The Big Parade coming to Blu from Warners

[jheez]

According to the Warners 90th anniversary announcement, The Big Parade is coming to Blu-Ray Q4 2013. Here's hoping we get the other big ones (The Wind, The Crowd, Greed please) soon as well.

http://www.digitalbits.com/columns/my-t ... 100/Page-2

[rudyfan]

Cue gagman.

[missdupont]

It's great it's getting released, but as someone said yesterday about some of the titles being released in conjunction with Warner's 90th anniversary, it isn't a Warner's title. Hopefully they realize that when they promote it. At least it looks like they will be releasing a lot more to DVD than Paramount or Universal has for their anniversaries this year.

[dr.giraud]

It's great it's getting released, but as someone said yesterday about some of the titles being released in conjunction with Warner's 90th anniversary, it isn't a Warner's title. Hopefully they realize that when they promote it. At least it looks like they will be releasing a lot more to DVD than Paramount or Universal has for their anniversaries this year.

DUCK SOUP and DOUBLE INDEMNITY dvds have the Universal 100 banner. Possession is 10/10ths of taking credit.

To be fair, Universal has issued more "classic" titles (though no silents as they don't have any on hand, right?) on Blu-ray than I would have expected: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, PILLOW TALK, HARVEY, the Universal Monsters box, the upcoming Hitchcock box, 2 Abbott & Costello titles and HARVEY so far.

[Battra92]

To be fair, Universal has issued more "classic" titles (though no silents as they don't have any on hand, right?)

AQOTWF had the silent version if that counts.

[Gagman 66]

Jneez,

Thanks for the word. Correct me if I am wrong, but this would be the only Silent film that Warner's has released on Blu-ray so far? Not counting THE JAZZ SINGER, which will likely beat it to the shelves. That being said, it's not the first time that Warner's has announced that THE BIG PARADE was being released. So I guess that I'll believe it when I see it. I'm sorry but what does the heck does Q-4 mean? Will this be a stand alone release? Carl Davis score, or a new recording of the original 1925 Axt Mendoza score arranged and conduced by Robert Israel as has been played at some live events? Hope that we can get more details soon. I'll try to contact Robert and see what he knows about this if anything.

Hopefully they will screen THE BIG PARADE at the TCM Classic Film Festival next year. It would be good to see THE BIG PARADE and THE CROWD together, in the same Blu-ray set. But that probably isn't going to happen. They already have released THE PATSY, and SHOW PEOPLE through Warner Archive. But of course not on Blu-ray. Any news of a more recent transfer of THE STUDENT PRINCE IN OLD HEIDELBERG having been done?

[Doug Sulpy]

"what does the heck does Q-4 mean?"

Fourth quarter, I suppose.

[Gagman 66]

So in other words, it is at least a full year away? I assume Forth quarter meets a late 2013 release? Correct? If any of us are even still hear in late 2013? Remains to be seen or not seen if we are.

On the other hand, it says "All to be announced". So maybe we are reading it wrong? Although didn't we get a Two be announced from Warner's concerning GREED back in 2005? That was of course before Blu-ray.

[Christopher Jacobs]

So in other words, it is at least a full year away? I assume Forth quarter meets a late 2013 release? Correct? If any of us are even still hear in late 2013? Remains to be seen or not seen if we are.

Well, the consoling thing about it is that THE BIG PARADE is a silent film, so it doesn't matter all that much if we still hear or not!!

It's great to see a reasonably large (for this day and age) selection of classics scheduled for Blu-ray from one distributor (most of which I never got around to getting on DVD, since they're on TCM so often), and just as good to see them spaced out throughout the year instead of within a very short period of time, as very few of us could likely afford to buy them all at once.

[Harlett O'Dowd]

So in other words, it is at least a full year away? I assume Forth quarter meets a late 2013 release? Correct? If any of us are even still hear in late 2013? Remains to be seen or not seen if we are.

On the other hand, it says "All to be announced". So maybe we are reading it wrong? Although didn't we get a Two be announced from Warner's concerning GREED back in 2005? That was of course before Blu-ray.

Damn!

Gagman, you weren't supposed to see through Waners' clever ruse!

You see, Warners only announced The Big Parade for a Q42013 release because they are counting on the Mayan calendar being correct and that the apocalypse will occur on December 20, 2012.

And no, there will be *no* silent films in heaven.

[Monsieur X]

Gagman, you weren't supposed to see through Waners' clever ruse!

You see, Warners only announced The Big Parade for a Q42013 release because they are counting on the Mayan calendar being correct and that the apocalypse will occur on December 20, 2012.

And no, there will be *no* silent films in heaven.

What kind of heaven would that be?!?!

[Richard Finegan]

To be fair, Universal has issued more "classic" titles (though no silents as they don't have any on hand, right?)

Even with the three talking scenes and the music score & effects, many (including me) still consider LONESOME (Universal, 1928) to be basically a silent film (and as we know, it's just been released on DVD).

[Gagman 66]

So have any other Universal Silents been leased to Criterion? Maybe SMOULDERING FIRES, THE HOMEMAKER or THE GOOSE WOMAN? And will they ever get around to THE WEDDING MARCH? Though that is Paramount. One film they should definitely try to get their hands on is Lubitsch FORBIDDEN PARADISE.

Warner's releasing a $500.00 plus Box set of Blu-ray's sounds ridiculous. I hope we don't have to buy some gigantic unaffordable box set in order to get the restored THE BIG PARADE. Can't get to excited yet over something better than a year away and could end up being canceled again.

[Frederica]

So have any other Universal Silents been leased to Criterion? Maybe SMOULDERING FIRES, THE HOMEMAKER or THE GOOSE WOMAN? And will they ever get around to THE WEDDING MARCH? Though that is Paramount. One film they should definitely try to get their hands on is Lubitsch FORBIDDEN PARADISE.

Warner's releasing a $500.00 plus Box set of Blu-ray's sounds ridiculous. I hope we don't have to buy some gigantic unaffordable box set in order to get the restored THE BIG PARADE. Can't get to excited yet over something better than a year away and could end up being canceled again.

OK, who wins the pool?

[SteppenBow59]

No need to worry about the end of the world now....

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/sci ... 54879760/1

[Gagman 66]

Well, with any luck the restored version will debut on TCM several months in advance of the Blu-ray release. It will have only taken 9 years for it to happen. As for the other, see what you think when the world markets collapse later this month.

[SteppenBow59]

Personally, I'm more concerned with what's happening in the Mideast right now, but I digress.

I've actually never been able to see The Big Parade in its entirety. I flipped to TCM and managed to catch the scene where Renee and Jack kiss goodbye, but I then had to go to bed, it was being shown late at night. Needless to say, this Blu-Ray has shot near the top of my wish list, can't wait!

[Harlett O'Dowd]

Well, with any luck the restored version will debut on TCM several months in advance of the Blu-ray release. It will have only taken 9 years for it to happen. As for the other, see what you think when the world markets collapse later this month.

You realize, of course, that when the world markets collapse, no one - including you - will be able to afford silent DVDs, so fretting over what will and won't be out when will become a moot point.

[Gagman 66]

Harlett,

Yeah, Well don't say I didn't warn you when it happens.

[Gagman 66]

I sent an E-mail to Robert Israel to see if he knows anything about this release. Also to Chuck Tabesh. With any luck I will hear from one of them tomorrow, or maybe over the weekend. Perhaps they can provide some insight?

[Mike Gebert]

Unless... they're in on it!

/fnord

[Gagman 66]

Personally, I'm more concerned with what's happening in the Mideast right now, but I digress.

I've actually never been able to see The Big Parade in its entirety. I flipped to TCM and managed to catch the scene where Renee and Jack kiss goodbye, but I then had to go to bed, it was being shown late at night. Needless to say, this Blu-Ray has shot near the top of my wish list, can't wait!

Martie,

I wonder if you where actually watching a broadcast of THE BIG PARADE, or just the clip from the 1931 sound Re-issue that appeared on the MGM Parade TV series, which TCM airs from time to time? Probably the latter.

[Rollo Treadway]

I've actually never been able to see The Big Parade in its entirety.

According to Warren and Dubin,

The Big Parade goes on for years
It's a rhapsody of laughter and tears

[Changsham]

Will the Bluray be sourced from the same print as on the old laser disc version? That was quite a nice laser disc transfer I recall though I dont believe it was the longest version avaliable.

[Gagman 66]

Changsham,

No, it will be processed from the new fine grain restored by Warner Brothers and George Eastman House between 2002 and 2004. Mastered from the original camera Negatives found by Kevin Brownlow at GEH in 1997. With reinstated tints, and briefly, stencil color. The one I have been waiting to see for the past 8 years now.

[Changsham]

Changsham,

No, it will be processed from the new fine grain restored by Warner Brothers and George Eastman House between 2002 and 2004. Mastered from the original camera Negatives found by Kevin Brownlow at GEH in 1997. With reinstated tints, and briefly, stencil color. The one I have been waiting to see for the past 8 years now.

Thanks. The laser disc was good, this promises to be great.

[Smari1989]

These are great news! But will it be available on DVD as well, anyone? Haven't caught that BluRay-train yet...

[Changsham]

These are great news! But will it be available on DVD as well, anyone? Haven't caught that BluRay-train yet...

BR players are now getting cheap and they will play your old DVD's. When TBP cmes out they will be likely cheaper. Good time to think about a hardware upgrade.

[LongRider]

It was because of Gagman's many references to The Big Parade that I watched this film sometime last year. It became one of my favorite silents. I borrowed the VHS from my local library (several times) and nearly cried when I found out a couple of months ago that the library had purged all of their VHS tapes from their collection and only have DVD's now. (so I bought my own VHS copy from Amazon) If the TBP does come out on DVD and BR, I'll the buy BR for me and DVD to donate to my library.

Just can't wait!

[rudyfan]

Well, I'm going to change my moniker to gagger2 and whine constantly since Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse still goes without any kind of DVD release. I mean the version shown on TCM, not the various PD copies out there.