Where are all the Jerry Lewis movies on dvd? (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Not sure who is holding the release rights for the Jerry Lewis films.


Be it Paramount or Warner Bros.


I did attend a Jerry Lewis function at The Friars Club a few months

ago to celebrate the release of THE NUTTY PROFESSOR.


Talked with a major representative of Warner Home Entertainment

about getting more Jerry Lewis films out on Blu-ray. The response

I received was, "depends how well this release sells."


It's so hard to say, under this new catalog release environment, if

his films will be released to Blu-ray.


Still very dismayed that Sony is still holding Jerry Lewis titles that never

made it to DVD. Maybe Twilight Time can release them to BD....eventually.

 

[DeWilson]

There's a couple of Jerry Lewis films only available in R2 in Germany such as "Don't Give Up The Ship" and "Visit to A Small Planet" (with English tracks)

 

[Mick Tees]

Thanks guys... I remember watching his movies when I was a boy growing up in the 1970's. He had so many funny, laugh out loud movies.

They were usually on a Sunday afternoon after we came home from church.

I was on eBay recently looking for his titles and I was truly amazed how many movies are still not out on DVD.

There was a special documentary from 2012 "Method to the Madness". You had people like Jerry Seinfeld & Steven Spielberg saying some very nice things about Jerry Lewis.

Many celebrities who participated in the documentary pretty much called this guy a genius.

 

[classicmovieguy]

Not sure who is holding the release rights for the Jerry Lewis films.


Be it Paramount or Warner Bros.


I did attend a Jerry Lewis function at The Friars Club a few months

ago to celebrate the release of THE NUTTY PROFESSOR.


Talked with a major representative of Warner Home Entertainment

about getting more Jerry Lewis films out on Blu-ray. The response

I received was, "depends how well this release sells."


It's so hard to say, under this new catalog release environment, if

his films will be released to Blu-ray.


Still very dismayed that Sony is still holding Jerry Lewis titles that never

made it to DVD. Maybe Twilight Time can release them to BD....eventually.

So let's all make it a point to purchase "Nutty Professor" on Blu. I got mine a few months ago - it's a great disc.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Many celebrities who participated in the documentary pretty much called this guy a genius.

He was. Absolutely was.


The biggest thrill of my life -- a dream fulfilled -- was standing inches from

him last year during a press junket for THE NUTTY PROFESSOR.

So just out of curiosity, which of his films remain to be released on DVD then? I'm thinking there are maybe 5-7 of them.

The one title that I have been pushing for is THE BIG MOUTH. Never released to DVD, but I did manage

to record it off of a movie channel in HD last year and burn it to a Blu-ray disc.


That is a Columbia title.


Columbia did release DON'T RAISE THE BRIDGE LOWER THE WATER to DVD, but it is not one

of Jerry's better movies.

 

[Mick Tees]

That list looks really good! Fingers crossed of 2015.... "hey lady (Jerry)!" Let's get these released ASAP.

 

[Randy Korstick]

I know one film that will never see any kind of release was that 1972 film he did called..."Day that the Clowns Cried" or something like that. Heard it was one of the most bizarre movies he ever made.


This might be the best compilation I could find on here but it needs to probably be updated some:


3 RING CIRCUS (Martin and Lewis)
THE SAD SACK (VistaVision)
ROCK-A-BYE BABY (R6)
DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP
VISIT TO A SMALL PLANET (R6)
WHO'S MINDING THE STORE?
WAY... WAY OUT (Fox, who cares?)
THE BIG MOUTH (Sony)
HOOK, LINE AND SINKER (Sony)
WHICH WAY TO THE FRONT? (Warner)
HARDLY WORKING (Fox)


Thanks goes out to Jack Theakston for providing and making out this list.

The list is correct for missing titles with a few changes:

Who's Minding the Store and Rock-A-Bye-Baby were released by Olive.

Hook, Line and Sinker was released by Sony's Archive line

Which Way to the Front? was released by Warner Archive.

Also add to unreleased: Three on a Couch (Sony)

So 8 unreleased titles.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Don't forget Cracking Up/Smorgasbord. It's a gem!

 

[Randy_M]

Interesting that both "Visit to a Small Planet" and "Don't Give Up the Ship" are available to stream from Amazon Prime in pristine prints. I'd much rather own them on disc, though.

 

[Brent S]

Don't forget Cracking Up/Smorgasbord. It's a gem!

Available from Warner Archive.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Yeah I don't know what the issue is with those 2 films. They have never had a home video release in the US on any format: VHS, Laserdisc and DVD. The Sad Sack had a brief and expensive VHS release back in the 80's and has never been reissued on any format either.

Interesting that both "Visit to a Small Planet" and "Don't Give Up the Ship" are available to stream from Amazon Prime in pristine prints. I'd much rather own them on disc, though.

 

[t1g3r5fan]

If I remember correctly, Gore Vidal (the author of the source material for Visit to a Small Planet) was unsatisfied with the film version and may have had some influence in the film not being released to home video during his lifetime. I don't know if the latter is true but it's the best I can surmise.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

No, Vidal had no say over it. The rights reverted to Hal Wallis for a while but they're back with Paramount now.

 

[youworkmen]

Thanks guys... I remember watching his movies when I was a boy growing up in the 1970's. He had so many funny, laugh out loud movies.

They were usually on a Sunday afternoon after we came home from church.

I was on eBay recently looking for his titles and I was truly amazed how many movies are still not out on DVD.

There was a special documentary from 2012 "Method to the Madness". You had people like Jerry Seinfeld & Steven Spielberg saying some very nice things about Jerry Lewis.

Many celebrities who participated in the documentary pretty much called this guy a genius.

That 2012 documentary was aired here in the UK on Sky Arts. It was in HD but unfortunately I had to put it on dvd in SD as I can't transfer pay tv channels in HD.


There was another excellent Lewis documentary a few years ago shown on E.


That German disc of Visit to a Small Planet is very nice and great quality

 

[t1g3r5fan]

No, Vidal had no say over it. The rights reverted to Hal Wallis for a while but they're back with Paramount now.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Clearly I knew that Vidal was dissatisfied, but I guess I was mistaken about the rights issue.

 

[Dick]

Why is DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP unavailable, even on DVD, anywhere in the world?

 

[Randy_M]

Why is DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP unavailable, even on DVD, anywhere in the world?

I wish I knew, as it happens to be my favorite Jerry Lewis movie.

 

[classicmovieguy]

i looking for THE GEISHA BOY

"Geisha Boy" has been out on Blu for a while now. From Olive Films.

 

[Mick Tees]

You know what else would be really nice in the future....

A DVD box set of The Jerry Lewis Telethon. You could do a 1970's, 80's, & 90's disc. Highlights... Funny moments. Bloopers. Memorable performances. The Dean Martin reunion.

You have so many releases from the Johnny Carson Tonight Show years on DVD.

I think a best of over the years telethon DVD would be really cool.

I was on YouTube last weekend watching bloopers from the telethon. Funny stuff!

 

[Mick Tees]

I'll settle for highlights and snippets. I think entire telethons would be a bit long... It's surprising what material is on You Tube.