Warner Archive Discussion Thread (The Announcements/The Films) (3 Viewers)

[JoHud]

Whaaaat? They actually released the Spanish version of Free and Easy? Now there's a rarely seen Keaton film, and a real reason to double dip.

 

[bujaki]

Same here. Keaton in Spanish. What a treat for me! Double dip indeed!

 

[Brent S]

Coming on February 18. Up for pre-ordering...

Samuel “Shemp Howard” Horowitz wrote his own rules for comedy from the very beginning. Heckling his way into brother Moe’s “rough house” act with Ted Healy, Shemp was an original Stooge. After Larry Fine filled out the team, fame beckoned, but Shemp balked at playing second banana to Healy and lit out on his own as a Vitaphone player. Shemp quickly rose from bit parts in shorts like Gobs of Fun to supporting player alongside Daphne Pollard and Harry Gribbon (and even pro baseball’s famous Dean brothers), and went on to steal the show in the Joe Palooka series based on the hit comic strip. Shemp’s character of Knobby Walsh quickly became the comedic center of the series, and Shemp emerged as a new king of comedy. Hollywood beckoned Shemp away from the east coast confine of Vitaphone out west, where he carved out a comfortable spot as a film comedian until fare and fate and family compelled him to return to his roots in The Three Stooges. Here’s to Shemp!

 

[JoHud]

Coming on February 18. Up for pre-ordering...

Vitaphone Comedy Collection Volume 2: Shemp Howard 1933-1937? Sold!

There are also three more for preorder, 2 Joan Crawfords, Our Blushing Brides and I Live My Life, and the long, looong awaited release of What Price Hollywood? which is no doubt newly and painstakingly remastered as it had been outspokenly passed over due to poor elements over the years.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Whaaaat? They actually released the Spanish version of Free and Easy? Now there's a rarely seen Keaton film, and a real reason to double dip.

Makes me wish the movie wasn't so outright terrible...

 

[JoHud]

Makes me wish the movie wasn't so outright terrible...

Yeah, certainly far from his best and personally my least favorite of his MGM period. However, I'm also interested to see if the Spanish version improves on it in some facets

 

[Worth]

A bit disappointed to see The Year of Living Dangerously here - I was hoping for a blu-ray release.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Here's a thought, if Comcast buys TimeWarner, assuming that there are no forced divestments, both Universal and Warner would be under the same corporate umbrella. Could Universal films and tv shows come to the Warner Archive?

 

[JoHud]

Comcast is only buying the Time Warner Cable, not Time Warner Inc. Since 2009, Time Warner Cable has been completely independent of the parent company with the only link being the licensing of the brand name, so there will be no change in TV show and film ownership.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Comcast is only buying the Time Warner Cable, not Time Warner Inc. Since 2009, Time Warner Cable has been completely independent of the parent company with the only link being the licensing of the brand name, so there will be no change in TV show and film ownership.

Thanks. bummer.

 

[albert_m2]

That's not a bummer, that's a good thing WB films isn't attached to this (since it's only TW cable that is being bought). It's ridiculous that this deal is happening from a cable stand point.

 

[JoHud]

Three more films up for preorder.

In addition to I Live My Life and Our Blushing Brides, a third Joan Crawford film, The Bride Wore Red (1937) has just been listed for 3/04/2014

Furthermore, there's a Richard Dix wave slated for 3/25/2014 with Public Defender (1931) and Reno (1939) just recently available for preorder.

Lastly the TNT 1992 telefilm Duel of Hearts is also available.

 

[MattPriceTime]

I went to twitter to see if they did an early newsletter, and apparently this just happened

 

[David Weicker]

I went to twitter to see if they did an early newsletter, and apparently this just happened

YES!!


Although I wish it were Blu (combo with the MGM).

 

[Matt Hough]

I will be devastated if there isn't a Blu-ray release. After all these years, a DVD set is just not worthy enough of these films.

 

[Mark-P]

In one of the podcasts they talked about plans for Show Boat on Blu-ray. They wanted to to a Blu-ray box that contains all three Show Boat films, but things were moving so slowly on the the restoration of the 1951 version that they said they might just go ahead and let the 1936 and 1929 versions fall to the archive rather than wait. Looks like that is what is happening.

 

[ahollis]

I will be devastated if there isn't a Blu-ray release. After all these years, a DVD set is just not worthy enough of these films.

Yes I am very disappointed also. My hopes for a Blu-ray set is now dashed.

 

[JoHud]

A color teaser trailer is also up. Clearly the 1936 film. I suspect it will be paired with the 1929 film.

In one of the podcasts they talked about plans for Show Boat on Blu-ray. They wanted to to a Blu-ray box that contains all three Show Boat films, but things were moving so slowly on the the restoration of the 1951 version that they said they might just go ahead and let the 1936 and 1929 versions fall to the archive rather than wait. Looks like that is what is happening.

Yep, that's about the size of it. Blu-ray/DVD plans for a trilogy boxed set had been put on the backburner for so long (at least 10 years) that I'm glad something has finally emerged newly remastered, MOD or not. I also heard official word that the 1951 film had been holding it up and there had been absolutely nothing encouraging since. I figure if a blu-ray does happen, it will be for the 1951 film.

Of course there is also a very strong possibility that the 1936 and 1929 films are a little too, uh, "Old South" to risk offending on the wide retail market so they opted for the Warner Archive.

 

[bujaki]

Too bad if we don't get a blu of the '36 version. Not only is it a great James Whale film, it is also the best of the film versions. I saw all 3 versions in 35mm prints in one day at MoMA, and the '51 was, at least to me, except for gorgeous Ava Gardner and Howard Keel's singing, hard to sit through. Ava's final close-up is heartbreaking.
The '36 Show Boat was Whale's last great film. He needs more recognition aside from his monster movies.
BTW, all 3 films were shown on 27 December, 1977, to commemorate the exact 50th anniversary of the opening night of the Broadway musical in 1927.

 

[Matt Hough]

I still have the old laserdisc set of the three films (that box set offers the 1951 Show Boat in stereo; the DVD does not), and I routinely watch the 1936 and 1951 versions often. I'm not sure I've ever sat through the entire 1929 one. Might be a good idea to do that one of my off days.