Pre-Code Hollywood Coll. from Universal (April 09) (1 Viewer)

Look what I found at Classicflix.com:

Classicflix.com Blog: UNIVERSAL: Pre-Code Hollywood Collection in April

Wow, I guess this will be the shock release of the year. I haven't seen any of the titles so this is a major from me. Hopefully this means more collections throughout the year.

This is amazing news.

Yeah I'll get this, it will go great with Warner's 3rd Forbidden Hollywood set. As the editorial note suggests, I hope it sells well and gets Universal releasing more catalogue titles.

Other the brilliant Touch of Evil set, and the Cinema Classics Comedies, I can't think of any other classics they released that weren't reissues, or reissues of reissues.

Well, I was hoping for a release of The Story of Temple Drake, which has been referred to as one of the more notorious films that led to tighter censorship.

I have seen all 6 films and can vouch for the fact that they are all very worthy inclusions. That is an amazing surprise from Universal! TORCH SINGER is a superb showcase for Claudette Colbert (doing her own singing) and MURDER AT THE VANITIES may just be the campiest of all pre-codes. All the films are must-sees actually for various reasons.

I hope this set gets the Universal classics back on track!!!

Looks like this is going to be part of a "Universal Backlot Series", Classicflix have just put up a 75th anniversary edition reissue of Demille's Cleopatra (previously available in a box)
Cleopatra - 75th Anniversary Edition (Universal Backlot Series)

I hope the "Universal Backlot Series" will be like SPHE "Collector's Choice", or Fox's "Cinema Classics" lines.

Of course the only problem is some of these films are actually from Paramount, so it doesn't quite make sense.

It figures that Universal would come up with an official DVD edition of Mitchell Leisen's MURDER AT THE VANITIES (1934) since I've just acquired it from other sources . Ditto for that surprising SE annoucement for CLEOPATRA (1934)...and smack on the 50th anniversary of Cecil B. DeMille's death, too!!

Anyway, I'm stunned by the sheer obscurity of the films included - apart from VANITIES, of course, and MERRILY WE GO TO HELL (1932). I'm not saying they aren't good or worthwhile but one would have thought that they could have at least thrown in a high profile title like the aforementioned THE STORY OF TEMPLE DRAKE (1933) as "the carrot to charm the rabbits in" so to speak.

In these hard times for the DVD industry, one can only applaud such bold studio releases, I guess, but I can't say I'll be too surprised if there won't be an encore in the near future...

WOW! This is monumental surprise and I will definitely be picking up.

Now where is Universal's Noir set w/ "The Glass Key" & "The Blue Dahlia" amongst many others?

WOW!!! This rules!!!

I wonder if this Backlot Series will be replacing their Cinema Classics line though?

sounds great to me too!

I completely forgot about The Story of Temple Drake. Maybe that will be the "center piece" so to speak in volume 2 Maybe they will throw in a talkie Clara Bow or Kay Francis film too. We can only hope

This is great news. I have only seen "Murder at the Vanities." What a great opportunity to see more pre-code titles. Now I need to get busy on watching my backlog and see all of the "Forbidden Hollywood" sets.

Fan-bloody-tastic news.

Fabulous news! Just the notion that Universal is willing to tap into their vast MCA reservoir is cause for celebration alone. The rarity of these titles alone almost usurps WB's admirable effo follow suit!orts. The astonishing MURDER AT THE VANITIES was available on VHS, and TCM did show an impeccable print of TORCH SINGER a couple of years ago, but MERRILY WE GO TO HELL, HOT SATURDAY, THE CHEAT, ans SEARCH FOR BEAUTY are/were beyond my wildest dreams. Hopefully, Universal's efforts will cue the post-THE ROBE Fox to follow suit.

The artwork is here

Great news, cannot wait! Hopefully this'll do well enough for a Volume 2. Will be good to see that early Cary Grant film.

Great news! If Universal only would release another Deanna Durbin set!

I have always wanted to see Torch Singer so I just might have to pick this up!

By the Way isn't Murder at the Vanities the movie where they sing about "Sweet Marijuana?"

Love the artwork!