Universal Backlot Series / Universal Studio Selections

[dadaistnun]

No you are not reading a spoof announcement or a wish list, Universal has actually announced some catalog titles for release that haven't been released on DVD before. And not just any release, but a PRE-CODE release (no doubt trying to mimic Warner's successful line). A couple of longed for Cary Grant films, plus the lovely and vivacious Ida Lupino in Search for Beauty make up just some of the set.

The only special feature is listed as Forbidden Film: The Production Code Era. However, it's unclear whether it's a featurette or a full documentary. Also included is a reproduction of the original "Production Code."

It will retail for $49.98, but is available at ClassicFlix.com for only $34.99. Details below.

EDITORIAL NOTE: Universal's output last year was dismal. And for those fence sitters out there - GET ON BOARD! I can hear the complaints now, high on price and slim on special features. But if you don't support sets like these, studios like Universal will produce less and less. Among others, we're still waiting for more Michael Shayne, Ma & Pa Kettle and the continuation of the Classic Western line they started. So do all you can to encourage releases like this because if we don't support the risk takers out there, they'll just find some other place to invest their resources.

--David Greenstreet

SYNOPSIS
For the first time ever, Universal opens its vaults to bring you 6 classic films from the most decadent era in motion picture history: Pre-Code Hollywood. In 1934, Hollywood was turned upside down by the enforcement of a strict “Production Code” that would change the way movies were made for the next 34 years. During the “pre-Code” period (1929 to mid-1934), censorship barely existed in Hollywood and filmmakers had free reign to make the movies they wanted and the public demanded. No subject was taboo including adultery, murder or sex. Starring screen legends Cary Grant, Fredric March, Claudette Colbert, Tallulah Bankhead, Randolph Scott, and Sylvia Sidney, the Pre-Code Hollywood Collection forever captures one of the most unique periods in cinema history.

The Cheat (1931, 74 min.)
A compulsive gambler (Tallulah Bankhead) will do anything to pay off her debt - including turning to a wealthy businessman behind her husband’s back.

Merrily We Go to Hell (1932, 78 min.)
An abusive alcoholic (Fredric March) reunites with a woman from his past and drives his wife (Sylvia Sidney) to drastic measures.

Hot Saturday (1932, 73 min.)
Scandal erupts after a young woman (Nancy Carroll) innocently spends the night with a notorious playboy (Cary Grant) and neglects to tell her fiancé (Randolph Scott).

Torch Singer (1933, 71 min.)
After giving up her illegitimate child for adoption, a notorious nightclub singer (Claudette Colbert) attempts to find her daughter through a children’s radio show.

Murder at the Vanities (1934, 89 min.)
While sexy musical revue “The Vanities” captivates an audience on its opening night, a murder investigation takes place backstage.

Search for Beauty (1934, 78 min.)
Olympic swimming champions (Buster Crabbe and Ida Lupino) are tricked into endorsing a racy magazine - and much worse.

BONUS FEATURES:

* Forbidden Film: The Production Code Era (Disc 1)
* Includes Reproduction of the Original "Production Code" Document

[Antoine Doinel]

[domino harvey]

More like amirite

[Matt]

April 7 is the release date.

[HerrSchreck]

Looking on the bright side here--great news... but still no City Streets or Island of Lost Souls?

This was their perfect opp.

[Props55]

Missed opportunity indeed. My guess is that they were omitted due to genre pigeonholing. Viewed as solidly mainstream gangster and horror they were shuffled aside to focus on the "standard" pre-code mix of illicit sex, booze, drugs, nudity and social problem elements like alcoholism, divorce, child abuse and pornography. Spivs and vivisectionists need not apply.

[HerrSchreck]

I figgured dat. But lordsakes, they missed every other "proper" opportunity to get these two roaring masterpieces out, I figured that this was a last best chance to get these films out, and signal that they were aware of these two terrible oversights viz their Paramount holdings.

They've been sitting on the sidelines and watching WB clean up on their two/soon-to-be-three sets, got envious, and decided-- "Hey, we can release films prior to 2005 on dvd too-- even the non-Karloff/Lugosi ones too!" (Cue Freaks-era Wallace Ford:) "Well whaddaya think about that?"

[HarryLong]

This is a great set, even if quite a few of the titles are a tad obscure. I'll want it for SEARCH FOR BEAUTY, if nothing else.
But - in addition to ISLAND OF LOST SOULS - where, of where are the James Whale non-horror titles?

[starmanof51]

Murder at the Vanities is good fun, and I was going to get around to renting greymarket versions of a couple of these. Automatic sale for me.

[myrnaloyisdope]

I've actually only seen The Torch Singer, which is quite good, and has a great star performance by Claudette Colbert. I've also heard good things about Search For Beauty and Merrily We Go To Hell.

At the very least despite the absence of some more prominent films, it does indicate that Universal is aware that they have a back catalog. I'm all for any pre-codes and silents that can get released, regardless of their strength as films.

As for City Streets, well it's criminal that it has never received a DVD release, was there any reason why Kino didn't release it with the other two Mamoulian films they put out?

[HerrSchreck]

I always maintained a hope that these two Paramount titles were sitting on deck-- along with JvS's Shanghai Express-- in CC territory, waiting for better elements or extras, etc.

Certainly Kino would have pulled a great triple punch with this third Mamoulian... (throw in a new HD-transferred Dr J & Mr H and you've got yourself a hell of a box) Their lavish treatment of the incredible Applause (in awe just thinking about it) and Love Me Tonight (great but not my favorite kind of film) was spectacular and went uncelebrated and unmentioned, and right under the radar of certain uh review quarters, who wish to maintain the cover story that Kino always sucks without fail. A shame. Throw the whole Applause package-- transfer & extras-- into a CC packaging and you've got one of their greatest and most vital releases. For Kino, it's just way off the radar and I'd be surprised if 10% of this board owns this incredibly vital film.

[AfterTheRain]

Here's hoping that we will get Island of Lost Souls this year

I would like to see Murders in the Zoo released on DVD as well.

[Ashirg]

artwork

[Antoine Doinel]

Great set, brutal artwork.

[Gregory]

It's the Necrophilia Collection. I'm not even kidding. That cover makes me feel like I'm looking at an impossibly intimate photo of Ted Bundy or something.

[HerrSchreck]

Great set, brutal artwork.

I like how surrounding the titles is an effect (remember this is the Universal BACKLOT series... the place with the fire, cough remember?) suggesting tons of ashes, ringing the whole thing. Cough indeed.

I dunno where my boot of City Streets came from-- some tv station long ago and far away if my guess is correct. But the elements are sure bitchin. This is the great Sylivia Sydney at her best (in jail, eyes sparkling... "Aw kid.." giggling touching the wire mesh to try and get at her beloved Gary Cooper. Christ this is a good movie.)

[skuhn8]

artwork

Screen shot from Black Dahlia. Cool.

[PillowRock]

According to this story, a Cleopatra - 75th Anniversary Edition will also be released under the "Universal Backlot Series" banner, with the same release date (April 7).

BONUS FEATURES:

CLAUDETTE COLBERT: QUEEN OF THE SILVER SCREEN: An insightful bio of one of the most popular movie stars of the 1930s and 1940s!
CECIL B. DEMILLE: HOLLYWOOD'S EPIC DIRECTOR: A documentary on one of the greatest showmen in Hollywood history.
FORBIDDEN FILM: THE PRODUCTION CODE ERA: A featurette on the "Pre-Code Hollywood" era in which filmmakers had no rules.
FEATURE COMMENTARY: With filmmaker F.X. Feeney.
THEATRICAL TRAILER: The original promotional trailer for the theatrical release.

[PillowRock]

artwork

Screen shot from Black Dahlia. Cool.

I think the screen shot on the cover is actually from Hot Saturday.

That happens to be one of the DVD-Rs that I ordered as a sort of test of VintageFilmBuff.com when they did a half off invetory reduction ....... shortly before this was announced . (Murder at the Vanities was another. If I had only known. )

[htdm]

DVDTalk seems to like it.

Looking forward to this.

[Jeff]

Four more titles in the "Backlot Series"

Universal has announced 4 more titles in their second wave of their Universal Backlot Series: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944), The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936), Lonely Are the Brave (1962) and Beau Geste (1939). The July 7th release date appears to have established about a 3 month release cycle. Much too slow for such an underutilized film library, but still much better than zero!

Except for Beau Geste which was released three years ago as part of the Gary Cooper Franchise Collection, all are new to DVD. Bonus features are slim. The will each retail for $19.98, but are available at ClassicFlix.com for only $14.99.

[Zumpano]

Lonely Are The Brave. Finally. One of my favorite westerns/revisionist-westerns. Great Kirk Douglas performance. Any other fans?

[George Kaplan]

The merits of the individual films aside (in the newly announced second set), this seems like an extremely disappointing approach to releasing material. The grab bag nature of this grouping, with no concern for any kind of thematic, generic, chronologic or talent-based structure indicates that this is nothing but the dumping of otherwise "useless" material onto the market. It really fucks up what had seemed to be a promising idea based on the first volume, "Pre-Code Hollywood." And the inclusion of BEAU GESTE is plain insulting. I mean, does anyone interested in this material not already have the Gary Cooper set - still the only way to lay one's hands on Lubitsch's DESIGN FOR LIVING?

[Matt]

The second group of titles is not really a "set": they are not packaged together. But the criticism still stands. They appear to be "Backlot" titles because they are not "Legacy" titles, "Franchise" titles, or "Cinema Classics," and do not feature one single "Screen Legend" or "Glamour" icon, Universal's only other ill-conceived frameworks for releasing classic films.

Universal ought to just fire everyone in the catalog DVD department, take all of their DVDs out of print, and just start over.

[George Kaplan]

Thanks, Matt, for the clarification.