WHEELER & WOOLSEY: When Will Warner Archive Release Bert & Robert's Remaining Films? (1 Viewer)

Thus far, between The Warner Archive's "Wheeler and Woolsey - RKO Comedy Classics Collection" (Which contains 9 W&W Features.) and other assorted WA releases, there are a total of 16 RKO Wheeler & Woolsey Features currently available in the DVD/DVD-R Format.


The remaining Bert Wheeler & Robert Woolsey RKO Headliners still not released by Warner are (In order of their original Theatrical release):


1. THE CUCKOOS (1930)

2. DIXIANA (1930)

3. COCKEYED CAVALIERS (1934)

4. SILLY BILLIES (1936)


In posting an inquiry regarding the unissued Wheeler & Woolsey Films within a HTF Warner Archive thread, the responses seem to indicate that issues relating to Film Elements are what is holding up the release of a Wheeler & Woolsey Volume 2 set, and THE CUCKOOS from 1930, was the Film mentioned. It has also been reported that Warner is committed to issuing the remaining Wheeler & Woolsey RKO Features in time.


With That, My Following Question Is Two Fold:


Is Warner's intent to eventually issue the boys' other 10 Features on a second volume, or to simply release the remaining four W&W RKO Features that they have yet to release in any form?


Should the answer be the latter, my next question is, then why not issue DIXIANA, SILLY BILLIES and/or COCKEYED CAVALIERS (Assuming Film Element issues don't come into play with either or both of these!) either separately, or as a Multi-Feature DVD set?


While the release of the long awaited BOWERY BOYS Film Library was held up for years by missing Film Elements (Notably from MISTER HEX.), with the vast majority of the Wheeler & Woolsey Features having already been issued by Warner, I do question whether further delays in issuing SILLY BILLIES, DIXIANA and especially COCKEYED CAVALIERS really even make much sense!


On the other hand, if by chance, THE CUCKOOS is anywhere close to being properly restored (IE. The best possible Film Elements having at least been located!), then withholding its issue for a Volume 2 release would likely be financially worthwhile, especially as COCKEYED CAVALIERS is for many W&W Fans, their missing Crown Jewel, or Holy Grail, so to speak! I know it is for me!


~ Anthony Bensley



Note: Wheeler & Woolsey's 1933 Feature, SO THIS IS AFRICA, is a Columbia Picture (RKO loaned out Bert & Robert for this most interesting outing!), and Warner thus doesn't own the release rights for this Title! I believe that it would be up to Sony Entertainment (Who have certainly had their own share of problems, as of late!), to allow this W&W vehicle to see light of day!

Very nice work Tony, however, the release order of the first two titles are transposed.The Cuckoos was released before Dixiana. I know it's listed that way on Wikipedia's spreadsheet, but if you click on the titles you'll see the release dates.


Also, I would hope WAC would include W & W's solo efforts for RKO, Too Many Cooks (1931) with Wheeler and Everything's Rosie (1931) with Woolsey for completist purposes with the RKO titles.

JoelA said:

Very nice work Tony, however, the release order of the first two titles are transposed.The Cuckoos was released before Dixiana. I know it's listed that way on Wikipedia's spreadsheet, but if you click on the titles you'll see the release dates.


Also, I would hope WAC would include W & W's solo efforts for RKO, Too Many Cooks (1931) with Wheeler and Everything's Rosie (1931) with Woolsey for completist purposes with the RKO titles.

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Hi Joel!


Thank you very much for the correction regarding the Theatrical release order! I've edited my above post, accordingly!


I agree that the aforementioned solo efforts would make nice inclusions! Perhaps, an extra Bonus Disc for a Volume 2 set would be ideal for these?


Also, while not an RKO Production, Bert Wheeler's first post Wheeler & Woolsey Feature, THE COWBOY QUARTERBACK (1939), was made at Warner Brothers, so I would assume that Warner has the release rights to this!


CHEERS!


Tony

rmw650 said:

I've been wondering that myself as I haven't heard a great deal about when these guys' last remaining films will be offered to us on the DVD format. Some of the titles Tony mentioned above were shown here in Chicago on late night TV on the weekends many a year ago, but they were all hacked up and edited for broadcasts, but at least it was a way to view these movies that haven't seen the light of day on either VHS or DVD.

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Hi Richard!


Of the four Wheeler & Woolsey RKO Features not yet issued by Warner, I know for certain that THE CUCKOOS; DIXIANA and COCKEYED CAVALIERS have been broadcast on TCM in the past, the last of which I've never seen look better, which for me, makes it all the more frustrating that this top notch (In my opinion!) 1934 Wheeler & Woolsey Feature has yet to see a proper DVD release! Seriously, if Warner could issue HIGH FLYERS, their last Feature in which poor Robert Woolsey is so painfully obviously ill, then why not release the vastly superior COCKEYED CAVALIERS?


CHEERS!


Tony

I think most W&W fans agree that COCKEYED CAVALIERS is one of their very best features. I certainly hope Warners gets around to this one very soon.

When I asked them on FB about a year ago about the remaining titles they indicated that Volume 2 would include:

The Cuckoos

Cockeyed Cavaliers

Silly Billies

And the 2 solo films


They also noted that it was element issues with all 3 titles.

They never acknowledged Dixiana one way or the other so I'm not sure about that one. I have that one on the old Roan DVD release so I'm not sure but it maybe in Public domain.

I tried to push for them to get So This is Africa from Sony but I doubt that will happen.

Silly Billies was released on Laserdisc but the other 2 titles were not so I'm not sure what the element issue is with that one as I don't remember it looking that bad. I sold my Laserdisc about 6 years ago in anticipation of the DVDs.

I do remember Cockeyed Cavaliers not looking that great when it was shown on AMC back in the 90's and I don't recall TCM airing that one or Silly Billies even though they air many of the others, so elements do look to be the reason on that one as well.


Tony

Are you positive about Cockeyed Cavaliers being aired on TCM? I check their schedule monthly and I would have recorded it for sure but maybe I missed it.

Randy Korstick said:

When I asked them on FB about a year ago about the remaining titles they indicated that Volume 2 would include:

The Cuckoos

Cockeyed Cavaliers

Silly Billies

And the 2 solo films


They also noted that it was element issues with all 3 titles.

They never acknowledged Dixiana one way or the other so I'm not sure about that one. I have that one on the old Roan DVD release so I'm not sure but it maybe in Public domain.

I tried to push for them to get So This is Africa from Sony but I doubt that will happen.

Silly Billies was released on Laserdisc but the other 2 titles were not so I'm not sure what the element issue is with that one as I don't remember it looking that bad. I sold my Laserdisc about 6 years ago in anticipation of the DVDs.

I do remember Cockeyed Cavaliers not looking that great when it was shown on AMC back in the 90's and I don't recall TCM airing that one or Silly Billies even though they air many of the others, so elements do look to be the reason on that one as well.


Tony

Are you positive about Cockeyed Cavaliers being aired on TCM? I check their schedule monthly and I would have recorded it for sure but maybe I missed it.

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Hi Randy!


Regarding COCKEYED CAVALIERS TCM broadcasts, while I distinctly remember it being listed among the Thelma Todd Films being shown during the "Summer Under The Stars" in August 2010, I had to wait several months, as the entire 24 hours of Thelma Todd Films were blocked from TCM's Canadian Feed (Primarily due to TCM not having obtained Canadian Broadcast rights to the Hal Roach Film Library, a deplorable condition that remains unchanged to this day!), which I can tell you I was more than slightly ticked off about! Ironically, I was finally able to view this in February 2011 as the TCM Canadian Feed aired this and a few other Wheeler & Woolsey Films to substitute the Hal Roach Films (In itself, a real sore subject with me, as you've have likely by now surmised!) that TCM was broadcasting on Tuesday nights, I believe! Quite frankly, the COCKEYED CAVALIERS print looked just fine to me, though perhaps I ought to watch this one again and double check its visual quality!


During the 5 plus year period that we received TCM (Our current provider sadly, does not offer it!), I did find that the Wheeler & Woolsey Films were a "blink and you'll miss it" proposition! I recall missing a late night TCM airing of SO THIS IS AFRICA back around 2007, and at least in the subsequent four years, they never aired it again. Believe me, I checked both U.S. and Canadian Schedules religiously from soon after its online inception (Around the end of 2006, I believe!) until I had to reluctantly give up TCM in October, 2011!


CHEERS!


Tony

Back in 1993 Turmer leased many of Wheeler and Woolsey quarter inch masters tapes to me for research purposes, including "Cockeyed Cavaliers" and the print was excellent. But when Warner Brothers took over most of the library masters quickly disappeared.

Randy Korstick said:

Yeah It must have only aired once. I missed So This is Africa as well but I have heard that they aired it once before. Which is strange they air some of their other films frequently. I wonder how that is decided. I definitely remember Cockeyed Cavaliers looking worse than the other films when AMC aired most of their films in the 90's but TCM may have got an improved print.

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Hi Randy!


The thing about Television aired prints is that they do often derive from tape masters (As opposed to actual film!), meaning they're not necessarily the best insofar as transferring to DVD for commercial release. William's prior post gives me cause to wonder whether the COCKEYED CAVALIERS print that aired on TCM might have been one of those?


With that said, the TCM print was by far the best that I've ever had the privilege to view, though given my previous experience, that isn't really saying very much! An old 1988 taping of an edited with commercial breaks version from WXYZ Detroit is, in retrospect, pretty lousy looking, but then in the 1980's, just being able to view something at any time seemed a pretty amazing thing!


CHEERS!


Tony

Tony Bensley said:

1. THE CUCKOOS (1930)

2. DIXIANA (1930)

3. COCKEYED CAVALIERS (1934)

4. SILLY BILLIES (1936)

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Any of these ever get LaserDisc releases back in the day when Turner was putting out loads of RKOs?

THE CUCKOOS and SILLY BILLIES were released. COCKEYED CAVALIERS was announced but was cancelled.

Yeah, I still have Silly Billies on Laserdisc.

ahollis said:

Yeah, I still have Silly Billies on Laserdisc.

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I still have 'em all!

Yeah I had them all on Laserdisc and had Silly Billies. I didn't have the Cuckoos though. I just did a quick search on the laserdisc database and it doesn't show up there either. Are we sure that one was released? Its the only one I haven't seen besides So this is Africa do too them being so rare.

Here is the list of Wheeler and Woolsey titles released on Laser;


Hook, Line and Sinker

Peach-O-Reno

Diplomaniacs

Kentucky Kernels

Hips, Hips, Hooray!

Cockeyed Cavaliers

The Nitwits

The Rainmakers

Silly Billies

High Flyers


Caught Plastered, Cracked Nuts and Cockeyed Cavaliers scheduled for release but never were. I was informed one reason was that Image, who distributed most big studio films; warehouse had been destroyed in the 1994 Northridge California Earthquake.

Whoops! That should be Mummies Boys, not Cockeyed Cavaliers. Sorry about that

Yeah that sounds right those are the titles I had on Laserdisc and I bought them all as they came out. Maybe the original poster was thinking of another early title: Hook, Line and Sinker.

[email protected] said:

Whoops! That should be Mummies Boys, not Cockeyed Cavaliers. Sorry about that

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SO THIS IS AFRICA played in 35mm as part of a Pre-Code Columbia fest in a Los Angeles theater in the 90's. I saw it and didn't think it was one of their better outings, but would love to give it another chance. I have a very grainy copy of it on DVD-R that a friend gave me, but not sure where she got it, maybe a local TV airing at some point. I only watched the beginning of it and would say it's from TCM, but the picture seems too snowy for that. Then again, maybe its source was a really bad cable signal.

Professor Echo said:

SO THIS IS AFRICA played in 35mm as part of a Pre-Code Columbia fest in a Los Angeles theater in the 90's. I saw it and didn't think it was one of their better outings, but would love to give it another chance. I have a very grainy copy of it on DVD-R that a friend gave me, but not sure where she got it, maybe a local TV airing at some point. I only watched the beginning of it and would say it's from TCM, but the picture seems too snowy for that. Then again, maybe its source was a really bad cable signal.

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The existing version of SO THIS IS AFRICA is heavily censored and unfortunately, it appears that the cuts that were made no longer exist.

For an interesting article about this, see: http://www.elbrendel.com/2009/04/so-this-is-africa.html