Film Related
The Jazz Singer 80th Anniversary Three Disc DVD Collectord Edition Bexed Set (Region 1)
Wednesday, 01 August 2007
I've obtained a copy of the 5 page trade release .pdf which details the treasure trove of rare film that's set to accompany the restored version of The Jazz Singer. I'm particularly excited about Disc 2 entitled The Early Sound Era which is set to contain:Entertainment Legend Al Jolson Stars in the 1927 Black and White Classic, Newly Restored, With Collectible Memorabilia and Hours of Additional Content, including New Documentary “The Dawn of Sound” And over Three & ½ Hours of Rare Vitaphone Shorts.
- An all new feature-length documentary The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk (George Groves will be in this)
- Studio shorts celebrating the early sound era
- The Voice That Thrilled The World - Warner Bros. short about sound
- Okay for Sound - 1946 Warner Brothers short celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Vitaphone
- The Voice from the Screen - 1926 WB ‘demonstration’ film which explores the Vitaphone technology and making of a Vitaphone short
I've supplied some images of George Groves to the production company making the Dawn of Sound documentary and so am especially looking forward to getting my hands on the boxed set. It does seem, incidentally, that only a region 1 release has been scheduled so far.
Edit In the UK a two disc version is being released on November 12th, 2007 (Amazon link). Disc 3 of Vitaphone shorts called Astonishing Rarities has apparently been removed from the Region 2 release.
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TCM Don Juan & Shorts Screening
Saturday, 01 July 2006
Just heard
that
TCM in the US are
screening
Don Juan plus ALL the
shorts that accompanied it on
Sunday night July 2nd from 9.15pm PT
(1215 am ET). These were
all, of course, recorded at the Manhattan
Opera House in New York by young George
Groves.
The shorts are quite rare and open with Will Hays of the MPAA congratulating Warner Brothers for beginning a “new era in motion pictures". The other shorts were mainly classical performances by opera singer Marion Talley, violinist Mischa Elman, Anna Case in 'La Fiesta' and a duet by Zimbalist and Bauer.
However, banjoist Roy Smeck made arguably the biggest impression on the audience and critics, demonstrating that mainstram popular fare was what people really wanted to see.
Hopefully TCM will repeat these and screen them in other parts of the world (especially the UK!).
The shorts are quite rare and open with Will Hays of the MPAA congratulating Warner Brothers for beginning a “new era in motion pictures". The other shorts were mainly classical performances by opera singer Marion Talley, violinist Mischa Elman, Anna Case in 'La Fiesta' and a duet by Zimbalist and Bauer.
However, banjoist Roy Smeck made arguably the biggest impression on the audience and critics, demonstrating that mainstram popular fare was what people really wanted to see.
Hopefully TCM will repeat these and screen them in other parts of the world (especially the UK!).
