Status of Shirley Temple Films (1 Viewer)

[ManW_TheUncool]

I always assumed that what held Fox up from releasing the Temple films on Blu was that they would have had to go back and re-colourize the black and white films in HD to be able to market them to younger viewers. It may have been too cost prohibitive. Most of her films that were included in the America’s Sweetheart Collection DVD sets are available to purchase digitally in HD, which I’ve added to my collection as I’m not holding my breath for Blu-ray releases.

The same here, I purchased the HD digitals of several Temple films.

Same here. Picked up this 5-movie bundle a while ago when it was under $15:

Vudu - Browse

www.vudu.com

_Man_

 

[timk1041]

With Shirley Temple we really do not know what materials exist, were her films up to 1937 part of the New Jersey nitrate fire that resulted in lost Chans? Movies! has been showing her films over the past few weeks as has TCM so there is an audience. Disney is really too far gone at this point - political correctness has ruined the brand for serious film collectors - maybe with a change in leadership with Iger being gone they will change a bit. They need to clearly make a deal with a Kino so their Fox and even Disney catalog titles can be released - meaning films now cut and edited could be issued without backlash. As I have said before classic example or two examples - 1951's Scrooge which Disney has no interest in releasing should be back at VCI and 1940's Swiss Family Robinson should be released. But Studios just do not get it, I posted I ordered the Alan Ladd set Vol 3 I checked out the vid company's site Via Vision of Australia and they have deals with almost every major Studio! Now look at Universal they spent 2 million on restoring the Henry Aldrich series yet no box set release despite many saying they would buy the films which are more fun than the Andy Hardy's I know one firm has approached Universal and zilch - nada yet those films are being sold in SUBPAR crapola copies. A contact old me they had a meeting with Universal and the answer they got was "we have 15 partner firms right now and we have no time to look at more" meaning the "suits" as Robert Blake used to call them really do not get it. Thank heavens for such heroes like Mr F at WB and Ms. Kalas at Paramount and of course our friends at Kino, VCI, Grapevine, Shout etc.

Kino, Shout, Classic Flix and others you mentioned have all done a tremendous job of releasing classic titles. They all deserve our thanks and appreciation for the fine work they've done.

 

[timk1041]

IMO, there is nothing sad about it. These younger generations have what they enjoy as entertainment and prior generations have their own avenues of entertainment. I think some of the younger generations might enjoy the Temple movies, but I also think that many of them wouldn't care for them. Different film tastes for different folks.

Yes, I understand what you're saying. I guess us older folks sometimes get nostalgic and wish the younger folks could experience some of what we did and enjoy when it comes to these TV shows and movies. But it is good if at least some of them do like watching some of what we did growing up.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

What often gets forgotten in these conversations is that the younger generation has plenty of things they are nostalgic for - it’s just not the same things that other people are nostalgic for.

If you grew up in the 50s, 60s, 70s, you might’ve seen these films all the time on TV but they were 20-40 year old films already by then. If you’re growing up today, the equivalent distance in time is films from 1980-2000.

 

[Gary OS]

For me it’s not really about trying to get younger people to watch what I enjoy. If that happens, great. But if not, I completely understand. What it’s really about is availability. I would like to be able to watch the films of my youth as much as today’s generation gets the opportunity to watch the films of their youth. As time goes by and many of these older films are not released, chances continue to decrease that we will see Shirley Temple, Charlie Chan, Henry Aldrich, Dorothy Lamour sarong movies, etc. on blu.

Whether or not the current generation enjoys these movies means little to me. I just want the same opportunity they have to enjoy my childhood again. And that’s the real difference. Almost everything that’s been produced over the last 50 years is either available, or at least potentially available. Movies produced before that seemingly have a far less potential chance of being cleaned up for release.


Gary “long live classic movies - hopefully not just in my mind” O.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Personally, I'm probably too busy getting my kids (and some of their peers) to be "nostalgic" for (and deeply involved in) couple-hundred-year-old entertainment antiques and "museum pieces" instead, haha...

But yeah, I certainly do at least my own fair share of exposing them and training them to appreciate various cinema classics that not many parents might...

IMHO, that's not much different than exposing them to appreciate important literary classics and such...

_Man_

 

[Gary OS]

I certainly do at least my own fair share of exposing them and training them to appreciate various cinema classics that not many parents might...

As have I. I have two daughters that are proof positive that if you expose kids to older material when they are young, they will enjoy it. But it’s a losing battle because most parents at this point aren’t going to spend time investing in such things. They’re gonna let the kids enjoy current culture, and film past will continue to die slowly but surely.


Gary “it just is what it is” O.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

For me it’s not really about trying to get younger people to watch what I enjoy. If that happens, great. But if not, I completely understand. What it’s really about is availability. I would like to be able to watch the films of my youth as much as today’s generation gets the opportunity to watch the films of their youth. As time goes by and many of these older films are not released, chances continue to decrease that we will see Shirley Temple, Charlie Chan, Henry Aldrich, Dorothy Lamour sarong movies, etc. on blu.

That’s pretty much where I’m at too. I’m hopeful that as my kids get older that I might be able to sneak some of this stuff in with them in ways that stick, but if not, so be it.

It is a disappointment that some of my favorites are stuck at DVD level quality when better is possible, but I’m also surprised at how much did get upgraded, and have been pleasantly surprised quite a few times more than I expected this year. I guess I’ve found the sweet spot between not giving up while not holding my breath either.

 

[jcroy]

Personally, I'm probably too busy getting my kids (and some of their peers) to be "nostalgic" for (and deeply involved in) couple-hundred-year-old entertainment antiques and "museum pieces" instead, haha...

But yeah, I certainly do at least my own fair share of exposing them and training them to appreciate various cinema classics that not many parents might...

IMHO, that's not much different than exposing them to appreciate important literary classics and such...

(On a huge offtopic tangent).

My father did something like this when I was a kid, but not in regard to movies / tv shows.

The coffee table in the living room had copies of scientific american magazine and huge books about astronomy, which I would look through when I was a kid.

 

[RobertMG]

What often gets forgotten in these conversations is that the younger generation has plenty of things they are nostalgic for - it’s just not the same things that other people are nostalgic for.

If you grew up in the 50s, 60s, 70s, you might’ve seen these films all the time on TV but they were 20-40 year old films already by then. If you’re growing up today, the equivalent distance in time is films from 1980-2000.

But TCM has a huge younger following so that should relate to more classics being discovered and when you see the content between films on TCM or when they were hyping TCM Backlot the young'uns' were represented. I was taught about the classics by my Grandfather - I was 9 years old in the late 1960's and he would relate stories of seeing The Phantom Of The Opera in 1925 or Frankenstein in 1931 and would relate stories of people being carried out of the theaters!

 

[Robert Crawford]

But TCM has a huge younger following so that should relate to more classics being discovered and when you see the content between films on TCM or when they were hyping TCM Backlot the young'uns' were represented. I was taught about the classics by my Grandfather - I was 9 years old in the late 1960's and he would relate stories of seeing The Phantom Of The Opera in 1925 or Frankenstein in 1931 and would relate stories of people being carried out of the theaters!

That may be true, but there is little doubt in my mind that they're the much smaller minority in their age group.

 

[jcroy]

I was taught about the classics by my Grandfather - I was 9 years old in the late 1960's and he would relate stories of seeing The Phantom Of The Opera in 1925 or Frankenstein in 1931 and would relate stories of people being carried out of the theaters!

(As a contrast).

My parents rarely ever talked about movies or tv shows with me, other than maybe the daily news at supper time. (My grandparents lived in another country, where I never really got to know them well).

I only figured out what my father's tastes in movies were, when he asked me to pick up dvds (or blurays) of particular movies from his youth.

 

[RobertMG]

(As a contrast).

My parents rarely ever talked about movies or tv shows with me, other than maybe the daily news at supper time. (My grandparents lived in another country, where I never really got to know them well).

I only figured out what my father's tastes in movies were, when he asked me to pick up dvds (or blurays) of particular movies from his youth.

And I can attest many here then started collecting Super 8 Blackhawk Prints of Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, The Phantom of The Opera etc. It was major news when they started selling prints of Temple's "Captain January" another big discovery was releasing "The Little Princess" to TV in color which they claimed had been rediscovered having only been seen in black and white for some reason. The a lot of us here got snookered into Betamax, VHS, CED disc, Laserdisc, DVD, Blu Ray, 4K and whatever comes next. We have kept many a Studio in the black - remember when Disney would sell 10 million copies of Snow White?

 

[Gary OS]

It is a disappointment that some of my favorites are stuck at DVD level quality when better is possible, but I’m also surprised at how much did get upgraded, and have been pleasantly surprised quite a few times more than I expected this year. I guess I’ve found the sweet spot between not giving up while not holding my breath either.

I only wish some of my favorites were stuck at DVD level quality. So many of my favorites from the 30s, 40s, and even 50s haven’t had any release at all.


Gary “would love to see the Henry Aldrich films even in decent SD DVD form” O.

 

[RobertMG]

I only wish some of my favorites were stuck at DVD level quality. So many of my favorites from the 30s, 40s, and even 50s haven’t had any release at all.


Gary “would love to see the Henry Aldrich films even in decent SD DVD form” O.

I did order this set on dvd I mentioned it on another thread but to get China, Lucky Jordan, Saskatchewan (got the TCM MOD and like the film surprised not on Blu) and the fourth film for 11.00 after my gift card gives me hope that these smaller labels and firms like Kino, ClassicFlix, VCI are our future!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I only wish some of my favorites were stuck at DVD level quality. So many of my favorites from the 30s, 40s, and even 50s haven’t had any release at all.

I hear ya, I have a few VHS tapes (both commercial and homemade) that I suspect will be as good as it ever gets.

 

[RobertMG]

I hear ya, I have a few VHS tapes (both commercial and homemade) that I suspect will be as good as it ever gets.

Was stunned when Universal legally cleared "The Cat And The Canary" that film was a revelation! One of Hope's best. Sadly a lot of classic Goldwyn locked up again.

 

[RobertMG]

Was stunned when Universal legally cleared "The Cat And The Canary" that film was a revelation! One of Hope's best. Sadly a lot of classic Goldwyn locked up again.

Looking for the set that was being sold on tv of the Temple films so far no luck. Just found it - still available and for 39.99 on Amazon has anyone seen the quality of the films?

 

[BobO'Link]

I've not seen that one. It looks like it's in that same horrible paperboard slot type packaging they (Fox) used for several other sets.

I have the 3 "Volume" releases from 2015:

See on Amazon

See on Amazon

See on Amazon

Each of those has 6 movies/discs so would assume they're just a repackaging of that all-in-one set. IIRC they look pretty good - but it's been a few years since I last watched one of them so can't say for sure.

 

[dukiejosh54]

I've not seen that one. It looks like it's in that same horrible paperboard slot type packaging they used for several other sets.

I have the 3 "Volume" releases from 2015:

See on Amazon

See on Amazon

See on Amazon

Each of those has 6 movies/discs so would assume they're just a repackaging of that all-in-one set. IIRC they look pretty good - but it's been a few years since I last watched one of them so can't say for sure.

I was going to buy the 3 volume releases from 2015 but I'm having a tough time finding Volume 3 at a reasonable price. I found the first two volumes easily but volume 3 seems to be out of print. I am kind of hesitant about buying the Little Darling collection boxset because of the Paperboard slots and many people commenting that their disc aren't working in the reviews.