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"My Living Doll"? (1 Viewer)

PaulKTF

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Last year I haerd that the obscure "My Living Doll" TV series was coming to DVD but I havn't heard anything about it since. Anyone have an update? Thanks. :)
 

Hank Dearborn

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Last I heard the search was still ongoing to find the original elements which seem to have vanished over the years. There are about 10 episodes on 16mm that are known to exist, some in archives and some in private collections. No one has yet been able to locate the original 35mm prints or the negatives and that is what is holding things up. I guess they don't want to go through the time and expense of putting together an incomplete set from the currently available sources only to discover the complete run afterwards.
 

PaulKTF

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Hank Dearborn said:
Last I heard the search was still ongoing to find the original elements which seem to have vanished over the years. There are about 10 episodes on 16mm that are known to exist, some in archives and some in private collections. No one has yet been able to locate the original 35mm prints or the negatives and that is what is holding things up. I guess they don't want to go through the time and expense of putting together an incomplete set from the currently available sources only to discover the complete run afterwards.
Thanks for that information. I'd be perfectly happy with an incomplete set of episodes since I've never seen the show at all.
 

Hank Dearborn

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Having seen several episodes a couple of years ago I can tell you that it is still funny and it holds up better than about 90% of the comedies of that era. Julie Newmar is just hysterical in the role. This could have been a successful show if cast properly. Unfortunately network politics forced the producer to use Bob Cummings instead of their choice, Bob Crane. Crane went on to a nice 6 year run with his series while this show limped along for a season with Cummings bailing out with 5 episodes to go. He was too old for the part and was a pain in the ass to work with besides, driving Newmar crazy with his criticisms. But in spite of all that, the show still is very funny.
 

DeWilson

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How in the world did the production company and CBS lose - misplace the negative or prints for that matter?
 

Hank Dearborn

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The show was never syndicated and never sold to any cable networks. Over 40+ years, things get moved around, different warehouses get used, facilities close, etc. Until 2 years ago no one was looking for this show and no one kept track of it. It was considered a property which had no commercial value and hence was treated as such.
 

DeWilson

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Hank Dearborn said:
The show was never syndicated and never sold to any cable networks. Over 40+ years, things get moved around, different warehouses get used, facilities close, etc. Until 2 years ago no one was looking for this show and no one kept track of it. It was considered a property which had no commercial value and hence was treated as such.
Good point. :)
 

rcbrad

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This series is reportedly coming to DVD by the end of this year from MPI home video. It seems that they are still looking for all of the episodes. I thought that I read that they located all of the episodes previously, but that is now not the case from what I have read. The DVD that is coming out is just volume 1. Perhaps a volume 2 will come out, if the other episodes ever surface? Any episodes are better than none. Sixties sitcoms are such fun to watch. I wish more obscure sitcoms would be released.
 

Neil Brock

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rcbrad said:
This series is reportedly coming to DVD by the end of this year from MPI home video. It seems that they are still looking for all of the episodes. I thought that I read that they located all of the episodes previously, but that is now not the case from what I have read. The DVD that is coming out is just volume 1. Perhaps a volume 2 will come out, if the other episodes ever surface? Any episodes are better than none. Sixties sitcoms are such fun to watch. I wish more obscure sitcoms would be released.
Never say never, as in the last few years things have turned up that were thought to be "impossible", such as Super Bowl I, Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, the Don Larsen perfect game, a complete run of Beulah. But as of now, most of the episodes remain missing. They could be somewhere but entities don't have the time, manpower nor inclination to go on a hunting mission and scour the vaults for something like this. Its the type of thing that the only way it will surface is if some place does an inventory or more likely is looking for something else and just stumbles across it. Last I heard, they had gotten ahold of 16mm prints of all but one of the known to exist episodes and only one episode was being held for an exorbitant ransom by an unnamed collector (cough, cough, Larry Urbanski).
 

DeWilson

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Neil Brock said:
Never say never, as in the last few years things have turned up that were thought to be "impossible", such as Super Bowl I, Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, the Don Larsen perfect game, a complete run of Beulah. But as of now, most of the episodes remain missing. They could be somewhere but entities don't have the time, manpower nor inclination to go on a hunting mission and scour the vaults for something like this. Its the type of thing that the only way it will surface is if some place does an inventory or more likely is looking for something else and just stumbles across it. Last I heard, they had gotten ahold of 16mm prints of all but one of the known to exist episodes and only one episode was being held for an exorbitant ransom by an unnamed collector (cough, cough, Larry Urbanski).
If that is true,I don't blame Urbansjki for holding out - he knows the value of the print he has - if they were careless to neglect the series, it's their fault. Why shouldn't he be compensated for what he has.
They found out all "Beaulah" episodes? I hadn't heard - what's the story.?
 

Frank Soyke

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DeWilson said:
If that is true,I don't blame Urbansjki for holding out - he knows the value of the print he has - if they were careless to neglect the series, it's their fault. Why shouldn't he be compensated for what he has.
They found out all "Beaulah" episodes? I hadn't heard - what's the story.?
This may be a stupid question, but who is Larry Urbanski (Urbansjki)?
 

Steve...O

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Originally Posted by Frank Soyke
This may be a stupid question, but who is Larry Urbanski (Urbansjki)?
Not a stupid question at all because I didn't know either. I googled him and it looks like he's a dealer in 16mm and 35mm film. I don't want to link to his website because I'm not sure if some of items he sells violates HTF policy but google his name and his comes right up.
 

DeWilson

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Steve...O said:
Quote:
Not a stupid question at all because I didn't know either.  I googled him and it looks like he's a dealer in 16mm and 35mm film.   I don't want to link to his website because I'm not sure if some of items he sells violates HTF policy but google his name and his comes right up.
  
He's a well known dealer of film and film supplies.. He also has a line of public domain VHS videos under the MOVIECRAFT name. in face, the still hasn't switched to DVD and might be the last VHS only outfit on the planet!
 

Jack P

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Yes. he also has the best quality versions of the only extant episodes of the 1955-56 'Sheena, Queen Of The Jungle" series. In fact, *all* p.d. DVD releases featuring episodes of that show are from VHS dupes from the Moviecraft masters, often blown-up to obscure the Moviecraft bug in the lower part of the screen.
 

WaveCrest

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I'd never heard of My Living Doll before reading the posts in a thread. I like the sound of this sitcom, something different.
 

The Obsolete Man

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DeWilson said:
If that is true,I don't blame Urbansjki for holding out - he knows the value of the print he has - if they were careless to neglect the series, it's their fault. Why shouldn't he be compensated for what he has.
No, he has nothing except hypothetical dollars, which are worth less than Linden Dollars.
Sure, whatever episodes he's holding for ransom are, hypothetically, worth some money, but if no one pays the high price he sets, he'll have nothing but some moldy old 16mm prints that will likely be tossed out when he dies by some relative who doesn't care about them, or, sold to the highest bidder for a quick cash grab by the relatives.
It's kind of like how music rights owners refuse to allow their songs to be used in DVDs for older shows... they want too much money, the people trying to release the shows won't pay the outrageous fee, so no one makes any money, and no one is happy.
 

Steve...O

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If this is true he sounds a bit like the guy who allegedly has the uncut Star is Born. Yes, having the only known copy of something means it has some value, but if steps aren't taken to preserve it for posterity it will end up worthless because eventually some unknowing person will toss it or send it to Goodwill.

At least Star is Born is an iconic film and I can see where the print owner is concerned about his/its treatment. My Living Doll isn't exactly a household name anymore and it isn't going to make mega $$$ for whoever puts it out.
 

DeWilson

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Steve...O said:
If this is true he sounds a bit like the guy who allegedly has the uncut Star is Born. Yes, having the only known copy of something means it has some value, but if steps aren't taken to preserve it for posterity it will end up worthless because eventually some unknowing person will toss it or send it to Goodwill.

>
We're not taking some guy that doesn't know how to store and keep film - we're talking a well known film and film supplies dealer who has been around for decades.
I'm the first person who's against hording, but he's know what the value of the episode is - not only for DVD, but future airings on one of the retro channels,as well as on-line streaming,etc.
They should just pay him what he wants!
 

The Obsolete Man

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DeWilson said:
We're not taking some guy that doesn't know how to store and keep film - we're talking a well known film and film supplies dealer who has been around for decades.
I'm the first person who's against hording, but he's know what the value of the episode is - not only for DVD, but future airings on one of the retro channels,as well as on-line streaming,etc.
They should just pay him what he wants!
And if they're not paying, odds are what he wants is too much.
My Living Doll isn't going to be a big seller, so the budget for it probably isn't too high in the first place. That episode is pretty much worthless, except to this guy, and the company that wants to put the DVDs out. If they don't pay for it, no one makes any money off of it. And, if we're all really lucky, the people who want to release the DVDs will find an alternate source for this episode, so the dealer who wants too much money now will eventually be holding onto a worthless piece of film once the DVDs are released without using his print of the episode.
I'm not saying he shouldn't be compensated... but he should also be realistic and realize that his precious is worthless to everyone but him and one other group. And when it's explained, most people who were going to buy these DVDs would probably be disappointed, but understand why this one episode couldn't appear if the company releasing the show on DVD were to leave it off the set altogether.
 

Neil Brock

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Frank Soyke said:
This may be a stupid question, but who is Larry Urbanski (Urbansjki)?
A very well known collector/dealer of film who has been in the hobby for decades.
 

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