Warner Brothers Archive Collection (DVDs only)

[Steven H]

I really liked Lady Without a Passport, so it gets a recommendation here. It's very atmospheric and Lamarr is perfect. The plot gets a little silly at times, but eh, it didn't bother me.

[knives]

Titles to be released on August 17:
Oil for the Lamps of China (1935) (Mervyn LeRoy!)

Don't get too excited about the LeRoy, the film is quite awful. it's moderately funny in a few moments due to "its so bad its good" but for the most part it's just a lukewarm piss of a film.

I actually enjoy it a good deal and find it to be genuinely good. It's not great by any measure, but it manages to be pretty entertaining and not excessively preachy. The portrayals of Asians is definitely better than any one short of Capra was doing until Altman.

[Perkins Cobb]

A Lady Without Passport is indeed one of Joseph H. Lewis's best, and Saadia is an Albert Lewin curio I've wanted to see forever. Was it ever on TCM? Definitely not during any of my on-and-off periods of recording everything rare.

[Ashirg]

It seems all titles except The Lady Without Passport have been added. It's A Small World seems to be remastered, so $5 more expensive. Too bad "any 3 single-disc releases for $39" deal is over since it included these "remastered" discs.

[domino harvey]

John Ford's Flesh (1932)!
Between Two Worlds (1944) Eleanor Parker, John Garfield, Sidney Greenstreet-- been waiting for this one!
Riptide (1934) Norma Shearer, Robert Montgomery
Crack-Up (1946) Another missed Noir opportunity
the Conquerers (1932) William A Wellman-directed
Song of Love (1947) Katharine Hepburn, Robert Walker

[myrnaloyisdope]

The Conquerers (1932) William A Wellman-directed

A fine film, the kind of which Wellman somehow specialized during his manic pre-code period...the multi-generational epic condensed into 80 minutes.

[chrismagr]

From Cinecon:

http://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.p ... d84771becd

George Feltenstein's presentation and Q&A were very informative about how the Warner Archive business model works and how they select titles. He did say that they are trying to raise the money to be able to release the Brownlow/Photoplay titles on DVD, not on the Warner Archive label. Also, the Warner Archive titles will be in the DVD-9 format now.

They seem to be upgrading the line!!!

[Matt]

Raise the money? You're part of Time Warner and you have to throw a bake sale to release some silent films on DVD? Times are tough.

[What A Disgrace]

when they say DVD-9, do they mean DVD-9 or dual layered DV-R?

[agnamaracs]

Billy Wilder's Buddy Buddy has turned up on Netflix for instant viewing in anamorphic widescreen. Though it begins with the Turner and MGM logos, Netflix notes that Warner Home Video is the current distributor.

There is no way in Hell this is getting a pressed disc.

[souvenir]

Billy Wilder's Buddy Buddy has turned up on Netflix for instant viewing in anamorphic widescreen. Though it begins with the Turner and MGM logos, Netflix notes that Warner Home Video is the current distributor.

There is no way in Hell this is getting a pressed disc.

::faints::

[HypnoHelioStaticStasis]

Some good cult classics in this weeks new releases:

Atantis, the Lost Continent
Chubasco
Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold
The Doberman Gang/The Daring Dobermans
Inside Out
Operation Daybreak
The Power
They Came to Rob Las Vegas

[Noiradelic]

With 18 title slots between the last 2 noir boxes, I don't see why they couldn't have slipped Crack-Up in there -- not to mention Stranger on the 3rd Floor.

[carax09]

I know some of you have been helpfully alerting the rest of us to the appearance of Films Noir in the ol' Archive, but how about Screwball Comedies (or comedies of the late '30s-early '40s that hew closely, share some of tropes, etc.)?

[Matt]

There just hasn't been much in that area. If you've got Breakfast for Two, The Mad Miss Manton, Idiot's Delight, and Mr. Lucky, you've pretty much got them all.

Haven't seen Too Hot to Handle, though. Gable plays a newspaper man and Loy plays an aviatrix, so it reeks of screwball.

[carax09]

Thanks for those, Matt! The only one I've seen out of that group is Mad Miss Manton, so it's nice to have some of these to look forward to. Incidentally, some of the Amazon reviewers have mentioned Four's a Crowd and 'screwball' in the same breath, but I have a pretty hard time imagining something zany coming from Michael Curtiz.

[Matt]

If you ignore Curtiz and focus on the names of some of the supporting players--Walter Connolly, Hugh Herbert, Franklin Pangborn--it's got some screwball bona fides. I could swear that I've seen it, but I don't remember a thing about it. I went through a long period of watching every comedy from the 1930s that showed up on TCM and now I can't tell any of them apart. So many newspaper men, heiresses, and department stores.

Of the films I mentioned above, I should say that only Breakfast and Manton are pure screwball. The other two have significantly more wartime seriousness. And I forgot to mention Once Upon a Honeymoon, which is in the same boat (but you get Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers).

[Frankinho007]

Coming next week:

Remastered:

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)
-30- (1959)
Violence (1947)

30's Double Features:

Big Hearted Herbert (1934) / The Merry Frinks (1934)
Side Streets (1934) / Stranger in Town (1932)
Merry Wives of Reno (1934) / Smarty (1934)
Girl Missing (1933) / Illicit (1931)

Silent Films:

The Magician (1926)
The Prisoner of Zenda (1922)
Our Dancing Daughters (1928)
Our Modern Maidens (1929)

http://yfrog.com/f/my57j/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[chrismagr]

Warner seem to be very active on their Facebook Warner Archive page at http://www.facebook.com/warnerarchive
I tried to compile some of the replies they gave to various questions from fans. It's not a chat, but it is the next best thing for now.

Q: Since you own the Allied Artists library, do you also own the negatives to Bela Lugosi horror films from Monogram during the 1940s such as "The Corpse Vanishes," "The Ape Man," "Voodoo Man," "Invisible Ghost," etc? It would be nice to see pristine prints of them after years of cruddy public domain dupes.
A: It would be a great idea..... but unfortunately, we don't own these.
Allied Artists sold off chunks of theiir back library to different 3rd parties, long before Lorimar bought out Allied (and accordingly before we acquired Lorimar). The titl...es you mentioned either belong to UA (a/k/a MGM) or the Viacom entity that controls what was the former NTA library....
That being said, we have hundreds of Monogram and Allied Artists films in our library, and we are preparing many of them for DVD premieres!

Q: Any chance we'll be seeing the Pete Smith shorts soon?
A: Not quite that many, but CLOSE!

Q: Do you own the rights to the 1973 MGM release "Wicked, Wicked" with Tiffany Bolling? It's the split-screen slasher movie. If so, would you consider releasing it?
A: Indeed we do. Directed by our friend Richard L. Bare, the director/creator of Joe McDoakes....in DUO-VISION. It's on our ''to-do' list.

Q: How about a Tex Avery Collection MOD box set ?....seems like a no brainer....
A: We are contemplating different scenarios.......stay tuned.....

Q: With all the Noirs being released, is there any plan for essential Fritz Lang Noirs BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT and WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS?
A: We've been working on these for several months.......Long overdue for remastering....!

Q: Waiting for some updates on those Halloween releases....please don't torture us with anymore waiting!!!!
A: Soooooon....Fear not............!

Q: Hi, was on your website and couldn't believe the titles you have! An absolute goldmine. Only problem is you don't ship to the UK!!!! Will this ever be possible?
A: Our international staff is working on this....and has been for a very long time. The first International regional launch is in the works...

Q: You all rock! I've bought several Joel McCrea Westerns, the recent Clint Walker releases, "Bhowani Junction", and the Debbie Reynolds package. They're all great and I will be ordering more, for sure.
Now - when are you going to release "HOTEL", my all-time favorite Rod Taylor movie?
A: HOTEL will be available shortly!

Q: How about the TV miniseries Pearl and Bare Essence?
A: PEARL is already in the works for 2011.....

Q: It was wonderful to see ya'll at Cinecon; thanks for showing the Miller & Lyles shorts!
A: Those shorts were certainly rarities of the highest order! How about all the other great shorts at the fest? This author particularly liked Charlie Chase.

Q: Thank you Warner Archive Collection for your support at Cinecon. We appreciated your time with us and hope that this is just the beginning of a long relationship.
A: It was a fun outing for us, and glad you had a good time!

Q: KILLER PARTY is owned by Warner Bros not MGM......this must be one of your Halloween releases!
A: Maybe next year.....................

Q: Are there plans for more Vincente Minnelli films? TWO WEEKS IN ANOTHER TOWN, his and Kirk Douglas' follow-up to THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL or perhaps TEA AND SYMPATHY?
A: Indeed there are! We just completed remastering TWO WEEKS IN ANOTHER TOWN and THE COBWEB for WAC release. We hope to start on TEA AND SYMPATHY shortly, followed by THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE.
We're big MINNELLI fans at WAC!

Q: Any news about Five Came Back and Back From Eternity?
A: Both are being worked on, with photochemical restoration preceding remastering. However, there are element problems on both, and we don't know how long this process will take. Our colleagues are working feverishly on fixing up these great films!

Q: When will we see Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy's Keeper Of The Flame and Spencer Tracy's Stanley and Livingstone and Tortilla Flat? All 3 are great movies.
A: Some of the Tracy films are being planned for 2011, but Stanley and Livingstone is a Fox picture, so that's definitely not on our agenda :)

Q: When will we begin to see some horror titles announced for Halloween? And, any chance of seeing any WAC titles on blu-ray eventually?
A: Look for announcements during the next few weeks!

Q: OK, how about the 1936 version of "Showboat"? There was some talk several years ago of a box set with the three versions.....
A: It will happen.....and it will be a Blu ray project of substance. It will not be happening soon...but our management remains supportive to move forward when market conditions improve enough to justify the extraordinarily high costs involved.

Q: Dear Warner Archive,
What about SUNDAY IN NEW YORK (1963) with Jane Fonda & Rod Taylor?
A: We're just completing a new 16x9 master of SUNDAY IN NEW YORK for WAC release...Look for a release before the Holiday season!

Q: Another tough one.....does "When Strangers Marry" The King Bros Monogram noir from 1944 fall in with the titles you control from that studio, and If so, will it ever see the light of day in the WAC....
A: Yes, we own it...and it will be available VERY shortly. Note that our film elements were altered for the re-titled reissue version, so it will be announced and marketed under its reissue title of BETRAYED. A terrific film....we think a lot of noir fans will enjoy this rarity.

Q: Do you still have the rights to the 1969 heist caper "They Came to Rob Las Vegas" with Gary Lockwood, Elke Sommer, Jack Palance and Lee J. Cobb?
A: Indeed, we do. THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS is coming your way from WAC soon...hopefully by the end of the month.

Q: Any chance of getting Howard Hawks' superb western THE BIG SKY? Like THE SEA WOLF, this film was cut on release, from 140 minutes to 122 minutes. It would be great to get it in it's uncut form.
A: THE BIG SKY will be available from WAC early next year...the full length version running nearly 140 min....(138:22) to be exact. Indeed, here is a case where 16mm footage was used to restore the scenes cut after initial release.

Q: Here's a tough one..."The Sea Wolf"....would the WAC ever release it in the present, shortened, reissue version?
A: We're seriously considering it...and it WOULD be the longer version. The problem is the footage 'restored' to the continuity is from marginal 16mm source material. For the past several years, we thought it best to keep searching for 35mm ma...terial, but in the meantime, people cannot see this great film on DVD, and at a certain point, a compromise to get it out with the cut footage inserted from the 16mm source may be a valid option until we (hopefully) can track down the excised 35mm material.
We're still weighing the options..
Stay tuned!

Q: We want The Phantom Tollbooth on DVD/Blu-ray, We waited long enough
A: You won't have to wait much longer.....

Q: Thanks so much for releasing "Rio Rita"- I really enjoyed it. Any plans to release more Wheeler and Woolsey films in the next year or two? I've become a fan of theirs recently and really think they deserve more exposure to modern audiences via something like the Warner Archive!
A: We could....but wouldn't that spoil the surprise? :)
You won't be waiting too much longer for the answer!
Thanks!

Q: Any thoughts about releasing "Once You Kiss a Stranger" (1969) with Carol Lynley and Paul Burke?
A: Active thoughts! ONCE YOU KISS A STRANGER will be added to the WAC DVD premiere roster later in the year.

Q: Any possibility that DIE LAUGHING with Robby Benson and Bud Cort will be a future Archive release?
A: Within the next 12-18 months, a release is very likely. It requires remastering for proper 16x9 presentation.....

Q: All right, probably fot the millionth time...."Stranger on the Third Floor"...bad preprint material?
A: He's leaving the third floor and heading to DVD real soon......
WAC has just REMASTERED the title for its DVD debut....
First new master of the film in over 25 years......
Look for an announcement in the next few weeks.

Q: How about a complete set of Bosko cartoons, please, oh, please? You could include the few color MGMs along with the WB black and white gems. Thank you for all the wondrous goodies you've released thus far!
A: We agree! We've got plans for Warner Bosko and Metro Bosko....and related goodies....Die-hard '30s animation fans are in for a treat at some point in 2011.
We sincerely appreciate your support for WAC!

Q: A sincere thanks for releasing FALCON CREST: SEASON 2 on DVD today!
A: Another season of FALCON CREST is already in the works. Flamingo Road requires some clearance work before we can release it....but we hope to get these obstacles out of the way and release that as well.

Q: Is there anything in the works for Warners TV shows from the late 50s and 60s? Would be great to see releases of "77 Sunset Strip, "Hawaiian Eye," "Bourbon Street Beat," and many others.
A: They are most definitely a top priority...Check back for further details in the coming months!

Q: Hey guys, how about Tha Saint and / or The Falcon series box sets? Both RKO and in the collection?
A: Both series are in the works.....Likely for early-to-middle of next year.

Q: Have you given any consideration in releasing "Adam's Woman" (1970) with Beau Bridges, Jane Merrow, and John Mills?
A: Indeed....Look for this fine film in the Fall!

Q: PLEASE release more titles with Josephine Hutchinson..especially MOUNTAIN JUSTICE 1937, and THE RIGHT TO LIVE 1935. She was a beautiful actress, and a lovely Warner-Vitaphone star. Also, please release ONE WAY PASSAGE 1933, and THE KEY 1934...both with William Powell. Thank you.
A: One Way Passage....ETA...later this year.....

Q: As Luise Rainer's 100th year comes to a close may I ask if anyone would be interested in a complete release of her MGM films... there are just 8 of them, most have never been released, ever! Please click on 'Like' to show your support for a release of Luise's much-missed (and maligned) films: ESCAPADE (1935), her Holly...wood debut with William Powell, THE GREAT ZIEGFELD (1936) for which she won her first Oscar, THE GOOD EARTH (1937) for which she won her second, THE EMPEROR'S CANDLESTICKS (1937) with Powell again, BIG CITY (1937) with Spencer Tracy, THE TOY WIFE (1938), THE GREAT WALTZ (1938) and DRAMATIC SCHOOL (1938). I've seen them all and they are well-worth revisiting. I know I'd buy the boxed set... anyone else?! I do believe that Luise deserves to be (re)discovered... http://www.luiserainer.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
A: ESCAPADE has been in a legal tangle for decades...but we're hoping to untangle it, if possible.
Meanwhile, more of Miss Rainer's films are on the docket for holiday time....

Q: My fingers are crossed for the release of "Then Came Bronson" the complete series starring Michael Parks....
A: Our fingers are crossed as well! We're working on it.... :)

Q: In the March 2010 newsletter you said that Frank Perry's "Last Summer" would be getting a Warner Archive release "later this year". It's almost September. When is it coming out? Is it going to be an Unrated "Director's Cut" with all of the censored footage put back in?
A: Remasterig is currently underway on LAST SUMMER....

Q: We want the "made for TV" movie, "TREASURE ISLAND (1990)" with Charleton Heston and Christian Bale.
A: Plans ARE underway for the Heston/Bale Treasure Island to set sail next year.

Q: I would like Warner Archives to release on DVD: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN (from Hanna Barbara and part of Warner's library) and also THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO CARTOON SHORTS FROM 1967-68. Does anyone have any information about my requests and the possibility of that being a future consideration at Warner Archives?
A: Chances are good for both! A&C likely for early next year.

Q: A great Warner Bros. film from 1970 is "The Traveling Executioner" starring Stacy Keach as a man in 1918 who wanders the plains with a portable electric chair! It's great and it's never been available on home video! I hope you can release it!
A: Another great little movie that deserves rediscovery. We plan to remaster it in 16x9 for release sometime next year.

Q: I know that Warner Bros. controls some of the older MGM/UA Films... I hope you can release "Counterfeiters of Paris" (1961), "Any Number Can Win" (1963), "The President" (1960), "The Old Guard" (1960), and "A Monkey in Winter" (1963). All of these films star Jean Gabin, who was called "The French Humphrey Bogart." MGM... released these films in the US, back in the early '60s, with English subtitles. (Gabin is amazing, and I know that because I wrote a book about him -- http://www.jeangabinbook.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. How's that for a crass plug?! :)
A: These films were only distributed by MGM, and rights reverted to the production company in France (Cite Films). We no longer control any rights to these films.

Q: Any chance for a release of "Rapa Nui"?
A: We're just wrapping up work on RAPA NUI. Look for an announcement here in the coming weeks....

Q: Would like to see the complete ANDY HARDY series released and the great Jean Arthur comedy THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES.
A: RKO's rights to that film were transferred to other parties years ago, long before the RKO library became part of Warner Bros. Entertainment's holdings. As such, we have no rights to this film.
Meanwhile...we haven't forgotten about Andy Hardy.....!

Q: What about releasing THE WINDOW?
A: We just completed remastering THE WINDOW for upcoming WAC release. It's the first time the film has been mastered in over 20 years.
Long overdue!

Q: Will you come out with the dvd of "The Charge At Feather River?" It was Warners biggest hit that year.
A: It would look great in its original 3-D, don't you think???
We'd love to find a way to present this fun action-packed western in its original form.
Such a release isn't in the immediate offing, but with the industry suddenly on a 3-D kick, we...'re hoping the technology will finally come together to enable us to make our impressive roster of 3-D films available to add to your home libraries.
Right now, it's just a hoped-for goal, but there is too much momentum behind the interest in 3-D for this to not to morph from such a goal to a tangible reality.

[Noiradelic]

33 slots in 5 Noir boxes and they couldn't squeeze in Stranger On the 3rd Floor (which rated a VHS release)? They're breaking my heart. I know they've gotten many requests for this -- how many for Dial 1119 or Backfire? Disappointed about Crack-Up too.

[knives]

Backfire's actually pretty good, though Stranger definitely warrants a real release if just for reputation and popularity/ star power.

[zedz]

33 slots in 5 Noir boxes and they couldn't squeeze in Stranger On the 3rd Floor (which rated a VHS release)?

Or The Window. This all makes me think we might have just seen the last Warner noir box set. R.I.P.

[Murdoch]

The archive is such a graveyard of what-could-have-been that I've stopped dwelling on how I had to buy Strawberry Blonde on a blasted burned disc, too much of a headache. Sign o' the times and all that...

[movielocke]

The archive may be a graveyard, but it's pretty lively one, having issued 700 some films in a year and a half. Course it would have utterly awesome to wait ten years for those 700 films to get regular releases.

[Grand Wazoo]

Since they previously have stated that some films were getting actual pressed releases outside of the Archive, I figured I'd inquire once again about Ambersons. My only hope was that they'd explicitly say it wasn't going to the Archive boneyard and I didn't quite get that answer. But I hope it means a real release.

Any chance we'll be seeing The Magnificent Ambersons through you or, probably more appropriately considering its significance, as a "main-line" release with extras?

Warner Archive Collection: The outlook is good for the Ambersons clan. Work is underway at the lab....More details to follow.....

I want to be optimistic, but I feel like we've been receiving a similar answer for years.