HarryCarter Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 Thank you for all the hard work you put into these Blu-rays, Tom! They are just phenomenal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desiluforever Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 Regarding the audio commentary -- This is one of my personal favorite things on this set. (Okay, maybe I have a dozen personal favorite things, but this is certainly one of them!) The sad thing is that there are not a dozen more just like it. It's a very melancholy experience for me because (1) I want to hear more! and (2) I had the privilege of knowing many of the participants and most of them are gone now -- so this was like a trip down memory lane! Happily, we DO have one more half-hour commentary -- about the chocolate factory show -- and it will be included on the Season Two set... Am so happy we were able to use these on our sets... They really are wonderful! Very thorough and well done.... love listening to them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Hepburn Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 They're actual audio commentaries?!?! I thought they were comprised of interviews... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 There are two commentaries -- one for "TV Commercial" and one for "Chocolate Factory"... There is also a very nicely produced audio documentary that Bart (Andrews) produced, pulling together material recorded at the time of these commentaries, plus audio clips from many other sources... It is a very interesting 60-minute documentary about "the making of 'I Love Lucy.'" Because this is a video disc, we programmed this one-hour documentary to play like a commetary, set to the video portions of the first two episodes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 When the commentaries were used on the Criterion set, did they also incorporate the Philip Morris opening or was that done for this wondaful set? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 When the commentaries were used on the Criterion set, did they also incorporate the Philip Morris opening or was that done for this wondaful set? I believe it used a Philip Morris opening, but am not sure it was this exact one... Also, the middle commercial was NOT the correct one on the Criterion disc. For that release, they placed some Lucy-Desi commercials in the middle (as well as the end), probably just to give viewers "more bang for their buck." (They were using only the two episodes -- so they wanted to include as much Lucy and Desi as possible.) We have the luxury of including all 35 season one episodes -- so we are including everything from each of the broadcasts as they actually were... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nertz2mertz Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 I really enjoyed watching these episodes as they were seen when they were first broadcast. I'm really amazed how nice the pilot episode looks compared to the Kinescope version and the sound is fenomonal. The episodes themselves are crisp and clear with the exception of a few graininess but overall it was awesome! Good job guys!! I can't , I can't get over how clear the picture is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 I've seen these episodes a zillion times over the years, so it is always something of a treat to see little, seemingly insignificant, details that suddenly come to life with these High-Def transfers. The very first shot of the first show (technically episode 2) has Lucy doing the dinner dishes... I was kinda charmed to see that she was using Duz detergent. The back of the box reads "Duz does everything." I remember that brand from my childhood. My mother used it on occasion, altho I do not think it survived very far into the 1950s... Even Lucy seems to have changed brands: by episode 25 ("Pioneer Women"), which opens with much the same first scene, Lucy is doing the dishes with something called Glide. That one I don't remember! But it's fun to finally see these little details! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 I wonder if new commentaries couldn't be commissioned for subsequent seasons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 I wonder if new commentaries couldn't be commissioned for subsequent seasons? Technically, yes -- but there are very few "original players" left to hear from. Most of the "I Love Lucy" cast, crew, writers, directors, etc. are all deceased. There are one or two still with us, but not really enough to do an interesting commentary. Certainly nothing like the "multi-voiced" commentaries that Bart was able to produce back in 1991. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 Sure, of course. I meant perhaps commentaries by TV historians, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 Like for instance you Tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 Like for instance you Tom. I second this idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 Just watched the Original Broadcast version of Ricky Asks For A Raise and thought it was interesting that the voiceover during the credits said, "Mr. Littlefield was played by Gale Gordon, Mrs. Littlefield was played by Edith Meiser, and the Head Waiter was played by Maurice Marsac", whereas there's the well-known flub in the Heart-on-Satin credits that says "... and William was played by Maurice Marsac." I always assumed that flub was there from the beginning. Cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 I second this idea! Thanks for the thought! The most I would be comfortable doing is the type of "host" chore that Bart does in these Criterion recordings. We'd still need other people to participate -- and when everyone is offering secondhand or second generation thoughts/opinions, things can often veer off into "psycho-babble." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 Just watched the Original Broadcast version of Ricky Asks For A Raise and thought it was interesting that the voiceover during the credits said, "Mr. Littlefield was played by Gale Gordon, Mrs. Littlefield was played by Edith Meiser, and the Head Waiter was played by Maurice Marsac", whereas there's the well-known flub in the Heart-on-Satin credits that says "... and William was played by Maurice Marsac." I always assumed that flub was there from the beginning. Cool! Great catch! The "new" voice-overs were probably done when the heart-on-satin elements were installed... The original v/o's were probably mixed with the music tracks, etc., and needed to be replaced. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 So it's just past noon here in LA....has anyone out there found this in a "brick & mortar" store (i.e. Target, Walmart, Best Buy etc. etc.)??? Or do those who have them in their hot little hands get them online??? GETTING EXCITED!!! Well no one responded but I'll share that I scoped out both Target and Best Buy to see if these were even stocked and happily, good ol' Target came through and had several copies on the shelf going for about $80, which seems to be around the price point most retailers have set the "sale" price at. Sadly however, at least at my local Best Buy there were NO copies in sight. Mine has shipped but sadly is not scheduled to arrive till next week!!! Don't know if I can stand to wait much longer after hearing all these stellar reviews and comments but...guess I'll have to just live vicariously till then. Keep those cards & letters coming!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 I've only watched one episode and I'm completely in love. The original broadcast option is a dream come true for me, I absolutely love seeing what was shown the very night these aired. Very nice to see The Very First Show special on this first disc. Very excited to hear the commentary also. But like everyone else those costume and makeup tests were worth the $60! You see so much of Lucille Ball, then she gives you a taste of those signature Lucy Ricardo looks. The thing that got me was the Lucy and Desi parts of the tests. You can see the love and excitement they had. Two people so in love, making their dream come true. The kissing, the biting, the studying of each other's faces, everything. You just see pure magic between these two. It's nice seeing them as the Arnazes not just the Ricardo's. Those tests were one of the most remarkable things to be released for the world to see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 By the way, absolutely fabulous banner!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 Mine has shipped but sadly is not scheduled to arrive till next week!!! Are they sending it by carrier pigeon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 Pony express. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 UPS. Given I ordered it just yesterday finding that great Target special someone posted on here I'm not complaining!! Hopefully it'll turn up early --I was hoping by Saturday by the latest so I could savor it this weekend -- but it is UPS we're talking about here so I'm not holding my breath!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowpeck Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 My set is waiting for me when I get home from work today... bought it Sunday night from that Target deal I posted and UPS dropped it off this morning. Cannot wait! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 My set is waiting for me when I get home from work today... bought it Sunday night from that Target deal I posted and UPS dropped it off this morning. Cannot wait!That's where I purchased it too. It'll go up to $79.99 within the next couple weeks though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 Bought my target copy Sunday late and will arrive tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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