laureatedvd.com

J.Markham · Guest

I'm pleased to have found your website and note with interest your section on Fred Astaire and the many requests for "Daddy Long Legs."

Please put me down for a copy - especially if it's a Laureate Special Edition and as good as your previous DVDs of "Holiday Inn" and the Fred And Ginger box set for Universal.

Ken Barnes · Host Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 548

I'm fascinated by the amount of interest in the Fox catalogue - especially the emphasis Fred Astaire's "Daddy Long Legs" and the two Glenn Miller films. I'm 65 and have just retired and, like a lot of my friends, I've gone into DVD with a vengeance, particularly the classic films of the 30s and 40s. I think it's encouraging to have a company like Laureate to produce special editions of the classics. Let's hope that 2005 brings us some real goodies.

Ken Barnes · Host Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 548

The above message came to me as a fax - so I posted it as a message using my user name.

Ken Barnes

Paul Thornycroft · Guest

I wonder how much real notice Fox will take of all these requests. Certainly one would not expect them to answer every request - but the consistent interest in "Daddy Long Legs" and the two Glenn Miller movies must tell them something - and if they look at the superior quality of Ken Barnes's productions of "HOLIDAY INN," the FRED AND GINGER COLLECTION and CITIZEN KANE - they would wind up with a superb product appealing to thousands of satisfied fans and a healthy profit at the end of the day.

Jim Patterson · Guest

I speak for several of my friends when I say that Fox Home Video should be ashamed of themselves for the way they have marketed Marilyn Monroe. Last year five of us bought the excellent Diamond Collection - 11 fabulous discs housed in an elegant fold-over box. Who could ask for anything more classy ?

Now, Fox have issued four previously unreleased - and lesser known - films of Marilyn. Good news for collectors ? No, bad. In order to buy these rarities ( none of which is a classic ), Fox expect us to buy the same 10 films that made up the Diamond Collection all over again ( this time as TWO separate box sets minus the two-hour documentary ). This is the worst kind of crass exploitation - and manipulation - of dedicated collectors that I have ever encountered.

In the last few weeks, the Laureate website has been all abuzz over Fox's
interest in our likes and dislikes. Do they really care ? After this kind of cheap stunt, I think not.

Barry Orde · Guest

I couldn't help noticing the many requests for DADDY LONG LEGS the only Fred Astaire film in the Fox catalogue. Having just purchased the Laureate production ( for Universal ) of HOLIDAY INN ( which is a truly terrific disc ), I've become a real fan of Fred's work. Since this is the only musical that he made for Fox - and next year being the 50th anniversary -why not commission Ken Barnes and Laureate to give it the A treatment. ?

I'll be your first customer.

James LM · Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 32 Location: Croydon

An audio commentary suggestion. It makes sense for this to be initiated by 20thC Fox in Europe, not US. I am taliking about one with lead actress LESLIE CARON and the film's ballet choreographer, ROLAND PETIT. Both live and still work in Paris. Pop over and record an audio commentary via Eurostar. If you were able to go to the states then you have supporting actresses TERRY MOORE and CHARLOTTE AUSTIN and song composers RAY ANTHONY, GEORGE WILLIAMS , SKIP MARTIN and EARLE H. HAGEN to chose from for an audio commentary or interviews.

Ken Barnes · Host Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 548

I've been discussing this with Ava - and she believes that Leslie Caron would love to do it. I like your suggestion of Roland Petit because it was he who choreographed the ballet sequences ( but not Fred's dances ).

I may be able to get to Ray Anthony who is still playing and leading his band. Unfortunately, Skip Martin - with whom I worked back in the '70s - is no longer with us. Also I would love to have included Billy May - who also died earlier this year.

Of course, I haven't yet had any response from Fox. But I have told them that this website has received over 1,000 requests for the film.

I doubt if they'll respond this side of Christmas.

R.G · Guest

It looks as though next year will be great for Fred Astaire fans. Warners have announced that they'll be releasing three of Fred's films next year
( I am told that this is response to the success of "That's Entertainment Trilogy" as well as a constant stream of requests ). So let's hope that Fox have the good taste to issue "Daddy Long Legs" - and the good sense to commission Ken Barnes and Laureate to produce it as a Special Edition.

And while you're about it, Ken, when are we going to see Volume 2 of Fred and Ginger ?

M.Knowles · Guest

If the people at Fox claim to have the interests of classic film collectors at heart, how could they issue the same Marilyn Monroe films that appeared in the Diamond Collection box set two years ago as two further box sets in order to sell four rare films ? Why couldn't they have just issued these as a separate set ?

I'd like to have these films but I refuse to buy these two sets just to satisfy the crass demands of the Fox marketing dept. and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Ken Barnes · Host Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 548

In response to RG.

Yes, I do hope that Fox commission me to do a 50th Anniversary SE on "Daddy Long Legs." With the extras that I can bring to the table, they would have a DVD of world potential. But the truth is I've not heard from them yet.

As to the second volume of FRED AND GINGER, this still lies with Universal. I can tell you that the first one continues to do good business
-and is the most popular of all the box sets I produced.

In response to M. Knowles.

I agree that the marketing of Marilyn Monroe is crass. But I don't know if this decision was made here or in the USA. Hopefully the people at Fox will pick up on this and release those four films in another form.

Thanks for getting in touch

Richard Gunning · Guest

It does look as though Fox Home Video are taking a cold, calculating and dispassionate approach to the selling of Marilyn Monroe on DVD. If they really want to sell some DVDs why don't they do a 50th Anniversary Special Edition of their one and only Fred Astaire musical "Daddy Long Legs?" And who better to produce it than the uniquely gifted Ken Barnes ?

RG Patterson-Thorndyke II · Guest

I absolutely , and wholeheartedly agree with these glorious and brilliant statements concerning Fox's DVD catogue's severe need of their only Fred Astaire musical "Daddy Long Legs" . It's an utter travesty they are not at the front door of the almighty DVD producer-extraordinaire Ken Barnes , begging his assistance in putting this DVD on the market ( which is NOT an exaggeration ) . With the foremost creator of superb DVD collections willing to put forth a "Daddy Long Legs" worth remembering , Fox is putting its own company to shame by not accepting the benefit already afforded to Universal and other distributors . Heaven help them ! Will it take all 30 of the other Astaire masterpieces having to be released first before the Fox people take notice ? I hate to tell them , but a 50th anniversary is a one time thing, which can not be duplicated . I can see it now , Paramount , Warners , and Columbia shall all be laughing their way to the bank , while Fox is wondering why oh why isn't anyone clamoring for the lesser Marilyn films . Perhaps they will respond before it is too late , there are still 12 months left in 2005 .

L.Markham · Guest

I full concur with R.G. Patterson-Thorndyke 11 about Daddy Long Legs and Fred Astaire. It's well known that the American Film Institute are agreed that all of Fred's films should be preserved for posterity. Indeed the market for Astaire films is increasing with each passing year. Warners certainly agree because they're releasing three Astaire musicals in 2005.

Since Daddy Long Legs is Fox's only Astaire musical, what are they waiting for ? The one man to produce a 50th Anniversary Special Edition is Ken Barnes. He is the only DVD producer who can point to a long personal association with Fred and he alone has the irreprlaceable memorabilia and contacts to make this into a world wide collector's item.

Come on, Fox. Get to it.

P. McManus · Guest

After looking through the many remarks about Fox - and the overwhelming interest in seeing a 50th Anniversary SE on "Daddy Long Legs" I can't see how Fox could miss by engaging Ken Barnes for the job.

After the excellence of "Holiday Inn" and the FRED AND GINGER box set, every Astaire fan would buy this without hesitation. You can take my order right now.