Does anyone know who owns the rights to Monogram Pictures? I noticed that Legend released a DVD of "Swing Parade Of 1946." I would like to see those 3 movies that Shemp did with Billy Gilbert and Maxie Rosenbloom released on DVD. Those were all Monogram Pictures. Does anyone own them or are they public domain?
Warner Brothers, since its 1996 purchase of Turner Entertainment. Turner acquired the library in 1989 from Lorimar. (Lorimar, from a 1986 purchase of MGM/UA assets; UA acquired Monogram/Allied Artists in the 1960s.)
SWING PARADE is presumed public domain, even though Turner included it in an early '90s renewal application (later refiled by WB). Legend's source was a video transfer acquired from GoodTimes in 2005, which was itself transferred from an old TV 16mm print. Legend did not license home video rights from WB, which either indicates it is public domain, or Legend took a litigation gamble.
Monogram's library was kept in disarray over the years. Many original film elements of its 30s - 50s movies either no longer exist, are in poor shape, and/or only exist on 16mm prints. Warner Brothers inherited an archival mess.
Some exceptions include Monogram's 1946 - 1958 "Bowery Boys," which have been maintained in relatively good shape due to their ongoing distribution over the decades. Reportedly, WB library has 35mm prints for 46 of the 48 in the series; the other two are on 16mm prints of questionable quality (these two have been a stumbling block in WB's plans to release chronological box sets of "The Bowery Boy").
WB has copyright filings on the three Shemp/Billy/Maxie comedies.
Assuming WB even has prints, they are probably of dubious quality. The amount of extensive research and work required to restore the film elements, and bring them up to the studio's quality standards, far outweighs any return WB might realize from a limited, niche market DVD release.
The three films have appeared on bargain-basement VHS over the years, from duped 16mm Astor re-release prints. Their most likely chance for a DVD release is for a Legend (or Passport, VCI, etc.) to gather the Astor prints, do some digital tweeking, and lease marketing rights from WB.
