Ah-ha, Taylor*D is proof pudding that there is an existing presence from a younger generation who enjoys the classic films of pre-1954.[...]Would you believe I was 15 when I joined the HTF!
Well, there are some of us here! I'll admit to being a little older at 32, but I'm still young, and I very much prefer a lot of the film musicals of the 30s through the 50s (and am really glad to see WAC trying to extend that period again, instead of just a small section of it)!Ah-ha, Taylor*D is proof pudding that there is an existing presence from a younger generation who enjoys the classic films of pre-1954.
Taylor*D, you've made my weekend.
And may Warner's and all other studios take full note;
for here we have a gentleman who joined HTF at 15;
and is still here with us at 29;
and is also looking forward to "Summer Stock".
Wonderful !!!
I don't have any insider information, but I would assume low sales and/or high restoration costs must be the problem. You mentioned Anchors Aweigh, which, along with On The Town, were the last Warner-owned MGM musicals from the forties to come out on blu, and the transfers on both of the those releases were TRASHED by everybody here (since that was before WAC quality was implemented for WHV). As I have been saying, this upcoming blu of Summer Stock is WAC's first new-to-blu pre-1954 MGM musical, and WAC's first new-to-blu pre-1954 musical from ANY of the studios since Thank Your Lucky Stars four years ago. If Gene Kelly's output has been emphasized through WAC, it's because he had a few movies that he made/appeared in after 1954, and apparently, they must have sold, if their first attempt at a pre-1954 musical is another Gene Kelly musical. And it's not just the MGM musicals, their output of pre-1954 movies has really slowed the last few years, with only three new-to-blu movies last year through WAC, and two the year before (meanwhile, in 2016, they had more releases from that time period than the last two years combined). I do wonder how much the difference in aspect ratios is part of what affects that. And, as has been mentioned earlier in this thread, WAC has had very few 3-strip technicolor releases, which tells me they must be expensive to restore. Again, if we want more, we HAVE to support these releases with day 1, full price purchases, instead of waiting for 4 for $44 sales, which don't do WAC as much good (or us, either, if we actually want these releases).
You most certainly can go wrong with Two Weeks With Love. The MOD disc is totally sub-standard! I'm not at all surprised that Warner Archive have not released this film on Blu-ray disc.
Welcome aboard!
That's what I was afraid of...I guess we have several possibilities to look forward to then. Such as The Harvey Girls, Till the Clouds Roll By, and even Good News. There are several others that don't look great that I think would be too good to pass up though. Maybe Criterion will pick those up if they're passed on by Warner.
I join in welcoming you here!
I like your intuition. It makes perfect sense that the reason that the '36 Show Boat is now out-of-print might just be because there is a Criterion Box of all three versions in the works. I hope you're right!
Well, I can't claim to be the first person to think it. I just latched onto it, since it was the first indication that ANYTHING that Warner Bros. owned from the thirties was being considered for Blu-ray for the first time since 2015. I really don't see what else it could be. I know Warner should still have the rights, and I doubt they would be pulling it for a new transfer, considering this was released for WAC's fifth anniversary (and not in their first year before they started remastering). I can't see Shout licensing it (since they don't seem to be getting DVD rights), so unless Warner has licensed out to anybody else (and they've been keeping it a secret for half a year), it would have to be Criterion. And with that long delay, I can only believe they are planning a box set (and, again, I hope they include the full Till The Clouds Roll By)!
All I'm trying to say is that the public domain status of these movies leaves me guessing that WAC is unlikely to bother with them. After all, if they are barely releasing ANY musicals on Blu-ray that were made before 1954, then why would they try to lead with PD movies, where sales might get hurt purely because of that fact? I mean, on that same subject, we haven't exactly seen Father's Little Dividend to go with their release of Father Of The Bride nearly three years ago. If Criterion licenses any of these, though, then there might be hope, as they aren't bothered by this as much.
