AMBERSONS, JOURNEY INTO FEAR on DVD next year

[Jeff Wilson]

Me and someone else asked about Welles at the Warner chat tonight at Home Theater Forum, and the word is both MA and JIF in 2008; I asked if Warner would be including the Euro cut of JIF, and they responded that they would put together the most comprehensive release possible, so good news there.

[RayKelly]

Wonderful news!
Through the kindness of wellesnet member I was recently able to see the Roger Ryan reconstruction of MA. I don't know the legalities, but it would terrific if Warners included the Ryan reconstruction on an Ambersons DVD.

[moviefan]

Wonderful news!
Through the kindness of wellesnet member I was recently able to see the Roger Ryan reconstruction of MA. I don't know the legalities, but it would terrific if Warners included the Ryan reconstruction on an Ambersons DVD.

The Magnificant Ambersons from Warner should be better than the Soberba dvd disc that I have. Hopefully it will have all of the extras plus more. I can't wait.

[colwood]

Excellent news, thanks Jeff. Any chance you or anyone else ask what they might include on the ambersons disc?

[Jeff Wilson]

No, but I doubt they would have had anything concrete this far in advance anyway. Hopefully it'll be a nice package.

[DexyMan]

Yeah, I was a little disappointed with the chat because they are very reluctant to give any info at all, other than if they are working on a disc or not.

[RayKelly]

Variety on March 3 had an article on Warner DVD releases including Ambersons.
http://www.variety.com/article....13&cs=1

In part it stated: Warner's (senior marketing vice president George) Feltenstein has been chasing down rights or materials for certain titles for decades. He pursued rights to Max Fleischer's Popeye cartoons for almost 20 years; it took 27 to sort out issues with the Irving Berlin estate for "Annie Get Your Gun" and 11 to iron out an agreement with John Steinbeck's estate for a DVD release of "East of Eden."

"Only right now are we able to release 'The Magnificent Ambersons,' " he says. Orson Welles' 1942 adaptation of Booth Tarkington's novel, one of Warner's most requested titles, will come out on disc next year.

[atcolomb]

....I wonder why next year?....does it take that long to put a dvd together? ???

[Nate H]

I'm just grateful that Warner is the one to put it out. Their dvd releases of "classic" movies are far and away the best of anyone, imo, save Criterion. God help us if Paramount owned the rights!

[moviefan]

I'm just grateful that Warner is the one to put it out. Their dvd releases of "classic" movies are far and away the best of anyone, imo, save Criterion. God help us if Paramount owned the rights!

We would be very luckly to see them on dvd if Paramount owned the rights. Paramount is terrible in releasing dvds and especially dvds with extras.

[Jeff Wilson]

Paramount has just recently started licensing out films to Criterion, with Lindsay Anderson's classic ...if and Billy Wilder's long-desired ACE IN THE HOLE due for release this summer. So maybe there's hope for them yet.

[Store Hadji]

Lindsay Anderson? Hum, has anybody gotten around to putting O Lucky Man on dvd? I've been waiting for that one for as long as dvds have been around. It would be nice to upgrade my ancient and worn fullscreen vhs edition.

[Jeff Wilson]

Warners announced O LUCKY MAN at the recent HTF chat as coming out later this year.

[Store Hadji]

Sweet! Thanks, Jeff!

[Store Hadji]

I see the Jane Eyre dvd is set for release in April. It's a single disc with only a few extras, such as "Orson Welles's Jane Eyre" (wonder what that will amount to,) story boards, production photos and theatrical trailer. Curiously, a stereofied version of the soundtrack has been included (was that necessary?) though the original mono is available as well. Also, the picture has been restored (did it need it?) Still, another release to add to the slim section on Welles in one's dvd library (at least until we are forced to rebuy everything in HD.)