Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Acquires Rights To 70 Films From The Samuel Goldwyn Library (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Jon Lidolt /t/319692/warner-brothers-home-entertainment-acquires-rights-to-70-films-from-the-samuel-goldwyn-library/60#post_3942859
Well guess what? Here's one of the few who actually got to see Scent of Mystery in the "new" 70mm Todd process and SMELL-O-VISION. I saw it at the Todd Cinestage in Chicago when I was an art student living in the city. In fact, one day while taking a stroll through the downtown on my lunch hour I passed the Cinestage theatre and saw Mike Todd Jr. carrying a big box of toilet tissue into the theatre. The highlight of Scent of Mystery, for me at least, was how everyone ended up blowing their nose during the intermission so that they could smell the second half of the movie. I also remember the the sound of the smells swooshing through the pipes to the seats just as something like cologne, freshly baked bread or manure would appear onscreen. It was memorable, that's for sure. As the movie's ads proclaimed: first they moved, then they talked... now they smell. The critics took note.

The vials of "smells" were stored at Todd-AO for many years. Last saw them there when I was searching for Spartacus audio.

RAH

 

[Andrew Budgell]

Elizabeth Taylor had a cameo in "Scent of Mystery". I'd love to see it for that reason alone.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Well guess what? Here's one of the few who actually got to see Scent of Mystery in the "new" 70mm Todd process and SMELL-O-VISION. I saw it at the Todd Cinestage in Chicago when I was an art student living in the city.

Wow, I remember the Cinestage Theater in Chicago vividly and saw many a roadshow presentation there with my folks. We would often have lunch at the Narcissus Room in Marshall Fields, where they would sometimes have fashion shows a la DESIGNING WOMAN, before catching a late matinee. I've become a bit of a nut for collecting more of those wonderful souvenir programs like they sold in the lobby. It was only lemonade or orangeade at intermission, as I recall, so as not to insult the gravity of the presentation. How times have changed! These days I work at the Todd-AO Building in Hollywood where many of the younger gang don't know much about Mike. I do wish I had a disc of SCENT OF MYSTERY I could loan to them, even without the Smell-O-Vision.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Ed Lachmann /t/319692/warner-brothers-home-entertainment-acquires-rights-to-70-films-from-the-samuel-goldwyn-library/60#post_3943206
Wow, I remember the Cinestage Theater in Chicago vividly and saw many a roadshow presentation there with my folks. We would often have lunch at the Narcissus Room in Marshall Fields, where they would sometimes have fashion shows a la DESIGNING WOMAN, before catching a late matinee. I've become a bit of a nut for collecting more of those wonderful souvenir programs like they sold in the lobby. It was only lemonade or orangeade at intermission, as I recall, so as not to insult the gravity of the presentation. How times have changed! These days I work at the Todd-AO Building in Hollywood where many of the younger gang don't know much about Mike. I do wish I had a disc of SCENT OF MYSTERY I could loan to them, even without the Smell-O-Vision.

Thanks for the trip back. I can remember only orangeade sold at intermission at times also. It is a shame that so many younger workers in this industry have no knowledge of the past pioneers who actually lead us to today.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

I would think that Warners would certainly move to give us 'Guys and Dolls' in Bluray.
But their apparent reluctance nowadays to move solidly in that format (why no 'Show Boat' in Blu ray, or any of the Fred and Ginger movies?) doesn't mean that the Eddie Cantor classic 'Whoopee!' doesn't languish unreleased, or at best as a Warner Archive title. 'Whoopee!' deserves the full Bluray treatment if only for the glory of its beautiful and historic two-strip Technicolor filming. And Cantor's remarkably understated performance in those days of outright ham deserves to be commemorated -- his 'Making Whoopee' number from that movie is so restrained as if he already understands totally why less is best for the motion-picture camera.
I'll wait for a Robert Harris comment on whether original film sources exist to give us the full glory of 'Whoopee!'.

 

[Escapay]

But their apparent reluctance nowadays to move solidly in that format (why no 'Show Boat' in Blu ray, or any of the Fred and Ginger movies?)

Every time there was one of the HTF/WB chats, Show Boat would be brought up and promised as coming soon, but it would never happen. I've avoided buying the barebones DVD for years because of it, and I'm tired of waiting.

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes, I've had to content myself with the laserdisc box set of the Show Boat features and the DVD of the 1951 version. Supposedly the 1951 version was subjected to the Ultra Resolution treatment years ago (though never released that way) in preparation for the box set release. Maybe we'll see these in some fashion some day.

 

[ahollis]

Will not part with the Showboat Collection laserdisc. I still keep up hope for something good happening.

 

[GMpasqua]

Still the Best Version (Never released on DVD)

 

[Charles Smith]

Originally Posted by ahollis /t/319692/warner-brothers-home-entertainment-acquires-rights-to-70-films-from-the-samuel-goldwyn-library/60#post_3945728
Will not part with the Showboat Collection laserdisc. I still keep up hope for something good happening.

Likewise. And the Criterion LD of the 1936 version is a great complement to the other set, with commentary and other extras.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by GMpasqua /t/319692/warner-brothers-home-entertainment-acquires-rights-to-70-films-from-the-samuel-goldwyn-library/60#post_3945735

Still the Best Version (Never released on DVD)

No question about that! And to think it never even got a DVD release. Shameful! Yes, I have the Criterion laserdisc, too, which I had before the laserdisc box set came out.

 

[JoHud]

I'm not sure what it really keeping the DVD/Blu-ray from happening. We've been constantly reminded that WHV has plans for all 3 titles for a boxed set but is sort of mired in planned-but-non-committed home video purgatory along with Greed and The Big Parade.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

The three-movie box set of 'Show Boat' was promised on an online forum at least two or three years ago -- I think Fred and Ginger's 'Top Hat' was promised at the same time.
Of the Fred and Ginger movies, I'd like to see 'Top Hat' and 'Swingtime' as a double-bill -- but must admit to loving the aerial antics of 'Flying Down to Rio' as well!
Anthony in Woodend, Victoria, Australia

 

[dana martin]

So the first two out of the gate are Guys and Dolls and HCA, way to go WB and Digibook to boot, nice treatment, hopefuly more will be announced

 

[bgart13]

Perhaps I've missed it lost among the many threads/posts, but here's HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON for preorder on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Hans-Christian-Andersen-Blu-ray-Danny/dp/B008OBQGSC/ref=sr_1_5?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1345240791&sr=1-5

 

[Keith Cobby]

I am still (patiently) waiting for the release of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty on blu-ray.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Might be a long wait. I would think that they would have released it alongside the remake if it was gonna happen.

 

[Joel Arndt]

I am still (patiently) waiting for the release of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty on blu-ray.

Unfortunately, I agree with Brandon above since Warners just released it in standard def dvd last December. I have to say it looks great though and blu ready.

 

[bruceames]

Very disappointing that Warner would release Wuthering Heights on DVD only, and not only that, as a pressed disc! This is one of those few movies that was totally neglected on DVD (MGM released it early in the format's life, but has long been OOP), and yet is highly deserving to get released on Blu-ray. This is THE definitive version of the book and like the 1940 Pride and Prejudice (also much deserving a BD release), is vastly under-appreciated.

This is what I've been saying about Warner lately. They don't seem to have any interest anymore on getting the classics out on Blu-ray, especially compared to studios like Fox and even more so considered all the material they either own or have the distribution rights to. It's disconcerting.

 

[JoHud]

Does WB even have control over the transferring of Samuel Goldwyn titles? It seems like WB just uses whatever the SG company gives them (same with Paramount) which is why we haven't seen many blu-rays. The SG company could still mostly just be licensing their SD holdovers from their MGM/HBO Video years.

Either way, I don't think we'll be seeing much more Goldwyn blu-rays in the future. Probably just a couple more if that. As for Porgy and Bess, it could be blu-ray, DVD, MOD...just hoping an official print gets out there.