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Dead Letters
Our biggest job yet:
Hi! You wrote: Working on a sixth grade project in which we are designing a newspaper for May 1920. One feature of the paper is to list the films/movies playing at the time. Could you please provide for us a few titles playing the Spring of 1920?
You settled on a pivotal point in film history! Mary Pickford retired that year, and Douglas Fairbanks made bigger news by marrying a woman in March and divorcing her in April. Buster Keaton had just gone out on his own but made and shelved his first "two reeler" that year. Stan Laurel signed a longterm contract with Hal Roach - without Ollie. Even full story films were not much longer than an hour unless they were DW Griffith productions or European imports. Here are a few possibilities:
Charity - starring Linda Arvidson (Mrs. Griffith in private life), about orphanages and corruption
Wild Bill Hiccup - Hal Roach comedy with Stan Laurel
The Mollycoddle - comedic mystery in high society directed by Victor Fleming, starring Douglas Fairbanks
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - with John Barrymore in the title role, reviewed in the New York Times on March 29th.
You can find examples of contemporary ads and notices of Harry Houdini's movies run in the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Pocono area of PA - like Terror Island, made in 1920.
Good luck!
Letters from '96/'97:
Re: Hero of Tomorrow (1989); Rich and Famous (1986); Tragic Hero (1986); Moment of Romance (1990); The Long Arm of the Law (1984); A Better Tomorrow (subtitled, not dubbed) (1986) - All are still available for $39.99 apiece except for Moment of Romance. These are not remastered and have white subtitles.
At 03:01 AM 2/26/97 -0500, you wrote: looking for movie called robby - The only listing we have is for Robby the Rascal about a coyote, no longer available.
Re: The Point by Harry Nilsson - We only sell it on NTSC, for $14.99.
Re: The Vampire Circus - Sorry no luck yet. However, Anchor Bay has just announced they're putting out a series of previously unreleased Hammer titles so you may hear from us again soon.
Re: shorts made by Keaton with the direction of Arbuckle - All we know of at this point are on one tape from Grapevine, $19.99.
Re: Into the Woods - You once asked us about this musical coming out on tape. It will be released May 6th, '97 and can be pre-ordered from us for $24.99 on VHS or $49.99 on laser disc.
Re: 1978 Star Wars Christmas Special - Perhaps you mean a tv special? Most tv shows just don't wind up on tape, sorry.
Re: One From the Heart - This was made in '82. It was on the Columbia Tristar label, but never repriced for sellthrough; no longer out.
Re: The Yellow Rolls-Royce - I see this only on letterboxed laser for $39.99.
You asked: How do you all know so much about Franklin Pangborn???? - There is a bio in the book Images In The Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video by Raymond Murray.
Re: Girl Grief - This is apparently not on tape.
At 02:38 PM 2/3/97 -0500, you wrote: Please send me Mediation on Violence. Sorry, we only sell it on a video collection called Maya Deren Experimental Films for $29.99.
Final Countdown by Don Taylor and Ike: The War Years with Robert Duvall are both now on moratorium.
Re: More; English Film; Pink Floyd did lyrics - This is on tape for $59.99 - it has not been repriced for sellthrough and may be too obscure to be sold for any less.
Re: the shiralee; 1950 british film - This is not currently in release.
Horseman on the Roof iscoming out March 11th. It doesn't say letterboxed but it will have yellow subtitles.
We have a set of Betty Page stag films.
Re: Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, The (1952) - This has not been released as far as we know.
Re: Einstein's Universe - We only list Einstein: How I See The World for $19.99.
Re: British release of Babylon 5 - It would be in PAL, a format not standard in the US. They are also ahead of us in the broadcast schedule, last I heard, by something like a half a year.
Re: http://www2e.meshnet.or.jp/~ourlove/ - It is good to hear from a Tanith Lee fan! I am glad you appreciate my work. Please link to our page.
GUNNER with Richard Arlen, Chester Morris is $29.95 and packaged in hard shell case with insert sleeves.
Re: We've Never Been Licked; The Art of Love; Ferry Across The Mersey - Not Available
Re: If I Were King with Ronald Coleman - This is not currently in release. We have reason to believe it has never been put out on tape.
Re: Slaughter - This is a Fox title, still $59.99. We don't know of any plans to reduce the price soon.
You sent a list of films you wanted. Most have never been released for home entertainment, so you will not find them anywhere. Cast a Dark Shadow was out on tape but is no more. Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter is on tape for $19.99.
Re: the last emperor - It was out on Columbia/Tristar for $19.99 but since been put on moratorium.
Re: Lady Chatterley Uncut Edition by Ken Russell - we have no record of this.
Re: Sing Boy Sing; Terror in the Haunted House; Devil Rides Out; The Killer Is Loose - We can only locate records for a '58 film called Terror in the Haunted House (AKA My World Dies Screaming) by William S. Edwards, which has not been put out on tape. None of the other three have been released here in any form.
Re: A Woman's Guide To Adultery; British Television Production; We have no record of this being released in the States.
The director is Peter Hunt and it stars Robert Lansing and David Knell; it is $19.99 - re Life on the Mississippi.
Bus Stop is not currently in release.
League of their Own is available for $14.99
Reckless Moment by Max Ophuls is not currently in release.
Sorry Monterey Pop is no longer available.
Sorry none of these titles area available: Million Dollar Legs; Mermaids of Tiburon; Never Say Die.
Re: The Freshman and Grandma's Boy - You can find all the Harold Lloyd titles we have here and here.
The studio that makes Poor Little Rich Girl: Barbara Hutton Story has finally gotten back to us regarding this title. Unfortunately they no longer make it.
Re: Alice in Wonderland, 1993 release - Sorry, this is a famous big studio production that has yet to be released.
You asked: Was Mr. Katsu trained in the use of the sword or were his skills just all movie magic? - Japanese actors are probably better at fencing than British ones!
Re: Mozart/Night at the Opera starring Peter Sellers - this is a misspelling, really the director Sellars.
At 11:06 AM 10/17/96 -0400, you wrote: Delighted to see you offer that fine film The Begotten. The author of "the Cinema of Attractions " and the script advisor (or whatever Elias chose to call me) are one and the same. Thew film comes from the extraordianry film program that existed for a while (before budget cuts-- it still survives if hobbled) at SUNY Purchase where I taught for 15 years and which also preoduced Hal Hartley, Nick Gomez and Tim McCann. - Thanks for letting us know. We're really behind in our corrective updates but we'll try to amend that note when we can.
Operation 007 has been withdrawn from distribution.
Stalingrad will be on tape in 1997.
We do sell to educational institutions. Our material is acceptable for library use and lending. However it is not licensed for advertised or "paid admission" public showings, or reproduction dubbing.
Re: IN GOD WE TRUST starring Marty Feldman - This is not currently in release. We have reason to believe it has never been put out on tape, just like that really cool half-hour show he did as a summer replacement for Dean Martin's show.
Hi! At 07:10 PM 9/6/96 -0400, you wrote: Do you know why The Hitcher has been pulled? - It was on HBO Video and the label went kaput; that's all.
The Mortal Storm - (The 1940 movie with Jimmy Stewart is $19.99)
The Homestretch/Down the Stretch (renamed) starring Cornell Wilde - (This has never been released)
Intermezzo A Love Story starring Elizabeth Taylor, Louis Calhoun & Vittorio Gassman - (This is called Rhapsody if it is about a woman in love with two men, one a violinist, in Zurich. It is $19.99)
Re: aboott and costello fan club - We finally found one at P. O. Box 2084, Toluca Lake, CA 91600-0084.
Hi! At 11:37 PM 9/10/96 -0400, you wrote: going to san fran for some r&r..any place u can reccomend on buks works, maybe dealers? All the action we know is in So Cal, but I'm sure any beatnik joint in SF would work him in somehow.
Re: Cat vs Rat - Sorry but we're stumped. Is this perhaps a cartoon? Or is it a martial arts film?
To'mba uttu! is not a film title that comes up in our databases.
We are continually working to find more silent films. We do not carry Foothill because of the very reasons you point out. I was in charge of the wholesale division of Facets for almost 2 years and I saw how many tapes came back to us as defective from that label.
You can check out our anime pages pages. "THE BIG WAR" is not available.
Hi! At 11:10 AM 9/15/96 -0400, you wrote: buster keaton lookalike searches for jobs. You must be gorgeous! ;) Send us your picture and we will copy and post it!
Debbie Rochon is listed as a co-star in Abducted II which is available for $49.99. It is released by Arrow Entertainment. This odd price is a secondary studio's attempt at getting its rental titles in video stores. So instead of pricing it at $90 to $100 bucks this is their rental price. If you want to wait it will most likely drop down to belwo 20 bucks in the next few months.
The Star Maker is not available.
Our Neighbors - The Carters is not available.
The Gay Sisters is not available.
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch was out but is no longer available.
Saturday's Hero is not available.
Even the guy who runs the Amitabh page can't get in direct contact with people like ShahRukh Khan.
Torn Between Two Lovers was a TV movie on HBO or Showtime, I think... HBO used to have its own label but no longer, and only newer Showtime movies seem licensed for release, sorry.
Ginger Rogers' It Had To Be You is still not out.
Sorry, we have not heard of Marine Boy being released. Sometimes animes come out under different names. For such information you should look at the Usenet group rec.arts.anime every once in awhile.
Pray TV is no longer available.
Re: The Hit - You may want to check for a British source for this film.
Re: Last Man On Earth - From what I know we can get you this for $20 on VHS.
We saw an old Spanish Laurel & Hardy on Spanish TV once, so they may be controlled by those folks who deal with Telemundo.
There used to be dodgy prints out and around, but now HGLewis himself has provided the masters for the video versions we have. They're all $20 each.
Sorry at this time ALL copies of El Topo are bootlegs and of varying horrible quality, but maybe not for long...
Sorry the 102 min. version of The Wicker Man is no longer available.
I did see in a recent copy of Cult Movie Magazine and editorial welcoming Forrest Ackerman as a new contributor.
Diva is out again, a nice new version subtitled in English for $29.99 and worth it!
Jack the Ripper the Thames Lorimar TV series is not available.
This Man's Navy is not on tape.
Madam Satan is available for $19.99.
Re: Toucan Video Productions - Please send screeners and written information to us!
Re: Getting in touch with Coffin Joe - The only American we know who did was disappointed, after paying CJ's way out, to find he does not know English. We have had folks drop by who ask us this same question (apparently) in Spanish and Portuguese, so it doesn't seem like he keeps a high profile. Sorry!
Trail of the Lonesome Pine is not out on tape, sorry.
The version of Porgy & Bess you wanted is not available.
Sorry, but we have a whole article about The Fantastic Four up as a joke. These films never get released on tape unless they're by someone like Orson Welles or Eisenstein. That film will never see the light of day.
