laureatedvd.com

[Ryan]

Just as an observation on Astaire's musical films, here is a list of those not currently available on DVD:

Dancing Lady (1933)
Flying Down to Rio (1933)
The Gay Divorcee (1934)
Roberta (1935)
Swing Time (1936)
A Damsel in Distress (1937)
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
The Sky's the Limit (1943)
Yolanda and the Thief (1945)
Ziegfeld Follies (1946)
The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)
Three Little Words (1950)
Let's Dance (1950)
The Belle of New York (1951)
Daddy Long Legs (1955)


It is a lofty list of worthwhile entertainment, in my opinion. Even though Laureate has produced some of his best films, some companies, such as the owners of Turner's film library have neglected Astaire's MGM and RKO musicals which would make big sellers in my country and elsewhere. Laureate and Universal have recently released Top Hat, Follow the Fleet, Shall we Dance and Carefree. Also a French company put out most of the 1930's RKO catalogue, but they seem to be now out of print. Commonly available out of the other films are Broadway Melody of 1940, Silk Stockings, Funny Face and You'll Never Get Rich. These are good productions. Not matching Laureate's quality on their box set, but at least they are obtainable and make these of Astaire's films known to the DVD buying public. Also, in addition to Laureate's first rate production and the other discs, you can find several bargain basement productions of the public domain films Second Chorus and Royal Wedding. They are easily notable by their small pricetag. And none of them come close to the quality of Laureate's releases of Second Chorus and Royal Wedding. Also in the bargain basement category is an available Asian release of Daddy Long Legs, which I'm not sure how was released, but it does not have top notch picture or sound quality. Its one redeeming feature to me, is a rare glance at the film the way it is meant to be seen, in widescreen (much needed especially for the dance to Johnny Mercer's "Something's Gotta Give") And, Blue Skies has been released as part of a Bing Crosby double feature. In fact, all the American releases of Astaire musicals, seem to be in tribute to another artist, or part of another performer's collection. Cole Porter, Audrey Hepburn, Bing Crosby, etc. Laureate's best Astaire film to date, Holiday Inn, is a fine release. In terms of worthwhile extra material it's a goldmine. That names 13 musicals of Astaire's currently obtainable on DVD, yet he made 31, and many more than 13 are wonderful to watch.
That list is off the top of my head, so I hope the years are accurate. It contains many pictures that would make excellent DVD releases, such as The Band Wagon, Easter Parade, The Sky's the Limit, and the remaining Ginger films. Also some that fewer people would most likely buy: Finian's Rainbow, Let's Dance, The Belle of New York, etc. The future release of You Were Never Lovelier with Rita Hayworth will be a welcome addition. And it has been said the Laureate company might produce more Astaire/Rogers films. Please comment. Or replies as to which of these films would make good DVD releases would be much appreciated. Thank you for reading the longwinded message, I hope it's of at least slight interest, I just didn't want to see the Astaire forum go a week without a post.

[Jack Clowes]

Couldn't agree more. I think the ones that are screaming out to be issued on DVD are all MGM - Easter Parade (too late for this year, I guess), Band Wagon and Three Little Words. May I also request once again the That's Entertainment Trilogy plus That's Dancing. One final thought occurs to me. There used to be a series of Annual AFI Tributes to the real stars (Astaire, James Stewart, Henry Fonda etc) and great Directors (John Ford, Hitchcock etc) and I have many of these on VHS.
At about 1 hour long they could be perfect to use as one of the extras on a DVD featuring one of the better films of the subject of the Tribute.
_________________
Jack Clowes

[Ken Barnes]

I think that Ryan and Jack are absolutely on target with their comments regarding the paucity of Astaire films on DVD.

Ryan, I don't think your message was the least bit long-winded.

Jack, you're right when you say that Warner ( who through their links with Ted Turner) hold all the rights worldwide to the MGM titles ( the RKO catalogue too- but for the USA only). So this is the company who can do most to fill out the gaps. Columbia have already issued "You'll Never Get Rich" and we can only hope that "You Were Never Lovelier" will be released shortly.

It would be nice if Universal commissioned me to do a second volume of
"Fred and Ginger." But nothing has been said so far.

As for Fox, their only Astaire title "Daddy Long Legs" SHOULD be issued
in its original "CinemaScope and Stereophonic Sound" But, maybe in time, all this will happen.

Ken

[NORTHWEST]

Jack's thoughts on the AFI tributes is a good one. I too loved those tribute shows to people like Billy Wilder and Barbara Stanwyck etc. Marvellous.

Good to hear that You Were Never Lovelier is on the way: is this Region 1 or 2?

I think Easter Parade is supposed to come out in R1 (at least )in 2005. Also I seem to remember reading that Finian's Rainbow and That's Entertainment are coming out this year (R1).

Nick

[Ryan]

Nick,
The You Were Never Lovelier DVD that is scheduled to be released on May 24 is the UK region, as I learned from Mr. Fisk, and it is listed at www.play.com. If it follows the course of the similar DVD of You'll Never Get Rich, it would be released on region 1 as well, but is not listed anywhere in that region yet.

[NORTHWEST]

Thanks Ryan. I'll order that. I always thought that Rita Hayworth really never did look lovlier than in this wonderful film.

[Ken Barnes]

It's good to have the two films that Fred made with Rita Hayworth.

When I spoke with Fred about her, he referred to her as".. one of the nicest people I ever worked with. And a very good dancer."

It's a pity that Columbia didn't give these films a proper DVD presentation.
But let us, at least, be grateful that they've made it to DVD.

Ken

[Mark Bakker]

I totally agree with Ryan about the lack of Fred films, it's a disgrace!
The foremost dancer in films is under represented on DVD.
I just want to pick up on Ryan's point of films in the public domain.
Just how do films become in the public domain? Don't studios renew the rights to their catalogues? Or are films in the public domain those which studios have forgotten to renew the rights to or can't be bothered to?
Hoping somebody can enlighten me on this, it's been puzzling me for some time.
Mark Bakker

[Ryan]

Mark, you are right about the copyrights not being renewed as the reason for films falling into public domain. In the States, if they didn't renew the film after the 28 year copyright term, they lose their protection. This applies to films and other works created before 1978 because newer laws have changed the way copyrights are extended, such as a Sonny Bono Act in 1998.
In the case of Astaire's Second Chorus, I learned something of its independent producer and copyright circumstances reading Astaire Dancing. To quote John Mueller, "Among the other interesting characters associated with the film is the producer, Boris Morros. A Russian emigre, Morros was at the time beginning to work with Soviet agents, in 1947 he became an FBI counterspy. Morros' 1957 autobiography, which revealed his double life and was filmed in 1960 as Man on a String, scarcely mentions Second Chorus. His forgetfulness was continued by his heirs after his death in 1963, with the result that the film's copyright was apparently not renewed when due in 1969. Thus the film seems to have fallen into the public domain"

[Mark Bakker]

Ryan,
Thank you so much for the information. I understand the principle of 'Public Domain' films a bit better now.
Guess 'Road to Bali' must be in the public domain. I picked up a copy for £3 a few weeks ago, the worst £3 i ever spent!
Looking at the amazon DVD pages it's easy to spot the classic films that are in the public domain, there are just so many different versions of them. A couple of the Cary Grant films have 5 or more different versions!
Getting back to Astaire my top suggestion for a Laureate production would be a boxed set of the Fred Astaire TV Specials. I realise this would be a departure for Laureate to release TV shows on DVD, nevertheless here is a project which screams success.
I believe Fred made 4 TV Specials between 1959 and about 1969. Most of which have been released on video in the states, now sadly unavailable.
Can you imagine a boxed set of all 4 shows with input from Ava Astaire, who worked on the shows, and from Barrie Chase, Fred's last dancing partner.
I have only seen excepts from these shows but from what i have seen the dancing is sublime.
I don't know who owns the rights to these shows now. If it's Mrs Astaire the chances of finding these shows on DVD may be diminished. I understand Mrs Astaire has not yielded to previous requests for Fred's recordings to be released on CD.

[Ryan]

I very much agree with Mark's desire to see the dance specials on DVD. The fourth of which (1968's "The Fred Astaire Show") I wouldn't mind seeing in any format at all, just to see it without having to travel to New York would be beyond wonderful. I have a tape of "An Evening with Fred Astaire" (1958), "Another Evening with Fred Astaire" (1959), and "Astaire Time" (1960), from their appearance on the Disney Channel some time ago. Their latest release here was some sort of bootleg version or something which didn't last long, and was poor in quality. Oh boy, the subject of Mrs. Astaire disallowing the late Fred to be shown, except in bizarre situations (read: vacuuming) is indeed a whole topic of its own.

[Peter]

Well that was all very nice stuff from you chaps but I think it goes without saying that the dvds that MUST be released first are the remaining 6 of Fred & Ginger....

Flying Down to Rio (1933)
The Gay Divorcee (1934)
Roberta (1935)
Swing Time (1936)
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)

I know all about the two that have some too-long-to-go-into-detail problems (Roberta - bought up to keep quiet and The Barkleys of Broadway - MGM not RKO) but a few young fools in a film studio who think they know it all cannot stop the demand. I'm sure if they don't organise themselves soon and do it, a load of rubbishy pirate stuff will end up on the market. I should know, I've seen them (divx)!!!
Hopefully, Laureate will get the rights and release another good box set. (I won't mention my moaning about the slight hiccup in the Ginger routine in Carefree...ooops, I did ).
To be honest with you, I really enjoyed the last box set and would love to see the next one soon.
Well I must be off now. Happy viewing

"There are no small parts. Only small actors." - Virginia Katherine McMath

[Ken Barnes]

Thanks Peter for your kind comments and your vote of confidence
( the "Carefree" bit notwithstanding ). At this point in time, I understand that the Fred and Ginger box is doing good business. But that doesn't necessarily mean that Universal will want to do a second one ( although they certainly should ) and even if they did, it doesn't necessarily follow that Laureate will be doing it.

The subject of "Roberta" is particularly intriguing. As you know, MGM bought it out of circulation in 1952 to make way for the Technicolor remake " Lovely To Look At." Flash forward to the 1980s and Ted Turner
buys the MGM library. A few years later, he acquires the RKO catalogue (but for the USA and Canada ONLY ). So what are we left with today ?

Turner is in bed with Warner Brothers who are now releasing the MGM classics worldwide. But while they can't issue the 8 remaining RKO Astaire-Rogers outside of the USA, they CAN release "Roberta" and "The Barkeleys of Broadway" all over the world. There's talk that the Turner company are currently restoring ALL TEN of the Fred and Gingers for an American release - and that the first of them will be issued later this year.

Looking at the whole thing sensibly, Universal should issue the remaining four titles that are available to them. But will they ? Who can say ?

Ken

[Ryan]

[Ken Barnes]

You're welcome, Ryan.

Ken