Kevin Brownlow documentary, Hollywood

[Charles Hohenstein]

I have been waiting for years for Kevin Brownlow's _Hollywood_
documentary series to come out on DVD, and now Amazon.com no longer has
it new on VHS! Does anyone know what the situation is? It is my
candidate for the best documentary series of all time--but then, I am
biased. :)

Charles Hohenstein

[Stephen Cooke]

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004, it was written:

> Amazon.ca still has them. $56 Cdn. About $45 US. For 13 tapes! Almost the
> same price as blanks!

They also *had* Paramount silents. At least, until I tried to order them.

swac

[Jason Liller]

>I have been waiting for years for Kevin Brownlow's _Hollywood_
>documentary series to come out on DVD, and now Amazon.com no longer has
>it new on VHS! Does anyone know what the situation is?

The video distributor that we use recently clearanced them all out. That
usually happens for only one reason...

--Jason Liller
(and it's not a good one)

[Kingo Gondo]

"Charles Hohenstein" <choh...@skyenet.net> wrote in message
news:chohenste-33566...@individual.net...

According to various threads here over the years (feel free to Google them
up), a DVD set is highly unlikely due to a multiplicity of rights issues.

There are DVDr versions out there, burned from the laserdisc set, and
exchanged among traders. Some of the folks in alt.video.laserdisc practice
this black art.

[JimReid56]

>According to various threads here over the years (feel free to Google them
>up), a DVD set is highly unlikely due to a multiplicity of rights issues.

This was the opinion for quite a while, but recently there was a note on the
silent mailing list from someone who had talked to Patrick Stansbury who said
he was busy working on extras for the Hollywood DVD set.

[Kingo Gondo]

"JimReid56" <jimr...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20041214010954...@mb-m19.aol.com...

Well, that would be freaking great! I hope it all works out (hearsay
notwithstanding).

[Charles Hohenstein]

In article <ixvvd.4648164$yk.6...@news.easynews.com>,
"Kingo Gondo" <kingo_nos...@zor.org> wrote:

Well, I just ordered the VHS version from Amazon.com in Canada, but if
the DVD version comes out, I'm sure that I can unload the VHS. Or maybe
I'll donate it to the local library.

Is the silent film list referred to at Yahoo groups?

Charles Hohenstein

[Jason Liller]

>If you are interested in the VHS set of "Hollywood" there are three of
>them for sale on ebay this week. Go to ebay and search for the title
>and they should come up.

There have also been a sudden flood (relatively speaking) of the laserdisc sets
on Ebay with the expected drop in closing prices. A sealed set went for, I
think, $125.00 recently.

--Jason Liller

[Jim Beaver]

"Charles Hohenstein" <choh...@skyenet.net> wrote in message
news:chohenste-33566...@individual.net...

I emailed Brownlow last night and got this this morning:

"Dear Jim Beaver

Thanks for your email and your kind remarks. The heirs of Thames TV,
Fremantle, have said they will bring HOLLYWOOD out on DVD. We are currently
working on the extras for the DVD of UNKNOWN CHAPLIN so it may happen.

Very best wishes

Kevin Brownlow"

Jim Beaver

[Charles Hohenstein]

In article <SfIvd.5221$x45...@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com>,
"Jim Beaver" <jumb...@prodigy.spam> wrote:

I would love to have Kevin Brownlow's email address, if you would email
it to me. I'd just like to tell him that I'm an admirer. :)

Charles Hohenstein

[Ja50nch3a5er]

> Thanks for your email and your kind remarks. The heirs of Thames TV,
Fremantle, have said they will bring HOLLYWOOD out on DVD.

When he says DVD...it's a bit vague. Does he mean a R2 release for England or a
release for America or what?

[Foto28]

>Does he mean a R2 release for England or a
>release for America or what?

Get yourself a region-free player and it won't matter :)

Speaking of which, has anyone heard any more on the 3 Fox silents (7TH HEAVEN,
STREET ANGEL, LUCKY STAR) that were previously said to be upcoming from
England?
===============
Danny Burk
www.dannyburk.com - fine art photography, drum scanning, and instructional
workshops

If you wish to email me, make an obvious correction to the address posted
above.

[Charles Hohenstein]

In article <20041214235957...@mb-m21.aol.com>,
fot...@aol.comedy.com (Foto28) wrote:

> >Does he mean a R2 release for England or a
> >release for America or what?
>
> Get yourself a region-free player and it won't matter :)

Do region-free players handle the conversion from PAL and SECAM to NTSC?

Charles Hohenstein

[Stephen Cooke]

I don't think there are any SECAM discs, but you can often find
inexpensive players that will handle anything you throw at it. I bought a
Philips DVD player at Wal-Mart for $80 that will play any region, any
format, and do the proper anamorphic conversion of widescreen images.

That's $80 Canadian.

swac

[lzcutter]

I spoke with Patrick Stanbury and Kevin Brownlow about this at a recent
DeMille tribute here in Los Angeles (shout out of thanks to Bob
Brichard). Patrick said in reference to him working on the extras for
the "Hollywood" DVD, that he was misquoted. He is working on the
extras for their Chaplin documentary that is coming out on DVD.

Mr. Brownlow indicated that "Hollywood" would be coming out on DVD in
the future. Regarding the rights issues, he said that they had almost
all of them worked out but were working on the remaining ones.
Unfortunately, he did not give a release date but he did say that
"Hollywood" would be coming to DVD.

Hope this helps,

Lynn in Sherman Oaks
"As We Knew It: The Story of Classic Las Vegas"
Coming in 2005

[lzcutter]

Charles,

If you are interested in the VHS set of "Hollywood" there are three of
them for sale on ebay this week. Go to ebay and search for the title
and they should come up.

Lynn in Sherman Oaks

[Lady Wakasa]

> Thanks for your email and your kind remarks. The heirs of Thames TV,
> Fremantle, have said they will bring HOLLYWOOD out on DVD.

Now I know I live in blessed times (as least as far as silents go).