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

[cb1]

It bugs me to no end that some titles get multiple releases every 6 months and some movies NEVER get a bluray or are just streaming.
I'm no insider, I'm somebody that wants to throw money at movies. I have not bought a new bluray in over a year. It is the same old "anniversary" "limited edition" of the same old titles over and over again.
Sure some titles are classic. I get it. But some titles are over done to the point of "ugh, great another limited edition of <insert title>…."

So My want list is short, because I'm kind of fed up with all of movie studios.
To Hell and Back - Audie Murphy
The Black Hole
Johnny Tremain

from TV
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Carl Sagan's Cosmos

See? I don't want much. But I'll probably be dead before these come out on Bluray.
<rant mode off>
I need a beer. LOLOL

 

[chrislong2]

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?

Yeah, the DVD is definitely an old release. That's interesting about the chat - thanks for sharing - you'd think if it was a reasonable seller that at the very least they'd have an HD stream of it out there, let alone a Blu. Makes me wonder what the holdup is.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

Yeah, the DVD is definitely an old release. That's interesting about the chat - thanks for sharing - you'd think if it was a reasonable seller that at the very least they'd have an HD stream of it out there, let alone a Blu. Makes me wonder what the holdup is.

I hope it's just a case of them wanting to do it right. This three-strip Technicolor classic would look beautiful on Blu-ray! I don't think WAC has released a three-strip Technicolor film for awhile. Can anyone recall the last time?

 

[Angelo Colombus]

A few days ago I saw my dvd copy of Robert Redford's "Milagro Beanfield War" (1988). Liked the movie and the image on the dvd but would look better on Blu-ray.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

Everyone's forgetting The Major and the Minor, Billy Wilder's best comedy outing ever!

 

[chrislong2]

I hope it's just a case of them wanting to do it right. This three-strip Technicolor classic would look beautiful on Blu-ray! I don't think WAC has released a three-strip Technicolor film for awhile. Can anyone recall the last time?

I'd like to hope so too, but considering the National Velvet DVD transfer dates to like 1997 or something like that, it's not like they haven't had time to work on it. They've clearly been busy putting their money into other films (not that that's not good), but I think it's long overdue tho now and I agree that it would look beautiful on Blu! That DVD leaves a lot to be desired. Here's hoping they get on this one as it's a movie that really deserves it.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Forgot Robert Wise's colorful Helen of Troy and Anna Magnani's unforgettable Rose Tattoo.

 

[Aunt Peg]

Basically I'd like to see everything that hasn't been released released, from the silents, old studio films, short films, independent cinema and the vast library of international cinema.

Though I must admit I'm shocked at some of the films that haven't yet debuted on Blu Ray, in particular, films from the major studios. Ordinary People being a good example. I don't care for the film myself and wouldn't buy it but there is no doubt Paramount would make a reasonable return on that one. Ditto the unreleased John Hughes &amp; James Cameron films.

 

[MatthewA]

Ordinary People either needs a restoration or is being held back for a 40th anniversary edition, that's the only reason it's not out yet. Mary Tyler Moore's death must have brought the matter up with someone somewhere at Paramount.

At least with Looking for Mr. Goodbar, you have the music rights issue to contend with as why it disappeared from view.

 

[hanshotfirst1138]

Where is Dragonslayer, Paramount?! And don’t tell me there’s no HD master, because I’ve seen it on Vudu.

 

[Arthur Powell]

I might as well throw out a few more titles:

The Wedding March (1928) - this is one of those silent classics that seems to have fallen through the cracks. While it did have a VHS release from Paramount in the 1980s, it has never been released on DVD or blu. There have been rumors for the past decade that Criterion has licensed the title, and the Kino rep did confirm that Kino did ask for it but was told that it had already been licensed. In any case, the film has had a 35mm restoration by the Library of Congress and while it isn't perfect, it should suffice for a decent Lonesome-style blu. Also, there are three music scores already recorded for the film - the 1928 Movietone track, the 1980s Gaylord Carter Wurlitzer score, and the Photoplay Carl Davis orchestral track. Get with it, Criterion!

Beau James (1957) - one of the handful of films that Bob Hope did that is more dramatic that his usual comedic offerings. Hope does very well in crafting a sympathetic image of the ethically challenged but still surprisingly honest Mayor Jimmy Walker, and he is still able to pull off his signature one-liners. I'm sure that this Vista-Vision film would look great in high definition. I'm not sure who owns this film- Paramount or Bob Hope's production company. I've also heard that music rights may be holding the film back.

Bernadine (1957) - if a DVD or blu-ray release isn't in the cards, can we at least get a new widescreen master to play on TV instead of that old and tired pan-and-scan master? Fox? Twilight Time?

The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953) - historically accurate? Definitely not. Light-hearted and entertaining? You bet. A nice Technicolor sampling of the great Gilbert and Sullivan operas.

The Cockeyed Miracle (1946) - a funny and poignant film starring Frank Morgan and Keenan Wynn as father and son ghosts (but not in the way you may think). This film has never even had a DVD release. As an MGM film, this movie would be under the Warner/WAC banner, and I hope that at some point that WAC will get to it.

 

[trajan007]

LORD JIM

 

[DP 70]

Ryans Daughter (from the 65mm neg)

 

[Keith Cobby]

My Favorite Blonde.

 

[PODER]

Great choices from Arthur Powell (above). I'd add another Bob Hope film: THE SEVEN LITTLE FOYS. I've
always had a sneaking suspicion that with these films, Bob was trying to match his ROAD movies partner
Bing Crosby as an Oscar winner. And two that I keep plugging away for: Noel Coward's THE SCOUNDREL
and Disney's TALL TALE with Patrick Swayze, which is still available only as a pan and scan DVD.

 

[Arthur Powell]

Great choices from Arthur Powell (above). I'd add another Bob Hope film: THE SEVEN LITTLE FOYS. I've
always had a sneaking suspicion that with these films, Bob was trying to match his ROAD movies partner
Bing Crosby as an Oscar winner. And two that I keep plugging away for: Noel Coward's THE SCOUNDREL
and Disney's TALL TALE with Patrick Swayze, which is still available only as a pan and scan DVD.

The Seven Little Foys is a must because the old DVD of this Vista-Vision film is full frame! Have there been any rumblings about Kino tackling the film? That company has been putting out some of Bob Hope's personally produced films.

 

[Spencer Draper]

There's so many it hurts to think about. Then there are the hundreds of classic titles that at least have some kind of HD release in Europe that have never seen the light of day here.

Warner has a great number of films that cry out for BD that are themselves already from out of print DVDs still based around Laserdisc prepped materials such as The Thin Mans, the Tarzans and the Lewton horrors. (I'm hoping WAC does all of these at some point.) The Shop Around The Corner is another must.
Then there are the Flynn films, the other Bogarts, Gunga Din, classic animated titles and I could go on and on. This is only one studio as an example but least they keep a steady stream going in both studio and archive releases which is far better than others.

The most overdue would be the large format films like Ryan's Daughter and El Cid. The former isn't available in HD and the latter only has lackluster issues outside of the lone DVD and Criterion Laserdisc.

And one can pine away for the supposed lost causes like The Alamo roadshow version, Raintree County etc. that are stuck on Laserdisc, VHS and random TCM airings.

 

[Race Bannon]

Sergeant York is one of the major gaping holes.

 

[Alan Tully]

There's a shocking amount of early Peter Sellers films still awaiting a Blu-ray release, & I think his best films were in b/w, here's four I'd love:

The Naked Truth (1957)
Two-Way Stretch (1960)
Only Two Can Play (1962)
The Wrong Arm Of The Law (1963)

 

[Nick*Z]

I'd like to hope so too, but considering the National Velvet DVD transfer dates to like 1997 or something like that, it's not like they haven't had time to work on it. They've clearly been busy putting their money into other films (not that that's not good), but I think it's long overdue tho now and I agree that it would look beautiful on Blu! That DVD leaves a lot to be desired. Here's hoping they get on this one as it's a movie that really deserves it.

There were several major 'restoration' efforts done during the old LaserDisc era - and advertised as such under the old MGM/UA LaserDisc banner. It is from these masters that Warner's National Velvet's DVD copy was struck...also, Show Boat, The Harvey Girls, Good News, The Pirate, Summer Stock and Bathing Beauty. While virtually all of these except The Pirate managed to look good to stellar in transferring over to DVD (not sure what happened on The Pirate, but the DVD is muddy/grainy and riddled in edge enhancement - badly done) virtually none have been given the necessary hand-holding TLC for upgrade to Blu-ray. Inspection of these 'dated' and pre-digital restoration efforts would be necessary first, but I can't see that enough time has passed as yet to create even more differential shrinkage of these then 'newly re-aligned 3-strip Technicolor negatives.

Could be wrong about this. But these should be 'almost' ready to go, requiring a NEW 2 or 4K scan to amplify their original Technicolor luster. But I still think at least half - if not more of the 'heavy lifting' has already been done on these deep catalog titles. Ditto for Till the Clouds Roll By and Words & Music.

There are also some deep catalog titles that deserve marginal clean-up, but I think would look otherwise fabulous on Blu - including Stewart Granger's Scaramouche, High Society, Royal Wedding, The Belle of New York, The Toast of New Orleans, Holiday in Mexico, Easy to Love, Dangerous When Wet, The Three Musketeers (1948), Wonder Man, Yolanda and the Thief, and, I Love Melvin.

The real fiascoes are as follows: The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, That Midnight Kiss - horrendous mis-registration, The Student Prince, Million Dollar Mermaid, That Forsyte Woman, Small Town Girl, Two Weeks With Love, Three Smart Girls, Ziegfeld Follies - major clean-up and color correction, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm - where to begin?!?

And we haven't even scratched the surface of the many memorable B&W's that ought to have come to Blu by now: Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), Marie Antoinette (1938), The Valley of Decision, The White Cliffs of Dover, Gaslight, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Boom Town, Idiot's Delight, Honky Tonk, Dinner at Eight, Wife Vs. Secretary, The Merry Widow, Broadway Melody of 1940, Swing Time, Top Hat, Random Harvest, Week-end at the Waldorf, Love Finds Andy Hardy, The Gay Divorcee, Greed, Waterloo Bridge, Personal Property, A Yank at Oxford, The Thin Man (and its sequels), Babes in Arms/on Broadway, Strike Up The Band, Girl Crazy, Tarzan: The Ape Man, Johnny Eager, Johnny Belinda, For Me and My Gal, Broadway Melody of 1936/38, In This Our Life, Now Voyager, All This and Heaven Too, Flamingo Road, A Woman's Face, I Love You Again, The Great Ziegfeld, Ziegfeld Girl, When Ladies Meet, Romeo and Juliet.

Most of these were given quality DVD releases with minor imperfections. Warner remastering seemed to have a compression problem with minor edge effects on a lot of these. But the problem was only intermittent, as in, say, Gaslight's main titles - looking awful, but the movie otherwise looking pretty solid, Zenda - a very 'dirty' print, Now Voyager - Bette Davis' polka-dot dress shimmers - uncontrollably, A Woman's Face - edge effects around virtually every horizontal or vertically straight object. But Warner proved it was up to the challenges and invested in preserving Hollywood's heritage in optimal condition. Case in point: Marie Antoinette's LaserDisc had several glaring instances of haloing that were virtually eradicated when that title made the leap to DVD in a pristine presentation that still holds up among standard def releases. So, remastering it in hi-def should not be a costly endeavor outside of the actual scan process.

Whatever. No shortage of goodies. And WAC's most recent announcement of The Sea Hawk coming to Blu warms my heart. I find it encouraging that maybe some of the other deep catalog titles mentioned herein are perhaps also 'on their way' sooner than any of us may think. We'll see. Hope springs eternal.