Unavailable Pre Code Films?

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GooseWoman

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Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostThu Jul 28, 2011 11:26 am

Am I right in thinking that there have been no official releases yet for;

Employees Entrance
The Match King
Safe in Hell
The Mystery of the Wax Museum

Thanks.
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Rick Lanham

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostThu Jul 28, 2011 11:31 am

The Mystery Of The Wax Museum 1933, is available as an extra on
the House Of Wax DVD:

http://www.amazon.com/House-Wax-Vincent ... B00009NHBC

Rick
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Christopher Jacobs

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostThu Jul 28, 2011 1:14 pm

Rick Lanham wrote:The Mystery Of The Wax Museum 1933, is available as an extra on
the House Of Wax DVD:

http://www.amazon.com/House-Wax-Vincent ... B00009NHBC" target="_blank" target="_blank

Rick


Note, however, that for some reason the color was electronically shifted to blue-red (looking more like Cinecolor), so you'll have to adjust your TV manually to restore the original green-orange 2-color Technicolor look that was correctly reproduced on the old laserdisc and 16mm prints. Other than than, the DVD transfer is very sharp.
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Richard Finegan

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostThu Jul 28, 2011 1:19 pm

EMPLOYEES' ENTRANCE was released on video as part of the "Forbidden Hollywood" series.
A picture of the VHS video box is at the top of the IMDb page:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023986/
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moglia

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostThu Jul 28, 2011 4:08 pm

The only known print of 1931's "Safe In Hell" was aired on TCM in June. Those lucky enough to know in advance, might have grabbed onto their DVR's.
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GooseWoman

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostThu Jul 28, 2011 5:58 pm

Good news. If Warner carries out its intention with respect to its archive holdings that should mean it will be released at one point.
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momsne

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostThu Jul 28, 2011 6:31 pm

Employees Entrance was also out on a Forbidden Hollywood laser disc boxset that also included MGM's 1932 movie Skyscraper Souls, also MIA. Both starred Warren William, KIng of Pre-Code Hollywood movies.

Alt.silents had a thread years back about how the recent TCM airings of Mystery of the Wax Museum had the wrong color values. The Forbidden Hollywood laser disc set had Wax Museum in its correct two strip Technicolor along with the color version of Doctor X. I uploaded to Demonoid a DivX transcode of the video I made from my Wax Museum LD. The last I looked, it is still there, with no one but me seeding the file.
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Scoundrel

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostThu Jul 28, 2011 8:25 pm

Mystery Of The Wax Museum was available with Doctor X in a dual disc LD from MGM/UA.
The colors were correct on this set and it is the source from which I made my DVD-R copies .

The version of MOTWM on R2 DVD was backed by a very rough print of Island of Lost Souls.
The color on Mystery had gone "pink" and was in rough shape as well.

In regards to the most recent "corrected' version on DVD, It's a damn shame and it needs to be done over.

Such a classic film deserves better.
" You can't take life too seriously...you'll never get out of it alive."


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mickeyfender

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostThu Jul 28, 2011 8:41 pm

moglia wrote:The only known print of 1931's "Safe In Hell" was aired on TCM in June. Those lucky enough to know in advance, might have grabbed onto their DVR's.


Only known print? Glad I watched it. Who knew? (Well, you did.)

In any case, for those of you who live in the NYC area and missed last week's screening at the Film Forum, Employees' Entrance is available on vhs to anybody with a library card. Here's the NYPL listing:

http://catalog.nypl.org/search~S1?/temp ... e&1%2C1%2C
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Jack Theakston

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostThu Jul 28, 2011 8:43 pm

Both MYSTERY and DOCTOR X could stand new transfers, considering new materials that have since been turned up. I must say, however, that DOCTOR X looks as good on DVD as the UCLA restoration on film.
J. Theakston
Capitol Theatre, Rome, NY
"You get more out of life when you go out to a movie!"
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Richard M Roberts

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostFri Jul 29, 2011 10:14 am

[
quote="mickeyfender"]
moglia wrote:The only known print of 1931's "Safe In Hell" was aired on TCM in June. Those lucky enough to know in advance, might have grabbed onto their DVR's.


Only known print? Glad I watched it. Who knew? (Well, you did.)



Well, didn't actually. SAFE IN HELL is preserved in the Warner/Turner Library and most likely in more than one print. Prints were also available in the old AAP television package as well.

RICHARD M ROBERTS
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George O'Brien

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostFri Jul 29, 2011 10:53 am

No official releases, but they all have been broadcast on television in the United States. I have the first 3 on DVD, and Wax Museum on VHS . SAFE IN HELL was recently broadcast on TCM in a series in which employees picked and introduced their favorites.
"This bar of likker is now a bar of justice!"
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Mike Gebert

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostFri Jul 29, 2011 11:50 am

Safe in Hell played the Bank of America Cinema series or whatever it was called at that moment in the history of bank mergers here in Chicago about 4-5 years ago. Can't imagine they sent out the only print.
We should respect the other fellow's religion, but only to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is attractive and his children intelligent. —H.L. Mencken
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moglia

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostFri Jul 29, 2011 11:55 am

I thought it was mentioned prior to the airing on TCM. Maybe that was for another picture. Good news for SIH then.
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Scoundrel

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostFri Jul 29, 2011 1:32 pm

" Both MYSTERY and DOCTOR X could stand new transfers, considering new materials that have since been turned up."

What new materials, Jack...?

When and where were these items located.?

I thought the only materials on MYSTERY was the print that was used by UCLA.

Please elaborate.
" You can't take life too seriously...you'll never get out of it alive."


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Richard P. May

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Re: Unavailable Pre Code Films?

PostFri Jul 29, 2011 3:45 pm

Mike,

To be more correct, SAFE IN HELL was preserved from the only known film element at the time, which was a print held at the Library of Congress. WB now holds proper preservation elements.
Dick May

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