Walter Lantz News Rumors!

[Nelson]

A source from a classic film web-site has told me that Universal will release the 29 entire feature films of Abbott And Costello in a deluxe dvd collectors set, due in stores starting in January 2004.As of this writing, Universal might also be adding the classic Walter Lantz cartoons(and other Universal short subjects) as a part of the A&C dvd collection.A few years ago, when Univ/MCA released the A&C films on video, the company added a Walter Lantz cartoon short on each of the video cassettes and there's a good chance that the company will do the same for the upcoming dvd editions.If this does happen, then we'll see Universal release 29 classic Lantz cartoons from the 40s and 50s.

As soon as I get a conformation on the possiblity of the Lantz cartoons to be a part of the A&C dvd set, I will post it ASAP! ;)

[Thad Komorowski]

I'll probably be getting a set like this anyways, but the news of possible cartoons makes it even more intriguing! :cool: :woody:

[rodney]

What about the other 7 A&C films?

[Tintin]

Good new for Lantz fans!!! :anime:

[Nelson]

Given the track record in the past several years, Universal has released the b&w Lantz cartoons as well as the technicolor shorts, as part of the saturday matinee(Buck Jones and Abbott & Costello video series) video collectors set.I would be kind shocked if Universal doesn't include any of their own short subjects for this upcoming A&C dvd collection, but my gut feeling, is that they will include the Lantz cartoons on the set, since Univ/MCA home video did that for the video verison of the comedy team's films a few years ago.What I do know is that Universal plans to release all of their films throughout next year...So stay tooned folks!

[Brent]

What about the other 7 A&C films?

Those were not Universal films (eight, actually):
RIO RITA (1942 MGM)
LOST IN A HAREM (1944 MGM)
A&C IN HOLLYWOOD (1945 MGM)
THE NOOSE HANGS HIGH (1948 Eagle Lion/United Artists)
AFRICA SCREAMS (1949 Nassaur/United Artists)
JACK & THE BEANSTALK (1952 Warner Bros)
A&C MEET CAPTAIN KIDD (1952 Warner Bros)
DANCE WITH ME HENRY (1956 United Artists)

And if you count solo films, Lou starred in:
THE 30 FOOT BRIDE OF CANDY ROCK (1959 Columbia)

Universal's collection of 28 films will include THE WORLD OF ABBOTT & COSTELLO (1965) compilation.

The Universal DVD sets will probably not contain IT AIN'T HAY (1943). Universal never released it on VHS due to ongoing licensing issues with the Damon Runyon estate, and music rights. Those issues are still ongoing after almost 20 years, and unlikely to be resolved soon.

(An independent label called Nostalgia Family did release IT AIN'T HAY on VHS a few years ago. They used an old 16mm print and the quality was mediocre. How they got around Runyon and the music copyright holders, I don't know.)

Preliminary insider information indicates there will be no extras, toons or otherwise: two double-sided discs, with maximum compression to fit two films on each side.

All news is preliminary!!! Although Universal included the A&C announcement in a 2004 preview press release last week, they've deleted (temporarily?) the item from their online catalog as of yesterday (10/29). Infers that nothing is final yet.

[JDWeil]

Did anyone mention the "Woody Woodpecker & Friends" collection now available from Columbia House?

[rodney]

The Universal DVD sets will probably not contain IT AIN'T HAY (1943). Universal never released it on VHS due to ongoing licensing issues with the Damon Runyon estate, and music rights. Those issues are still ongoing after almost 20 years, and unlikely to be resolved soon.


I also have It Ain't Hay in my video collection, probably taken from the same source that Nostalgia Family Video used, if anybody is interested.

[Brent]

Preliminary insider information indicates there will be no extras, toons or otherwise: two double-sided discs, with maximum compression to fit two films on each side.



Confirmed. 8 films on 2 double-sided discs.

No Lantz, no extras.