“Ask Movie Fanfare” Archive
Irv Slifkin | Ask Movie Fanfare
Q: Could you tell me if WB is ever going to release more Spencer Tracy films, in particular, A Guy Named Joe, The Seventh Cross, Cass Timberlane, Keeper of the Flame and The Sea of Grass?
Also, with all of the classic films on DVD, it seems that Debbie Reynolds has been forgotten! Any chance that such films as I Love Melvin, Give a Girl a Break, Bundle of Joy, This Happy Feeling, Say One For Me, The Gazebo, It Started with A Kiss, The Pleasure of His Company, My Six Loves, or Goodbye Charlie will make it to DVD in the near future?
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Irv Slifkin | Ask Movie Fanfare
Question: Will the movie To Each His Own ever be released on DVD? I fell in love with it and haven't been able to find it.
Answer: Olivia De Havilland won an Oscar for her performance as Jody Norris, a woman who becomes pregnant by a soldier during World War I, then gives the baby up for adoption. She eventually encounters her grown-up son during World War II in this well-liked 1946 effort from "womans' director" Mitchell Leisen (Easy Living, Midnight) and frequent Billy Wilder writing partner Charles Brackett. The Paramount picture is now owned by Universal; if Uni has no immediate plans, there's hope for release with Turner Classic Movies issuing Paramount/Universal library titles of late through their manufacture-on-demand DVD program.
Question: Are there rights problems with the Fox film Margie from 1946? Are there are many requests for this film to be shown and/or released on DVD?
Answer: We don’t think there is a rights problem with the Roaring ‘20s-set comedy starring Jeanne Crain. We just think Fox has sadly overlooked it in their library and doesn't recognize the amount of people interested in this nostalgic delight.
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Irv Slifkin | Ask Movie Fanfare
Question: Will the 1936 Show Boat be put on DVD in the near future? The film was available on Laserdisc several years ago and I consider it the best version of the musical.
Answer: Many people share your opinion that the James Whale-directed adaptation of the Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein musical is Hollywood’s best take on the tale. Certainly, that cast of Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Paul Robeson and Butterfly McQueen is tough to beat. But there are fans of the 1951 edition with Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel and William Warfield doing justice to “Ol’ Man River.” For your information, there is also a 1929 version, an early talkie. Word is Warner has been working on some sort of set that encompasses at least the 1936 and 1951 versions, but no word on a release date yet.
Question: In regard to your article on Jeff Bridges, Thunderbolt andLightfoot is a classic that I never get tired of watching. Bridges’ portrayal of a young wide-eyed kid out for the time of his life was a cinematic gem. He was the perfect foil for Eastwood and George Kennedy. I’m laughing now at his disguised blonde getting the make on the time keeper. Who beat him for the Oscar?
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Irv Slifkin | Ask Movie Fanfare
Question: I recently viewed the original Magnificent Obsession, starring Robert Taylor and Irene Dunne, on TCM. Is this available to purchase?
Answer: Good news! The Criterion Collection’s special edition of Magnificent Obsession contains the Taylor-Dunne 1935 release, as well as the more widely-seen 1954 adaptation of the Lloyd C. Douglas weepie starring Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman and directed by Douglas Sirk.
Question: Have you a copy of Men with Wings (1938), starring RayMilland and Fred MacMurray as the Wright brothers, plus Virginia Weidler as their little sister. I have searched all over for this film, but with no luck.
Answer: This story of the birth of aviation, with MacMurray as the reckless, barnstorming sibling to Milland’s more studious, scientifically oriented flyer is not on DVD, unfortunately. It is currently owned by Universal, which got the Paramount production in a deal years ago. It was directed by ex-WWI pilot William A. Wellman, master of other aviation epics such as Wings and Lafayette Escadrille.
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Irv Slifkin | Ask Movie Fanfare
Question: Fans of Ken Russell’s The Devils are well aware the film is not being released on DVD or Blu-ray. But what we do not know is the reason. Is it possible you can enlighten us Devils fans why the film is not being released on home video? Much lesser know films have been released by Warner Brothers so apparently it isn’t the profitability. Is it because of the original X rating or the new uncensored director’s cut (If so, why don’t they license the film to a different DVD label?) Is there a problem with the studio and director? Other Russell films are still not available, including the charming 1971 film The Boy Friend (which I was told wouldn’t sell enough copies – and which is probably true – but there is the Warner Archives for that). Devils fans are waiting for a real explanation.
Answer: You have hit on one of the $64,000 questions for fans of the film. As we are sure you are aware, Warner issued a statement two or three years ago about releasing it as part of a foreign film series, then quickly dropped it from the schedule. We actually received artwork from them, and we believe the stated 111 min. running time coincided with the uncut, restored European edition. We haven’t heard anything regarding Russell's film on DVD for a long time. We just hope that is not destined for a no-frills Warner Archive edition, as there are some terrific documentaries about the film that have appeared overseas (on the BBC),
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Irv Slifkin | Ask Movie Fanfare
Question: When, oh when are Arthur Hailey's Hotel and the TV series of The Ghost & Mrs. Muir ever going to be introduced on DVD?
Answer: Good questions that, unfortunately, we don’t have all the answers to. With respect to Hotel, if you are talking about the 1983-1988 ABC TV series produced by Aaron Spelling starring James Brolin and Connie Sellecca, we’ve got the first season available, but no news on when subsequent season will be released by Paramount. The DVD appearance of the 1967 film with Rod Taylor, Catherine Spaak and Merle Oberon is more likely, a perfect candidate for a future Warner Archives release. As for The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, the popular show that ran on NBC and ABC from 1968 to 1970 with Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare, its rights are owned by Fox. According to a company spokesperson, “it is not on our schedule.” So it will remain invisible to video fans for a while longer.
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Irv Slifkin | Ask Movie Fanfare
Question: As always, I enjoy your column each month. I was wondering if you had any information concerning DVD releases of the following films:
Belle Starr (1941)
Springtime in the Rockies (1942)
Song of the Islands (1942)
Yolanda & the Thief (1945)
The Sky's the Limit (1943)
They Met in Bombay (1941)
The Lone Wolf series with Warren William & Eric Blore
Maisie
Thanks for all your help, Irv.
-- (via email)
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Irv Slifkin | Ask Movie Fanfare
Letters. We get letters. And we’d like to answer them here, each time we update this column. So email us here at movieirv@www.moviesunlimited.com and we’ll print the letters in this column. Here are a couple of our recent queries:
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Irv Slifkin | Ask Movie Fanfare
Letters. We get letters. And we’d like to answer them here, each time we update this column. So email us here at movieirv@www.moviesunlimited.com and we’ll print the letters in this column. Here are a couple of our recent queries:
Question: Love your column! As a huge fan of all things film noir, I have a few questions on the potential availability of a few noir classics and more recent era gems.
The first one concerns the availability of Johnny Stool Pigeon with Dan Duryea, Howard Duff and Shelley Winters on DVD? This winter I was lucky enough to catch this forgotten treasure at the annual San Francisco Noir Festival. It is one of those great pictures that have fallen through the cracks, which is a shame, because the film has a lot to recommend it. The print that we saw was a brand new copy struck especially for the festival by Universal, and it looked gorgeous.
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Tags: Debbie Reynolds, Spencer Tracy