Where's Charlie?

[edgedrv]

tcmprogrammer, Is this 1952 screen version of the B'way play in the Turner library? It's been off TV for years. The film seems to have vanished. Ray Bolger recreated his role from the stage. Could there be some legal rights about WHERE'S CHARLIE being off TV?

[therealfuster]

just your average viewer, but I'd heard that there has never been a video made available of this film, because of the wife of Frank Loesser, not wanting such to be done.

 

This may have affected the showings of the film of "Where's Charley" on tv, though I do remember seeing it once upon a blue moon.

 

It must have something to do with just the movie rights, because revivals of the play are constant, and I just saw one listed locally in the last year.

 

The rights for the original Brandon Thomas play, and the later musical by George Abbott seem to carry on, so the hold up may have to do with the Loesser connection. The play rights are held by different companies, the original being Samuel French I think, but both places list the rights for the play and musical as being purchaseable.

 

Sorry to butt in, and I hope this helps though you may have already known this fact.

[chrtbsh]

you know more about it than I do; it isn't in our library, and (even though it's a Warner Brothers film) it isn't in the Warner catalog - it would make sense that there's an underlying rights issue

[edgedrv]

therealfuster, thanx for the info. I remember seeing WHERE'S CHARLIE on TV years ago and then it just vanished off TV. I thought it might be legal rights. Its seems silly Mrs. Loesser not wanting to make the film available on video, everybody loses this way. Maybe she just hated the filmed version.