It was this time last year — the December 10, 2003, issue, to be exact — that CL took a look at approximately 50 top titles that still weren’t available on DVD. As we noted then, “With the explosive advent of the DVD home entertainment format… it’s not unreasonable to assume that most of cinema’s big titles have long been available for consumers to enjoy. But that’s hardly been the case.”
Even now, a full year later, things have been moving, if not quite at a glacial pace, still slow enough to keep film aficionados on edge. Of those 50 motion pictures that were showcased in last December’s issue, only 18 were issued on DVD during the subsequent 12 months, with two more slated to appear early next year. This liberation of the previously unleashed included classic musicals (Meet Me In St. Louis, That’s Entertainment!), Best Picture Oscar winners (Schindler’s List, Around the World In 80 Days, The Greatest Show On Earth), top-drawer efforts from great directors (Hitchcock’s Dial M For Murder, Scorsese’s After Hours, Altman’s Short Cuts), and even a notorious camp outing (Myra Breckinridge). Disney’s Aladdin also made the scene, and the studio’s Bambi will hit stores next March. And while I had suggested that Warner Bros. should release Public Enemy — complete with extra footage not seen since 1931 — and Little Caesar as a DVD double feature, the studio’s home entertainment outfit is doing something even better: They’re releasing both films (including that extra footage!) as part of a “Gangsters” boxed set that’s due January 25 (other titles include White Heat and Angels With Dirty Faces).
All good news, but what about the other 30 flicks on the CL list? Information culled from various sources reveals that the 1942 version of Cat People should reach us in 2004, that Warner Bros. and John Wayne’s estate might settle their differences long enough to put out The High and the Mighty, and that the promised DVD for Hamlet (the Kenneth Branagh version) is now back in limbo because of legal matters. I have to assume other titles on that list — especially bona fide classics like King Kong, Top Hat and The African Queen — are being frequently discussed for release, but nothing concrete has materialized at this moment.
In the meantime, just to show film fans the depths of this cruel, unjust world in which we live, here are 15 more noteworthy movies not yet available on DVD. (Note to admirers of My Own Private Idaho: I was set to include that picture when I discovered that Criterion will be releasing it on February 15.)
Island of Lost Souls (1933). The best of the various screen adaptations of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau was so potent in its day, it was banned in several countries (including Great Britain, which deemed it off-limits for decades). Charles Laughton stars as the mad scientist, busily creating half-human, half-animal monstrosities.
Captain Blood (1935). Warner has done such a splendid job bringing countless Golden Age titles to DVD that I can hardly wait to see what they have in store for this classic swashbuckler that turned Errol Flynn into a star. In fact, with the outputs of Bogart, Cagney and other studio contract players largely out of the way, expect to see more focus on Flynn: The Sea Hawk (1940) also needs to be released posthaste.
Ninotchka (1939). “Garbo Laughs!” was how MGM advertised this popular comedy in which Communist agent Greta finds romance with dashing Melvyn Douglas in an enchanting Paris. The director was Ernst Lubitsch, which brings us to…
To Be Or Not to Be (1942). OK, so they’re taking their time with Ninotchka, but what’s the delay with Lubitsch’s wartime spoof, which long ago achieved cult status to go along with its standing as a classic comedy? Jack Benny and Carole Lombard (who died in a plane crash shortly after completing the film) are in top form as members of a Polish acting troupe forced to contend with interference from those pesky Nazis. Mel Brooks’ acceptable 1983 remake is also unavailable on disc.
Laura (1944). One of the truly great Hollywood noirs casts Dana Andrews as a detective who falls in love with the portrait of the title character, a beautiful woman (Gene Tierney) who had apparently been murdered by one of her suitors (Clifton Webb and Vincent Price). The only reason this genuine masterpiece wasn’t included in last year’s article was because Fox had announced a 2004 release date just before my deadline (after previously announcing a Fall 2003 street date). But the title was again pulled at the last minute, God knows why.
Easter Parade (1948). While it was a blast finally seeing the compilation film That’s Entertainment! on DVD, the downside was that its clips reminded us of how many choice musicals are still missing from the DVD catalogue. Easter Parade features the irresistible pairing of Fred Astaire and Judy Garland; other song-and-dance routines still unavailable include 1948’s The Pirate (Garland and Gene Kelly) and 1953’s The Band Wagon (Astaire and Cyd Charisse).
The Gunfighter (1950). A flop when first released, this is now regarded by critics as one of the best of the new breed of complex Westerns that emerged during the 1950s. Gregory Peck delivers one of his finest performances as Jimmy Ringo, an aging gunslinger trying to leave his notorious reputation behind.
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953). A&C comedies are being released by the boatload on DVD, yet oddly, this well-known entry has yet to show its face (or should that be faces?). Boris Karloff handles double duty as the good doctor and his menacing alter ego.
The Blackboard Jungle (1955). This brutally entertaining yarn, about a teacher (Glenn Ford) squaring off against high school thugs, had its chance for DVD immortality when it was one of the 20 nominees for “DVD Decision,” the Warner-Turner contest in which the top five vote getters were subsequently released on disc. Unfortunately, this one didn’t finish in the top five, and its present status is unknown. (Another “DVD Decision” loser, The Asphalt Jungle, was released a few months ago as part of a “Film Noir” boxed set.)
Some Came Running (1958). A melodrama of the highest order, this benefits from a literate script (based on James Jones’ novel), sensitive direction by Vincente Minnelli, and superlative work by Frank Sinatra as a vet returning to his hometown and Dean Martin as his barroom buddy. Yet its strongest asset is Shirley MacLaine, who delivers a heartbreaking performance as the pitiable party girl in love with a disinterested Sinatra.
Porgy and Bess (1959). The George Gershwin opera about the poor folks on Catfish Row made its way to the screen with Sidney Poitier as handicapped Porgy, Dorothy Dandridge as beautiful Bess, and Sammy Davis Jr. as street-smart Sportin’ Life. Don’t hold your breath waiting for this controversial film to pop up on DVD: Gershwin wasn’t thrilled with this adaptation, and his estate has kept it out of circulation for the past few decades (it’s never even been available on video).
Let It Be (1970). John, Paul, George and Ringo all took home Oscars (for Best Original Song Score) for this behind-the-scenes documentary that follows The Beatles as they record the title album.
1900 (1976). Several months ago, Criterion released a three-disc set of Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard that included both the 161-minute and 185-minute versions. One has to assume they’ll eventually offer comparable treatment to Bernardo Bertolucci’s similarly sprawling Italian epic (starring Robert De Niro, Gerard Depardieu and Burt Lancaster), which was shown internationally at 320 minutes and stateside at 245 minutes.
Yentl (1983). Barbra Streisand fans adore this movie while her detractors abhor it. Regardless, this musical about a turn-of-the-century Jewish girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to study the Torah would seem to be a natural for DVD, given the number of Dolby Digital-friendly songs that she belts out during the course of the film. Incidentally, another popular Streisand flick, 1976’s A Star Is Born, is also a no-show on DVD.
Cry-Baby (1990). Given Johnny Depp’s newfound popularity thanks to Pirates of the Caribbean and Finding Neverland, the time is right to release this underrated cult item about a 50s biker clique that squares off against members of “polite” society. Because this hails from the kitschy mind of John Waters, expect lots of colorful antics and an eclectic supporting cast that includes Traci Lords and Patty Hearst.
This article appears in Dec 8-14, 2004.
