Recommendations of 1930s Films on DVD (1 Viewer)

[DanMel]

The Shirley Temple movie pack "Little Darlings" has a very good movie with Gary Cooper and Carole Lumbard which Shirley Temple just happens to be in and is a good movie on its own merrits even for those that are not Shirley Temple fans.

I hope another Marlene Dietrich set comes out with the other movie she did with Gary Cooper Desire. It was released in Region 2 in the big box set on her but all we got in the states is the smaller box set. I think she really deserves a Vol 2 box set more so than May West and maybe even Carole Lumbard.

 

[Irina]

Marlene Dietrich's Desire was also issued as a single DVD in Belgium in R2. It's a great movie and it definitely deserves a recognition in R1. The Song of Songs with Marlene Dietrich was also issued as a single DVD in France and as a part of a 18 DVD set in the UK. Again, hopefully it will get released in R1 soon.

The Legends of Horror is a great set of 1930's horror movies including the great The Devil-Doll by Tod Browning:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDRev...collection.htm

Nothing Sacred (1937) -
http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Sacred.../dp/B0000639EG

Behind Office Doors -
http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Office-.../dp/B000286S3I

Platinum Blond (1931) -
http://www.amazon.com/Platinum-Blond.../dp/B0000CBL7Z

Pre-Code Hollywood Set -
http://www.amazon.com/Pre-Code-Holly.../dp/6305436339

Pre-Code Hollywood Set 2 -
http://www.amazon.com/Pre-code-Holly.../dp/B00002E20F

Dancing Lady (1931) -
http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Lady-J.../dp/B000F7CMPO

Bette Davis Collections 1 & 2 -
http://www.amazon.com/Collection-Ske.../dp/B0008ENIOI
http://www.amazon.com/Collection-Jez.../dp/B000EU1Q40

Wife vs Secretary (1936) -
http://www.amazon.com/Wife-vs-Secret.../dp/B000F7CMS6

Lady For A Day (1933) -
http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Day-Warre.../dp/B00005OCL4

Lost Horizon (1937) -
http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Horizon-R.../dp/6305416222

Dodsworth (1936) -
http://www.amazon.com/Dodsworth-Mary.../dp/B00005PJ6U

The Good Fairy (1935) -
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Fairy-Mar.../dp/B00006LPEO

Topper (1937) -
http://www.amazon.com/Topper-Returns.../dp/B00008ZZ7B

Come And Get It (1936) -
http://www.amazon.com/Come-Get-Edwar.../dp/B0006TPDZ2

Stella Dallas (1937) -
http://www.amazon.com/Stella-Dallas-.../dp/B0006TPE0Q

No Man Of Her Own (1932) - (to be released on May 22)
http://www.amazon.com/Man-Her-Own-Cl.../dp/B000N3T0FK

 

[Adam_S]

The Classic Comedies collection is one of the best sets of movies WB has put together. Stage Door is an especial favorite

You might also like this thread, which was a long running discussion of great films from the 30s.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...ad.php?t=84516

 

[PaulP]

I just remembered this thread while placing my order for the new Forbidden Hollywood collection. Anyone with any new recommendations? Please share.

 

[ScottHM]

Lubitsch Musicals
(The Love Parade / The Smiling Lieutenant / One Hour with You / Monte Carlo)

Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 3
(Charlie Chan's Secret / Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo / Charlie Chan on Broadway / The Black Camel)

Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection
(David Copperfield 1935 / Marie Antoinette 1938 / Pride and Prejudice 1940 / A Tale of Two Cities 1935 / Treasure Island 1934)

Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection
(Cafe Metropole/Girls Dormitory/Johnny Apollo/Daytime Wife/Luck of the Irish/Ill Never Forget You/That Wonderful Urge/Love Is News/This Above All/Second Honeymoon)
(Only about half of the Tyrone Power films are from the '30s, but you can get all ten for less than $30 so it's hard to go wrong.)

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[TheBat]

they have the original flash gordon serial on dvd. with buster crabbe. each chapter is about 20 minutes long. there are like 13 on the first one and 14 on the second.. there is also a third movie. I would recommend that.

Jacob

 

[Greg_M]

Anything with James Cagney - the Warner stuff looks great! Also the WB musicals "Footlight Parade" and other Berkley musicals

Try the gangesters box sets there are four volumes and each is filled with classic films - Bogart, Cagney, Ewdard G Robinson - you can't go wrong

 

[Jefty]

GREAT list! I'm particularly pleased to find Daughters Courageous on there (Michael Curtiz is reputed to have considered it his most underrated film--and I quite agree!)--it's not on DVD though, is it? (I only ask because I WISH it was!!!)

 

[Jefty]

I wasn't expecting them to look much better than PD releases when I bought them, but they actually have really nice transfers!

no extras, but very affordable--I really wish they'd come out with more of these!

 

[PaulP]

I will have to go over this thread and see what's already in my collection. I got a $40 Best Buy card and I'm thinking of picking up a boxset. I have the first Warner Gangsters set, and I'm thinking of getting Vol. 3. Or maybe something else, depending on what I see on the shelves.

 

[Susan Nunes]

The films were better then overall. The studio system, for whatever flaws it had, was run by people who understood the movies and understood the public. The system also the talent which isn't there today.

 

[Susan Nunes]

My major complaint of 1930s DVDs is very few Jean Harlow films are available to date. I don't know if whoever owns the rights to her films is waiting for her centennial in 2011 to release the bulk of her films.

I had almost all of them on VHS, but there are few titles on DVD. Bombshell and Red Dust are obvious omissions.

 

[Robin9]

I've always liked Saratoga, her last movie. I've no idea why it's not on DVD. It certainly should be. The leading man is Clark Gable!

 

[PaulP]

It'd be great if we could turn this thread into a sort of an all-purpose 1930s DVD thread, where we could post news of upcoming releases and discuss things. For instance, apart from Forbidden Hollywood Volume 3 what other 1930s DVDs are coming soon?

 

[ScottHM]

It looks like a couple of Hitchcock's 1930s films are being released in February:

Sabotage (1936)

Young and Innocent (1937)

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[JackKay]

Don't forget FRANK and DRAC.

 

[PaulP]

Right, forgot about those, but I've had all four of them on preorder for a while now, to go along with the other singles from that unfortunate set. By the way, Sabotage will be shown on MGM-HD this month: on the 15th at 6 is the premiere.

 

[David_B_K]

There are lots of reasons the films of the 30s are so good. PBS had a documentary last week that partly explained it-"Cinema's Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood". This documentary followed many Hollywood greats from Europe, (mostly German, mostly Jewish) who fled Nazi-dominated Europe throughout the 1930's and settled in Hollywood. Some did not continue their European success, but many surpassed it. Many of the films/directors/actors on the lists that have been furnished on this thread includes many of those who made the exodus to Hollywood.

For example, some of the great comedies of the 30's would not have happened if directors like Ernst Lubitsch had not emigrated, and Errol Flynn's swashbucklers would not have had as much impact if not for the splendid music scores of Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The best of Europe and the best of Hollywood combined in the 30's in an explosion of great filmmaking. If that doc gets repeated try to catch it.

 

[PaulP]

Thanks for letting us know, David! I found this doc's official site: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/cinemasexiles/ It looks fascinating. Unfortunately, looks like it won't be airing on my local PBS station (Thirteen) in the next two weeks. Too bad, but hopefully they'll repeat it soon.