Ripcord - Complete Series Now Available

TGG direct is following their recent successes of Sea Hunt, Bat Masterson and Highway Patrol, with releasing the complete series of Ripcord in two sets: Ripcord - Season 1 and Ripcord - Season 2.

The action-adventure series ran for 76 episodes (1961-1963) and stars Larry Pennell and Ken Curtis.

SYNOPSIS:
Larry Pennell and Ken Curtis star in this action-adventure TV Series that followed the new introductory sport of skydiving in the 1960s. Ripcord was considered the most danger-packed show on television. Every jump, aerial maneuver was real and photographed just as it happened, without ricks or illusions.

On assignment from businesses, government and private citizens, skydivers McKeever and Buckley plunge thousands of feet through the air for rescues, manhunts and scientific investigations.



OLIVE: Dan Duryea in The Bamboo Saucer This October

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The Bamboo Saucer
October 15th
Olive Films
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The Bamboo Saucer (Blu-Ray)
October 15th
Olive Films
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Olive Films has announced the DVD and Blu-Ray release of The Bamboo Saucer (1968) with a scheduled street date of October 15th.

Dan Duryea's final film, released posthumously, also stars John Ericson, Lois Nettleton and Bob Hastings.


Lead by the U.S. military, a team of scientists secretly travel into Red China to find the truth behind rumors of a downed U.F.O. While enroute to the saucer’s hidden location, the Americans meet a group of Russian scientists who are also searching for the spacecraft. The two teams race against time to find the alien craft and its promise of a fantastic jump in technology, while trying to avoid the Red Chinese troops in the area.

Television veteran Frank Telford directed this action-packed science fiction thriller with top-notch cinematography by the great Hal Mohr (Captain Blood). The stellar cast includes Dan Duryea, John Ericson, Lois Nettleton, Bob Hastings, Bernard Fox and James Hong. 

COLUMBIA CLASSICS: Dick Van Dyke in The Comic & More in October

More welcome releases are scheduled from Sony's Columbia Classic line this October 8th

They include Carl Reiner's The Comic (1969) starring Dick Van Dyke, Michele Lee, Mickey Rooney, Cornel Wilde and Steve Allen and the previously announced, then postponed Babies for Sale (1940) starring Rochelle Hudson, Miles Mander and a young Glenn Ford.

Also out is:
  • Air Hostess (1933) - Evalyn Knapp, James Murray, Jane Darwell, Thelma Todd
  • Unwelcome Stranger (1935) - Jack Holt, Mona Barrie, Jackie Searl, Ralph Morgan, Frankie Darro, Frank Orth
All have been newly remastered.

FOX: On the Riviera (Blu-Ray) in October

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On the Riviera (Blu-Ray)
October 8th
20th Century Fox
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More Blu from Fox as they have announced an October 8th release date for On the Riviera (Blu-Ray).

Bonus features are expected to carry over from the DVD release.


Jack Martin (Danny Kaye), an American entertainer working cabarets on the French Riviera, does an impersonation of philandering industrialist Henri Duran (Kaye, again) so convincingly that even Duran's beautiful wife (Gene Tierney) is fooled by it. When Duran's business interests compel him to be in London when he should be hosting a large soiree at his home, Martin is persuaded to impersonate Duran at the party. But matters threaten to get out of hand when Martin (as Duran) is confronted by several of the philanderer's women, and by Duran's ruthless business rival, M. Periton (Jean Murat).

BONUS FEATURES:

  • Featurette: The Rivera Story: A Remarkable Impersonation
  • Featurette: A Portrait of Danny Kaye
  • Featurette: The Jack of Clubs: Choreographer Jack Cole
  • Restoration Comparison
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • Still Galleries

KINO BLU: Hitch-Hiker, The Stranger & Night Tide in October

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The Hitch-Hiker
October 15th
Kino
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The Hitch-Hiker (Blu-Ray)
October 15th
Kino
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Night Tide
October 15th
Kino
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Night Tide (Blu-Ray)
October 15th
Kino
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The Stranger
October 15th
Kino
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The Stranger (Blu-Ray)
October 15th
Kino
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Some familiar classics are getting an upgrade from Kino this October 15th: The Hitch-Hiker (1953), Night Tide (1961) and The Stranger (1946). All three films have undergone restoration from 35mm prints and will be released on both DVD & Blu-Ray.

The films have seen numerous public domain company releases over the years with Film Chest recently doing a decent job with their 2011 Stranger combo set (which we carried until today's announcement). Hitch-Hiker was first released on DVD by Kino in 2000, but this will mark its Blu debut.

Announced by Kino earlier this year, Night Tide was postponed, but with this announcement, appears to have a solid release date.

Bonus features are expected for The Hitch-Hiker and Night Tide (below).

The only true "film noir" ever directed by a woman, this tour de force thriller (considered by many, including Lupino herself, to be her best film) is a classic, tension-packed, three-way dance of death about two middle-class American homebodies (Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy) on vacation in Mexico on a long-awaited fishing trip.

Suddenly their car and their very lives are commandeered by psychopathic serial killer Emmett Myers (William Talman). The striking light/dark contrasts, the stunning compositions (the two kidnap victims separated by a narrow stream from a gun-cradling madman with a bum eye) and the spatial integrity of a determining sense of locale (the pitiless topography of a rock-bound, horizonless Mexico over which hovers an ever-present doom) all contribute mightily to this fascinating character-study.

NOTE: This release is a 35mm archival restoration from the Library of Congress exclusively on the Kino label.



On leave in a shore side town, Johnny (Dennis Hopper) becomes interested in a young dark haired woman. They meet and he learns that she plays a mermaid in the local carnival. After strange occurrences, Johnny begins to believe that she may actually be a real mermaid that habitually kills during the cycle of the full moon.

 
BONUS FEATURES:
  • Commentary from Director Curtis Harrington and Actor Dennis Hopper
  • Extended interview (50 min.) with Director Curtis Harrington
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
This Academy Award-Nominated (Best Writing, Original Story) thriller follows Franz Kindler (Orson Welles), a Nazi fugitive hiding out as a professor in a small Connecticut town. When his new wife (Loretta Young) begins to suspect his past, a detective (Edward G. Robinson) sets out to uncover his identity

From Academy Award Winning Producer Sam Spiegel (Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, On The Waterfront).

BONUS FEATURES:

  • Audio commentary from filmmaker, historian and curator Bret Wood
  • Original Nazi concentration and prison camp footage (which are featured in the final film) from filmmaker George Stevens
  • Original Theatrical Trailer

COLUMBIA CLASSICS: John Derek & Lee J. Cobb in The Family Secret

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The Family Secret (1951)
September 24th
Sony
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John Derek, Lee J. Cobb and Jody Lawrance star in Sony's latest Columbia Classic offering, The Family Secret (1951), due on September 24th.


Law student David Clark (John Derek) finds himself in trouble when he accidentally kills his best friend. Wracked with guilt, he tells his father, attorney Howard Clark (Lee J. Cobb), about it.

David is urged to confess, but when another man is arrested for the crime, David clams up and offers his assistance to put the wrongly accused man away. As the case continues, the tension between father and son grows, and David has to decide whether or not to confess. 

FOX ARCHIVES: Big Stars in Latest Wave of Three

This week's Fox Cinema Archives slate boasts a bevy of stars in three releases that are due on September 24th. They are:
These new DVDs add to the total of over 200 Fox Cinema Archive titles exclusively available for rent at ClassicFlix.com.

WARNER ARCHIVE: Bomba the Jungle Boy, Vol. 2

Bomba the Jungle Boy, Vol. 2 is this week's Warner Archive Collection release.

This 3-disc set contains the final six films of the series and adds to the total of over 1,200 Warner Archive titles exclusively available for rent at ClassicFlix.com.

Jungle thrills abound in the final 6 films of the series based on the popular adventure novels. Johnny Sheffield stars – and there could be none better for the Bomba role than the actor who played Boy in the Weissmuller Tarzans.

In excitement-packed tales of gem smugglers, stampeding elephants, Bomba’s quest to learn about his parents and more, the Jungle Boy again shows he is an all-time matinee hero. 

FOX ARCHIVES: Four Sons, Wake Up and Dream & White Fang

Four more from Fox's Cinema Archives line are due on September 17th. They are:
  • Four Sons (1940) - Don Ameche, Eugenie Leontovich, Mary Beth Hughes
  • The Right Approach (1961) - Frankie Vaughan, Martha Hyer, Juliet Prowse, Gary Crosby, David McLean
  • Wake Up and Dream (1946) - John Payne, June Haver, Charlotte Greenwood, Connie Marshall, John Ireland
  • White Fang (1936) - Michael Whalen, Jean Muir, Slim Summerville, Charles Winninger, Jane Darwell, John Carradine
These new DVDs add to the total of over 200 Fox Cinema Archive titles exclusively available for rent at ClassicFlix.com.





CRITERION: City Lights (Blu-Ray / DVD Combo) in November

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City Lights (Blu-Ray / DVD Combo)
November 12th
Criterion
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Criterion has announced a November 12th release date for Charlie Chaplin's City Lights (1931) in a Blu-Ray / DVD combo set. Bonus features and details are below.

Whether this is a new direction for the premiere distributor of classic films in terms of packaging both formats together is unknown at this time.


The most cherished film by Charlie Chaplin is also his ultimate Little Tramp chronicle.

The writer-director-star achieved new levels of grace, in both physical comedy and dramatic poignancy, with this silent tale of a lovable vagrant falling for a young blind woman who sells flowers on the street (a magical Virginia Cherrill) and mistakes him for a millionaire. Though this Depression-era smash was made after the advent of sound, Chaplin remained steadfast in his love for the expressive beauty of the pre-talkie form. The result was the epitome of his art and the crowning achievement of silent comedy.

BONUS FEATURES:
  • New audio commentary by Charlie Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance
  • Chaplin Today: “City Lights,” a 2003 documentary on the film’s production, featuring Aardman Animations co-founder Peter Lord
  • Chaplin Studios: Creative Freedom by Design, a new interview program featuring visual effects expert Craig Barron
  • Archival footage from the production of City Lights, including film from the set, with audio commentary by Chaplin historian Hooman Mehran; a costume test; a rehearsal; and a complete scene not used in the film
  • Excerpt from Chaplin’s short film The Champion (1915), along with footage of the director with boxing stars at Chaplin Studios in 1918
  • Trailers
  • PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Gary Giddins and a 1966 interview with Chaplin

OLIVE: Cry Danger, Young at Heart in October

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Cry Danger
October 15th
Olive Films
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Cry Danger (Blu-Ray)
October 15th
Olive Films
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Young at Heart
October 15th
Olive Films
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Young at Heart (Blu-Ray)
October 15th
Olive Films
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Two more from Olive titles are scheduled for October 15th: Cry Danger (1951) and Young at Heart (1954).

Both will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray with this being Cry Danger's debut on both.


DISNEY: Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary (DVD & Blu) in December

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Mary Poppins - 50th Anniversary Edition
December 10th
Walt Disney
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Mary Poppins (Blu-Ray) - 50th Anniversary Edition
December 10th
Walt Disney
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Walt Disney has announced December 10th as the street date for the 50th Anniversary release of Mary Poppins (1964) on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Bonus features are not yet known, but we have listed the 40th Anniversary extras as a means of reference below.


Experience the extraordinary animation, dazzling special effects and award-winning music of Walt Disney's Mary Poppins in this fully restored and remastered 50th Anniversary Edition!

Join the "practically perfect" Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) for a "Jolly Holiday" as she magically turns every chore into a game and every day into a whimsical adventure. Along the way, you'll be enchanted by unforgettable characters such as the multi-talented chimney sweep Bert (Dick Van Dyke).

BONUS FEATURES:

  • Disney's Song Selection (Play individual songs with or without lyrics on screen)
  • Audio Commentary
  • Poppins Pup-Up Fun Facts
  • Deleted Song: "Chimpanzoo"
  • Music & More
    • A Magical Musical Reunion With Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, & Richard Sherman
    • A Musical Journey with Richard Sherman
  • Games & Activities: "I Love to Laugh" Set Top Game
  • Backstage Disney
    • Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: The Making of Mary Poppins
    • Deconstruction of a Scene: Jolly Holiday
    • Deconstruction of a Scene: Step in Time
    • Dick Van Dyke Make-Up Test
    • The Gala World Premiere: The Red Carpet
    • The Gala World Premiere: The Party
    • Publicity
    • Mary Poppins Still Art Galleries
  • Bonus Short: "The Cat That Looked at a King"
NOTE: THE BONUS FEATURES LISTED ARE FROM THE PREVIOUS 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION AND NOT CONFIRMED FOR THIS NEW RELEASE

WARNER: Stella Dallas, Secret Life of Walter Mitty in December

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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
December 10th
Warner Home Video
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Stella Dallas
December 10th
Warner Home Video
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Warner Bros. is bringing two long out-of-print Samuel Goldwyn titles back to DVD: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) and Stella Dallas (1937). Both have been remastered and will be released on December 10th.

No word on whether Blu-Ray versions are forthcoming, but the announcement by Warner is welcome news as Mitty, released in 1998 by HBO, has been out-of-print for about 10 years and Stella Dallas, released by MGM in 2005, has been unavailable for at least three years.