An E-mail Appeal to Mr. Wade Williams (1 Viewer)

[Interdimensional]

I have spent hours explaining the many issues that have been brought up.and appreciate the sincerity of many members
of the Forum, especially long time friend Bob Harris,.

However I don't appreciate the rude and insulting comments about my life long work in the motion picture business,
or the rude comments made about my dear friend Susan Hart..

Wade Williams

Rudeness and insults unfortunately seem to be in the nature of internet discussion. I'd encourage you not to take these comments personally and to move forward with your plans as you see fit. Any announcements you may have about future releases would be very welcome.

I don't know about Susan Hart, but popular titles like The Amazing Colossal Man and Invasion of the Saucer Men haven't been released since the VHS era. There hasn't been a legitimate home video release in 23 years. That's money that could've been made, and a lot of potential customers for whom the only available option has been piracy. Whatever your views on the public domain, one of the main arguments for it is so that works do not become unavailable to the public. If you do have any sway with her, someone needs to persuade her to release these titles.

 

[Nelson Au]

My impression is these kinds of discussions about making the films available are better left in private and not on an open forum. Perhaps the parties need to be working out plans and deals without us being involved. They've heard what we'd like.

 

[Mike Frezon]

My impression is these kinds of discussions about making the films available are better left in private and not on an open forum. Perhaps the parties need to be working out plans and deals without us being involved. They've heard what we'd like.

Now doesn't THAT make a whole lot of sense...

 

[Mossman-Williams]

I agree with Executive Producer Nelson Au.

wade williams

 

[Mike Ballew]

My impression is these kinds of discussions about making the films available are better left in private and not on an open forum.

May I very respectfully point out that discussions remained private for years, with disappointment and frustration at every turn, and little forward movement. Here now, for the first time that I know of, Mr. Williams and the fans most interested in his properties are engaged in open and direct dialogue. If we can maintain civility and respect wherever possible, this dialogue could prove to be fruitful, getting desirable films to market and ultimately building good will where it has not previously existed. I urge that this dialogue by all means continue. Those who find it uninteresting or distasteful are cordially invited to turn their attention elsewhere.

 

[Dick]

My impression is these kinds of discussions about making the films available are better left in private and not on an open forum. Perhaps the parties need to be working out plans and deals without us being involved. They've heard what we'd like.

But they've only "heard what we'd like" because we have been posting our thoughts in an open forum. I don't think it's inappropriate at all, as long as the discourse is civil. Despite the majority opinion here that Mr. Williams is holding his films hostage, nonetheless he has opted to join in on this thread, which takes some courage. I am hoping he wants to be talked into releasing these films asap,

And because I did just now do what people generally hate -- that is, talking about people "in the room" and yet not speaking directly to them, I will add, Mr. Williams, that, you being in your mid-70's, and seeing as how the majority of the true fans of the movies you own are at least in their 60's, there is no time like the present to finally take the dive and open both your library and your heart so that we may enjoy quality presentations of the 3D movies, DESTINATION MOON, and your most contentious title, INVADERS FROM MARS. You can't take 'em with you, as they say.

Thanks for bending your ear through all of this. I hope we at HTF are collectively eroding your opposition to getting these films out on Blu-ray.

Rick

 

[Mossman-Williams]

Dick-
Where have you been the last 40 years ? I am not holding anything hostage. My pictures have been licensed to four distributors since I started in business. They have been available since the early days of VHS- John Poole at Corinth Films has been the agent for over two decades.. This does not include licenses in the UK and other parts of the world.


STARLOG VIDEO- 1978- 80s (VHS )
NOSTALGIA MERCHANTS- 1990S (VHS)
ENGLEWOOD ENTERTAINMENT- 2000S (VHS)
MEDIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT- thru 2016 (DVD)

Many of the films play theatrically- INVADERS FROM MARS just played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music-and the New Beverly,
and it plays in many west coast revival and art houses plus many colleges and festivals along with PLAN NINE and many other films.
I am far from retired and am not planning to take anything with me. I am still acquiring film rights. It is a busy time, We have 4 theatres here with 9 art screens, a film studio and 100 seat screening room. I am very much in the business .



My library is available for BLU-RAY. and it is up to the next distributor .

wade williams

 

[Interdimensional]

Glad to hear you've been getting these films out there back on the big screen. Have you looked into creating DCPs for some of your more popular titles? It would be particularly advantageous for the 3-D titles, but aside from that it'd enable you to reach screens where digital projection is the only possibility.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

There would need to be 2K scans to make DCP's. Unfortunately, I don't think any of these films have had even HD transfers done yet. At least, that's my guess as I had asked about that early in this thread and there was no response.

 

[Dick]

Dick-
Where have you been the last 40 years ? I am not holding anything hostage. My pictures have been licensed to four distributors since I started in business. They have been available since the early days of VHS- John Poole at Corinth Films has been the agent for over two decades.. This does not include licenses in the UK and other parts of the world.


STARLOG VIDEO- 1978- 80s (VHS )
NOSTALGIA MERCHANTS- 1990S (VHS)
ENGLEWOOD ENTERTAINMENT- 2000S (VHS)
MEDIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT- thru 2016 (DVD)

Many of the films play theatrically- INVADERS FROM MARS just played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music-and the New Beverly,
and it plays in many west coast revival and art houses plus many colleges and festivals along with PLAN NINE and many other films.
I am far from retired and am not planning to take anything with me. I am still acquiring film rights. It is a busy time, We have 4 theatres here with 9 art screens, a film studio and 100 seat screening room. I am very much in the business .



My library is available for BLU-RAY. and it is up to the next distributor .

wade williams

I'm not trying to be disrespectful, Wade. In fact, I've been deliberately courteous throughout this thread. When I said "the majority opinion," I merely took into account the reactions of the people in this thread, and those in other threads about your holdings (Classic Horror Film Boards, etc.) in which you have not participated.

I do not dispute any of what you say above. And re: where have I been the past 40 years....well, one of the things I have wanted for that entire duration (and further back, even) is to see INVADERS FROM MARS looking as good as it could be, rather than the scratchy, color-faded prints that have been offered to us even up to today. The best I've seen of this movie was a feature-length Super 8mm print I had, but even that was lacking. Licensing your films or even screening them does not mean you are offering decent materials. You're not. Fine for VHS, perhaps, but even laser disc reveals severe flaws in your transfers, and DVD's expose their mediocrity completely. What we are trying to appeal to you for are the best elements available for restoration or at least remastering in order that we can see these films again on a modern Blu-ray format, which would of course make old masters and transfers look like shit. You have a way to provide the materials for decent Blu-rays.

This argument could go on and on, I guess, but it really comes down to is: what will be your legacy? I am not suggesting that you won't be continuing to obtain titles or that you will slow down as you age. I don't plan to, either. But I would be loathe to make something I owned (or possessed) that meant so much to so many unobtainable because I was pricing it out of anyone's reach or making the contract too restrictive to attract a Blu-ray distributor. You might as well lock up the films and throw away the key. Who benefits from that?

Your arguments about people stealing your PD elements don't hold water, Mr. Williams. Wouldn't you rather have future PD companies turning out decent prints, all after you have licensed them out to legitimate companies like Kino for I would imagine would not be a tiny compensation, or just withhold your catalog, making no profit at all?

I do not pretend to understand this business of public domain releases, but I see that Criterion will be releasing Brando's ONE-EYED JACKS in November, and it's going to look great, and PD companies are going to come out with their own budget releases of this transfer. The difference: theirs will look like crap, while anyone with any real interest in the film will pay Criterion for its superior version, as they're doing for IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (Paramount) and CHARADE (Universal). Stop worrying about bootleggers and start worrying about the fate of your assets. At this point, if you die, the films die with you, unless you have a generous will prepared, or your family/estate is more free with your catalog than you are being. Price your films reasonably. You can both profit from them and serve as a responsible steward of their place in film history.

And, although my moniker here is "Dick," I really go by "Rick," which was a name already taken when I signed up here eleven years ago.

 

[Mossman-Williams]

Rick-
I don't know why you can't understand the problem with INVADERS FROM MARS ?

I bought the rights in 1976 from the second owner of the library- RICHARD ROSENFELD. who acquired
a dozen or more pictures from the Alpersons. Rosenfeld then sold US television rights to the library to
BEN BARRY a TV distributor. FOLLOW ME ?
I had just bought THEATRICAL and NON-THEATRICAL RIGHTS to ROCKETSHIP XM from Adrian Weiss the
owner of the Lippert Pictures library. He was friends with ROSENFELD and told him I might be interested in
INVADERS FROM MARS .. He contacted me and a deal was made on all rights except US television.

Rosenfeld lived in London at the time . Rosenfeld did not tell me he had no complete negative
on INVADERS FROM MARS, only the 1954 British version with added footage in Reel 2 and the last reel
gone ( dream sequence ) I did not know there was another version in the UK.

THEIR WAS NO NEGATIVE TO THE ORIGINAL 1953 RELEASE ANYWHERE. ONLY THE BRITISH VERSION.
In the materials, the producer- Eddie Alperson furnished a CINECOLOR screening print from the 1953 release with the dream sequence.
This is what the 16MM prints for TV and rental libraries was made from. And the 8MM version you had. I licensed that.
The 1953 US negative was cut up and used for the UK version and the last reel discarded and reel 2 cut and footage added.
The separations were also cut to match the 1954 UK release and discarded.

I was 12 years old when this happened and did not have anything to do with the destruction of the original negative !

FURTHER- I decided to invest a lot of money and re-release the film back into theaters. I made new posters- 1-shts-Insert Cards- Half sheets, 40x60's by an artist from Hallmark Cards here in Kansas City., and the original trailer. When I looked at the new eastman prints made at PRECISION in NYC they were far sharper than the older CINECOLOR prints made a year before. Except they were cut being the British version. I had to quickly make a dupe negative from the last reel of the Cinecolor print and remove the extra footage from reel 2 and have the editor cut it into the new prints. That was in 1976 !

I FURNISHED ALL OF THE DISTRIBUTORS ACCESS TO BOTH THE ORIGINAL 35MM CINECOLOR COMP PRINT AND THE EASTMAN COLOR BRITISH VERSION. THE BEST MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON PLANET EARTH !!!!!!!

Note- Cinecolor was originally a two color process, and in the early 50's they added a third color. The picture was an additive process
with the colors printed on both sides of the film stock instead of layered on one side like TECHNICOLOR. This made the grain and the
films less sharp.
The last release from IMAGE was from the original CINECOLOR master and looked close to what it looked like on the screen.
To make it sharper I am going back to the eastman negative I bought from Luigi Cozzi in Rome. He made a new negative from the
original separations but from the British version. The next restoration will be as good as it can get. However the last section with the dream
sequence is going to be made from the Cinecolor print. There is nothing else !

Again I have worked diligently to keep my library out there available to the public with the best possible materials and if it were not
for me there would be no restoration of any kind on INVADERS FROM MARS. The same for DETOUR and ROCKETSHIP XM. The
original negatives were GONE !

I have a Trust and associates that are in the business. My library will not die with me. It will be licensed time and time again or
I will sell the library to a major distributor. I have been an excellent custodian to my pictures and if it were not for me you would not
be seeing 90% of these " CRAP" films as was said in these Threads. I could go on and on about the saving of some of these
especially the Television shows like TOM CORBETT , SPACE PATROL and TALES OF TOMORROW..

Again, My library is available to a legitimate distributor, as is Susan Harts. I am in business to make money from my investments like
anyone else. I realize the important s of these films. I have probably the best special interest film library in private hands and take
much better care of the properties than most studios.

RICK- Listen and understand ! I have ALWAYS made any and all of the negatives, prints and fine grains available to the distributors
that licensed my films and will continue to do so.

I am not in business to give my assets away, nor is Fox, MGM, Columbia< Universal, Corinth, VCI, Corinth, Olive, Kit Parker, Films Around the World. Kino, Image or anyone else.

My library will be licensed sooner or later and they will have access to the best materials I have.

WADE WILLIAMS

 

[JeffT.]

When Wade first released many of his titles currently under his auspices to "standard" DVD total film restoration for the home video market really wasn't in vogue. Even by the major film distributors.

So this has been a transitional thing over the (relatively) short history of video discs.

Nowadays with the advent of high definition it is pretty much mandatory.

From what has been said Wade has expressed his understanding of this and is willing to meet the challenges and demands of insuring superior video masters for future production.

For the present the man should be fairly taken at his word as far as I'm concerned. It's now in print!

This is really a discussion on specific 3D films in his library and I'm content to leave it at that. It was Wade who brought up the intention of restoration for INVADERS FROM MARS (1953) and DESTINATION MOON (1950) and this more than anything captured my own attention and interest.

When discussing the Wade Williams SF Gold Collection on DVD there are only a select group of titles in his library that have interested me.

I'm sorry this is not intended as disrespect but you will not get me to buy (or even watch) abortive stuff like PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1959), THE NAVY VS. THE NIGHT MONSTERS (1966) and WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET (1966). And that includes the terrible INVADERS FROM MARS (1986) remake. There may well be a market for these titles but it doesn't include myself.

I'm much more interested in films like DESTINATION MOON (1950), ROCKETSHIP XM (1950), FLIGHT TO MARS (1951), THE LOST CONTINENT (1951), INVADERS FROM MARS (1953), KRONOS (1957) and the like.

The only "guilty pleasure" that I can think of specifically in Wade's SF library is THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1957) which (in my opinion) boasts an incredible and respectable performance by its star the late John Agar. The man really impressively carries this hopelessly impoverished effort.

As far as Susan Hart is concerned I am very politically polarized about this individual. But this is not the discussion thread to air my own grievances and criticisms

But since Wade brought it up. The batch of AIP 1950s films currently in her possession are not accessible any where.

They can't be seen on television.

They can't be seen at any film screen revivals.

And they're certainly not being made available on the home entertainment front. At least not legally.

And as it has already been addressed in this discussion thread this situation has unacceptably prevailed for well over two decades now. Those of us who feel strongly can hardly be accused of being impatient on this. There is understandably natural concern and mounting indignation on the part of classic SF B-film enthusiasts on this sore issue.

Anyone who has purchased the blu-ray edition of Alfred Hitchcock's VERTIGO (1958) should be well familiar with one of the two film restoration expert's (involved with this screen masterpiece's high definition rebirth) intelligent comment that the major film distributors and private entrepreneurs like Wade do not own these films. The are the "caretakers." This is a reasonable sentiment that I wholly agree with. As long as it is generally accepted and put into genuine practice there will be no dissension from my quarter. There won't be any trouble any where from anyone.

Lastly, pertaining to your "good friends" or "friend." Your best friends are film enthusiasts like myself who have faithfully and reliably supported and purchased your product over the past three or four decades. You may not see it that way but with all due respect Wade it's the way I see it.

Jeff T.

 

[Dick]

Yeah, I probably have been a bit critical and, also likely, not quite getting all the history straight. Didn't mean to hijack the discussion with IFM, and will stick to topic hereafter.

Again, though, Mr. Williams, I appreciate your taking the time to help me get this straight. Good old Dementia kicking in, I guess.

 

[Jeff S in NJ]

So, one of the topics at hand is HANNA LEE in 3D, yet that title seems to be purposely being sidestepped. An offer was made to restore it. Perhaps Mr. Williams doesn't think it's a good enough offer. OK, I guess I can appreciate that, however if the title is PD, and it has "little chance" of making profits, why squirrel it away? It isn't doing anyone any good being hidden.

 

[Mossman-Williams]

Rick-
I am working on two possible distribution licenses for INVADERS FROM MARS. It could be restored and out by Xmas if things work out
Destination Moon and others will follow.
I am not giving away HANNAH LEE because it is PD. It was PD when I paid good money for it. It will be licensed and packaged with the
other 3D movies ! It will be licensed like the other pictures I own as will any PD film in my library. They will all make money, some more,
some less.. It will be up to the distributor who will do the 3D restorations, either 3D Archive or someone else.

Bob Harris brought up a suggestion how to protect any new restoration of HANNAH LEE in order to get a new copyright to prevent
the theft and unfetted use of the film when it is re-released.. This will be the plan for the next re-release of HANNAH LEE.

Susan Hart's films have been seen theatrically. I have booked theatrically for her- SAUCERMEN- TEENAGE WEREWOLF- IT CONQUERED THE WORLD, AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN . Films we had 35MM prints available. Prior to her ownership KIT Parker booked these films
theatrically.
She has done an amazing job of locating "lost" negatives world-wide on some of these films and bringing them back in one storage lab.
They have and are available. She has saved important negatives that would have been lost ! These are valuable titles and when a distributor
comes up with a respectable license they will be restored and out on TV and DVD legally. None are PD.

Susan's former husband owned the studio- the late James Nickelson. Stop this unwarranted attack on Susan. She deserves thanks and praise,.and to be treated with civility and respect !

Wade Williams

 

[Mike Frezon]

Susan's former husband owned the studio- the late James Nickelson. Stop this unwarranted attack on Susan. She deserves thanks and praise,.and to be treated with civility and respect !

At the HTF, everyone gets treated with civility and respect.

Forgive me, you keep saying so but I'm not seeing any repeated attacks on Susan Hart in this thread. Any such thing has been dealt with and from what I can see the discussion has moved on.

Thank you.

 

[JeffT.]

Susan Hart's films have been seen theatrically. I have booked theatrically for her- SAUCERMEN- TEENAGE WEREWOLF- IT CONQUERED THE WORLD, AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN . Films we had 35MM prints available. Prior to her ownership KIT Parker booked these films theatrically. She has done an amazing job of locating "lost" negatives world-wide on some of these films and bringing them back in one storage lab. They have and are available. She has saved important negatives that would have been lost ! These are valuable titles and when a distributor comes up with a respectable license they will be restored and out on TV and DVD legally. None are PD.

This is an important puzzle piece of information that has long since been denied us. Consumer rights are usually the last thing to be considered.

Obviously it illuminates a lot!

This is precisely why this discussion forum has been a vital conduit in better understanding the home entertainment industry, the people involved and just how it works.

It has also given us the opportunity to make our interests, concerns and opinions known.

The term "respectable" is pretty much open to personal interpretation. In a business transaction what might be respectable to one party may not be so to the other. Hopefully there is room for reasonable comprise on this. Time will tell.

Jeff T.

 

[TheSteig]

This is not an attack on Susan Hart but Ive heard / talked to many label insiders who have approached her about releasing her film library on both DVD and bluray. The word is she is asking for unreasonably high amounts of money for them. "She's a nice lady but her asking price is too high" is what Ive been told basically. And Im sure shes a nice lady and everything..but as a fan/collector who wants her films on home video, year in and year out it's the same thing -we are still waiting for her to agree to some deal. Even the Arkoff estate has had home video releases such as Earth vs the Spider and War of the Colossal Beast. Come on Susan , lets get your films out there !!
Both you Mr Williams and Susan Hart have very desirable movies that fans of that era who enjoy and appreciate those films want and speaking for myself, Im very eager to see them on bluray.
I love those movies and I would love to have them in HD on my shelf.
Please work some kind of deal for them - there are plenty of labels who would release them Kino, Olive, Criterion, Shout Factory, you name it

 

[Mossman-Williams]

Hey Guys-
There are plenty of labels that will release them if you give them away and bend over !!!! I have been ripped off by every label
I have licensed to. Some stopped paying any royalties, no accounting, they pretty much do as they want and then sell your masters or
"lose" them when the term is up ! One went broke and the employees stole them. I have been a party to several lawsuits and won. However
these jerks go bankrupt and you get nothing. They tie up your assets for 7 years and then keep selling them until you file a lawsuit.

Susan has valuable films and they will make a fortune on DVD and she needs a "respectable " sum up front because that is for
the most part all you every see because they write off everything and usually run out of money to pay you. Most of the time you can't
get a timely accounting.. The labels pay under a dollar for a DVD in Blu-ray and sell them for $ 19.95 or more. If you are lucky you get a
few bucks on the sale. One company sells 3000 Blu-Rays the first year-or more on these old classics.

I have reason to believe Susan will license her films and that my films will start showing up- LEGALLY - in Hi-Def and
Blu-Ray. We still have a lot of surplus titles from IMAGE to sell.this fall.

wade williams

 

[bujaki]

Mr. Williams last post included a reference to 3D Film Archive and, most important, another reference to a suggestion from Bob Harris on how to approach the release of a PD title. This gives us hope for Hannah Lee. I am sure Mr. Williams is listening and will take the best approach to satisfy all parties.