biased. I just thought thay you all might like to hear what I heard. I can assure you that I am more than likely a much bigger Gary Cooper fan than anyone that posts here. The original choices from the first post are all great one's for my personal favorites that are unreleased on DVD. I would not personally vote for Souls at Sea to be included. But if I had any personal say with Universial, which I don't and don't think John does either, I would probably go with the below for my top three choices as I have not seen these movies:

1) The Spoilers 1930
2) The Texan 1930
3) I Take This Woman with Carole Lumbard 1931

Universial does not seem to consider people's choices for the movies they release and do not participate in chats at places like this. I think they release what they want to release or what is personal favorites of theirs or those movies that have the best prints or were the most popular. They did make some fine choices in Vol 1 and I think they are making some fine choices in Vol 2 but would prefer they just went and relesed a Vol 2, Vol 3 and Vol 4 with five movies in each all at one time.

 

[DanMel]

Anyway for most die hard Gary Cooper fans that live and breath for seeing his movies get released on dvd, we pretty much like all of his movies except for Distant Drums and The Devil and the Deep for myself. I am good friends with other coop fans that really hate The Fountainhead. I don't hate it but it probably ranked around 30 or 40 (middle of the road) on my list of great Gary Cooper films. I know most classic movie fans of all the big stars think this is the best movie ever.

 

[Jim Bur]

Dan: It was nice to hear your thoughts. Obviously, our tastes in movie don't totally overlap. But so what, it would be an awfully boring world if everyone thought the same way on every subject.

I think Universal batted a thousand with their first Cooper boxset. All 5 of the movies in the first set, Lives of A Bengal Lancer, Beau Geste, Peter Ibbetson, Design For Living, and The General Died at Dawn were winners.

Henry Hathaway directed both Bengal Lancer and Ibbetson, as well Souls at Sea, The Real Glory, Garden of Evil, and You're In the Navy Now, and I think the films he did with Cooper are consistently good.

You're completely wrong in your assumption that I don't like screwball comedies. I enjoy all the good screwball comedies, and I especiallyadmire Ball of Fire with Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. Even in his westerns and adventure films and dramas, Cooper would often bring light touches of dry humor to certain scenes.

It seems like Universal has enough Cooper movies for several sets, or perhaps they can issue one large set of say 10 or 12 films like was just recently successfully done last month in R2 with the English films of Stewart Granger, and is being done by Warners for the next installment of their upcoming Film Noir collection. The Fox John Ford set apparently set for early next year has more than 20 films in it. I think its time for large sets, especially when you have as many unreleased Cooper films in its library as has Universal.

I too haven't seen The Spoilers and The Texan. The version of The Spoilers with Cooper was by all accounts a gigantic hit and the Motion Picture News at the time indicated that it was the finest work of Cooper's career. So based on those indications I suspect it may make a strong entry in a Cooper set.

The Texan, in which Coop plays a Mexican bandit called the Llano Kid seems like an attempt by Paramount to cash in on the success of Fox's In Old Arizona which had been released the previous year, and for which Warner Baxter won an academy aware as the Cisco Kid. It seems to have gotten decent reviews, so I think it might make a very interesting entry in a Cooper set.

There is also Rouben Mamoullian's groundbreaking gangster film, City Streets, which would also be a good entry.

Take care.

c Jim Bur

 

[DanMel]

Well it looks like as to who owns One Sunday Afternoon may be a mute point to seeing it released next year. My sources in the Gary Cooper area tell me that rumors are going around now that Warner Brothers may be releasing a Signature collection Vol 2 next Spring (more than likely May like the Universial set) with only two titles mentioned in the info so far that are Bright Leaf (a personal favorite) and Saratoga Trunk.

Now as you know with box sets, there will probably be 3 more releases included and WB does not own all that many unreleased Gary Cooper movies.

The other three choices could include:

1) The Hanging Tree (doubtful unless WB pays to get it restored)
2) Task Force (very much probable)
3) One Sunday Afternoon (if Universial did not buy back the rights to it)
4) Today We Live (originally an MGM picture some claim that WB now owns it)
5) Operator 13 (originally an MGM picture some claim that WB now owns it)

And that is all the choices. They do have enough for a box set without the hanging tree included if in fact WB owns Today We Live and Operator 13. Someone here mentioned that they did but I don't know for 100 percent certainty.

The box set in that case would look like this:

1) Bright Leaf
2) Saratoga Trunk
3) Task Force
4) Today We Live
5) Operator 13 or (One Sunday Afternoon) if Univeral is not releasing this title.

You will not know if in fact this reliable rumor from the person I hear all rumors on Gary Cooper is true until probably Feb or March of next year as I don't think WB officially announces their upcoming releases until 3 or 4 months from the date or release.

So with the 5 dvd Universial set rumored to come out next May, the WB 5 dvd set rumored to come out in the spring and Garden of Evil which in fact is coming out the end of this year or the beginning of 2008, There should be already at least 11 Gary Cooper titles released in 2008. It wouldn't surprise me if Universial does not also release another Demille box set with Northwest Mounted Police and The Story of Dr Wassell but have not heard anything on this set coming out.

 

[DanMel]

I do hope at the very least that MGM/Fox in addition to Garden of Evil also releases Man of the West and The Westerner, but have not heard anything in the Gary Cooper circles on this yet.

 

[Charles H]

RETURN TO PARADISE (very underrated) and THE NAKED EDGE (Cooper's final film) also merit release.

 

[DanMel]

Oh yes I agree on The Naked Edge which I feel is equal to any Hitchcock flick. I would like to see Return to Paradise released by MGM as well. I only mentioned The westerner and Man of the West as there are many western fans that have been waiting for a R1 release for Man of the west and a re-release hopefully restored version of The westerner.

Actually while we are at it MGM/Fox should try to release Ten North Frederick if they can get the rights settled on that movie.

 

[DanMel]

Actually I am kind of hoping that the Hanging Tree is not released in the next WB box set as that movie could be released as single dvd release and sell as well as any John Wayne western. Not sure if any of the other remaining WB titles could sell as single releases and may need the box set aspect in order to market them.

 

[Jim Bur]

In my opinion, it would be a major blunder for Warners to release a second Gary Cooper collection without including The Hanging Tree. It is far and away the best unreleased Cooper film in their library. It would be the centerpiece of the set. It has also been Warners past custom to also sell some or all of the films in its sets separately, so there would no reason why they couldn't release The Hanging Tree both separately and as part of the set, unless for sound marketing reasons they want to make it a exclusive to the set to increase sales of the set.

I hope that Warners' restores The Hanging Tree, if it is in need of restoration as claimed. Warners did not restore the classic western The Naked Spur which was part of the Jimmy Stewart set, and although there was disappointment that it wasn't restored it is better that it got released in less than maximal condition than to be never released at all. However, I think that an investment in restoring the The Hanging Tree would likely make the entire set a much more attractive purchase especially since there are no sure fire winners other than The Hanging Tree left for a second set, in contrast to the first set where they had Sergeant York and The Fountainhead.

The Hanging Tree is one of the great Amercian westerns, and an important late career landmark for one of Hollywood's greatest stars. A DVD release in the U.S is long overdue. It is my understanding that it has been released in France. It seems ironic and not quite right that the general public in the U.S. is being derpived of this oustanding slice of American culture while it is being made readily available to people in other countries.

c Jim Bur

 

[John Hodson]

But Warners have inflicted an awful pan & scan transfer on fans in France; with the likliehood that any US Home Video release of this film will not be superceded for some time, surely you'd rather them get it right than simply chuck it out on the market in that fashion Jim?

 

[DanMel]

Well since they only own 25-30 percent of the movie The Hanging Tree with Maria Cooper Gary's daughter owning 65-75 percent of it, Warner Brothers has to think very long and hard if they spend a million or more to restore in regrouping the costs as they will only get profit on that movie in the 30 percent range for each dvd sold.

"...GC worked out a remarkable deal, owning some 65 to 75% of it. Which is a sticking point for WB, since this means they get very little from any sales. Which is why they think long and hard about spending a very hefty sum on restoring it. Something will have to be worked out financially between WB and Maria for them to spring for restoration $$$."

I posted this before on another thread but not sure if everyone here has seen it. There are people that want to see a couple of Gary's movies released on dvd and then there are people that want to see every single movie released on dvd that Gary ever did. I fall into the latter and why I made the statement in my last post. The Hanging tree if some miricle happend and it was restored would sell as a single release every bit as well as High Noon. The other remaining WB movies on Gary would not sell as single releases. I want them all out on dvd by next spring. If they stuck the Hanging tree in the box set in place of Operator 13, this would mean that Operator 13 would NEVER be released. This is my thinking. When and if The Hanging Tree is released, I think it should come out as a single release just like Hign Noon or any of the other masterpeices that were released in this way. The wreck of the Mary Deare cost WB a half a million dollars to restore for the last box set.

 

[Jim Bur]

John: Always nice to hear your thoughts. I haven't seen the French release. You mention it being released there in pan and scan, however I don't believe that The Hanging Tree was ever a widescreen cinemascope film. I still have copy of the VHS release from the early 1990's and there is no mention in the credits of it being a cinemascope film.

Of course I would love to see The Hanging Tree restored to a pristine condition. However, if the only choice is not having any release whatsoever or getting a release that is at least superior to the VHS version than I would choose the later by default. I think that is what they did in the case of The Naked Spur, and although it was dissappointing it was not restored, I thought it was superior to the the previous VHS release and I thought it turned out to be at least a tolerable presentation. I'm not sure I understand how not releasing a film at all is a better alternative to releasing it in a tolerable presentation without a major restoration. In the end, I hope Warners will do the right thing and not present us with such a Hobson's choice.

c Jim Bur

 

[DanMel]

Also, I have a decent pan and scan copy of the Hanging Tree on VHS tape. There is of course the possibility that WB could just release what they have on it in the next box set probably similar to the one released in france and if that were the case I will go with wanting to see all of the other WB owned movies released in the next box set in it's place.

On the ICONS radio show last Sunday, John Mulholland of whom I get ALL information on Gary Cooper, interviewed Michael Daves son of Delmer Daves the directer of The Hanging Tree and 3:10 to Yuma. They talked a little about the horrible shape that the Hanging Tree negative was in, and Michael Davies stated that he knew of a good print on VHS and asked if they could not just put out a dvd from that. I am not in favor of it. I own the VHS tape and it is alright but already own it and it is full screen 3:4 and not sure if it is suppose to be or not. I would recommend to all to listen to the one hour radio show as it is the best thing in classic movies going each week. There is a little poking fun at John Wayne on the show and his reading of the lines for the greatest story ever told "Awe this must truely be the Son of God", but if you are not a huge John Wayne fan or can get past that poking fun at him, the rest of the show is very informative. I am sure that more than a little poking fun has happened at Gary Cooper's expense over the years on tv and radio shows.

http://www.modaentertainment.com/ICO...-Radio-30.html

Stephen Bogart son of Humphrey Bogart also hosts the radio show with John.

 

[DanMel]

Yes you may be right Jim I think as I have never seen anything but the full screen version of the Hanging tree. The old WB VHS version is better than new dvd french version as I have viewed them both. I think that the old VHS copy may be in better shape than the actual negative at this point.

 

[DanMel]

Here's dvd beaver's screen captures of the WB french version for what is now the shape of the original negative. Some Brian on there stated that it is not the correct aspect ratio and that colors are 20 percent now of what they should be. The picture does seem to be a little more faded than when it came out on VHS tape in the 90's. If you want this version released in the box set, WB may go with your wish. I don't think any restoration work will get done on it unless Maria Cooper helps fund for it with Warner Brothers. However, I do think that the WB France version is pretty close to the VHS version that I have, when actually watching them both on a TV.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDRe...nging_tree.htm

I don't know but I am as nuts about all the other Gary Cooper movies they own and really want to see them come out on DVD, but I am sure there are many here that don't care if movies like Operator 13 and others ever come out on dvd. Gary Cooper movies is all that I care about and until yesterday I never even heard of the movies like 3:10 to Yuma mentioned on the radio show by John Mulholland as being the other mastepeice that Delmer Daves directed. I do know that Gary Cooper was not in the movie but can't tell you a thing about anything else concerning the movie. I mean you are talking to a person in myself that has never even seen the movie Shane. Gary Cooper movies are all I am concerned with and all that I post on and I love them ALL.

 

[John Hodson]

Sorry Jim, my very poor choice of words combined with a faulty memory. I seemed to recall some talk on French forums of it being 'cropped', but it could be open-matte?

 

[DanMel]

One final point from me on this thread and that is there is no point in releasing The Hanging Tree in the same condition that it exists on VHS and WB France DVD. They should release instead a better copy of Operator 13 than the horrible bootleg that I have of this movie if in fact they still own it and better copies of their other unreleased movies on Gary Cooper. There is no point at all and it is a complete waste of time to release the exact same unrestored copy of the Hanging Tree that most of us already own on VHS or Warner France DVD or both. My vote is to release everything else you have on Gary Cooper and release the Hanging Tree some day as a single release when it has been restored.