DVD Review HTF REVIEW: The Busby Berkeley Collection (VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). (1 Viewer)

[Richard Matich]

How much will the set be at Best Buy? I hope not $60. I was hoping for around $45 or so. The website said $60 recently I thought. Some sets like Kong were marked down though. Right? I hope I'm right!

 

[Eric Peterson]

I doubt it will be any cheaper at BB if they stock it at all. BB seems to be good about stocking boxes that are well known amongst the public (John Wayne, Hitchcock, King Kong etc...), but when it's a lesser known item, they seem to not be so good, and if they stock them, they are usually at list price. It's a shame, because I would much rather have the instant gratification of picking it up on my way home from work. I'll even pay a small upcharge, but most of the time the upcharge is significant enough to prevent this.

PS. Has anybody had their set ship from Amazon yet?

 

[Pete York]

One person's experience: I've seen the set at Best Buy for $48 an change. They had three copies on the shelf at that moment.

 

[Danny Burk]

Mine shipped today. Yay!

 

[Eric Peterson]

Mine just shipped too!

 

[Corey]

mine hasn't shipped yet but i'll get it between thursday and saturday.

 

[Steve...O]

FYI...the Costco version (which I bought for $39.99) has a 8 song bonus soundtrack CD included. Do the other retailers have this as well? As usual, the packaging WB put together for this looks wonderful.

Steve

 

[alistairKerr]

Any details of the 8 song CD, Steve? UK here, so we won't probably be getting either the Berkeley set - or the CD offer!

Alistair

Got my set last Saturday, though - thanks to the Internet and a reliable dealer! Great stuff!

 

[Steve...O]

EDIT: sorry for the goofy formating; I don't know how to do tabs on this board

From Rhino Special Products (it comes in a protective sleeve inside the box):


Title From Time

42nd Street 42nd Street 5:50
We're in the Money GD of 1933 2:36
The Shadow Waltz GD of 1933 6:09
By a Waterfall Footlight Parade 10:47
Shaghai Lil Footlight Parade 10:30
Dames Dames 9:53
I Only Have Eyes for You Dames 9:11
Lullaby of Broadway GD of 1933 13:48

Steve

 

[alistairKerr]

Many thanks for that, Steve - looks like they are taken from the Berkeley double-CD set that Rhino put out a few years ago.

Greatly appreciated:

Alistair

 

[Corey]

i got my set in the mail yesterday. i ordered it from amazon and it came so quick. i'm very pleased with what i've watched so far. i love the featurettes, vintage cartoons, and the restoration is exceptional. this was definately a great buy. i hope fox does this good of a job when they release "the gang's
all here" later in the year.

 

[BarryM]

Wow! On the "Dames" DVD, one of the vintage shorts is (I think) the only short made by the legendary DON REDMAN and His Orchestra. If you don't know Redman, he was perhaps the most important name in the origins of big band jazz. As saxophonist, arranger and composer for Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra in the 1920's (before Henderson got into arranging) and later joining McKinney's Cotton Pickers as leader, saxophonist, composer and arranger, he basically was among the first people to combine reeds into a harmony group, as well as horns into their own group, creating the kind of call-and-response style that influenced everyone.

He was the first to record Hoagy Carmichael's "Star Dust" after the initial obscure recording made by Carmichael himself in 1927.

Anyhow, by the early 1930's Redman had assembled an amazing band who recorded for Brunswick and this short shows his band in all their glory.

Highlights are vocals by Harlan Lattimore, then known as "The Colored Bing Crosby" doing (what I think) is the best version of Harold Arlen's "Ill Wind".

I've had this short on VHS and wow - what a pleasant surprise to have it on DVD.

IMHO, it's worth the price of the entire excellent DVD set!

 

[Doug Bull]

While on the subject of included short subjects, DAMES also includes a Short Subject that should be in every Film lover or Film Historian's Collection.

"GOOD MORNING EVE" was the VERY FIRST Live-Action 3-Strip Technicolor production finished and released.
I'm amazed that this has not had the publicity it deserves.
George Feltenstein and his team deserve every film lover's ultimate gratitude for bringing this Historic Production to DVD.

It is in pristine condition and looks stunning, with Colors that are breathtaking.
It brings a brand new beautiful look to an otherwise black and white early 30's world.

History books have Hal Roach's LA CUCARACHA as the first 3-Strip production, but GOOD MORNING EVE was certainly released some 4 Months before it.

I urge all to buy DAMES, if only to get this truly wonderful and important piece of Film History.

 

[JohnPM]

Just for the record, Hal Roach did not produce "La Cucaracha". It was an RKO release of a Pioneer Pictures production.

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