THE LOST MGM CLASSICS (1 Viewer)

[M90GM]

How many of the really "big" classic MGM films are selling? Looks to me like very few as there are so few "reviews" posted on the WB site - some are receiving a new lease of life as Warner Archive releases. With so much rubbish being issued, and so many failed films (critically & financially) receiving blu ray treatment these true classics are being overlooked . . . is anybody out there aware of this group

Goodbye Mr Chips
Random Harvest
Waterloo Bridge
Blossoms in the Dust
San Francisco
Boom Town
Boys Town
Captains Courageous
A Tale of Two Cities
Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
Picture of Dorian Gray
Mortal Storm
Escape
Camille


Archive only releases :-
Maytime
Great Waltz
Interrupted Melody (C'Scope & stereo mid 50's)
Student Prince (C'Scope & stereo mid 50's)
Lili

Is anybody willing to pay blu ray prices for these? Or are the Olive & Twilight films released on blu ray more worthwhile (Desiree, Stranger on the Prowl, Ambush at Cimarron Pass & Love Happy ....)

Obviously these quality oldies are out of favour. They are all beautifully presented on DVD and worth considering a purchase. Imagine if they could look a little like the available remasterd MGM blue ray mega hits (Postman Always Rings Twice, Grand Hotel, Mrs Miniver, Mutiny on the Bounty, Meet me in St louis, and of course GWTW & Oz) are all amazing and sharper, clearer than ever before.Warner have done an amazing job with these films.

I hope I have generated some interest in films which deserve more attention than they are receiving.

 

[classicmovieguy]

I think "Escape" is out in the WAC.

If "Interrupted Melody", "Lili", "Great Waltz", etc. came out on Blu I'd buy them in a heartbeat. The others you mentioned, sigh, are some of MGM's flagship productions from the golden years, and all deserve their chance to shine on Blu.

 

[Alan Tully]

Where do you stop with MGM classics? Four that come to mind straight away:

Northwest Passage
The Bad & The Beautiful
Bad Day At Black Rock
Lust For Life

Probably no money to be made with this stuff, but would be nice to see Warner having a go. Higher priced limited editions, a proper branded Warner Classics Blu-ray series. Something.

 

[classicmovieguy]

I can see them "boxed like Proust".

 

[Robin9]

How many of the really "big" classic MGM films are selling? Looks to me like very few as there are so few "reviews" posted on the WB site -

We should always bear in mind that the age group most enthusiastic about these old films is the age group least likely to be Internet savvy and least likely to post their opinions on the 'Net.

 

[Alan Tully]

We should always bear in mind that the age group most enthusiastic about these old films is the age group least likely to be Internet savvy and least likely to post their opinions on the 'Net.

Yup, & that age group is generally doing OK, & can afford to buy this stuff (& have the kit to show it). The poor old younger generation are really struggling.

 

[Robin9]

Yup, & that age group is generally doing OK, & can afford to buy this stuff (& have the kit to show it). The poor old younger generation are really struggling.

Can't argue with that but you're dangerously close to politics!

 

[AnthonyClarke]

Random Harvest and Captains Courageous are titles I've been waiting for with steadily diminishing patience .. and I'd love to see a Blu of Bad Day at Black Rock, a great Western albeit post 2nd World War!

 

[TheSteig]

I like a lot of those..some of them are archives. The Mortal Storm is a great one

 

[bruceames]

How many of the really "big" classic MGM films are selling? Looks to me like very few as there are so few "reviews" posted on the WB site - some are receiving a new lease of life as Warner Archive releases. With so much rubbish being issued, and so many failed films (critically & financially) receiving blu ray treatment these true classics are being overlooked . . . is anybody out there aware of this group

Goodbye Mr Chips
Random Harvest
Waterloo Bridge
Blossoms in the Dust
San Francisco
Boom Town
Boys Town
Captains Courageous
A Tale of Two Cities
Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
Picture of Dorian Gray
Mortal Storm
Escape
Camille


Archive only releases :-
Maytime
Great Waltz
Interrupted Melody (C'Scope & stereo mid 50's)
Student Prince (C'Scope & stereo mid 50's)
Lili

Is anybody willing to pay blu ray prices for these? Or are the Olive & Twilight films released on blu ray more worthwhile (Desiree, Stranger on the Prowl, Ambush at Cimarron Pass & Love Happy ....)

Obviously these quality oldies are out of favour. They are all beautifully presented on DVD and worth considering a purchase. Imagine if they could look a little like the available remasterd MGM blue ray mega hits (Postman Always Rings Twice, Grand Hotel, Mrs Miniver, Mutiny on the Bounty, Meet me in St louis, and of course GWTW & Oz) are all amazing and sharper, clearer than ever before.Warner have done an amazing job with these films.

I hope I have generated some interest in films which deserve more attention than they are receiving.

Those are all great movies and deserve to be released on Blu-ray. The ones I bolded are some of my all time favorites.

I don't agree that they've fallen out of favor, a classic is a classic. I got hooked on the classics when I was in my late 20's (and I never took a class in film), so I don't think it's so much age-related as some may think. Besides, how old do you have to be to remember these when they came out anyway?


There are though a couple things though that time holds against them:

1) As time goes on there are more movies to choose from to buy and watch. This goes for any movies of yesterday, not just the Hollywood Golden Age.

2) The older the movie, the more likely it's needs more work to bring it out in acceptable condition as a Blu-ray release.

3) For anything owned by Warner like the above MGM movies, they are further constrained by the fact that Warner's standards for quality are so high, such that it's not cost effective to bring them out on Blu-ray. And when you add that to the fact that they have so many movies in their vaults plus they do not sub-license out to anybody ever, then you have a nice recipe for a whole bunch of great movies destined to never see the light of day on Blu-ray.

 

[ScottHM]

I own a dozen of the films mentioned in the OP on DVD and would buy at least half of those on Blu-ray if WB made them available.

---------------

 

[Edward Weinman]

...what good does it do for WB to have the collection if it just sits there without any benefit to anyone...and, I do not want to see blu-rays of the MGM musicals without, at least, some restoration done to allow them to really shine on blu-ray...

...just a thought...

 

[bigshot]

I want the musicals. I watched the new WA blu of "Hit the Deck" and I was reminded just how perfect these films are for seeing projected off a blu-ray. Amazing.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

And has everyone forgotten THE DESERT SONG with Gordon McRae and Kathryn Grayson? Yes, as a movie it's unbelievably clunky and Kathryn Grayson sings off-pitch throughout (unlike her great effort in Kiss Me Kate), but the movie remains one of my all-time favourites because of the great score, and Gordon's stirring renditions. I have made my own very acceptable dub from VHS and it's astonishing this hasn't even emerged on DVD let alone being a candidate for Blu!

 

[classicmovieguy]

And has everyone forgotten THE DESERT SONG with Gordon McRae and Kathryn Grayson? Yes, as a movie it's unbelievably clunky and Kathryn Grayson sings off-pitch throughout (unlike her great effort in Kiss Me Kate), but the movie remains one of my all-time favourites because of the great score, and Gordon's stirring renditions. I have made my own very acceptable dub from VHS and it's astonishing this hasn't even emerged on DVD let alone being a candidate for Blu!

There may be a problem with the elements, as this should have emerged from WAC by now.

 

[Doug Bull]

There may be a problem with the elements, as this should have emerged from WAC by now.

"The Desert Song" was recently run on TV here in Australia, but it had it's problems as the image was dark and the colours were mostly washed out.
So I imagine this Warner Brothers (not MGM) movie needs some work.

images from the TV transmission. - I do like the main title card artwork.

a 35mm frame from a rare B&W original release trailer



Doug.

 

[lionel59]

I'm keener to see the Missing in Action 1943 DESERT SONG, reportedly the best film adaptation of the operetta, nazi updating notwithstanding. A rights complication from -I believe- a new song which was added to the score has kept this movie out of circulation for years. I have a poor pirate copy which is virtually unwatchable. I'm guessing Ted Turner restored the Technicolor elements, as he did for those of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN well before that was shown again.

 

[Matt Hough]

I thought there was some talk a few months ago that we'd be getting a three movie DVD set of The Desert Song from Warner Archives later this year.

Or was that just wishing thinking on my part? I could have sworn I read about it somewhere.

 

[Joel Arndt]

I thought there was some talk a few months ago that we'd be getting a three movie DVD set of The Desert Song from Warner Archives later this year.

Or was that just wishing thinking on my part? I could have sworn I read about it somewhere.

Matt, not wishful thinking on your part. I asked the WAC page on FB specifically about the 1943 WB Technicolor version of The Desert Song and they confirmed the rights issues had been cleared up and as soon as they remastered the elements it would be released along with the 1929 version which has been in rights hell, also.

 

[Doug Bull]

... and as soon as they remastered the elements....

Therein may be the problem. How far down the list does this project lie?

I'm sure the "Show Boat" project is ahead on importance.