Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) coming from Warner Archive

[whiteberry]

NEW 2020 1080p master from 4K scan of original nitrate Technicolor negatives!

MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID (1952)
Run Time 110:00
Subtitles English SDH
Audio Specs DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English
Aspect Ratio 1.37:1, 4 X 3 FULL FRAME
Product Color COLOR
Disc Configuration BD 50

James Sullivan works the carny circuit, promoting the likes of a boxing kangaroo or grappling bear. Then the wheeler-dealer meets a million-dollar idea: beautiful swimming champ Annette Kellerman. She’ll churn through a River Thames PR stunt. Cause a bathing-suit scandal among Boston bluebloods. Headline New York’s Hippodrome. And become a Hollywood swimsation as cameras roll and Rin Tin Tin looks on. Glamorous, amphibious Esther Williams portrays the real-life aquatic star in a splashy biopic costarring Victor Mature and loaded with stunning spectacle (including a must-see Busby Berkeley masterwork). Is this lovely Esther’s signature film? Well, she called her 1999 autobiography The Million Dollar Mermaid.

Special Features: Vintage Pete Smith Specialty short "Reducing"; Vintage Cartoon "The Wise Little Quaker" ; Audio-Only Bonus: Radio show with Esther Williams and Walter Pidgeon; Theatrical Trailer (HD).

Release Date: 7/28/2020

Trailer:

Million Dollar Mermaid - Official Trailer (1952) - YouTube

TCM Intro:

TCM Esther Williams Double Feature 2of2 Million Dollar Mermaid (Intro) - YouTube

TCM Outro:

TCM Esther Williams Double Feature 2of2 Million Dollar Mermaid (Outro) - YouTube

[AllAboutMatt]

I believe this is Esther Williams' Blu-Ray debut. It's always great when a classic Hollywood icon finally makes it to the format!

[ALEckel]

She's featured prominently in That's Entertainment III in this set, but I think you're right that this is the first of her proper films on blu-ray.

[javi92]

That's a sad fact. So much Golden Age Hollywood not represented on blu-ray - and probably never will be.

[zepol]

Anybody watched the bluray yet?

[UnionJackMix]

Originally Posted by javi92

That's a sad fact. So much Golden Age Hollywood not represented on blu-ray - and probably never will be.

Well to be honest I think many aren't really screaming out for an upgrade. Maybe it's just me but sometimes the grain is just too much on bluray. Or the movie in question does not lend itself for such an upgrade. The available elements or something else.
In my opinion, if there's a good transfer on dvd, then I'm happy. Anything more is a welcome plus.

[lilboyblu]

Watched this for the first time last year on DVD, and it looked decent for SD. Very excited to see what a 4K scan from original Technicolor nitrate negatives will look like. It should be glorious!

Originally Posted by zepol

Anybody watched the bluray yet?

Not for another three weeks.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by zepol

Anybody watched the bluray yet?

Robert Harris over at HTF has some words about the new release. It sounds like another winner from WAC.

[javi92]

Watched this last night. Probably haven’t seen it in 10 years. This is one of the best looking technicolor titles on the format. The image is simply ravishing. I really hope we get some more Esther Williams on blu soon.

[zepol]

This bluray looks great!
Buy it a must!

[alobek]

Any chance this is region free? Asking for a Region B locked friend.

[Matt89]

Originally Posted by alobek

Any chance this is region free? Asking for a Region B locked friend.

Yes it is, all WAC titles are region-free. As far as I know, Warner doesn't region lock their blu-rays.

Fun fact: This movie actually premiered as a double bill with The Bad and the Beautiful.

~Matt