Warner Brothers Archive Collection (DVDs only)

[HarryLong]

and the Last Flight (you guys better be right about this one!)

Oh, we are.

[lubitsch]

and the Last Flight (you guys better be right about this one!)

Oh, we are.

I like the film, too. Better cancel your order before it's too late no seriously The Last flight is really an important and good film, very unusual, full of self-importance, almost plotless, with stylized acting (especially the forgotten Helen Chandler). It's original and offbeat so there IS a chance that you won't like it. But even then it's good to have seen it. Dieterle was very proud of the film, the only one before his classic phase from 1935 where he had control over script.

[domino harvey]

Boom goes the dynamite:

the Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (1950)
the Jazz Singer (1952)
Love in the Rough (1930)
She's Back on Broadway (1953)
So This Is College (1929)
Sweet Kitty Belairs (1930)
the Valley of Decision (1945)

[George Kaplan]

A new WB Archive title worthy of the highest reccomnedation is The Patsy - a stunning restoration, and a fine progressive SL transfer, and a superb Vidor!

David, thanks for the tip (on this and Lightning Strikes Twice).

[domino harvey]

A couple more reports: I know everyone and their uncle already has bitten the bullet on the Strawberry Blonde, so this is probably old news, but it sports the best transfer I've seen yet from an Archive title. There can be no doubt that this was being prepped for a real release before the bottom of the market dropped out. As for the film, well... I wasn't real keen on it. There were moments where Walsh gave up on the period fetishization and had some fun, but this seemed pretty minor on all fronts. But if you're a fan, the disc looks great.

The Story of Three Loves has a mutt amalgam of good and bad reels, leading the picture quality to waver between unwatchable and terrible. There are shots that are so dark and cloudy that you can't even tell what's happening onscreen. But even a 4K restoration couldn't save this lousy film so it's hardly a tragedy. I don't think there's ever been a good portmanteau film and this one doesn't buck the trend. Things get off to a bad start with the laughable Mason-Shearer ballet segment which ranks among the worst things I've ever seen come out of the studio system. Wrong headed, obvious, and devoid of even the pleasures of dance. The Minnelli-directed segment with Leslie Caron and Farley Granger is marginally better but the storyline is pretty disturbing and it doesn't help that it plays like an early, retarded version of Big. The third segment isn't anything to crow about either but does gain some points for the poor wardrobe decisions that result in several minutes of Kirk Douglas and Pier Angeli's sheerly-clothed crotches being thrust at the camera and a nice little twist ending that made a sucker out of me.

But the purchase of the film does have a happy ending: My mother in her youth was a governess and subsequently everyone started calling her "Gigi" in an amalgam of Caron's role here as a governess and her famous titular role in the later Minnelli musical. The name stuck. When I absently mentioned the film recently, she got quite excited since she hadn't seen it in decades. So I'm perfectly happy to send this her way because I sure as hell don't want it in my house! Here's hoping she can play it on her DVD player...

[George Kaplan]

The Story of Three Loves has a mutt amalgam of good and bad reels, leading the picture quality to waver between unwatchable and terrible. There are shots that are so dark and cloudy that you can't even tell what's happening onscreen.

This is very sad to hear, irrespective of what one thinks of the film, though not too surprising. Many years ago I went to see this film in Los Angeles, at the Vagabond theatre, and the print was very dark and poor overall (though I doubt 16mm as it was the policy of that theatre, in those days - the late 70's, early 80's - to play only 35mm). So poor that I left the film a short while in. Subsequent attempts to catch it in a good print when broadcast, including TCM, have produced similar results. My impression is that the existing elements are in poor condition.
I'll confess that all my glimpses of the film lead me to think you're on target about the whole film, as well Domino. Particularly disappointing to me as it's long been something of an experiential holy grail: Miklos Rosza's use of Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” inspired a 10 year-old (or thereabouts) Joni Mitchell to become a musician.

[domino harvey]

Well, let me drop some good news on another 1953 title to balance things out. Not all musicals are doomed in the Warner Archives because I watched Small Town Girl earlier tonite and the transfer is a stunner. Seriously some of the brightest, most vibrant color I've seen in a Technicolor film's DVD in a while. Only one or two drop outs and the visible cue markers distinguish this otherwise crisp and glorious print from an early Warners musical DVD release (you know, not the Pirate). Dynamic audio too-- this one's a winner all around. SHOULD HAVE BEEN A REAL DVD, &c. The film itself is good fun with some interesting commentary on the small town values so in peril in the post-war years but it all takes a backseat to the wild music number that tracks Bobby Van hopping through an entire town with only four cuts! No wonder he's on the cover over the "real" stars...

[colinr0380]

A sequence later homaged in a Goldfrapp music video, though of course the original is the joyous best!

[fdm]

Recall the sequence being featured in one of the That's Entertainment films. Think he said he was laid up for weeks (or months?) after filming that sequence.

[domino harvey]

I believe it!

Stanley Donen's Love is Better Than Ever has a passable video-sourced transfer along the lines of most of the other B&W transfers I've seen from the Archives. The sound was lower than it is on other titles for some reason. The film itself is pretty weak though and features one of the least-appealing male leads ever foisted on an audience. It took me half the film to even realize Larry Parks wasn't meant to be presented as a total shit. The whole affair is forgettable outside of a beguiling sequence where Parks and Elizabeth Taylor stop the picture to a halt in its third act to watch an entire inning of a baseball game on TV. Like, for six or seven minutes, which is memorable in an "I lived through that" point-of-reference sort of way.

[Ashirg]

New titles has been announced today:
American Anthem (1986)
American Dream, An (1966)
At Sword's Point (1952)
Bloodbrothers (1978)
Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969)
Green Fire (1954)
If Looks Could Kill (1991)
Mara Maru (1952)
Rampage (1963)
Sphinx (1981)
Third Day, The (1965)

Other covers I was able to discover:
Arizona Dream (1993)
Awakening, The (1980)
Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later, A (1986)
Rabbit, Run (1970)
Saint Joan (1957)

[starmanof51]

Saint Joan (1957)

Domino explodes in 3..2..1...

[justeleblanc]

So I believe all of Preminger's UA films are now in the hands of Warner (which I think explains Saint Joan, The Moon is Blue, Man with the Golden Arm*, and The Cardinal (which I think was a joint production between Columbia and UA). I believe Bonjour Tristesse is now also in the hands of Warner as well, but I'm not 100% certain about this. Does anyone know who owns the North American rights to The Human Factor? Can we also expect this to appear in the Archive line?

* or is this title still in the public domain?

[Jonathan S]

I believe Bonjour Tristesse is now also in the hands of Warner as well, but I'm not 100% certain about this.

I don't know about the US but the UK DVD is from Sony.

[jaredsap]

I believe Bonjour Tristesse is now also in the hands of Warner as well

Nope, it's definitely owned by Sony worldwide right now.

[kawest]

So I believe all of Preminger's UA films are now in the hands of Warner (which I think explains Saint Joan, The Moon is Blue, Man with the Golden Arm*, and The Cardinal (which I think was a joint production between Columbia and UA). I believe Bonjour Tristesse is now also in the hands of Warner as well, but I'm not 100% certain about this. Does anyone know who owns the North American rights to The Human Factor? Can we also expect this to appear in the Archive line?

All of the titles you listed above, aside from Bonjour Tristesse, were independent productions that are still owned by the Preminger estate, regardless of the original distributor. (Advise and Consent is another such case.) The estate has licensed the video rights to Warner Bros. Theatrical screenings, such as the recent retrospective at the Pacific Film Archive, still clear through Otto Preminger Films, Ltd. Presumably that video license with Warner expires in the next few years.

For what it's worth, Preminger's personal collection is deposited at the Academy Film Archive, which has produced outstanding restorations of Advise and Consent, The Man with the Golden Arm, and The Moon is Blue. (I haven't seen the Warner Archive disc of the latter, but I doubt it comes close to the Academy's print--which is many leagues more impressive than the film itself.) They haven't restored Saint Joan--yet, though they do have a decent original release print that goes out sometimes. I'm curious what elements Warner will harvest for this upcoming disc. It's a very underrated film.

[domino harvey]

Saint Joan (1957)

Domino explodes in 3..2..1...

I knew it was happening but still MOTHERFUCKER
Such a great film, one of my favorite Premingers. Sigh, and you know they won't throw on that great Life special that was on the VHS either...

Curious to see Green Fire, as it was the only remaining Grace Kelly picture left unreleased on DVD

[agnamaracs]

Rabbit, Run (1970)

Finally! I'll have to check this one out, as it is one of the few major studio films to be shot in my (and John Updike's) birthplace, Reading, PA. (Apparently Girl, Interrupted had a scene in the public museum, and Shyamalan shot some of The Last Airbender at our giant neon Pagoda...)

[med]

I'm interested in seeing Rabbit, Run as well, but I can only find it for download on the Warners site. Also, a customer review of it states the film starts off in scope but switches to 1.78:1. That's annoying.

[HarryLong]

Also, a customer review of it states the film starts off in scope but switches to 1.78:1. That's annoying.

Probably as soon as the opening credits are finished...

[Perkins Cobb]

Other covers I was able to discover:
Arizona Dream (1993)
Awakening, The (1980)
Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later, A (1986)
Rabbit, Run (1970)
Saint Joan (1957)

So, I'm not clear -- do we think these are coming soon as burn-on-demand DVDrs, or have they been around as VODs for a while and that's all we may be getting?

If nothing else, I'm pleased to see that WB finally realized how butt-ugly that blue-bordered cover art was. Only took 'em, what, 400 releases to catch on?

[Ashirg]

These are upcoming titles in Warner Archive collection. In fact, some of them were announced for March 16. Here's the complete list:
Torchy Blane: The Complete Movie Collection
Too Much, Too Soon (1957)
Saint Joan (1957)
Midnight Alibi (1934)
Chasing Rainbows' (1930)
"Ripley's Believe It or Not'' shorts
My Wild Irish Rose (1947)
The Eddie Cantor Story (1953)
Lord Byron of Broadway (1930)
Arizona Dreams (1993)
Rabbit, Run (1970)
Girlfriends (1978)
A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later (1986)
Meeting Venus (1991)
A Night Full of Rain (1978)
The Picasso Summer (1969)
The Priest's Wife (1971)
Surviving Picasso (1996)

[What A Disgrace]

Arizona Dreams (1993)

Finally, some Emir Kusturica on a cheaply produced DVD.

[perkizitore]

There is already an awesome blu-ray in France.

[agnamaracs]

"Ripley's Believe It or Not'' shorts

OK, I'm even more excited about this. I was hoping to see this ever since I heard the Archive releases included shorts.

Also, I need to pick up the jazz shorts set (which is now $10 off).