Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

[Finch]

Warner Archive Challenge: release something made within the last forty years.

[andyli]

They did release things from the 90s every now and then, no?

[Finch]

The Sorkin show announced yesterday was made in the last 40 years. (lol)

[captveg]

Very pleased to be getting Phantom of the Rue Morgue, the first WB owned 50s 3D release since Kiss Me Kate in March of 2015. With the Popeye, the Ace of Space 3D short, too. There's strong rumors that The Bounty Hunter is also coming; if true, ideally they'll have Lumber Jack-Rabbit as a bonus feature in the same way.

[Stefan Andersson]

Some info from the latest The Extras podcast:

"MR. SKEFFINGTON: Like other recent Warner movies, George remembers restoring the twenty minutes cut after the opening for VHS, which comes from a second generation Fine Grain Master Positive. Speaking of that premiere, DUCK SOUP TO NUTS is included because it opened with the film. George also notes trying to use the best artwork available, in this case a Belgian poster. More interestingly is what George ends this discussion with:

Quote:
Originally Posted by George Feltenstein
And those upgrades of people asking for more of the more familiar Betty Davis titles, they're all in the Conga line. They're in production. They're amongst the 125 plus titles that, you know, and that list could change to 165 if my latest request gets blessed. So the more the people support the Warner Archive activities, the more we can expand the list.

George talks about licensing and later titles. He oversees what gets licensed to partners, who tend to focus on more recent titles. George makes sure that these titles get licensed out so they get the supplementary content they deserve that Warner Archive can't do with every title. Warner Archive is a boutique label that just happens to be apart of a huge studio, but feels they are able to serve the consumer the best they can. George mentions more from later is still coming, even though its not their primary focus"

Post 47751:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.ph ... &page=2388

[domino harvey]

MovieZyng is releasing an exclusive slipcover for another Scooby Doo series (how many of these things are there?) (though it’s not pictured in their listing for some reason)

[TechnicolorAcid]

MovieZyng is releasing an exclusive slipcover for another Scooby Doo series (how many of these things are there?) (though it’s not pictured in their listing for some reason)

Mystery Incorporated is the best Scooby Doo property (debatably the only great thing the big Scoob has ever been involved with) so I am very excited for this release

[domino harvey]

Some additional “leaked” forthcoming WA Blus from recent interviews:

Dancing Lady
Double Wedding (but NOT Evelyn Prentice, so the TCM set will not be fully upgraded even though that’s the “best” title in it!)
Employees’ Entrance

[domino harvey]

Domino, any write ups on Out of the Fog?

I thought this was pretty poor. It reminded me a lot of another Lupino film that WA put out on Blu, Walsh’s the Man I Love, in that it’s a messy, unwieldy programmer that only exists to give a whole bunch of contract stars and bit players something to do between more prestigious offerings. There are way too many threads here (why is George Tobias’ character even in this) and ultimately it reveals itself to be a starring vehicle not for Garfield but Thomas Mitchell. Mitchell is better than this junk but he can’t save it either. The ending is also completely insulting to the logical throughline of where this plot needed to go, and while I admire the fine thread by which this film puts one over on the Code, I think it’s rather craven in practice here

Also, the Hollywood Steps Out short is fucking awful. Never have I seen a more smug set of LB reviews than this has received, everyone patting themselves on the back for being able to recognize an ugly drawing of a Hollywood star without anything remotely funny being done with that. The same crowd that thinks it’s above Epic Movie et al seems to not clock that they’re praising the same garbage here…

[FrauBlucher]

I too disliked the ending. It seemed contrived and silly and in my opinion reduced the film to what it eventually is which weak, shallow and lacks the rich psychological aspect of the good to great noirs. A better ending could’ve saved it

[domino harvey]

July titles

Brainstorm

This was a wonderful little gem of a noir, one that proceeds in conventional fashion before gradually amping up its insanity. The premise is great: Jeff Hunter falls in love with the wife of his rich boss Dana Andrews, Anne Francis. In retaliation, Andrews starts using his influence to pay off employees and others to frame Hunter to look mentally unstable and thus ruin his career and personal life. But that’s only the first half of the movie, and the pivot in this film is where all of its interest lies. I’d beware of spoilers, because the brazen trashiness of this movie is its own biggest joy.

Spoiler

For those who cannot resist ruining a film for themselves, Hunter concocts a plan wherein instead of defending himself from Andrews’ attempts, he will lean into them and use his alleged mental instability to give him legal cover for publicly murdering his boss in front of a crowd of people. That we still have over a half hour left in the film after he executes his plan gives some indication that the film is not done with its twists, and while I understand the negative comparisons that can be made to Fuller’s Shock Corridor (a movie this film cannot compete with, but one with different goals), this film follows the logic of Hunter’s plan down to a truly grim and disturbing climax in which “We are who we pretend to be” rings uncomfortably true

Coming so late after the classic noir period yet too early for the neo noir revival of the 80s and 90s, it anticipates this later cycle in its series of unlikely yet entertaining twists and sheer gall. Surely director William Conrad borrowed a beat or two from the animated television serial he memorably narrated around this time, as the film is a series of wildly unlikely escalations and complications that nevertheless arrive at a suitably bleak noir finish. Can’t believe this is one of those rare films which no Letterboxd friends have seen or watchlisted, but hopefully that changes!

(And good cartoons on the WA Blu too!)

[domino harvey]

Any thoughts on Lilly Turner or The Keyhole? I fancy both.

I don’t think either ever had a DVD release, even via the Archives

I thought the Keyhole was okay. Extremely creaky and familiar material, even 93 years ago, but Curtiz brings his usual technical skills to make this rather tame pre-code title easy to swallow. Not something I ever need to see again, but nothing I regret watching either

[domino harvey]

Dieterle's TENNESSEE JOHNSON coming in November

I regret to inform you that everyone who isn't me is wrong again. This revisionist biopic of Andrew Johnson is, by a wide margin, the best film discovery I've made courtesy of WA's bizarre, counterintuitive release strategy. To say few would agree is putting it mildly: As of me writing this I am one of two users total to rate this five stars on LB. And its overall rating is not all that poor, so even those who like it are wrong for not liking it more! Miraculously, I can not think of a more relevant, alive, and vital film for the Current Moment we are living through, and it's incredible how this film now fills more or less the same function it did during WWII. If Sgt York made viewers walk out of the theatre wanting to enlist, this movie makes any viewer willing to give in to the manipulations of patriotic propaganda walk out of it feeling like there still is something to love about the abstract notions of the United States. In a time when the current administration makes it hard to even stomach the idea of cheering on our country, this film reminds us of ideals and concepts of civics that are so naive they stop being insincere and become admirable in their boundless, and perhaps foolhardy optimism.

This is beyond anything else an astonishing piece of evidence in how effective the studio system was at working together to turn anything into anything else it wanted. Getting mad at its inaccuracies not only seems pointless, it seems willfully ignorant of their function. If I can stomach the Curies being turned into a romantic comedy, surely I can believe Andrew Johnson refused to punish the South for noble reasons rather than the actual ones. It's not like these changes were made because MGM felt compelled to glorify a racist or whatever the context-free kneejerk responses charge. This is an example of how the studios used every trick at their disposal to stir up pro-American sentiment at a time when it was needed most. The top comment on Letterboxd inadvertently is absolutely correct, but probably not how they think:

maybe this is a crazy thing to say but van heflin could have played donald trump really well i think

Yes, exactly! If even the worst we have to offer can somehow still be used to message that we are the best and even those who seem most against "us" are in fact working towards the best version of what "us" can be, what could possibly be better messaging if the goal is to unite? I guess you can consider it wrong to message an emphasis on all men being created equal and that we must all work together to succeed because it's using real life events counter to their probable reality, but why? The kind of people who rally against this presumably have no problem with "Print the legend" without remembering why Stewart needed to take credit in Liberty Valance in the first place. Sometimes a lie is required. And while I am being puckish about Trump ever receiving such treatment in the future, I can joke about it because I don't think movies have the sauce to ever pull something like this off again even if they wanted to try (this is also a wonderfully entertaining and exciting film aside from its function, and Lionel Barrymore gives one of his best performances as Thaddeus Stevens). But we did once and here it is.

[Drucker]

I'm curious about how you compare this to the Santa Fe Trail, a few pages back, which you seemed down on. The historical "liberties" let's say that film took with history were eye-rolling, but some of Curtiz's staging and scenes are masterful (such as the dark shadows in the barn before Brown's hideout raid). What worked here that didn't in the other film?

[domino harvey]

Well, chiefly, this film goes out of its way to ostensibly not be racist, while Curtiz’ film def does not. It is like the Gallant to that film’s Goofus, and because its intent is to unite all viewers, even black ones, there are no outwardly racist elements. Even Barrymore’s insistence on reparations and punishing the south is painted respectfully as a disagreement on things other than slavery, which Heflin agrees with Barrymore on and rejects (in the film Heflin’s objection to this is that it punishes rather than reintegrates the south, counter to Lincoln’s wishes and his own views of unity and integration above all else, which is his entire mantra in the film)

[senseabove]

November titles:
Double Wedding
Bachelor Mother
The Devil's Brother
The Two Mrs. Carrolls
The Charge at Feather River (3D) (w/ Lumber-Jack Rabbit in 3D as well)
The Belle of New York
Johnny Eager
My Favorite Wife

[therewillbeblus]

Ooof

[What A Disgrace]

Bombshell, also.

[senseabove]

And Babes in Arms.

[Matt]

Belle of New York might be the worst Arthur Freed-produced musical. Totally unmemorable and undeserving of Fred Astaire’s talent.

[Finch]

The Music Man 4K. Ugh, not impressed with their November slate.

COMING TO 4K UHD/BLU-RAY COMBO FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION NOVEMBER 24th!
New 2026 4K UHD HDR master from 13.5 Scan of the original Technirama camera negative!

THE MUSIC MAN (1962)

MSRP: $29.98
4K UHD/Blu-Ray combo pack 1 UHD-100/1 BD-50 COLOR RATED G Audio Specs: New DOLBY ATMOS mix and original 1962 theatrical mix (DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround) Aspect Ratio: 16x9 2.35 Letterbox Running Time: 151 Minutes DOLBY VISION
HDR10
Disc encode by David Mackenzie/Fidelity in Motion
Cast: Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Hermoine Gingold, Buddy Hackett, Paul Ford
Directed by Morton Da Costa

SPECIAL FEATURES: New audio commentary by Author and Theater Critic Ron Fassler, Archival documentary RIGHT HERE IN RIVER CITY: THE MAKING OF ‘The Music Man’ (HD), Archival introduction by Shirley Jones (HD), Original full-length theatrical trailer (HD)
This magnificent film version of the Broadway smash remains an irresistible sky burst of Americana. Robert Preston recreates his Tony®-winning triumph as con artists Harold Hill, arriving in River City, Iowa to form a boy’s band, much to the disapproval – and later delight of town librarian Marian Paroo (Academy-Award®-winner Shirley Jones). Buddy Hackett, Hermoine Gingold, Paul Ford and 7-year-old Ron Howard co-star. Meredith Willson’s beloved score-featuring the unforgettable 76 Trombones and Till There Was You among other marvelous melodies-is orchestrated to brilliant Oscar® winning effect by Ray Heindorf. A huge success at the box-office, and beloved by audiences and critics alike, The Music Man shines anew with this spectacular restoration directly from its original Technirama® negative, looking even better than ever, and enriched with a spectacular Dolby Atmos soundtrack, as well as the original 1962 theatrical mix. Nominated for 6 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, the film was added by the Library of Congress to the National Film Registry in 2005.

[James Stock]

Such a random choice for a 4K.

[HardNight'sDay]

Hey, say whatever you want about The Music Man. But it did help inspired one of the best Simpsons episode.

[James Stock]

THE YOGI BEAR SHOW (1961-63)-The Complete Series

COMING FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION ON NOVEMBER 24th!
1080p HD MASTERS FROM 4K SCANS OF THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVES!
THE YOGI BEAR SHOW (1961-63)-The Complete Series
MSRP: $39.98
A 6 BD-50 SET (34 episodes)
Running Time: 792 Minutes
COLOR
Audio Specs: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
Aspect Ratio 16x9 1.33:1 with side mattes
NOT RATED
Subtitles ENGLISH SDH
Not only was Yogi Bear (introduced on “The Huckleberry Hound Show”) “smarter than the average bear,” but his popularity also got him – along with sidekick Boo Boo – his own series, seen here in its restored and remastered 34-episode entirety. Beloved for his Robin Hood-like antics and endlessly inventive schemes to swipe “pic-a-nic” baskets, Yogi is arguably the first outlaw cartoon hero. Although a comic straight man, Park Ranger Smith, with tireless yet futile attempts to enforce Jellystone’s “Do Not Feed the Bears” rule, undoubtedly deserved more credit. Fans will also recall series co-stars Snagglepuss the lion (“Exit, stage right!”) and Yakky Doodle, the devilishly “innocent” quackster with the famed lament “I wost my mommy!” A new release to be treasured by every Hanna-Barbera fan!

[James Stock]

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965) 4K

COMING TO 4K UHD/BLU-RAY COMBO FROM THE WANER ARCHIVE COLLECTION ON DECEMBER 1st!
NEW 4K 2026 UHD MASTER FROM 8K SCAN OF THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE!
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
MSRP $34.99
2 UHD-100/ 2 BD-50
Running Time: 200 Minutes COLOR RATED PG-13 Aspect Ratio: 16x9 2.35:1 Letterbox Audio Specs: DOLBY ATMOS and Original 1965 5.1 DTS-HD MA Soundtrack Subtitles ENGLISH SDH
DOLBY VISION HDR10
Disc encode by David Mackenzie/Fidelity in Motion
Cast: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Alec Guinness, Rod Steiger, Ralph Richardson, Tom Courtenay
Directed by David Lean
Special Features: Commentary by Omar Sharif, Rod Steiger and Lady Sandra Lean; Featurettes: Doctor Zhivago: A Celebration, The Making of Doctor Zhivago, New York Press Interviews, Behind the Camera with David Lean, David Lean's Film of Doctor Zhivago, Pasternak, Moscow in Madrid, Geraldine Chaplin Screen Test, This Is Geraldine Chaplin, This Is Julie Christie, This is Omar Sharif and the Original Theatrical Trailer
A peerless filmmaker of substance and scale, David Lean directs Boris Pasternak’s tumultuous tale of Russia divided by war and heart, torn by love. Epic images abound: revolution in the streets, an infantry charge into No Man’s Land, the train ride into the Urals, an icebound dacha. Omar Sharif plays the title role, Julie Christie is his haunting, longtime love Lara, and both are caught up in the tidal wave of history. Hauntingly scored by Maurice Jarre (who earned one of the films five Academy Awards) and full of indelible performances, Doctor Zhivago is a masterpiece of cinema. Now newly remastered from an 8k scan of the original camera negative, with both a new Dolby Atmos audio soundtrack as well as the original 1965 Theatrical mix, this beloved classic looks and sounds as magnificent as the great filmmaker intended, and is presented in its original roadshow version.