Have been working my way through some Richard Barthelmess silents and have enjoyed Just Suppose, Soul-Fire, and The Drop Kick.
Barthelmess certainly had some varied roles during his silent years. All three of these films were quite enjoyable.
WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
-
feaito
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
The other day I re-watched "Tempest" (1928) with John Barrymore and I confirmed that it's one of my favorite Silents and specifically, my favorite Barrymore Silent. The Image DVD Edition still has the best print (it tops the newly released KINO edition).
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
I watched D.W. Griffith's first feature film, the ambitious Judith of Bethulia, a Biblical melodrama with an exciting battle sequence that clearly was an influence on Griffith's latter masterpiece, Intolerance.
Bethulia is under siege by the Assyrians, and the walled city is surrounded, preventing the inhabitants from getting food or water. Widow Judith (an 18-year old Blanche Sweet) infiltrates the enemy camp with the intent of seducing and then slaying their commander, Holofernes (an unrecognizable Henry B. Walthall). But Judith didn't count on actually falling in love with him...
With tremendous sets and costumes, Bethulia certainly looks great, but Griffith's direction is rather limiting. His camera never moves. I don't even recall a tilt or pan. While the battle scenes are wonderfully staged (there's even one of those tower-on-wheels things used to great effect in Intolerance), the momentum is built from Griffith's editing rather than camera movement.
Blanche Sweet (who is adorable) unfortunately over-emotes every emotion to a nearly embarrassing degree, even for a film from 1914. When one considers the fairly naturalistic acting in Griffith's previous Biographs (Bethulia is Griffith's last Biograph, too), and the acting by the rest of the cast in Bethulia (including Lillian Gish, Robert Harron and Mae Marsh), Sweet's performance is puzzling, as it's clearly Griffith's direction and not Sweet's talent.
Despite it's flaws, Judith of Bethulia is still great fun and it is fascinating to see Griffith as he plows full steam ahead, into features.
Bethulia is under siege by the Assyrians, and the walled city is surrounded, preventing the inhabitants from getting food or water. Widow Judith (an 18-year old Blanche Sweet) infiltrates the enemy camp with the intent of seducing and then slaying their commander, Holofernes (an unrecognizable Henry B. Walthall). But Judith didn't count on actually falling in love with him...
With tremendous sets and costumes, Bethulia certainly looks great, but Griffith's direction is rather limiting. His camera never moves. I don't even recall a tilt or pan. While the battle scenes are wonderfully staged (there's even one of those tower-on-wheels things used to great effect in Intolerance), the momentum is built from Griffith's editing rather than camera movement.
Blanche Sweet (who is adorable) unfortunately over-emotes every emotion to a nearly embarrassing degree, even for a film from 1914. When one considers the fairly naturalistic acting in Griffith's previous Biographs (Bethulia is Griffith's last Biograph, too), and the acting by the rest of the cast in Bethulia (including Lillian Gish, Robert Harron and Mae Marsh), Sweet's performance is puzzling, as it's clearly Griffith's direction and not Sweet's talent.
Despite it's flaws, Judith of Bethulia is still great fun and it is fascinating to see Griffith as he plows full steam ahead, into features.
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
-
jdb1
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Whoa -- there's revisionism if I've ever heard it. Is not the apocryphal Judith the staunch defender of her husband and her people who entertained the enemy general Holofernes, fed him cheese all night so he'd get thirsty and drink a lot of wine, and then cut his head off when he passed out? Did any heads in fact roll?
My kind of heroine and namesake. What did Griffith do to her?
My kind of heroine and namesake. What did Griffith do to her?
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Bethulia is also interesting because it features Lillian Gish, Dorothy Gish, their mother Mary Gish, Mae Marsh, Robert Harron, Antonio Moreno, Elmo Lincoln, and Lionel Barrymore! Not a bad cast.
I had read somewhere that Griffith pitched fits trying to get Blanche Sweet to give MORE and YET MORE in her acting. And Henry B. Walthall is one of the forgotten major stars of the silent era. He played just about everything.
I had read somewhere that Griffith pitched fits trying to get Blanche Sweet to give MORE and YET MORE in her acting. And Henry B. Walthall is one of the forgotten major stars of the silent era. He played just about everything.
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
jdb1,
Never fear, heads roll a-plenty. I suspect Griffith was just taking "artistic license" with the added romantic angle.
drednm,
Hard to imagine how Griffith could have gotten any more from Blanche's performance. Yikes. It is a terrifict cast, and Walthall is great as usual. I love how bored he looks as his harem girls dance for him. (Oddly staged, though. He's on one side, looking straight ahead and the girls dance off to his side where he can't really see them. We can, though, and... (I wonder if DeMille was inspired by this, leading to him spicing up his films.)
Never fear, heads roll a-plenty. I suspect Griffith was just taking "artistic license" with the added romantic angle.
drednm,
Hard to imagine how Griffith could have gotten any more from Blanche's performance. Yikes. It is a terrifict cast, and Walthall is great as usual. I love how bored he looks as his harem girls dance for him. (Oddly staged, though. He's on one side, looking straight ahead and the girls dance off to his side where he can't really see them. We can, though, and... (I wonder if DeMille was inspired by this, leading to him spicing up his films.)
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Sherlock Holmes with John Barrymore was the latest. This has long been on my wish list to see, if not for Barrymore, for the debut of William H. Powell. I had always understood that the extant prints were on the murky side, they were not kidding. This is the restored Eastman House print and it is still pretty murky (for that matter, so is the plot). Carol Dempster has a small part (some may be thankful for this), Powell can be seen as a thug and then later, an accomplice in Holmes' employ. What of Holmes? What of Moriarty? What of Watson? In reverse order, Watson is portrayed by a very young (no pun intended) Roland Young. Watson is almost non-existant in this version. Moriarty is played by the deliciously evil and rather creepy Gustav von Seyffertitz, there is a very cool spiderweb effect involving Gustav, most effective, even in a murky print. Barrymore as Holmes, well, as far as I could tell, this Holmes had very little to do with detecting, but Barrymore was charming as the young and thoughtful Holmes, the deerstalker cap did not appear until very late in the film. I won't spoil the ending, but suffice to say, it was quite a shocker!
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
rudyfan,
Do you know what year that Sherlock Holmes was? I'm assuming it was silent. Do you know what story it was based on?
I love Sherlock Holmes. Was it set in the right period? (I don't like the 30s ones.) I guess I could look all this up, couldn't I?!
B
Do you know what year that Sherlock Holmes was? I'm assuming it was silent. Do you know what story it was based on?
I love Sherlock Holmes. Was it set in the right period? (I don't like the 30s ones.) I guess I could look all this up, couldn't I?!
B
-
feaito
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Hi Birdy,
Sorry to intrude here, but I got Barrymore's Kino Collection recently as gift and I plan to see "Sherlock Holmes" soon. It's from 1922 and was directed by Albert Parker. You can check more details at http://www.us.imdb.com
Rudyfan,
Thanks to your review I put "Sherlock Holmes" (1922) higher on my to-see-list and ahead of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1920), included in the same Collection.
Sorry to intrude here, but I got Barrymore's Kino Collection recently as gift and I plan to see "Sherlock Holmes" soon. It's from 1922 and was directed by Albert Parker. You can check more details at http://www.us.imdb.com
Rudyfan,
Thanks to your review I put "Sherlock Holmes" (1922) higher on my to-see-list and ahead of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1920), included in the same Collection.
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
The Origins of Cinema Vol. IV focusses exclusively on the early American Mutoscope and Biograph films of D. W. Griffith, and each film in the collection is fantastic. Most of the films are from 1908-09 and they really show that Griffith was not only a quick learner, but that he had command of the medium like no other in that era.
Highlights include:
A Dash in the Clouds (1912--the "newest" film in the collection) Ten years after Orville and Wilbur made their historic flight, here's D.W. making a comedy using an airplane. An adorable Mabel Normand shuns suitor Fred Mace for an aviator. Jealous Mace causes a ruckus in a nearby Mexican town and it's up to Mabel and her pilot to come to his rescue. While the plot is simple, the footage of the plane is priceless. Griffith is careful as he films the open-air biplane as it takes off, the camera panning as it taxies. For the landings, the camera is stationary with the plane coming directly at us--the open plane allowing us to see that it was actually Mabel up there, flying high. Griffith also gets some breathtaking "aerial" shots by placing the camera on the top of a hill and having the plane pass by. Absolutely amazing!
The Cord of Life (1909)-- a fine example of Griffith's ability to create suspense. When a father refuses to loan some money to a "friend", said "friend" gets back at him by taking his baby, putting it into a basket and then suspending the basket outside the tenement building window, the cord held in place by a closed window. Unknowingly, mom keeps going to open the window but is prevented by one matter or another. The acting is naturalistic and Griffith manipulates the tension like a master.
At the Altar (1909)--somewhat similar to The Cord of Life in that an elaborate device is set up to extract revenge, this time it's a pistol rigged to fire "at the altar" during the wedding of his would-be lover. Again Griffith experiments with tension, this time having the cop who figures out the plot break his leg en route to the chapel.
By far the best section in the collection is The Girls and Daddy, which is shown twice; first in the order the film was actually shot by Griffith, and then the edited final version. It's uncanny how much one learns seeing the film as shot. Many scenes have the two daughters in bed sleeping. Occasionally they wake, talk to each other, sleep again, reach for something under the pillow, etc., all in one take and making no sense, naturally. It's only seeing the edited film that you realize all the particulars, which, of course, makes total sense. You can easily imagine Griffith beside the camera directing saying "Now, wake up, embrace, reach under the pillow, sleep again, now you're startled awake..." all without a script, and yet knowing exactly what he needed and how to get it. What a lesson. (The film is quite good, too, with not one but two thieves breaking into the house!)
Highlights include:
A Dash in the Clouds (1912--the "newest" film in the collection) Ten years after Orville and Wilbur made their historic flight, here's D.W. making a comedy using an airplane. An adorable Mabel Normand shuns suitor Fred Mace for an aviator. Jealous Mace causes a ruckus in a nearby Mexican town and it's up to Mabel and her pilot to come to his rescue. While the plot is simple, the footage of the plane is priceless. Griffith is careful as he films the open-air biplane as it takes off, the camera panning as it taxies. For the landings, the camera is stationary with the plane coming directly at us--the open plane allowing us to see that it was actually Mabel up there, flying high. Griffith also gets some breathtaking "aerial" shots by placing the camera on the top of a hill and having the plane pass by. Absolutely amazing!
The Cord of Life (1909)-- a fine example of Griffith's ability to create suspense. When a father refuses to loan some money to a "friend", said "friend" gets back at him by taking his baby, putting it into a basket and then suspending the basket outside the tenement building window, the cord held in place by a closed window. Unknowingly, mom keeps going to open the window but is prevented by one matter or another. The acting is naturalistic and Griffith manipulates the tension like a master.
At the Altar (1909)--somewhat similar to The Cord of Life in that an elaborate device is set up to extract revenge, this time it's a pistol rigged to fire "at the altar" during the wedding of his would-be lover. Again Griffith experiments with tension, this time having the cop who figures out the plot break his leg en route to the chapel.
By far the best section in the collection is The Girls and Daddy, which is shown twice; first in the order the film was actually shot by Griffith, and then the edited final version. It's uncanny how much one learns seeing the film as shot. Many scenes have the two daughters in bed sleeping. Occasionally they wake, talk to each other, sleep again, reach for something under the pillow, etc., all in one take and making no sense, naturally. It's only seeing the edited film that you realize all the particulars, which, of course, makes total sense. You can easily imagine Griffith beside the camera directing saying "Now, wake up, embrace, reach under the pillow, sleep again, now you're startled awake..." all without a script, and yet knowing exactly what he needed and how to get it. What a lesson. (The film is quite good, too, with not one but two thieves breaking into the house!)
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
You know you're in for something special when a film opens with Hobart Bosworth acting as HB Warner's executioner, and after the guillotine's blade drops proclaiming "And now The Show of Shows!" Indeed! The Show of Shows, Warner's answer to MGM's Hollywood Revue of 1929 is every bit as good, and may in fact, be better.
Far more cinematic than Hollywood Revue, SoS is essentially the same format, with Warner stars singing and dancing, doing soliloquy's, and/or some comedy sketches. Frank Fay struggles as the Master of Ceremonies, and has way too much screen time, especially early in the film.
The fun, of course, is spotting the stars as they perform, usually way outside of their comfort range. Noah Berry is quite funny as a pirate captain who captures Ted ("Is everybody happy") Lewis and his band, in one of the film's more surreal bits. (Much of the film is surreal, in the best of all possible ways.)
The Floradora Girls are made up of Myrna Loy, Lila Lee, Patsy Ruth Miller, Alice Day (among others). Beatrice Lillie is in a silly recitation bit (and looks rather bemused--and "manly"--it's that haircut I guess) and Richard Barthelmess would obviously rather be anywhere else than be introducing the "Sister Act", which is a show-stopping number featuring Dolores and Helene Costello as well as "sisters" Loretta Young, Sally Blane, Harriet Lake, etc.
Two highlights include a Shakespearian soliloquy by John Barrymore, which truly is impressive, and the one color sequence, Chinese Fantasy, which is presented by non-other than Rin-Tin-Tin (!) and features Myrna Loy decked out in Asian glory, until she sheds her garb to do some dancing (she sings a bit, too).
There are plenty of eye-brow raising pre-code camera angles, especially during the film's rousing finale, with barely dressed chorus girls do some high kicking, and the finale also includes some terrific, non-stereotyped African Americans doing some impressive dancing. The film ends with a close-up of each star singing the final song, and Barthelmess still looks like he'd rather be anywhere else.
Far more cinematic than Hollywood Revue, SoS is essentially the same format, with Warner stars singing and dancing, doing soliloquy's, and/or some comedy sketches. Frank Fay struggles as the Master of Ceremonies, and has way too much screen time, especially early in the film.
The fun, of course, is spotting the stars as they perform, usually way outside of their comfort range. Noah Berry is quite funny as a pirate captain who captures Ted ("Is everybody happy") Lewis and his band, in one of the film's more surreal bits. (Much of the film is surreal, in the best of all possible ways.)
The Floradora Girls are made up of Myrna Loy, Lila Lee, Patsy Ruth Miller, Alice Day (among others). Beatrice Lillie is in a silly recitation bit (and looks rather bemused--and "manly"--it's that haircut I guess) and Richard Barthelmess would obviously rather be anywhere else than be introducing the "Sister Act", which is a show-stopping number featuring Dolores and Helene Costello as well as "sisters" Loretta Young, Sally Blane, Harriet Lake, etc.
Two highlights include a Shakespearian soliloquy by John Barrymore, which truly is impressive, and the one color sequence, Chinese Fantasy, which is presented by non-other than Rin-Tin-Tin (!) and features Myrna Loy decked out in Asian glory, until she sheds her garb to do some dancing (she sings a bit, too).
There are plenty of eye-brow raising pre-code camera angles, especially during the film's rousing finale, with barely dressed chorus girls do some high kicking, and the finale also includes some terrific, non-stereotyped African Americans doing some impressive dancing. The film ends with a close-up of each star singing the final song, and Barthelmess still looks like he'd rather be anywhere else.
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
-
myrnaloyisdope
- Posts: 349
- Joined: May 15th, 2008, 3:53 am
- Location: Toronto, Ontario
- Contact:
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
I'm looking forward to Show of Shows, I've only seen the Myrna-yellowface sequence.
I watched a couple silents yesterday...the little seen Madge Kennedy silent Dollars and Sense and the lovely Marion Davies silent The Fair Co-Ed. My thoughts are here. I normally wouldn't self-link, but darned if I didn't spend 5 hours and write 2000 words on the films today, feel free to post a response on my blog if you want.
I watched a couple silents yesterday...the little seen Madge Kennedy silent Dollars and Sense and the lovely Marion Davies silent The Fair Co-Ed. My thoughts are here. I normally wouldn't self-link, but darned if I didn't spend 5 hours and write 2000 words on the films today, feel free to post a response on my blog if you want.
"Do you think it's dangerous to have Busby Berkeley dreams?" - The Magnetic Fields
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Justin,
THE FAIR-CO ED has been restored. A brand new 35 Millimeter print was screened in Chicago and in L A last year. I have no idea if it is on the Short-list of Silents to be scored or not? Can't get any solid information.
THE FAIR-CO ED has been restored. A brand new 35 Millimeter print was screened in Chicago and in L A last year. I have no idea if it is on the Short-list of Silents to be scored or not? Can't get any solid information.-
myrnaloyisdope
- Posts: 349
- Joined: May 15th, 2008, 3:53 am
- Location: Toronto, Ontario
- Contact:
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
I'd love to see it, if only because the sight of Marion in gym shorts deserves the best print possible. But seriously it's a fun film that holds up nicely against any of her non-Vidor silents.
"Do you think it's dangerous to have Busby Berkeley dreams?" - The Magnetic Fields
Re: WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Justin,
By the way, speaking of Vidor Silents, I have added a better score to WINE OF YOUTH. The older copy did not have music I dubbed beyond the first 10 selections. Those just kept repeating. there was nothing you could do about it because those were the limitations of the software I had at the time. This was back in 2007. I was rather embarrassed to sent you a disc like that. However, a few weeks ago I added a different score that was very carefully compiled. Have you watched this film at all? Would love to see a TCM premier. Hey, I just got PROUD FLESH too. Incidentally, have you heard about the following?
Warner Press Release:
"Eight MGM classics from the pre-talkie era of the golden age of silent cinema make their DVD debut in the archive. Joan Crawford and Ramon Novarro find romance in ACROSS TO SINGAPORE. Joan also steals the show from top-billed stars George K. Arthur and Gertrude Olmstead in the comedic romp THE BOOB. William Haines is the leading man in Joan's life as they co-star in the 1927 comedy WEST POINT. Haines plays a race-car driver built for speed in the sleek 1929 jaunt entitled SPEEDWAY. Norma Shearer gives her last silent film appearance 'the works' as she portrays A LADY OF CHANCE, while Marion Davies goes for the laughs as THE PATSY. John Gilbert swaggers before the cameras in the 1929 adventure DESERT NIGHTS, and Donald Crisp stars as THE VIKING, in Roy William Neill's provocative 1928 adventure, filmed in 2 strip Technicolor."
I must say, THE PATSY definitely came out of nowhere. Was sure that was being reserved for something bigger. THE VIKING is the most unanticipated release thus far. And a great one. DESERT NIGHTS is a pleasant addition as well. With the highly unexpected issue of SPEEDWAY, that is every William Haines Silent TCM has shown to date. Isn't it? Now they need to score BROWN OF HARVARD, and SLIDE KELLY SLIDE. LADY OF CHANCE is also a real surprise. That marks all the Norma Shearer Silents they have run with the exception of HE WHO GETS SLAPPED. Time to start work on UPSTAGE, or THE DEVIL'S CIRCUS. Or maybe PRETTY LADIES?
:'( At this rate we could see CAPTAIN SALVATION, THE SHOW, MR. WU, NOAH'S ARK, WHERE EAST IS EAST, and TIDE OF THE EMPIRE before the end of the year. An impressive output. This would leave just the major MGM Silents. None of which are likely to be Archive releases. Well maybe THE TORRENT? I'm not counting WEARY RIVER as that is mostly a talkie. I assume they would hold off on THE BLACKBIRD, and maybe THE MOCKERY for the Chaney set? Looks like Warner's will have to start scoring some new Silents pretty darn soon. So maybe we will see THE SEA BEAST, TWELVE MILES OUT, HER WILD OAT, FORBIDDEN HOURS, or THE COSSACKS sooner than expected after-all?
I asked Chuck Tabesh a few weeks ago if there was a short-list of titles being considered for new scores. Received no reply. Perhaps He just did not have that information in front of him. If LILAC TIME is in there, it doesn't need a score. Already has the original Firn-A-Phone track.
:'( I certainly would have never believed this kind of output one year ago. Or even less. But I would trade everything that has been released so far for the restored THE BIG PARADE.
I forgot about TELL IT TO THE MARINES for William Haines, but that is supposed to receive a major release. Part of the Chaney 2 Box set. Unless, those plans have changed? Could happen with other titles too. Would they release THE MERRY WIDOW as is, and on a single-layer DVD-R? How about LA BOHEME? Any thoughts?
By the way, speaking of Vidor Silents, I have added a better score to WINE OF YOUTH. The older copy did not have music I dubbed beyond the first 10 selections. Those just kept repeating. there was nothing you could do about it because those were the limitations of the software I had at the time. This was back in 2007. I was rather embarrassed to sent you a disc like that. However, a few weeks ago I added a different score that was very carefully compiled. Have you watched this film at all? Would love to see a TCM premier. Hey, I just got PROUD FLESH too. Incidentally, have you heard about the following?
Warner Press Release:
"Eight MGM classics from the pre-talkie era of the golden age of silent cinema make their DVD debut in the archive. Joan Crawford and Ramon Novarro find romance in ACROSS TO SINGAPORE. Joan also steals the show from top-billed stars George K. Arthur and Gertrude Olmstead in the comedic romp THE BOOB. William Haines is the leading man in Joan's life as they co-star in the 1927 comedy WEST POINT. Haines plays a race-car driver built for speed in the sleek 1929 jaunt entitled SPEEDWAY. Norma Shearer gives her last silent film appearance 'the works' as she portrays A LADY OF CHANCE, while Marion Davies goes for the laughs as THE PATSY. John Gilbert swaggers before the cameras in the 1929 adventure DESERT NIGHTS, and Donald Crisp stars as THE VIKING, in Roy William Neill's provocative 1928 adventure, filmed in 2 strip Technicolor."
I must say, THE PATSY definitely came out of nowhere. Was sure that was being reserved for something bigger. THE VIKING is the most unanticipated release thus far. And a great one. DESERT NIGHTS is a pleasant addition as well. With the highly unexpected issue of SPEEDWAY, that is every William Haines Silent TCM has shown to date. Isn't it? Now they need to score BROWN OF HARVARD, and SLIDE KELLY SLIDE. LADY OF CHANCE is also a real surprise. That marks all the Norma Shearer Silents they have run with the exception of HE WHO GETS SLAPPED. Time to start work on UPSTAGE, or THE DEVIL'S CIRCUS. Or maybe PRETTY LADIES?:'( At this rate we could see CAPTAIN SALVATION, THE SHOW, MR. WU, NOAH'S ARK, WHERE EAST IS EAST, and TIDE OF THE EMPIRE before the end of the year. An impressive output. This would leave just the major MGM Silents. None of which are likely to be Archive releases. Well maybe THE TORRENT? I'm not counting WEARY RIVER as that is mostly a talkie. I assume they would hold off on THE BLACKBIRD, and maybe THE MOCKERY for the Chaney set? Looks like Warner's will have to start scoring some new Silents pretty darn soon. So maybe we will see THE SEA BEAST, TWELVE MILES OUT, HER WILD OAT, FORBIDDEN HOURS, or THE COSSACKS sooner than expected after-all?
I asked Chuck Tabesh a few weeks ago if there was a short-list of titles being considered for new scores. Received no reply. Perhaps He just did not have that information in front of him. If LILAC TIME is in there, it doesn't need a score. Already has the original Firn-A-Phone track.
:'( I certainly would have never believed this kind of output one year ago. Or even less. But I would trade everything that has been released so far for the restored THE BIG PARADE.
I forgot about TELL IT TO THE MARINES for William Haines, but that is supposed to receive a major release. Part of the Chaney 2 Box set. Unless, those plans have changed? Could happen with other titles too. Would they release THE MERRY WIDOW as is, and on a single-layer DVD-R? How about LA BOHEME? Any thoughts?