Warners 'Motion Picture Masterpieces' Five-disc set October (1 Viewer)

[ChrisRose]

Andrew - Don't worry, Romeo & Juliet is coming! (I think I read in one of the Warner chats that they recently discovered an excellent print of the film) I hope it'll be in a Norma box, but they could decide to do a Shakespeare boxset instead - or just release it on it's own. In any case, we'll have it.

Crawdaddy - I know, I'm so disappointed in those other studios... Universal better release the rest of Deanna Durbin's films. I'd love to see Bing Crosby's early Paramount pictures...Not to mention, I'm dying for Olivia de Havilland's Oscar winners - The Heiress, which I love, and To Each His Own, which I've never seen. (Heck, I'd be ecstatic if Warner released the more obscure movies Olivia made for them, but it doesn't seem likely... yeah, I'm a pessimist.)

Believe me, Warner is my favorite studio for DVD releases...FOX is in second place. I nitpick, and I worry, but I *am* grateful. George Feltenstein is my hero.

 

[Sammy-G]

Sold, sold, sold. Though I always love WB's boxed sets, I'm not sure I've ever seen one where each title is a must-have for me. This set is just fabulous. No 'filler' for me.

I love you, WHV, even if my wallet doesn't. I would also like to see a Shearer box, though.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Excellent box, although I agree that it doesn't bode well for a Shearer box.

I'm not sure what the expected content of the eventual "Pre-code" box is, but I'm sure there will be at least one if not two Shearer vehicles in that, specifically "The Divorcee"

 

[Corey]

A Norma Shearer Set could still include:
-Romeo & Juliet
-The Divorcee
-A Free Soul
-The Barretts of Wimpole Street
-Idiot's Delight
-A TCM Archives Disc w/ her silents

A Greer Garson set could consist of:
-Blossoms In the Dust
-The Valley of Decision
-Mrs. Parkington
-Julia Misbehaves
-Sunrise at Campobello

 

[Corey]

Well she only did 3 pre-codes, so maybe they would even include Strangers May Kiss. That's one people haven't seen in years. I wasn't expecting Marie Antoinette so soon.

 

[Danny Burk]

TCM is going to run a virtually unknown Shearer silent, LADY OF THE NIGHT, later this year. All the comments I've seen regarding the film say it's sensational; it was a big hit at the San Francisco silent film festival a year or two ago. Jon Mirsalis did the score for TCM. Since it's coming up on TCM, there's a good chance it may turn up on a Warner "TCM Archive" DVD soon.

 

[Thomas T]

Did Warners actually ever say they were going to even do a Norma Shearer box set or is this speculation? With all due respect to Shearer fans, Ms. Shearer isn't remembered much today and outside of her "cult" following, it's unlikely there would be much of a market for her films. I'm not even sure a Greer Garson box set would sell all that well.

Now a Myrna Loy or Jean Harlow box set would seem more imminent than a Garson or Shearer box set.

 

[Eric Peterson]

I agree with you about Harlow, but Loy? I would put her in the same category as Shearer. She is pretty much unknown outside of "The Thin Man" series. She did have a longer career than Shearer, but I would say she's equally unknown among the un-initiated.

 

[Corey]

Well I remember George Feltenstein saying at one point that a Harlow set was going to be a hard sell, but so many people wanted one that they decided to give it a go. I'm sure the same thing could be said about an Esther Williams set or the upcoming Jazz Singer set. How many black people would actually go out buy a DVD of Al Jolson in blackface. Now that is a hard sell. I was shocked when WB said they were going to a Glenn Ford set in 07 because he wasn't a huge star. It's the stars with the cult followings that would make it sucessful.

 

[Corey]

If WB said they would release Romeo & Juliet, some of her silents, and her pre-codes, it would make sense to make a collection.

 

[Corey]

Well I would've never thought that we would be getting a non-Thin Man Loy & Powell set. It's because that the 1st set sold so well that they're giving us one.

 

[Corey]

It will. That always happens. I wasn't that with her silents, but I believe After Midnight and Student Prince were also very popular.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Here's the exact quote from the chat:

 

[Simon Howson]

I'm not going to get this particular set, but again, congratulations to Warner Bros. for the time, effort and MONEY they are putting into the preservation and release of these films.

 

[John Skoda]

A Shakespeare box would be nice too, along with the 1953 JULIUS CAESAR and the 30's WB MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM....

 

[Corey]

Julius Caesar is going to be in the Brando set this year.

 

[Garysb]

The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) would have been perfect to include with this box set. I believe since MGM made a 1952 remake they owned and now Warner owns the rights to this Selznick International picture. Oh well I guess we can't have everything.

Warners has put certain films in more then one box set. Films such as Casablanca, Advise & Consent, and others have been or will be in Signature Boxes and othe box sets. I wouldn't rule out a Norma Shearer box just because some of her films are part of other box sets.

 

[TomWoodward]

The artwork is here:

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releas...terpieces.html

 

[oscar_merkx]

super duper

 

[Junior_V]

The Art Work for Marie looks very cheap, but im glad the movie is finally is getting released