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Warner Archive will reissue on Blu-ray John Huston's film The Man Who Would Be King (1975), starring Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer, Saeed Jaffrey, and Jack May. The release will be available for purchase on January 5.
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=27831
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Warner Archive has announced that it will add four new titles to its Blu-ray catalog in January. They are: After the Thin Man (1936), Room for One More (1952), The Pajama Game (1957), and Good News (1947).
Good News
Studio description: With boundless enthusiasm and enough jive to meld '20s flapper giddiness with '40s swing, 1947's Good News - the feature directing debut of Charles Walters (Easter Parade, The Unsinkable Molly Brown) and screenwriting debut of Betty Comden and Adolph Green (Singin' in the Rain, The Band Wagon) - is "one of the best of the lighthearted rah-rah collegiate musicals" (Pauline Kael, The New Yorker). Peter Lawford (as a campus football hero) and June Allyson (as the super-smart co-ed who tutors him) lead a high-spirited cast that includes Mel Torme and Broadway's Joan McCracken. "The Varsity Drag" and Best Song Oscar® nominee "Pass That Peace Pipe" stand out among the numbers that are all zip and joy. And the bee's knees.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL TECHNICOLOR NEGATIVES
Outtake musical sequence -- "An Easier Way" (with June Allyson and Patricia Marshall)
Excerpts from M-G-M's 1930 version of GOOD NEWS
Vintage MGM radio promo interview with June Allyson
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
After the Thin Man
Studio description: They're back, and this time on Blu-ray! William Powell and Myrna Loy returned to their roles from the 1934 smash hit THE THIN MAN for this second of five sequels to the original.,,,and now it's appearing in HD for the very first time! It's New Year's Eve, Nick and Nora Charles have returned to the West Coast, and the philandering hubby of Nora's cousin has gone missing. Round up the unusual suspects. The stars (including the four-footed one!), writers and director of The Thin Man reunite for a giddy second comedy whodunit. Myrna Loy is Nora, who by all accounts doesn't scold, doesn't nag and looks far too pretty in the morning. William Powell is Nick, retired from sleuthing but hardly retiring when it comes to a case more scrambled than the 3 A.M. eggs he whips up. And rising star James Stewart leads a tip-top supporting cast. "This is a fine way to start the New Year," Nick says, as he springs Nora from lockup. Indeed, it is!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM FROM THE BEST SURVIVING ELEMENTS
Lux Radio Theater broadcast (6/17/1940) with William Powell and Myrna Loy
Leo is On the Air -- Vintage MGM radio promo
Vintage MGM short -- "How to be a Detective" with Robert Benchley
Classic MGM cartoon -- "The Early Bird and the Worm"
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
Room for One More
Studio description: Screen legend Cary Grant re-teamed on the big screen for the second time with wife Betsy Drake for this heartwarming audience favorite based on the book by Anna Perrot Rose.
When it comes to children, three's a crowd for city engineer Poppy Rose (Grant). But for his wife, Anna (Drake), three is just a beginning. She wants to add to their brood of three kids, a legion of cats, a scruffy stray dog and whatever else comes their way by having them become foster parents of one, then another, troubled youth. With his charm, offhand wit and impeccable timing always in play, screen icon Grant shines as Poppy in this "warmhearted, thoroughly engaging domestic comedy" (Clive Hirschhorn, The Warner Bros. Story). Grant chose this book as a vehicle for he and his wife, allowing their real-life marriage to provide a showcase for their big-screen chemistry, which is unique ad charming. The film also was the screen debut of child star George "Foghorn" Winslow, who unforgettably shared the screen with Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes a year later. Join them. After all, there's always Room for One More.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW MASTER FROM THE BEST SURVIVING ELEMENTS
Classic Warner Bros. cartoons:
FEED THE KITTY
OPERATION: RABBIT
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
The Pajama Game
Studio description: Labor and management at the Sleeptite Pajama Factory aren't sleeping much lately: A proposed 71/2-cent hourly wage increase is why – and a strike may result. But negotiations here involve snappy stars, terrific tunes and dynamic dances as Doris Day, John Raitt and a Broadway-seasoned cast play The Pajama Game. Songs by the Damn Yankees duo of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and choreography by Bob Fosse generate lots of "Steam Heat," all whipped together delightfully under the direction of two musical masters of stage and screen, George Abbott and Stanley Donen. Besides "Steam Heat" (showcasing the quirky brilliance of dancer Carol Haney), catch "Hey There," "I'm Not at All in Love," "Hernando's Hideaway," "Once-a-Year Day" and other all-time-great numbers. For peerless entertainment, negotiate no further. Nothing's quite the same as The Pajama Game!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K MASTER FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
Deleted musical sequence with Doris Day -- "The Man Who Invented Love"
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=27838
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So far, in addition to the two titles revealed above, the Archive will be releasing the following next month:
San Francisco (1936)
Baby Doll (1956)
Pump Up the Volume (1990)
Harley Quinn: The Complete First and Second Seasons
Of course, there may be more later for all I know.
Edit: One more title: The 1951 Show Boat restored from Technicolor elements.
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And still one more title for February: My Dream is Yours (1949)
Also: On Moonlight Bay (1951)
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If it's any consolation, we may potentially get a release of Captain Blood depending on how the transfer coming to HBOMAX next month looks.
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It looks like Warner is announcing the March titles today (will edit this post as the announcements get made throughout the day. In addition to The Great Caruso (4K from Technicolor elements), we’ll be getting:
Damn Yankees (4K)
Isle of the Dead (4K)
Thundarr the Barbarian: The Complete Series
Crossfire (4K)
The Bermuda Depths (4K)
It also looks like Captain Blood is a no-go for the present as Robert Crawford of Home Theatre Forum has reported that the transfer added to HBOMAX today is the same as what’s currently on ITunes.
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...& Crossfire (1947) another RKO Film Noir release from Warner, staring Robert Young, Robert Mitchum & Robert Ryan.
NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4k Scan of Original Camera Negative
I'd think that's it for March. Probably just Damn Yankees for me (if the image is okay, it's sourced from a 4K scan of preservation separation masters).
Curse of Frankenstein is supposed to look good, and that was also sourced from separation masters, so it’s possible Damn Yankees will look good as well.
I’m not so sure they’re done yet. Last month, I thought they were done with Show Boat and they ended up announcing two more titles after that. If any more get announced, I’ll add them to my previous post as I’ve done with Crossfire.
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Next month’s Archive releases are:
Green Dolphin Street
Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space
Broadway Melody of 1940
Doctor X (Color and Black-and-White versions)
Annie Get Your Gun (restored from Technicolor elements)
Quick Change
Each Dawn I Die
Another Thin Man
Will update this post if there are anymore announced.
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Warner Archive has announced its April batch of Blu-ray releases. Amongst them are: Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Doctor X (1932), Green Dolphin Street (1947), Each Dawn I Die (1939), Quick Change, (1990) and Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940).
Doctor X
Synopsis: Is there a (mad) doctor in the house? "Yes!" shrieks Doctor X, filmed in rare two-strip Technicolor®. An eminent scientist aims to solve a murder spree by re-creating the crimes in a lab filled with all the dials, gizmos, bubbling beakers and crackling electrostatic charges essential to the genre. Lionel Atwill is Doctor Xavier, pre-King Kong scream queen Fay Wray is a distressed damsel and Lee Tracy snaps newshound patter, all under the direction of renowned Michael Curtiz. The new two-color Technicolor master was restored by UCLA Film and Television Archive and The Film Foundation in association with Warner Bros. Entertainment. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Foundation. Also includes the separately filmed B&W version (which has been restored and restored from its original nitrate camera negative) originally intended for small U.S. markets and International distribution, and which has been out of distribution for over 30 years.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE LAST-KNOWN SURVIVING NITRATE TECHNICOLOR PRINT
Alternate B&W version of feature
DOCTOR X (HD): UCLA Before & After Restoration featurette (HD)
New documentary: "Monsters and Mayhem: The Horror Films of Michael Curtiz (HD)
New feature commentary by author/film historian Alan K. Rode
Archival feature commentary by Scott MacQueen, head of preservation, UCLA Film and Television Archive
Original B&W Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
Annie Get Your Gun
Synopsis: Betty Hutton (as Annie Oakley) and Howard Keel (as Frank Butler) star in this sharpshootin' funfest based on the 1,147-performance Broadway smash boasting Irving Berlin's beloved score, including "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly," "I Got the Sun in the Morning" and the anthemic "There's No Business Like Show Business." As produced by Arthur Freed, directed by George Sidney, and seen and heard in this new remastered HD presentation, this lavish, spirited production showcases songs and performances with bull's-eye precision, earning an Oscar®* for adaptation scoring. The story is a brawling boy-meets-girl-meets-buckshot rivalry. But love finally triumphs when Annie proves that, yes, you can get a man with a gun!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL NITRATE TECHNICOLOR NEGATIVES
Susan Lucci retrospective & intro piece (from 2000 DVD release)
Outtakes:
Let's Go West Again -- Betty Hutton
Doin' What Comes Natur'lly -- Judy Garland
I'm an Indian, Too -- Judy Garland
Colonel Buffalo Bill with Howard Keel and Frank Morgan
Stereo audio pre-recording session tracks including There's No Business Like Show Business featuring Judy Garland
Theatrical Re-issue Trailer (HD)
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
Broadway Melody of 1940
Synopsis: The job – a career breakthrough – is supposed to go to hoofer Johnny Brett, but a mix-up in names gives it to his partner. Another example of Broadway hopes dashed? Not when Johnny is played by Fred Astaire. Sparkling Cole Porter songs, clever comedy and dance legends Astaire and Eleanor Powell make the final Broadway Melody (co-starring George Murphy) a film to remember. Powell's nautical "All Ashore" routine (a/k/a I Am the Captain"), Astaire's blissful "I've Got My Eyes on You" and Fred & Eleanor's elaborate routine to Cole Porter's classic "I Concentrate On You" are more than enough to please any fan. But they're just a warm-up for the leads to tap one finale number into immortality: "Begin the Beguine," introduced by Frank Sinatra in That's Entertainment! with, "You can wait around and hope, but you'll never see the likes of this again."
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM NITRATE PRESERVATION ELEMENTS
Making-of Featurette: "Begin the Beguine" (hosted by Ann Miller)
"Our Gang Comedies: The Big Premiere"
MGM Cartoon: "The Milky Way"
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
Green Dolphin Street
Synopsis: The Academy Award® winner about star-crossed love that spans the years – and the globe. After her triumph as the lunchroom temptress in the crime classic The Postman Always Rings Twice, Lana Turner expanded her range with Green Dolphin Street. Set in 19th century Europe and New Zealand, this sweeping romance tells the story of two beautiful sisters, one headstrong (Turner) and one gentle (Donna Reed), and of the man (Richard Hart) who marries one even though he loves the other. The film's riptides of emotion are matched by breathtaking physical tumult: a fierce Maori uprising plus a catastrophic earthquake and tidal wave that earned the film a 1947 Oscar® for special effects. With its dramatic story and spectacular visuals, Green Dolphin Street drew huge audiences for epic moviemaking, being one of the top-ten box office hits of the year.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM PRESERVATION ELEMENTS
Lux Radio Theater Broadcast
Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space
Synopsis: Rock stars Josie and the Pussycats are out of this world...literally! When the bumbling Alexandra accidentally launches Josie and the gang into outer space, they travel through the galaxy searching for a path back to Earth. Along the way, they meet cat people, robot monsters, evil dictators, space pirates and plenty of strange creatures, including their new companion Bleep, voiced by Hanna-Barbera legend Don Messick. Fortunately, everyone's a fan of Josie and the Pussycats, including aliens! Rocket through the universe with your favorite superstars as they save the day, sing some songs and have a hip-happenin' good time in a 2-disc, 16-episode Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space complete series collection that hits all the right notes!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
BRAND NEW MASTERS
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
Quick Change
Synopsis: The star of Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day headlines and codirects this uproarious Big Apple heist-and-pursuit caper. Bill Murray plays Grimm, a frazzled urbanite who disguises himself as a clown – and sets out to rob a bank. Geena Davis and Randy Quaid play accomplices in Grimm's daring scheme and Jason Robards is the blustery cop caught up in Grimm's "Clown Day Afternoon." Swiping a million bucks is a snap compared to getting out of town. Grimm and cohorts commandeer a car, a cab, a bus, a baggage tram and a plane (and encounter future stars Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub in hilarious supporting roles) to make what becomes a less-than-merry escape. But for comedy lovers, Quick Change is a ticket to ride!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
BRAND NEW MASTER
Theatrical trailer
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
Each Dawn I Die
Synopsis: Framed for manslaughter after he breaks a story about city corruption, reporter Frank Ross is sure he'll prove his innocence and walk out of prison a free man. But that's not how the system works at Rocky Point Penitentiary. There, cellblock guards are vicious, the jute-mill labor is endless, and the powers Ross fought on the outside conspire to keep him in. Frank's hope is turned to hopelessness. And he's starting to crack. Two of the screen's famed tough guys star in this prison movie that casts a reform-minded eye on the brutalizing effects of life in the slammer. James Cagney "hits a white-hot peak as [Ross,] the embittered, stir-crazy fall guy" (Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide). And George Raft (Cagney's friend since their vaudeville days) portrays racketeer Hood Stacey, who may hold the key to springing Ross.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE BEST SURVIVING NITRATE ELEMENTS
Warner Night at the Movies including 1939 Short Subjects Gallery:
Vintage Newsreel
WB Technicolor Short: "A Day at Santa Anita"
WB Cartoon: "Detouring America"
Restrospective featurette: "Stool Pigeons and Pine Overcoats: The Language of Gangster Films"
Feature Commentary by Film Historian Haden Guest
Breakdowns of 1939: Studio Blooper Reel
WB Cartoon: "Each Dawn I Crow"
Radio show w/George Raft & Franchot Tone
Trailer for "Wings of the Navy"
Original Theatrical Trailer for Each Dawn I Die (HD)
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
Another Thin Man
Synopsis: Dum-Dum, Wacky, Creeps, Fingers: They're just a few of the hoodlums in the world of amateur sleuths and professional bon vivants Nick and Nora Charles. And now there's a new hood: parenthood. A birthday – make that boithday – party that some of da boys hold for infant Nick Jr. is part of the fun in this third film in the witty series. The case begins when the Charles family arrives for a weekend with a Long Island industrialist who fears someone wants to kill him. Sure enough, his fears come true. Nick (William Powell) is among the suspects. Asta scrams with what may be the murder weapon. And Nora (Myrna Loy) has her own ideas about the case and sneaks off to a nightclub to ferret out a clue. "Madam, how long have you been leading this double life?" Nick asks. "Just since we've been married," she replies.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE BEST SURVIVING NITRATE ELEMENTS
M-G-M Musical Short: Love on Tap
Classic M-G-M Cartoon: The Bookworm
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=28248
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