A weekend viewing choice makes me hope Universal is looking to their classic library.... (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

My weekends are usually always busy. If I actually manage to watch
a movie it's something I am quite often forced to watch because it is
a current release and I want to be able to comment on it. For the most
part, those forced viewings are always well rewarded.

This weekend I had nothing to do. I knew I wanted to curl up on the
couch and watch a movie....but what would that movie be? I actually
sat on my couch for 15 minutes looking across my shelves filled with
hundreds upon hundreds of titles, wondering which would be the perfect
film to pass the time with.

My choice? Duck Soup by the Marx Brothers.

Now mind you, I grew up watching The Marx Brothers. I love their
Paramount titles far more than the MGM ones. Have seen those
infamous 1929-1933 titles dozens of times over....

...but it had been more than a few years since I last saw any of their
films (the Silver Collection boxed set came out in 2004), and Duck Soup
has always been my absolute favorite Marx Brothers title.

Let me tell you....despite the fact I know this film inside and out, I was
sitting on the couch laughing hysterically. These movies never get old,
and I found myself having one of the best Sundays at home that I have
in quite awhile.

Watching Duck Soup, I couldn't help noticing the flaws in the transfer.
Mind you, it looked pretty damn good on DVD (a cleanup appears to have
been done), but I couldn't help but think how much better these films would
look if Universal gave them the same kind of care they did for their Monsters
Collection.

I would suspect that there would be a huge amount of support for a
restoration of these films for a ultimate boxed set containing all 5 films.

Let's see what kind of support this thread gets. I would be willing to pass
it along to Universal personally if they aren't already reading it.

PS: I will rename this thread to include THE MARX BROTHERS in the title at
some near point in time. I wanted to keep the title a bit ominous at first just
to lure people into discovering what it was about. I know...cheap trick.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

I still have not watched my Silver collection DVD's, but I would be in for a blu-ray release if one were made available.

 

[Walsh61]

The comedy of these guys is absolutely timeless. I'd love to have a set like this!

 

[Charles Smith]

I'm sorry to say I think I've only opened up that silver set once, maybe twice. Those are the ones that need some work, right? More than the Warner Bros. ones?

Timeless, yes indeed. Always a joy.

 

[Rob_Ray]

I savor the Paramount Marx Bros. films like fine wines. There are too few of them to watch too often. However, I think it's time to revisit one and Duck Soup might be the best. Unless it's Horse Feathers. Or Monkey Business. Or....

 

[bujaki]

The Marx Brothers, their Paramount titles in Blu, restored with the same meticulous care as the Universal Monsters box...immediate double-dip purchase!

 

[Brandon Conway]

The Marx Brothers, their Paramount titles in Blu, restored with the same meticulous care as the Universal Monsters box...immediate double-dip purchase!

Me too, and that type of restoration is really needed. The question is whether there is enough quality elements to do that type of work. Paramount did not treat its catalog nearly as well as Universal did, so by the time they sold the sound films from 1929-1950 (which eventually made it to Universal's library) the Marx Bros. films were in especially poor shape.

 

[Rob_Ray]

Me too, and that type of restoration is really needed. The question is whether there is enough quality elements to do that type of work. Paramount did not treat its catalog nearly as well as Universal did, so by the time they sold the sound films from 1929-1950 (which eventually made it to Universal's library) the Marx Bros. films were in especially poor shape.

And I'm sure the fact that these films were in great demand for revival screenings during this time didn't help those elements either. The fact that the precode titles no longer exist uncut tells us that their popularity continued long after their original release.

 

[Richard V]

Absolutely hilarious films, timeless comedy. I would be all in.

 

[Scott D S]

If they treated these movies with the respect they deserve... an immediate purchase!

 

[Lromero1396]

Me too, and that type of restoration is really needed. The question is whether there is enough quality elements to do that type of work. Paramount did not treat its catalog nearly as well as Universal did, so by the time they sold the sound films from 1929-1950 (which eventually made it to Universal's library) the Marx Bros. films were in especially poor shape.

I don't usually trust DVDBeaver, but their review of Duck Soup shows just how much damage is present in some of the film frames. These films are in abysmal condition, but not beyond restoration for a BD release. Condition of elements should not keep any film from being released on BD

 

[JoHud]

True, the previous DVDs Universal DVDs as a whole were pretty lacking in video presentation and did not appear to have any digital restoration on top of being less than pristine source elements. Hopefully they are getting full restoration treatment as we speak.

 

[Alan Tully]

And while Universal are at it, how about a Preston Sturges Box...& a Hope/Crosby "Road To" set. I like the MGM Marx Brothers films, any joy Warner?

So many great unreleased Blu-ray box sets.

I still have all these sets on DVD

 

[John Doe]

Count me in!

 

[Matt Hough]

I agree completely about the Marx Bros. They're my favorite comedians, and their Paramount films never grow stale. I slightly prefer Horse Feathers to Duck Soup, but that's really a race that's almost too close to call, and all of them are so hilarious that they're all priceless.

But those early films are in bad shape if the SIlver Collection is any indication. At the time, Universal reported that they had worked on them to get them into passable shape, but they're adequate and no more. I'm not sure they'll ever look much better than they do now with all the damage to the elements that we see in the DVDs we now have. Still, I'd love to have them on Blu-ray.

 

[David Weicker]

I would love to have the entire Silver Collection on Blu (as well as at least the first two MGMs - Night and Day)

David

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Count me as another Marx Brothers fan who would love to see the Silver Collection restored properly on BD. Whether that is possible or not, I do not know.

Thanks, Ron, for creating this post. You have inspired me to watch my set again this coming weekend. It's been too long.

 

[Garysb]

Duck Soup, Monkey Business, and Horsefeathers.I'm in. Include the Paramount shorts they made as bonus material.

 

[RichMurphy]

Count me in as well. Now go, and never darken my towels again!

 

[Steve...O]

Universal did a great job with the Monsters set. If they could do a similar job with:

Marx Brothers
Hope/Crosby road series
Complete A&C (not just a few one offs)

I would gladly support them.