GingerPages

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

...ALL HAIL WARNER ARCHIVES...

The great folks over at WB Archives have released six...yep, SIX Ginger Movies from the Archives! The titles, generally in order of 'Gingery Goodness', are:

Primrose Path
Lucky Partners
Chance at Heaven
Finishing School
Upperworld
Suicide Fleet

Here is the wickedawesome link:

http://www.wbshop.com/New-Releases/ARCHIVENEW,default,sc.html?src=EDWAC&adid=0211WACNRcEml

Hope this is a BOON to folks who are looking for these... note you can buy the 'six-pack' for a somewhat reduced price... Huey will have his order in by midnight, no doubt! :-]

Again, KUDOS to WB Archives for putting out multiple Ginger titles in the Gingertennial... more to come? ...there's still quite a few RKO gems yet to be 'released', so here's hoping. But a KILLER start to the festivities!!!

KIG, y'all!!!!!!
VKMfanHuey
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19 comments:

  1. Primrose Path!!! I've never seen that before. I keep missing it on TCM. Would you recommend buying it? Is it one of her better films, or would it be wiser to just wait until TCM shows it again? Thanks for telling about this. You must really be on the lookout for all things Ginger all the time!

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  2. Wow, I was going to post about the same thing!!!! :D

    When I saw this on their website it was amazing to see it. All six of these films finally released on dvd. Lucky Partners and Primrose Path are released were released here on vhs, but now dvd!!! I was so happy to see it. Now the only thing to worry about is the price....

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  3. Totally freakin out right now Thanks for the AWESOME news <3
    And Yss I would buy Primrose Path I Love that movie I cry every time. She is so Fabulous in it. So excited for this. Now all I Need is for someone to release Vivacious lady and my life will be complete lol

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  4. It's really good that Warners have managed to release 6 titles at once, hope they manage to follow with more!

    I recommend Primrose Path also, the first time i saw it i wondered why Ginger wasn't oscar norminated for that rather than Kitty..

    I don't get why as they're american films, they haven't all been released in the US. The majority of the RKO library has been available in Europe on region 2 for the last few years, thats how i got Primrose Path, Vivacious Lady and 5th Ave Girl, and Vivacious Lady, Stage Door, 5th Ave Girl and Tom Dick and Harry were all released in the UK just before xmas, hopefully the US will get Vivacious Lady soon!

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  5. Yes, definitely get Primrose Path....very well acted by Ginger...

    I would love to get this...but am totally lacking in funds...sigh.

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  6. PG: yes...'PP' is really a 'must' for Ginger fans... it is truly her first 'dramatic' role, and she is great in it! In fact, it was seriously considered by RKO as the 'candidate' for the Best Actress Oscar in lieu of 'Kitty', but the film had been banned in certain areas, due to it's controversial theme for the time (her mom was a 'lady of the evening', shall we say...), and thus it was feared not enough 'coverage' was given to it, hurting its chances.

    SG: yupyupyup...hey, are you doing ok? really haven't heard much from the OGRE lately... hope all is well! And that any snow is disappearing from Chi-town for the season!

    GF11: I do have 'PP' on VHS, but not 'Lucky Partners'... I have thought about buying a few of the VHS copies the 'turner series' - just for 'back-up'...and yes, I would even be interested in the 'colorized' versions, although I KNOW they are bad...it would just be part of the 'collection'. Well, the 'six-pack' is a good chunk of change, BUT...you save a good bit compared to individually... it was just over $80.00 total, including shipping... not bad, considering individual DVDs in the archive never go below $18 or so each.

    PK: Ain't it cool? I am SO glad the WB folks are 'recognizing' the GingerTennial! I look for more titles, especially 'VL'...and 'In Person'...but honestly, there aren't that many more RKO or WB titles... 'Romance in Manhattan', 'Tender Comrade', 'Carnival Boat', 'First Traveling Saleslady' (the LAST RKO movie), 'Star of Midnight', 'Professional Sweetheart', and '20 Million Sweethearts' (hey...they should have put those last two out in THIS release, for Valentine's...you know...eh...) ...so we are getting there!

    F&G-M: ...Don't remind me... :-] When I first started 'aquiring' Gingerfilms, I kept looking on amazon and eBay, and saw ALL of the big ginger movies available, but REGION 2 only... which was AWEOSME for y'all over there, but it boggled the mind WHY these were not also available in the U.S. ...so maybe the studios are finally rectifying the situation...

    Ron: Well, heck...hope you can get these, or at least the 'big ones'... the list above is in order of 'GingeryGoodnessFactor', with the only one really NOT very 'Gingery' being 'Suicide Fleet'...she is in it only the first 30 minutes or so, then the rest of it is 'out at sea'... a fair movie, tho...
    If you DO decide to grab them all, definitely go with the 'six-pack' deal, which is cheaper than individually...in fact, if you want 4 of the 6, the 'combo deal' basically gives you the other two 'free' - same price as 4 individually... good luck!


    KIG, y'all!!! Hope everyone gets these, or at least the one(s) they were needing!

    VKmfanHuey
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  7. well to make ya feel better, Black Widow and Roxie Hart are still only available on region 1. i aquired a portable region 1 player last year while in the states so i could watch them as my so called multi-region player didn't take to them :/

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  8. Yes, I remember reading that she was considered for an Oscar for Primrose Path. I just want to make sure that I will like it before I spend twenty dollars on it. I was going to buy Having Wonderful Time and Tom, Dick and Harry, but I caught them on TCM first. Those are my NOT my favorite of her films. I especially didn't care for Having Wonderful Time. It had a good idea, but it just didn't go very far. It was fun to watch Red Skelton, though. I think she's very cute and her dresses are pretty, but I just don't care for the movie itself. I'm glad I didn't buy it. I think I would like Primrose Path, though. If she was almost considered for an Oscar, it must be pretty enjoyable!

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  9. Wow! That's awesome! :D Finally, hopefully they get Hat Check Girl soon. I am DYING to watch that!

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  10. Hi sweetie! This is awesome news right? I as usual appreciate all your sweet comments and wish you would list an email address so I could respond to you when you don't post...love to you this weekend honey! Kori xoxo

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  11. Since I'm new around here (thanks for the welcome, by the way, and it's actually Madeline Kahn on my avatar), I have no idea how interactive people are. However, there is a really nice piece in the Washington Post about the AFI tribute to Ginger, and I thought some might be interested in reading it. I'm just not sure where to post it, so . . . Here?

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/11/AR2011021104692.html

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  12. That Washington Post article is very confusing to me. I know Ginger as rather permissive, often yielding. That's why people liked her, for she was easy to handle. I recall quite a few other actresses, who often "had the last word", which made them difficult to handle.

    I have Fred and Ginger on my October 1934 schedule now, that means the Gay Divorcée runs a whole week daily. And I really love it. I'm beginning to see Ginger with new eyes, maybe liking her even better than ever before. And this couple is really perfectly fitting. It's sensational!

    Those new Warner Bros. releases are welcome of course. They're supposed to show the world all those treasures, in order to lead it to the better.... ;)

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  13. Great news for the Gingertenary (or would that be the Gingertennial?).

    Here's something you might want to track down: Did you know that Ginger served as "guest editor" of Screen Book magazine in early 1936? Not sure of the precise issue, but I'm guessing it's March, because Carole Lombard held that honor for the April issue, and guess who sent her a telegram wishing her well? You can learn more about the issue -- including the Rogers telegram -- at http://community.livejournal.com/carole_and_co/213419.html.

    Good luck finding the Ginger issue...and if you've already done something on this, my apologies. Take care.

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  14. F&G-M: well, heck... isn't that weird? Thanks for the info regarding the 'multi-region' player... I was STRONGLY considering one of those back when there were NO Ginger movies out there... but had also read that they are 'hit and miss', and that a lot of DVDs can 'override' them and not play... sorry you had trouble with it. Roxie is honestly one of my TOTAL Ginger faves...can't really explain, but I just LOVE Ginger in that one...maybe because she is so different, but still 'SassyGinger'...

    PG:Well, Primrose is above all a drama, with a few 'humorous' scenes...the part where is 'cracking wise' with the customers in the cafe she is working in is really a pretty neat sequence, although it seems she 'radically' changes her 'persona' from just a few minutes before the scene - guess a lot of older movies had 'abrupt' changes, for whatever reason...but yes, it is one of her 'top third' movies.

    ALD: Well, ya know, if there was EVER a good time to have 'HCG' surface, it would be during the Gingertennial, right? Again, from the reviews, sounds like a fair movie, but it's a bit weird that an 'electronic' copy of it hasn't surfaced SOMEWHERE before now... and it is a bit 'scary' that if the only copies are 'original reels', the 'shelf life' of them is pretty dang limited at this point. But here's hoping it appears!

    Kori: Thanks for the kind words! You and your blog are so cool... love to hear from you, too! I sent you an e-mail thru your 'profile' section, so hopefully it got thru to you...
    Hope you have a great weekend! Hey, are you off Monday for Prez Day? Most schools are here (I'm off as well), but my daughter has to go for a 'snow make-up' day...bummer. ...but it's either that or go on a Saturday. Have fun, Kori! :)

    ...continued on next comment...

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  15. ...continuation...

    Lili: Great to hear from you!!! And thanks for the post - honestly, I have been busy the last few days, but will definitely check it out ASAP! As for the 'avatar - well, heck - I should have known that... 'YF' is one of my fav comedies EVER... and it always amazed me that Madeline could be so funny AND beautiful at the same time...she was awesome! Very sad she is no longer with us. Thanks again for the comment, and looking forward to yaking more with you in the future!

    CS: Well, haven't read it as of yet, but sounds interesting... Glad to hear GandF are on the 'menu' for you... Divorcee is really the 'archetypical' GandF movie, although a few of the later films strayed from the template this one established. Ginger singing The Continental is just SO cool...her voice is perfect there, IMHO... Hope ya get some, if not all of the new releases! None of these have a great deal of singing... 'Upperworld' does have her doing 'Shake your Powderpuff' which is pretty dang cute... but all are Gingery in their own way, save for 'Suicide Fleet', which honestly, is just not all that Gingery... but she's IN it, so there ya go!

    VP: whoa...would LOVE that issue! I have a FEW of those movie mags... really need to start collecting more of them... do have the LIFE cover issues, as well as some of the 'LOOK' mags... and the TIME, of course. I will check out Carole and CO here directly...I have been 'yardworking' all day - first day we've had here to get out and work - hit 74 degrees, believe it or not! so, trying to catch up now... thanks again for the info, VP!
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    Thanks for everyone's input! I am starting up on the review of 'Follow The Leader' tonight... I remember it is a fair little movie, with some good Ginger moments...
    In general, tho, it is kinda obvious that it's gonna take quite awhile before all movies will be reviewed... which is fine, because I want to keep the 'format' going, which is hopefully of interest to y'all. Still working on other 'features', and should have a few going soon... hopefully.

    KIG, y'all!
    VKMfanHuey
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  16. Huey said...
    Ginger singing The Continental is just SO cool...her voice is perfect there, IMHO

    Yea! You know I was really taught to sing and several times Fred gives me a pain in my ear. But Ginger is singing wonderfully clean and naturally relaxed.

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  17. Just googled Screen Book Magazine and from what I can work out Ginger did the Febraury Issue and Jean Harlow did March. http://pages.adateintimecollectibles.com/11804/PictPage/3923181736.html shows the front cover of said magazine but they only have the front cover available :(

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  18. Ok...I actually ordered it yesterday. You guys probably think I'm crazy for taking so long to make a decision on a little movie! Just trying to be wise with my cash--as I persuaded myself to buy it, I thought, "A little money DOES need to be spent on a Ginger film every once in a while. Right?" lol

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