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Beverly Garland's Series Decoy Coming to DVD This Month (1 Viewer)

stuartfanning

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Was the series really highly regarded? Doesn't even get listed in the bible: 'Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows'. Other syndicated shows do.
 

smithbrad

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I'm going to assume these are probably the same quality as the Timeless release, which were substandard but not uncommon for a PD release. The 13 episodes per disk in this release compared to the Timeless 5 episodes per disk was a bit jarring at first. However, after checking I discovered the Timeless release only used single layer disks and one can assume the new release is based on dual layer disks. So we are probably talking about 2/3 the bit rate of the Timeless release or almost 5.5 hours of content per disk. Another reason to believe they probably didn't find any better quality prints. By cramming so much content per disk they probably didn't think it would matter anyway. While I recall enjoying the show when I last viewed the Timeless release (bought it because of Beverly Garland), I'm going to have to take a pass myself based on the episode per disk count and the probable lack in any better quality prints.
 

Peter M Fitzgerald

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There was a point, some years ago, when it looked like we might get a nice, official Decoy complete set from Timeless or another indie label. Not that any word was given, but around the time when we saw releases of Peter Gunn, Mr. Lucky and Yancy Derringer, there was a company, Liberation Films, that was distributing these and other titles (such as H.G. Wells' Invisible Man) from the Official Films library. On the company website (now long gone), they had a demo video clip showing restoration work done on Decoy, and it looked really crisp and clean. It wasn't clear, however, if they had restored the episodes themselves, or if this was done by another entity (Peter Rogers Organization, perhaps?). Liberation claimed worldwide rights to the series, even though it had fallen into the public domain --a similar situation, I guess, to CBS/Paramount's ownership of One Step Beyond.

Unfortunately, Liberation Entertainment went belly-up soon afterward, its library assets subsequently acquired by Camelot Entertainment, which also filed for bankruptcy in 2013. Camelot Entertainment still exists, on paper, but divested itself of those assets, in its efforts to resurrect itself as a media company. I suppose there's a slight chance that the restored Decoy prints somehow found their way to Film Chest (maybe the fact that all episodes will be included in the upcoming set is potential evidence of this?), but if they're cramming it all onto as few discs as possible, that will probably undermine the picture quality. I'll wait and see, hoping for the best, though, since it's another single-season-or-less series that's been on my grail list.
 

Neil Brock

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I picked up an incomplete set of episodes a few years back and I have to say I really enjoyed the show. Much higher quality than a lot of the made for syndication series of that era. Really happy to see the full run get an official release. Who is Film Chest? Does anyone know anything about this company?
 

Bob Gu

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$10.89 at importcds.

Film Chest has been around awhile. And they do sometimes do some restoration on their releases. They did the restoration for VCI's DVD release of THE PERILS OF PAULINE, the 1933 serial. Film Chest did a restoration of the Roy Rogers Trucolor movie TWILIGHT IN THE SIERRAS, which they released themselves and was also made available to Alpha, which actually released their version earlier.

Film Chest and Synergy both released a 41 episode combined set of Betty White's, LIFE WITH ELIZABETH and DATE WITH AN ANGEL. I have not seen either. Synergy was the company that put out that 50 of 57 episode set of MR. & MRS. NORTH.

I like Beverly Garland and will be getting this.
 
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smithbrad

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There was a point, some years ago, when it looked like we might get a nice, official Decoy complete set from Timeless or another indie label. Not that any word was given, but around the time when we saw releases of Peter Gunn, Mr. Lucky and Yancy Derringer, there was a company, Liberation Films, that was distributing these and other titles (such as H.G. Wells' Invisible Man) from the Official Films library. On the company website (now long gone), they had a demo video clip showing restoration work done on Decoy, and it looked really crisp and clean. It wasn't clear, however, if they had restored the episodes themselves, or if this was done by another entity (Peter Rogers Organization, perhaps?). Liberation claimed worldwide rights to the series, even though it had fallen into the public domain --a similar situation, I guess, to CBS/Paramount's ownership of One Step Beyond.

Unfortunately, Liberation Entertainment went belly-up soon afterward, its library assets subsequently acquired by Camelot Entertainment, which also filed for bankruptcy in 2013. Camelot Entertainment still exists, on paper, but divested itself of those assets, in its efforts to resurrect itself as a media company. I suppose there's a slight chance that the restored Decoy prints somehow found their way to Film Chest (maybe the fact that all episodes will be included in the upcoming set is potential evidence of this?), but if they're cramming it all onto as few discs as possible, that will probably undermine the picture quality. I'll wait and see, hoping for the best, though, since it's another single-season-or-less series that's been on my grail list.

Thanks for that bit of background. I recall when it came to Peter Gunn I had originally picked up the first two seasons from the Liberation UK releases. I remember doing searches when Timeless announced their release and finding a similar trail of transactions that lead me to believe Timeless may have acquired access to the same prints. What you provided gives some hope that Film Chest may have acquired access to some better prints of Decoy then the standard PD fare, especially given that they are releasing the whole series. While the 13 episodes per disk approach is not the best idea, quality source prints could greatly improve upon the other existing PD releases, even with the additional compression. I may just have to keep this one on the radar after all. Thanks.
 

Guy Foulard

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The episodes currently streaming on Amazon Prime have this company's name at the beginning:
upload_2017-5-3_11-38-51.png

http://www.multicom.tv/film/seriesminiseries/

Some of the episodes look pretty decent there, though the streaming makes them a bit choppy. Hoping the DVDs will have good prints.
 

Flashgear

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Hoping for the best as far as sources used for Film Chest's Decoy...but of course I will be getting it regardless, as I want to have the series complete anyways...the last thing I got from Film Chest was their 6 disc 70 episode set of One Step Beyond...where they were able to use the CBS remastered 22 episodes of season 1, to go along with the rest derived from beat up tv circulated 16 mm films...it is still the best available single set for the sadly and wrongly neglected One Step Beyond...in regard to the remastered season 1 on that box set, it says "restored version protected by copyright" on the case...interesting question as to whether that implies a licensing arrangement with CBS to legally use them on their own set...or just a Pro Forma Disclaimer as cover for some broadly interpreted "Fair Use" convention for the Public Domain...who knows? But the 11 to 12 episodes per disc compare favorably in PQ with the 6 to 7 episodes per disc found on the CBS season 1 set...

As far as Decoy itself, I agree it's a very enjoyable show...full of tough guys, glam dames and urban sleaze as portrayed in late '50s American tv...with the added virtue of some location NYC filming...and Beverly Garland being a bit of a pioneer in the series lead...a talent and an eye popper at that...among my favorite work from her is her appearances on Yancy Derringer, Rawhide, Coronado 9, Dr. Kildare, The Loner, Mannix and Lois and Clark among others...
 
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Regulus

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It looks like I'll pickup Decoy, Coronet Blue and It's About Time as birthday presents from me to myself in August, but not until get back from my vacation to Tennessee (I'm going there to see the Total Solar Eclipse on 8/21). :3dglasses:
 

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