More Ronald Colman! (1 Viewer)

[SteveGon]

Yes, we need more Ronald Colman on DVD. In particular, I'd like to see Raffles, Bulldog Drummond, A Tale of Two Cities, The Prisoner of Zenda, Talk of the Town, Random Harvest, and A Double Life.
I'm not sure who owns what, but if you're listening, please take them into consideration.

 

[NeilEdwards]

Ronald Colman is another great star from the past that these young kids may have never heard of.

Believe me, this is where all your gold is, not to mention profits. Lets look to the past for the greats.

 

[Jeff_HR]

I agree that we "oldsters" appreciate Colman's work much more that younger viewers, who consider B&W films(Such as many of Colman's movies) as a nonentity.

 

[Jay E]

My first experience hearing Ronald Colman was watching Get Smart re-runs as a child - Don Adams did a good impersonation of him. I had no idea that it was a Ronald Colman impersonation until I saw one of Colman's films.
A Tale of Two Cities is my favorite Colman film. I'm hoping that Warner will release this someday on DVD.

 

[Derek M Germano]

I believe Warner now controls THE PRISONER OF ZENDA and I would love to see them recreate the old Laserdisc release that had a double bill of the 1937 and 1952 versions.

 

[Jefferson]

Well, I'm not er..um...that old, and I know who he is.
Would be great to have
Tale of Two Cities
Random Harvest
and The Late George Appley

 

[Randy_M]

Love to see Talk of the Town

 

[Peter M Fitzgerald]

Hopefully, Image Entertainment will finally get around to releasing one of Colman's last films, the hilarious gameshow satire CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR (1950, featuring a great comic performance by Vincent Price), on DVD through their liciensing agreement with Corinth Films/Wade Williams.
I'd also love to see Universal release the Preston Sturges-scripted Colman gem IF I WERE KING (1939, one of the many older Paramount films that Universal controls) on DVD, which has begun to get some play on TCM recently.
George Stevens' TALK OF THE TOWN (1941) would be most welcome on DVD from Columbia Tristar, as would Stevens' follow-up comedy classic THE MORE THE MERRIER (1943), which doesn't have Colman, but does feature his TALK OF THE TOWN co-star, Jean Arthur.

 

[NeilEdwards]

Champagne for Caesar is a very funny movie and my VHS copy is getting very ragged.

 

[Roderick Gauci]

Ronald Colman was one of Hollywood’s most beautifully-spoken, elegant, dignified and romantic stars. I have watched only a handful of his films but, so far, he has never disappointed: Colman makes any film worthwhile. He excelled in light romantic comedy-dramas and exotic adventures but always managed to win over the leading lady as well as the villain’s respect.

The only film of his on DVD is Frank Capra’s magnificent LOST HORIZON (1937). I have the R2 version but have yet to watch it, though I am familiar with the film - or rather the painstaking “restoration” of it, which is still missing some essential footage!

Any film of his on DVD would be welcome, certainly his most famous and popular titles:

Ernst Lubitsch’s LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN (1925) - owned by Warners

BEAU GESTE (1926) - Paramount; a double-feature including both this and the 1939 versions would be super!

BULLDOG DRUMMOND (1929)/BULLDOG DRUMMOND STRIKES BACK (1934) – MGM/UA; another stellar double-feature

John Ford’s ARROWSMITH (1932) – MGM/UA

King Vidor’s CYNARA (1932) – MGM/UA

A TALE OF TWO CITIES (1935) – Warners

THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937) – my favorite Ronald Colman film is apparently owned by Warners; as Derek has written, a double-feature with the 1952 version (a scene-for-scene remake of the Colman film, with the exact same musical score by Alfred Newman!) would be great, but a double-feature with Rex Ingram’s 1922 silent version would be even better!!

IF I WERE KING (1938) – Paramount; featuring an Oscar-nominated scene-stealing turn from Basil Rathbone, and another possible double-feature with the 1956 musical version THE VAGABOND KING (the only film to star a Maltese “actor” in the leading role: Oreste Kirkop)

THE TALK OF THE TOWN (1942) – Columbia

RANDOM HARVEST (1942) – Warners

A DOUBLE LIFE (1947) – Universal; for which he deservedly won the Best Actor Academy Award

Several other minor films merit a DVD release as well like THE DARK ANGEL (1925), STELLA DALLAS (1925), RAFFLES (1930), CONDEMNED (1930), THE DEVIL TO PAY (1930), THE MASQUERADER (1933), CLIVE OF INDIA (1935), THE MAN WHO BROKE THE BANK AT MONTE CARLO (1935), UNDER TWO FLAGS (1936), KISMET (1944), THE LATE GEORGE APLEY (1947) and CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR (1949). Several of these are short enough so that a double-feature would be a no-brainer. THE DARK ANGEL, STELLA DALLAS, RAFFLES and KISMET were all subsequently remade (and all by the same studios which made the Colman versions) so, again, it would be proper to release them in pairs.

Colman was also one of 44 stars who cameoed in AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (1956). There has been much talk of a DVD release of this film on HTF – let’s hope it will not take too long, and that the mouth-watering extras that have been mentioned will make it onto the disc(s) eventually!

 

[Patrick McCart]

The only film of his on DVD is Frank Capra’s magnificent LOST HORIZON (1937). I have the R2 version but have yet to watch it, though I am familiar with the film - or rather the painstaking “restoration” of it, which is still missing some essential footage!

Give UCLA some slack! There were some scenes which just couldn't be restored into the film. This is why many scenes are still-animations. However, 3 scenes are in the supplements.