MOVIES THAT LONG AGO SHOULD HAVE COME TO BLU-RAY (1 Viewer)

[StarDestroyer52]

Roman Holiday. That's all.

 

[skylark68]

Guess the three I’m surprised about outside of the obvious, ahem, (the Alamo) are 55 Days at Peking, El Cid, and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Well, those and Ryan’s Daughter of course.

 

[Rick Thompson]

And another: Mr. Holland's Opus, a hit movie with major stars -- Richard Dreyfuss, Olivia Dukakis, etc. -- only came out on DVD, and it wasn't even anamorphic!

 

[Rick Thompson]

You missed out In Harm's Way (1965), it's the Paramount Duke I want the most. There are a lot of obvious films that you'd have thought would have been released on Blu-ray by now, but I suppose that's balanced out by the surprising releases we thought would never happen, like One-Eyed Jacks. But the catalogue releases keep on coming thick & fast. I haven't bought that many this year but that's mostly due to my appalling taste in films, I do have this feeling that next year is going to be mega...& maybe Paramount will start licensing films out to a trusted company (I'd pick Twilight Time, limited to 3000 releases & a premium price point I'd think Paramount would love all that).

From your lips to God's ear.

As for In Harm's Way I forgot about it because it never did anything for me, aside from Jerry Goldsmith's score. The liberties taken with history were too extreme and the model work too obvious for me, so I never bought it in any format after seeing it that first time as a rental. A lot of people like it, so let's hope it escapes.

 

[Nick*Z]

That's a comprehensive list Nick.
Would add: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Slightly Scarlet
Michael Shayne films (Nolan)

True Lies

I forgot a few I am ashamed to admit to, including Walter Mitty, Wonder Man, Ryan's Daughter, El Cid, The Fall of the Roman Empire, Circus World, Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun, and, Gaslight - one of my all time favorites. Bergman and Boyer...how could I forget 'em?!?!?

 

[trajan007]

GOODBYE MR CHIPS-----PENNIES FROM HEAVEN----THE BUTCHER BOY----WRESTLING ERNEST HEMINGWAY-----SURVIVING PICASSO-----THE SHELTERING SKY---WHO'S LIFE IS IT ANYWAY?-----PLAY IT AGAIN SAM-----BIRDY----ORDINARY PEOPLE----STAR!---FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE---EL CID ---RYANS DAUGHTER----ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE----DANCE WITH ME---TOYS---FAIL SAFE---RAGTIME---UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE---SAME TIME NEXT YEAR.----CARNAL KNOWLEDGE--- LOCAL HERO----BREAKFAST ON PLUTO---SHOOT THE MOON----YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES.---NOBODY'S FOOL----CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD---THE CARDINAL---Warner owns 13 of these.

 

[Vegas 1]

Besides many of those titles already mentioned how about from 1996 LoneStar and maybe a reissue on BR Never Say Never Again so I can add to my collection at a reasonable price.

 

[PMF]

Guess the three I’m surprised about outside of the obvious, ahem, (the Alamo) are 55 Days at Peking, El Cid, and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Well, those and Ryan’s Daughter of course.

Did someone say "Ryan's Daughter"?

 

[PMF]

I forgot a few I am ashamed to admit to, including Walter Mitty, Wonder Man, Ryan's Daughter, El Cid, The Fall of the Roman Empire, Circus World, Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun, and, Gaslight - one of my all time favorites. Bergman and Boyer...how could I forget 'em?!?!?

GOODBYE MR CHIPS-----PENNIES FROM HEAVEN----THE BUTCHER BOY----WRESTLING ERNEST HEMINGWAY-----SURVIVING PICASSO-----THE SHELTERING SKY---WHO'S LIFE IS IT ANYWAY?-----PLAY IT AGAIN SAM-----BIRDY----ORDINARY PEOPLE----STAR!---FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE---EL CID ---RYANS DAUGHTER----ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE----DANCE WITH ME---TOYS---FAIL SAFE---RAGTIME---UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE---SAME TIME NEXT YEAR.----CARNAL KNOWLEDGE--- LOCAL HERO.Warner owns 11 of these.

Wow, that makes three votes in a row.
Well, then, let's make that an even four for Ryan's Daughter.

 

[David Weicker]

I forgot a few I am ashamed to admit to, including Walter Mitty, Wonder Man, Ryan's Daughter, El Cid, The Fall of the Roman Empire, Circus World, Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun, and, Gaslight - one of my all time favorites. Bergman and Boyer...how could I forget 'em?!?!?

The biggest ‘omissions‘ from your list (that closely matches mine) were Top Hat and Bringing Up Baby.

Otherwise, it was a terrific list

 

[StarDestroyer52]

And I forgot one film: The Cameraman. Hopefully, Criterion releases this since Buster Keaton also could use the Criterion treatment also.

 

[chrislong2]

While of course there's many personal wants I could list, the 2 biggest head-scratchers for me are:

What About Bob?
National Velvet

 

[Keith Cobby]

You missed out In Harm's Way (1965), it's the Paramount Duke I want the most. There are a lot of obvious films that you'd have thought would have been released on Blu-ray by now, but I suppose that's balanced out by the surprising releases we thought would never happen, like One-Eyed Jacks. But the catalogue releases keep on coming thick & fast. I haven't bought that many this year but that's mostly due to my appalling taste in films, I do have this feeling that next year is going to be mega...& maybe Paramount will start licensing films out to a trusted company (I'd pick Twilight Time, limited to 3000 releases & a premium price point I'd think Paramount would love all that).

For me 'In Harm's Way' is John Wayne's best non-western film. Great cast, great film. Much rather have had this than One-Eyed Jacks!

 

[Alan Tully]

I forgot a few I am ashamed to admit to, including Walter Mitty, Wonder Man, Ryan's Daughter, El Cid, The Fall of the Roman Empire, Circus World, Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun, and, Gaslight - one of my all time favorites. Bergman and Boyer...how could I forget 'em?!?!?

I've seen both Annie Get Your Gun & Walter Mitty on TV in HD looking terrific, but I'm thinking there's a LOT of older movies that have great looking HD transfers which may never be released on Blu-ray.

 

[Nick*Z]

I've seen both Annie Get Your Gun & Walter Mitty on TV in HD looking terrific, but I'm thinking there's a LOT of older movies that have great looking HD transfers which may never be released on Blu-ray.

I fear the same. The problem here is that an HD transfer under-utilizes Blu-ray's true capacity for bit rate. Ergo, what looks good in HD can look twice as good on disc. But again, it's a remastering/cost/time management issue, and if studios see no dollar-for-dollar value in it, they won't do it. Which is why I chose to keep the dream alive on message boards like these. So long as we talk - rather than harp - about our collective interests in seeing these movies presented to us in a quality better than what is currently out there, the more likely the opportunity that some of these just might make it down the pipe line - rather than the pipe dream - and become a reality for movie lovers everywhere some day. Sooner would be better than later. I am aging rapidly!

 

[Arthur Powell]

And I forgot one film: The Cameraman. Hopefully, Criterion releases this since Buster Keaton also could use the Criterion treatment also.

If I can be a bit greedy, I would also hope that Criterion would put out Spite Marriage as well so we can complete the Keaton silent features on blu. You would think that Criterion would be really keen to get its mitts on a Keaton title for its collection, and most of the "standard" ones (The General, Steamboat Bill Jr., Our Hospitality, Sherlock Jr., etc) have essentially been well-covered or at least held by Lobster, Kino, and Cohen. So that would leave the WB films. At one time Edward Sedgwick (the credited director) did have a phantom director's page on Criterion's website, and the two features do seem to be OOP. On the other hand, would Warners' infamous quality standards for blu apply to licensed titles? While most of The Cameraman survives in very good 35mm, I think that the first reel has survived only in 16mm. I hope that wouldn't be a hang-up for the film. If Criterion has The Cameraman, I hope that it would see fit to record a new score - that Arthur Barrow score doesn't support the film very well. On the other hand, the Movietone score for Spite Marriage is pretty good. I'll stop rambling and conclude by saying that The Cameraman and Spite Marriage are long overdue for blu.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Well of course I'll have to add The Story of Ruth, Land of the Pharaohs, Barabbas, Salome, The Nun's Story, Come to the Stable, Hercules (also Unchained), the Mosfilm War and Peace, Derzu Uzala, Raintree County and the greatest silents of all time already restored by Photoplay.

 

[Arthur Powell]

I know I have mentioned this film in other threads, but I would love to see Margie (1946) on blu. Fox? Disney? Twilight Time? Kino? Criterion?

 

[chrislong2]

Oh and in addition to "National Velvet", I also need to second "Going My Way". The follow-up film "The Bells of St. Mary's" was released but not "Going My Way", which doesn't make any sense to me. At least it is available in HD on streaming tho, unlike National Velvet. I've long been wondering if National Velvet even still has surviving elements because the lack of love shown to this film that has an imdb rating of 7.4 is astounding.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

I'd love to see National Velvet as well. The current DVD is ancient, and I would love to upgrade the film on Blu-ray. WB told me on a chat here at the HTF 12 or 13 years ago that it was one of their top sellers so it seems a likely a candidate, but when was the last time WAC released a Technicolor film?