Topic: Shemp Vitaphone Collection Released by Warner Archive

[BeAStooge]

Available today, October 30...

Vitaphone Comedy Collection Vol. One:  Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle / Shemp Howard (1932 - 1934)

There are 19 shorts on this 2-disc collection.  Reportedly, initial supplies of this are pressed discs; later supplies will be MOD.



Fatty Arbuckle
HEY, POP!
BUZZIN' AROUND
HOW'VE YOU BEAN?
TOMALIO
CLOSE RELATIONS (w/Shemp)
IN THE DOUGH (w/Shemp)

Shemp Howard
PAUL REVERE JR.
SALT WATER DAFFY
HOW D'YA LIKE THAT
I SCREAM
THE WRONG, WRONG, TRAIL
HERE COMES FLOSSIE
PUGS & KISSES
MUSHROOMS
PURE FEUD
CORN ON THE COP
RAMBLING 'ROUND RADIO ROW
VERY CLOSE VEINS
ART TROUBLE  (Jimmy Stewart's film debut)

[QuinceHead]

It's about bloody time, innit??   

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead

[ThumpTheShoes]

Bought!

You know, it's a funny thing about these pictures-- some of these I have seen only as ultra-crappy, multi-generational video dubs that were so blurry, people really didn't have much in the way of facial features. This is very similar to the Stooges Treasures disc in that it will replace a ton of old bootlegs.

I'm excited to see these, maybe not in perfect shape, but at least as first generation copies. I'm sure it will be a revelation in the picture and sound department, and very much like seeing the films again for the first time.

[BeAStooge]

I'm excited to see these, maybe not in perfect shape, but at least as first generation copies.

Warner Archive preview clip (IN THE DOUGH)...

[s/b] Better than simply just first-generation copies.  The Shemp films were originally planned for 2010, but delayed so Warner's library materials could be restored, and in some cases, the studio accessed and restored prints from the Library of Congress.

[JazzBill]

Thanks Brent, I have a couple of those titles from "The Three Stooges, The Early Years" DVD. I really like them a lot, I'll be glad to get more of them.

[ThumpTheShoes]

Awesome! Thanks for the link. Now I'm really stoked for this set!

[Paul Allen]

Thanks for the info, BeAStooge! This is great news!!

With Shemp having done about 34 Vitaphone/WB shorts, when can we expect Volume Two?

I see that there are six 1934 shorts not included on this set, so hopefully the next set will be 1934 - 1937.
As a St. Louis Cardinal baseball fan I can't wait to see 1934's DIZZY AND DAFFY >> http://threestooges.net/filmography/episode/251

[Paul Allen]

Reportedly, initial supplies of this are pressed discs; later supplies will be MOD.

At $29.95, is the Warner Brothers site (wbshop.com) the only place this can be ordered from right now?

It's not available on Amazon.com, yet.

[metaldams]

I will pick this up eventually, and this is obviously great news.  Hopefully some people here will review some of the short films in the mean time.

[Mark The Shark]

This is great news! I am not an expert on the Vitaphone comedy shorts in general as far as how many were made, how many stars, etc, but this is very cool. My first thought was they'd probably release the rest of Shemp's shorts along with the Stooges' M-G-M shorts, but then I remembered that the M-G-M shorts are, well, M-G-M shorts. I figure we'll get those eventually (I actually have three of the five as extras on other DVDs.) I'm looking forward to this and I've been wanting to see Arbuckle's talkies. Cool!

[Paul Allen]

This is great news! I am not an expert on the Vitaphone comedy shorts in general as far as how many were made, how many stars, etc, but this is very cool.

Mark The Shark, here's a complete list of all of Shemp's movies with Vitaphone, RKO, Columbia, and a few movies with a couple of other studios >> http://threestooges.net/filmography/index/SSH

Enjoy!

[Paul Allen]

Take a close look at the WB website page - http://www.wbshop.com/product/the+vitaphone+comedy+collection+volume+one++roscoe+fatty+arbuckleshemp+howard+19321934+1000207456.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=Search

I certainly don't understand why Warner Brothers has the following stated on that page!? -
Important: This title has been manufactured from the best-quality video master currently available and has not been remastered or restored for this DVD/Digital Download release.

"... has not been remastered or restored..." 

Can someone please help explain?


Thanks - Paul Allen

[Paul Allen]

Reportedly, initial supplies of this are pressed discs; later supplies will be MOD.

BeAStooge, when you write "Reportedly", what is your source of information for that?

I called WB (866-373-4389) and talked to a representative there. She (Mary) told me that the discs are MOD DVDR's and she said nothing about the initial supplies being pressed discs.

As of now I'm in no hurry to get this set until I read some reviews!

[BeAStooge]

First, addressing the obnoxious comment you made earlier this morning, but later deleted...

No, I am not an employee shill of Warner Brothers.

I certainly don't understand why Warner Brothers has the following stated on that page!? -
"... has not been remastered or restored..." 

That information is wrong.  The Vitaphone shorts have been thru a restoration/remastering process over the past couple years.

That's a frequent error on the WBShop site, with its web-clerks using a cookie cutter approach to set up product pages.  Other product description errors for this collection were corrected earlier yesterday.  They didn't get 'em all.

BeAStooge, when you write "Reportedly", what is your source of information for that?

In early 2012, Warner Archive began testing a new marketing strategy of providing a limited stock of pressed discs for many of its multi-disc collections, e.g., "Crime Does Not Pay," "Forbidden Hollywood," the upcoming "Bowery Boys Collection," others.  The product pages have not included this information, and as a result the customer service people are not made aware of it.  The information is sometimes shared on sites like Home Theater Forum, and in the case of "Bowery Boys" WA has announced that to be so.  In the case of this Vitaphone set, I'll know when it arrives.

[BeAStooge]

This is great news! I am not an expert on the Vitaphone comedy shorts in general as far as how many were made, how many stars, etc,

McFarland Press, hardcover (2003) & softcover (2010)...

[Paul Allen]

First, addressing the obnoxious comment you made earlier this morning, but later deleted...

No, I am not an employee shill of Warner Brothers.

Yes, I deleted that comment because I realized it was an unfair/far fetched accusation. Please forgive me... I'm just a beetlebrain.
It's frustrating to the potential buyer when these official websites can't get their act together by providing more detailed and accurate information.

BeAStooge, thank you for elaborating further on the issue and clearing up any confusion on my part...
and thank you for initiating this thread! I ordered the set and I'm now looking forward to it.

[JazzBill]

(Mental note to self) " Never get into a pissing match with BeAStooge."

[Bum]

Just ordered. I taped many of the Vitaphone Shemps years [decades!] ago off TNT, but it will be nice to get some of those stubborn ones I've never seen [especially the elusive "Art Trouble"]. This was my first-ever order with Warner Archive, so we'll see how it goes; I can't believe they don't take Paypal!

Thanks for making me aware of this, Brent!

[QuinceHead]

Anybody had a chance to watch/review these yet?   

Or has Hurricane Sandy delayed delivery of these screen gems?   

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead

[archiezappa]

Aw, man!  I gotta get this!  "Here Comes Flossie" is worth the price of admission alone.  Hilarious!  Can't wait to get this.

[BeAStooge]

Anybody had a chance to watch/review these yet?

Slowly working my way thru them, while tending to a couple other priorities at the same time, but...

I am very impressed with the restoration these have gone thru.  They all look good, and several are outstanding.

Unfortunately, they didn't make the pressed cut.  I received DVD-Rs.  A disappointment, but I have yet to have a problem with the Warner Archive discs.  They've always been top quality.

Aw, man!  I gotta get this!  "Here Comes Flossie" is worth the price of admission alone.  Hilarious!  Can't wait to get this.

A side-benefit of restorations is getting to see all the little things that dupey 16mm and tape copies haven't revealed.  Video clarity reveals that wedding guest 'Mary' in HERE COMES FLOSSIE is a seconds-long cameo by actress Mary Wickes, who at this point in her career was doing Broadway walk-ons and extra bits.  An undocumented credit, that quite possibly is her first film appearance.

[JazzBill]

Just got mine in the mail. This is almost as good as finding a Stooges short that you have never seen before. I'm also interested in watching the Fatty Arbuckle stuff. I know about him but never have seen any of his material.

[Mark The Shark]

Just received mine as well. As Brent stated, they are DVD-Rs. I just jumped around a little to see what's there, haven't really watched it yet. Unfortunately, I got two of the first DVD. I'll have to drop them an e-mail and see about getting that fixed. I note George Givot (the actor with the thick Greek accent and the catch phrase "How do you like that?" who appears with Curly in Roast-Beef And Movies) is in a short titled (what else) How'd Ya Like That? I'm looking forward to seeing the Arbuckle talkies.

[BeAStooge]

I note George Givot (the actor with the thick Greek accent and the catch phrase "How do you like that?" who appears with Curly in Roast-Beef And Movies) is in a short titled (what else) How'd Ya Like That? I'm looking forward to seeing the Arbuckle talkies.

Givot also costarred in HOLLYWOOD PARTY (1934), as 'Liondora'. 

The girl in HOWD' YA LIKE THAT?, billed with her real name of Dorothy McNulty, is the soon-to-be-renamed Penny Singleton (BLONDIE, THE JETSONS).

[JazzBill]

I got two of the first DVD. I'll have to drop them an e-mail and see about getting that fixed.

That sucks, I'm still watching disc 1. But after reading your post I checked mine out. They got mine right.