Tweet Kino to release blu-rays/DVDs of some Paramount silents

According to the Kino insider who posts on the Home Theater Forum, Kino has made a licensing deal with Paramount that involves several silents. The exact titles have not been disclosed yet though (alas it was confirmed that The Wedding March is still licensed to another distributor). Let the speculation commence.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/official-kino-insider-announcements-thread-strictly-moderated-read-guidelines.337771/page-163#post-4409133

This is fabulous news! Thanks for passing on the information. How about ZAZA, THE SPANISH DANCER, THE COVERED WAGON, MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE, FORBIDDEN PARADISE, STAGE STRUCK, A KISS FOR CINDERELLA, OLD IRONSIDES, SENORITA, HOTEL IMPERIAL, and BEAU GESTE just for Starters? At least a few of these titles should be part of the deal. What happened to their releasing a new version of the Fox feature 3 BAD MEN??? That had been announced months ago.

:D This is fabulous news! Thanks for passing on the information. How about ZAZA, THE SPANISH DANCER, THE COVERED WAGON, MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE, FORBIDDEN PARADISE, STAGE STRUCK, A KISS FOR CINDERELLA, OLD IRONSIDES, SENORITA, HOTEL IMPERIAL, and BEAU GESTE just for Starters? At least a few of these titles should be part of the deal. What happened to their releasing a new version of the Fox feature 3 BAD MEN??? That had been announced months ago.

Kino Lorber's edition of 3 BAD MEN was released on Blu-ray yesterday (August 23rd), and features a new audio commentary by Joseph McBride.

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Matt Barry
Kino Lorber, Inc.

:D This is fabulous news! Thanks for passing on the information. How about ZAZA, THE SPANISH DANCER, THE COVERED WAGON, MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE, FORBIDDEN PARADISE, STAGE STRUCK, A KISS FOR CINDERELLA, OLD IRONSIDES, SENORITA, HOTEL IMPERIAL, and BEAU GESTE just for Starters? At least a few of these titles should be part of the deal. What happened to their releasing a new version of the Fox feature 3 BAD MEN??? That had been announced months ago.

FWIW, two posters (one on the HTF and the other on facebook) have asked about specific titles and have received responses. The first asked about the following titles - Hand's Up, Woman of the World, Beggars of Life, Hula, Feel My Pulse, and Beau Geste - and was told that Kino has one of them. The other asked about The Covered Wagon, Old Ironsides, Beggars of Life, the surviving W.C. Fields silents (Running Wild, It's the Old Army Game, So's Your Old Man), and Clara Bow movies and was told that Kino has a few of the films mentioned.
I think that Kino normally licenses titles that already have available HD masters (correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that Kino does its mastering work in these cases). So, a question to ask would be what Paramount titles have HD masters. Does anyone know of recent screenings of Paramount silents from Paramount-supplied DCPs?

[Mike Gebert]

Beggars of Life has a DCP, or so it says here.

WOMAN OF THE WORLD was recently restored by Paramount. So that's a likely title. THE SPANISH DANCER was restored by EYE only a few years ago. That's why I mentioned the picture. HULA survives in 35 millimeter, though I've only seen it from 16 MM. While not owned by Paramount, IT could use an ultimate edition maybe with both the William Perry and Carl Davis scores. Toss in the 2012 BBC Documentary CLARA BOW HOLLYWOOD'S LOST LOVE GODDESS as a bonus extra. Maybe even what survives of GET YOUR MAN?

Beggars of Life has a DCP, or so it says here.

Well, if you read that thread to the end, you'll find that SFSFF actually ran 35mm film for Beggars of Life at the 2016 festival. Which looks pretty good, and was likely the same print we accompanied there nine years earlier and which has been screened elsewhere, where ever good films are screened. So, while there is every possibility that there is a DCP, I'm not aware of any firm evidence that there actually is one.

That said, this is a very welcome announcement! I love many of the Paramount silents, and it's nice to see them getting quality releases (whichever films they happen to be).

Damn. Got 'em all already!

Jim

The Kino insider at the Blu-Ray forum has announced its first Paramount silent release - Gloria Swanson's "Zaza."

If we're not going to have Paramount to complain about, what will we talk about?

Bob

[Mike Gebert]

We'll always have Par... amount.

The Kino insider at the Blu-Ray forum has announced its first Paramount silent release - Gloria Swanson's "Zaza."

Can't say that this bit of info has me jazzed...

The Kino insider at the Blu-Ray forum has announced its first Paramount silent release - Gloria Swanson's "Zaza."

Well, fabulous is all I can say.

I confess, I keep hoping Stage Struck will get a release, it's a lovely little film.

Just happy that this is happening at all!

[Danny Burk]

Sensational news. ZAZA has never been available on any 16mm Kodascope or rental, collector prints, nor any type of home video (legitimate or otherwise). I'm very pleasantly surprised that the upcoming Kino Paramounts aren't limited to the group of titles that used to be available as 16mm rentals (in the '80s) and previous video releases. More, please!

I saw Zaza at LOC a while back. I thought it was excellent and the audience seemed to think so too. This is welcome news!

First read about this on Facebook a couple of days ago. I was astonished by the revelation! This is about as unexpected as it gets! Talk about out of nowhere! I kind of was hoping for STAGE STRUCK. Nonetheless, couldn't be more excited! It bodes well for an eventual release of BEAU GESTE, and maybe even FORBIDDEN PARADISE as well?

Sensational news. ZAZA has never been available on any 16mm Kodascope or rental, collector prints, nor any type of home video (legitimate or otherwise). I'm very pleasantly surprised that the upcoming Kino Paramounts aren't limited to the group of titles that used to be available as 16mm rentals (in the '80s) and previous video releases. More, please!

This is what makes ZAZA such a savvy choice as the first release. No one can complain that they already bought the official VHS release or a grey-market DVD-R version.

And I will happily buy a Blu of any of the old official VHS releases. (Especially RUNNING WILD, hint hint.)

Kino just announced that it will be releasing a DVD and blu-ray of "The Sheik." I have to admit that this is not a title I was expecting to come from this licensing agreement due to its PD status (perhaps we will be seeing some of those PD titles that have Paramount donor restrictions on the surviving elements at the LOC). Paramount did release a VHS edition of this title in the early 1990s. I wonder if this imminent release will essentially be a high definition upgrade of the earlier release (HD scan of the same print element, same score, etc.). For those of you who've seen this VHS version, how does it differ from the David Shepard dvd? I gather from alt.movies.silent that the Paramount tape is derived from a reissue version with some title differences, but I couldn't find any additional details. Any comments on the score?

Kino just announced that it will be releasing a DVD and blu-ray of "The Sheik." I have to admit that this is not a title I was expecting to come from this licensing agreement due to its PD status (perhaps we will be seeing some of those PD titles that have Paramount donor restrictions on the surviving elements at the LOC). Paramount did release a VHS edition of this title in the early 1990s. I wonder if this imminent release will essentially be a high definition upgrade of the earlier release (HD scan of the same print element, same score, etc.). For those of you who've seen this VHS version, how does it differ from the David Shepard dvd? I gather from alt.movies.silent that the Paramount tape is derived from a reissue version with some title differences, but I couldn't find any additional details. Any comments on the score?

THE SHEIK? That's pretty lame. Videos of this one are all over the place including several versions on YT. How about Paramount releasing a title never before on home video? I'd cut them some slack and suggest that if they must reissue something already out there, why not choose a nice Blu-ray of RUNNING WILD (1927) that got only a VHS release some upteen years ago.

Kino just announced that it will be releasing a DVD and blu-ray of "The Sheik." I have to admit that this is not a title I was expecting to come from this licensing agreement due to its PD status (perhaps we will be seeing some of those PD titles that have Paramount donor restrictions on the surviving elements at the LOC). Paramount did release a VHS edition of this title in the early 1990s. I wonder if this imminent release will essentially be a high definition upgrade of the earlier release (HD scan of the same print element, same score, etc.). For those of you who've seen this VHS version, how does it differ from the David Shepard dvd? I gather from alt.movies.silent that the Paramount tape is derived from a reissue version with some title differences, but I couldn't find any additional details. Any comments on the score?

THE SHEIK? That's pretty lame. Videos of this one are all over the place including several versions on YT. How about Paramount releasing a title never before on home video? I'd cut them some slack and suggest that if they must reissue something already out there, why not choose a nice Blu-ray of RUNNING WILD (1927) that got only a VHS release some upteen years ago.

I wonder if it's a matter of "The Sheik" being a fairly marketable title (at least by silent film standards). While we may be clamoring for difficult to acquire titles, those titles may not pay the bills as efficiently as another release of "The Phantom of the Opera" or "The General" would. That said, I agree with you about "Running Wild" (I'd love to have that Gaylord Carter organ score on a lossless blu-ray audio track). You'd think that a three film set of the surviving Fields Paramount silents would be marketable (they might even be able to make few additional sales by plastering Louise Brooks' face all over the "It's the Old Army Game" case). Since we are getting "Zaza" and "Beggars of Life," I think it's reasonable to have some hope that some rarities and/or hitherto officially unreleased titles will emerge from this deal.

I think you hit the nail on the head about THE SHEIK being a fairly marketable title, Little Caesar. After the happy surprises of BEGGARS OF LIFE and (especially) ZAZA, I thought "They'll announce a 'safe' offering next time." I wasn't all that crazy about the VHS of THE SHEIK, partly because the tinting was so heavy and gloppy that it looked as if entire reels of the film had been dipped in marmalade. There were moments, though, when I understand perfectly why the film was such a smash hit and cemented Valentino's popularity back in the day. I look forward to seeing it in hi-def.

Maybe the remaining titles will remain a mixture of Safe and Surprise--for every BEAU GESTE, say, there'll be a (my own dark horse hope) STARK LOVE. Either way, this is a most happy development as the series continues to unfold.

[Danny Burk]

Indeed. LOC has many other important Paramount silents that are hard to see, including Swanson's HUMMINGBIRD and STAGE STRUCK; Bebe Daniels' LOVERS IN QUARANTINE; OLD IRONSIDES; FORGOTTEN FACES; WOLF SONG; and many others.

It should be remembered that the reason people keep trotting out the war horses is that the audience wants them.

Bob

It should be remembered that the reason people keep trotting out the war horses is that the audience wants them.

Bob

Of course that is right. The dilemma is that this way the audience never gets a chance to find out if there might be other films they want. Then again, releasing such films that noone then buys is no solution, either.

Indeed. LOC has many other important Paramount silents that are hard to see, including Swanson's HUMMINGBIRD and STAGE STRUCK; Bebe Daniels' LOVERS IN QUARANTINE; OLD IRONSIDES; FORGOTTEN FACES; WOLF SONG; and many others.

Since Paramount did release a VHS edition of "Old Ironsides" with a Gaylord Carter score, I wouldn't be surprised to see that title emerge on blu-ray.

Kino has since confirmed that it is releasing Son of the Sheik on the same day as The Sheik--apparently both will be remastered.

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p ... ount=10551" target="_blank

Kino has since confirmed that it is releasing Son of the Sheik on the same day as The Sheik--apparently both will be remastered.

Thanks. Most likely an April/May release per the latest post. No info yet on scores. I can't remember seeing either, so I'll have to keep my eye out.

Kino has since confirmed that it is releasing Son of the Sheik on the same day as The Sheik--apparently both will be remastered.

Thanks. Most likely an April/May release per the latest post. No info yet on scores. I can't remember seeing either, so I'll have to keep my eye out.

Hopefully KINO will go the extra mile and contract for an orchestrated score (Mont Alto for instance). Fingers crossed.

I'd be pleased if they also kept the Gaylord Carter scores--excellent imho.

I'm a little confused as I tried to read all the prior posts on this thread. Is Beggars Of Life actually going to be released by Kino? And if it is, I would hope it would be the restored version. Also, what about any Clara Bow titles? Is there any certainty that one or more of her silents will be available very soon? If so, which ones? I'd sure appreciate anyone who knows the answers.