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From Movies Unlimited:

[quote]FORD HAD A BETTER IDEA: The diverse works of the great John Ford are on view in an incredible schedule of releases from Fox Video called The Ford At Fox Collection. This celebration of the master director's labors for the studio will bring us many flicks from his folio that have never before surfaced in any home video format, much less on DVD.
Most people know John Ford as the director behind such John Wayne classics as Stagecoach, Fort Apache, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. But “Pappyâ€

A Quick List

The Essential John Ford

The Grapes Of Wrath
How Green Was My Valley
My Darling Clementine
Drums Along The Mohawk
Becoming John Ford Documentary

John Ford's American Comedies

Doctor Bull (1933)
Judge Priest (1934)
When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950)
Up The River (1930)
What Price Glory?
Steamboat ‘Round The Bend

John Ford's Silent Epics

Four Sons (1928)
The Iron Horse (1924)
3 Bad Men (1926)
Hangman's House (1928)
Just Pals (1920)

Individually Released:

When Willie Comes Marching Home,
The Iron Horse
Hangman's House
3 Bad Men
Up The River
The Prisoner Of Shark Island (1936)
Pilgrimage (1933)
Born Reckless (1930)

Ford At Fox

All of the above, including:

Young Mr. Lincoln
Tobacco Road (1941)
Wee Willie Winkie (1937)
The World Moves On (1934)
Seas Beneath (1931)
Four Men And A Prayer (1938)
also:
Frontier Marshal (1939) Alan Dwan

Features:

20 DVDs
screw-bound folder
hardback 172-page book,
reproductions of souvenir books for The Iron Horse and Four Sons
Becoming John Ford documentary,
packaged in a heavy duty vinyl box

I can't find the "swoon" emoticon.

This is really interesting but also disconcerting because I had hoped that they would release more of his silent films, and the re-releasing of other films that are currently available seems unnecessary to me. However, that being noted, I will definitely be purchasing this set.

screw-bound folder makes me worried. Please tell me this set isn't going to look like one of those hideous Complete TV Series DVD releases where the discs are housed in paper sleeves!

Full details have just been posted over at DVD Times. This really looks to be an exciting package. It's superb news that both versions of 'The Iron Horse' will be included - the UK version (which the BFI put out on DVD a few years back) and the US version.

Merry Xmas to me! This and the fourth season of The Wire on the same day. Nice.

A closer look here. Can't fucking wait!

I hope those are circular tabs and not invisible folder pockets or something.

"No cinephile collection would be complete without Ford's masterpieces..."

And yet most cinephiles would probably own at least one of the previously released titles. I own 5.

"No cinephile collection would be complete without Ford's masterpieces..."

And yet most cinephiles would probably own at least one of the previously released titles. I own 5.

Yes, exactly. I'm tremendously excited about this release and I applaud Fox's decision to put the effort into releasing some back-catalog titles that are pretty obscure. On the other hand, while I don't want to seem churlish by complaining, I'm a bit annoyed that they have decided to make some of the rarer titles exclusive to the $300 boxset. I realize that Tobacco Road is not likely to be a big seller as an individual disk, but couldn't they have packaged all the other previously-unreleased films in another smaller box set, or, better yet, included them in the other ones?

I own all the existing Fox Ford DVDs except Steamboat Round the Bend, so I can easily get 12 new Ford films by purchasing the "American Comedies" and "Silent Epics" box sets plus Pilgrimage and Born Reckless. 12 Ford films for $140 MSRP is a steal, but it would cost me more than that just to get such minor films as Wee Willie Winkie and Four Men and a Prayer (plus the Dwan). That makes six additional films, none of them particularly great, for $160. The economics of that don't make any sense at all, and I wish it was possible to get them some other way.

we'll surely be able to get this for ~30% off retail somewhere for a pre-order, so ~$210 for the set is worth it (2 dupe titles for me if we're counting) assuming they're securely housed in this set.

ptmd wrote:such minor films as Wee Willie Winkie and Four Men and a Prayer

I feel your pain, so I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you about the packaging decisions Fox has made.

But I tend to view Four Men and a Prayer as one of Ford's most underrated pre-1939 films. It's possibly the most politically radical/angry film Ford ever made -- and certainly it's the only one that deals with geopolitics in any serious way. Fans of Eric Ambler's novels and Hitchcock's British thrillers will find it particularly fun. (Plus, it's one of those rare movies wherein George Sanders played a heroic character.)

I see that the press release states that the Young Mr. Lincoln in the collection is only the feature film. This set would have been appropiate for the Criterion release to be part of.

I certainly hope the other silents are hidden away (for now) as extras, or something.....if not, I think they've made a big mistake. If not in THIS release, when, pray tell? Plus, it means not being able to chuck out the VHS dubs from the AMC showings (well, since I'm a big fan of Phil Carli's accompaniments on those versions, they're staying anyhow). I know, I know, there's a lot to be excited about, but if the silents where ALL there, I would get this, despite duplicating those titles already sitting on my shelf....but now I'm thinking I'm paying for stuff AGAIN, and not getting stuff I REALLY want that they are sitting on! Perhaps if FOX were to send me custom DVDs of the Frank Borzage silents as consolation...

DVD Times has the full specs up now. My only question is why Frontier Marshall is not included in the massive box set, but will be included in the smaller John Ford's masterpieces at Fox one. I think they should provide those who are willing to lay down such a large investment on this with more than just reproductions of posters, and booklets. However, the large full color book is nice. I am still planning on purchasing this.

I read through the specs, but I still don't see what the contents of the Silent Ford and Ford Masterpieces boxes will be, or anything that tells me which of these titles will be available separately. Did I miss this somewhere?

Looks like the Movietone soundtrack for Four Sons will not be on the DVD due to music copyright issues.

I'm glad they're splitting up the collection. It feels very sensible, too. Might spring for the Essential package myself.

ptmd wrote:

"No cinephile collection would be complete without Ford's masterpieces..."

I own all the existing Fox Ford DVDs except Steamboat Round the Bend, so I can easily get 12 new Ford films by purchasing the "American Comedies" and "Silent Epics" box sets plus Pilgrimage and Born Reckless. 12 Ford films for $140 MSRP is a steal, but it would cost me more than that just to get such minor films as Wee Willie Winkie and Four Men and a Prayer (plus the Dwan). That makes six additional films, none of them particularly great, for $160. The economics of that don't make any sense at all, and I wish it was possible to get them some other way.

Why not look at this way: Forget the single releases and junior box sets. You get 18 previously unavailable Ford films by purchasing the Gift Box (going by Domino's calculation that would make it apx. 11 dollars and change pr. title through e-tailers). Thrown in at that price, you also get three Ford documentaries from WWII (Dec. 7th, Torpedo Squadron and Battle of Midway) and the documentary on Ford specifically made for this set. Then you get Dwan's Frontier Marshall as a bonus feature film. And finally you get a 172 pp book + assorted paraphernalia.

This is an incredible release! A similar effort on Borzage's career would be just, but I suppose that would necessitate joint efforts with Warner Bros(?)

davidhare wrote:I hate to say this - and I surely stand to be shot down in flames - but I would far FAR prefer a Borzage box.

David, I love Ford's films, and own just about every DVD that has been released of his work. Still, having just recently had the chance to see a selection of Borzage's films, I am 100% with you!! A Borzage box of this nature (or any release of his work in any permutation from various studios) would actually excite me a lot more than this Ford release -- "far FAR" more, in fact (and I am not a little excited about the Ford as it is).

Well i just pre-ordered the Ford At Fox box from Amazon, about $200. Pre-ordered the Criterion Berlin Alexanderplatz as well. So my play money is sell and truly spent, till after Xmas at least. Bring on December.

Looks like...

This can be had from Barnes and Noble for $95. See the Bona-Fide Bargain thread for details. Oh, and Merry Christmas!

The DVD covers look great