edgedrv
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Posts posted by edgedrv
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This has been a good year for fans of the wonderful comedian Carole Lombard. More and more of this unappreciated actress are being released to DVD for the first time. Two more titles have been announced for early next year, the rarely seen TWENTIETH CENTURY (1934) which co-stars John Barrymore and Lombard's last film directed by Ernst Lubitsch TO BE OR NOT TO BE co-starring Jack Benny. Other films I would like to see which star Lombard are THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED and IN NAME ONLY.
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Thanx for all the info moirafinnie144. My DVD collection keeps growing. The last I heard LAURA was due for release in March, but I guess they moved up the release date. I am really looking forward to the two Laird Cregar films. Haven't seen them for years. BTW THE LOCKET with Laraine Day and Robert Mitchum is an RKO release. Hopefully, this will be coming up in WB's film noir releases.
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I believe Guy Madison should be added to this list.
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Fox has announced 3 titles to be released on February 22 as part of their Studio Classics series: LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN. Extras include commentary by Darryl Hickman and Richard Schickle, LETTER TO THREE WIVES and RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE (both with extras). Also, LAURA will finally be released on March 15 as part of the studio's film noir collection. Extras include bios on Gene Tierney and Vicent Price, with commentary by the late composer David Raksin.
Columbia has also announced some rare titles coming in February. They include TWENTIETH CENTURY with John Barrymore and Carole Lombard, WE WERE STRANGERS with Jennifer Jones and John Garfield. These two films have been out of circulation for years. Other titles being released are STRANGERS WHEN WE MEET with Kim Novak and Kirk Douglas, IT HAPPENED TO JANE with Doris Day and Jack Lemmon.
2005 is going to be a big year for all classic movie fans.
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As a followup to my comments about Hutton, I read that ANNIE was such a smash hit that MGM deperately wanted to buy Hutton's contract from Paramount. This is another reason to think Hutton's bad talk about MGM was far fetched.
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For some reason when I went to Digitalbits, they hadn't updated since December 9, and there is nothing about the Goldwyn releases. I am wondering if there is something wrong with receiving updates for this website. This happened once before and all the updates came in one week. I know things are updated on a day to day basis. Very strange.
Although not a classic, Paramount is releasing the rare and controversial Olivia de Havilland 1964 film LADY IN A CAGE. It's a very difficult film with a very good cast including Ann Sothern and early James Caan.
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I also found this film to be a real gem. Its been off TV for years. I especially like the look of the film, from the opening credits with the characters in silhouette through many other sequences. The production was designed by William Cameron Menzies, who usually worked with DOS.
BTW seeing after seeing the recent FINDING NEVERLAND, I watched the silent PETER PAN on DVD again. Speaking of charm, this film has it all over. Its wonderful, and still holds up after an amazing 80 years. Even if you are not into silent films, this one's worth owning.
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Ms. Hutton had a bad life, but as I say you make your own bed. At the height of her fame in the early 50s she screwed up her career by insisting that her husband Charles O'Curren direct her next film. Then she walked away from her career because the studio wouldn't consent to this. Over the years she had alienated many people including her own daughters. My take on the ANNIE film was that Ms. Hutton was treated with kid gloves at her home studio of Paramount. When she went on loanout to to MGM it was a whole different story. They didn't cater to her. It's hard for me to believe that everyone on the set totally ignored her. I also think she felt guilty about taking over the role from Garland. Hutton said stars were treated badly at MGM. I really never heard such a thing. That MGM didn't invite Hutton to the premiere of ANNIE seems incredible since she was the star of the film. After 50 years she is still greiving about this this film. I feel its about time to move on. I was at the Academy for the screening of ANNIE some years ago and its unfortunate Ms. Hutton did not attend. BTW anybody ever notice the similarities between ANNIE and PERILS OF PAULINE?
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DeepDiscountDVD is selling the Andrews TV musical.
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Extras in the double disc special edition of THE PHILADEPHIA STORY will include the Hepburn documentary ALL ABOUT ME, Richard Schickle's documentary on director George Cukor, 2 radio versions of the film and commentary by Jeannie Basinger, DINNER AT EIGHT will include the documentary BLONDE BOMBSHELL narrated by Sharon Stone which was run some time ago on TCM.
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On February 22, 2005 FOX will be releasing two classic titles A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN and AGONY AND THE EXSTASY. The titles are listing for $9.99. I not sure if these two titles are part of the FOX STUDIO CLASSIC collections since the art work is not up on any website. With so many great titles coming out, its good news for fans pocketbooks when studios drop the list prices on the older films. These two titles can be had for less than $7 online. Oddly enough there is no info yet on Deep Discount or DVD Planet websites re PINKY or LETTER TO THREE WIVES, which are supposed to be coming early next year.
Coming in March, FOX has announced three more Film Noir Classics: PANIC IN THE STREETS, HOUSE OF BAMBOO and CALLING NORTHSIDE 777.
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On March 1, 2005 WB will be releasing an array of classic titles, many of which are long awaited including special 2 disc editions of the Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn films BRINGING UP BABY and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, Hepburn with Ginger Rogers in STAGE DOOR, the first of two Jean Harlow films: DINNER AT EIGHT and LIBELED LADY and lastly Carole Lombard and Jack Benny in Ernest Lubitsch's TO BE OR NOT TO BE. This is an exciting lineup of releases for film buffs like myself and others.
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thereafuster, in your interesting rundown on HENRY ORIENT you neglected to mention that fine actress Phyllis Thaxter, who played the mother of one of the two teens. This was one of Thaxter's rare screen roles in the 60's. In fact the only other film that she appeared in after that was SUPERMAN. Unfortunely, Thaxter who was under contract to WB in the 50s was always typecast in sincere/nice girl roles and most people today have forgotten her. BTW although I am not much of a fan of Peter Sellers, I like HENRY ORIENT very much.
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I rarely buy public domain films, therefore I was a bit apprehensive when I purchased a DVD double feature consisting of TULSA and SMASHUP both starring Hayward and both directed by Stuart Heisler, released by a company called ACME Works. Both films had been released as single features by other companies. And I had seen some terrible PD's of these two films. I was even more concerned since one of the films was in technicolor. I have seen several PD's in color, mostly MGM films such as TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY and ROYAL WEDDING and the color was very soft. I suspect THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS is the same.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by the mostly lovely color print for TULSA which is about the early days of the Oklahoma oil boom. Reds, Blues, Greens are all true in color. Even Hayward beautiful red hair was striking, unlike other color films where her hair seems to be brownish. This is one of the few Eagle-Lion films I have ever seen.
SMASHUP, one of my favorites, is an excellent (but not quite perfect) B&W print. There were very few gliches and this film seemed superior to the one that runs on TCM. Like TULSA this is the best print I have seen of this film. Hayward received her first Oscar nomination for this film. She always said she was grateful to Walter Wanger who produced the two films on this DVD. Later, when he offered her the role of a lifetime as Barbara Graham the convicted murderess, Hayward grabbed it and copped an Oscar.
These are two films of Hayward on the brink of super stardom and are worth having for anyone who doesn't own a copy of them. In fact, Deep Discount is selling the DVD for under $6.
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Barrymore's first wife was former redheaded actress Cara Williams, who produced a son, sometime actor John Barrymore. In fact I worked with Barrymore's son briefly in a temp office job sometime in the late 80s. We talked a bit about his mother and father. I have no idea who Drew Barrymore's mother is.
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Yes, I too mostly ignore TCM in February. Most of the films I either saw or am indifferent to. And I know its a wonderful film and one of my favorites, but for heaven's sake TCM give TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD a rest. They are running this film into the ground with endless repeats.
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I picked up the Vincent Price thriller HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL for $1. The print was pretty decent. Curious as to what the print of LAST TIME I SAW PARIS is like.
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richardny4me, did not yet buy the CD yet, as there are so many priorities ahead, mostly DVD's. I vaguely remember reading something about Allyson as Lillian Roth. I think Allyson wanted to get away from the sweetness and light roles she was typecast in. She was surprisingly effective in the rarely seen THE SHRIKE. I guess she might have carried it off with the right director. But no matter how good Allyson's performance she could never come close to Hayward's magnificent portrayal of Lillian Roth.
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TCMprogrammer, some months ago I commented about TCM showing MIDNIGHT LACE in a non-widescreen version, so this afternoon I was pleasantly surprised to see the station running (for the first time?) a letterboxed version of this Doris Day starrer. Apparently Universal got their act together re this film. It's amazing how sharper a print is when its shown in its original ratio.
Also, earlier this morning CAST A DARK SHADOW was telecast. I was under the impression that this was a public domain film, so I was puzzled to see the Turner logo proceed the film. BTW, the print that TCM showed was much better than the one I recently purchased.
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therea1fuster, I am assuming your dream cast is supposed to be a joke. Streep and Close have about as much sex appeal as an ant.
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therealfuster, Deep Discount DVD sells DANIEL WEBSTER for $28.76 plus they are now having a 20% off additionally sale, which would make this DVD a great buy from its original $39.95 price.
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Although I haven't heard the commentary track on GWTW, Rudy Behlmer, although very knowledgeable about films, comes off very dry in most of the commentaries he has done for prior DVD's.
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Everyone forgets MGM remade THE WOMEN in 1956 as the musical THE OPPOSITE SEX with June Allyson in the Shearer role, Joan Collins as Crystal, Dolores Gray as Sylvia and a good supporting cast consisting of the wonderful Ann Sheridan, Joan Blondell and Agnes Moorehead. The film, although it had its moments (to me Sheridan came off the best) was a pale remake of the 1939 film. I think times have changed and women have changed and no matter who stars in this film, I just think this story line won't hold up with today's audiences.
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On February 1, 2005 Universal is set to release Preston Sturges' 1942 wacky comedy THE PALM BEACH STORY which stars Claudette Colbert, the always underrated Joel McCrea and Mary Astor. This is a welcome release, although for some reason Universal is slow to dig into the Paramount pre-48 library which they own, for the many gems that have yet to come out on DVD.
BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD: CLASSIC MUSICALS
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On March 15 WB releases an exciting box set or 5 classic musicals: They include a two disc THE BAND WAGON, extras include commentary by Michael Feinstein and Liza Minnelli and includes several outtakes, a 2 disc EASTER PARADE with commentary by Ava Astaire and the American Masters documentary on Judy Garlard. Both of these two films were given an ultra resolution transfer. The other films in the set include BRIGADOON: which will include three outakes from the film, BELLS ARE RINGING: features include outtakes and a new making of the film, and FINIANS RAINBOW which will include commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola and footage at the world premiere of the film. For musicals buffs like myself this is an exciting set of film musicals. List price is a bargain $59.95.