Is there to be a "Show Boat" Box Set?!? (1 Viewer)

[Jeff_HR]

I thought I had read that there was to be a Box Set release of the various "Show Boat" releases on DVD. I know there was one on LaserDisc years ago. Does anyone have any updated info on this? If there still is to be a release, might we possibly see a BD release too?

THX for any info provided.

 

[Garysb]

From the 2007 Warner chat:

SHOW BOAT (1936) is now the only major Paul Robeson movie not on DVD - Please
(before 2008)? any MacDonald/Eddy collection news?


It is still our plan to release THE COMPLETE SHOW BOAT with 1929, 36, and 51 in Ultra-Rez, but it won't happen this year. Perhaps next. Contrary to what false information you may have read elsewhere, we have no plans to release the MacDonald/Eddy films anytime soon. Serious film element issues requiring restoration prevent our releasing them on a more expedited basis. We want them to be beautiful and sound great when they finally are released.

I don't think there has been an update since then.

Warners also said in the same chat about some other films:

One of the reasons we are becoming more hesitant to give out dates here is that if plans change for a myriad of reasons, we end up with disappointed consumers, and we don't want that. Most of these silents were originally restored in the '80s, and need to be redone from scratch. We are
looking at various long range plans to address this issue and bring these titles into the 21st century properly.

I guess we need to be patient.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/chat/warner07.txt

 

[Jeff_HR]

Thanks for the update. I remember now that I did read about it after the chat in the transcript. Hopefully the project has NOT been abandoned. I'd love to have the Set in BD, but SD DVD will do, otherwise I'll have to eBay the Laser set.

 

[ColbyCo82]

I wonder if maybe the set has been delayed because of the recent discovery of the missing sound discs from the 1929 Show Boat. Hopefully they are being restored for the DVD release. Very exciting.

 

[bob kaplan]

i'm looking forward to the release of this as well. The '36 release on LaserDisc is a fine product, but a DVD would be great...and i wonder how much longer my LD player will last. i must confess i did transfer the title to dvd, but both the sound track and audio essay are not on the same disc....and aways...a studio transfer would be much better. But i bet the audio essay will not be included...it was Criterion. :frowning:

 

[CineKarine]

Allow me to chime in as another one who hopes the plans for this set will come to fruition in the (hopefully near) future.

 

[Charles H]

One other Paul Robeson film has yet to be released: TALES OF MANHATTAN. I'm surprised that Fox has yet to release this. I'm certain that all the W>C> Fields footage has been recovered and restored.

 

[Eric Vedowski]

The Fields sequence (plus out-takes) is on "Hidden Hollywood #2: More Treasures From the Twentieth Century Fox Vaults" DVD from Image. Fox hasn't included most of the stuff on these DVDs when they've released the films themselves. Some of the recent Alice Faye movies have included some of the cut musical numbers so that's a good sign.

 

[Greg_M]

Was just about to start a post on this myself. Wondered what happened to the 3 film set. Glad to hear some of the sound from the 1929 version was found. Too bad they can't find any of the deleted footage from the 1936 (and best Version) of Show Boat

 

[Jeff_HR]

That doesn't mean someone else is disqualified from doing an audio commentary or even a text commentary! There must be some qualified expert on these films to do a commentary.

 

[Eric Vedowski]

Miles Krueger did the commentary for the Criterion and he is THE expert in all things "Show Boat." His book on the subject (Show Boat - The Story of a Classic American Musical) is considered one of the best books on a Broadway show ever written, at least by critics & musical theatre fans. WB should have Krueger do a new commentary. I'm sure he's learned more about the show since he did the original Laserdisc commentary. It's unthinkable that they would do a special box for "Show Boat" without his participation (in some form) but I'm sure WB realizes that.

 

[Jeff_HR]

I'd love to think that WB "realizes that". But I won't "celebrate" until I read an official announcement.

 

[Matt Hough]

Frankly, I'd love to hear his commentary on all three versions, not just the 1936 version. That is the gem of the collection and the most faithful to the original stage version, but his thoughts of the others would be very interesting for those who don't have that valuable book of his.

I am also most anxious to see what Ultra-Resolution does for the eye-popping Technicolor of the 1951 version.