TCM Archives: Forbidden Hollywood Collections

[Narshty]

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=62504

A bit steep for what you get - the films are certainly welcome, but there's nothing else. Perhaps more extras will be added towards December.

[Matt]

I was about to type "no price is too high" until I realized that you only get three films for $50. At least you get both cuts of Baby Face not just a version comparison.

Is there no TCM documentary on pre-Code films? I thought there was.

[Narshty]

Hopefully it's just an incomplete press release. It's pretty galling that they're charging almost twice their normal rate for 2-disc sets though.

[Antoine Doinel]

I'm pretty thrilled about this set as I'm a big fan of pre-code Hollywood. Like Narshty said, I hope this is just an incomplete press release for now....

[dadaistnun]

Is there no TCM documentary on pre-Code films? I thought there was.

There's Complicated Women from 2003.

[Antoine Doinel]

The full press release up at DavisDVD. No features other than the Osbourne introduction and a trailer for Baby Face. $49.95 SRP. The price is a bit high, but I would imagine restoring these films wasn't cheap. In reality we'll all be pre-ordering and will end up paying about $30 anyway so $10 per film isn't bad in my book (and both versions of Baby Face is a pretty nice treat).

I look foward to what future volumes will bring....

[filmnoir1]

I agree that it is a bit disappointing that Warner Home Video cannot find the opportunity to release more of their precode films in this initial set. I am hoping that they will release Employees Entrance, Skyscraper of Souls, Blessed Event, Female, The Strange Love of Molly Louvain,They Call It Sin, Illicit,and others that they released on VHS. But for now, I am delighted to hear that Red Headed Woman and Babyface will be on DVD. It is a perfect pairing of films about women who will do anything for status and material comfort. I will definitely be purchasing this set.
I am saddened to hear that this will be a bare bones release after Warner's great efforts with the other box sets they have released.

[Narshty]

It's bizarre that Warner can charge $40 for a six-film set like the upcoming Hollywood Legends of Horror that have had similar restorations, not to mention commentaries for five of the films, yet insist on $50 for this 2-disc set containing three (admittedly shit-hot) movies in barebones incarnations. Is it just the TCM association that bumps the price?

[clutch44]

It's bizarre that Warner can charge $40 for a six-film set like the upcoming Hollywood Legends of Horror that have had similar restorations, not to mention commentaries for five of the films, yet insist on $50 for this 2-disc set containing three (admittedly shit-hot) movies in barebones incarnations. Is it just the TCM association that bumps the price?

I don't think so, all the previous TCM Archive sets have retailed at $40. I believe it has more to do with the huge interest in Pre-Code Hollywood and Warner wanting to cash in on the opportunity. Hopefully future volumes without the hype of "the authentic version presumed lost for 70 years" of Baby Face will retail at $40.

[alandau]

confirmed as 39.95

[Matt]

confirmed as 39.95

Confirmed where?

[Ashirg]

See comments
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=62504

[dadaistnun]

Good to know $50 was incorrect, even if those of us interested would have spent that anyway. Still disappointed in the lack of extras compared to the earlier TCM archives releases, but oh well.

Like the cover, but it's odd that they've used a shot of Norma Shearer's gams when she's not represented in the set.

[Antoine Doinel]

Just went up for pre-order on Amazon.ca - $31.99. Not bad at all. $10 per film is fine in my books.

[shearerchic]

Just went up for pre-order on Amazon.ca - $31.99. Not bad at all. $10 per film is fine in my books.

its now 27.99 at amazon.

[shearerchic]

Good to know $50 was incorrect, even if those of us interested would have spent that anyway. Still disappointed in the lack of extras compared to the earlier TCM archives releases, but oh well.

Like the cover, but it's odd that they've used a shot of Norma Shearer's gams when she's not represented in the set.

she'll most likely be in the volume, that is if they don't give her own set which she deserves.

[Lino]

I look foward to what future volumes will bring....

These are some possibilities:

LD Forbidden Hollywood Collection

including:

Blessed Event (1932)
Skyscraper Souls (1932)
Three on a Match (1932)
Employee's Entrance (1933)
Female (1933)
Ladies They Talk About (1933)


LD Forbidden Hollywood Collection Vol. 2

including:

Illicit (1931)
Big Business Girl (1931)
Beauty and the Boss (1932)
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain (1932)
They Call It Sin (1932)
Havana Widows (1933)
I've Got Your Number (1934)


LD Forbidden Hollywood Double-Feature Blonde Crazy/Lady Killer

LD Forbidden Hollywood Double-Feature Our Dancing Daughters/Our Modern Maidens

LD Forbidden Hollywood Double-Feature Baby Face/Night Nurse

and now some titles on VHS that still haven't made the transition to DVD (and never made it to LD as far as I'm aware) --

Madam Satan (1930)
Dance, Fools, Dance (1931)
Scarlet Dawn (1932)
Heroes for Sale (1933)


All these titles were initially compiled by Leonard Maltin for MGM in the VHS years and they often came with filmed introductions by himself at the beginning of the feature.

All in all, definitely a collection to look forward to and I'm only sad that Warner didn't decide to go all-out on them and release a fully-fledged set with perhaps 6 or 8 titles in it. Oh, well - maybe they're just testing waters.

[filmnoir1]

I purchased this today and when I put in the discs I noticed that what the box says about the content of each disc is incorrect. Has anyone else had any problems? In the set I purchased the two cuts of Baby Face are on disc 1 and on disc 2 is Red Headed Woman and Waterloo Bridge.

[filmnoir1]

I just finished watching the uncut Baby Face and it is amazing how different the film is and how risque. Stanwyck's performance even seems to be different, in many case she seems to be even more seductive, if you can believe that is possible. Also the ending is completely different. There is really no telling how much different things might have been for American films had films like Baby Face and Queen Christina been the standard, rather the imaginary world of pristine behavior that Hollywood portrayed.
Let's hope that in the second volume they include Employees Entrance and maybe even Temple Drake, if the negative still exists in an uncut form.

[Derek Estes]

How is the set packaged filmnoir1?

[filmnoir1]

It is a overlapping two disc set in a slim case.

[manicsounds]

according to dvdbeaver, the set seems very disappointing, especially with the quality of Babyface theatrical. and dont these films deserve commentaries?

[Matt]

according to dvdbeaver, the set seems very disappointing, especially with the quality of Babyface theatrical. and dont these films deserve commentaries?

I'm not surprised that the uncut version looks better than the cut--it was transferred from a dupe negative untouched for 70 years. But I otherwise agree that this set is a disappointment. These films deserve commentaries, the Complicated Women documentary, background materials on the cuts demanded by the Hays office (these documents exist), and much more. But in the end, I'm just glad to have these films on DVD.

[Multi-Region]

In regards of Norma Shearer's legs on the cover:
Actually, Norma's retouched legs (she was a little chubby in those days, just a little). George Hurrell retouched her legs at her request and posed her in wyas to make her legs look better than they really did, although by 1934 in RIPTIDE an exercise guru named Madame Sylvia (I think) toned her legs to perfection. And Norma Shearer isn't quite as scandalous as the women in the box set, but the legs look good on the cover.

PS
Pricewatch: DVD at DVDPacific $ 27.07/€ 21.28

[foggy eyes]

Beaver on the set.