WARNER ARCHIVE: Kay Francis, Anne Baxter, Harry Langdon & More

Four more Archive releases have been posted over at WBShop.

Among them are the Kay Francis comedy Play Girl (1941) with James Ellison, Mildred Coles, Nigel Bruce and Margaret Hamilton; the crime-drama Bedevilled (1955) starring Anne Baxter and Steve Forrest; and the Michael Curtiz helmed A Soldier's Plaything (1930) starring Harry Langdon and Ben Lyon.

Not to be outshined is 1937's Pick a Star starring Jack Haley, Patsy Kelly and Mischa Auer and featuring Laurel and Hardy.

All will be available here at ClassicFlix on April 10th.


These new DVDs add to the total of over 800 Warner Archive titles exclusively available for rent at ClassicFlix.com.

VCI: Miracle of Marcelino Standard & Blu in April

WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
Miracle of Marcelino (Blu-Ray)
April 3rd
VCI
Retail $14.99, Our: $12.99
Buy Now
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WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
Miracle of Marcelino (1958)
April 3rd
VCI
Retail $19.99, Our: $15.99
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Previously released on standard DVD, Miracle of Marcelino has received an all new HD transfer and will be streeting on both standard and Blu-Ray this April 3rd.

All new bonus features are included (below).


VCI is very pleased to present this special classic motion picture, digitally restored from a new HD master.

A Grand Prize Award winner at the International Cannes Film Festival and a heartwarming film, "Marcelino Pan Y Vino," is about a little orphan boy who causes a miracle.

Left on the doorstep of a monastery as an infant, Marcelino was raised by the Monks. He was well cared for but lonely and missed having a mother. One day he found a special friend in the forbidden attic… hanging on a cross. A friend that would repay Marcelino's kindness by granting him one heart-felt wish.

BONUS FEATURES:
  • Two 2012 Featurettes:
    • A Childlike Faith
    • Miracles
  • 1992 Color Re-make Promo
  • Original Trailer in Spanish

WARNER ARCHIVE: Keaton, Kyser & Pre-Code Double Features

Not yet posted over at WBShop, we've got the scoop on what's ahead for Warner's Archive collection.

Buster Keaton at MGM will feature three early sound Keaton comedies (likely on 2 discs): Parlor, Bedroom and Bath (1931) and Speak Easily (1932), which have had numerous releases from public domain companies, and The Passionate Plumber (1932), which makes its DVD debut. Artwork below.

The other three releases are double features:

Swing Fever (1943) / Playmates (1941)
For one generation, he needs no introduction. For the next, he's the greatest Pop star they've never heard of. Regardless of where you fall, let's all make time to get reacquainted with the master of mirth and music, Kay Kyser.

Bandleader Kyser rose to the top thanks to his talented band (including the legendary Ish Kabibble) and his trademark "Ol' Professor" persona, through which Kay quizzed and enthralled audiences on stage, studio and screen.

Swing Fever (1943, 79 min.)
Swing Fever finds Kay using music and hypnosis to turn a chump into a champ. Featuring Lena Horne, the Merrill Abbott Dancers and Ava Gardner.

Playmates (1941, 96 min.)
Playmates sees Kyser and John Barrymore playing themselves in a reality-twisting showbiz parody. Washed up thespian Barrymore agrees to turn bumpkin Kyser into a Shakespearean actor in exchange for a radio contract. The whole affair culminates in a swing version of Romeo and Juliet. The always wonderful Lupe Velez adds spice and song.

Bright Lights (1930) / The Reckless Hour (1931)
Once nearly forgotten, now dearly rediscovered, Dorothy Mackaill's work is in the midst of a well deserved renaissance, and we are pleased to present a pair of films that will only add luster to her legend.

Bright Lights (1930, 69 min.)
Unforgettable film director Michael Curtiz puts Dorothy through her paces in Bright Lights, the tale of a hoofer who hulas her way from sleazy dives to the Great White Way, only to end up facing murder charges when her past comes back to haunt her. Mackaill ably struts her ex-Ziegfeld stuff, singing and dancing alongside Noah Berry and Frank Fay. A.K.A. Adventures in Africa).

The Reckless Hour (1931, 71 min.)
Dorothy's The Office Wife co-star, blondacious Joan Blondell, once again slips into the role of younger sib, supporting her in this tale of stolen virtue. Shop model Margaret (Mackaill) catches the eye of wealthy, dapper young Allen (Walter Byron). Unfortunately the primrose path Margaret sees in her future is lined with the broken rocks of her virtue...

The Crash (1932) / Registered Nurse (1934)
Ruth Chatterton and Bebe Daniels, two of the greatest leading ladies of the Pre-Code era, are the main attraction in this riches to rags "working woman" double bill.

The Crash (1932, 58 min.)
Storied director William Dieterle takes the reins in the first picture, directing newlyweds Ruth Chatterton and George Brent. The pair play a married couple who broker wifely favors for inside stock tips. When the market crashes, both must learn a new way to live. And love.

Registered Nurse (1934, 63 min.)
Registered Nurse finds Bebe Daniels leaving society dreams behind after her husband cracks up. Returning to the working world, 'Ben' (Daniels) tries to stay loyal to her mentally ill husband while fending off advances and her own temptations working the "night watch." With Lyle Talbot, Sidney Toler and Beulah Bondi. Directed by Robert Florey.


All will be available here at ClassicFlix on April 10th. These new DVDs add to the total of over 800 Warner Archive titles exclusively available for rent at ClassicFlix.com.

ARTWORK ADDED: Maverick - Season 1

--ARTWORK ADDED TO PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT--

ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT
WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
Maverick - The Complete First Season
May 29th
Warner Bros.
Retail: $39.98 Our: $29.99
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Warner isn't bluffing: Maverick - The Complete First Season is coming to DVD.

The 7-disc set will be on standard DVD (not a MOD release) and street on May 29th.

Retail is $39.98, but it is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $29.99. No details on bonus features at this time.

SONY: Lone Wolf Meets a Lady in April

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WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
Lone Wolf Meets a Lady (1940)
April 3rd
Sony
Retail: 20.95, Our: $17.99
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More Lone Wolf from Sony's Columbia Classics line as they have announced Lone Wolf Meets a Lady (1940) for release on April 3rd.

They have also scheduled a MOD re-print of Die! Die! My Darling! (1965) since it is no longer in circulation.

Also of note regarding Sony's MOD line, they have changed the name (again), this time to the extremely bland "Choice Collection." The first name for their line was "Screen Classics by Request," then "Columbia Classics," now it's the "Choice Collection." Going forward, we're going to keep the name "Columbia Classics" as that is indeed what they are (and who knows if they'll change the name again in the next six months).

TCM VAULT: Jean Arthur Drama Collection in May

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WHEN:
STUDIO:
TITLES:

Jean Arthur Drama Collection (TCM Vault)
May 7th
Sony
Whirlpool (1934), The Most Precious Thing in Life (1934), The Defense Rests (1934), Party Wire (1935)


Quickly following up on their Jean Arthur Comedy Collection of last October, Sony will release the Jean Arthur Drama Collection on May 7th.

Released via TCM's Vault line, the 4-disc set is available exclusively for purchase at TCM.com, and only available for rent here at ClassicFlix.

Bonus features are not forthcoming, but will likely be in number consistent with Vault's previous releases.

In the set:

  • Whirlpool (1934) - Jack Holt, Donald Cook, Allen Jenkins
  • The Most Precious Thing in Life (1934) - Richard Cromwell, Donald Cook, Anita Louise
  • The Defense Rests (1934) - Jack Holt, Nat Pendleton
  • Party Wire (1935) - Victor Jory, Helen Lowell, Robert Allen, Charley Grapewin

Riverboat - The Complete Series in May

WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
Riverboat - The Complete Series
May 15th
Timeless Media Group
Retail: $39.98, Our: $29.99
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Previously released in a 3-disc best-of set, Riverboat will be another completed series from Timeless as they have announced Riverboat - The Complete Series for release on May 15th.

The 6-disc set will retail for $39.98, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $29.99. Bonus features are not expected.


SYNOPSIS:
For the first time ever, the complete NBC television series, Riverboat!

Darren McGavin and Burt Reynolds head a superb cast in this thrilling adventure series set aboard a stern-wheeler plying the Mississippi River in the 1840’s. McGavin plays Captain Grey Holden, who won the “Enterprise” in a poker game, and Reynolds, in his first TV series role, plays the boat pilot Ben Frazer.

Drawing on stories from real-life travelers on the river, each hour-long episode of Riverboat relives events on the “Enterprise”, as she travels up and down the Mississippi, America’s premier waterway.

Actors in recurring roles include Noah Beery, Jr., John Mitchum and Jack Lambert. Episode guest stars include Vera Miles, Aldo Ray, Anne Baxter, Eddie Albert, Claude Akins, Debra Paget, Vincent Price, and Robert Vaughn.

SHOUT: Route 66 - The Complete Series in May

WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
Route 66 - The Complete Series
May 22nd
Shout! Factory
Retail: $129.99, Our: $99.99
Buy Now


Shout! Factory has scheduled a May 22nd release date for Route 66 - The Complete Series.

Shout! picked up the license for the show after Infinity Entertainment released the first three seasons. This set includes all four seasons (116 episodes) on 24 discs.

Whether or not a separate set containing the fourth season will be released remains to be seen. If so, it'll likely come later this year (at which point we'll carry it for rent).

Retail will be $129.99, but it's available at ClassicFlix.com for only $99.99. Bonus features are listed below.


On a weekly basis, from 1960 to 1964, the CBS network treated American audiences to two things they loved the most: television drama and cars. Starring Martin Milner, George Maharis and later Glenn Corbett, this series presented the exciting adventures shared by a pair of good-natured friends as they drove their Corvette convertible across the country, traversing the often dangerous highway known as Route 66.

By the end of the show’s run of 116 episodes, this semi-anthology series boasted an award for writing and two Emmy nominations for acting. The program’s impressive guest star roster included such classic screen legends as Lon Chaney, Jr., Buster Keaton, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff, as well as up-and-coming cinematic stars Robert Duvall, James Caan, Robert Redford, Lee Marvin, Burt Reynolds, Gene Hackman and many more, making Route 66 as iconic as the highway itself.

BONUS FEATURES:
  • Rare 1990 William S. Paley Television Festival panel -- Q&A style feature focusing on Route 66 with the following participants:
    • Marion Dougherty (casting director)
    • Arthur Hiller (director)
    • Elliot Silverstein (director)
    • George Maharis (“Buz Murdock”)
    • Herbert B. Leonard (writer/producer)
  • Vintage commercials
  • Great Cars: Corvette -- an in-depth look at the legendary sports car

WARNER ARCHIVE: Dangerous, Steel Trap, Blessed Event & More!

Another spectacular wave of 8 Warner Archive titles have been posted at over at WBShop. Among them are Bette Davis' first Oscar-winning role, Joan Crawford's first talkie and Dick Powell's film debut.

All will be available here at ClassicFlix on April 3rd. They are:

  • Back Pay (1930) - Corinne Griffith, Grant Withers, Montagu Love
  • Blessed Event (1932) - Lee Tracy, Mary Brian, Dick Powell, Allen Jenkins, Ruth Donnelly
  • Dangerous (1935) - Bette Davis, Franchot Tone, Margaret Lindsay
  • Fast Workers (1933) - John Gilbert, Robert Armstrong, Mae Clarke & dir. Tod Browning
  • Night Song (1947) - Dana Andrews, Merle Oberon, Ethel Barrymore, Hoagy Carmichael
  • The Steel Trap (1952) - Joseph Cotten, Teresa Wright
  • Thirteen Women (1932) - Irene Dunne, Ricardo Cortez, Myrna Loy
  • Untamed (1929) - Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery

These new DVDs add to the total of over 800 Warner Archive titles exclusively available for rent at ClassicFlix.com.

NO BLUFF: Maverick - The Complete First Season in May

WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
Maverick - The Complete First Season
May 29th
Warner Bros.
Retail: $39.98 Our: $29.99
Buy Now
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Warner isn't bluffing: Maverick - The Complete First Season is coming to DVD.

The 7-disc set will be on standard DVD (not a MOD release) and street on May 29th.

Retail is $39.98, but it is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $29.99. No details on bonus features at this time.

SHOUT: Hazel - Season 3 in May

WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
Hazel - The Complete Third Season
May 15th
Shout! Factory
Retail: $34.93, Our: $27.99
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On the eve of Season 2's release next Tuesday, Shout! Factory has announced Hazel - The Complete Third Season for release on May 15th.

The 4-disc set will retail for $34.93, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $27.99.


MGM MOD: Mitchum & London in Wonderful Country Plus 4 More

After taking January off, MGM's Mod program is back with five new releases on February 28th. They are:

  • The Big Night (1951) - John Drew Barrymore, Preston Foster, Joan Lorring, Howard St. John, Dorothy Comingore, Dir. Joseph Losey
  • Southwest Passage (1954) - Rod Cameron, Joanne Dru, John Dehner, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Darryl Hickman
  • Three Bad Sisters (1956) - Marla English, Kathleen Hughes, Sara Shane, John Bromfield
  • Timbuktu (1959) - Victor Mature, Yvonne De Carlo, George Dolenz, John Dehner, Dir. by Jacques Tourneur
  • The Wonderful Country (1959) - Robert Mitchum, Julie London, Gary Merrill, Albert Dekker, Jack Oakie, Charles McGraw, Leroy 'Satchel' Paige









Julie Newmar, Robert Cummings in My Living Doll this March

WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
My Living Doll, Vol. 1
March 20th
MPI
Retail: $24.98, Our: $19.99
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MPI has scheduled My Living Doll, Vol. 1 for release on March 20th.

Julie Newmar and Robert Cummings starred in the short-lived series which aired in the 1964-65 season and ran for 26 episodes.

This 2-disc set will feature 11 episodes and include a "wealth of special features" which have not yet been announced.

Retail will be $24.98, but it is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $19.99.



SYNOPSIS:
Iconic actress Julie Newmar may be best-known as the original feline villain Catwoman in the 1960s Batman television series. However, her cult-classic, small-screen career was cemented with the CBS-TV sitcom My Living Doll.

Newmar portrays Rhonda the robot, a top-secret project of the U.S. government's space program, who is placed under the supervision of agency psychiatrist Dr. Bob McDonald, played by Robert Cummings (Love That Bob). Bob moves the beautiful Rhonda into his apartment and begins the task of training her how to function in the human world while keeping her secret from being discovered, a situation complicated by his interfering sister (Doris Dowling) and his love-sick neighbor Peter (Jack Mullaney).

This collection offers 11 complete episodes of My Living Doll which have not aired on television in decades and make their official DVD debut. A wealth of special features is also included.

OLIVE: Buccaneer (1938), Jayhawkers & Pony Express in April

WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
The Buccaneer (1938)
April 24th
Olive Flims
Retail: 24.95, Our: $17.99
Buy Now
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WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
The Jayhawkers
April 24th
Olive Flims
Retail: 24.95, Our: $17.99
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WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
The Jayhawkers (Blu-Ray)
April 24th
Olive Flims
Retail: 24.95, Our: $17.99
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WHAT:
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STUDIO:
PRICE:
Pony Express
April 24th
Olive Flims
Retail: 24.95, Our: $17.99
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More from the Paramount vault courtesy of Olive Films as they have announced an April 24th release date for Cecil B. DeMille's The Buccaneer (1938) starring Fredric March; Pony Express (1953) starring Charlton Heston, Rhonda Fleming, Jan Sterling & Forrest Tucker on standard DVD; and The Jayhawkers (1959) Starring Jeff Chandler and Fess Parker on both standard & Blu.

Bonus features are not expected.





WARNER ARCHIVE: The Red Danube (1949)

Another title is coming from Warner's Archive collection as The Red Danube (1949) will street shortly.

The post-war romantic drama stars Walter Pidgeon, Ethel Barrymore, Peter Lawford, Angela Lansbury, Janet Leigh and Louis Calhern, and will be available here at ClassicFlix on March 27th.

This new DVD adds to the total of over 800 Warner Archive titles exclusively available for rent at ClassicFlix.com.

ARTWORK ADDED: Pillow Talk (Blu-Ray)

--ARTWORK ADDED TO PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT--


ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT
WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
Pillow Talk (Blu-Ray)
May 1st
Universal
Retail: $39.98, Our: $31.99
Buy Now
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More Blu from Universal as they have scheduled Pillow Talk (Blu-Ray) for release on May 1st.

The release, part of Universal's 100th anniversary celebration, is a combo pack which will also include a standard definition version (likely the previous transfer).

Additionally, the "Blu-Ray Book" will contain a 48 page booklet, plus bonus features (below) that both carry over from the standard release and are shared by all "100 Years of Universal" titles.

It will retail for $39.98, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $31.99.

SYNOPSIS:
Hollywood legends Rock Hudson and Doris Day light up the screen in the Academy Award-winning romantic comedy Pillow Talk.

This timeless romantic comedy tells the charming story of Jan Morrow (Day), an uptight interior decorator who must share a party line with laid-back playboy Brad Allen (Hudson). But the real connection is made when the two meet and he begins wooing her with late-night calls - while pretending to be someone else.

Nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Actress, this enjoyable romp co-stars Tony Randall (TV’s "The Odd Couple") and features delightful bonus material. Pillow Talk is the film that brought Rock Hudson and Doris Day together for the first time and is a dreamy addition to any Blu-Ray library!

BONUS FEATURES:

  • Feature Commentary with Film Historian Jeff Bond, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman**
  • Chemistry 101: The Film Duo of Doris Day and Rock Hudson - Examine the Classic Screen Couple and Their Three Films Together**
  • Back in Bed With Pillow Talk - Take a Look Back at the Making of the Film and its Lasting Legacy**
  • Original Theatrical Trailer**
  • 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics
  • 100 Years of Universal: The Carl Laemmle Era
  • 100 Years of Universal: Unforgettable Characters
  • PLUS: 48 page book with a special introduction, photos, theatrical poster reproductions, script pages and much more!
**Carries over from standard DVD release.

WARNER ARCHIVE: Wheeler & Woolsey, Plus 1934's British Agent

Four Wheeler and Woolsey films, plus a Michael Curtiz tale of "romance and revolution in Russia" starring Leslie Howard and Kay Francis are coming soon from Warner's Archive collection.

All will be available here at ClassicFlix on March 27th. They are:

  • Diplomaniacs (1933) - Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Marjorie White, Phyllis Barry, Louis Calhern
  • Kentucky Kernels (1934) - Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Mary Carlisle, George 'Spanky' McFarland, Noah Beery
  • On Again Off Again (1937) - Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Marjorie Lord
  • The Rainmakers (1935) - Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Dorothy Lee, Berton Churchill, George Meeker
  • British Agent (1934) - Leslie Howard, Kay Francis, William Gargan, dir. Michael Curtiz
NOTE: Also out will be Season 2, Volumes 1 & 2 of The FBI. However, because of the high breakage rate of the First Season (which we no longer have available), we will not carry these sets.

These new DVDs add to the total of over 800 Warner Archive titles exclusively available for rent at ClassicFlix.com.

Pillow Talk (Blu-Ray) in May

WHAT:
WHEN:
STUDIO:
PRICE:
Pillow Talk (Blu-Ray)
May 1st
Universal
Retail: $39.98, Our: $31.99
Buy Now
Add to QueueAdd to Queue Top Priority


More Blu from Universal as they have scheduled Pillow Talk (Blu-Ray) for release on May 1st.

The release, part of Universal's 100th anniversary celebration, is a combo pack which will also include a standard definition version (likely the previous transfer).

Additionally, the "Blu-Ray Book" will contain a 48 page booklet, plus bonus features (below) that both carry over from the standard release and are shared by all "100 Years of Universal" titles.

It will retail for $39.98, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $31.99.

SYNOPSIS:
Hollywood legends Rock Hudson and Doris Day light up the screen in the Academy Award-winning romantic comedy Pillow Talk.

This timeless romantic comedy tells the charming story of Jan Morrow (Day), an uptight interior decorator who must share a party line with laid-back playboy Brad Allen (Hudson). But the real connection is made when the two meet and he begins wooing her with late-night calls - while pretending to be someone else.

Nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Actress, this enjoyable romp co-stars Tony Randall (TV’s "The Odd Couple") and features delightful bonus material. Pillow Talk is the film that brought Rock Hudson and Doris Day together for the first time and is a dreamy addition to any Blu-Ray library!

BONUS FEATURES:

  • Feature Commentary with Film Historian Jeff Bond, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman**
  • Chemistry 101: The Film Duo of Doris Day and Rock Hudson - Examine the Classic Screen Couple and Their Three Films Together**
  • Back in Bed With Pillow Talk - Take a Look Back at the Making of the Film and its Lasting Legacy**
  • Original Theatrical Trailer**
  • 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics
  • 100 Years of Universal: The Carl Laemmle Era
  • 100 Years of Universal: Unforgettable Characters
  • PLUS: 48 page book with a special introduction, photos, theatrical poster reproductions, script pages and much more!
**Carries over from standard DVD release.

WARNER ARCHIVE: 5 Musicals in MacDonald & Eddy Wave

Musicals are the theme this week for Warner's Archive Collection which include four MacDonald and/or Eddy films. They are:

  • Balalaika (1939) - Nelson Eddy, Ilona Massey, Charles Ruggles, Frank Morgan, Lionel Atwill
  • Broadway Serenade (1939) - Jeanette MacDonald, Lew Ayres, Ian Hunter, Frank Morgan
  • The Firefly (1937) - Jeanette MacDonald, Allan Jones, Warren William, Billy Gilbert, Douglass Dumbrille
  • I Married an Angel (1942) - Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Edward Everett Horton, Binnie Barnes, Reginald Owen
  • One Sunday Afternoon (1948) - Dennis Morgan, Janis Paige, Don DeFore, Dorothy Malone
All will be available at ClassicFlix on March 20th.

These new DVDs add to the total of over 800 Warner Archive titles exclusively available for rent at ClassicFlix.com.