John Wayne Centennial DVD Sets From WB and Paramount (1 Viewer)

[jim_falconer]

I believe Wayne's Monogram / Mascot films are currently in the public domain, hence the dozen of different DVD releases of the titles. The question I have is the six films Wayne made for Universal in the mid 30s. I don't believe these are in the PD, yet you never see them on TV or any offical video release. Is there a chance Universal will ever get around to putting these films out on DVD?

 

[jim_falconer]

All these DVDs are currently up for pre-order at Amazon today, with the exception of "The Cowboys - Special Edition". Soon as they list that one, I'll be ordering 1) the Warner box, 2) Rio Bravo SE, 3) True Grit CE, and 4) The Cowboys SE together. Seeing as they are all being released together on 5/22, might as well have them come in one big package...

 

[Corey]

34.89 for the Warner set.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Kudos to Warner for releasing both, "The Cowboys" and "Rio Bravo" onto HD DVD/BRD, the same date as the SD DVD releases on May 22nd. I just wish other studios would follow such a strategy like Paramount with "It Takes a Thief" that's being releases shortly. Great job Warner!

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...ay,_HD_DVD/571




Crawdaddy

 

[Jim_K]

It's a good policy Warner seems to be adopting i.e. A-list catalog SE re-release with a simultaneous BD/HD version.

Just thinking about how spectacular She Wore A Yellow Ribbon would look in HD.

 

[stevenHa]

Any word on the Universal dvds - I'm interested in the War Wagon - any opinions on the video quality ?

 

[John Hodson]

While this news is R2 specific, it does contain an interesting snippet for those that bemoaned the fact that Hondo wasn't released in 3D:

"...Hondo has been meticulously restored and remastered three times by Batjac Productions, Inc. from the original and authentic film elements: first on film for a VHS release, second in a digital format for DVD release and, most recently, in digital 3D for Cannes...

"...They will also be honoring the great John Wayne at the Cannes International Film Festival next month with the premiere of the 1953 classic film Hondo recently restored in digital 3D. The screening will take place in the week that would have been ‘the Duke’s’ 100th birthday (May 26, 1907)."

The R2 also appears to be 'flat', but surely a 3D release may be just around the corner?

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I think a 3D release is going to be tricky. They could probably do it in field sequential, but that would exclude all those who have progressive displays. Someone is going to have to come up with a commercially viable 3D home theatre system for HD before we see any mainstream 3D releases.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Reading that press release on HONDO is interesting. They're releasing the DVD in full screen, when the film was originally photographed, and presented theatrically, in the 1.75 widescreen ratio.

They've now made the audio track 5.1, when the original theatrical release was mono only. (Early announcements mentioned Warnerphonic, but this was dropped before release.)

Jack Warner was VERY proud of this 3-D production, and took multiple ads in the trades heralding its excellent stereoscopic cinematography. All of the films December, 1953 opening engagements in every major city across the U.S., were in 3-D. The film only played flat in 1954 when it went into sub-run bookings.

So, for a widescreen/mono/3-D film, we get a full-screen/pseudo-stereo/flat DVD.

That's about as far from the original theatrical presentation as you can get!

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

The current Hondo DVD from Paramount includes the original mono track as well as the newly created 5.1 mix.

Regards,

 

[streeter]

Has anybody gotten the Century Collection from Paramount?
It lists 14 films and the online stores list 14 discs. Are bonus discs excluded from this collection? Also, what is the packaging like? (I hope it's not another giant shelf-filler like the Wayne/Ford collection from last year)

 

[Tim Tucker]

It's a small box set as these things go. Most of the DVDs are in double slimline cases, with two films in each. The only exceptions are that "McClintock!" and the two-disc special edition of The High and the Mighty have their own slimlines.