Anchor Bay, more British Musicals, Please (1 Viewer)

[Doug Bull]

Anchor Bay, Take a well deserved Bow.

You have done an absolutely fantastic job with the Cliff Richard's Box Set.
All 3 Musicals look a treat, with "Wonderful Life" being a standout.

I believe that we might be getting some of the early Tommy Steele vehicles, some time in the future, which will be great, but it makes me even more hungry for a few sadly neglected Major British Musicals of the 50s.

It would be an absolute treat if some of these Musical titles found their way to DVD via Anchor Bay.

"HAPPY GO LOVELY" David Niven and Vera-Ellen (dubbed by Eve Boswell) This beautifully photographed Technicolored public Domain title from the same company as the Cliff Richard's films ( Associated British Pathe) deserves a new and proper release from original source material and not the terrible quality PD Version that was released by the Roan Group.

"AS LONG AS THEY'RE HAPPY" Jack Buchanan (the Bandwagon)and Diana Dors ( Britain's answer to MM)
It's a colorful and thoroughly enjoyable musical with Jack Buchanan doing a couple of wonderful numbers. His reference to Gene Kelly in a dance sequence and his Johnnie Ray impersonation are standouts.

"WHERE'S CHARLIE" ( aka "Charlie's Aunt) Ray Bolger (Wizard of Oz) and Allyn McLerie ( Calamity Jane) star in this Technicolor film version of the very successful Stage Play and later Broadway Musical smash hit by Frank Loesser.
It was made by Warner's British studios and seems to have vanished off the face of the planet. Who owns the rights now?

"KING'S RHAPSODY"
"LILACS IN THE SPRING"(aka "Let's make up")
Both starring Errol Flynn, Patrice Wymore, the wonderful Anna Neagle and with memorable songs by Ivor Novello and Noel Coward. Both were British Lion productions.

"OH ROSALINDA!!" Sir Michael Redgrave stars in this enchanting Johan Strauss Musical, from the magic duo of Powell and Pressburger. It's always being requested, but where is it?

"LET'S BE HAPPY" Vera-Ellen and Tony Martin in a colorful happy musical, from Associated British Pathe.

"THE GOOD COMPANIONS" Anthony Newley and a great cast with some good songs. also from Associated British Pathe.

"HELLO LONDON" I have never seen this one, but the cast sounds OK. Sonja Henie, Michael Wilding and Stanley Holloway.

There are others and also some great British Musicals made before the 50s, such as Kay Kendall's wonderful "London Town" and the musicals of the great and unforgettable Jessie Matthews.

Certainly some of those titles mentioned would surely find some kind of market place in region 1, with reasonable to good sales likely to be had in the UK and Australasia.


I seperated this new thread from the other Anchor Bay request list, as I didn't think it fitted in with the mostly newer U.S titles on that list and I also wanted to thank Anchor Bay for their wonderful work on the Cliff Richard's Collection.

 

[NeilEdwards]

How about "OH, WHAT A LOVELY WAR" directed by Richard Attenborough and an incredible cast including appearances by Maggie Smith, Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Michael Redgrave, Laurence Olivier, Dirk Bogard, John Mills, Ian Holm, Vanessa Redgrave ...

I think this was done by United Artists so MGM probably has the rights, but if they aren't going to do it, then someone should.

 

[Gunnar Syren]

Yes, please! The Cliff Richards Collection has definitely made me want more British musicals!

 

[BarryR]

I always wished the Jessie Matthews musical EVERGREEN (1934) would get the Criterion treatment on DVD (I could of sworn they had released it on laser disc). But if Anchor Bay could rescue this title, fine!

 

[Doug Bull]

You are correct Barry, Criterion did release "Evergreen" on Laserdisc.

It is a movie only disc and is certainly not one of their better efforts.
It has a very poor grey scale, with overbearing whites.

Jessie Matthews was a class performer with STAR written allover her.
Why she never made it in the States is a complete mystery.

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

Actually, I believe Paramount released OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR. So it won't likely get sublicensed, but with polite prodding I'm sure they will consider it. If the Cliff Richard pack does well, you could propose it as a similarly-themed 3-pack with, say, THE OPTIMISTS and HALF A SIXPENCE.

What I would like to see Anchor Bay issue are TOOMORROW, the great lost Olivia Newton John musical, and PRIVILEGE, the Peter Watkins mockumentary about a state-created rock superstar. William Lustig even said Anchor Bay wanted very much to do PRIVILEGE, as it is a Universal property and they have a relationship, but at that time no suitable elements had been found. One can only hope time will yield something they can use.