Ford at Fox: 24 Film Boxset

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HerrSchreck · #51 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:58 am

Christ is this a release or is this a release. Watching YOUNG MR LINCOLN and the Anderson doc supplied therein hyping up, I'm so clearing off space for this in my wall unit. I love this hilarious cranky bastards personality.

GringoTex · #52 Post by **GringoTex** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 3:59 pm

I just read Tag Gallagher's new edition of John Ford: The Man and His Films and he considers Hangman's House and 3 Bad Men as far superior to the traditionally lauded Four Sons (cheap Murnau imitation) and The Iron Horse. He also places Pilgrimage and Dr. Bull among Ford's greatest masterpieces.

I haven't seen any of the four, so I'm really excited for this set.

Tag has made a PDF of this new edition available for free download. It's indispensable, and he has a remarkable section on Murnau's influence on Ford that is a must read even if you're only a Murnau fan.

It's almost necessary for Gallagher to dislike The Informer because it's the one film that obviously falls into the Lang-Eisenstein-Hitchcock-De Sica camp (rather than the Murnau-Ford-Sternberg-Rossellini camp) that he has set up.

Derek Estes · #53 Post by **Derek Estes** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:07 am

Though I do love many of his insights into Ford's films, I feel Gallagher is overly critical of some of Ford's work, in particular The Informer. I can understand how that film has been overrated over the past 70 years, but I still find it far more interesting than many other films made at that time, and not nearly as flawed as Gallagher makes it out to be. I will say that Pilgrimage is a masterpiece, and having it now widely available will be a major event.

#54 Post by **domino harvey** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:58 pm

domino harvey wrote:I hope those are circular tabs and not invisible folder pockets or something.

new pic reveals just that!

Beaver drops more packaging pix

OliverB · #55 Post by **OliverB** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:35 am

It would be wonderful if the HC book and lobby cards were available to buy separately like Janus had done with it's 50 Years of Cinema box set...

neal · #56 Post by **neal** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:46 pm

domino harvey wrote:
domino harvey wrote:I hope those are circular tabs and not invisible folder pockets or something.
new pic reveals just that!

That just made my day.

Scharphedin2 · #57 Post by **Scharphedin2** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:01 pm

Beaver does not mention the 4 WWII documentaries that were to be included on the Becoming John Ford disc, or, the separate feature film Frontier Marshall by Allan Dwan, which was mentioned earlier as being included with My Darling Clementine.

Were these films dropped from the set?

Nuno · #58 Post by **Nuno** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:10 pm

Wow... this is a great set...

patrick · #59 Post by **patrick** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Looks absolutely incredible - has anyoned mentioned how the previously released films stack up to the new editions? I'm particularly interested in the quality of Prisoner of Shark Island versus the MOC edition.

Rufus T. Firefly · #60 Post by **Rufus T. Firefly** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:12 pm

Scharphedin2 wrote:Beaver does not mention the 4 WWII documentaries that were to be included on the Becoming John Ford disc, or, the separate feature film Frontier Marshall by Allan Dwan, which was mentioned earlier as being included with My Darling Clementine.

Were these films dropped from the set?

I don't know about the documentaries, but apparently Frontier Marshal is not available in the big box set, only in the smaller box set that contains My Darling Clementine. I can't explain why they would do this, unless they think people who forked out for the larger set will double-dip.

What A Disgrace · #61 Post by **What A Disgrace** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 4:55 pm

Interesting to note that the Fox disc of Shark Island has a new commentary, while the original list of specs did not list one (only Iron Horse, Drums Along the Mohawk and Pilgrimage have new commentaries recorded according to the specs list; the rest were recorded for previous editions of the films). I wonder if any of the other films sport new and unannounced commentaries?

John Hodson · #62 Post by **John Hodson** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:05 pm

patrick wrote:Looks absolutely incredible - has anyoned mentioned how the previously released films stack up to the new editions? I'm particularly interested in the quality of Prisoner of Shark Island versus the MOC edition.

Patrick, the Beaver is updating this link...

domino harvey wrote:Beaver drops more packaging pix

...with all his comparisons and reviews, and you'll see that the Fox edition of 'The Prisoner of Shark Island' blows the MoC edition away, transfer wise.

#63 Post by **domino harvey** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:07 pm

I'm glad to have my MOC for the exclusive material and I'll also be glad for the day I can treat myself to the Ford set.

patrick · #64 Post by **patrick** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 6:54 pm

John Hodson wrote:...with all his comparisons and reviews, and you'll see that the Fox edition of 'The Prisoner of Shark Island' blows the MoC edition away, transfer wise.

Wow...even given the access to high-quality elements that I'm sure they have, I wasn't expecting that much of a difference between the two (I wouldn't have been surprised if the MOC came out on top). Now if Fox would just eliminate the yellow subs...

OliverB · #65 Post by **OliverB** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 7:02 pm

All that's left is to swap covers and booklets and ditch the MOC disc!

(I might actually transfer to a dbl-keepcase and hang onto it as a bonus for the commentary)

Nuno · #66 Post by **Nuno** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 7:43 pm

I don't know if someone noticed that this set includes disc 1 of the Criterion's "Young Mr. Lincoln".

Musashi219 · #67 Post by **Musashi219** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:34 pm

Did anybody receive/purchase this yet? I just got mine today from Amazon and while it is certainly a beautiful package, it is also an incredibly frustrating one. The tabs holding all the films are rubber and it seems near impossible to take a disc out without fear of cracking it. And to make matters more complicated, the discs I have managed to pry loose (a whopping THREE), it is a chore to get them back on the rubber tab without having them slanted and only half-way on. So is anybody in the same situation as me? I've gotten most of them out now (you really gotta gradually work them off the tabs) and go figure I've got three scratched discs so far (How Green was My Valley, The Iron Horse, Judge Priest/Doctor Bull). Can't say I wasn't expecting this to happen, but this just makes matters more annoying.

Otherwise, beautiful book and lobby materials and the Becoming John Ford DVD comes in a slimcase separate from the giant binder.

kaujot · #68 Post by **kaujot** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 8:35 pm

It got a nice write-up in today's New York Times. Front page of the Arts section, even.

mogwai · #69 Post by **mogwai** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 3:36 am

Musashi219 wrote:So is anybody in the same situation as me?

I didn't encounter any scratched discs (I can see how one might) and I'm not having too much trouble getting the discs off the rubber spindles, but it definitely is a bitch getting them back on. I can't really get them back on fully -- they always are a bit lopsided. It's a minor quibble, though, and I think the package is incredibly well constructed.

This set is remarkable. I've never seen anything quite like it. I imagine this is what the Janus set looks like. Just wonderful. I only hope it sells well enough that Fox will consider putting as much attention into other director-oriented sets. Here's a short interview with Nick Redman courtesy of the New York Post. Most exciting is his claim that if the set does well, we may see future sets on Murnau and Borzage.

#70 Post by **zedz** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:46 pm

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:
Scharphedin2 wrote:Beaver does not mention the 4 WWII documentaries that were to be included on the Becoming John Ford disc, or, the separate feature film Frontier Marshall by Allan Dwan, which was mentioned earlier as being included with My Darling Clementine.

Were these films dropped from the set?
I don't know about the documentaries, but apparently Frontier Marshal is not available in the big box set, only in the smaller box set that contains My Darling Clementine. I can't explain why they would do this, unless they think people who forked out for the larger set will double-dip.

Just to confuse matters, the Redman piece linked above includes the following:

The big set is well thought out, both in its selection of titles (24 of 'em, not counting his World War II documentaries; an alternative, newly-colorized version of "Wee Willie Winkie''; and Alan Dwan's "Frontier Marshal,'' an intersting earlier edition of "My Darling Clementine'') and very generous extras.

Mine's on the way, but given Christmas mail it'll be some time before I see it. Can anybody who's actually got the set confirm or deny these inclusions?

Musashi219 · #71 Post by **Musashi219** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:19 pm

The WWII documentaries are all on the Becoming John Ford disc. They are as follows:

The Battle of Midway (Documentary, 1942)
The Battle of Midway (Additional Footage, 1942)
December 7th (Documentary, 1943)
Torpedo Squadron (Documentary, 1942)

Unless there is a mislabeled disc or it is treated as a supplement, I do not see Frontier Marshall on any of the discs. I am unsure what is meant by "earlier edition" of My Darling Clementine. Perhaps an earlier cut of the film? Hope this helps!

ellipsis7 · #72 Post by **ellipsis7** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:39 pm

One WW2 doc missing - SEX HYGIENE (1942) - wonder why?!...

#73 Post by **domino harvey** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:59 pm

Musashi219 wrote: I am unsure what is meant by "earlier edition" of My Darling Clementine. Perhaps an earlier cut of the film? Hope this helps!

It means that that film was an early adaptation of the same material as My Darling Clementine.

Rufus T. Firefly · #74 Post by **Rufus T. Firefly** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:44 pm

Something I find lacking in the Beaver comparison of The Iron Horse is mention of the obvious difference in framing between the BFI and Fox releases of the international version (he does mention the differences between the international and US versions). Certainly the Fox has the better image quality, but the BFI has more information in the frame. It seems the Fox version is heavily cropped on all sides, if the Beaver's screencaps are a guide.

HerrSchreck · #75 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:54 pm

Not to mention the issue of color tinting. The bfi is fully tinted (sometimes it looks like the celluloid is tinted, sometimes it looks electronically executed), sepia for outdoors/day, and blue for night scenes, whereas Fox appears to have simply restored and duped the elements straight up in b/w. I wonder if this is authoritative to the original US presentation (whereas foreign markets very well may have printed their own copies w tints after inserting their own regional intertitles, as often happened w silents that were initially meant to be prented in b/w... Lang a good example of this phenom), or Fox just overlooked/ignored the tinting scheme altogether.

Not the biggest fanatic of Ford's silent period, so I have no info either way...

Anyone?