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A Few Words About A few words about...™ Musicals 4-Movie Collection -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris

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Our friends at Warner Bros. have pulled three titles, never before released on Blu-ray, and combined them with a fourth of mild significance. The four are being released March 3 at a street price of $27.


While that still works out to around $9 per disc, I consider that a decent deal, as the Blu-rays look better than okay. Details below.


Singin' in the Rain - M-G-M -1952 - directed by Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly - Three-strip Technicolor - Stereo


Cast: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Cyd Charisse


A film that would make good training wheels for those have a fear of musicals, or at least being seen viewing them.


Previously released.



The Band Wagon - M-G-M - 1953 - Directed by Vincente Minnelli - Three-strip Technicolor - Stereo


Cast: Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray, Jack Buchanan


The second of the great M-G-M musicals in the set. Great fun.


Perfect color, densities, beautiful blacks and whites. A magnificent representation of the original on disc. Great stereo.



Calamity Jane - WB - 1953 (see a trend here?) - Directed by David Butler - Three-strip Technicolor


Cast: Doris Day, Howard Keel


Great fun on the range with Miss Day and Mr. Keel. Another gorgeous image harvest from WB



Kiss Me Kate - M-G-M - 1953 -Directed by George Sidney - Ansco Color - Stereo


Cast: Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Bobby Van, Tommy Rall, James Whitmore, Bob Fosse


Beautiful color and densities. A great Blu-ray



The ratings:


Singin' in the Rain


Image - 5*


Audio - 5


Pass / Fail - Pass


Extremely Highly Recommended



The Band Wagon


Image - 5


Audio - 5


Pass / Fail - Pass


Very Highly Recommended



Calamity Jane


Image - 5


Audio - 5


Pass / Fail - Pass


Highly Recommended



Kiss Me Kate


Image - 5*


Audio - 5


Pass / Fail - Pass


Very Highly Recommended



Four great musicals, that have obliviously been misplaced by Warner Bros. The value of this boxed set is easily $150. Their error is your gain


Probably the finest musical boxed collection that we'll see in 2015. Consider it an early Christmas gift. The four discs are bound in a very solid book, discs easily removed without damage, high-grade outer box. A beautiful product.


The three M-G-M title are packed with extras.


Did I mention that Kiss Me Kate also includes a 3D version, for those interested in that sort of thing...


There's something about these films coming out at $9 each that's just wrong. Please contact WB and complain.


RAH
 

lukejosephchung

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Robert Harris said:
Our friends at Warner Bros. have pulled three titles, never before released on Blu-ray, and combined them with a fourth of mild significance. The four are being released March 3 at a street price of $27.


While that still works out to around $9 per disc, I consider that a decent deal, as the Blu-rays look better than okay. Details below.


Singin' in the Rain - M-G-M -1952 - directed by Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly - Three-strip Technicolor - Stereo


Cast: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Cyd Charisse


A film that would make good training wheels for those have a fear of musicals, or at least being seen viewing them.


Previously released.



The Band Wagon - M-G-M - 1953 - Directed by Vincente Minnelli - Three-strip Technicolor - Stereo


Cast: Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray, Jack Buchanan


The second of the great M-G-M musicals in the set. Great fun.


Perfect color, densities, beautiful blacks and whites. A magnificent representation of the original on disc. Great stereo.



Calamity Jane - WB - 1953 (see a trend here?) - Directed by David Butler - Three-strip Technicolor


Cast: Doris Day, Howard Keel


Great fun on the range with Miss Day and Mr. Keel. Another gorgeous image harvest from WB



Kiss Me Kate - M-G-M - 1953 -Directed by George Sidney - Ansco Color - Stereo


Cast: Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Bobby Van, Tommy Rall, James Whitmore, Bob Fosse


Beautiful color and densities. A great Blu-ray



The ratings:


Singin' in the Rain


Image - 5*


Audio - 5


Pass / Fail - Pass


Extremely Highly Recommended



The Band Wagon


Image - 5


Audio - 5


Pass / Fail - Pass


Very Highly Recommended



Calamity Jane


Image - 5


Audio - 5


Pass / Fail - Pass


Highly Recommended



Kiss Me Kate


Image - 5*


Audio - 5


Pass / Fail - Pass


Very Highly Recommended



Four great musicals, that have obliviously been misplaced by Warner Bros. The value of this boxed set is easily $150. Their error is your gain


Probably the finest musical boxed collection that we'll see in 2015. Consider it an early Christmas gift. The four discs are bound in a very solid book, discs easily removed without damage, high-grade outer box. A beautiful product.


The three M-G-M title are packed with extras.


Did I mention that Kiss Me Kate also includes a 3D version, for those interested in that sort of thing...


There's something about these films coming out at $9 each that's just wrong. Please contact WB and complain.


RAH
While I already have "Singin' In The Rain", the price I'm locked in at Amazon STILL makes the cost for the 3 remaining titles UNDER $9 each...I'll do as you ask, Robert... :P
 

Matt Hough

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So thrilled to read this. All four are among the great musicals in Hollywood history. I can't wait to receive my set that was pre-ordered they day we could.
 

aPhil

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Was the opening sentence of the review humor or an error:

". . .three titles, never before released on Blu-ray, and combined them with a fourth of mild significance."


As "Singin' in the Rain" is the fourth (as it has been released on Blu-ray for some time), then it would be the

one of mild significance (which I think is not intended unless tongue in cheek).


I would assume from the rating that if one of the 4 is of mild significance, then that would be "Calamity Jane," one of the 3 never before released on Blu-ray.


Anyway, I pre-ordered long ago and I'm glad to read that these look so good on Blu. All except "Singin' in the Rain" will be new experiences for me (as I have not seen any of the newer 3)
 

RMajidi

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Great to read confirmation of the quality of these releases. I locked in my pre-order with Amazon some time ago at $24.49. Grinning like a highway robber!
 

AnthonyClarke

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aPhil said:
Was the opening sentence of the review humor or an error:

". . .three titles, never before released on Blu-ray, and combined them with a fourth of mild significance."


As "Singin' in the Rain" is the fourth (as it has been released on Blu-ray for some time), then it would be the

one of mild significance (which I think is not intended unless tongue in cheek).


I would assume from the rating that if one of the 4 is of mild significance, then that would be "Calamity Jane," one of the 3 never before released on Blu-ray.


Anyway, I pre-ordered long ago and I'm glad to read that these look so good on Blu. All except "Singin' in the Rain" will be new experiences for me (as I have not seen any of the newer 3)
I'm very pleased that Robert Harris is, like me, a lover of the art of gentle irony.
 

David Weicker

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Robert Harris said:
Probably the finest musical boxed collection that we'll see in 2015.

RAH
While I agree that this is an incredible set (1st day preorder), my own wish is that another set takes the number one spot.

I'm hoping we also see an Astaire & Rogers set to put on the shelf next to this magnificent one.
 

davidmatychuk

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David Weicker said:
While I agree that this is an incredible set (1st day preorder), my own wish is that another set takes the number one spot.

I'm hoping we also see an Astaire & Rogers set to put on the shelf next to this magnificent one.
IMG_1631.JPG



In the meantime, there's this splendid DVD box set from 2006, with all ten of their films, a documentary DVD, a CD, photo cards, and campaign books for "Roberta" and "Shall We Dance". It makes me happy just seeing it on my shelf.
 

Quatermass II

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I was eagerly anticipating - and have pre-ordered - the 3D release of Kiss Me Kate, but as I don't have any of the films included in this Blu ray collection anyway - and it includes a 3D KMK, I might as well cancel that and order this one instead. Got to be the bargain of the year at this price!
 

AnthonyClarke

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davidmatychuk said:
attachicon.gif
IMG_1631.JPG


In the meantime, there's this splendid DVD box set from 2006, with all ten of their films, a documentary DVD, a CD, photo cards, and campaign books for "Roberta" and "Shall We Dance". It makes me happy just seeing it on my shelf.
Yes, I have that fabulous 3-D box set on full display as well .. the 3-D, as owners know, is in the box printing, not the movies.

But just like David, I WANT IT IN BLU RAY.
 

Joel Arndt

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Excellent! Excellent news! I pre-ordered through HTF at $24.49, also. I don't mean to throw my life away, but March 3rd can't arrive along with this collection soon enough. It's like being a kid in anticipation of Christmas morning all over again. It's actually worse because we know what's coming and have been told how good it is.

And I appreciate Mr. Harris' very dry sense of humor.
 

RolandL

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Robert Harris said:
The Band Wagon - M-G-M - 1953 - Directed by Vincente Minnelli - Three-strip Technicolor - Stereo


Cast: Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray, Jack Buchanan


The second of the great M-G-M musicals in the set. Great fun.


Perfect color, densities, beautiful blacks and whites. A magnificent representation of the original on disc. Great stereo.


RAH

The Band Wagon is stereo? Derived from mono right?
 

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