WHV Announces 2011 Moratoriums for three Anniversary Classics slated for Special Release 2012 (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

WARNER HOME VIDEO ANNOUNCES

2011 MORATORIUMS FOR THREE ANNIVERSARY CLASSICS SLATED FOR SPECIAL RELEASE IN 2012


SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

60th Anniversary


CAMELOT

45th Anniversary


WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABYJANE?

50th Anniversary


Burbank, Calif., November 30, 2010 – Warner Home Video (WHV) has announced a moratorium initiative in North America, beginning this December 31, 2010 for three of their most treasured and best selling titles in anticipation of significant 2012 anniversaries – Singin’ In The Rain (60th), Camelot (45th) and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (50th). Within the coming year, WHV will announce the details for special anniversary editions for these titles, which will include stunning remasterings, spectacular Blu-ray debuts, Ultimate Collectors Editions and more.


About the titles


Singin’ In The Rain

Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor star in one of the greatest musicals ever filmed. Set during the advent of "talkies," this film's classic song-and-dance numbers celebrate the beginning of movie musicals. Jean Hagen was Oscar-nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role as was Lennie Hayton for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture. Stanley Donen and Kelly directed, Arthur Freed produced and Betty Comden and Aldoph Green wrote the screenplay.


Camelot

Based on T.H. White’s “The Once and Future King,” this lavish film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical celebrates a fleeting, mythical time of love and chivalry--the reign of King Arthur and the Knights of The Round Table. Although torn apart by the conflicts between passion, love, honor and duty, it was a golden era that could have been ... and could yet be. Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave are among the stars of Lerner and Lowe’s musical based on their Broadway shows. Josh Logan directed and Jack L. Warner produced.



What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford star as two aging sisters -- both former celebrities --bound together in a psychopathic relationship by their mutual dependency, jealousy and hatred in this classic shocking thriller. Robert Aldrich produced and directed the film which was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Davis and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Victor Buono.


About Warner Home Video With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, a division of the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.


About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment/videogames, direct-to-DVD production, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. WBHEG is responsible for the global distribution of content through DVD, electronic sell-through and VOD, and delivery of theatrical content to wireless and online channels, and is also a significant worldwide publisher for both internal and third party videogame titles.


Academy Award(s)®, Oscar(s)® , Academy- Award-winning® and Oscar-winning® are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

 

[GMpasqua]

great news. Knew 'Singing in the Rain" was coming but glad to hear about "Camelot"

Still 2012 is a long way off...

Now if only WB could release "My Fair Lady"

 

[Charles Smith]

Beautiful. I shall look forward to all three of those.


What is "announcing a moratorium initiative"? Is that a fancy way of saying the existing DVDs will be out of print in the meantime?

 

[Matt Hough]

Delighted that they're coming, but that's a LONG time to wait.

 

[GMpasqua]

The question now is...will they arrive before the world ends?

Originally Posted by Chas in CT

Beautiful. I shall look forward to all three of those.


What is "announcing a moratorium initiative"? Is that a fancy way of saying the existing DVDs will be out of print in the meantime?

WB did the same thing last year with "Doctor Zhivago" "Caddyshck" and "The Exorcist"

 

[JohnMor]

Camelot? Really? Such a dreadful version. Oh well. At leas the other 2 are definite buys for me, and I know Camelot has some very loyal fans, so they should be very happy. It's always good news for more classics on blu!

 

[dana martin]

Camelot is the surprise in that list, slowly WB seems to be working through there Two Disc DVD editions, it's nice to see that Bette Davis will be coming soon to HD, from here and Fox as well, i know that there are plans for Citizen Kane and Ben Hur rumors of The Right Stuff, but the question with those two title remains will it be just a UCE or a tiered release, makes me wonder how long before we see Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy Or Meet Me In St Louis?

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes, I'd rather see Gypsy than Camelot if I had the choice. 2012 is a Gypsy anniversary year, too, its 50th.

 

[GMpasqua]

"Gypsy" was supposed to come to blu-ray a while ago (along with "The Music Man") I would guess it's ready at anytime - Amazon added a place holder for it last month (along with "Brigadoon" and "The Pajama Game").

I would have expected it the first half of 2011, but the studios seem to be releasing catalog titles only on anniversary years - I hope this trend stops. I really don't want to wait 5 years for a film to released on Blu-ray because of it's anniversary. Most people do not even know when a film was first released

 

[MatthewA]

Originally Posted by GMpasqua

"Gypsy" was supposed to come to blu-ray a while ago (along with "The Music Man") I would guess it's ready at anytime - Amazon added a place holder for it last month (along with "Brigadoon" and "The Pajama Game").

There were some rumors of Gypsy coming to BD when they re-released it as part of the Natalie Wood box set; I guess it was wishful thinking. I'd dearly love to see both filmed versions of this classic musical on BD. The Technirama cinematography on the 1962 version should look stunning in HD (I assume better prints of the 2 excised numbers still haven't turned up). Not a musical (but it inspired a musical that inspired a less-than-great movie), but while we're asking for Gypsy, I'd love to see Auntie Mame on BD even more.


Singin' in the Rain and Baby Jane are day one purchases for me; Camelot is a maybe. Warner Bros. provided the model treatment of the classics on DVD, and they continue to do so in Blu-Ray. They have done for classic mainstream movies what Criterion did for foreign and indie films, and their commitment is slowly but surely rubbing off onto the other studios.