Will we see a new Capra Collection Blu-Ray from Sony? (1 Viewer)

[David Weicker]

Over the past few years we have been blessed to see most of the big Frank Capra titles released on Blu-Ray

Since 2014, we’ve gotten excellent restorations from Grover Crisp on the Sony “Capra Collection” brand

2014 - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
2015 - You Can’t Take It With You
2016 - Mr. Deeds Goes To Town
2017 - Lost Horizon

I’m wondering if we will be getting another great restoration this year. The prior announcements came about this time of the year. I see two candidates that might qualify

American Madness - the remaining title from the 2006 Premiere Frank Capra Collection

Meet John Doe - I know it was a Warner Brothers release, and it may or may not be Public Domain. But the cleaned up version shown on TCM is distributed by Sony.


From other distributors we got wonderful versions of
The Bitter Tea Of General Yen - Sony Choice Collection
Lady For A Day - Inception
It Happened One Night - Criterion
It’s A Wonderful Life - Paramount
A Hole In The Head - Olive
A Pocketful Of Miracles - Kino


Of course, there are earlier Columbia titles that might also qualify. From the 2012 Frank Capra: The Early Collection
Ladies of Leisure
Rain or Shine
The Miracle Woman
Forbidden


Many of his other, later titles are with other studios - Warner Brothers and Paramount mostly.

I'm hoping we get more restored Frank Capra titles

 

[Robin9]

I'd love a really good Blu-ray disc of Meet John Doe, and I'm sure a lot of other people would too! I read here at HTF that Olive's disc of A Hole In The Head was not wonderful. That's why I didn't buy it.

 

[JohnMor]

Would love more earlier Capra on blu. Including Platinum Blonde and Broadway Bill.

 

[David Weicker]

Would love more earlier Capra on blu. Including Platinum Blonde and Broadway Bill.

Platinum Blonde is an option. The DVD came from Sony.

Broadway Bill went to Paramount when FC remade it as Riding High

 

[JohnMor]

Platinum Blonde is an option. The DVD came from Sony.

Broadway Bill went to Paramount when FC remade it as Riding High

Yeah, Broadway Bill is a longshot (sorry for the pun) since it’s with Paramount. Shame, as I love that film.

 

[TheSteig]

Im hoping for American Madness.. which is an appropriate title this year !

 

[dana martin]

Meet John Doe or Platinum Blonde would be most welcomed, it would be nice to see a little more Harlow or Stanwyck on proper HD

 

[Rodney]

I just caught the tale end of It Happened One Night on TCM this evening. What a great film, and it made me wonder what Capra film Sony would release this year. I hope they have something up their sleeve for us.

 

[Nick*Z]

Meet John Doe is seminal Capra - Cooper and Stanwyck, never better. Badly need a restoration and salvation from PD hell. Also, State of the Union - sadly underrated Capra classic with Kate Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Angela Lansbury and Van Johnson.

 

[Dick]

I'd love a really good Blu-ray disc of Meet John Doe, and I'm sure a lot of other people would too! I read here at HTF that Olive's disc of A Hole In The Head was not wonderful. That's why I didn't buy it.

MEET JOHN DOE is probably the one most of us would want next, as it is a PD title and has seen incredibly poor DVD transfers for years. Good movie, too. I hope someone will move this from the public domain PQ arena and into a fully restored master on the level of the beautiful previous Sony releases.

 

[JohnMor]

MEET JOHN DOE is probably the one most of us would want next, as it is a PD title and has seen incredibly poor DVD transfers for years. Good movie, too. I hope someone will move this from the public domain PQ arena and into a fully restored master on the level of the beautiful previous Sony releases.

Agreed. Look at the restoration Universal did with the PD My Man Godfrey which just got a Criterion release. Hopefully the same will happen with Meet John Doe.

 

[ScottHM]

Agreed. Look at the restoration Universal did with the PD My Man Godfrey which just got a Criterion release. Hopefully the same will happen with Meet John Doe.

The last time I watched Meet John Doe on TCM it looked very good, so I assume it's already been restored.

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[PMF]

4 perfect years of Frank Capra and Grover Crisp outputs.
Little wonder that we're all hoping for a 5th consecutive year.
Fingers crossed.

 

[J. Casey]

The last time I watched Meet John Doe on TCM it looked very good, so I assume it's already been restored.

VCI issued a DVD about 10 years ago that looked very good, so I think you're right. Don't know who did the work, however.

 

[ScottHM]

VCI issued a DVD about 10 years ago that looked very good, so I think you're right. Don't know who did the work, however.

I have that DVD and I have a recording of a TCM broadcast from December 2016, and the TCM broadcast looked a lot better than that DVD does.

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[J. Casey]

That's great news! Too bad it's not with a major studio to champion it--I believe it was an independent production, was it not? I know WB released it, but I don't think they produced it. If the elements are with a major archive like UCLA, maybe someone like Kino might put it out

 

[PMF]

"Lady for a Day" (1934).
4 Oscar nominations, including Picture, Director, Writer and Actress (May Robson).

Inception Media Group produced a Blu Ray in 2002 of "Lady for a Day".
The reviews for its picture quality were at the average mark.

Being that this was originally out of Columbia Pictures, I wonder if Grover Crisp has been tempted to re-visit this one;
that is, unless, licensing agreements are standing in the way.

Any takers on this title if Sony were to produce a new transfer?

 

[bujaki]

Lady for a Day: lean and mean compared to the bloated remake. I'll take the original today.

 

[J. Casey]

I would! I have that Inception disc and though it was pretty good myself.....but I'll always take any improvement!

 

[dana martin]

How about releasing THE INSPECTOR GENERAL from PD hell for the 100th with a recombine of the the original negatives? One can dream...

or how about Capra/ Cooper/Stanwyck's Meet John Doe....

How about The Night of the Attack of the 50 Ft. Iguana?

Didn't that already happen, think but it's more like rabbits, than lizards