Suggestions for a Commecially Viable Warner Musical Box Set (1 Viewer)

[Doug Bull]

With so many suggestions for various Warner Musical Box Sets, how about this one?

The Great Operettas, or seeing that Operetta might not be a money making word today, how about the Greatest Stage Musicals, or something along those lines.
The normal 5 or 6 Box Set to include,
"THE STUDENT PRINCE"
"ROSE MARIE"
"THE DESERT SONG"
"THE MERRY WIDOW"
"KISMET"
and maybe, "ROSALIE"
That would make a very strong commercially viable set.

The Eddy/MacDonald Operettas could also be considered, but I'm not sure if they would be as popular as those titles already mentioned.

Frank Sinatra is a name that remains very popular, so how about a Sinatra Set?
"IT HAPPENED IN BROOKLYN"
"THE KISSING BANDIT"
"THE TENDER TRAP"
"STEP LIVELY"
"HIGHER AND HIGHER"
and maybe "SHIP AHOY" or even include the exsisting "ON THE TOWN" for value.

Anyway, that's just a few suggestions that hopefully GF might consider.

 

[Corey]

i think WB will eventually release the nelson eddy/jeanette macdonald operettas. i'll be sure to ask about them in the next WB chat. the sinatra set is gonna include some came running. hope they eventually release the eleanor powell musicals: broadway melody of 1936 & 1938 (could be a double feature), born to dance, rosalie, ship ahoy, and lady be good. there is already a thread on here titled "Classic Musicals"

 

[BarryR]

I wish WB could justify a return to their "Dawn of Sound" laser sets. Package a historically fascinating spread of early Hollywood musicals; I'm sure there's an audience, albeit limited. But what isn't?


;D

 

[RafaelPires]

I would buy everything WB released in terms of Classic musicals, so I don't really care about potential themes. My money would be surely spent on them anyway.
Great sugestion this about the great operettas, and yes,, Rosalie must be part of this. Eleanor Powell is phenomenal in this movie.

 

[FrancisP]

Would love to see Warner release the Elvis Presley films that have not been released yet.

 

[Matt Hough]

ROYAL WEDDING needs to be saved from public domain hell. Astaire did two little seen musicals at MGM: YOLANDA AND THE THIEF and THE BELLE OF NEW YORK. Both have superb casts and are well worth having. THE PIRATE is one of the last Garland films from later in her MGM career that hasn't yet had a release. And throw in Gene Kelly's experimental INVITATION TO THE DANCE.

You could call this a Connisseur's Musical Collection.

 

[Daniel BARBIEUX]

Why not a "Composers collection" on DVD including 5 biographies :

1) The Great Waltz (Richard Strauss), 1938, MGM
2) I'll see you in my dreams (Gus Kahn), 1951, Warner Bros
3) Rhapsody in Blue (George Gershwin), 1945, Warner Bros
4) Words and Music (Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart), 1948, MGM
5) Deep in my heart (Siegmund Romberg), 1954, MGM

Last but not least, as a bonus a 6th DVD only available in the box set :

6) a documentary about Irving Berlin including some footages from "This is the Army", "Annie get your gun" (please do not forget the COMPLETE outtakes with Judy Garland ) and "Easter Parade".

 

[Sammy-G]

I love the Operetta box idea, and really want a Eddy/MacDonald set. I have a feeling it's only a matter of time until we hear about a release for that. I also second the idea of an Eleanor Powell box.

After the recent musicals box and the Astaire/Rogers set in August, they'd still have enough for a Fred Astaire signature collection, even if it'd be made up of lesser-known titles...

- A Damsel in Distress
- The Belle of New York
- Yolanda and the Thief
- Royal Wedding
- The Sky's the Limit (I'm not sure about this one, but I think it's RKO)

I'd buy a set like this without hesitation, but I'd most like to see Yolanda get a release. I've been wanting that one for a long time.

 

[Steve Armbrust]

Well, there's always the Esther Williams boxset (or boxsets!), but I assume it is coming.

I would also love to see an Eleanor Powell collection. Did she do most of her work at RKO and MGM?

 

[RafaelPires]

Steve,
All but 2 Eleanor Powell's movies were made at MGM.
And yes, that would be a sensation to have a box set dedicated to the best tap dancer ever to grace the screen. Born to Dance, Rosalie and Lady Be Good are some of the movies that are on the top of my list.

 

[Edward Weinman]

I'd like to add a Jane Powell collection to the mix. Hope WB is listening!

 

[JohnPM]

The Jane Powell group would be interesting. as would the early sound musicals --- you could put together a pretty astounding box set with those transition period short subjects alone, although I realize you'd be addressing a niche audience with a release like that... but we can dream ...

http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/

 

[Edward Weinman]

And, while we are at it, the idea of all stereo elements used for all these musicals is intoxicating! Since, as I understand it, MGM had a policy of recording multi-channel for many years, it would be wonderful to finally hear the orchestra, chorus and soloists in all their glory! The musical tracks are so important (Just a thought.)

 

[Doug Bull]

Daniel, I like the great Composers idea.
There was a Laserdisc box set along those lines.
Whether in a box set, or alone, all of those titles mentioned by you would be more than welcome.

ps.
The Great Waltz featured the life of Johann Strauss not Richard

 

[Matt Hough]

The Great Composers box would be a great idea. TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY, NIGHT AND DAY, and THREE LITTLE WORDS are already out, but there are more than enough others to make a complete box set.

But I think I read that WORDS AND MUSIC is planned for the Mickey/Judy box set (though she is only in two numbers in the film).

 

[Thomas T]

A Connie Francis box set consisting of her films, Where The Boys Are, Follow The Boys, Looking For Love and When The Boys Meet The Girls.

 

[Corey]

for once i would like to have some more of those revue musicals on dvd: I Dood It, Best Foot Forward, Broadway Rhythm, Thousands Cheer, and the Hollywood Revue of 1929.

Ann Miller: Hit the Deck, Small Town Girl, Lovely to Look At, Two Tickets to Broadway, and The Opposite Sex.

 

[DennisW]

I regretfully missed the last Warner chat, and I had wanted to ask for more info regarding something mentioned during the chat before that...the Ken Russell box set.

Warner had mentioned work on 'The Devils', and that the box set would include 'The Music Lovers', 'Savage Messiah', 'Altered States', possibly others (a redo of Women In Love?). Although the director has since fallen from grace, he is still one of the Gods of my adolescence, and I practically got choked up when I heard Warner was planning a box set.

Suddenly, the topic went belly up, and it could be due to Warner's fear of a backlash because of 'The Devils', which portrays shenanigans of the Catholic Church. It is an important film, regardless of people's reaction to it, and I hope politics will not prevent them from releasing this masterpiece. If they bow to the pressure, I would hope they would have the balls to send it to Criterion.

Anyhow, that's my two cents. Russell's early films are something I've been waiting for years to own (I have 'Women in Love'). With his early features MIA, I guess his abstract television docs from the sixties are a star to far to reach for.

How about it Warner's? Grow a bigger pair and get this out. I promise I'll buy two sets!

 

[Matt Hough]

THE BOY FRIEND could make a stunning DVD for that Ken Russell set.

Warner executives mentioned in one chat that THE OPPOSITE SEX was not being worked on. I was very disappointed about that.

 

[Roger Rollins]

Let's not derail this thread but how could Warner have "promised" a Ken Russell boxed set including THE MUSIC LOVERS when they don't own that film?


WB also doesn't own WOMEN IN LOVE. Those two belong to MGM whose product is distributed by Sony.