Garden of Allah -- to double dip or not to double dip... (1 Viewer)

[PaulaJ]

... that is the question.

I have the Anchor Bay version of The Garden of Allah.

Is there some compelling reason why I should buy the upcoming October 19 MGM/UA DVD release of the same title?

 

[GerardoHP]

I think the Anchor Bay disc is one of the most gorgeous transfers of a Technicolor film ever, therefore I see no reason to buy the new one unless it comes with some not-to-be-missed extras.

 

[Will Krupp]

You know I was wondering the same thing. The Anchor Bay is simply stunning and I can't see the MGM being an improvement, but who knows?

By the way, Disney is releasing some great Selznick titles through MGM that haven't been released before (e.g. THE YOUNG IN HEART) but WHERE is an official version of NOTHING SACRED? They performed a restoration on the title a few years ago but never released it to dvd. The Image disc is the best one out there, but it's far from perfect. Same for A STAR IS BORN.

 

[GerardoHP]

I don't believe either NOTHING SACRED or 1937's A STAR IS BORN have been restored. Some 15 years ago, Turner restored the trailer only for A STAR IS BORN, which is featured as an extra on their DVD of the 1954 version of the film. It is stunning, of course, and only makes you wishe the whole film looked that way. The best available version of A STAR IS BORN (1937) on DVD is poor at best, looking like a scratchy, washed-out, old Eastmancolor print of the film.

 

[Will Krupp]

The article on the NOTHING SACRED restoration is here:

http://millimeter.com/mag/video_first_person_restoring/

As for A STAR IS BORN, I don't believe a restoration was ever performed. Ronald Haver found the black & white separation masters while (ironically) searching material for the restoration of the 1954 version, but I don't think they've ever been used. The KINO disc is taken from David Selznick's personal nitrate print and is the best dvd of the film available, but even this isn't great. Nitrate prints themselves, when transfered to dvd, don't always look so hot (other examples are THE RED PONY and THE LITTLE PRINCESS)

 

[RafaelPires]

Ok, I see MGM is releasing a bunch of those Selzinck's Classics, but what about The Farmer's Daughter, Gone to Earth, Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Adventures of Tom Sayer? I think that those are the only remaining Selzinck's movies not avaiable on dvd (though Fauntleroy was released through Anchor Bay).
I'm waitng particularly for The Farmer's Daughter, an emotional performance given by Loretta Young.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Will,

Thanks for the article on "Nothing Sacred".

I recently saw the film for the first time on a horrible PD DVD, but absolutely loved the film. I would gladly pay for a restored version on DVD.

 

[Will Krupp]

Was the FARMER'S DAUGHTER Selznick?