The Busby Berkeley Collection (Footlight Parade / Gold Diggers of 1933 / Dames / Gold Diggers of 1935 / 42nd Street)

Amazon.com

The Busby Berkeley Collection celebrates the work of one of the most visually inventive director-choreographers in the history of film. The centerpiece is of course 42nd Street (1933). This is the quintessential backstage musical in which young Peggy Sawyer (Ruby Keeler) goes from wide-eyed chorus girl to leading lady, urged by Warner Baxter, "You're going out there a youngster, but you've got to come back a star!" A cast that also includes Dick Powell and Ginger Rogers (when she was an RKO contract player and before she teamed up with Fred Astaire) performs "Shuffle Off to Buffalo, " "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me," and the title tune, in which Keeler tap-dances on a black surface that turns out to be the roof of a car. Berkeley's numbers are known for their kaleidoscopic patterns, their stark black-and-white contrast, and their sheer sense of spectacle. But more than anything, they're known for their celebration of women. By the dozens, they dance, play pianos, frolic in waterfalls, and, in some of the most overtly sexual numbers, stand spread-eagled in a line as the camera passes through their legs. In many ways, the title song from Dames sums it up best: "What do you go for / to see a show for? / Tell the truth, you go to see those beautiful dames."

While Berkeley choreographed and directed the musical sequences in these films, the plot sections were generally directed by others such as Lloyd Bacon. Keeler and Powell were the most frequent headliners, supported by character players such as Joan Blondell, Guy Kibbee, and Ned Sparks, and most of the songs were contributed by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. The stories aren't much, usually revolving around the putting-together of a musical show as well as the lives and loves of chorus girls. The term "gold diggers," which is the source of the title of two of the films included in this set, refers unflatteringly to chorus girls in search of wealthy husbands.

Gold Diggers of 1933 opens with a justly famous shot of Ginger Rogers wearing an outfit of coins and singing "We're in the Money" first in English then in pig Latin. Gold Diggers of 1935 is capped by "The Lullaby of Broadway," a 14-minute story-within-a-story that seems one of the inspirations for Singin' in the Rain's "Broadway Melody." Dames (1934) has the aforementioned title tune as well as "I Only Have Eyes for You" (with Powell singing to dozens of Keeler faces). Footlight Parade changes things up a bit by starring James Cagney as a producer desperately cranking out musical numbers. Keeler and Powell emerge from their bit-character roles to headline two of the big productions stacked together at the end, while Cagney replaces Powell in the third, showing off the vaudeville hoofing skills he would use later in 1942's Yankee Doodle Dandy.

DVD supplements are generous. The sixth disc is the 163-minute Busby Berkely Disc, a former laserdisc program that collects just the musical numbers from nine films without the plot filler. Most of the numbers are already included in the films in this collection, but there are also one number each from Fashions of 1934, Wonder Bar, In Caliente, and Gold Diggers of 1937. Also on the discs are new and old featurettes (one tracks the development of 42nd Street from book to screen to stage), and vintage cartoons and shorts (one promotional short has Berkeley on-screen talking up Dames). Picture quality is about the same as on the Astaire and Rogers Collection, Vol. 1: good for the age of the material, but with noticeable fuzz and print damage. --David Horiuchi

Description

The Busby Berkeley Collection is a 6-disc compilation of five remastered Warner Bros. classics from one of the greatest motion picture choreographers of all time.

Customer Reviews:

Great transfers and Busby Berkeley. Wow........2007-08-07

Pre-code humor, sexy gals, nutso characters and those incredible dance numbers from the master. The transfers are exceptional clean. If you love these early Warner Bros. musicals, then this set is for you. 42nd Street is the centerpiece with it's backstage tension, great music and great dance numbers. And catch Jimmy Cagney in Footlight Parade. Cagney adds pacing that isn't there in the other films and his dancing is on display, especially his number with Zigfield Follies star, Ruby Keeler.
Highly recommended for Pre-code fans and for musical fans.

Stunning collection.......2007-07-17

I don't really think I can add more to the some of the technical reviews already here except to give you my personal impressions. As one of those baby boomers that never disrespected my elders accomplishments this was just the collection I was looking for. Their music was better, their acting was better, and I think in a way, their lives. My parents worked hard, lived during the Depression, faught in WWII, and all the while enjoyed life. No 65 hour work weeks for them and they did have and go to many parties. Probably more than I ever will. Anyway, these shows on this collection lets me live some of that time with them.

Technically the sound is perfect, the same for the video. Not sure, but these may have been remastered. If you enjoy music you can understand and have ever enjoyed a good play, buy this collection.

Ruby and Jimmy Rule.......2007-07-09

This is a great collection, especially the films with Ruby Keeler ("42nd Street", "Dames", etc.) and "Footlight Parade" with James Cagney, whose acting and hoofing steal the latter film. Joan Blondell's wisecracking, "seen it all" characters are a highlight in several movies.

Some of the more racist cartoons such as "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" are included among the collection's special features. Despite Warner Brothers disclaimer that these films represent the attitudes of the era they were made in, some cartoons would have been better off staying in the vault. Nowadays, they are more offensive than funny.

The special features commentary by various cinema and dance mavens is quite helpful. I'm especially glad John Walters is included among the commentators. His pithy, insightful comments demonstrate an insider's knowledge of Berkeley's complex camera work.

Good Musicals - Great Musical Numbers!.......2007-06-17

Having enjoyed these films for years on Laser Disc, along with a fabulous, if edited, Laser Disc special of Berkeley's greatest dance numbers, I can give a wholehearted 5 stars for this CD set. Again, the dance numbers are the standouts and the reason for purchase, though the plots are better than the average musical.
However, none of the plots are going to hold you quite like the big numbers. The remarkable showpiece presentations will be the thing that has you going back to this set time and time again. My guess is you'll pull out the 163 minute Special more than all the films combined.

Ruby, Dick, Joan and Busby OH MY.......2007-05-13

Every old movie buff's wet dream-
The movies are great enough to own but the extra interviews and shorts are worth the price-

James Cagney - The Signature Collection (The Bride Came C.O.D. / Captains of the Clouds / The Fighting 69th / Torrid Zone / The West Point Story)

Average customer rating:

Excellent, but...................
A Collector's Find
Cagney at his best
What about the other Cagney films by Warner that aren't even on VHS?
James Cagney - The Signature Collection

James Cagney - The Signature Collection (The Bride Came C.O.D. / Captains of the Clouds / The Fighting 69th / Torrid Zone / The West Point Story)
Starring: James Cagney , and Jimmy Cagney
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Signature Collections | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000MTEFV4
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

Spanning a lively decade in the career of one of Hollywood's greatest stars, The James Cagney Signature Collection highlights Cagney's versatility beyond the gangster roles he was best known for. You won't find any of Jimmy's hard-boiled classics in this five-disc set, but you'll find plenty to enjoy, with each film given the care and respect we've come to expect from Warner Bros.' archival DVD releases. From the World War I heroism of The Fighting 69th to the musical extravaganza The West Point Story, these five films represent fully one-third of Cagney's movie output from 1940 to 1950, and they're all above-average showcases for Cagney's enduring appeal. For sheer entertainment value, the best of the bunch is 1940's Torrid Zone, a still-delightful comedy teaming Jimmy with his best pal Pat O'Brien and Hollywood's "Oomph Girl," Ann Sheridan, in a savvy send-up of tropical adventure. Cagney loved working with O'Brien (who also costars in The Fighting 69th), and this collection also highlights Cagney's generous penchant for surrounding himself with some of Hollywood's best-loved character actors, like George Tobias, Alan Hale (Sr. and Jr.), George Brent, and others. And while 1941's The Bride Came C.O.D. teamed Cagney and Bette Davis for the second and final time (resulting in a breezy comedy that shows both stars at their most endearing), 1942's Captains of the Clouds is a standard-yet-sturdy example of Hollywood's wartime patriotism, with Cagney (in his first Technicolor feature) as a seasoned pilot recruited into the Royal Canadian Air Force. The latest film in this batch, 1950's The West Point Story, was conspicuously promoted to capitalize on Cagney's Oscar-winning role in 1942's Yankee Doodle Dandy, and while it's the most dated movie in this set, it's still got plenty to offer in terms of Cagney's unique style of showmanship.

As with previous Signature Collections, Warner Bros. has done a spectacular job of bringing these films to DVD. Picture and sound quality are uniformly superb throughout, and each film is accompanied by a variety of "Night at the Movies" short subjects, specifically organized to approximate the experience of seeing these films in their original theatrical context. Vintage newsreels, Warner Bros. cartoons (both "Looney Tunes" and/or "Merrie Melodies"), documentary shorts, and movie trailers are all included here, some seen for the first time in decades and chronologically corresponding to the feature presentation. No other studio cares for its library as passionately as Warner Bros., and The James Cagney Signature Collection is further proof that there's a wide and appreciative audience for DVD sets that showcase great stars while honoring Hollywood's history and the nostalgic pleasure of "a night at the movies." --Jeff Shannon

Description

Warner Home Video will honor one of America's greatest motion picture stars with the release of James Cagney: The Signature Collection. The Oscar® winning screen icon comes to life in this collection that includes five new-to-DVD films - The Bride Came C.O.D., Captain of the Clouds, The Fighting 69th, Torrid Zone and The West Point Story. Cagney's versatile talent is on display opposite a star-studded array of screen favorites including Bette Davis, Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Virginia Mayo, Ann Sheridan and Pat O'Brien. Special features on each title in the Collection include the entertaining "Warner Night at the Movies" short subject galleries with vintage newsreels, vault treasures and classic cartoons.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent, but..........................2007-08-24

I agree with most of the comments by cody jarret and calvinnme. I would have preferred "Strawberry Blonde" and "Oklahoma Kid" over "Fighting 69th" and "Bride Came COD". Let's hope for a second volume PLUS a couple of sets of early 30s Cagney films. There are plenty to choose from.

And I love the slim cases.

A Collector's Find.......2007-06-30

I'm a serious collector of movies. Not only does this collection contain movies not available before on DVD, it also contains many cartoons and short subjects which were not previously available on DVD. I highly recommend this collection.

Cagney at his best.......2007-05-23

Cagney from a bygone Hollywood era appears asgeless and timeless in this series. J.C. was one of the movies all time greats and this Cagney series is what Hollywood should be producing today. Cagney,Stewart. Wayne, Fonda (Henry that is ) and Bogart knew how to make movies that pleased their audiences. This Cagney series is a collectors treasure that every move buff will want to have in their collecton. This is a buy, AND HOW !!!!!!!

What about the other Cagney films by Warner that aren't even on VHS?.......2007-05-21

I'm happy enough with this collection, but this is not the top tier of Cagney films. The best of the bunch is "The Fighting 69th" and "Torrid Zone", which just happens to feature the on-screen rapport of Cagney and Pat O'Brien. "Captains of the Clouds" is a good enough if uneven film with a very good performance by Cagney taking his tough-guy persona into war. "The Bride Came C.O.D." and "West Point Story" would be pretty forgettable story-wise if it were not for Cagney's performances. "West Point Story" is actually a musical. With the exception of "West Point Story", these films were all made around 1940, which doesn't give you as good a view of Cagney's evolution as an actor as this set could have if the selection had come from the full twenty year plus period that Cagney was making films now under the control of Warner Home Video.

The problem is, as others have mentioned, that many of Cagney's best known films controlled by Warner Brothers are already boxed up in The Warner Gangsters, Warner Legends, Tough Guys, and even the Busby Berkeley (Footlight Parade) and Henry Fonda Signature (Mr. Roberts) collections. However, there are many great Cagney titles that I'm pretty sure Warner Bros. still has the DVD rights to that we havent seen yet. Among the ones I'm looking for are Cagney's pre-codes including "Blonde Crazy", "Picture Snatcher", and "Taxi!". "Picture Snatcher" and "Taxi!" aren't even on VHS. From the 1950's Warner Bros. controls the rights to "Come Fill the Cup" and "These Wilder Years", neither of which are on VHS, but are great showcases of Cagney's talent in more mature roles. Warner Bros. also controls the already mentioned and essential "Oklahoma Kid" and "Strawberry Blonde". The only thing I can figure is that (a) The pre-codes are perhaps going to be part of the next planned "Forbidden Hollywood" collection and/or (b) there is a volume two of Cagney's films planned. I just hope that in the case of Cagney films put on DVD by Warner Home Video in the future that commentary is included. The lack of it in this set is really my chief complaint.

In summary, if you are a Cagney completist, then by all means get this set. If you are looking for more definitive Cagney films and a better introduction to the actor's work, then start with the Warner Gangsters and then the Tough Guy collections.

James Cagney - The Signature Collection.......2007-05-14

A nice collection of James Cagney movies that promotes support for our troops during the early wars. Not his typical gangster movie. A nice change.

The James Cagney Collection: The Time of Your Life/Blood on the Sun/Something to Sing About

Average customer rating:

GOOD ROAN QUALITY

The James Cagney Collection: The Time of Your Life/Blood on the Sun/Something to Sing About
Starring: James Cagney , William Bendix , Wayne Morris , Jeanne Cagney , and Broderick Crawford
Director: H.C. Potter , Victor Schertzinger , and Frank Lloyd
Manufacturer: ROAN
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 6305436460
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Customer Reviews:

GOOD ROAN QUALITY.......2004-09-07

These movies are issued by a myriad of companies. I only have this set so I can't comment on the comparative quality. I can state that I am satisfied with the quality of this Roan set. That is, the images are mostly crisp and there wasn't much hiss. The price is a plus also.

I Liked "Time of Your Life" best. It has a good quirky cast and plot. The acting is also first rate. It has a certain stage play feel to it.

"Blood On The Sun" is a more than adequate suspense yarn.

"Something to Sing About" is a fun movie. Its kind of a comedy-musical-drama. Nothing too serious.

[Double Feature DVD] James Cagney in Time Of Your Life & Blood On The Sun

Average customer rating:

[Double Feature DVD] James Cagney in Time Of Your Life & Blood On The Sun

Manufacturer: Family Value Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0008F68ZS

Product Description

Blood on the Sun (1945) Nick Condon is a newspaper reporter working in Tokyo who refuses to toe the Japanese line on the expansionist policies of the anti-democratic Imperialist government. When it become clear to the authorities that Condon isn't going to cooperate and that he has some valuable information and contacts, they decide to get him in their clutches for some interrogations and then dispose of him. Time of Your Life (1948) A dramatic comedy adapted by Nathaniel Curtis from a William Saroyan play. Noted by critics, but slow in getting the respect of movie goers and some Saroyan fans. Joe (James Cagney) holds court at Nicks (William Bendix) little neighborhood saloon. Joe manipulates all who share time and space near him. Action gravitates around Joe. No visual sign of support, but all the while Joe is the positive influence in so many lives. Talk about a potluck of characters: Wayne Morse, Broderick Crawford, Ward Bond, Jimmy Lydon and Jeanne Cagney. James Barton is hilarious as the affable old cowboy. And the man playing the piano is Reginald Beane in his one and only movie. Respectable black and white glimpse of life in the neighborhood.

Average customer rating:

A large collection with mixed reviews on quality

250 Movie Family Collection
Starring: Stan Laurel; Keystone Kops; Carol Lombard; James Cagney
Director: Peter Sellers
Manufacturer: Mill Creek Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Customer Reviews:

A large collection with mixed reviews on quality.......2007-02-25

The only information I can find on this set is an ad on TigerDirect. If that ad is for this product, it is actually 250 movies plus 100 TV episodes. It is a bundle of six previously released movie and TV packs:

1. Family Classics 50 Movie Pack released in 2004, 16 dollars
2. All Stars 50 Movie Pack, released in 2004, 26 dollars
3. Comedy Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection, released 2004, 13 dollars
4. Hollywood Legends 50 Movie Pack, released 2004, 19 dollars
5. Musicals Classics 50 Movie Pack, released 2005, 19 dollars
6. TV Favorites Megapack 100 Episodes Collection, released 2004, 27 dollars

The prices come from what this site is currently charging for each of these products individually. If you read all of the comments by reviewers of these individual bundles it seems to boil down to this - people seem satisfied overall with these bundles, although they are the least satisfied with the "All Stars" and "Hollywood Legends" collection. More than a few people are upset with the video quality, and pretty much everyone agrees these are all B movies, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are not entertaining. The cost on this site for buying the entire bundle is significantly less than buying the sets separately at a cost of 120 dollars. However, TigerDirect has this same exact set on sale for 50 dollars. Also, I'm familiar with quite a few of the titles, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want your kids breaking open just any of these DVDs if you are not familiar with some of the movies. In some cases the topics can be rather mature, though nothing worse than anything you would see in a movie from the 1960's. I am assigning a three star rating because it seems that you get great quantity, but only so-so and in some cases poor video quality, and average to above average entertainment quality. My personal experience with this manufacturer's product is that I have the Comedy Classics and Horror Classics sets, and I have been pretty happy with both of them. The video quality is good but not great, as is the quality of the movies themselves. I'd give both of those two sets four stars, but then I wasn't expecting Kino Home Video quality either.

DVD:

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