Official Film Noir on Blu-ray Thread

[Gunsnroses092789]

Not only does Christmas Holiday have legal issues, but it would definitely get a solo release if they did get to release it.

[noirjunkie]

Borderline (1950) is in the public domain, so anyone could release it.

[playingphysicist]

From that list, there was some talk awhile back about Kino doing the infamous bomb Saigon that supposedly ended Veronica Lake's mainstream career, but I saw a comment a few months ago by KL Insider that it has legal issues (it has never been released on home media so I believe it).

However, it was a Paramount film. Does Universal now have the rights to it?

[randian]

Originally Posted by Gunsnroses092789

Not only does Christmas Holiday have legal issues, but it would definitely get a solo release if they did get to release it.

What are the legal issues? Does the OCN still exist?

[Rafows]

Originally Posted by Gunsnroses092789

Not only does Christmas Holiday have legal issues, but it would definitely get a solo release if they did get to release it.

According to Mr.Insider, at least these have legal issues:

- Christimas Holiday (1944)
- Saigon (1947)
- Ivy (1947)
- The Great Gatsby(1949)
- Illegal Entry (1949)
- Under the gun (1951)
- Forbidden (1953)
- Instambul (1957)

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by randian

What are the legal issues? Does the OCN still exist?

Not sure on either, sorry. Maybe the legal issues have to do with songs.

Originally Posted by Rafows

According to Mr.Insider, at least these have legal issues:

- Christimas Holiday (1944)
- Saigon (1947)
- Ivy (1947)
- The Great Gatsby(1949)
- Illegal Entry (1949)
- Under the gun (1951)
- Forbidden (1953)
- Instambul (1957)

Oddly, Universal licensed the Great Gatsby for DVD release to Via Vision in Australia. Definitely an official release.

[playingphysicist]

Originally Posted by Gunsnroses092789

Not sure on either, sorry. Maybe the legal issues have to do with songs.

I think I know why Christmas Holiday hasnt been:

Based on the 1939 novel of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham

Probably they would have to clear it with whoever owns the rights to Maugham's works.

Many 'legal issue' noirs were the ones based on books. I know Manhandled is like that too. Some of these books rights, from what I have seen, can get really obscure. I don't know of many noirs that have legal issues related to music.

[SanCarolina59]

Originally Posted by playingphysicist

However, it was a Paramount film. Does Universal now have the rights to it?

They do, alongside almost all other live action Paramount films made between 1929-1949. After Paramount went through several lawsuits in the 1950s relating to block booking, they sold their older film catalog to MCA in 1958 for a quick cash boost, and when MCA merged with Universal in 1962, Universal assumed ownership and has owned them ever since. There are a few notable exceptions that remain with Paramount, but otherwise Universal owns most of them.

[GeoffOliver]

Originally Posted by SanCarolina59

They do, alongside almost all other live action Paramount films made between 1929-1949. After Paramount went through several lawsuits in the 1950s relating to block booking, they sold their older film catalog to MCA in 1958 for a quick cash boost, and when MCA merged with Universal in 1962, Universal assumed ownership and has owned them ever since. There are a few notable exceptions that remain with Paramount, but otherwise Universal owns most of them.

Yeah, for some reason, Paramount still owns Sorry Wrong Number (1948). Wonder why that stayed with them.

[Noir Black Schwarz]

This is ridiculous that movies that are 80 or so years old have legal issues.

What is so special about Christmas Holiday though that would warrant it getting its own release?

[BlueRagtop]

Originally Posted by Noir Black Schwarz

What is so special about Christmas Holiday though that would warrant it getting its own release?

First off, unlike some KL titles, it is a true noir.

Directed by noir specialist Robert Siodmak (Phantom Lady, The Killers, Cry of the City, Criss Cross, etc.)

Starring Deanna Durbin in a rare dramatic performance, playing a "bar singer/hostess" (i.e. a prostitute).

Co-starring Gene Kelly, as a murderer with mommy issues.

I have the Australian DVD and would gladly upgrade to Blu-ray.

[randian]

If the problem with Christmas Holiday is the book, then I suspect the problem is that the book's ownership has been bifurcated over dozens of heirs in the 84 years since its publication, and one or more of them either can't be bothered to respond to entreaties by studio lawyers, is holding out for a stupid sum of money "because Hollywood" (never mind the age and relative obscurity of the film in the modern day), or (less likely these days) can't be located.

If the copyright were held exclusively by a still-extant corporate publisher I'd think they would be more willing to do business. On the other hand, if said publisher is defunct the rights devolved to its creditors if it went bankrupt, or the shareholders if not, assuming they could be identified.

William Somerset Maugham died in 1965, which means under current copyright law the book won't become public domain until 2040, assuming none of the owners filed for a copyright extension.

If this is the problem there really needs to be a way to force the issue. In real estate, if ownership has been divided like this you can petition the court to sell over the wishes of the holdouts and divide the net proceeds according to the respective party's percentage of ownership.

Unfortunately I don't know enough about the economics of boutique movie publishing to know what dollar range would typically be paid to clear such rights.

[playingphysicist]

Originally Posted by randian

If the problem with Christmas Holiday is the book, then I suspect the problem is that the book's ownership has been bifurcated over dozens of heirs in the 84 years since its publication, and one or more of them either can't be bothered to respond to entreaties by studio lawyers, is holding out for a stupid sum of money "because Hollywood" (never mind the age and relative obscurity of the film in the modern day), or (less likely these days) can't be located.

If the copyright were held exclusively by a still-extant corporate publisher I'd think they would be more willing to do business. On the other hand, if said publisher is defunct the rights devolved to its creditors if it went bankrupt, or the shareholders if not, assuming they could be identified.

William Somerset Maugham died in 1965, which means under current copyright law the book won't become public domain until 2040, assuming none of the owners filed for a copyright extension.

If this is the problem there really needs to be a way to force the issue. In real estate, if ownership has been divided like this you can petition the court to sell over the wishes of the holdouts and divide the net proceeds according to the respective party's percentage of ownership.

Unfortunately I don't know enough about the economics of boutique movie publishing to know what dollar range would typically be paid to clear such rights.

And in his case being a British author adapted on film for the American screen, the rights might even get more obscure because presumably the book was published in the UK first, and the American publisher was not the main one. Sometimes these import publishers can be more obscure.

But on the other hand his play called the letter which was adapted on film as the unfaithful, was released in the US on DVD by Warner. But that one probably wouldn't be as hard because the original play was published in 1927 and therefore is about to go in public domain at the end of the year. But Warner released it on DVD before it went public domain so they figured it out.

[WaverBoy]

Originally Posted by BlueRagtop

First off, unlike some KL titles, it is a true noir.

Directed by noir specialist Robert Siodmak (Phantom Lady, The Killers, Cry of the City, Criss Cross, etc.)

Starring Deanna Durbin in a rare dramatic performance, playing a "bar singer/hostess" (i.e. a prostitute).

Co-starring Gene Kelly, as a murderer with mommy issues.

I have the Australian DVD and would gladly upgrade to Blu-ray.

I’ve got the 2011 UK DVD of this frothy fun Gene Kelly/Deanna Durbin Christmas classic! Perhaps we’ll see a UK or Aussie Blu…?

[Panson]

Originally Posted by Noir Black Schwarz

This is ridiculous that movies that are 80 or so years old have legal issues.

What is so special about Christmas Holiday though that would warrant it getting its own release?

No doubt some think that films with square aspect ratio, black and white, low budget are free game.

[BlueRagtop]

Originally Posted by WaverBoy

I’ve got the 2011 UK DVD of this frothy fun Gene Kelly/Deanna Durbin Christmas classic! Perhaps we’ll see a UK or Aussie Blu…?

My mistake. My DVD is also from the UK. I just happened to buy it from Australia.

AFAIK, it's the sole release of the film on home video anywhere and is worth seeking out -- especially if a Blu-ray does not appear to be forthcoming. It's bare bones, but picture-quality is actually pretty good.

I watched both it and another Deanna Durbin Christmas movie, Lady on a Train, last December. (Lady was on TCM.) Calling that one a "noir" is a stretch. It's really a comedy whodunit, closer to things like the Thin Man movies than to Sam Spade.

https://www.tcm.com/video/1147895/la...ginal-trailer/

[MifuneFan]

Kino has announced William Wyler's Detective Story (1951) is coming out in November!

Coming in November!
2020 HD Master by Paramount – 4K Scan of the Original 35mm Camera Negative

Detective Story (1951) Starring Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, William Bendix & Lee Grant – Shot by Lee Garmes – Co-Written by Philip Yordan – Co-Written & Directed by William Wyler.

[Quake1028]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I have been ordering the Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema sets all along.

Except that I do not have a box for the first set, because the first batch of movies were released as standalone titles first before they were compiled into the set.

I sent an email to Kino Lorber Studio Classics a while back asking if there were a way that I could just buy the box itself for the first set, since I already own the titles, but I never heard back from them.

Originally Posted by jetthead

I was in the same boat when that first box set was announced. The KL rep who was posting here at that time got me the slipcase after I sent him a PM with a pic of the 5 individual titles I had already bought. But that was a long time ago...

I'm in this same exact boat. I was just going to order another copy in the next sale, lol.

[GeoffOliver]

Hopefully they announce Sorry Wrong Number next.

[filmlover22]

Originally Posted by Kino Lorber Insider View Post
Coming Soon!
12 Brand New 2K Masters!

FILM NOIR: THE DARK SIDE OF CINEMA XII
• Undertow (1949) Scott Brady/John Russell/Dorothy Hart/Peggy Dow – Directed by William Castle
• Outside the Wall (1950) Richard Basehart/Marilyn Maxwell/Signe Hasso/Dorothy Hart – Directed by Crane Wilbur
• Hold Back Tomorrow (1955) John Agar/Cleo Moore/Frank DeKova/Harry Guardino – Directed by Hugo Haas

FILM NOIR: THE DARK SIDE OF CINEMA XIII
• Spy Hunt (1950) Howard Duff/Märta Torén/Philip Friend/Walter Slezak – Directed by George Sherman
• The Night Runner (1957) Ray Danton/Colleen Miller/Merry Anders – Directed by Abner Biberman
• Step Down to Terror (1958) Colleen Miller/Charles Drake/Rod Taylor – Directed by Harry Keller

FILM NOIR: THE DARK SIDE OF CINEMA XIV
• Undercover Girl (1950) Alexis Smith/Scott Brady/Richard Egan/Gladys George – Directed by Joseph Pevney
• One Way Street (1950) James Mason/Märta Torén/Dan Duryea – Directed by Hugo Fregonese
• Appointment with a Shadow (1957) George Nader/Joanna Moore/Brian Keith – Directed by Richard Carlson

FILM NOIR: THE DARK SIDE OF CINEMA XV
• Man Afraid (1957) George Nader/Phyllis Thaxter/Eduard Franz/Tim Hovey – Directed by Harry Keller
• Girl in the Kremlin (1957) Lex Barker/Zsa Zsa Gabor/Jeffrey Stone – Directed by Russell Birdwell
• The Tattered Dress (1957) Jeff Chandler/Jeanne Crain/Gail Russell/Elaine Stewart – Directed by Jack Arnold