HTF EXCLUSIVE! Twilight Time July 2017 Release Announcements (1 Viewer)

[Rodney]

I'm definitely interested in the TOM SAWYER (1973) / HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1974) Blu-ray, partially for the nostalgia factor but also for the fact that the Sherman Brothers were involved.

 

[Steve...O]

Thanks Nick and crew for another month of releases. I have very vague memories of watching Johnny Whittaker on TV playing Tom Sawyer so this will be essentially watching it for the first time. I've not seen any of the others. I'm most likely to pick up Crimson Kimono based on the positive feedback in this thread. IMDB describes this as a crime/mystery vs the love drama the cover made me think it was. Early Woody Allen can be funny and the cast looks stellar on this one. Despite its title, this is probably a PG movie by today's standards..

 

[Dick]

I'm most likely to pick up Crimson Kimono based on the positive feedback in this thread.

Well, it's Sam Fuller...

 

[bujaki]

Well, it's Sam Fuller...

...In CinemaScope...

 

[Thomas T]

...In CinemaScope...

Actually, it's not. The Crimson Kimono was shot and released in the 1.85 aspect ratio.

 

[bujaki]

Actually, it's not. The Crimson Kimono was shot and released in the 1.85 aspect ratio.

Ouch! Thanks for the correction. I'm still getting this for the reason quoted above my incorrect post: it's Sam Fuller.

 

[TheSteig]

I just thought it was ironic that TT's announcements happened to be on the 15th of this month. See how the 15th of each month seems to find a way to have some kind of title announcement

 

[Mike Frezon]

also for the fact that the Sherman Brothers were involved.

+1

I'd also normally say the same for any R&H film. But not this one. Jeanne Craine...yes. Pat Boone...no.

 

[BRAD1963]

I wonder if The Crimson KImono will lead to a Underworld U.S.A. release eventually.

 

[Randy Korstick]

I will be getting Tom Sawyer. I saw it when it came out and a couple times on TV. Always enjoyed it. I don't think I ever saw this version of Huck Finn but since it comes in a package I will take it.

 

[Robin9]

+1

I'd also normally say the same for any R&H film. But not this one. Jeanne Craine...yes. Pat Boone...no.

Hey, now come on! Get real! Pat Boone is not intended as a substitute for Jeanne Crain. He plays the Dick Haymes part and does it better, although he can't sing as well. (Very few people could sing as well as Dick Haymes) What about Pamela Tiffin, whom I adored in my teens? No enthusiasm for her? And Bobby Darin is far better at playing a raffish character than Dana Andrews ever was.

 

[Matt Hough]

And no mention of Ann-Margret's scorching rendition of "Isn't It Kind of Fun"?

 

[Dick]

I'm definitely interested in the TOM SAWYER (1973) / HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1974) Blu-ray, partially for the nostalgia factor but also for the fact that the Sherman Brothers were involved.

Nothing against the Sherman Bros. personally, but am I the only one here who thinks they pretty much wrote mediocre, highly-forgettable songs for most of their movies and yet, miraculously, composed a single brilliant score with MARY POPPINS? I believe an artist deserves to be judged upon his or her (or their) best work, and had they only written POPPINS, their legacy would be cemented. Their prior and subsequent work was hit or miss -- mostly miss IMHO -- with one good song here and one there. But with POPPINS, they were truly inspired, and very nearly every song was a classic. I say, good for you, Robert and Richard...amazing stuff. Sorry I can't work up much enthusiasm for most of the rest of their filmography (although I do like "Hush A Bye Mountain" from CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG).

Flame barrier in place.

 

[Rob_Ray]

I'm in for all five titles.

I've never really understood the hatred for the 1962 STATE FAIR, other than it was not right for the times in 1962. To me, it's a "fair" CinemaScope remake of the '45 version. Of course, the 1933 non-musical with Will Rogers, Janet Gaynor and Sally Eilers is the one that's the classic. But for all its faults, and there are quite a few (Tom Ewell singing to the hog, etc.) the 1962 version made a few improvements on the '45 version, which, to me, did not evoke Iowa at all, with all the outdoors on a soundstage and the Hollywood-fake farmhouse. Here, the location work really evokes the new Texas setting tremendously. Pat Boone is much more believable as a farmboy than Dick Haymes. And Ann-Margret is perfect as the girl, who, while not necessarily a "bad girl" has clearly been around a lot more than Pat's character. The DVD was looked and sounded nice, so I'm really looking forward to seeing this on Blu.

 

[PODER]

Rob Ray states above that the 1933 version of STATE FAIR "is the one that's the classic". Yet it would be hard
to tell, given that it's one of those Golden Oldies that remains mired in Public Domain Hell. Is this a Rights Issue,
a lack of decent material from which to work, or something else? This is one I've longed to see in decent shape.
Any ideas as to when or if it might ever be rescued?

 

[Rob_Ray]

I've never heard that the 1933 version was in the public domain. Fox has it and has run it several times on their Fox Movie Channel. It's in fairly rough shape, as are a lot of the early Fox titles, due to the infamous vault fire they had around 1937. But it's very watchable and looks better than the average public domain title. I keep hoping they will at least release it as a Fox Archive title on DVD if they can't release a suitable blu ray.

 

[Jeffrey:K]

I'll be getting the Woody Allen and the TOM SAWYER / HUCKLEBERRY FINN duo. HUCKLEBERRY FINN is thoroughly mediocre but it's fine as an "extra" for a TOM SAWYER purchase.

 

[Thomas T]

Nothing against the Sherman Bros. personally, but am I the only one here who thinks they pretty much wrote mediocre, highly-forgettable songs for most of their movies and yet, miraculously, composed a single brilliant score with MARY POPPINS? I believe an artist deserves to be judged upon his or her (or their) best work, and had they only written POPPINS, their legacy would be cemented. Their prior and subsequent work was hit or miss -- mostly miss IMHO -- with one good song here and one there. But with POPPINS, they were truly inspired, and very nearly every song was a classic. I say, good for you, Robert and Richard...amazing stuff. Sorry I can't work up much enthusiasm for most of the rest of their filmography (although I do like "Hush A Bye Mountain" from CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG).

Flame barrier in place.

Well, if you want to talk flame barriers , personally I find their Mary Poppins songs a rather dull lot and much prefer Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Happiest Millionaire and The One And Only Original Genuine Family Band myself. But hey, that's just me!

 

[john a hunter]

I've never heard that the 1933 version was in the public domain. Fox has it and has run it several times on their Fox Movie Channel. It's in fairly rough shape, as are a lot of the early Fox titles, due to the infamous vault fire they had around 1937. But it's very watchable and looks better than the average public domain title. I keep hoping they will at least release it as a Fox Archive title on DVD if they can't release a suitable blu ray.

A transfer was included in the R&H box set. From memory it looks and sounds great!

 

[Mark-P]

A transfer was included in the R&H box set. From memory it looks and sounds great!

Are you absolutely sure about that? I can't find that the 1933 version of State Fair has ever been released on DVD. It would be odd to be included in a R&H box as R&H had nothing to do with that version.

* perhaps you are confusing it with the Carousel Blu-ray which contains a standard definition copy of Liliom?