The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp - Season 1 in April

WHAT: WHEN: STUDIO: PRICE:

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp - Season 1 April 21st infinity Retail $39.99, Our: $29.99

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Infinity has announced an April 21st release date for The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp - Season 1. Previously only available from Rhino in a compilation set, this release marks the first complete season of Earp on DVD. Infinity has also indicated that all six seasons are in the works for release.

It will retail for $39.99, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $29.99. No word on bonus features. Details below.

SYNOPSIS:
The most celebrated lawman of the Old West rides again in Season 1 of the popular TV series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. Hugh O'Brien stars as the famed marshal whose exploits with Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson, and the Clanton Gang are boldly brought to life in episodes based on actual events. With his signature Buntline Special in hand, Wyatt Earp held posts in a series of increasingly lawless towns and battled dangerous men in his efforts to keep the peace. Through Ellsworth, Wichita, Dodge City, and Tombstone, Earp's reputation as a just and formidable marshal grew, culminating in a storied gunfight that would seal his legend.

Starring Hugh O'Brien as Wyatt Earp with Mason Alan Dinehart III as Bat Masterson, Denver Pyle as Ben Thompson, Hal Baylor as Bill Thompson, Gloria Talbott as Abbie Crandall, Don Haggerty as Marsh Murdock, Douglas Fowley as Doc Fabrique, Margaret Hayes as Dora Hand and Lloyd Corrigan as Ned Buntline.

Special guest stars on the series included Glenn Strange, Rita Lynn, Mike Connors, Angie Dickinson, Elisha Cook, Jr., Fay Baker, John Carradine, James Coburn, Ron Ely, Andy Clyde, Louise Fletcher and many others.

In its continuing quest to bring you the best from classic TV, Infinity Entertainment and Falcon Picture Group are proud to present all 33 half hour episodes from Season 1, digitally restored and remastered on 5 DVDs. Look for all 6 seasons coming soon.

Saturday Morning Cartoons - 1960's, Vol. 1 in May

WHAT: WHEN: STUDIO: PRICE:

Saturday Morning Cartoons - 1960's, Vol. 1 May 19th Warner Retail $26.99, Our: $20.99

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Warner has announced a May 19th release date for Saturday Morning Cartoons - 1960's, Vol. 1. 12 shows in all spread over 2 discs.

It will retail for $26.99, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $20.99. No word on bonus features. Episode details below.

SYNOPSIS:
This collection of some of your favorite Saturday morning cartoons of the 1960's will take you back to those early Saturday mornings sitting in front of the T.V., cereal in hand and clad in pajamas, relive those great moments in this fantastic new collection.

EPISODES:

• Top Cat: Hawaii, Here We Come / The Maharajah of Pookerjee
• Atom Ant: Up & Atom
• Quick Draw McGraw: Scarie Prairie / Bad Guys Disguise
• Wally Gator: Droopy Dragon
• Secret Squirrel: Sub Swiper
• The Porky Pig Show: Often an Orphan / Mice Follies / The Super Snooper
• The Bugs Bunny Show: Rabbit Every Monday / A Mouse Divided / Tree for Two /Putty Tat Trouble / Wise Quackers / Speedy Gonzales
• Jetsons: Rosey the Robot
• Marine Boy: The Green Monsters
• Space Ghost & Dino Boy: The Heat Thing / The Worm People / Zorak
• Tom & Jerry Show: No Way, Stowaways / Ski Bunny / Stay Awake or Else
• Magilla Gorilla: Big Game

Dr. Strangelove (Blu-Ray) Back on Schedule for June

What: Dr. Strangelove (Blu-Ray) - 45th Anniversary Edition When: June 16th Studio: Sony Price: Retail $28.95, Our: $24.99

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Originally scheduled for last December, Sony has now put Dr. Strangelove (Blu-Ray) - 45th Anniversary Edition back on schedule for release on June 16th. Stanley Kubrick's hilarious dark comedy will be on a single disc and retail for $28.95, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $24.99.

SYNOPSIS:
Stanley Kubrick's celebrated black comedy classic about an "accidental" nuclear attack was nominated for four 1964 Academy Awards. Created during a time when the Cold War was at its peak, the film still seems surprisingly relevant today. Convinced the Commies are polluting America's "precious bodily fluids," a crazed General (Sterling Hayden) orders a surprise nuclear air strike on the USSR. His aide Captain Mandrake (Peter Sellers) furiously attempts to figure out a recall code to stop the bombing. Meanwhile, the U.S. President (Sellers again) gets on the hot line to convince the drunken Soviet premier that the impending attack is a silly mistake, while the President's advisor (and ex-Nazi scientist) Dr. Strangelove (Sellers once more) confirms the existence of the dreaded Doomsday Machine -- a new secret Soviet retaliatory device guaranteed to end the human race once and for all!

BONUS FEATURES:

• The Cold Facts Graphics-in-Picture/Picture-in-Picture Track (BD Exclusive)
• An Interview with Robert McNamara
• Best Sellers: Peter Sellers Remembered
• Inside the Making of Dr. Strangelove
• Inside: Dr. Strangelove
• No Fighting in the War Room or: Dr. Strangelove and the Nuclear Threat
• The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove

Check it Out: Lana Turner, Eddie G. & Jerry Beck

West and wewaxation at wast. Well... not quite! But this weekend should give you pause to check out some things you may have missed during the busy week.

• The Midnight Palace - Gary Sweeney's all-around classic site recently posted an audio interview with Lana Turner's daughter Cheryl Crane. Includes transcript.
  
• Icons Radio - Stephen Bogart's internet radio program where his most recent interview was with Edward G. Robinson's granddaugther Francesca Sanchez.

UPCOMING:

• Shokus Internet Radio - On "Stu's Show," Stu Shostak wraps up Animation Month with "the king of all things cartoons" Jerry Beck. Tune in live this Wednesday at 4pm Pacific.Call-ins at 1-888-shokus-5.
  

POSTPONED: Becoming Charley Chase

Becoming Charley Chase which had been set for release this coming Tuesday has been indefinitely postponed. Speaking directly with David Kalat of All Day Entertainment, he cited lackluster sales in All Day's recent silent releases as the reason for not moving forward at this time.

All purchases for Becoming Charley Chase have been refunded.

ARTWORK ADDED: Cleopatra - 75th Anniversary Edition

Artwork added to previous announcement. Click here.

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon - Season 1 in March

What: Sergeant Preston of the Yukon - Season 1 When: March 17th Studio: Infinity Entertainment Price: Retail $39.98, Our: $29.99

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Infinity Entertainment Group has announced a March 17th release date for Sergeant Preston of the Yukon - Season 1. Previously released by Critics Choice in 2006, a complete series set had been in the works from Infinity for the last year-and-a-half, but did not come to fruition.

The full color 5 disc set will retail for $39.98, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $29.99. No word on bonus features or if the elements represent an improvement over Critics' release.

SYNOPSIS:
From 1955 to1958, family entertainment on Thursday nights revolved around the beloved, action-packed television series Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. Each week, the brave Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, along with his lead sled dog Yukon King and trusted horse Rex, embarked on another thrilling adventure, thwarting evildoers in the northern Alaskan wilderness during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. Now you can own all 33 episodes of the first season of this classic color television show, digitally remastered for unparalleled picture and audio quality, in this special edition collector's set.

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon starred Richard Simmons as Sergeant Preston, who first joined the Mounties in order to capture his father's killer. A dashing figure in red uniform and broad-brimmed hat, Sergeant Preston, under the command of Inspector Conrad and frequently accompanied by his loyal French-Canadian guide Pierre, single handedly tackled the rogues and scoundrels who mercilessly preyed upon the peace loving settlers and gold miners who came to call the frozen wilderness home.

The series was based on the long running radio series Challenge of the Yukon, which aired nationally from Detroitﾒs innovative, independent radio station WXYZ, 1938-1955, owned by George W. Trendle, who was also the inspiration and driving force behind such popular radio shows as The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet. The television series was filmed on location, shot primarily in Colorado where the snowy surroundings and breathtaking scenery gave the show an authentic appeal. With characters and conflicts around every bend, Sergeant Preston heroically prevailed by the end of each episode, issuing the familiar proclamation, Well, King, this case is closed, and solidifying for all time that the Mounties always get their man. So saddle up and add this iconic and nostalgic series to your DVD collection today!

Suspense - The Lost Episodes, Vol. 3 in March

What: Suspense - The Lost Episodes, Vol. 3 When: March 17th Studio: Infinity Entertainment Price: Retail $39.98, Our: $29.99 $24.98

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Infinity Entertainment Group has announced a March 17th release date for Suspense - The Lost Episodes, Vol. 3. This set of the early TV anthology series boasts terrific stars and is the last of three volumes in what were previously thought lost episodes.

Great guest stars include: Boris Karloff, James Whitmore, Thomas Mitchell, Hume Cronyn, Jayne Meadows, Ward Bond, Dennis O'Keefe, Jack Warden, Walter Matthau, Walter Slezak, Jackie Cooper, Lloyd Bridges, Patricia Hitchcock, Eddie Albert, Keenan Wynn, George Reeves & Paul Stewart.

It will retail for $39.98, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $29.99. However, for 4 days only (until January 25th), we'll have it for the SPECIAL LOW PRE-ORDER PRICE of $24.98. Details below.

SYNOPSIS:
Suspense, an anthology drama featuring stories of mystery and the macabre, was broadcast live from New York over the CBS Television Network beginning in 1949 and continued until 1954. Many top stars of Hollywood and Broadway appeared on Suspense including Paul Newman, Boris Karloff, Rod Steiger, John Forsythe, Brian Keith, Chester Morris, Leslie Nielsen, Hume Cronyn, Eva Gabor, Lloyd Bridges, Jackie Cooper, Jack Palance, Jack Klugman, George Reeves and Lee Marvin. Before moving to television it had been a fixture on the CBS Radio Network since 1942 (where it remained for 20 years) winning a Peabody Award and special citation from the Mystery Writers of America. The television version successfully created the atmosphere of its radio predecessor by using the same opening announcement -- "And now, a tale well calculated to keep you in … Suspense!" -- accompanied by the familiar Bernard Herrmann theme played on a Hammond organ. Suspense was originally aired LIVE. It was never rerun in syndication so it has not been seen since its live run! In association with CBS Enterprises, Falcon Picture Group and Infinity Entertainment has recently uncovered 90 television episodes (that, until recently, were thought to be lost) of Suspense, direct from filmed kinescope masters. Collection 3 offers 30 of these 90 episodes, so be sure to look for Collection 1 and Collection 2, offering the other 60 episodes!

DISC 1:

Post Mortem – originally televised 5-10-49
Starring Sydney Blackmer, Peggy Conklin, Richard Coogan, Julian Noa
A man dies of mysterious circumstances leaving his doctor and widow as beneficiaries. When the widow and doctor marry shortly thereafter, the insurance company sends a man to investigate.

Yellow Scarf – originally televised 6-7-49
Starring Boris Karloff, Felicia Montealegre, Russell Collins, Douglas Watson
In late 19th century London, an older gentleman invites a pretty drunken woman in for shelter. He offers her a job as a house servant, and eventually marries her. Eventually she becomes very lonely and takes a lover. In a tremendous lapse of judgment, she invites him to dinner, while wearing the yellow scarf he gave her.

Goodbye New York – originally televised 11-8-49
Starring Meg Mundy
A woman comes home and interrupts her husband’s suicide attempt. They are down on their luck and desperate. One night he goes out to confront his former employer who owes him back pay, and ends up killing him. As they attempt to flee, the police are hot on their heels.

Death at the Stock Car Races – originally televised 6-21-63
James Whitmore, Vic Morrow and Tommy Linden
A stock car racer desperately in need of prize money and past his prime is up against some young blood.

The Case of Lady Sannox – originally televised 12-27-49
Starring Stella Adler, Henry Brandon
Lady Sannox is having an indiscreet affair with a young doctor. All are aware of the romance, except her husband. The two hatch a sinister plan to murder him so they in turn can be married.

The Bomber Command – originally televised 1-10-50
Starring George Reeves, Susan Douglas, Joseph Hollard, Edward S. Brice, Robert Gallagher
Three friends get together in a drunken celebration on New Year’s Eve in reunion or their adventures together during the war. When the host’s daughter is kidnapped, they rally together to track her down.

One Thousand Dollars To One For Your Money – originally televised 4-4-50
Starring Paul Stewart, Bette Garde, Robert Harris, Cara Williams, Anna Minot, Harold Stone
A man hires a gumshoe through his secretary. When the detective follows up to meet the man to discuss the case, he finds him lying on his sofa with his neck broken.

I’m No Hero – originally televised 6-20-50
Starring Hume Cronyn, Cara Williams, Mark Roberts, Dennis O’Keefe
A doctor and his family are awakened in the middle of the night by a small gang of thugs, one of which is shot in the gut. Now the doctor is forced to help, while trying to protect his family from the dangerous intruders.

DISC 2:

A Pocketful of Murder – originally televised 9-5-50
Barry Nelson, Don Hamner, Cara Williams, Elliot Sullivan, Pat McVety, Jack Warden
A man on trial for the murder of his wife meets with a reporter in his cell and professes his innocence. The reporter upsets the man, and begins to slander him in his articles. Once acquitted, the man threatens to kill the reporter, if only with the most carefully chosen words.

The Mallet – originally televised 12-12-50
Walter Slezak, Cara Williams, Michael Shepley
A traveling “magic tonic” salesman travels through England having run-ins with the locals in every town he goes through, all the while being pursued by two officers from the famed Scotland Yard.

Go Home Dead Man – originally televised 4-3-51
Jackie Cooper, Maria Riva, Viola Roache, George Matthews, Louis Hector
A pilot in post-war Scotland, flies mystery cargo to an unknown destination. He starts to feel uneasy about it, so he decides to quit. His employers decide that he is now a loose end that needs tying up.

Pier 17 – originally televised 12-18-51
Paul Langdon, Lawrence Fletcher, Walter C. Brown
After a series of explosions rock the waterfront due to sabotage, a longshoreman goes to work to find his entire crew at odds with one another. The jitters really set in when a new man is discovered to be an undercover G-man.

The Spider – originally televised 1-15-52
Arnold Moss, Olive Deering, Charles Cooper, Helen Carew, Ramseg Williams
A naturalist descends into the everglades to find a rare bird; she gets disoriented and becomes lost after dusk. Frightened, she discovers a luxurious cabin in the middle of the marshland, with a very strange man that lives within.

The Red Signal – originally televised 1-22-52
Tom Helmore, Beatrice Straight, Peter Cookson, Noel Leslie, Isobel Elsom
A group of socialites has a medium attend their dinner party. Most of the guests treat it with tongue-in-cheek humor, but a couple of people become somewhat unhinged due to her warnings of danger.

Death Drum – originally televised 1-29-52
Herbert Berghof, Ian Keith, Maria Riva, Wright King
In Nazi-occupied France, a traitor who has turned in members of the French underground for execution is forced to go on the run. While hiding out in a foreign land, he must deal with his own guilt and avoid the spies that have been dispatched to kill him.

North of Shanghai – originally televised 2-12-52
Thomas Mitchell, Robert H. Harris, Dorothy Peterson, George K. Leong
In 1949 communist China, Dr. Morgan M.D., a surgeon who is also attempting to introduce Christianity to the populous, acts as a spy for the west. The medical missionary is well received, that is, until the Red Army closes in on the city.

Night Drive – originally televised 2-26-52
Neva Patterson, Robert H. Morris, Robert Keith Jr.
A woman and companion travel by horse-drawn carriage to pick up her husband who is arriving from a long business trip. To reach their destination, they must travel through the woods where a woman was brutally murdered the year before, and the killer was never caught.

DISC 3:

Four Days To Kill – originally televised 3-11-52
Joseph Buloff, Robert Keith Jr., Robert Emhardt, Lewis Charles
A hoodlum named Johnny is hired to go to Cuba to eliminate a member of the mob. The table turns, when the mark uncovers the plot, and it’s a race to see who can kill whom first.

Her Last Adventure – originally televised 8-19-52
Arlene Francis, Lloyd Bridges
A wealthy spinster leaves her home and all of her possessions to wed a younger man she barely knows. She moves into his mansion in the dark, eerie, and isolated woods. While exploring the house, she goes into the cellar to return a misplaced shovel, only to find the body of a young woman buried under the coals.

The Old Lady of Bayeux – originally televised 9-2-52
Louis Van Rooten, Edgar Stehill, Nicole Stephan
A wealthy woman dies suddenly of natural causes leaving half of her fortune to a female friend. A detective conducting a routine check of the situation goes to the mansion where she was vacationing with her estranged family. All seems normal until there are more mysterious deaths.

Set-Up For Death – originally televised 9-23-52
Mary Sinclair, Robert Keith Jr., Robert Emhardt
A reputed mobster is released from prison and wants to go straight, but the mob, of course, has other plans.

The Blue Panther – originally televised 10-14-52
Phyllis Brooks, Eric Rhodes, Michael Strong, Bruce Gordon
A private detective is hired to guard a rare painting on loan to a private gallery. On his night off, a thief makes off with not only the painting but also a diamond necklace from a patron as well.

A Time of Innocence – originally televised 12-2-52
Thomas Mitchell, Pat Hitchcock, Guy Spavill, Louise Larabee, Doris Roberts
A kind-hearted pharmacist struggles living with his arrogant wife who foolishly spends his money on her frivolous pursuits, and obnoxious friends. After telling her he wants a divorce, he begins an affair with his secretary. They decide to leave the country, but the police find his wife’s body.

Mutiny Below – originally televised 2-3-53
Eddie Albert, Murray Hamilton, Cameron Prud’Homme, Glen Charles Gordon
Albert is an engineering chief aboard a cargo ship bound for Australia. One of the crew finds a newspaper article stating a famous jewel thief is on the run heading for the exact same destination. So, they all start pointing fingers at each other.

DISC 4:

F.O.B. Vienna – originally televised 4-28-53
Walter Matthau, Jayne Meadows, Mike Kellin, Robert Webber
Businessman Lawrence Stevens gets caught up in a ring of communist freight smugglers in Vienna but gets help from a woman writing a story for the press on the smuggling ring.

The Man Who Cried Wolf – originally televised 6-9-53
Martin Brooks, Marian Winters, David Stewart, Logan Ramsey
A Russian embassy worker living in Mexico intercepts a message that he is to be sent back to Moscow for suspicion of treason. The charges are true, now he and his family are on the run from the secret police.

The Dance – originally televised 7-28-53
Starring John Baragrey, Katharine Baird, June Walker
A young woman falls in love with an engaged man. When she discovers his fiancé kissing another man, it adds to the dilemma. Later, during a dance, the cheating fiancé is found lying dead on the powder room floor.

Nightmare at Ground Zero – originally televised 8-18-53
O.Z. Whitehead, Louise Larabee, Calvin Thomas, Lonnie Chapman, Pat Hingle
Written by Rod Serling. An even-tempered man decides he can no longer put up with his nagging wife and plots to have her blown up at the atomic test site he works at. But can he actually go through with it?

The Hunted – originally televised 6-29-54
Ward Bond, John Kerr, Jane Du Frayne, Steve Parker
A game warden catches a young man hunting in a game preserve. The warden decides he will teach the young man a lesson he will never forget when he turns the tables and sets the young man out into the night to be hunted.

The Funmaster – originally televised in 1958
Keenan Wynn, Timmy Everett, Molly McCarthy, Bert Freed
A teenage couple wanders into a closed amusement park and find themselves
being held captive by an angry employee of the park who just got fired from
his job.

ARTWORK ADDED: Universal Pre-Code Hollywood Collection

Artwork added to previous announcement. Click here.

Cleopatra - 75th Anniversary Edition in April

What: Cleopatra - 75th Anniversary Edition (Universal Backlot Series) When: April 7th Studio: Universal Price: Retail $29.98, Our: $23.99

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Previously exclusively part of The Cecil B. DeMille Collection, Universal has announced Cleopatra - 75th Anniversary Edition (Universal Backlot Series) set for release on April 7th. It has been digitally remastered with all new bonus features (listed below).

The single disc Epic will retail for $29.98, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $23.99.

NOTE: Unmentioned in the previous post, this new wave of titles from Universal is known as the "Universal Backlot Series." For the last two years, April has meant 4 releases from their "Cinema Classics" series, so we don't yet know if "Backlot" is seen as a replacement for "Cinema Classics" or is an additional line.

-- David Greenstreet

SYNOPSIS:
Cecil B. DeMille’s Cleopatra, one of the most spectacular motion pictures ever to hit the silver screen, is now available in a new 75th Anniversary Edition DVD.

Nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, it stars Claudette Colbert who gives a stunning performance as the alluring Queen of the Nile in this colossal epic of passion and deception. Determined to exert her power of Julius Caesar (Warren William), Cleopatra uses her beauty and wit to seduce the famous Roman leader into leaving his wife for her. After Caesar's tragic downfall, Cleopatra turns her attentions to the dashing Marc Antony (Henry Wilcoxon). But as their passionate love affair threatens the peace of the empire, Cleopatra fights a desperate battle to hold on to her happiness and her throne.

Filled with spectacular sets and amazing performances, Cleopatra is a triumphant cinematic masterpiece. Featuring a digitally remastered picture and all-new bonus features, Cleopatra 75th Anniversary Edition is a stunning tribute to one of the most breathtaking motion pictures ever made.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Claudette Colbert: Queen of the Sliver Screen
• Cecil B. DeMille: Hollywood's Epic Director
• Forbidden Film: The Production Code Era
• Feature Commentary with Filmmaker F.X. Feeney
• Theatrical Trailer
• 3 Collectible Poster/Photo Card Reproductions

UNIVERSAL: Pre-Code Hollywood Collection in April

What: Pre-Code Hollywood Collection - Universal Backlot Series When: April 7th Studio: Universal Price: Retail $49.98, Our: $34.99 Titles: The Cheat (1931), Merrily We Go to Hell (1932), Hot Saturday (1932), Torch Singer (1933), Murder at the Vanities (1934) & Search for Beauty (1934)

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No you are not reading a spoof announcement or a wish list, Universal has actually announced some catalog titles for release that haven't been released on DVD before. And not just any release, but a PRE-CODE release (no doubt trying to mimic Warner's successful line). A couple of longed for Cary Grant films, plus the lovely and vivacious Ida Lupino in Search for Beauty make up just some of the set.

The only special feature is listed as Forbidden Film: The Production Code Era. However, it's unclear whether it's a featurette or a full documentary. Also included is a reproduction of the original "Production Code."

It will retail for $49.98, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $34.99. Details below.

EDITORIAL NOTE: Universal's output last year was dismal. And for those fence sitters out there - GET ON BOARD! I can hear the complaints now, high on price and slim on special features. But if you don't support sets like these, studios like Universal will produce less and less. Among others, we're still waiting for more Michael Shayne, Ma & Pa Kettle and the continuation of the Classic Western line they started. So do all you can to encourage releases like this because if we don't support the risk takers out there, they'll just find some other place to invest their resources.

--David Greenstreet

SYNOPSIS
For the first time ever, Universal opens its vaults to bring you 6 classic films from the most decadent era in motion picture history: Pre-Code Hollywood. In 1934, Hollywood was turned upside down by the enforcement of a strict “Production Code” that would change the way movies were made for the next 34 years. During the “pre-Code” period (1929 to mid-1934), censorship barely existed in Hollywood and filmmakers had free reign to make the movies they wanted and the public demanded. No subject was taboo including adultery, murder or sex. Starring screen legends Cary Grant, Fredric March, Claudette Colbert, Tallulah Bankhead, Randolph Scott, and Sylvia Sidney, the Pre-Code Hollywood Collection forever captures one of the most unique periods in cinema history.

The Cheat (1931, 74 min.)
A compulsive gambler (Tallulah Bankhead) will do anything to pay off her debt - including turning to a wealthy businessman behind her husband’s back.

Merrily We Go to Hell (1932, 78 min.)
An abusive alcoholic (Fredric March) reunites with a woman from his past and drives his wife (Sylvia Sidney) to drastic measures.

Hot Saturday (1932, 73 min.)
Scandal erupts after a young woman (Nancy Carroll) innocently spends the night with a notorious playboy (Cary Grant) and neglects to tell her fiancé (Randolph Scott).

Torch Singer (1933, 71 min.)
After giving up her illegitimate child for adoption, a notorious nightclub singer (Claudette Colbert) attempts to find her daughter through a children’s radio show.

Murder at the Vanities (1934, 89 min.)
While sexy musical revue “The Vanities” captivates an audience on its opening night, a murder investigation takes place backstage.

Search for Beauty (1934, 78 min.)
Olympic swimming champions (Buster Crabbe and Ida Lupino) are tricked into endorsing a racy magazine - and much worse.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Forbidden Film: The Production Code Era (Disc 1)
• Includes Reproduction of the Original "Production Code" Document

VCI: Noir and Westerns in March

What: Darn Good Westerns, Vol. 1 When: March 31st Studio: VCI Price: Retail $29.99, Our: $19.99 Titles: Hellgate (1952), Fangs of the Wild (1954), Train to Tombstone (1950), Panhandle (1948), Operation Haylift (1950) & Wildfire: The Story of a Horse (1945)

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What: Film Noir Double Feature, Vol. 3 When: March 31st Studio: VCI Price: Retail $19.99, Our: $14.99 Titles: The Amazing Mr. X (1948) & Reign of Terror (1949, 88 min.)

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VCI is keeping a good pace this year with two more announcements both scheduled for release on March 31st. The first is a new line of Westerns called Darn Good Westerns, Vol. 1. Like their recent sets that contain triple features, this 2 disc set will also have triple features on each disc with a solid A and two B's.

The titles are: Hellgate (1952), Fangs of the Wild (1954), Train to Tombstone (1950), Panhandle (1948), Operation Haylift (1950) & Wildfire: The Story of a Horse (1945). Some of the stars include Joan Leslie, Sterling Hayden, Ward Bond, James Arness, Don 'Red' Barry, Rod Cameron, Ann Rutherford, Joe Sawyer, Charles Chaplin Jr., Onslow Stevens, Tom Neal, Bob Steele & Sterling Holloway. All six are making their DVD debut. Retail $29.99, Our: $19.99.

Also out on the same day is Film Noir Double Feature, Vol. 3 (4 1/2 years after Vol. 2). Containing two titles that have had PD releases [The Amazing Mr. X (1948) & Reign of Terror (1949)], this single disc double feature is sure to contain the best looking prints available, and each film has commentaries to boot! Retail $19.99, Our: $14.99. Details below.

Darn Good Westerns, Vol. 1

DISC 1:

Hellgate (1952, 87 min.)
This post-Civil War yarn was adapted from the story of Dr. Mudd, the physician who attended John Wilkes Booth, assassin of President Lincoln. In 1867 Kansas, veterinarian Sterling Hayden treats an injured stranger who turns out to have been a guerrilla raider--and Hayden soon finds himself serving a term in one of the world's most terrifying prisons under sadistic commandant Ward Bond.

Fangs of the Wild (1954, 71 min.)
A boy who has frequently cried "Wolf!" now cries "Murder!"--and this time he's telling the truth. But because of his fib-filled history, when he claims to have seen hunter Charles Chaplin Jr. shoot and kill a fellow hunter, no one will believe the lad. No one, that is...except Chaplin. Beautiful Big Bear scenery co-stars in this suspenseful drama.

Train to Tombstone (1950, 56 min.)
There are roaring wheels and roaring thrills as the Tombstone train crosses "unfriendly Indian" territory with the usual offbeat assortment of passengers (a la Stagecoach), among them a "law officer" (Robert Lowery) who is actually a crook with his eye on the train's government gold shipment. Can passenger Donald Barry be trusted, or is he yet another outlaw?

BONUS FEATURES:

• Original Theatrical Trailers
• Video Short: "Hold 'Em Cowboy"

DISC 2:

Panhandle (1948, 85 min.)
John Sands (Rod Cameron), a reformed gunman, now a storekeeper in a Mexican border town, again straps on gun belt and six-shooters to find the killer of his brother. Fists and bullets fly when he finds that he must contend not only with badmen, but with lawmen who remember his outlaw past. Shot amidst rugged Lone Pine, California scenery, and co-written and co-produced by future Hollywood legend Blake Edwards—who also plays the role of a baby-faced killer!

Operation Haylift (1950, 74 min.)
The infamous 1949 real-life blizzards that threatened Nevada cattle herds are recreated in this drama with Bill Williams and Ann Rutherford as ranchers imperiled by the snows until the U.S. Air Force organizes "Operation Haylift." Co-written by Joe Sawyer, one of the leading players, and made with USAF cooperation (and film footage of the actual operation).

Wildfire: The Story of a Horse (1945, 58 min.)

BONUS FEATURES:

• Rare Photos of the Actual "Operation Haylift"
• Video Feature: Born in Freedom: The Story of Colonel Drake.

Film Noir Double Feature, Vol. 3

The Amazing Mr. X (1948, 77 min.)
Mystery, romance and warm drama – a charlatan, portrayed by Turhan Bey, poses as a spiritualistic medium to manipulate his chief victim portrayed by Lynn Bari. The victim’s sister (Cathy O’Donnell) suspicious of Bey, sets out to prove him a fraud – until she falls in love with him. Bey is so influenced by Miss O’Donnell that he decides to give up his fraudulent ways. But, it may be too late! Blackmail may be the undoing of the charlatan turned repentant.

Reign of Terror A.K.A The Black Book (1949, 88 min.)
France 1794 – a taut, fast paced adventure set during the French Revolution that plays more like a gritty Film Noir thriller; courtesy of auteur director Anthony Mann and cameraman extraordinaire John Alton, plus an expert cast led by Robert Cummings who turns in a surprisingly tough performance and the most lovely Arlene Dahl.

BONUS FEATURES:

• The Amazing Mr. X Commentary by Jay Fenton
• Reign of Terror Commentary by Alan Rode
• Photo Poster Gallery
• Trailes

ARTWORK ADDED: A Song is Born, It's a Pleasure, Goldwyn Follies

--Artwork added to previous announcement--

ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

What: A Song is Born (1948) When: April 7th Studio: MGM Price: Retail $14.98, Our: $10.99 Note: Was released as part of Nov. 2008 Hollywood Musicals Collection

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What: It's a Pleasure (1945) When: April 7th Studio: MGM Price: Retail $14.98, Our: $10.99 Note: First Sonja Henie DVD release in U.S!

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What: The Goldwyn Follies (1938) When: April 7th Studio: MGM Price: Retail $14.98, Our: $10.99 Note: Had 1999 HBO DVD release Also released as part of Nov. 2008 Hollywood Musicals Collection

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Today's announcement should bring a joyful sigh of relief for those who held off buying last November's monster Hollywood Musicals Collection.

With a hopeful sign of things to come, MGM has announced that two titles from the set, A Song is Born (1948) and The Goldwyn Follies (1938), are being released as singles on April 7th (still M.I.A. as singles are Whoopee & Kid Millions). Also announced for the same day is Sonja Henie's first DVD release in the U.S., It's a Pleasure (1945).

No word on bonus features, but they're likely to very slim.

They will each retail for $14.98, but are available at ClassicFlix.com for only $10.99.

A Song is Born, It's a Pleasure, Goldwyn Follies in April

What: A Song is Born (1948) When: April 7th Studio: MGM Price: Retail $14.98, Our: $10.99 Note: Was released as part of Nov. 2008 Hollywood Musicals Collection

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What: It's a Pleasure (1945) When: April 7th Studio: MGM Price: Retail $14.98, Our: $10.99 Note: First Sonja Henie DVD release in U.S!

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What: The Goldwyn Follies (1938) When: April 7th Studio: MGM Price: Retail $14.98, Our: $10.99 Note: Had 1999 HBO DVD release Also released as part of Nov. 2008 Hollywood Musicals Collection

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Today's announcement should bring a joyful sigh of relief for those who held off buying last November's monster Hollywood Musicals Collection.

With a hopeful sign of things to come, MGM has announced that two titles from the set, A Song is Born (1948) and The Goldwyn Follies (1938), are being released as singles on April 7th (still M.I.A. as singles are Whoopee & Kid Millions). Also announced for the same day is Sonja Henie's first DVD release in the U.S., It's a Pleasure (1945).

No word on bonus features, but they're likely to very slim.

They will each retail for $14.98, but are available at ClassicFlix.com for only $10.99.

The Fugitive - Season 2, Vol. 2 in March

What: The Fugitive - Season 2, Vol. 2 When: March 31st Studio: Paramount Price: Retail $39.99, Our: $29.99

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What: The Fugitive - Seasons 1 and 2 When: March 31st Studio: Paramount Price: Retail $139.99, Our: $104.99

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Paramount has announced The Fugitive - Season 2, Vol. 2 set for release on March 31st. It will retail for $39.99, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $29.99. Also announced for release on the same day is The Fugitive - Seasons 1 and 2 which will retail for 139.99.

Paramount Centennial Wave 3 - The Odd Couple, To Catch a Thief

What: To Catch a Thief (Centennial Collection) When: March 24th Studio: Paramount Price: Retail $24.99, Our: $17.99

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What: The Odd Couple (Centennial Collection) When: March 24th Studio: Paramount Price: Retail $24.99, Our: $17.99

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Continuing at about a once every two month pace, Paramount has announced release numbers 6 and 7 in their Paramount Centennial Collection. They are To Catch a Thief (Centennial Collection) and The Odd Couple (Centennial Collection).

To Catch a Thief was released as a Special Edition two years ago, and has several new featurettes (side by side below). The only bonus feature that didn't carry over to the new release is the Peter Bogdanovich and Laurent Bouzereau commentary. This is the first such special treatment for The Odd Couple.

They will retail for $24.99, but are available at ClassicFlix.com for only $17.99. Details below.

SYNOPSIS:
American expatriate John Robie living in high style on the Riviera is a retired cat burglar. He must find out who a copy cat is to keep a new wave of jewel thefts from being pinned on him. High on list of prime victims is Jessie Stevens, in Europe to help daughter Frances find a suitable husband. Lloyds of London insurance agent is using a thief to catch a thief. Take an especially close look at scene where Robie gets Jessie's attention, dropping an expensive casino chip down decolletage of French roulette player.

BONUS FEATURES (FOR NEW RELEASE):

• Commentary by Dr. Drew Casper, Hitchcock Film Historian
• Featurettes:
  • A Night with the Hitchcock's
    
  • Unaccteptable Under the Code: Film Censorship in America
  • Writing and Casting To Catch a Thief
    
  • Behind the Gates: Stars of the 50's
  • The Making of To Catch a Thief
    
  • Behind the Gates
  • Alfred Hitchcock and To Catch a Thief: An Appreciation
  • Edith Head: The Paramount Years
• Original Theatrical Trailer
  
• If You Love To Catch Thief, You’ll Love this Interactive Travelogue
• Galleries

BONUS FEATURES (ON 2007 RELEASE):

• Commentary by Peter Bogdanovich and Laurent Bouzereau
• Four Featurettes:
  
  • Writing and casting To Catch a Thief
  • The Making of To Catch a Thief
  • Alfred Hitchcock and To Catch a Thief: An Appreciation
  • Edith Head - The Paramount Years
• Theatrical Trailer

SYNOPSIS:
Neil Simon has a special genius for finding the great hilarity in ordinary people doing everyday things. Like two divorced men who decide to share a New York apartment. That's the premise of The Odd Couple, though there's nothing odd in the casting of two Oscar-winning talents like Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. The two veteran funnymen work together with the precision timing of a vaudeville team, but always with bright spontaneity. Lemmon plays fussy Felix, fastidious to a fault. He proves that cleanliness is next to insanity. Matthau is Oscar, who wreaks havoc on a tidy room with the speed and thoroughness of a tornado. An enduring and endearing picture, with the intelligence one usually misses in comedies.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Commentary by Charlie Matthau and Chris Lemmon
• Featurettes:
  • In the Beginning
  • Inside The Odd Couple
  • Memories from the Set
  • Matthau & Lemmon New
  • The Odd Couple: A Classic
• Galleries
• Theatrical Trailer

Gigi, An American in Paris (Blu-Ray) in March

What: Gigi (Blu-Ray) When: March 31st Studio: Warner Price: Retail $28.99, Our: $23.99

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What: An American in Paris (Blu-Ray) When: March 31st Studio: Warner Price: Retail $28.99, Our: $23.99

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**Warner** has announced a March 31st release date for the Blu-Ray releases of Gigi and An American in Paris. Each were released in standard format last September in special 2 disc editions. These releases will have the same extras, but will be contained on one disc.

They will retail for $28.99, but are available at ClassicFlix.com for only $23.99. Details below.

SYNOPSIS:
For nearly a decade Arthur Freed hoped to make a musical film based on Colette’s enchanting novel “Gigi,” but he garnered little support from the M-G-M brass. That changed after the opening of My Fair Lady in early 1956. The show was an immediate smash hit and went on to a record-breaking theatrical run but didn’t get to the screen until 1964. So when Freed came up with the idea of assembling some of the same My Fair Lady creative team -- lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, composer Frederick Loewe and costumer Cecil Beaton -- he quickly received a green light to proceed with his project.

The plot, about a school girl who becomes a Frenchman’s mistress, was considered very risqué and daring for its time. Under the inspired and tasteful direction of Vincente Minnelli, however, the result was nothing short of a triumph --so much so that M-G-M opened the film in a legitimate Broadway theater, where it played on a reserved-seat basis like a new stage musical. The film became a hit all over the world and handily won every Academy Award category in which it was nominated -- Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Lerner), Best Color Cinematography, Best Art/Set Direction, Best Song (“Gigi” by Lerner and Loewe), Best Musical Score (Andre Previn), Best Costume Design, and Best Editing. It was highly unusual that none of the excellent cast -- Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Hermione Gingold, or Maurice Chevalier -- received acting nominations, although Chevalier, known for his singing of “Thank Heaven For Little Girls,” was presented with an honorary Oscar. Other delightful songs on the soundtrack include “I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore,” “The Night They Invented Champagne,” “I Remember it Well,” and of course, the title tune, “Gigi.” Considered by many the last of the great M-G-M musicals, the film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Gigi tells the story of Gaston (Louis Jordan), a handsome playboy from a wealthy Parisian family, who finds emotional refuge from the superficial lifestyle of upper class Parisian 1900s society with the former mistress (Gingold) of his uncle (Maurice Chevalier) and her outgoing, tomboy granddaughter, Gigi (Leslie Caron). When Gaston becomes aware that Gigi has matured into a woman, her grandmother and aunt (Isabel Jeans), who have groomed Gigi to be a wealthy man’s mistress, encourage him to become her provider and try to persuade her to accept such a golden opportunity. However, love adds a surprise twist to this delightful turn-of-the 20th century Cinderella story.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Commentary by Historian Jeanine Basinger with Leslie Caron
• The Million Dollar Nickel - 1952 MGM short
• The Vanishing Duck - 1958 MGM cartoon
• Theatrical Trailer
• Thank Heaven! The Making of Gigi - The story of how 1958's Best Picture winner (the last of the classic MGM musicals) survived a turbulent production that included censorship battles over its daring content and creative struggles between a studio in turmoil and a demanding, visionary director. Featuring an all-new interview with star Leslie Caron, and a rare interview with Oscar-winning director Minnelli.
• 1949 non-musical first screen version of Gigi (French with English Subtitles)

SYNOPSIS:
Legendary producer Arthur Freed developed the film based on George Gershwin’s celebrated 1928 orchestral work, and assembled a stellar team of talents to bring forth what would become a landmark film. With Alan Jay Lerner crafting an original screenplay around the songs of George and Ira Gershwin, Vincente Minnelli directing and Gene Kelly starring (and choreographing) with newcomer Leslie Caron, the results were, and still are, unforgettable. More than two dozen Gershwin songs are used throughout the film, including such favorites as “Love Is Here to Stay,” “I Got Rhythm,” “‘S Wonderful” and “Embraceable You.” Add to this a mix of lavish sets and costumes, tremendous Technicolor cinematography, a romantic love story and a climactic show-stopping ballet, and you’ve got a film that easily captured six Oscar wins (including Best Picture, Director and Music). An American in Paris also holds the distinction of being the first musical to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical).

The plot revolves around ex-GI Jerry Mulligan (Kelly), a struggling American painter in Paris, who is discovered by an influential heiress (Nina Foch) with an interest in more than Jerry’s art. Jerry in turn falls for Lise (Caron), a young French girl already engaged to a cabaret singer. Jerry jokes, sings and dances with his best friend, an acerbic would-be concert pianist (Oscar Levant), and romantic complications abound.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Concerto of a Commentary Hosted by Patricia Ward Kelly and Featuring Rare, Ofter Previously Unheard Interviews with Gene Kelly, Vincente Minnelli, Arthur Freed Alan Jay Lerner, Johnny Green, Saul Chaplin, Michael Feinstein, Preston Ames and Irene Sharoff and New Observations from Leslie Caron and Nina Foch.
• Vintage Fitzpatrick TravelTalk short: Paris on Parade (1938)
• Classic cartoon: Symphony in Slang (1951)
• Theatrical trailer
• 2002 American Masters Documentary: Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer
• ‘S Wonderful: The Making of An American in Paris, an all new documentary, produced especially for this release. A dynamic history of the making of the film, which reveals how George and Ira Gershwin’s classic songs, the dazzling art of the French impressionists and the ultimate teamwork of MGM’s legendary “Freed Unit” came together to create a musical masterpiece. Featuring ten new interviews, including co-stars Leslie Caron and Nina Foch
• Love Walked In Outtake Song Sequence
  
• Audio-Only Bonuses:
  • Outtake Songs Gallery
  • Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron and Johnny Green Radio Promos