Warner Archive Announcements Thread (8 Viewers)

[mark brown]

Why is WAC calling it quits? That is news to me.

 

[Astairefan]

Why is WAC calling it quits? That is news to me.

Before A T & T sold off Warner to Discovery last month, pretty much everybody at WAC had been fired/ moved around within Warner as of the beginning of April (some blame it on the pandemic, but I wonder if it was coming the moment that plans were made to merge Warner's and Universal's home media departments at the very beginning of 2020). The last we knew (via the last podcast at the beginning of April), there were a number of projects being planned, with releases supposedly going into next year (and maybe even the following one). What we DON'T know is whether WAC will go on (technically, at this point it's more like a brand name as opposed to being an actual division anymore) once those releases are all out. That's what everybody is worried about.

 

[David Weicker]

Why is WAC calling it quits? That is news to me.

They aren't

People are jumping to conclusions with incomplete 'facts' in a changing landscape

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Why is WAC calling it quits? That is news to me.

Before A T & T sold off Warner to Discovery last month, pretty much everybody at WAC had been fired/ moved around within Warner as of the beginning of April (some blame it on the pandemic, but I wonder if it was coming the moment that plans were made to merge Warner's and Universal's home media departments at the very beginning of 2020). The last we knew (via the last podcast at the beginning of April), there were a number of projects being planned, with releases supposedly going into next year (and maybe even the following one). What we DON'T know is whether WAC will go on (technically, at this point it's more like a brand name as opposed to being an actual division anymore) once those releases are all out. That's what everybody is worried about.

They aren't

People are jumping to conclusions with incomplete 'facts' in a changing landscape

Let's start with what we DO know:
1. Prior to all this news about AT&T spinning off WarnerMedia, there were substantial layoffs, including at Warner Archive;
2. Warner's and Universal's home media departments are not, I repeat, NOT merging; the new home entertainment "joint venture" [a different beast altogether] strictly relates to physical media manufacture and distribution, as physical media continues to dwindle in market share;
3. Warner shut down the Warner Archive storefront at WBShop, and Warner Archive now has a dedicated page at Amazon;
4. At this point, Warner Archive is still issuing releases; and
5. The Warner Bros. Discovery merger is not a done deal. There are still regulatory hurdles to clear. If it happens, it won't be until next year. Remember all the uncertainty that surrounded Disney's purchase of Fox? That's where we are right now on the deal.
That is literally all we know.

 

[Stefan Andersson]

A thread about WAC releases, featuring the customary detailed info about restorations and bonus materials, though these disappear with the June 2021 announcements. "I Wouldn´t Be in Your Shoes" is said to be "restored from original nitrate elements". Anyway, thought I´d post it here for easy access to info about Ziegfeld Follies, Green Dolphin Street, Chain Lightning and other titles:

Warner Archive for 2021 - NitrateVille.com

www.nitrateville.com

 

[Josh Steinberg]

3. Warner shut down the Warner Archive storefront at WBShop, and Warner Archive now has a dedicated page at Amazon;

Stephen, that was a good summation of the facts that we do know. The only thing I’d add is regarding the above, although what I’m about to say might be more of a difference without a distinction.

Warner didn’t shut down WBShop. Warner hasn’t controlled WBShop for years. They had licensed that operation to a third party to use the name and sell the product, and one or both parties chose not to renew the license. So in practical, internal organizational terms, not much changed. A store that Warner didn’t run no longer operates, but I don’t see that as much of a difference either way. Other than the 4/44 sales held a couple times a year, WBShop was not a good deal for disc consumers. I don’t see it as a major change that there is no longer a branded storefront that sells discs at full retail price with high shipping and handling costs.

 

[roxy1927]

It would be so great if they released Life with Father on bluray as I have already said.
I mean come on. Take Me Out to the Ballgame instead?
And Jimmy Lydon is still alive.

 

[Justin Ray]

It would be so great if they released Life with Father on bluray as I have already said.
I mean come on. Take Me Out to the Ballgame instead?
And Jimmy Lydon is still alive.

I continue to hope for this release, as well. I’m wondering if there’s some unanticipated legal issue that prevents a home entertainment release. Or perhaps they licensed the title to another distributor- Criterion? Time will tell- fingers crossed!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Warner did a brilliant new restoration of Life With Father that’s available on HBO Max. I believe HBO Max contributed funding for the work which may be why it’s currently their exclusive.

The other reason it may not yet be on disc is that the film is in the public domain. As soon as Warner makes a disc, some third party company may take that new restoration and try to sell it as their own, and it’s very difficult to protect work done on public domain titles. That may be another reason for Warner to want to hold on to it on HBO Max for a while, so they can get some return on their investment.

I would be very surprised if it doesn’t eventually come out on disc.

 

[roxy1927]

That friggin PD. Can though some pirate come along and take a restoration?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Pretty much.

The studio can try to copyright it but that doesn’t necessarily work. And the burden is still on the studio to prove theft so it can become like a game of whack-a-mole knocking back the pirates.

On the other hand, it’s a 70 or 80 year old movie, not a category that sells particularly well these days. The pirates may not care enough to try to bootleg it.

The delay could very simply be, HBO Max paid for the restoration and want to keep it exclusive to that platform for a set period of time.

 

[Justin Ray]

Pretty much.

The studio can try to copyright it but that doesn’t necessarily work. And the burden is still on the studio to prove theft so it can become like a game of whack-a-mole knocking back the pirates.

On the other hand, it’s a 70 or 80 year old movie, not a category that sells particularly well these days. The pirates may not care enough to try to bootleg it.

The delay could very simply be, HBO Max paid for the restoration and want to keep it exclusive to that platform for a

I asked WAC about this one quite a few times when it first premiered on HBO Max. I knew I wouldn’t likely receive a response with the impending company changes and shift from Facebook/Twitter responses. Strange, though, that PD status would prevent this release when WAC released PD titles in the past. If HBO has an exclusive hold on this one, it’s also strange that they continue to readd and pull the film from streaming. The whole situation is a puzzlement.

 

[roxy1927]

It is also available on youtube in a washed out soft looking print. Somebody probably just uploaded a pirate. The thing is I started watching it and I couldn't stop despite my demands for visual quality. I hadn't seen it in many many years and I found it such a joy with two of the very greatest stars at their very best, Curtiz's direction pitch perfect and a beautiful production design. Yes I could even tell that through the haze. One of the true classics of old Hollywood that doesn't get the love it should. A major bluray release is more than deserved.

 

[Nick*Z]

My wish list has been greatly satisfied this past year by the outpouring of deep catalog releases from WAC. Yes, there are still plenty more on that list, my absolute highlights: Marie Antoinette, Romeo & Juliet, Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), National Velvet, Scaramouche, High Society, The Student Prince, Bathing Beauty, Easy to Love, Holiday in Mexico, Boom Town, Humoresque, Captain Blood, Ivanhoe, Charge of the Light Brigade, High Sierra, (a remastered) Anchors Aweigh, On the Town, Swing Time, Philadelphia Story and Calamity Jane, The White Cliffs of Dover, Mrs. Parkington, Week-end at the Waldorf, Dinner at Eight, Camille, Personal Property, Johnny Belinda, Honky Tonk, The Thin Man Goes Home, Song of the Thin Man, Babes in Arms, Babes on Broadway, The Barkeley's of Broadway, Small Town Girl, Rosalie, The Merry Widow (both versions), The Valley of Decision, Adam's Rib, Night of the Iguana, Born to Kill, Lassie Come Home, Life With Father, Words & Music, Till the Clouds Roll By, All This and Heaven Too, The Little Foxes, Wuthering Heights, Red Dust, Test Pilot, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Madame Bovary, Random Harvest, The Three Musketeers, Thousands Cheer, China Seas, A Woman's Face, and, When Ladies Meet. That's my short list!

It would be nice to see the original Weissmuller Tarzan's get some love too, as well The Andy Hardy and Dr. Kildare franchises. Just saying.

I'd also like to see someone release State of the Union, a restored 'Topper' and Frank Capra's immortal Meet John Doe rescued from PD hell. Uni did State of the Union on DVD with an MGM logo preceding it. Topper has a horrendous Blu from a small label. Meet John Doe - originally a Warner production - is MIA and looking pretty chewed up on DVD from VCI - not a reputable label.

 

[roxy1927]

A few that you mentioned already have blurays. Are you not happy with them and believe they should be redone?
It is interesting that they went for Madame Curie before Goodbye Mr Chips and Random Harvest. Poor elements?
I'm surprised Elvis's picture postcard movies like Fun in Acapulco and Blue Hawaii haven't been released in bluray.

 

[Randy Korstick]

A few that you mentioned already have blurays. Are you not happy with them and believe they should be redone?
It is interesting that they went for Madame Curie before Goodbye Mr Chips and Random Harvest. Poor elements?
I'm surprised Elvis's picture postcard movies like Fun in Acapulco and Blue Hawaii haven't been released in bluray.

Fun in Acapulco and Blue Hawaii are both owned by Paramount but they would make nice Blu Rays

 

[Garysb]

Concerning "Life With Father" and PD. As the movie is based on a play and before that a book, there are under lying rights that may still be under copyright protection. As with all copyright material it is up to the holder of the rights to defend them. I don't know the situation about who controls the rights to the play and book and whether they are still protected. If the cost of defending the rights exceeds the possible benefit of protecting them, then the holders of the rights may choose not to defend them. As fine a movie as "Life With Father" is, it probably is not going to generate near the income of "It's A Wonderful Life", a film saved from PD when Paramount obtained the rights to the short story the film was based on and the music rights to music used in the film.

 

[roxy1927]

I think to this day Life With Father is the longest running Broadway play. Yet I've never seen it done. Not even in community theaters. Yet it must be somewhere.

 

[JamesSmith]

Head of the Class season 3 is scheduled to come out in July. That's a tv release, Maybe more television releases are coming.

--james

 

[M90GM]

July's Warner Archive releases are the most exciting (?) yet!!! I Wouldn't Be In Your Shoes (RKO 1948, 70 mins imd rated 6.6) and Step by Step (RKO 1946 62 mins imd 6.3). We do get Take Me Out to the Ballgame (Sinatra Kelly & Esther Williams) & the obscure highly regarded Objective Burma (Errol Flynn)......but strange decisions at WB for sure with so many A grade films in their tank ...two unknown poorly ranked very short & rated B/W RKO titles for full price Blu Ray release.... why? Is there anybody out there who can't wait to spend on these two? I guess they're "lucky dip" first timers......