The Philadelphia Story - which version?

[EricMa]

I am looking to buy this title and have found 2 different versions of it available. Can anyone shed some light on any differences? There is a Warner release with a red cover and an MGM/UA release with a blue cover. I think the MGM release is OOP, but it can still be found.

I am mostly concerned with the video and audio quality of the disc.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Nearly all of these dual releases are a result of a change in which studio got the rights to what - a side effect of the complex AOL-Time Warner merger which involved Ted Turner and the large chunk of the MGM film library that he controlled.

In almost every case there is no difference between the two editions other than the covers. WB simply took the existing MGM disc and cranked out more copies with a WB label and stuck them in a snapper case.

I think I have the MGM version, since I'm sure I would have picked this up at the first opportunity, since I love the film. It looks and sounds good, certainly better than any TV broadcast or a VHS tape, especially considering the age of the source material. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Regards,

Joe

 

[EricMa]

Thanks for the info Joseph.

I have seen the MGM release as a friend borrowed it to me. You are correct, (especially given the age) it looks great. I just wanted to make sure the newer one is as good or better, since it is more readily available now. Do you know which cover is more true to the original art?

 

[andrew markworthy]

This is fairly off-topic, but if you ever get the chance to see the original stage version that the movie was based on, grab the chance - it's even better than the movie.

The DVD, by the way, is pretty good given the age of the film.