Topic: Shemp Vitaphone Collection Released by Warner Archive

[ThumpTheShoes]

The Archive decided to ship mine via something called UPS Mail Innovations. It took two days to process and actually ship and, based on the tracking info, the package can only make about one stop per day and I should receive mine sometime by the end of next week. Amazing.

In the meantime, I guess I'll convalesce (?!) and live vicariously through others who write posts about watching their dvds.

[JazzBill]

The Archive decided to ship mine via something called UPS Mail Innovations. It took two days to process and actually ship and, based on the tracking info, the package can only make about one stop per day and I should receive mine sometime by the end of next week. Amazing.

In the meantime, I guess I'll convalesce (?!) and live vicariously through others who write posts about watching their dvds.

Mine shipped from Aurora Illinois. Aurora is 15 miles from my house. The bubble bag that the dvd was delivered in came from the company I work for. I guess 15 miles away explains why I got mine so fast.

[JazzBill]

I like these shorts a lot. Along with Penny Singleton, I see some other people that became famous. Lionel Stander who was Max on Hart To Hart is in a few of them. He's actually pretty funny. He kind of reminds me of Casey Columbo who was Mr. McGurn in Punch Drunks. Jack Haley who would later play the Tin Man in the Wizard Of Oz is in one of them.  So Shemp worked with Jack Haley the Tin Man but he also worked with Bert Lahr the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard Of Oz in Henry The Ache.

[ThumpTheShoes]

I'm just an impatient twerp, is all! The set is in my hands now, although I won't really be able to dig into it until the weekend.
Maybe I should do some comparison shots using the old bootlegs? Just to show how far we've come along with releases like this. As that guy from Friday Music always writes, "Hmmmmmm......."

[JazzBill]

Made it to the last one called "Art Trouble". This one had Marjorie Main (Ma Kettle) and James Stewart in it. Both were uncredited. Imagine Shemp Howard getting top billing over Jimmy Stewart. 

[fearlessfrizzletop]

Quick question: are the discs burned DVD-R or pressed DVDs? Can you tell?
Chris

[BeAStooge]

are the discs burned DVD-R or pressed DVDs?

Unfortunately, they didn't make the pressed cut.  I received DVD-Rs. 

[Paul Allen]

BeAStooge,
I have someone on a different website arguing that the shorts have not been restored,
but I do trust that you know what you're talking about.

This is what he said - "These films have NOT been through a restoration process. Warner may well have gone back and found different prints to those that have been available before mostly through grey market labels, but no restoration has been done on these titles."

So, were these 19 shorts part of the UCLA restoration with funding through The Vitaphone Project ?
I can't seem to find any info online referring to UCLA's efforts associated directly to these shorts.


Thanks!

[Rich Finegan]

...Were these 19 shorts part of the UCLA restoration with funding through The Vitaphone Project ?
I can't seem to find any info online referring to UCLA's efforts associated directly to these shorts.

Thanks!

As someone involved with The Vitaphone Project, I will say that I don't believe The Project had anything to do with the restoration (if any) of the shorts in this DVD collection. The Vitaphone shorts whose restoration and preservation The Vitaphone Project is involved with consist mainly of the one-reelers produced between 1927 and 1931 or so. Also occasionally some features.

The shorts do look very good in this Shemp & Arbuckle set so some kind of restoration could very well have been done, even if just beefing up the image digitally and/or cleaning up soundtracks. A lot of Warner Archive releases for the last couple of years state "Newly Remastered" but I noticed that they did not say that about this set.

Anyway, they look and sound great, so I'm just grateful they've been released. 

[archiezappa]

Maybe I should do some comparison shots using the old bootlegs? Just to show how far we've come along with releases like this. As that guy from Friday Music always writes, "Hmmmmmm......."

You should definitely do that.  I would love to see that.

[Mark The Shark]

Quick question: are the discs burned DVD-R or pressed DVDs? Can you tell?
Chris

They are burned DVD-Rs. I got the replacement set by the way. Can't say if any of the shorts are quote unquote "restored" or not -- they are certainly not on the level of the Columbia Stooge shorts, but good enough. I notice some splice marks and black frames (or half a black frame) here and there, similar to a lot of Hal Roach shorts. Maybe that's inherent to the source material. Interesting to hear Arbuckle's voice. Kind of reminds me of Joe E. Brown/Peter Potamus. Shemp is in all the rest of the shorts, sometimes in a co-starring role, a few times as a bit player, but never as "the" star. Looking forward to the second volume.

[archiezappa]

I just placed my order for this set.  I can't wait!   

[ThumpTheShoes]

Here Comes Flossie:

Old dvdr copy

Archive dvd

In The Dough:

Old dvdr copy

Archive dvd

[archiezappa]

Great pics, Thump!  Looks like this is a tremendous improvement in quality.  My set came in the mail today.  Can't wait to dig in!

[archiezappa]

I wonder when Volume Two is coming out.  Or will it be three volumes?

[Paul Allen]

I wonder when Volume Two is coming out.  Or will it be three volumes?

With only 20 more Shemp Howard VITAPHONE shorts remaining, a Volume 3 would seem unlikely and unnecessary.

[QuinceHead]

Thank you for those dazzling screencaps, Thump!  Now that's what I call super service... 

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead

[QuinceHead]

FYI, this set just went on sale today for 25% OFF as part of Warner Archive's sale!  Click on the link below and scroll down...

http://shop.warnerarchive.com/category/code/25off_wacshop.do?page=all&ref=EWACMULTIDISCSALE

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead

[archiezappa]

I knew I should have waited.  Oh well.  You can't predict which DVD's will go on sale and which ones will never be on sale.

[Bum]

I just ordered the Joe McDoakes and Robert Benchley sets three days ago, and they're both on sale now as well. Oh well, I did save five bucks shipping by ordering them on Cyber Monday.....

[Paul Allen]

FYI, this set just went on sale today for 25% OFF as part of Warner Archive's sale!  Click on the link below and scroll down...
http://shop.warnerarchive.com/category/code/25off_wacshop.do?page=all&ref=EWACMULTIDISCSALE

I knew I should have waited.  Oh well.  You can't predict which DVD's will go on sale and which ones will never be on sale.

At least we'll know to be patient and wait for a sale price when Volume 2 is released (hopefully in 2013).

[middlenamewayne]

As a St. Louis Cardinal baseball fan I can't wait to see 1934's DIZZY AND DAFFY

It's pretty good, apart from the title duo living up to their names in the acting department (they seem more like their names should be Sleepy and Snoozy, really). I got it from that one online video place I useta post about long ago (I forget the name, but they stopped carrying their Shemp stuff anyway, so who cares?)

I see from your link that Dizzy and Daffy is only 19 min. long -- for some reason it always seemed like it ran closer to a half-hour in the collection of shorts I have it on. Not cuz it dragged or anything, it just seemed long.

In any case, I recently borrowed back my homemade VHS Shemp For Victory! collection from the local indie vidshop in order to burn them a DVD copy -- I guess I'll just notify the owner to order this instead! (I'm already waiting on them to get Gold Raiders cuz something happened to my copy offa TCM...)

  - mnw

[Bum]

DIZZY AND DAFFY aired at least once on TNT, around '89 or '90, back when the majority of their programming content was the vintage Warner/MGM movie library. I taped FUGITIVE LOVERS in the middle of the night and let the recording run long. Good thing I did: After the movie, they aired DIZZY AND DAFFY  [I'm sure it was a subtle little programming decision made by a Stooges fan]. Despite the subsequent airing of an MGM Stooges/Vitaphone Shemp shorts marathon and other Shemp shorts turning up in between movies, I never saw DIZZY AND DAFFY again on TNT.

Does anyone know if it has ever aired on TCM?

[Paul Allen]

Does anyone know when Volume 2 will be available?

[falsealarms]

Does anyone know when Volume 2 will be available?

Rumors say maybe late 2013.