March 22, 2021 Update from ClassicFlix Thank you very much for your interest in and support of this vital project! All the elements for the first 3 volumes (the first 33 Our Gang sound shorts) have been scanned and approved, and are in various stages of restoration. And today, we've got another great preview of a short from the upcoming Volume 2. LITTLE DADDY (1931) As can be seen in the clip, the original 35mm nitrate film elements used for this short provide a terrific picture. I sure hope all 80 of the Our Gang Sound shorts will be fully restored and out on Blu-ray in 2021! Then keep our fingers crossed within a few years or less most of Silent Our Gang can all be Restored too!
This would be awesome, hope this comes to pass. Especially if they can be restored from the best elements -- maybe better than that cancelled set would have been after all? The silents aren't as much "on my radar." How many are still missing at this point?
I don't know if complete films exist... These were the original Silent years: 72 Silents (Roach/Pathé 1922 - 1928) Roach distribution changed to MGM 27 Silents (Roach/MGM 1927 - 1929) From the previous information posted earlier in the Thread (bottom of page 2) *Will you eventually release the silent Rascal films? (ClassicFlix ) We have licensed a good number of them and plan to eventually release as many as we have access to and that survive. The timing depends on how fast we can move through the preservation and restoration of all Sound shorts first. Read this for more details: OUR GANG silents on the docket for restoration and Blu-ray release from ClassicFlix! - NitrateVille.com
I wonder if they can get the rights from Warner to make a blu out of General Spanky? Perhaps sales of the series sets will get Warner to consider?
This is one of those projects I wouldn't risk waiting on. Still waiting on that Lucy blu-ray set...actually still waiting on a season 3 blu. It's been...years. (And that's a show even normies will pick up).
yes I get it, but it seems with releases like this do wind up with a complete box set... The Three Stooges DVD Abbott & Costello DVD * BD Little Rascals DVD
True. I'm just pointing out that it's much less so when it comes to blu-ray box sets. Complete blu-ray sets are much less common.
Update from ClassicFlix March 30, 2021 Here is a RAW SCAN of reel 1 of 32nd Our Gang sound short FISH HOOKY(1933) and a snapshot of the decomposition that has occured with reel 2.
I preordered volume 1 from the ClassicFlix site & plan to continue to do so. I like to think the money they make on each volume pays for the next. My opinion.
be Positive there are options available...and these products are being created, Researched...Restored and released. The end result is maybe the "Silent shorts" will eventually be released ....hopefully as many as are possible and Restored! So Thank you David Kawas and ClassicFlix!!
All fine and dandy – if you happen to reside in the United States. Those of us who don’t must rely on sellers like Amazon (and even Amazon isn’t allowing pre-orders for non-US addresses, so maybe Classic Flix will be banning non-US sales there as well). Classic Flix will not ship their blu-ray Little Rascals sets outside the United States. (Even their own – eventually failed – crowdfunding scheme was clear that only patrons in the USA would be entitled to any perks.) (And, if by “options available” you mean I should impose upon my USA-based friends to forward the sets to me, I won’t out of principal. I’m completely fed up with US-based sellers who refuse to ship outside the country. If Classic Flix wants me to support their releases (and I’m more than willing to), then allow me the dignity of ordering directly and not have to ask for favors from my friends.)
After reading your posting Michelle66, I sent an email to ClassicFlix. I told them there are fans outside of the US that are interested in their releases & asked that they do a "re-release" for those fans. I will post their response as soon as I recieve it. I really hope it helps! Releases like this should never have geographic limits! My opinion.
And if they don't have the rights to ship/sell outside the US? What then? Should an indie label that could face legal consequences for selling outside certain territories be badgered over things they can't control? Usually, it's more productive to find out who actually have the rights to sell the product in your respective territory and ask them. There's only so many ways ClassicFlix can tell people that they don't have international distribution rights.
I would figure since Criterion can get their titles overseas, ClassicFlix can figure out a way to do it. Maybe get a company over there lined up for distribution. My opinion.
It's not that simple in any way shape or form. And Criterion only have a very select few of "their" titles overseas. Most of the rest are licensed to other companies (For instance, in the UK, Second Sight has the rights to A Hard Day's Night on blu-ray or BFI has the blu-ray to A Taste Of Honey, etc). Every single IP has different rules for distribution, CF can't be faulted for that.
