Universal, what about a Mitchell Leisen box set? (1 Viewer)

[RafaelPires]

Since Universal home video is releasing a Preston Sturges box set in UK, why not release not release, in USA a Mitchell Leisen collection.
One of the most important directors for Paramount from the 30s through the 50s, he made a lot of classics that are in great need of beeing on dvd.
As a suggestion, the box set should include:
- Hands Across the Table, with Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray;
- Easy Leaving, with Jean Arthur anda Ray Milland;
- Midnight, starring Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche and John Barrymore;
- Remember the Night, with Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray;
- Arise, my love, with Claudette Colbert and Ray Milland;
- Hold Back the Dawn, with Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havilland and Paulette Goddard;
- Lady in the Dark, with Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland;
- Frenchman's Creek, with Joan Fontaine and Arturo de Cordova;
- Kitty, with Ray Milland and Paulette Goddard;
- To Each his Own, with Olivia de Havilland and John Lund.
Ok, I listed 10 movies, but they are all exceptional and would make a incredible box set.
Please Universal, we must have all this Paramount pictures on dvd.
Paramount was more famous for its directors, than for its stars, then, I think this directors collections would be a golden mine for them.
Think about Preston Sturges, Billy Wilder, Cecil B. De Mille, Ernst Lubitsch...

 

[Danny Burk]

Absolutely! This would be a great set that I'd buy in a heartbeat. And while we're on Paramount directors, Universal, don't forget a box set of Von Sternberg/Dietrich films. There are a LOT of collectors waiting for these

 

[Charles H]

I hope that Paramount (which is a bit more adventurous) brings out THE MATING SEASON. (At least I "think" Paramount still owns it.)

 

[ChrisPearson]

That's a great idea. I also love Mitchell Leisen's work.

But this is Universal we're talking about: the most philistine studio when it comes to DVD releases; the polar opposite of Warner. Posters on this site have been crying out for the Paramount films of these directors for years to no avail. Nothing will appear from Universal unless it can be shoehorned into a "franchise", crammed onto both sides of a DVD18 and sold at a bargain-basement price. As they can't even manage a R1 Sturges set I doubt they'll be able to give us a Leisen set, if they've even heard of him.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Amen to that!

As for Leisen, I like several of his movies but basically because they were written by WildernBrackett. An interesting side not for those who don't know - Billy Wilder hated Mitchell Leisen and gave him the credit for forcing himself to become a director. Supposedly, he was tired of having his scripts mutilated, and Leisen forced Wilder off the set repeatedly. For that, we are forever in debt to Mitchell Leisen.

 

[Miguel M Santos]

Thought would be a good idea to ressurect this considering that now EASY LIVING, MIDNIGHT and HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE have been released. Any chance that the others will ever see the light of day?

Or Paramount's THE MATING SEASON.

 

[Charles H]

I suspect that the Moss Hart estate controls LADY IN THE DARK (as they do WINGED VICTORY and ACT ONE). A vhs of LADY was announced and abruptly pulled. Now that MIDNIGHT is out on dvd, my second priority is REMEMBER THE NIGHT with a terrific Preston Sturges script. It's also a superb Christmas movie! Depending who owns it, wouldlove to see THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK, MURDER AT THE VANITIES, CRADLE SONG, , FOUR HOURS TO KILL, I WANTED WINGS, DREAM GIRL, BRIDE OF VENGEANCE, SONG OF SURRENDER, CAPTAIN CAREY USA, NO MAN OF HER OWN, DARLING, HOW COULD YOU! An outsource from either MCA or Paramount to Eclipse/Criterion might be a possibility?

 

[Paul_Scott]

Hold Back The Dawn is now my most wanted Universal owned Paramount title, followed by The Uninvited and the other Ladd/Lake films. Since Criterion still has an arrangement with Universal, I'm hopeful these will make it out in some form or fashion within another year. This thread is old and some of these have already made it out- but this would indeed have made for a killer box set. He made some truly wonderful films.