laureatedvd.com

[Ken Barnes]

Thanks Mark for bringing these enticing upcoming releases to the Laureate website. Warners certainly are leading the way in DVD classics.

I do hope that Fox and Universal take their cue from this.

ERROL FLYNN

This is certainly one to have. I would like to have seen "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and " Dawn Patrol" included - but maybe we'll get a second volume later.

Odd to see "Captain Blood" and "The Sea Hawk" in the same package
since the sea battles in both films incorporate the same footage from the silent "Captain Blood" - although "Hawk" offers a much more spectacular battle with a noticeably bigger budget ( by 1940 Flynn was far more bankable). Actually, "The Sea Hawk" has enjoyed - or rather endured -
a rather patchy history on video. Of the various VHS releases, none has employed a really good print. The earliest laserdisc release - in the U.S. - on CBS Fox, was a truncated version missing some 18 minutes ( This was the 1947 edited re-release that shared a double bill with "The Sea Wolf" (which was also trucated ). In the early 90s, MGM-UA did a full length version on two discs - but this was a worn and beat-up British version
that included Flora Robson ( as Elizabeth 1st ) making a stirring patriotic speech that was aimed at British audiences only ( during the Battle of Britain). The U.S. release did not carry this speech. Also, in this British version, the Panama jungle sequence was rendered - annoyingly - in
sepia. Then it went back to black and white. As I say, this print was in dreaful condition with scratches and jump-cuts galore. So let's hope this new Warner release is in pristine condition - and complete.

The Doris Day set looks nice and contains my favourite Day film "Love Me Or Leave Me." But wouldn't it have been better to have replaced "Daisies" and "Glass Bottom Boat " with "Romance on the High Seas" and "Storm Warning" ? Never mind, this is DVD production as it should be. A big HOORAY is called for. Let's hear it for Warner Brothers !