ClassicFlix Discussion Thread

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

A pity. Thought this was worth asking about, as I haven't seen much posted on here about detective film shorts (didn't know if there were any). Of what Classicflix has released (and announced) to date, I'm mainly interested in the film noirs.

Thanks for the helpful reply.

No problem. There really aren't that many otherwise that I can think of off-hand. MGM (again, owned by Warner now) did a rather lengthy series of crime shorts as the Crime Does Not Pay Series (or A Crime Does Not Pay Subject). I haven't watched one in a while, but if I recall correctly they were allegedly based on "true crime" stories. Had some interesting directors (Jacques Tourneur, Fred Zinnemann, Joseph Losey) and actors (Robert Taylor, Hugh Beaumont, Van Johnson).

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by jayembee

No problem. There really aren't that many otherwise that I can think of off-hand. MGM (again, owned by Warner now) did a rather lengthy series of crime shorts as the Crime Does Not Pay Series (or A Crime Does Not Pay Subject). I haven't watched one in a while, but if I recall correctly they were allegedly based on "true crime" stories. Had some interesting directors (Jacques Tourneur, Fred Zinnemann, Joseph Losey) and actors (Robert Taylor, Hugh Beaumont, Van Johnson).

That rings a bell, Crime Does Not Pay, as I remember reading about some DVD-only releases of a title with that name a few years ago. I recognise all of those director and actor names (although I don't think there has been an edition of The Directors about Fred Zinneman). There is a Kino Lorber title starring Van Johnson I've been meaning to get.

Will have another look at the non-special edition film noir titles which Classicflix has released. The Killer is Loose is one of the titles I want to get (once I've got He Walked by Night: Special Edition, and the Michael Shayne Collection).

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

That rings a bell, Crime Does Not Pay, as I remember reading about some DVD-only releases of a title with that name a few years ago.

Yes, Warner Archive released a 6-disc/50 shorts Crime Does Not Pay: The Complete Shorts Collection (1935-1947). Whether it's pressed DVD or DVD-R, I can't say (I don't own a copy, though I should get one).

[Rayjg]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Yes, Warner Archive released a 6-disc/50 shorts Crime Does Not Pay: The Complete Shorts Collection (1935-1947). Whether it's pressed DVD or DVD-R, I can't say (I don't own a copy, though I should get one).

It was initially pressed but is probably DVD-Rs by now.

[ClassicFlix]

It's our 4th anniversary as a label our annual Anniversary Sale starts today!

- David
ClassicFlix Founder, Producer

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by ClassicFlix

It's our 4th anniversary as a label our annual Anniversary Sale starts today!

[Show spoiler]

- David
ClassicFlix Founder, Producer

Grabbed the following:

[bonehica]

Grabbed a couple titles to further bolster my Noir collection.

[AnthonyGG]

Order In, all blu's:

The Man Who Watched Trains Go By
A Night In Casablanca
Zenobia

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by AnthonyGG

Order In, all blu's:

The Man Who Watched Trains Go By
A Night In Casablanca
Zenobia

Argh! I didn't realize Zenobia was available as a Blu-ray when I saw only the DVD in the sale. Well, I'll upgrade, then donate the DVD to the library, maybe in Skagway.

[ClassicFlix]

Originally Posted by cjamescook

Argh! I didn't realize Zenobia was available as a Blu-ray when I saw only the DVD in the sale. Well, I'll upgrade, then donate the DVD to the library, maybe in Skagway.

PM me your order number and we'll switch the DVD out to Blu-ray and charge you the difference on the order.

- David
ClassicFlix Founder, Producer

[ClassicFlix]

-- Project Update --

Presented here is a clip of a RAW SCAN of reel 1 of the 32nd Our Gang sound short FISH HOOKY (1933) as well as a snapshot of the decomposition that has occurred with reel 2.

One of the most beloved shorts in the Our Gang canon, FISH HOOKY is scheduled for Volume 3 (expected late summer 2021) upon completion of our full restoration this short and the other 10 in the set.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6avb...ature=youtu.be

We have a back up scan of a print that looks decent for the second reel, but we're still looking to see if we can find something closer in quality to reel one.

Support this project by purchasing copies of Volume 1 & Volume 2 today!

- David
ClassicFlix Founder, Producer

[Robert Furmanek]

The original 35mm negative of Abbott and Costello's beloved JACK AND THE BEANSTALK has been gone since the late 1950s.

We have just received the first 4K test scan of an archival 35mm element that I recently found in the UK.

I have to tell you, I am absolutely blown away with the quality of this 69 year old print. I've handled many 35mm copies of this film over the past forty years and have never seen the opening sepia footage this clean!

Here's a frame from the raw 4K scan:



Thanks to this recent discovery, you are going to see JACK AND THE BEANSTALK in a restored version on Blu-ray this summer from ClassicFlix that will knock you out!

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by ClassicFlix

Presented here is a clip of a RAW SCAN of reel 1 of the 32nd Our Gang sound short FISH HOOKY (1933) as well as a snapshot of the decomposition that has occurred with reel 2. ...

David - I'm a bit surprised. With reel 2 being on a plastic hub, I would expect this element is stored in a modern library with some monitoring of the assets. This would ensure preservation steps including scanning would be taken before they were too far gone.

What am I missing?

[ClassicFlix]

Originally Posted by cjamescook

David - I'm a bit surprised. With reel 2 being on a plastic hub, I would expect this element is stored in a modern library with some monitoring of the assets. This would ensure preservation steps including scanning would be taken before they were too far gone.

What am I missing?

We're missing money.

The Our Gang nitrate elements are housed at UCLA and there is only so much money around to pay for the manpower to do this type of preservation work.

If you want to see more preservation, contact UCLA and ask if you can donate to specific preservation projects that are "in trouble".

- David
ClassicFlix Founder, Producer

[garyd97]

Any chance of the Shirley Temple films being released on Blu-ray? I see the Dvd's appear to be sold out.

[hagios]

Finally ordered these two Rascals, thank you ClassicFlix for your superb restorations of these great comedies!

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by garyd97

Any chance of the Shirley Temple films being released on Blu-ray? I see the Dvd's appear to be sold out.

I wouldn't give it a high chance since many of them are with Disney from buying 21st Century Fox.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by garyd97

Any chance of the Shirley Temple films being released on Blu-ray? I see the Dvd's appear to be sold out.

Originally Posted by StarDestroyer52

I wouldn't give it a high chance since many of them are with Disney from buying 21st Century Fox.

Yeah, pretty much what he said. The bulk of her features were made by Fox. One might think that they're the kind of thing that would be in Disney's wheelhouse, so I suppose it's possible (but probably still unlikely) that they might pop up in re-pressed DVD editions from the Disney Movie Club. But I wouldn't count on anything beyond that (if even that much).

Most of her features not from Fox are held by Warner, almost all of which are at least on DVD through Warner Archive Collection. Kino put out Blu-rays of a couple of Selznick-produced films, and ClassicFlix put out Miss Annie Rooney (still in print, as far as I can tell).

All but one of her short films were made by Educational Films Corporation, and distributed by Fox, but they all seem to be in the Public Domain. The one that isn't is on Universal's Shirley Temple Little Darling Pack along with a couple of early Paramount features.

So...not sure there's any that ClassicFlix could release (beyond the one they already did), other than perhaps her final feature, A Kiss for Corliss. I'm not sure who owns that these days -- perhaps the original production company, Strand Productions (it was originally released through United Artists). Oddly enough, it's a sequel to a previous film she did for Columbia, Kiss and Tell.

[ClassicFlix]

Originally Posted by garyd97

Any chance of the Shirley Temple films being released on Blu-ray? I see the Dvd's appear to be sold out.

We'd love to. We'll see what the future holds.

- David
ClassicFlix Founder, Producer

[dana martin]

I have a question I'd like to ask, with all the great things that you've done with the roach titles and your silver series, any chance of getting a collection of the 17 Thelma Todd and Zazu Pitts shorts released in a set?