**Warner Home Video** has announced a September 23rd release date for Warner Gangsters Collection, Vol. 4. The titles in the 6 DVD set are: The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938), The Little Giant (1933), Larceny, Inc. (1942), Invisible Stripes (1939), Kid Galahad (1937) and the documentary The Golden Age of the Gangster Film.  The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) Dr. Clitterhouse (Edward G. Robinson) is fascinated by the study of the physical and mental states of lawbreakers, so he joins a gang of jewel thieves for a closer look in this often amusing crime drama. Claire Trevor co-stars as a savvy crime queen, and Humphrey Bogart plays Rocks Valentine, whom Dr. C. calls “a magnificent specimen of pure viciousness.” The movie also marks the start of one of film’s most noteworthy collaborations. John Huston, who was to later direct Bogart in The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The African Queen, co-wrote the screenplay of The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse. BONUS FEATURES:
The era of the bootlegger is past but liquor runner Bugs Ahearn (Edward G. Robinson) has a plan for what he’ll do now that Prohibition is history. He decides to head for California’s posh, polo-playing Santa Barbara to become part of the high society. What he finds there -- swindlers, gold diggers, great fun – makes first class entertainment in this pre-Code gem. Edward G. Robinson shows his comedic chops for the first time, paving the way for such subsequent films as A Slight Case of Murder, Brother Orchid, Larceny, Inc. and more persona-skewering frolics. BONUS FEATURES:
Edward G. Robinson once more turns his gangster image on its head in a gleeful romp based on the Broadway farce penned by Laura Perelman and S.J. Perelman. Robinson plays Pressure Maxwell, who emerges from Sing Sing planning to run a dog track with cronies Jug (Broderick Crawford) and Weepy (Edward Brophy). But the plan needs funding, so the group (assisted by Jane Wyman) opens a luggage shop as a front while attempting to tunnel into the bank next door. Now add the store’s unexpected success, a gabby traveling valise salesman (Jack Carson) and the arrival of a sour con (Anthony Quinn) who wants in on the action, and the laughs are thick as thieves. BONUS FEATURES:
Parolee Chuck Martin is going straight when he gets out of jail – straight back to a life of crime. In lockup or out in the civilian world, he knows he’ll forever wear a con’s ‘Invisible Stripes.’ As Martin, Humphrey Bogart continues to battle and sneer his way to career stardom in this volatile social-conscience crime saga adapted from a book by warden Lewis E. Lawes. Top-billed George Raft plays Martin’s ex-Sing Sing yard mate Cliff Taylor, who vows to walk away from crime and be a role model for his kid brother (William Holden). But what awaits Taylor are suspicion, public disdain and joblessness. So he turns to a fellow con for help. Then, as now, he finds crime doesn’t pay. BONUS FEATURES:
This influential ring saga dramatically links professional boxing to criminal gambling. Edward G. Robinson is racketeer/fight promoter Nick Donati and tightly coiled Humphrey Bogart is Turkey Morgan. They’re rival promoters who, like fighters flinging kidney punches, end up swapping close-range bullets. Bette Davis plays the moll who has a soft spot for the bellhop (Wayne Morris) that Nick is grooming for the heavyweight title. And prolific Michael Curtiz directs this first of his six collaborations with Bogart that would include the romantic masterwork Casablanca and the sly comedy We’re No Angels. BONUS FEATURES:
As popular as these films were in their heyday, seminal giants like Little Caesar and Public Enemy as well as post-war gems like Key Largo and White Heat still hold power over their audiences today. Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film will explore the invention and development of the crime genre; the rise of Warner stars like Cagney, Bogart and Robinson; as well as directors like Walsh, Wellman and Curtiz. It will cover the films themselves and the influence they had on filmmakers all over the world; and the artistic merit that these defining classic films still warrant. Finally, the documentary will celebrate the impact that Warner Bros. Studios had in establishing the iconic Hollywood Gangster, often imitated but never equaled. BONUS FEATURE:
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Warner Gangsters, Vol. 4 in September - SPECIAL 3 DAY PRICE
More from Ben Model at Altscore
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2008
contact: Ben Model
ben@silentclowns.com�or 212.595-5655
ALTERNATE MUSICAL SCORES FOR SILENT MOVIE DVD'S
AVAILABLE FROM NEW WEBSITE AS MP3 DOWNLOADS
FROM ALTSCORE.COM
NEW YORK, NY - The first website to offer downloadable alternate musical scores for silent films on DVD, altscore.com, announces the release of two new scores that synch with the Turner DVD of Buster Keaton in The Cameraman and the Kino DVD of Lon Chaney in The Penalty. The music tracks available from altscore.com are by noted silent film accompanist Ben Model. Model has been composing and performing live musical scores for silent movies at the Museum of Modern Art for nearly a quarter of a century.
Model launched the site in March in order to provide classic film DVD collectors/owners with the opportunity to listen to more than one score for silent films they own or are buying. A handful of silent film DVD releases in the last couple of years have offered multiple musical scores -- most notably last year's DVD of Pandora's Box. Because the scores Model an altscore.com offer are digital MP3's they stay in perfect synchronization with the DVD, and each recording comes with spoken synch instructions.
The site's current offerings include both piano and theatre organ tracks for silents with Buster Keaton, Rudolph Valentino, Lon Chaney and Harry Langdon, with more offerings planned each month. Each score costs $3.95, paid via PayPal through a user's account or with a credit card and is downloaded as an MP3 file. Downloads take between 5 and 10 minutes, depending on file size and whether one is on DSL or Cable internet.
For more information about altscore.com - or to arrange for a complimentary download of one of the scores or an interview - please contact Ben Model at 212-595-5655 or ben@silentclowns.com
Kino: Victor Sjostrom Early Silents in July
 The Outlaw and His Wife (1918) A masterpiece of the Swedish silent cinema, Victor Sjostrom's The Outlaw and His Wife is a film of remarkable psychological complexity, which bore a profound influence on the work of Ingmar Bergman and Carl Theodor Dreyer. When a mysterious stranger (played by Sjostrom) is hired on at a farm by its widowed owner (Edith Erastoff, who would later become Sjostrom's wife), a romantic bond quickly forms. But the man's troubled past foils their chances at happiness, and forces them to seek refuge in the nearby mountains. Sjostrom's masterful use of landscape is visually and dramatically stunning, particularly in the film's latter half, as the couple battles both their pursuers and nature itself, culminating in an unforgettable climax. BONUS FEATURE:
 Based on an epic poem by Henrik Ibsen, A Man There Was (Terje Vigen) is commonly cited as the film that launched Sweden's first golden age of filmmaking. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, it tells the story of a fisherman so desperate to obtain food for his starving family that he tries to break through a British blockade, only to find himself at the mercy of extraordinary forces. Victor Sjöström, who not only directs but also plays the leading role, was renowned for his ability to exploit Swedens incredible locations. A Man There Was is no exception, and Julius Jaenzon's cinematography stunningly captures the harsh, unforgiving quality of the ever-present sea. Critic Andrew Sarris once speculated, It is possible that Victor Sjöström was the world's first great director, even before Chaplin and Griffith. Sjöström would later have a notable career in Hollywood, directing Lillian Gish in such silent classics as The Scarlet Letter and The Wind. Ingeborg Holm (1913, 72 min.) This heartbreaking drama traces the desperate journey of a widowed young mother who finds herself at the mercy of an apathetic social system which is all too willing to separate her from her children. The first significant work by Victor Sjöström, Ingeborg Holm establishes the director as an artist eager to test the visual and psychological boundaries of the emerging cinema, while showcasing a powerful central performance by Hilda Borgstrom. One admirer of the film was Ingmar Bergman, who asserted, Ingeborg Holm is still true and gripping. In an interview, he called it, "One of the most remarkable films ever made." Of course, Bergman would famously repay his respect for Sjöström by casting him in the lead role in his classic Wild Strawberries. |
Flicker Alley: Traffic in Souls, The Italian in July
 Perils of the New Land, a new double feature collection of Traffic In Souls (1913) and The Italian (1915), both riveting and important social dramas of the American silent screen. From the earliest years of feature-length film, when movies were dedicated more to advocacy and reform than to escapist entertainment, both films depict new immigrants to America and hazards that await them. Both films are honored with inclusion in The National Film Registry, which selects up to twenty-five “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films” each year. In addition to the features, this two-DVD set, produced by David Shepard from the Blackhawk Films library, presents three short theme-related bonus films from the pioneer Edison company: Police Force, New York City (1910), The Call of the City (1912), and McQuade of the Traffic Squad (1915). According to legend, Traffic In Souls was filmed surreptitiously at Universal Pictures with the offending producer (Jack Cohn) and director (George Loane Tucker) prepared to buy the picture in case the company wouldn’t release it. Exploiting a recent exposé of prostitution rings, this “white slavery” story proved a huge financial success. Traffic In Souls is a very accomplished work for its time, and makes excellent use of New York City locations. The Italian, produced for Paramount Pictures by Thomas H. Ince and directed by Reginald Barker, stars George Beban, who was renowned for his ethnic characterizations. It is the story of Beppo, a gondolier who comes to America and settles in lower Manhattan. There he operates a shoeshine business, eventually saving enough money to import his fiancée. Crime and poverty soon impact their lives – and there is no artificial, happy ending. |
ARTWORK UPDATE: Busby Berkeley Collection, Vol. 2
--Artwork added to previous announcement. No singles yet--
The plot about a Hollywood newcomer (Dick Powell) caught between a spoiled star (Lola Lane) and her likeable look-alike (Lola’s look-alike sister Rosemary Lane) is secondary to watching Busby Berkeley’s ace direction – and music, music, music. The film opens with the jubilant debut of Tinseltown’s unofficial anthem Hooray for Hollywood. The jaunty Let That Be a Lesson to You shows off Berkeley’s mastery of editing and camera angles. And Benny Goodman and his Orchestra -- with Harry James on trumpet and Gene Krupa on drums – swing, swing, swing into Sing, Sing, Sing.
BONUS FEATURES:
Broadway impresario Chuck Daly (Dick Powell) leads an A+ cast of coeds and their guys, including film-debuting sisters Priscilla and Rosemary Lane and fluty-voiced comic character star Sterling Holloway, in this exuberant college musical. Oscar nominated for his dance direction in this film, Berkeley creates and directs a rah-rah, football-themed finale featuring high-style overhead shots, kinetic camerawork and hundreds of dancers on a 50 ft. by 60 ft. staircase.
BONUS FEATURES:
The Gold Diggers are headed for Paris, bringing their feathers, frills, and ballet shoes. A French diplomat has mistaken 43rd Street’s Club Ballé for the American Academy Ballet, and the chorus cuties aren’t going to turn down a free trip to the City of Light over such a tiny misunderstanding. Rudy Vallee stars as the club’s impresario and Busby Berkeley creates and directs the inventive musical numbers, both ‘magnifique’ and loaded with moxie.
BONUS FEATURES:
**Warner Home Video** has announced a September 16th release date for The Busby Berkeley Collection, Vol. 2. The titles in the 4 DVD set are: Gold Diggers of 1937, Hollywood Hotel, Varsity Show and Gold Diggers in Paris.
It will retail for $39.92, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $29.99. However, for 3 days only (until May 22nd), we'll have it for the SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE of $26.99. Singles will be also be available and retail for $19.97, and are available for $14.49. Details below.
The “Buzz” continues when word gets around that Warner Home Video will debut more musical extravaganzas in the Busby Berkeley Collection Volume 2 on September 16. The collection features four more Berkeley classics which are not only new-to-DVD titles, but are making their long-awaited home video debut. Included in the collection are Gold Diggers of 1937, Gold Diggers in Paris, Hollywood Hotel and Varsity Show. Following in the dancing footsteps of Warner’s successful 2006 collection, this second spectacular volume from one of the greatest motion picture choreographers of all time also includes musical shorts, featurettes and classic cartoons. It’s musical entertainment magic at its toe-tapping, finger-snapping best by the Oscar nominated master.
Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936)
Dick Powell plays an insurance agent with musical ambitions while Joan Blondell is a showgirl who gives up spangles for a stenographer’s pad. But the plot is secondary as dance creator Busby Berkeley turns a garden party into a tap-happy romp, and Blondell leads leggy soldiers in a banner-waving, precision-formation rendition of “All’s Fair in Love and War” that’s Berkeley spectacle at its showy best. Berkeley received an Academy nod for Best Dance Direction.
BONUS FEATURES:
- 1997 documentary Busby Berkeley: Going Through the Roof
- Technicolor historical short The Romance of Louisiana
- Classic cartoons Plenty of Money and You and Speaking of the Weather
- Two excerpts from 1929’s Gold Diggers of Broadway
- Theatrical trailer
The plot about a Hollywood newcomer (Dick Powell) caught between a spoiled star (Lola Lane) and her likeable look-alike (Lola’s look-alike sister Rosemary Lane) is secondary to watching Busby Berkeley’s ace direction – and music, music, music. The film opens with the jubilant debut of Tinseltown’s unofficial anthem Hooray for Hollywood. The jaunty Let That Be a Lesson to You shows off Berkeley’s mastery of editing and camera angles. And Benny Goodman and his Orchestra -- with Harry James on trumpet and Gene Krupa on drums – swing, swing, swing into Sing, Sing, Sing.
BONUS FEATURES:
- Technicolor historical short The Romance of Robert Burns
- Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy comedy short Double Talk
- Classic cartoon Porky’s Five & Ten
- Theatrical trailer
Broadway impresario Chuck Daly (Dick Powell) leads an A+ cast of coeds and their guys, including film-debuting sisters Priscilla and Rosemary Lane and fluty-voiced comic character star Sterling Holloway, in this exuberant college musical. Oscar nominated for his dance direction in this film, Berkeley creates and directs a rah-rah, football-themed finale featuring high-style overhead shots, kinetic camerawork and hundreds of dancers on a 50 ft. by 60 ft. staircase.
BONUS FEATURES:
- Musical short Flowers from the Sky
- Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy comedy short A Neckin’ Party
- Classic cartoon Have You Got Any Castles
- Theatrical trailer
The Gold Diggers are headed for Paris, bringing their feathers, frills, and ballet shoes. A French diplomat has mistaken 43rd Street’s Club Ballé for the American Academy Ballet, and the chorus cuties aren’t going to turn down a free trip to the City of Light over such a tiny misunderstanding. Rudy Vallee stars as the club’s impresario and Busby Berkeley creates and directs the inventive musical numbers, both ‘magnifique’ and loaded with moxie.
BONUS FEATURES:
- Two Broadway Brevities musical shorts: The Candid Kid and Little Me
- Classic cartoon Love and Curses
- Theatrical trailer
Busby Berkeley Collection, Vol. 2 in September - 3 DAY SPECIAL PRICE
**Warner Home Video** has announced a September 16th release date for The Busby Berkeley Collection, Vol. 2. The titles in the 4 DVD set are: Gold Diggers of 1937, Hollywood Hotel, Varsity Show and Gold Diggers in Paris.
It will retail for $39.92, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $29.99. However, for 3 days only (until May 22nd), we'll have it for the SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE of $26.99. Singles will be also be available and retail for $19.97, and are available for $14.49. Details below.
The “Buzz” continues when word gets around that Warner Home Video will debut more musical extravaganzas in the Busby Berkeley Collection Volume 2 on September 16. The collection features four more Berkeley classics which are not only new-to-DVD titles, but are making their long-awaited home video debut. Included in the collection are Gold Diggers of 1937, Gold Diggers in Paris, Hollywood Hotel and Varsity Show. Following in the dancing footsteps of Warner’s successful 2006 collection, this second spectacular volume from one of the greatest motion picture choreographers of all time also includes musical shorts, featurettes and classic cartoons. It’s musical entertainment magic at its toe-tapping, finger-snapping best by the Oscar nominated master.
Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936)
Dick Powell plays an insurance agent with musical ambitions while Joan Blondell is a showgirl who gives up spangles for a stenographer’s pad. But the plot is secondary as dance creator Busby Berkeley turns a garden party into a tap-happy romp, and Blondell leads leggy soldiers in a banner-waving, precision-formation rendition of “All’s Fair in Love and War” that’s Berkeley spectacle at its showy best. Berkeley received an Academy nod for Best Dance Direction.
BONUS FEATURES:
The plot about a Hollywood newcomer (Dick Powell) caught between a spoiled star (Lola Lane) and her likeable look-alike (Lola’s look-alike sister Rosemary Lane) is secondary to watching Busby Berkeley’s ace direction – and music, music, music. The film opens with the jubilant debut of Tinseltown’s unofficial anthem Hooray for Hollywood. The jaunty Let That Be a Lesson to You shows off Berkeley’s mastery of editing and camera angles. And Benny Goodman and his Orchestra -- with Harry James on trumpet and Gene Krupa on drums – swing, swing, swing into Sing, Sing, Sing.
BONUS FEATURES:
Broadway impresario Chuck Daly (Dick Powell) leads an A+ cast of coeds and their guys, including film-debuting sisters Priscilla and Rosemary Lane and fluty-voiced comic character star Sterling Holloway, in this exuberant college musical. Oscar nominated for his dance direction in this film, Berkeley creates and directs a rah-rah, football-themed finale featuring high-style overhead shots, kinetic camerawork and hundreds of dancers on a 50 ft. by 60 ft. staircase.
BONUS FEATURES:
The Gold Diggers are headed for Paris, bringing their feathers, frills, and ballet shoes. A French diplomat has mistaken 43rd Street’s Club Ballé for the American Academy Ballet, and the chorus cuties aren’t going to turn down a free trip to the City of Light over such a tiny misunderstanding. Rudy Vallee stars as the club’s impresario and Busby Berkeley creates and directs the inventive musical numbers, both ‘magnifique’ and loaded with moxie.
BONUS FEATURES:
It will retail for $39.92, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $29.99. However, for 3 days only (until May 22nd), we'll have it for the SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE of $26.99. Singles will be also be available and retail for $19.97, and are available for $14.49. Details below.
The “Buzz” continues when word gets around that Warner Home Video will debut more musical extravaganzas in the Busby Berkeley Collection Volume 2 on September 16. The collection features four more Berkeley classics which are not only new-to-DVD titles, but are making their long-awaited home video debut. Included in the collection are Gold Diggers of 1937, Gold Diggers in Paris, Hollywood Hotel and Varsity Show. Following in the dancing footsteps of Warner’s successful 2006 collection, this second spectacular volume from one of the greatest motion picture choreographers of all time also includes musical shorts, featurettes and classic cartoons. It’s musical entertainment magic at its toe-tapping, finger-snapping best by the Oscar nominated master.
Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936)
Dick Powell plays an insurance agent with musical ambitions while Joan Blondell is a showgirl who gives up spangles for a stenographer’s pad. But the plot is secondary as dance creator Busby Berkeley turns a garden party into a tap-happy romp, and Blondell leads leggy soldiers in a banner-waving, precision-formation rendition of “All’s Fair in Love and War” that’s Berkeley spectacle at its showy best. Berkeley received an Academy nod for Best Dance Direction.
BONUS FEATURES:
- 1997 documentary Busby Berkeley: Going Through the Roof
- Technicolor historical short The Romance of Louisiana
- Classic cartoons Plenty of Money and You and Speaking of the Weather
- Two excerpts from 1929’s Gold Diggers of Broadway
- Theatrical trailer
The plot about a Hollywood newcomer (Dick Powell) caught between a spoiled star (Lola Lane) and her likeable look-alike (Lola’s look-alike sister Rosemary Lane) is secondary to watching Busby Berkeley’s ace direction – and music, music, music. The film opens with the jubilant debut of Tinseltown’s unofficial anthem Hooray for Hollywood. The jaunty Let That Be a Lesson to You shows off Berkeley’s mastery of editing and camera angles. And Benny Goodman and his Orchestra -- with Harry James on trumpet and Gene Krupa on drums – swing, swing, swing into Sing, Sing, Sing.
BONUS FEATURES:
- Technicolor historical short The Romance of Robert Burns
- Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy comedy short Double Talk
- Classic cartoon Porky’s Five & Ten
- Theatrical trailer
Broadway impresario Chuck Daly (Dick Powell) leads an A+ cast of coeds and their guys, including film-debuting sisters Priscilla and Rosemary Lane and fluty-voiced comic character star Sterling Holloway, in this exuberant college musical. Oscar nominated for his dance direction in this film, Berkeley creates and directs a rah-rah, football-themed finale featuring high-style overhead shots, kinetic camerawork and hundreds of dancers on a 50 ft. by 60 ft. staircase.
BONUS FEATURES:
- Musical short Flowers from the Sky
- Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy comedy short A Neckin’ Party
- Classic cartoon Have You Got Any Castles
- Theatrical trailer
The Gold Diggers are headed for Paris, bringing their feathers, frills, and ballet shoes. A French diplomat has mistaken 43rd Street’s Club Ballé for the American Academy Ballet, and the chorus cuties aren’t going to turn down a free trip to the City of Light over such a tiny misunderstanding. Rudy Vallee stars as the club’s impresario and Busby Berkeley creates and directs the inventive musical numbers, both ‘magnifique’ and loaded with moxie.
BONUS FEATURES:
- Two Broadway Brevities musical shorts: The Candid Kid and Little Me
- Classic cartoon Love and Curses
- Theatrical trailer
The Small Back Room in August - SPECIAL PRICE
**Criterion** has announced an August release date (exact date yet unknown) for The Small Back Room (1949). It will retail for $39.95, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $29.99. However, for 3 days only (until May 19th), we'll have it for the SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE of $24.99.
Also announced from **Criterion** for August release is the Japanese classic Twenty-Four Eyes (1954). It will retail for $39.95, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $29.99.
Details below.
The Small Back Room (1949)
After the lavish Technicolor spectacle of The Red Shoes, British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger retreated into the inward, shadowy recesses of this moody, crackling character study. Based on the acclaimed novel by Nigel Balchin, The Small Back Room details the professional and personal travails of troubled, alcoholic research scientist and military bomb-disposal expert Sammy Rice (David Farrar), who, while struggling with a complex relationship with secretary-girlfriend Susan (Kathleen Byron), is hired by the government to advise on a dangerous new German weapon. Frank and intimate, deftly mixing suspense and romance, The Small Back Room is an atmospheric, post–World War II gem.
BONUS FEATURES:
Also announced from **Criterion** for August release is the Japanese classic Twenty-Four Eyes (1954). It will retail for $39.95, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $29.99.
Details below.
The Small Back Room (1949)
After the lavish Technicolor spectacle of The Red Shoes, British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger retreated into the inward, shadowy recesses of this moody, crackling character study. Based on the acclaimed novel by Nigel Balchin, The Small Back Room details the professional and personal travails of troubled, alcoholic research scientist and military bomb-disposal expert Sammy Rice (David Farrar), who, while struggling with a complex relationship with secretary-girlfriend Susan (Kathleen Byron), is hired by the government to advise on a dangerous new German weapon. Frank and intimate, deftly mixing suspense and romance, The Small Back Room is an atmospheric, post–World War II gem.
BONUS FEATURES:
- Audio commentary featuring film scholar Charles Barr
- New video interview with cinematographer Chris Challis
- Excerpts from Michael Powell’s audio dictations from his autobiography
- PLUS: A new essay by film scholar Nick James
Twenty-Four Eyes (1954)
Keisuke Kinoshita’s Twenty-four Eyes (Nijushi no hitomi) is an elegant, emotional chronicle of a teacher’s unwavering commitment to her students, her profession, and her sense of morality. Set in a remote, rural island community and spanning decades of Japanese history, from 1928 through World War II and beyond, Kinoshita’s film takes a simultaneously sober and sentimental look at the epic themes of aging, war, and death, all from the lovingly intimate perspective of Hisako Oshi (Hideko Takamine), as she watches her pupils grow and deal with life’s harsh realities. Though little known in the United States, Twenty-four Eyes is one of Japan’s most popular and enduring classics.
BONUS FEATURES:
BONUS FEATURES:
- Television interview with director Keisuke Kinoshita
- New video interview with Japanese cinema historian and critic Tadao Sato about the film and its director
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay be renowned film scholar Audie Bock and excerpts from an interview with Kinoshita
The Untouchables - Season 2, Volume 2 in August
**Paramount Home Video** has announced an August 26th release date for The Untouchables - Season 2, Vol. 2. The four DVD set containing the season's final 16 episodes from will retail for $39.99, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $29.99.
Perry Mason - Season 3, Vol. 1 in August
**Paramount Home Video** has announced an August 19th release date for Perry Mason - Season 3, Vol 1. No details yet but it will presumably be a 4 DVD set containing the first 13 episodes from the 1959-60 season. It will retail for $49.99 (a little higher than previous releases), but is available at Classicflix.com for only $37.99.
Alice Faye Collection SINGLES Announced
In a reversal of the normal trend where singles are usually pulled from a boxed set after an announcement, **Fox** has announced that all five films in the The Alice Faye Collection, Volume 2 will be available as singles. Each will retail for $14.98, but are available at Classicflix.com for only $10.99.
PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT:
Wow! After a lull in announcements from the Major Studios in the last month or so, things have really started to pick up. Following Warner's announcements due August 26th, **FOX** has now announced an August 26th release date for The Alice Faye Collection, Volume 2. The set will include Rose of Washington Square (1939), Hollywood Cavalcade (1939), The Great American Broadcast (1941), Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943) and Four Jills in a Jeep (1944). The 5 DVD set will apparently only be sold only as a complete set and will retail for $49.98, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $37.99. However, for 3 days only (until May 4th), we'll have it for the SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE of $33.99.
More details to follow.
- Rose of Washington Square
- Hollywood Cavalcade
- The Great American Broadcast
- Hello, Frisco, Hello
- Four Jills in a Jeep
PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT:
Wow! After a lull in announcements from the Major Studios in the last month or so, things have really started to pick up. Following Warner's announcements due August 26th, **FOX** has now announced an August 26th release date for The Alice Faye Collection, Volume 2. The set will include Rose of Washington Square (1939), Hollywood Cavalcade (1939), The Great American Broadcast (1941), Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943) and Four Jills in a Jeep (1944). The 5 DVD set will apparently only be sold only as a complete set and will retail for $49.98, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $37.99. However, for 3 days only (until May 4th), we'll have it for the SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE of $33.99.
More details to follow.
Third Man, 400 Blows and Wages of Fear Coming to Blu-Ray
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ARTWORK UPDATE: Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection
 Titles (Not Available as Singles):
Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, Herbert Marshall, Don Ameche, Gene Tierney, Lloyd Nolan, Linda Darnell, George Sanders, Ann Blyth, Thomas Mitchell, Adolphe Menjou, Ruth Chatterton, Simone Simon, Warren William, Dorothy Lamour, Edward Arnold, Lionel Atwill, Joan Davis, Lee J. Cobb, Jayne Meadows, Joan Fontaine, Claire Trevor and Gladys Cooper. |
Flicker Alley: J'Accuse (1919) in September - 3 DAY SPECIAL PRICE
**Flicker Alley** has announced a September 2nd release date for Abel Gance's J'Accuse (1919). The 2-Disc DVD set will retail for $39.95, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $29.99. However, for 3 days only (until May 5th), we'll have it for the SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE of $26.99. Details below on J'Accuse and other Coming Releases from Flicker.
J’Accuse (1919) is a story set against the backdrop of World War I that is considered one of the most technically advanced films of the era and the first major pacifist film. Gance, who had served briefly in the military during World War I, decided to return to active service in 1919 in order to film real battle scenes to include in the project. The film was reedited and shortened for peacetime reissue in 1922, and has not been available since in its original form.
Lobster Films Studios, Paris, working in collaboration with Netherlands Filmmuseum and Flicker Alley have culled materials from the Lobster Collection, the Czech archive in Prague, the Cinematheque Francaise, and the Netherlands Filmmuseum to make the best possible and most complete edition of the original 1919 edit of the film. The 2-DVD Flicker Alley Collection edition will have a retail price of $39.95, and features a new symphonic score composed and conducted by Robert Israel.
MORE STUFF FROM FLICKER
More great stuff is on the way from Flicker Alley that haven't been given solid dates yet. Details below.
COMING IN JULY:
Traffic in Souls (1913) and The Italian (1915) are riveting and important social dramas of the American silent screen. Released during the earliest years of feature-length film, when movies were more dedicated to advocacy and reform than to escapist entertainment, both depict new immigrants to America and the hazards that await them. Both films are honored with inclusion in The National Film Registry (which selects up to twenty-five “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films” each year). In addition to the features, this two-Disc DVD set, produced by David Shepard from the Blackhawk Films library, presents three short theme-related bonus films from the pioneer Edison company: Police Force, New York City (1910), The Call of the City (1912), and McQuade of the Traffic Squad (1915).
According to legend, Traffic in Souls was filmed surreptitiously at Universal Pictures with the producer (Jack Cohn) and director (George Loane Tucker) prepared to buy the picture in case the company wouldn’t release it. Exploiting a recent exposé of prostitution rings, this “white slavery” story proved a huge financial success. An underworld melodrama, Traffic In Souls is a very accomplished work for its time, and makes excellent use of New York City locations. This edition is copied from the only known original nitrate print of the domestic release; there is an excellent piano score by Philip Carli and an illuminating optional scene-specific audio essay by Prof. Shelley Stamp.
The Italian, produced for Paramount Pictures by Thomas H. Ince and directed by Reginald Barker, stars George Beban, who was renowned for his ethnic characterizations. It is the story of Beppo, a gondolier who comes to America and settles in lower Manhattan, where he operates a shoeshine business and eventually saves enough money to import his fiancée. Crime and poverty soon impact their lives – and there is no artificial, happy ending. Conflated from three sources, our tinted edition is mostly copied from an original nitrate print, and has an optional scene-specific audio essay by Prof. Giorgio Bertellini. A compiled score of authentic photoplay music is performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra led by Rodney Sauer, who also provides the music for the three Edison shorts.
COMING IN NOVEMBER:
Lobster Films Studios, Paris, working in collaboration with Netherlands Filmmuseum and Flicker Alley have culled materials from the Lobster Collection, the Czech archive in Prague, the Cinematheque Francaise, and the Netherlands Filmmuseum to make the best possible and most complete edition of the original 1919 edit of the film. The 2-DVD Flicker Alley Collection edition will have a retail price of $39.95, and features a new symphonic score composed and conducted by Robert Israel.
MORE STUFF FROM FLICKER
More great stuff is on the way from Flicker Alley that haven't been given solid dates yet. Details below.
COMING IN JULY:
Hardships in the New Land - Traffic in Souls (1913) and The Italian (1915)
Traffic in Souls (1913) and The Italian (1915) are riveting and important social dramas of the American silent screen. Released during the earliest years of feature-length film, when movies were more dedicated to advocacy and reform than to escapist entertainment, both depict new immigrants to America and the hazards that await them. Both films are honored with inclusion in The National Film Registry (which selects up to twenty-five “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films” each year). In addition to the features, this two-Disc DVD set, produced by David Shepard from the Blackhawk Films library, presents three short theme-related bonus films from the pioneer Edison company: Police Force, New York City (1910), The Call of the City (1912), and McQuade of the Traffic Squad (1915).
According to legend, Traffic in Souls was filmed surreptitiously at Universal Pictures with the producer (Jack Cohn) and director (George Loane Tucker) prepared to buy the picture in case the company wouldn’t release it. Exploiting a recent exposé of prostitution rings, this “white slavery” story proved a huge financial success. An underworld melodrama, Traffic In Souls is a very accomplished work for its time, and makes excellent use of New York City locations. This edition is copied from the only known original nitrate print of the domestic release; there is an excellent piano score by Philip Carli and an illuminating optional scene-specific audio essay by Prof. Shelley Stamp.
The Italian, produced for Paramount Pictures by Thomas H. Ince and directed by Reginald Barker, stars George Beban, who was renowned for his ethnic characterizations. It is the story of Beppo, a gondolier who comes to America and settles in lower Manhattan, where he operates a shoeshine business and eventually saves enough money to import his fiancée. Crime and poverty soon impact their lives – and there is no artificial, happy ending. Conflated from three sources, our tinted edition is mostly copied from an original nitrate print, and has an optional scene-specific audio essay by Prof. Giorgio Bertellini. A compiled score of authentic photoplay music is performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra led by Rodney Sauer, who also provides the music for the three Edison shorts.
COMING IN NOVEMBER:
Douglas Fairbanks - A Modern Musketeer
Douglas Fairbanks came to the movies in 1915, when high salaries were luring well-known stage performers to the new feature-length productions. Although most of these performers failed to “register” on camera and soon returned to New York, Fairbanks quickly became a super-nova. His energetic, optimistic character, his ingratiating smile, and his graceful, acrobatic style rapidly made Fairbanks one of the most admired stars in the world. By 1917 he had established his own production company; in 1919, along with Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and D. W. Griffith, Fairbanks formed United Artists Corporation.
This Five-Disc DVD collection includes eleven of the delightful modern-dress comedies, westerns, satires, dream-fantasies and romances which made Fairbanks a popular hero, before he launched into the costume spectacles for which he is best remembered. The common theme of these films can best be expressed by “Doug” himself: “There is one thing in this good old world that is positively sure – happiness is for all who strive to be happy – and those who laugh are happy.”
Included are Flirting With Fate, The Matrimaniac, His Picture In The Papers, and The Mystery of the Leaping Fish (1916, produced by Triangle); Wild and Woolly, Reaching for the Moon and A Modern Musketeer (1917-18, produced by Fairbanks for Paramount/Artcraft); and When The Clouds Roll By, The Mollycoddle, The Mark of Zorro and The Nut (1919-1921, produced by Fairbanks for United Artists). Almost all have been digitally mastered from 35mm or original-negative sources, with music scores created for these editions by Eric Beheim, Philip Carli, Frederick Hodges, Robert Israel, the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra and Franklin Stover. A Modern Musketeer, long thought to survive only as a fragment, is finally complete in a new restoration by the Danish Film Museum and with an optional audio essay by Jeffrey Vance and Tony Maietta. The Mark of Zorro is digitally re-mastered from an original 35mm fine grain. Both of these films have new orchestral scores by Rodney Sauer and Mont Alto. There is a bonus gallery of very rare stills from Douglas Fairbanks’ personal collection at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a brochure featuring an essay by Jeffrey Vance, author of Douglas Fairbanks (University of California Press, 2008).
This Five-Disc DVD collection includes eleven of the delightful modern-dress comedies, westerns, satires, dream-fantasies and romances which made Fairbanks a popular hero, before he launched into the costume spectacles for which he is best remembered. The common theme of these films can best be expressed by “Doug” himself: “There is one thing in this good old world that is positively sure – happiness is for all who strive to be happy – and those who laugh are happy.”
Included are Flirting With Fate, The Matrimaniac, His Picture In The Papers, and The Mystery of the Leaping Fish (1916, produced by Triangle); Wild and Woolly, Reaching for the Moon and A Modern Musketeer (1917-18, produced by Fairbanks for Paramount/Artcraft); and When The Clouds Roll By, The Mollycoddle, The Mark of Zorro and The Nut (1919-1921, produced by Fairbanks for United Artists). Almost all have been digitally mastered from 35mm or original-negative sources, with music scores created for these editions by Eric Beheim, Philip Carli, Frederick Hodges, Robert Israel, the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra and Franklin Stover. A Modern Musketeer, long thought to survive only as a fragment, is finally complete in a new restoration by the Danish Film Museum and with an optional audio essay by Jeffrey Vance and Tony Maietta. The Mark of Zorro is digitally re-mastered from an original 35mm fine grain. Both of these films have new orchestral scores by Rodney Sauer and Mont Alto. There is a bonus gallery of very rare stills from Douglas Fairbanks’ personal collection at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a brochure featuring an essay by Jeffrey Vance, author of Douglas Fairbanks (University of California Press, 2008).
CORRECTION: How the West Was Won UCE
This is a correction for How the West Was Won - Ultimate Collector's Edition.
The original press release from Warner stated the SRP would be $59.92 putting the price point at $44.99. However, new information from Warner puts the SRP at $39.92 making our retail price $29.99. All orders placed have been credited $15.
**Warner** has announced an August 26th street date for a stampede of How the West Was Won releases. A 2-Disc Special Edition, an Ultimate Collector's Edition and a Blu-Ray release will all be available separately that will feature the home video debut of this classic epic without the "join lines."
More details below.
How the West Was Won (2-Disc Special Edition) Retail: $20.97, Our: $15.99
How the West Was Won (Ultimate Collector's Edition) Retail: $39.92, Our: $29.99
How the West Was Won (Blu-Ray) Retail: $34.99, Our: $29.99
Warner Press Release (Modified)
Warner Home Video has announced the Region 1 DVD release of two restored and remastered editions of How The West Won on 26th August 2008. One of only two narrative feature films produced in the original Cinerama three-panel widescreen process, How the West Was Won follows four generations of a courageous New England farm family as they travel to the fertile Ohio Valley during America’s early westward expansion.
M-G-M and Cinerama, Inc. spared no expense to give this sprawling Western saga the huge vistas made possible with the original Cinerama process. After its initial theatrical engagements in theaters equipped with three synchronized projectors for Cinerama presentation, the film was subsequently presented on traditional theater screens with the three separate Cinerama panels being optically joined to form a standard 35mm 2.35:1 widescreen image, leaving most subsequent viewers puzzled by the annoying ‘join lines.’
Following several years of careful development, the technicians at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging perfected a technology that could finally eliminate the ‘join lines,’ and unify the images into a superb viewing experience that captures the essence of the production’s initial road show exhibitions, with an aspect ratio of 2.89:1.
This ultimate western film gets the Ultimate treatment with How the West Was Won Ultimate Collector’s Edition ($39.92 SRP). The two disc Standard Definition Ultimate Collector’s Edition is loaded with collectible memorabilia including a 20-page theatrical press book reproduction, 10 behind-the-scenes photo cards and 10 postcards, and an exclusive movie poster offer. A Two Disc Special Edition ($20.97 SRP) will also be available, offering just the disc content.
Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Gregory Peck, Lee J. Cobb, Debbie Reynolds and Carroll Baker star in How the West Was Won. Set between 1839 and 1889 against the backgrounds of the Louisiana Purchase, the Civil War, buffalo hunters, the Pony Express and the first transcontinental railroad, the film consists of five segments, with direction by Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall, and written by James R. Webb and John Gay, suggested by a Life Magazine series of the same name. The film was the winner of 3 Academy Awards (Best Screenplay, Best Sound and Best Editing) as well as being nominated for an additional five Oscars, including Best Picture. In 1997, How the West Was Won was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the US National Film Registry.
BONUS FEATURES:
The original press release from Warner stated the SRP would be $59.92 putting the price point at $44.99. However, new information from Warner puts the SRP at $39.92 making our retail price $29.99. All orders placed have been credited $15.
**Warner** has announced an August 26th street date for a stampede of How the West Was Won releases. A 2-Disc Special Edition, an Ultimate Collector's Edition and a Blu-Ray release will all be available separately that will feature the home video debut of this classic epic without the "join lines."
More details below.
How the West Was Won (2-Disc Special Edition) Retail: $20.97, Our: $15.99
How the West Was Won (Ultimate Collector's Edition) Retail: $39.92, Our: $29.99
How the West Was Won (Blu-Ray) Retail: $34.99, Our: $29.99
Warner Home Video has announced the Region 1 DVD release of two restored and remastered editions of How The West Won on 26th August 2008. One of only two narrative feature films produced in the original Cinerama three-panel widescreen process, How the West Was Won follows four generations of a courageous New England farm family as they travel to the fertile Ohio Valley during America’s early westward expansion.
M-G-M and Cinerama, Inc. spared no expense to give this sprawling Western saga the huge vistas made possible with the original Cinerama process. After its initial theatrical engagements in theaters equipped with three synchronized projectors for Cinerama presentation, the film was subsequently presented on traditional theater screens with the three separate Cinerama panels being optically joined to form a standard 35mm 2.35:1 widescreen image, leaving most subsequent viewers puzzled by the annoying ‘join lines.’
Following several years of careful development, the technicians at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging perfected a technology that could finally eliminate the ‘join lines,’ and unify the images into a superb viewing experience that captures the essence of the production’s initial road show exhibitions, with an aspect ratio of 2.89:1.
This ultimate western film gets the Ultimate treatment with How the West Was Won Ultimate Collector’s Edition ($39.92 SRP). The two disc Standard Definition Ultimate Collector’s Edition is loaded with collectible memorabilia including a 20-page theatrical press book reproduction, 10 behind-the-scenes photo cards and 10 postcards, and an exclusive movie poster offer. A Two Disc Special Edition ($20.97 SRP) will also be available, offering just the disc content.
Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Gregory Peck, Lee J. Cobb, Debbie Reynolds and Carroll Baker star in How the West Was Won. Set between 1839 and 1889 against the backgrounds of the Louisiana Purchase, the Civil War, buffalo hunters, the Pony Express and the first transcontinental railroad, the film consists of five segments, with direction by Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall, and written by James R. Webb and John Gay, suggested by a Life Magazine series of the same name. The film was the winner of 3 Academy Awards (Best Screenplay, Best Sound and Best Editing) as well as being nominated for an additional five Oscars, including Best Picture. In 1997, How the West Was Won was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the US National Film Registry.
BONUS FEATURES:
- Film Historian Commentary
- Dave Strohmaier’s critically-acclaimed, feature-length documentary Cinerama Adventure
- The Making of How the West Was Won (Archival featurette)
- Original Theatrical trailer
SPECIALS - Criterion Collection Titles
SPECIALS - Criterion Collection Titles:
 Pickup on South Street |  Great Expectations |  Fires on the Plain - Criterion Collection |
 | ||
 Brute Force - Criterion Collection |  Sansho the Bailiff |  Bicycle Thieves - Criterion Collection |
| ||
 Naked City - Criterion Collection |  Green for Danger |  49th Parallel - Criterion Collection |
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