criterionforum.org

If I recall correctly, Ladykiller has a wonderful scene with Cagney dragging Mae Clarke across the apartment by her hair. Thats worth the price of admission alone!

jesus the mexican boi wrote:Is one of these remakes Crime School? I saw Mayor of Hell on TCM some time back and thought it was pretty damn tough. As you say, it snuck in right before the Code. I was interested in Crime School because of the Dead Enders and, iirc, Ronald Reagan in the brutal role, and because the original was so dark.

Crime School was the first remake, but it featured Humphrey Bogart in the old James Cagney/good-guy role. The second remake was Hell's Kitchen (directed by E.A. Dupont, of all people), and although it did indeed feature Reagan, Reagan played the good-guy role, too. Perhaps you're thinking of Reagan's much later brutal turn in the remake of The Killers...?

At any rate, although the Dead End Kids' movies are always worth seeing, Mayor of Hell is far superior.

Barrie Maxwell's column on classic films supports dvd beaver's news of this new box set. He notes that we can expect this set sometime around March and that perhaps in January we will get a new two disc of Bonnie and Clyde.

As for Mayor of Hell, it is considered by many scholars to be the film that iniated the cycle of gangster films at Warner Brothers in the early to mid 1930s.
As welcome news is Ladykiller which is an interesting film in that it begins with James Cagney's character working as an usher at the Warner Brother's Strand theater in new York. He eventaully winds up in California after hooking up with a gang of crooks. While in California he becomes an actor who rises through the ranks. In addition there is a great sequence at a birthday party with elephants and monkeys. This is an unsung masterpiece of Warner's early style.

I love LADYKILLER and am delighted that it's going to be in the new set. One of the best lines is from Mae as she tells Cagney that she wants to stay away from California because they grow grapefruit there!

I found this page, which has a list of Alain Silver's commentaries. It mentions he has done commentaries for Smart Money and Invisible Stripes, to be included "in Warner Bros. Gangster Collection, Vols. 3 & 4"

Collection, Vols. 3 & 4

This is exciting.

Cinephrenic wrote:Not that DVD Beav is not correct, but they released Tough Guys set as a alternate to Gangsters vol.2. I don't know if any of those films are valuable enough to sell a second set.

Perhaps if they do release it, I hope City Streets and Racket Busters is included.

The Gangsters and Tough Guys banners are different. George Feltenstein said that you can distinguish the two because some of the films in Tough Guys weren't based around gangsters i.e. City of Conquest, Each Dawn I Die.

That is what I was trying to distinguish because I thought Warner felt that they didn't have any significant "gangster" films to put out a second set. But I guess they are bringing these out anyhow.

I spoke with an academic who tells me that Warner has big plans to release these sets and more in the coming year. He also told me that he has been contacted to participate in a documentary that they are preparing for the gangster release.

Buttery Jeb wrote:Out March 11, 2008. Includes "Picture Snatcher," "Lady Killer," "Smart Money," "Black Legion," "The Mayor of Hell" and "Brother Orchid." $59.92, or $19.97 each.

"Volume 3" in the article is a misprint. This is actually Volume 2.

Whether in TOUGH GUYS or GANGSTERS the bastards better find a reason to release Hill's BIG HOUSE. I'm sicka waiting for a definitive release on this.

HerrSchreck wrote:Whether in TOUGH GUYS or GANGSTERS the bastards better find a reason to release Hill's BIG HOUSE. I'm sicka waiting for a definitive release on this.

I just read the description of this film and it sounds a LOT like Becker's wonderful Le Trou. I'd be damned excited if this were released.

There is too be a third and fourth set of Warner gangster films. In the third set there is going to be a feature length documentary on Warner Brothers and its gangster output. This dvd will include interviews with Frank Manchel, Alain Silver and others who have wriiten extensively on the gangster film.

THE BLACK LEGION isn't a gangster film per se, but I'm elated it will be included. It should have been on the last Bogart Collection.

BIG HOUSE was also filmed in a French-language version, which survives; different cast, including Charles Boyer in the Morris role. Hopefully, WB will see fit to include it with the English version, similar to ANNA CHRISTIE and its German counterpart.

According to DVDTALK this is going OOP along with Tough Guys.

Especially since Vol 2 is forthcoming, I bet you good money these are only going out of print so they can release a thinpak version.

domino harvey wrote:Especially since Vol 2 is forthcoming, I bet you good money these are only going out of print so they can release a thinpak version.

The last sets I've bought from Warner have come in standard case, so who knows.

Gigi M. wrote:

domino harvey wrote:Especially since Vol 2 is forthcoming, I bet you good money these are only going out of print so they can release a thinpak version.

The last sets I've bought from Warner have come in standard case, so who knows.

Yes, I was disappointed - because I'm short of shelf space - when my "Shakespeare Collection" box set arrived last week with standard Amaray-type cases.

Damn, I'm in a dilemma if I should buy these or wait and hope they will release these in another set?

Confirmation from DVDTimes:

Warner Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection Volume 3 on 25th March 2008. This latest group of crime genre classics, starring some of Hollywood's top tough guys – James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart – features six new to R1 DVD gangster flicks, three of which make their first US home video appearance: Picture Snatcher, Lady Killer, Smart Money, Black Legion, Mayor of Hell and Brother Orchid. The films have been given brand new transfers from newly restored film elements, and also include bonus features such as rarely-seen Warner Bros. shorts, vintage newsreels and classic cartoons, plus original theatrical trailers. The films will be available as a collection for $59.92 SRP or as single titles for $19.97 SRP each.

domino harvey wrote:Especially since Vol 2 is forthcoming, I bet you good money these are only going out of print so they can release a thinpak version.

In light of 'The Gangsters Collection Vol. 3' being announced, apparently they're renaming them; the first Gangsters set will now be called ' Gangsters Collection Vol. 1', 'Tough Guys' is to be renamed 'Gangsters Collection Vol. 2'. Whether that means thinpaks, I don't know.

This goes a long way towards explaining why they dropped the retail price down so drastically for these, they were clearing out the warehouse.

Warner Bros. are not reissuing any of the older sets... the Gangster and Tough Guys Collections are two separate series. Neither are out of print...

Warner Bros. are not reissuing any of the older sets... the Gangster and Tough Guys Collections are two separate series. Neither are out of print...

They are officially out-of-print. Some sellers will tell you that. Tough Guys was named for the series because they weren't all gangster films, such as The City Conquest. With the new film releases coming out, this again would be questionable.