Unviversal has over the last year and a half or so developed a passion for releasing their classic films in sets devoted to an indivdual star. We've seen sets for, among others, W.C. Felds, Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando, Bela Lugosi, Carole Lombard, Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, and most recently John Wayne, with a Boris Karloff set on the way. Many of the recent sets show a willingness at long last to release many of the outstanding films made at Paramount in the 1930 and 1940's.
Alan Ladd and Ray Milland, along with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, were probably Paramount's biggest box office stars in the 1940's. It seems time for a boxset for each of these neglected stars.
Arguably, Alan Ladd's five best films for Paramount in the 1940s' were film noir classics This Gun For Hire (1942), The Glass Key (1942), and the Blue Dahlia (1946), the spy thriller, O.S.S (1945), and the nautical adventure Two Years Before the Mast (1946). These films would seem the most logical for a Ladd boxset, however since This Gun For Hire was already released a couple of years ago as part of their Film Noir series, Universal might want to consider including The Great Gatsby (1949) for historical interest, as it was the first sound film of the novel (I believe Warner Baxter starred in the silent version), assuming they have the rights to this film Perhaps someone with knowledge on this issue can comment on whether or not Universal has the rights to release this film on DVD, or whether Paramount or some other party retained the rights to this film. If Universal doesn't have the rights to The Great Gatsby then they might want to consider including Saigon (1948), which was Ladd's final collaboration with Veronica Lake.
With regard to Ray Milland, he has already had 5 of his films released by Universal as part of other collections, however he did so many excellent films for Paramount, there is still plenty left over from which to make an outstanding boxset. Obviously his most famous film, The Lost Weeked, was long ago released on DVD, and there probably isn't need in to include that film in a Milland boxset. In addition, his great adventure film Bea Geste, in which he co-starred with Gary Cooper and Robert Preston was last year included in the Gary Cooper box set. The nautical historical epic Reap the Wild Wind, co-starring John Wayne, was released long ago on DVD. In addition, The Big Clock was released a couple of years ago as part of Unviversal's film noir collection, and Golden Earrings was recently released as part of the Marlene Dietrich set, and there would probably be no need to include those films.
I would suggest that a Ray Milland boxset include the film noir/Fritz Lang directed classic Ministry of Fear (1944), the classic Hollywood ghost film, The Univited (1944), the excellent Billy Wilder directed romantic comedy, The Major and the Minor (1942), the superb offbeat Faustian drama, Alias Nick Beal (1949) (assuming Universal has the rights to that film), and the technicolor western, California (1946), co-starring Barbara Stanwyck. As an alternative Universal might want to consider including the Willam Wellman directed aviation epic, Men With Wings (1938).
Another actor who deserves to have many more of his films released on DVD is Ronald Colman. As far as I'm aware Colman did only two pictures for Paramount, and none for Universal, so Universal would not have enough of his films for a full boxset. However, the two films Colman made for Paramount, are two of the greatest films of the 1930's, the Frank Lloyd directed/Preston Sturges scripted adventure classic, If I Were King (1938), and the William Wellman/Rudyard Kipling classic, The Light That Failed (1939). These films could be released on one DVD, as a two for one, and such a release would surely rank as one of the best, if not the best, classic films release of the year.
Universal also appears to have enough good Gary Cooper films left over to produce a reasonablly attractive 2nd box set of his films. Among others, there is the maritime adventure classic Souls at Sea (1937), the early Americana/Cecil B. DeMille adventure classic Unconquered (1946), which was one of the biggest box office hits of the 1940's, the Ernst Lubitch produced/Frank Borzage directed jewel thief/romantic comedy film, Desire (1936) co-starring Marlene Dietrich, and two other DeMille epics, North West Mounted Police (1940), and the World War II epic, The Story of Dr. Wassell.
One final point. I hope Universal can find a way to release Canyon Passage (1946), arguably, along with Destry Rides Again, the best western ever made by Universal. The star of the film, Dana Andrews, worked primarily for Fox, so he doesn't have enough films with Universal for a boxset, however this film is so outstanding that Universal should consider releasing it on its own.
Alan Ladd and Ray Milland, along with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, were probably Paramount's biggest box office stars in the 1940's. It seems time for a boxset for each of these neglected stars.
Arguably, Alan Ladd's five best films for Paramount in the 1940s' were film noir classics This Gun For Hire (1942), The Glass Key (1942), and the Blue Dahlia (1946), the spy thriller, O.S.S (1945), and the nautical adventure Two Years Before the Mast (1946). These films would seem the most logical for a Ladd boxset, however since This Gun For Hire was already released a couple of years ago as part of their Film Noir series, Universal might want to consider including The Great Gatsby (1949) for historical interest, as it was the first sound film of the novel (I believe Warner Baxter starred in the silent version), assuming they have the rights to this film Perhaps someone with knowledge on this issue can comment on whether or not Universal has the rights to release this film on DVD, or whether Paramount or some other party retained the rights to this film. If Universal doesn't have the rights to The Great Gatsby then they might want to consider including Saigon (1948), which was Ladd's final collaboration with Veronica Lake.
With regard to Ray Milland, he has already had 5 of his films released by Universal as part of other collections, however he did so many excellent films for Paramount, there is still plenty left over from which to make an outstanding boxset. Obviously his most famous film, The Lost Weeked, was long ago released on DVD, and there probably isn't need in to include that film in a Milland boxset. In addition, his great adventure film Bea Geste, in which he co-starred with Gary Cooper and Robert Preston was last year included in the Gary Cooper box set. The nautical historical epic Reap the Wild Wind, co-starring John Wayne, was released long ago on DVD. In addition, The Big Clock was released a couple of years ago as part of Unviversal's film noir collection, and Golden Earrings was recently released as part of the Marlene Dietrich set, and there would probably be no need to include those films.
I would suggest that a Ray Milland boxset include the film noir/Fritz Lang directed classic Ministry of Fear (1944), the classic Hollywood ghost film, The Univited (1944), the excellent Billy Wilder directed romantic comedy, The Major and the Minor (1942), the superb offbeat Faustian drama, Alias Nick Beal (1949) (assuming Universal has the rights to that film), and the technicolor western, California (1946), co-starring Barbara Stanwyck. As an alternative Universal might want to consider including the Willam Wellman directed aviation epic, Men With Wings (1938).
Another actor who deserves to have many more of his films released on DVD is Ronald Colman. As far as I'm aware Colman did only two pictures for Paramount, and none for Universal, so Universal would not have enough of his films for a full boxset. However, the two films Colman made for Paramount, are two of the greatest films of the 1930's, the Frank Lloyd directed/Preston Sturges scripted adventure classic, If I Were King (1938), and the William Wellman/Rudyard Kipling classic, The Light That Failed (1939). These films could be released on one DVD, as a two for one, and such a release would surely rank as one of the best, if not the best, classic films release of the year.
Universal also appears to have enough good Gary Cooper films left over to produce a reasonablly attractive 2nd box set of his films. Among others, there is the maritime adventure classic Souls at Sea (1937), the early Americana/Cecil B. DeMille adventure classic Unconquered (1946), which was one of the biggest box office hits of the 1940's, the Ernst Lubitch produced/Frank Borzage directed jewel thief/romantic comedy film, Desire (1936) co-starring Marlene Dietrich, and two other DeMille epics, North West Mounted Police (1940), and the World War II epic, The Story of Dr. Wassell.
One final point. I hope Universal can find a way to release Canyon Passage (1946), arguably, along with Destry Rides Again, the best western ever made by Universal. The star of the film, Dana Andrews, worked primarily for Fox, so he doesn't have enough films with Universal for a boxset, however this film is so outstanding that Universal should consider releasing it on its own.
