Movies not on DVD caught in 'rights hell' (1 Viewer)

[jdee28]

That is great news! Hope they make this a big story.


Hope too the Archive can save some other films caught in "rights hell," like Letty Lynton (1932), Night Flight (1933), Escapade (1935), etc.

 

[ColbyCo82]

...and The Trial of Mary Dugan (1929) with Norma Shearer and It's a Wise Child (1931) with Marion Davies

 

[JoeDoakes]

Where have you been Karine?

Originally Posted by CineKarine

Just wanted to share the good news about the Warner Archive reply that I received on Facebook upon my asking about The Constant Nymph (43).

and, we can't really believe it ourselves, but The Nymph will soon be flying out of her Burbank cage....The rights issue...s have just been resolved!

This is the best DVD news ever as far as I am concerned. Such a supremely beautiful movie.

 

[Charles H]

Any update on WHERE'S CHARLEY? Douglas Pratt said that it is "unlikely to appear at this time."

 

[ahollis]

I guess we will have to wait until MGM finishes their negotiations for their distribution on new and library titles until we find out anything else about PORGY AND BESS.

 

[Brian Sharp]

Originally Posted by kingfish

I remember reading one of Warner's chats that stated Dark of the Sun was coming to DVD over a year ago. I wonder what happened?

Isn't this available from Amazon UK as "The Mercenaries"? Looks like a Far East import.

 

[Richard M S]

A screening of NIGHT FLIGHT is scheduled for the upcoming 2011 TCM Film Festival in LA; perhaps this means the film will be released someday soon.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Richard M S

A screening of NIGHT FLIGHT is scheduled for the upcoming 2011 TCM Film Festival in LA; perhaps this means the film will be released someday soon.

That's what I am hoping.

 

[ColbyCo82]

Originally Posted by CineKarine

Just wanted to share the good news about the Warner Archive reply that I received on Facebook upon my asking about The Constant Nymph (43).

I am curious where one can post these questions on FB. I dont really see a section for questions that people use on a regular basis and I dont want to be annoying (and get ignored) and just post anywhere. Thanks!

 

[JoHud]

Originally Posted by ColbyCo82

Just wanted to share the good news about the Warner Archive reply that I received on Facebook upon my asking about The Constant Nymph (43).

I am curious where one can post these questions on FB. I dont really see a section for questions that people use on a regular basis and I dont want to be annoying (and get ignored) and just post anywhere. Thanks!

[/QUOTE]

Click the small "Warner Archive Collection + others" tab to see what other people have been posting. In order to post yourself, you must click the "Like" button beforehand.

 

[ColbyCo82]

Thanks so much!

 

[kagemusha98]

I recently had the opportunity to ask Richard Thomas as to why RED SKY AT MORNING has never been released on DVD.

He sais there is a music rights issue that he doubts will ever be resolved:-(

 

[Bob Cashill]

I wonder what? All I remember is a score and a few Andrews Sisters tunes.


I'd have thought that LAST SUMMER, which has lots of beach scenes "scored" to ambient radio (and a broadcast apparently done for the film; it's credited), would have been as great a headache as RED SKY's rights, and maybe it was, but it's being prepped for the Warner Archive now.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Bob Cashill

I wonder what? All I remember is a score and a few Andrews Sisters tunes.


I'd have thought that LAST SUMMER, which has lots of beach scenes "scored" to ambient radio (and a broadcast apparently done for the film; it's credited), would have been as great a headache as RED SKY's rights, and maybe it was, but it's being prepped for the Warner Archive now.

I think that is the difference between the way Warner's thinks and Universal thinks. Warner works hard to solve what ever problems there are with the rights, while other companies like Universal believes that their is just to much work involved. The difference between a company that respects it library and one that does not understand it.

 

[JoHud]

Originally Posted by ahollis

I wonder what? All I remember is a score and a few Andrews Sisters tunes.


I'd have thought that LAST SUMMER, which has lots of beach scenes "scored" to ambient radio (and a broadcast apparently done for the film; it's credited), would have been as great a headache as RED SKY's rights, and maybe it was, but it's being prepped for the Warner Archive now.

I think that is the difference between the way Warner's thinks and Universal thinks. Warner works hard to solve what ever problems there are with the rights, while other companies like Universal believes that their is just to much work involved. The difference between a company that respects it library and one that does not understand it.
[/QUOTE]

Well, to Universal's credit, they did sort out the rights to "The Cat and The Canary", so they haven't been avoiding it entirely.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by JoHud

I wonder what? All I remember is a score and a few Andrews Sisters tunes.


I'd have thought that LAST SUMMER, which has lots of beach scenes "scored" to ambient radio (and a broadcast apparently done for the film; it's credited), would have been as great a headache as RED SKY's rights, and maybe it was, but it's being prepped for the Warner Archive now.

I think that is the difference between the way Warner's thinks and Universal thinks. Warner works hard to solve what ever problems there are with the rights, while other companies like Universal believes that their is just to much work involved. The difference between a company that respects it library and one that does not understand it.
[/QUOTE]

Well, to Universal's credit, they did sort out the rights to "The Cat and The Canary", so they haven't been avoiding it entirely.


I'm not sure that was a rights problem as much as Universal just being lazy in releasing it. When the title came out it was also with two other titles that did not have problems. I asked about Cat & Canary four years ago on HTF, before I purchased the UK disc and was told there were no problems with it here, just needed to be released.

I am thankful for what Universal releases through TCM, MOD and commercial, but they could do a much better job and start believing in what they own. Whenever lists are made of films people want, especially horror, the list is just about always Universal titles they own. Surely The Uninvited and Island of Lost Souls is not tied up in rights hell are they? Or maybe they are!

 

[Charles H]

There are certain films not available on dvd because of incomplete versions: THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME, RACHEL AND THE STRANGER, ACROSS THE WIDE MISSOURI, SILVER RIVER, Curtiz's THE SEA WOLF? Anybody know the status of these? Or RAINTREE COUNTY and THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS??? Anyone? Anyone? PS: Great news about NIGHT FLIGHT!!

 

[Marcel H.]

Regarding the Sea Wolf, there was a question on WAC's facebook page - sometime last year:

Q: Here's a tough one..."The Sea Wolf"....would the WAC ever release it in the present, shortened, reissue version?
A: We're seriously considering it...and it WOULD be the longer version. The problem is the footage 'restored' to the continuity is from marginal 16mm source material. For the past several years, we thought it best to keep searching for 35mm ma...terial, but in the meantime, people cannot see this great film on DVD, and at a certain point, a compromise to get it out with the cut footage inserted from the 16mm source may be a valid option until we (hopefully) can track down the excised 35mm material.
We're still weighing the options..
Stay tuned!

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Charles H

There are certain films not available on dvd because of incomplete versions: THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME, RACHEL AND THE STRANGER, ACROSS THE WIDE MISSOURI, SILVER RIVER, Curtiz's THE SEA WOLF? Anybody know the status of these? Or RAINTREE COUNTY and THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS??? Anyone? Anyone? PS: Great news about NIGHT FLIGHT!!

What's the problem with RACHEL AND THE STRANGER. I still have a laser disc of the film and it appears on TCM about once a year. THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS will appear on DVD when Warner's thinks the time is right, but only in the cut version and we will never see the original version. RAINTREE COUNTY needs a lot of work on the Roadshow Version, but none of the elements are lost and I still expect it to appear.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Originally Posted by ahollis





I'm not sure that was a rights problem as much as Universal just being lazy in releasing it. When the title came out it was also with two other titles that did not have problems. I asked about Cat & Canary four years ago on HTF, before I purchased the UK disc and was told there were no problems with it here, just needed to be released.

I am thankful for what Universal releases through TCM, MOD and commercial, but they could do a much better job and start believing in what they own. Whenever lists are made of films people want, especially horror, the list is just about always Universal titles they own. Surely The Uninvited and Island of Lost Souls is not tied up in rights hell are they? Or maybe they are!

Actually, Tom Weaver said over at the Classic Horror Film Board that he had suspected that the problem with The Cat and the Canary had to do with the current owner of the rights to the play and that was confirmed by some people he knows at Universal. In addition, I suspect that the Bob Hope film Nothing but the Truth also had some rights issues that were resolved by Universal as it was based on a play, and Amazon has a listing for a VHS of that title from Universal that apparently never was released (i.e., I think they planned to release it on VHS but it was cancelled due to rights issues). I also would not be surprised in the Bing Crosby/W.C. Fields title Mississippi had rights issues Universal cleared. Universal catalog titles had a great year in 2010. I am hoping for more in 2011. The Uninvited will almost certainly be released (by TCM if not Universal). As has been discussed here and elsewhere, Island of Lost Souls has print quality issues and I am more concerned about that one.