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[Ken Barnes]

"Teacher's Pet" is an excellent film and it's good to know that it will be made available this week - if only in the USA.

Last week Radio 2 had a big response to a Doris Day competition. Strangely none of the prizes included the Universal DVD box set or the so-called 50th Anniversary "Young At Heart" DVD. Has anyone seen this yet ? If so, it would be interesting to hear a verdisct.

[Ken Barnes]

That's good news,Mark. This looks like a good year for Doris Day fans what with this release and Warner's mammoth 8-film Signature Collection in May. As for Clark Gable, the recent 4-disc "Gone With The Wind" is a real treasure that should be followed by a Gable Signature Collection from Warners. Fingers crossed.

[Ken Barnes]

Hi Mark,
You're right that Warners could have done a little better with their Doris Day collection. But with eight films it's still a pretty good package. Too bad they didn't include "Romance on the High Seas" and "My Dream is Yours" ( both of which were issued on laser and still look good ). And what about "Storm Warning" ? Wouldn't this have been better than "Glass Bottom Boat" or "Please Don't Eat The Daisies" ? ( although the latter does have David Niven in good form )

As for Gable, there's plenty of scope in that vast MGM catalogue to do justice to this great star - even late period titles like "Command Decision," "To Please a Lady," "Key to the City" and "Lone Star" are worthy of DVD attention. Also the post-war "The Hucksters" (1947)

The recent 4-disc version of GWTW is well worth adding to your collection,Mark. The picture quality is superb. Putting the feature onto two discs - with the side-break at the intermission point - has resulted in an appreciably better master ( and Rudy Behlmer achieves the impossible with a feature-length audio commentary). The 2-hour documentary on the making of...is incredibly detailed and full of interest for movie buffs. Also Olivia de Havilland's recollections ( shot in 2004 ) show her to be lively and alert (and a most attractive old lady) and makes one look forward to her contributions to "The Adventures of Errol Flynn" - in next month's box set. I hope "Dodge City" looks better than the laser disc which has a rather washed-out look to it that does not capitalise on the sumptious 3-strip technicolor process.. But I'm sure it will contain the short "Dodge City Premiere" - which is fun. Actually, I would prefer the black and white "Virginia City" - which, to my mind, is a better film if you can overlook the unconvincing casting of Miriam Hopkins.
"They Died With Their Boots On" is OK but I think "Charge of the Light Brigade" would have been a better choice. I'm also praying thet they've found a better print of"The Sea Hawk." I've yet to see an undamaged version of this on laser or VHS. So,again, it's fingers crossed !

[Mark Bakker]

It's a surprise just how long it's taking for Clark Gable films to appear on DVD. Seems that other actors have taken preference over 'The King of Hollywood'. Good to see that 'Teachers Pet' and 'It Started in Naples' are on the way.
I picked up the 2 video box set of GWTW in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the movie back in 1989 and then the single DVD a couple of years ago. Nothing compares to this stupendous 4 disc boxed set, the quality of the movie image and sound surpasses anything that has come before.
My choice of movie for a Clark Gable boxed set would include 'Red Dust', 'China Seas', 'Test Pilot', 'Boom Town' and 'Idiots Delight', although the later may be a surprising choice, i have always loved Gables potrayal of the song and dance man and 'Puttin' on the Ritz'.
Would anyone know how many actors have their own Warner 'Signature' collections to date? Are they they same high quality as we would normally expect from Warner?
I'm sure i have seen a Cagney 'Signature Collection' which i avoided as i have ordered the Warner Gangster boxed set, which i believe, contains some of the same titles.
Happy Easter Break!
Mark Bakker
Bristol

[Ken Barnes]

The new U.K. Cagney collection contains the same four films as in the Warners Gangsters box set. The latter is better value since it not only adds "Little Caesar" and "The Petrified Forest" but also comes with a whole array of extras - audio commentaries, shorts, etc.

I still treasure a Cagney Laserdisc collection of some years ago that contains "G-Men" (1935), "The Oklahoma Kid"(1939), "Torrid Zone" (1940),"Captains of the Clouds" - his first technicolor film (1942) and "The Bride Came C.O.D."(1941). Other Cagneys that made it onto laser were two excellent double bills "Blonde Crazy" (1931)/ "Lady Killer"(1933) and
"Each Dawn I Die" (1939)/"City For Conquest" (1940). Hopefully, all of these will make it onto DVD eventually. Available right now on DVD
( Region 1 only ) - and heartily recommended- is "Yankee Doodle Dandy"(1942) as a double disc special edition. It is also available in a 3-film box set Warner Brothers Legends with the 2-disc editions of "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and "Treasure of Sierra Madre" PLUS the documentary "Here's Looking at You,Warner Brothers " Fabulous value !

Gable was also pretty well represnted on laser with a great double bill with Jean Arlow " China Seas"(1936) and "Saratoga" (1937). The latter is interesting because it was Harlow's last film. She died before it was completed and some of the later scenes were shot with a double. It remains a strange experiment that actually works - thanks to some strategically placed camera angles but mainly because she had shot the final scene earlier in the shooting schedule.

There was also a Gable-Crawford box set - which I never obtained. I'm sure some of these will eventuially make it to DVD.

[Ken Barnes]

The Aviator is a good film in that it evokes the golden age of Hollywood with a fair amount of authenticity and conviction. Although De Caprio does a good job of playing Howard Hughes, he's physically wrong for the role
( Hughes stood 6 ft 4 in and had a deep voice ). Jude Law appears for about 2 minutes as Errol Flynn and proved that he is wholly inadequate in the charisma department. Jean Harlow is impersonated but only momentarily. The best performance comes from Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn. Try and see this film. It's a good piece of moviemaking.

I agree with your remaks re. "Saratoga" - especially Cliff Edwards.

"It Started in Naples" is a good late-period Gable and co-stars him with Sophia Loren at her voluptuous best. Not as good as "Teacher's Pet." But not bad.

Looks like things are moving in the right direction - DVD-wise

[Michael Boyden]

I have just played through the new Warners Doris Day Collection and I'd give it 8 out of 10 for quality and entertainment. Or maybe that should be 6 out of 8. While it's nice to have such early films as "Young Man With A Horn" and "Lullaby of Broadway" ( although I would have preferred "Romance on the High Seas" and "Tea For Two" ) and it's absolutely great to see "Love Me Or Leave Me" ( perhaps Doris's best ever film with equal credit going to James Cagney's powerhouse performance ), I could cheerfully dump the tediously awful "Glass Bottom Boat."

All in all,though, this is a set that every Doris Day fan will welcome and by and large it's good value for money. But why do Warners continue to present their mono films in Dolby 1 channel when it would be just as easy to do them in 2 channels ?