Tweet Unavailable Talkies

I was wondering how many (sound) films are extant, but unavailable due to ownership/copyright legalities. I can only name a few off the top of my head:

CHRISTOPHER BEAN (1933)
FRECKLES (1935)
HELLZAPOPPIN' (1941)
LETTY LYNTON (1932)
THE ROAD BACK (1937)
possibly also LA CONGA NIGHTS and RETURN OF THE TERROR.

Marion Davies' IT'S A WISE CHILD...

Errol Flynn's The Perfect Specimen (1937)
Both versions of The Trial of Mary Dugan

I was wondering how many (sound) films are extant, but unavailable due to ownership/copyright legalities. I can only name a few off the top of my head:

CHRISTOPHER BEAN (1933)
FRECKLES (1935)
HELLZAPOPPIN' (1941)
LETTY LYNTON (1932)
THE ROAD BACK (1937)
possibly also LA CONGA NIGHTS and RETURN OF THE TERROR.

LA CONGA NIGHTS??!! Will we ever see that one on TV, legality issues or not? That's just the kind of Universal "B" that hasn't been on in decades (if ever) (too lazy right now to check my B.I.B. books).

Regarding the original question, there are legality problems that keep some films off TV or video / DVD release while the same films may be available for theatrical screenings (for example, the 1930 Paramount movies FOLLOW THRU and QUEEN HIGH. I've seen both theatrically several times, but they're not available for TV or home video).

Without looking them up, I believe that just about every movie based on stories by the author of the aforementioned FRECKLES is out of circulation.

I saw I TAKE THIS WOMAN (1931 - Paramount) at The Film Forum, NY a few years ago and that was being described as never-to-be-released on video or on TV. Also, JUNE MOON (1931 - Paramount) - same thing. And I know that its 1937 remake BLONDE TROUBLE is likewise unavailable.
The 1943 version of THE DESERT SONG seems to be unavailable, although the 1929 and 1953 versions are.
A lot of serials and movies based on comic strips (such as LITTLE IODINE, 1946 - UA) are tied up, it seems.
A LADY TO LOVE (1930 - MGM) and THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED (1940 - RKO) seem to be unavailable to TV right now. TCM ran the former a few times back in the mid-1990's but not in many years now.
And speaking of TCM, there are NIGHT FLIGHT, THE STORY OF TEMPLE DRAKE and THE CONSTANT NYMPH that had been unavailable to TV but reportedly soon will be, thanks to TCM looking into and resolving the rights issues. TEMPLE and NYMPH are already scheduled for broadcast on TCM in September, on the 14th and 28th respectively.
What about the 1933 RKO picture THE PAST OF MARY HOLMES? It has apparently never been on TV. Is it lost or tied up in some legal mess? It stars Jean Arthur and I want to see it!

I know there are MANY more examples.

[Mike Gebert]

One of the fests showed Their Big Moment, a nice little comedy-mystery which apparently is kept off TV because of rights to the play it's based on.

One that I find a real tragedy is King Vidor's The Stranger's Return. I have a copy off TNT (!) way back when, but it's NEVER played TCM. I don't know if rights are the reason, but I think it likely.

Eric Grayson could reel off a number of such titles. I know he's a champion of an early John Sturges movie called Keeper of the Bees which apparently no one can figure out who owns and whether the studio has rights or not.

Calling EB:

BTW, has The Road Back ever played Cinecon? That would seem a natural - particularly if someone could do a stills presentation with it to see what Whale shot/wanted vs. what the new Universal released.

....Keeper of the Bees which apparently no one can figure out who owns and whether the studio has rights or not.

That's one of the titles I was referring to that's based on a story by the writer of FRECKLES - Gene Stratton-Porter.

One of the fests showed Their Big Moment, a nice little comedy-mystery which apparently is kept off TV because of rights to the play it's based on.

THEIR BIG MOMENT played on TCM about 2-3 years ago. I taped it.

One that I find a real tragedy is King Vidor's The Stranger's Return. I have a copy off TNT (!) way back when, but it's NEVER played TCM. I don't know if rights are the reason, but I think it likely.

My copy of THE STRANGER'S RETURN is from Showtime. Also REUNION IN VIENNA! Thank goodness I didn't get rid of my betamax collection.

HELLZAPOPPIN' has been available in the UK on a Universal-licensed DVD for several years, so I presume the rights problem doesn't apply here. It also played on UK TV about five years ago.

HELLZAPOPPIN' has been available in the UK on a Universal-licensed DVD for several years, so I presume the rights problem doesn't apply here. It also played on UK TV about five years ago.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hellzapoppin-DV ... 579&sr=8-1

Another:
The 1949 version of THE GREAT GATSBY.

Another:
The 1949 version of THE GREAT GATSBY.

No great loss there - I saw it some years ago on television, and it was a real clunker.

Any idea why it's unavailable, though? Or perhaps I just answered my own question.

Another:
The 1949 version of THE GREAT GATSBY.

No great loss there - I saw it some years ago on television, and it was a real clunker.

Any idea why it's unavailable, though? Or perhaps I just answered my own question.

The Redford version doesn't get televised much, though for all it's visual gloss it was a clunker too.

Another MIA - RKO's THE WOMAN I LOVE (1937) with Paul Muni and Miriam Hopkins. Has this one been shown anywhere? My interest is with the fourth or fifth billed Colin Clive - it was his final film made only a few months before his death. However, I understand that his role was a real change of pace for him. His character, a Captain, is quite convivial. This I gotta see!

WHITE SHOULDERS (1931) with Mary Astor

WHITE WOMAN(1933) starring Carole Lombard

REACHING FOR THE MOON (1930), saw it the other night for the first time and it had a lot of great lines.

WHOOPS, put this in the wrong thread

One that takes us right outside the nitrate era but is worthy of inclusion simply because it's one of the most peculiar movies I've ever seen - Tom Schiller's `Nothing Lasts Forever' (1984).

Actually, it does have a tangental relation to our favourite era - the opening titles and shooting style are a very good 1930s pastiche - but from there on in, what can I say. The IMDB capsule summary is as good as any: `An artist fails a test and is required to direct traffic in New York City's Holland Tunnel. He winds up falling in love with a beautiful woman, who takes him to the moon on a Lunar Cruiser'. Picture Andy Hardy, Brazil, The Forbidden Planet and the Wizard of Oz all smooshed together and you're about a quarter of the way there.

It does pop up at showings occasionally, and it was on TCM about five years ago, but Warner cites some unspecified rights issue as holding up a DVD release.

[silentfilm]

Rene Clair's Break the News (1938) with Jack Buchanan and Maurice Chevalier. I saw this at Cinecon about 10 years ago and it's one of the funniest films you will ever see...

some charles farrell and janet gaynor talkies havent been available, and two of bows.
high society blues - 1930
the first year - 1932
tess of the storm country -1932
merely mary ann - 1931

kick in - 1931 - clara bow
her wedding night - 1930 - clara bow

and somebody else already mentioned it but it deserves a repeat 'its a wise child" from marion davies, right now this is the film that i would give my right arm for.

HOLLYWOOD STORY
HOLLYWOOD BLVD.
PREVIEW MURDER MYSTERY

One that takes us right outside the nitrate era but is worthy of inclusion simply because it's one of the most peculiar movies I've ever seen - Tom Schiller's `Nothing Lasts Forever' (1984).

Actually, it does have a tangental relation to our favourite era - the opening titles and shooting style are a very good 1930s pastiche - but from there on in, what can I say. The IMDB capsule summary is as good as any: `An artist fails a test and is required to direct traffic in New York City's Holland Tunnel. He winds up falling in love with a beautiful woman, who takes him to the moon on a Lunar Cruiser'. Picture Andy Hardy, Brazil, The Forbidden Planet and the Wizard of Oz all smooshed together and you're about a quarter of the way there.

It does pop up at showings occasionally, and it was on TCM about five years ago, but Warner cites some unspecified rights issue as holding up a DVD release.

I've owned a copy of this for years (VHS) and it's always been a treasured favorite. A lot of cameos including Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd and Eddie Fisher.

Errol Flynn's The Perfect Specimen (1937)
Both versions of The Trial of Mary Dugan

The Perfect Specimen? That's on my to-see list. Any idea why?

Errol Flynn's The Perfect Specimen (1937)

The Perfect Specimen? That's on my to-see list. Any idea why?

It has something to do with the story rights. Perhaps someone else can elaborate further.
Its unavailability is a relatively recent thing. It used to be shown regularly on TNT and TCM.

HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT
THE BARKER
THE TRESPASSER
IT'S A WISE CHILD
CHRISTOPHER BEAN

Some of James Whale's Universals:

ONE MORE RIVER
BY CANDLELIGHT
also JOURNEY'S END Tiffany

[Mike Gebert]

So wait, are we talking legally unavailable or simply hard to see?

I mean, practically everything made at Paramount without the Marx Brothers before 1948 is hard to see, but only because no one licenses the full Paramount library, not because there are legal restrictions.

Hellzapoppin(1941) was available in Australia on DVD right at the dawn of DVD. Not a bad copy. There was also a TV version made in the early TV days and was around on VHS, this is a shorter version O&J made for early TV(kinescope?). I also played as a comedy play in Australia in the 1940s.

Reaching for the Moon is 1931 release and all put one song was excised. I heard that longer material is available at UCLA. This was the second time Doug Fairbanks used this title.

Journey's End was made at Tiffany with a British-imported cast and was on film in the 1970s from one of the guys doing film then.

I've interpreted the title to this thread to mean films that are not available in legally authorized editions. PD films are a little fuzzier so I'd say those not available from original material (are there any good looking prints of MEET JOHN DOE?).

I have a dvd-r of JOURNEY'S END from an overseas collector. Not bad quality but I could tell it wasn't from Kino! I have the UK edition of HELLZAPOPPIN that is an official, legal release. I agree with an earlier post that "region-free" players that support PAL are very inexpensive and they do indeed open up a whole new source for legally available dvds.

are there any good looking prints of MEET JOHN DOE?

Sanctuary Visual Entertainment released a really good digital restoration of MEET JOHN DOE in the UK about 10 years ago. Ken Barnes was in charge of the project -- working from a 35mm release print -- and while it's not perfect, it's way, way better than any PD release of the film. It was released by VCI in the US last year (as a 2-disc "70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition"), and I'm told that VCI even improved on it a little bit.