Where’s High Society on Blu Ray Warner’s? (1 Viewer)

With Seven Brides’ imminent blu ray release, it would have made a nice companion release to High Society! But instead we get Two Weeks in Another Town – a “failed” “big” MGM film …plus many strange blu ray releases like Leatherface, Black Scorpion & Batman & Mr Freeze.
Somebody Up There Likes Me a major film success that launched Paul Newman into the elite top – has been overlooked for blu ray with instead, a DVD release finally as a single option for the first time. Not a better option than the Drowning Pool? – neither a critical nor commercial success.
The selection process at Warner Archive is indeed strange (The Rounders on blu ray, why?). But most HTF members will howl me down as being out of touch which I guess I am – the big quality “middle tier” films of the 40’s & 50’s are largely our of favour it seems so with little prospective sales value are unlikely to ever see a blu ray clean up.
While the City Sleeps – a little “sleeper” film is another strange option – but the blu...

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For years, we had similar frustrated whining about Seven Brides For Seven Brothers not being on blu ray. Explanations that the film elements just weren't there and would need extensive and expensive restoration fell on deaf ears and people whined about "lesser" films getting released. Well, the restoration work has been done on 7BF7B and it's here! My guess is that High Society is in the pipeline but needs work. You can't rush it. It will get here when Warners decides all the necessary work for a quality release has been done. Meanwhile movies like Two Weeks In Another Town, The Rounders, Black Scorpion and The Drowning Pool have their elements in place and are ready for a blu ray release so why not release them? They may not be to your liking but they're to somebody's liking. Indeed, when and if High Society gets its blu release, someone will feel about it the way you feel about Two Weeks In Another Town. "Yawn, another of those boring MGM musicals, why isn't Kansas City Bomber on blu ray?".

I'm sure these "Why is XYZ on blu ray when ABC is still gathering dust in the vaults" threads serve their purpose in getting frustrations out. But that's about all they do.

What a very strange post, evidently written with no regard to about ten thousand previous posts on the same issue.

It is now clearly established that Warner Archive have a limited budget for their Blu-ray program, and that they have chosen in the main to go for titles which do not need expensive remedial treatment. Blu-ray discs of "problem" films like Seven Brides For Seven Brothers are very much the exception.

It is apparent that whoever selects the titles is a fan of musicals and is not impressed by big star names with one exception: Cyd Charisse. This is why several second tier musicals have been released by Warner on Blu-ray disc but very few of such big stars as Errol Flynn, Bette Davis, Greer Garson, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Lana Turner. Two Weeks In Another Town may have been released on Blu-ray disc because it features Cyd Charisse, the one star who has done well out of the Warner Archive Blu-ray program..

I am personally much more confident that we will see High Society in due course.

Keith Cobby said:

I am personally much more confident that we will see High Society in due course.

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I am, too, with the release of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. For years, we have heard that these two films were in the most dismal shape and unavailable for high definition release. Now that one of them has finally been given the green light, it has to only be a matter of time before the other one is worked on and released.

M90GM said:

With Seven Brides' imminent blu ray release, it would have made a nice companion release to High Society! But instead we get Two Weeks in Another Town - a "failed" "big" MGM film ...plus many strange blu ray releases like Leatherface, Black Scorpion & Batman & Mr Freeze.

Open the Archive Warner a little more often to Blu Ray.

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Personally, I thought it was odd WAC would debut Two Weeks in Another Town, something of a sequel, when the 'first' film, The Bad and The Beautiful, besides being superior in all respects, has yet to receive a hi-def release, and this, despite it having been meticulously restored roughly two decades ago for its DVD release. I'll agree, WAC has so many A-list treasures, the fact a lot of B and C grade stuff keeps getting pushed to the front of the line is baffling to me too. No need to exclude one for the other. But I think I would like to see much more of the former than the latter.

Robin9 said:

What a very strange post, evidently written with no regard to about ten thousand previous posts on the same issue.

It is now clearly established that Warner Archive have a limited budget for their Blu-ray program, and that they have chosen in the main to go for titles which do not need expensive remedial treatment. Blu-ray discs of "problem" films like Seven Brides For Seven Brothers are very much the exception.

It is apparent that whoever selects the titles is a fan of musicals and is not impressed by big star names with one exception: Cyd Charisse. This is why several second tier musicals have been released by Warner on Blu-ray disc but very few of such big stars as Errol Flynn, Bette Davis, Greer Garson, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracey and Lana Turner. Two Weeks In Another Town may have been released on Blu-ray disc because it features Cyd Charisse, the one star who has done well out of the Warner Archive Blu-ray program..

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I sincerely believe the condition of a movie is dictating the releases at WAC. The archive - and God bless 'em for it - have adopted the policy that they will NOT release anything that does not meet their high standards. It's time other studios adopted such a policy too because there is NO point to having poorly represented hi-def renditions of anything just to have them. That said, I think more money ought to be allocated to WAC for more restorations, or, find another way to partner with other institutions for the extra funding to make more fully completed restorations per annum possible, simply because the state of archival elements is not improving with age, but quite the opposite.

I don't think anyone at Warner wants to be in a position in the future to say NO restoration work can be done on a title because elements have deteriorated beyond the point where salvage is possible. The conservation of classic cinema is costly - period. Necessary too. So, partnership may be the only way to go to rescue these films for future generations. Losing films through neglect and the passage of time is not an option. Warner knows this. They're doing a fine job. But more definitely needs to be done. A more aggressive campaign is likely in the works. We'll see.

Thomas T said:

I'm sure these "Why is XYZ on blu ray when ABC is still gathering dust in the vaults" threads serve their purpose in getting frustrations out. But that's about all they do.

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Actually, Thomas, they may also serve as a point of reflection and interest to the studios who can clearly see the market for such deep catalog is still very much alive; the interest, on the part of the consumer, possibly, fueling, and perhaps even influencing their future decision-making processes. My advice is simple: keep the torches burning. If no one talks about it, perhaps no one outside the studio cares. And if no one does, why bother doing future restoration work on a title that never gets even honorable mention? What you perceive as 'getting frustrations out' I call 'passionate resolve'. Splitting hairs, maybe - but talk isn't nearly as 'cheap' as you perceive it to be.

And for those of us who are not in the insider crowd, toiling at a studio behind the scenes, it's our only way to send a clear message to those who do the work; first, to say 'thank you' and your work is valued, and second, to encourage them to press on with polite inquiries as to when 'more of the same' might be coming our way.

So, remaining silent is not an option. And frankly, finding others who share our passions for the same titles is what this community is all about - at least, partly!

Nick*Z said:

Personally, I thought it was odd WAC would debut Two Weeks in Another Town, something of a sequel, when the 'first' film, The Bad and The Beautiful, besides being superior in all respects, has yet to receive a hi-def release, and this, despite it having been meticulously restored roughly two decades ago for its DVD release.

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Totally agree with that, it seems downright perverse not to release The Bad & The Beautiful, & I have no interest in buying Two Weeks In Another Town without that one, it would just be annoying. And I keep reading about the high standards of the WAC, but I didn't think much of The Law & Jake Wade picture quality.

Billy Batson said:

Totally agree with that, it seems downright perverse not to release The Bad & The Beautiful, & I have no interest in buying Two Weeks In Another Town without that one, it would just be annoying. And I keep reading about the high standards of the WAC, but I didn't think much of The Law & Jake Wade picture quality.

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I have to disagree with you about that Blu-ray title as I thought it looked pretty damn good considering the film stock used for that title. A big improvement over the previously released DVD.

As to High Society, George Feltenstein and Warner has given their musicals a lot of attention on Blu-ray, much more than they're given credit for on this forum.

Nick*Z said:

Actually, Thomas, they may also serve as a point of reflection and interest to the studios who can clearly see the market for such deep catalog is still very much alive; the interest, on the part of the consumer, possibly, fueling, and perhaps even influencing their future decision-making processes. My advice is simple: keep the torches burning. If no one talks about it, perhaps no one outside the studio cares. And if no one does, why bother doing future restoration work on a title that never gets even honorable mention? What you perceive as 'getting frustrations out' I call 'passionate resolve'. Splitting hairs, maybe - but talk isn't nearly as 'cheap' as you perceive it to be.

And for those of us who are not in the insider crowd, toiling at a studio behind the scenes, it's our only way to send a clear message to those who do the work; first, to say 'thank you' and your work is valued, and second, to encourage them to press on with polite inquiries as to when 'more of the same' might be coming our way.

So, remaining silent is not an option. And frankly, finding others who share our passions for the same titles is what this community is all about - at least, partly!

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But surely, fantasy requests for wanted titles can be done without the trashing of other titles. You want High Society? So do I. But asking Warners for it while trashing their other releases is disrespectful. And it's not just Warners but Twilight Time, Criterion that get slammed for giving us releases that aren't deemed "worthy" of them (or us). Surely we're better than that. Twilight Time's latest announcement of their four new titles held no interest for me whatsoever. But did I ask them, "Why are you releasing this junk but not XYZ?" or "I have no interest in these titles, hopefully you'll have something decent next time"? No, I didn't. Since the titles held no interest for me, I simply didn't post on the thread and allowed those who were happy at the announcement to celebrate.

Thomas T said:

But surely, fantasy requests for wanted titles can be done without the trashing of other titles. You want High Society? So do I. But asking Warners for it while trashing their other releases is disrespectful. And it's not just Warners but Twilight Time, Criterion that get slammed for giving us releases that aren't deemed "worthy" of them (or us). Surely we're better than that. Twilight Time's latest announcement of their four new titles held no interest for me whatsoever. But did I ask them, "Why are you releasing this junk but not XYZ?" or "I have no interest in these titles, hopefully you'll have something decent next time"? No, I didn't. Since the titles held no interest for me, I simply didn't post on the thread.

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Agreed. No trashing required. None coming from yours truly for sure.

You know its nice that we're having this conversation about lack of respect for the industry catering to certain unrealistic demands made by this community.

...shame it's 10 years too late.

Lord Dalek said:

You know its nice that we're having this conversation about lack of respect for the industry catering to certain unrealistic demands made by this community.

...shame it's 10 years too late.

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It's never too late.

Robert Crawford said:

As to High Society, George Feltenstein and Warner has given their musicals a lot of attention on Blu-ray, much more than they're given credit for on this forum.

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Yes, Robert - they've released quite a few of the vintage MGM musicals - some, classics...others...well. The list of Metro's golden musicals is lengthy and deserving of even more attention paid.

Can we agree by now we should have had at least the Oscar-winning The Great Ziegfeld find its way to hi-def. Personally, I don't put a lot of weight in the Oscar race, but when Best Pictures are still MIA on Blu-ray I think it speaks to a higher concern regarding a studio's interest in their back catalog in general. Warner also has the rights to Around the World in 80 Days and The Life of Emile Zola (neither a musical); the former, a problematic release because of cost, the latter, still MIA - for what particular reason, I am certain I do not know.

But back to musicals. Can we get the long-debated release of Show Boat (all its versions), and maybe The Harvey Girls, For Me and My Gal, Rosalie, Good News, Holiday in Mexico, Bathing Beauty, That Midnight Kiss, Till The Clouds Roll By, Words and Music, A Date with Judy, Royal Wedding, Nancy Goes to Rio, Easy to Love, Ziegfeld Girl, Maytime, Million Dollar Mermaid, The Toast of New Orleans, and, all of the Mickey/Judy and Astaire/Rogers flicks out before I die? Wouldn't hurt to get all four of the Broadway Melodies either.

I know. I know. Not asking much, am I? But seriously, there are too many GREAT musicals missing - High Society among them; and this in light of the fact WAC has given us Blu-rays of Deep in My Heart, Les Girls and Kismet - three decidedly lesser deep catalog titles (not my opinion - the critics didn't care for any of these). When Blu-ray can celebrate a 10 year anniversary (and beyond) and we still have NO representation of BIG stars like an Esther Williams or Jane Powell, something is decidedly wrong with this equation.

Again - it boils down to time and money. I have no doubt Warner is investing both behind the scenes. Let's have them turn their trickle down output of titles into a back catalog tsumani (maybe a twice annual outpouring of the good stuff - mid-summer and early fall to promote the Christmas rush!). Just thoughts. Yours?

Nick*Z said:

Yes, Robert - they've released quite a few of the vintage MGM musicals - some, classics...others...well. The list of Metro's golden musicals is lengthy and deserving of even more attention paid.

Can we agree by now we should have had at least the Oscar-winning The Great Ziegfeld find its way to hi-def. Personally, I don't put a lot of weight in the Oscar race, but when Best Pictures are still MIA on Blu-ray I think it speaks to a higher concern regarding a studio's interest in their back catalog in general. Warner also has the rights to Around the World in 80 Days and The Life of Emile Zola (neither a musical); the former, a problematic release because of cost, the latter, still MIA - for what particular reason, I am certain I do not know.

But back to musicals. Can we get the long-debated release of Show Boat (all its versions), and maybe The Harvey Girls, For Me and My Gal, Rosalie, Good News, Holiday in Mexico, Bathing Beauty, That Midnight Kiss, Till The Clouds Roll By, Words and Music, A Date with Judy, Royal Wedding, Nancy Goes to Rio, Easy to Love, Ziegfeld Girl, Maytime, Million Dollar Mermaid, The Toast of New Orleans, and, all of the Mickey/Judy and Astaire/Rogers flicks out before I die? Wouldn't hurt to get all four of the Broadway Melodies either.

I know. I know. Not asking much, am I? But seriously, there are too many GREAT musicals missing - High Society among them; and this in light of the fact WAC has given us Blu-rays of Deep in My Heart, Les Girls and Kismet - three decidedly lesser deep catalog titles (not my opinion - the critics didn't care for any of these). When Blu-ray can celebrate a 10 year anniversary (and beyond) and we still have NO representation of BIG stars like an Esther Williams or Jane Powell, something is decidedly wrong with this equation.

Again - it boils down to time and money. I have no doubt Warner is investing both behind the scenes. Let's have them turn their trickle down output of titles into a back catalog tsumani (maybe a twice annual outpouring of the good stuff - mid-summer and early fall to promote the Christmas rush!). Just thoughts. Yours?

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TBH, Warner can never make any of us truly happy with their classic film output onto Blu-ray. Unless, they have an unlimited budget and resources to kick out 10-15 titles each month. That's not going to happen so I'm thankful to what I can get from them and the other studios and companies.

Nick*Z said:

Personally, I thought it was odd WAC would debut Two Weeks in Another Town, something of a sequel, when the 'first' film, The Bad and The Beautiful, besides being superior in all respects, has yet to receive a hi-def release, and this, despite it having been meticulously restored roughly two decades ago for its DVD release. I'll agree, WAC has so many A-list treasures, the fact a lot of B and C grade stuff keeps getting pushed to the front of the line is baffling to me too. No need to exclude one for the other. But I think I would like to see much more of the former than the latter.

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And because it was restored 2 decades ago the master is outdated and not up to Warner Archives standard to release on Blu Ray. So the film is in need of a new expensive restoration which is why it hasn't been released yet. Two Weeks in Another time must have had a more recent transfer done and had better elements available to make a high quality Blu Ray quicker.

Robert Crawford said:

I have to disagree with you about that Blu-ray title as I thought it looked pretty damn good considering the film stock used for that title. A big improvement over the previously released DVD.

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Agreed I thought it looked stellar especially compared to all previous versions. Great color for the 1st time on Home Video.

"Till The Clouds Roll By" and "Royal Wedding" are apparently treated like they are in the public domain. I think it is less likely that Warner would spend money restoring these films or if they restored them put them out on blu ray when anyone could then copy their disk and release their own blu ray. Warner would probably have to enforce its copyright on these films by finding a reason why they are still protected like say the music in the films which are still protected. This of course involves legal fees and adds to the cost involved in releasing the blu rays . I would guess the reason Warner didn't enforce its copyright on these films to prevent cheap copies previously is because the cost of ligation exceeded the benefits received from being successful.