NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION
Beware The Batman: Shadows Of Gotham, Season One, Part One (2013) – I can’t keep track of all the different animated incarnations of Batman anymore. This Cartoon Network effort flew completely beneath my radar but it looks kind of cool and I’m sure it’s pretty spectacular looking on Blu-ray.
The Vitaphone Comedy Collection, Volume Two: Shemp Howard (1933-37) – Warner Archive has done a terrific job with their vast library of Vitaphone shorts, collecting them into handsome, themed packages. Their second collection of comedy shorts throws the spotlight on once-and-future Stooge Shemp Howard and includes the popular Joe Palooka shorts, based on the long-running comic strip.
What Price, Hollywood? (1932) – I’ve wanted to see this one for a long time. George Cukor directs this backstage drama about an alcoholic filmmaker (Lowell Sherman) who takes waitress Constance Bennett under his wing and turns her into a star. The plot was essentially recycled a few years later as A Star Is Born.
Americans In Bed (2013) – HBO Documentaries presents… well, Americans in bed. Couples from a wide range of ages, ethnicities and sexual orientations discuss their relationships from the comfort and security of their snuggle-places.
NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES
Margin For Error (1943) – This sounds genuinely odd. Milton Berle plays a Jewish cop assigned to guard the German consulate in New York City run by Otto Preminger, who also directs. This is one of the weirder World War II propaganda movies I’ve heard of.
Mother Wore Tights (1947) – Betty Grable stars in this nostalgic vaudeville musical alongside Dan Dailey. Señor Wences performs as well, thus ensuring that the movie is “S’alright”.
- Adam Jahnke