Thomas T.'s never on laser/DVD blu ray wish list (1953-1959) (1 Viewer)

[Thomas T]

The 1950s were the formative years in my movie film going. Hence the 1953-1959 time span. I skipped the VHS years and began collecting laser discs then later DVD/blu rays. But the following wanted films never legitimately made it to either laser disc or DVD. It's unlikely they'll make it to blu ray either. But hey, a guy can dream can't he?

About Mrs. Leslie (1954) Shirley Booth, Robert Ryan
Affair With A Stranger (1953) Jean Simmons, Victor Mature
Ambassador's Daughter (1956) Olivia DeHavilland, John Forsythe
Ask Any Girl (1959) Shirley MacLaine, David Niven
At Gunpoint (1955) Fred MacMurray, Dorothy Malone
Bachelor Party (1957) Don Murray, Carolyn Jones
Barretts Of Wimpole Street (1957) Jennifer Jones, John Gielgud
Beau Brummell (1954) Elizabeth Taylor, Stewart Granger
Beau James (1957) Bob Hope, Vera Miles
Bengazi (1955) Richard Conte, Mala Powers
Bernardine (1957) Pat Boone, Terry Moore
Best Things In Life Are Free (1956) Gordon MacRae, Sheree North
Big Fisherman (1959) Howard Keel, Susan Kohner
Birds And The Bees (1956) George Gobel, Mitzi Gaynor
Blue Angel (1959) May Britt, Curt Jurgens
Botany Bay (1953) Alan Ladd, James Mason
Buster Keaton Story (1957) Donald O'Connor, Ann Blyth
Certain Smile (1958) Joan Fontaine, Christine Carere
Come Next Spring (1956) Ann Sheridan, Steve Cochran
Congo Crossing (1956) Virginia Mayo, George Nader
Count Three And Pray (1955) Joanne Woodward, Van Heflin
Decameron Nights (1953) Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan
Deep Blue Sea (1955) Vivien Leigh, Kenneth More
Devil's Canyon (1953) Virginia Mayo, Dale Robertson
Down Among The Sheltering Palms (1953) Mitzi Gaynor, David Wayne.
Drango (1957) Jeff Chandler, Joanne Dru
East Of Sumatra (1953) Jeff Chandler, Marilyn Maxwell.
Enchanted Island (1958) Dana Andrews, Jane Powell
First Traveling Saleslady (1956) Ginger Rogers, Carol Channing
Flame And The Flesh (1954) Lana Turner, Pier Angeli
Flame Of The Islands (1955) Yvonne De Carlo, Howard Duff
Flight To Tangier (1953) Jack Palance, Joan Fontaine
French Line (1953) Jane Russell, Gilbert Roland
Fuzzy Pink Nightgown (1957) Jane Russell, Keenan Wynn
Gaby (1956) Leslie Caron, John Kerr
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955) Jane Russell, Jeanne Crain
Girl In The Kremlin (1957) Zsa Zsa Gabor, Lex Barker
Girl Rush (1955) Rosalind Russell, Fernando Lamas
Great Day In The Morning (1956) Robert Stack, Virginia Mayo
Happy Anniversary (1959) David Niven, Mitzi Gaynor
Hatful Of Rain (1957) Eva Marie Saint, Anthony Franciosa
Hell's Island (1955) John Payne, Mary Murphy
Hot Spell (1958) Shirley Booth, Shirley MacLaine
How To Be Very Very Popular (1955) Betty Grable, Sheree North
Jamaica Run (1953) Ray Milland, Arlene Dahl
Joker Is Wild (1957) Frank Sinatra, Jeanne Crain
Johnny Dark (1954) Tony Curtis, Piper Laurie
Kelly And Me (1957) Van Johnson, Piper Laurie
Last Angry Man (1959) Paul Muni, Betsy Palmer
Little Hut (1957) Ava Gardner, David Niven
The Looters (1955) Rory Calhoun, Julie Adams
Lucy Gallant (1955) Jane Wyman, Charlton Heston
Make Haste To Live (1954) Dorothy McGuire, Stephen McNally
The Miracle (1959) Carroll Baker, Roger Moore
Never Steal Anything Small (1959) James Cagney, Shirley Jones
Omar Khayyam (1957) Cornel Wilde, Debra Paget
Phantom Of The Rue Morgue (1954) Karl Malden, Patricia Medina
Porgy And Bess (1959) Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge
Prince Of Players (1955) Richard Burton, Maggie McNamara
Proud And The Profane (1956) William Holden, Deborah Kerr
Purple Mask (1955) Tony Curtis, Angela Lansbury
Raw Wind In Eden (1958) Esther Williams, Jeff Chandler
Remains To Be Seen (1953) June Allyson, Van Johnson
Rogue Cop (1954) Robert Taylor, Janet Leigh
Sad Sack (1957) Jerry Lewis, Phyllis Kirk
Second Greatest Sex (1955) Jeanne Crain, George Nader
Seven Cities Of Gold (1955) Anthony Quinn, Richard Egan
The Shrike (1955) June Allyson, Jose Ferrer
Slaughter On Tenth Avenue (1957) Richard Egan, Jan Sterling
So Big (1953) Jane Wyman, Sterling Hayden.
So This Is Paris (1955) Tony Curtis, Gloria De Haven
Stranger In My Arms (1959) June Allyson, Jeff Chandler
Tanganyika (1954) Van Heflin, Ruth Roman
Tattered Dress (1957) Jeff Chandler, Jeanne Crain
Teenage Rebel (1956) Ginger Rogers, Michael Rennie
Tempest (1959) Van Heflin, Silvana Mangano
Tension At Table Rock (1956) Richard Egan, Dorothy Malone
That Certain Feeling (1956) Bob Hope, Eva Marie Saint
That Kind Of Woman (1959) Sophia Loren, Tab Hunter
This Angry Age (1958) Anthony Perkins, Silvana Mangano
Thunder In The East (1953) Alan Ladd, Deborah Kerr
Torpedo Alley (1953) Dorothy Malone, Mark Stevens
Toy Tiger (1956) Jeff Chandler, Laraine Day
Tropic Zone (1953) Rhonda Fleming, Ronald Reagan
Three Ring Circus (1954) Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis
Twilight For The Gods (1958) Rock Hudson, Cyd Charisse
Unholy Wife (1957) Rod Steiger, Diana Dors
View From Pompey's Head (1955) Richard Egan, Dana Wynter
The Vintage (1957) Pier Angeli, Mel Ferrer
Walking My Baby Back Home (1953) Janet Leigh, Donald O'Connor
Wild Is The Wind (1957) Anna Magnani, Anthony Quinn
World In My Corner (1956) Audie Murphy, Barbara Rush
Yankee Pasha (1954) Jeff Chandler, Rhonda Fleming
You Can't Run Away From It (1956) June Allyson, Jack Lemmon

 

[Robert Crawford]

Apparently, there is some kind of rights issue to Rogue Cop that I heard about recently. It might have been Eddie Muller that mentioned it. I still have hope for that fine film along with a few others like Lucy Gallant.

 

[Robin9]

I've heard there's some copyright problem with The Flame And The Flesh. As it's Lana Turner, I'd love to have that one in my collection.

 

[Matt Hough]

Thomas, I guess by using the word "legitimately" in connection with some of the DVD releases, you meant not released properly i.e. anamorphic widescreen releases. The Best Things in Life Are Free did get a Fox Archive DVD-R, but it was woefully panned and scanned.

I was too young to have seen its original theatrical release, so the only way I've ever seen it is panned and scanned, and I know I'm missing out on some exciting musical numbers without the full widescreen effect. I wish someone had gotten the Fox folks to treat it with some respect.

 

[RBailey]

Thomas T...Not sure if you're interested in buying digital downloads but if you are, there's a gorgeous print of FLAME OF THE ISLANDS available from both iTunes and Amazon Prime.

 

[OliverK]

According to in70mm.com the 65mm and sound elements of Porgy and Bess are examined for possible preservation and reprinting:
https://www.in70mm.com/library/rumour/index.htm

It should be noted that this appeared in the part of in70mm.com that is called the rumour mill but from what I gather the elements are at least getting examined which is a good start.

 

[Darby67]

The 1950s were the formative years in my movie film going. Hence the 1953-1959 time span. I skipped the VHS years and began collecting laser discs then later DVD/blu rays. But the following wanted films never legitimately made it to either laser disc or DVD. It's unlikely they'll make it to blu ray either. But hey, a guy can dream can't he?

About Mrs. Leslie (1954) Shirley Booth, Robert Ryan
Affair With A Stranger (1953) Jean Simmons, Victor Mature
Ambassador's Daughter (1956) Olivia DeHavilland, John Forsythe
Ask Any Girl (1959) Shirley MacLaine, David Niven
At Gunpoint (1955) Fred MacMurray, Dorothy Malone
Bachelor Party (1957) Don Murray, Carolyn Jones
Barretts Of Wimpole Street (1957) Jennifer Jones, John Gielgud
Beau Brummell (1954) Elizabeth Taylor, Stewart Granger
Beau James (1957) Bob Hope, Vera Miles
Bengazi (1955) Richard Conte, Mala Powers
Bernardine (1957) Pat Boone, Terry Moore
Best Things In Life Are Free (1956) Gordon MacRae, Sheree North
Big Fisherman (1959) Howard Keel, Susan Kohner
Birds And The Bees (1956) George Gobel, Mitzi Gaynor
Blue Angel (1959) May Britt, Curt Jurgens
Botany Bay (1953) Alan Ladd, James Mason
Buster Keaton Story (1957) Donald O'Connor, Ann Blyth
Certain Smile (1958) Joan Fontaine, Christine Carere
Come Next Spring (1956) Ann Sheridan, Steve Cochran
Congo Crossing (1956) Virginia Mayo, George Nader
Count Three And Pray (1955) Joanne Woodward, Van Heflin
Decameron Nights (1953) Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan
Deep Blue Sea (1955) Vivien Leigh, Kenneth More
Devil's Canyon (1953) Virginia Mayo, Dale Robertson
Down Among The Sheltering Palms (1953) Mitzi Gaynor, David Wayne.
Drango (1957) Jeff Chandler, Joanne Dru
East Of Sumatra (1953) Jeff Chandler, Marilyn Maxwell.
Enchanted Island (1958) Dana Andrews, Jane Powell
First Traveling Saleslady (1956) Ginger Rogers, Carol Channing
Flame And The Flesh (1954) Lana Turner, Pier Angeli
Flame Of The Islands (1955) Yvonne De Carlo, Howard Duff
Flight To Tangier (1953) Jack Palance, Joan Fontaine
French Line (1953) Jane Russell, Gilbert Roland
Fuzzy Pink Nightgown (1957) Jane Russell, Keenan Wynn
Gaby (1956) Leslie Caron, John Kerr
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955) Jane Russell, Jeanne Crain
Girl In The Kremlin (1957) Zsa Zsa Gabor, Lex Barker
Girl Rush (1955) Rosalind Russell, Fernando Lamas
Great Day In The Morning (1956) Robert Stack, Virginia Mayo
Happy Anniversary (1959) David Niven, Mitzi Gaynor
Hatful Of Rain (1957) Eva Marie Saint, Anthony Franciosa
Hell's Island (1955) John Payne, Mary Murphy
Hot Spell (1958) Shirley Booth, Shirley MacLaine
How To Be Very Very Popular (1955) Betty Grable, Sheree North
Jamaica Run (1953) Ray Milland, Arlene Dahl
Joker Is Wild (1957) Frank Sinatra, Jeanne Crain
Johnny Dark (1954) Tony Curtis, Piper Laurie
Kelly And Me (1957) Van Johnson, Piper Laurie
Last Angry Man (1959) Paul Muni, Betsy Palmer
Little Hut (1957) Ava Gardner, David Niven
The Looters (1955) Rory Calhoun, Julie Adams
Lucy Gallant (1955) Jane Wyman, Charlton Heston
Make Haste To Live (1954) Dorothy McGuire, Stephen McNally
The Miracle (1959) Carroll Baker, Roger Moore
Never Steal Anything Small (1959) James Cagney, Shirley Jones
Omar Khayyam (1957) Cornel Wilde, Debra Paget
Phantom Of The Rue Morgue (1954) Karl Malden, Patricia Medina
Porgy And Bess (1959) Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge
Prince Of Players (1955) Richard Burton, Maggie McNamara
Proud And The Profane (1956) William Holden, Deborah Kerr
Purple Mask (1955) Tony Curtis, Angela Lansbury
Raw Wind In Eden (1958) Esther Williams, Jeff Chandler
Remains To Be Seen (1953) June Allyson, Van Johnson
Rogue Cop (1954) Robert Taylor, Janet Leigh
Sad Sack (1957) Jerry Lewis, Phyllis Kirk
Second Greatest Sex (1955) Jeanne Crain, George Nader
Seven Cities Of Gold (1955) Anthony Quinn, Richard Egan
The Shrike (1955) June Allyson, Jose Ferrer
Slaughter On Tenth Avenue (1957) Richard Egan, Jan Sterling
So Big (1953) Jane Wyman, Sterling Hayden.
So This Is Paris (1955) Tony Curtis, Gloria De Haven
Stranger In My Arms (1959) June Allyson, Jeff Chandler
Tanganyika (1954) Van Heflin, Ruth Roman
Tattered Dress (1957) Jeff Chandler, Jeanne Crain
Teenage Rebel (1956) Ginger Rogers, Michael Rennie
Tempest (1959) Van Heflin, Silvana Mangano
Tension At Table Rock (1956) Richard Egan, Dorothy Malone
That Certain Feeling (1956) Bob Hope, Eva Marie Saint
That Kind Of Woman (1959) Sophia Loren, Tab Hunter
This Angry Age (1958) Anthony Perkins, Silvana Mangano
Thunder In The East (1953) Alan Ladd, Deborah Kerr
Torpedo Alley (1953) Dorothy Malone, Mark Stevens
Toy Tiger (1956) Jeff Chandler, Laraine Day
Tropic Zone (1953) Rhonda Fleming, Ronald Reagan
Three Ring Circus (1954) Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis
Twilight For The Gods (1958) Rock Hudson, Cyd Charisse
Unholy Wife (1957) Rod Steiger, Diana Dors
View From Pompey's Head (1955) Richard Egan, Dana Wynter
The Vintage (1957) Pier Angeli, Mel Ferrer
Walking My Baby Back Home (1953) Janet Leigh, Donald O'Connor
Wild Is The Wind (1957) Anna Magnani, Anthony Quinn
World In My Corner (1956) Audie Murphy, Barbara Rush
Yankee Pasha (1954) Jeff Chandler, Rhonda Fleming
You Can't Run Away From It (1956) June Allyson, Jack Lemmon

Terrific list, Thomas. I especially would love to see Omar Khayyam be released on DVD. I watched it on Amazon Prime Video recently and loved the film. I'm hoping an outfit like Kino-Lorber, Film Movement, Classic Flix, Flicker Alley, etc. might be be able get the rights to release it.

 

[t1g3r5fan]

If I remember correctly, Mill Creek did release You Can't Run Away from It as part of their 20 Musicals collection of Columbia titles a while back. I also seem to recall a rights issue holding back Three Ring Circus from home video release.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

Have seen most of what Buster Keaton has done except the movie about him played by Donald O'Connor. Being a Paramount film good luck on getting any kind of disc release with better chances of a streaming option if that happens.

 

[t1g3r5fan]

Have seen most of what Buster Keaton has done except the movie about him played by Donald O'Connor. Being a Paramount film good luck on getting any kind of disc release with better chances of a streaming option if that happens.

If anything, some of those Paramount titles that Thomas listed probably have a better chance of seeing the light of day on disc, because - for whatever reason - Paramount likes to do deals with boutique labels for titles that have never been released on disc rather than licensing out titles they've released themselves (Criterion being the notable exception).

 

[Thomas T]

Thomas, I guess by using the word "legitimately" in connection with some of the DVD releases, you meant not released properly i.e. anamorphic widescreen releases. The Best Things in Life Are Free did get a Fox Archive DVD-R, but it was woefully panned and scanned. I was too young to have seen its original theatrical release, so the only way I've ever seen it is panned and scanned, and I know I'm missing out on some exciting musical numbers without the full widescreen effect. I wish someone had gotten the Fox folks to treat it with some respect.

I'd forgotten about the P&S Best Things In Life Are Free Fox MOD. Since it was released by Fox, it can be considered a legit release. Too young to have seen its original theatrical release, eh? Thanks for making me feel older than I already feel!

 

[Thomas T]

Thomas T...Not sure if you're interested in buying digital downloads but if you are, there's a gorgeous print of FLAME OF THE ISLANDS available from both iTunes and Amazon Prime.

Wow, that's great to know! I don't do streaming or downloading but it's nice to know there's a pristine print out there. Kino Lorber released several Republic titles (via their Paramount deal) but Flame Of The Islands wasn't among them, alas.

 

[Thomas T]

If I remember correctly, Mill Creek did release You Can't Run Away from It as part of their 20 Musicals collection of Columbia titles a while back. I also seem to recall a rights issue holding back Three Ring Circus from home video release.

Hmmm ..... didn't know that about the Mill Creek release. Since Mill Creek has done some Sony releases perhaps they (or TT) can do a proper scope release.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

A lot of this list would be immediate buys for me. I often wonder if Disney (who apparently owns it) would ever give a thought to releasing The Big Fisherman. It's made it to TCM several times and is a big budget bombastic widescreen epic which I found a lot of fun, rather unique and would certainly look gorgeous in HD.

 

[lark144]

I'd forgotten about the P&S Best Things In Life Are Free Fox MOD. Since it was released by Fox, it can be considered a legit release. Too young to have seen its original theatrical release, eh? Thanks for making me feel older than I already feel!

Me too! I saw the original cinema-scope release in a theater. Of course I was five years old at the time. My mom took me to see all of Gordon McRae's films as he was her pianist when she took violin lessons back when she was in her early teens. Apparently, they had the same music teacher. Anyway, that's what my Mom said. I never checked on it as Sheree North is a lot more interesting to me than Gordon McRae.

 

[OliverK]

A lot of this list would be immediate buys for me. I often wonder if Disney (who apparently owns it) would ever give a thought to releasing The Big Fisherman. It's made it to TCM several times and is a big budget bombastic widescreen epic which I found a lot of fun, rather unique and would certainly look gorgeous in HD.

I saw it in 70mm two years ago and was surprised that I liked it quite a lot. All production values are there and it would obviously shine on Blu-ray. The cinematography and production design is quite interesting and it was a nice change to saw Peter in the lead role and not Jesus. Apart from maybe some very new 4 or 6k productions probably the best looking film that Disney had in their original catalog before they acquired Fox and it has not even been released on DVD!

 

[Interdimensional]

For some reason I thought Seven Cities Of Gold (1955) and Yankee Pasha (1954) had already been announced, but that thought seems to have had no basis in reality. I must have imagined it after delving through IMDB late at night! Wishful thinking. It's an interesting list; it's a shame these films have been neglected for so long, but I'd be amazed if there aren't one or two that somehow make it. If only by the length of the list.

Flight To Tangier apparently came close to happening with Kino. As a 3D title, it would have sold well, and Jack Palance and Joan Fontaine in the cast can only help. 3-D Film Archive would have liked to do a restoration, unfortunately they would have had to go back to the colour separations and that was outside the budget.

Some other 3D titles on your list are with WB, who haven't done a 3D title since Kiss Me Kate.
Devil's Canyon (1953)
The French Line (1953)
Phantom Of The Rue Morgue (1954)
Quite sought after titles for 3D fans, but unlikely to happen. I'd be thrilled to get any of them.

 

[Thomas T]

Some other 3D titles on your list are with WB, who haven't done a 3D title since Kiss Me Kate.
Devil's Canyon (1953)
The French Line (1953)
Phantom Of The Rue Morgue (1954)
Quite sought after titles for 3D fans, but unlikely to happen. I'd be thrilled to get any of them.

Since horror is an almost sure fire genre, I'm surprised that Warners Archives haven't delivered on Phantom Of The Rue Morgue yet. I believe there is/was a French DVD release. I don't know what condition the film elements are in but even if they're good, I susect the 3D fans would be outraged if Warners only did a straight blu ray release although I personally would be okay with that.

 

[Interdimensional]

Since horror is an almost sure fire genre, I'm surprised that Warners Archives haven't delivered on Phantom Of The Rue Morgue yet. I believe there is/was a French DVD release. I don't know what condition the film elements are in but even if they're good, I susect the 3D fans would be outraged if Warners only did a straight blu ray release although I personally would be okay with that.

I would think there would be guaranteed sales on that title.

Well, they have House of Wax as a guide. The 3-D was so compelling that I'd be reluctant to sacrifice that aspect of it, although no doubt it also found an audience among those without 3-D capabilities. Phantom would seem unlikely to match HoW sales, and that was a top-notch restoration for which they spared no expense. If 3DFA had access to it, I'm sure it'd be one of their most successful releases, but as many are aware, WB do their restorations inhouse with all the overhead that entails.

If WB ever announce it as a 3D release, there are few titles that I'd be more excited about.

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes, that is certainly one of the Holy Grail 3D horror/suspense films we'd all love to have.