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Sony Releases Lucy Movies, July 5


Shemp

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Sony will release four of Lucy's Columbia movies on July 5, 2011. These will be offered thru the studio's "Columbia Classics" MOD line (DVD-r format). "Columbia Classics" are available at Warner Brothers' Warner Archive online store, via a distribution partnership that began earlier this year; Warner Archive should have the Lucy titles available to purchase on July 5. Sony also distributes "Columbia Classics" thru catalogs (i.e., Critics Choice), and some other online sellers.

 

HER HUSBAND'S AFFAIRS (1947)

MISS GRANT TAKES RICHMOND (1949)

THE FULLER BRUSH GIRL (1950)

THE MAGIC CARPET (1951)

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Sony will release four of Lucy's Columbia movies on July 5, 2011. These will be offered thru the studio's "Columbia Classics" MOD line (DVD-r format). "Columbia Classics" are available at Warner Brothers' Warner Archive online store, via a distribution partnership that began earlier this year; Warner Archive should have the Lucy titles available to purchase on July 5. Sony also distributes "Columbia Classics" thru catalogs (i.e., Critics Choice), and some other online sellers.

 

HER HUSBAND'S AFFAIRS (1947)

MISS GRANT TAKES RICHMOND (1949)

THE FULLER BRUSH GIRL (1950)

THE MAGIC CARPET (1951)

Wow, what a treat! Well for thre out of four anyway. Why the hell would they put Magic Carpet on there? BUT, Fuller Brush Girl on DVD, YEA!

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Wow, what a treat! Well for thre out of four anyway. Why the hell would they put Magic Carpet on there? BUT, Fuller Brush Girl on DVD, YEA!

 

I think that "The Magic Carpet" could be considered Lucille Ball's cult classic so I would want it for a midnight Friday night treat. The other three are essential in completing the Lucille Ball film collection. These films have been long over due.

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Hey, who cares?? We "completists" want the best possible version we can get, and this will do for sure. BRING 'EM ON!! Woohoo!! marionstrong.gif

 

Well at least "Magic Carpet" is in color, has George Tobias (Abner Kravitz) and ONE funny line, perhaps its only attempt at comedy. A doctor is examining one of the townspeople and you can hear him in the background saying "Open your mouth and say Ahhh-libaba."

Well, at least they tried.

The awkward kiss between the villains, future TV stars/Emmy winners Lucy and Raymond Burr at his tubbiest, is worth the price! If "I Love Lucy" had not happened or had not been a success.....what would have become of Lucy's career? I mean, where do you go from "Magic Carpet"?? "I figger whenever you're down and out, the only way is up" does not necessarily apply to a show business career.

But it's interesting to watch this knowing Lucy was pregnant and just a few months away from the biggest success of her life, after an 18 year "apprenticeship" where everything she learned and observed would come together.

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Well at least "Magic Carpet" is in color, has George Tobias (Abner Kravitz) and ONE funny line, perhaps its only attempt at comedy. A doctor is examining one of the townspeople and you can hear him in the background saying "Open your mouth and say Ahhh-libaba."

Well, at least they tried.

The awkward kiss between the villains, future TV stars/Emmy winners Lucy and Raymond Burr at his tubbiest, is worth the price! If "I Love Lucy" had not happened or had not been a success.....what would have become of Lucy's career? I mean, where do you go from "Magic Carpet"?? "I figger whenever you're down and out, the only way is up" does not necessarily apply to a show business career.

But it's interesting to watch this knowing Lucy was pregnant and just a few months away from the biggest success of her life, after an 18 year "apprenticeship" where everything she learned and observed would come together.

It IS??? In color that is?? I didn't know that!! Yeah! marionstrong.gif

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I wonder if everybody here knows the backstory to her making this er, you should excuse the spression, M O V I E !

Well I would imagine, since most of us are hardcore fans of one stripe or another but perhaps some of the younguns don't know...which is a good reason to pick up one of the books being reissued for the 60th/100th celebrations, such as the Desilu book (I know, I know, not your fave book but still...it's full of facts, like 'em or not!) :D

They also expound on the real true love story of Regis & Kelly, recent Emmy winners....but I digress. marionstrong.gif

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Well I would imagine, since most of us are hardcore fans of one stripe or another but perhaps some of the younguns don't know...which is a good reason to pick up one of the books being reissued for the 60th/100th celebrations, such as the Desilu book (I know, I know, not your fave book but still...it's full of facts, like 'em or not!) :D

They also expound on the real true love story of Regis & Kelly, recent Emmy winners....but I digress. marionstrong.gif

In the words of Vito Scotti, SHADDUPA YOU FACE. Too much crap from herbie kenwith and moron thompson in Desilu for my likng but yes, most of the book is very good.

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Lucy had a three picture deal at Columbia, had done two and wanted desperately to do Greatest Show On earth with the greatest director, Cecil B Demille. But could not be released from her Columbia contract unless she gave up the 85 thousand dollar salary, harry cohn made sure she was only offered crap to ensure her saying no and losing the salary. So, Lucy, never one to miss an opportunity to make money, and then be free to do Greatest Show with Demille said yes to this horrid contract breaker of a script for this trash called Magic Carpet, written by a professional writer who wrote junk to get a no from whatever actor was offered the role. Lucy said yes, even though her salary ate most of the budget, she knew it was a contract breaker but could not have cared less. Harry refused to loan her out to do Greatest show although he had done it before. The writer even offered to make the script better for her but not wanting to waste time, she did it AS IS and risked her rep although her waist kept expanding and the harem costumes had to be expanded every day as she gained weight from her being PREGNANT. If cohn had found out she could have been fired on the spot, that's what they did to you when you were a pregnant actress back then. So, she finished the picture in almost no time at all, and then told cohn she was preggars after she got her cheque. But then the zinger, she could no longer do Greatest Show as she was pregnant and this is where the maker of Bible movies Cecil B Demille said to her and especially Desi, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE THE ONLY MAN TO EVER F*** HIS WIFE, HARRY COHN AND COLUMBIA PICTURES, ME AND PARAMOUNT PICTURES ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

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The thing that's always been a mystery about this Columbia situation is: Why would Cohn want to get out of it so badly in the first place? I've never known the grosses vs. the costs, but you'd think "Miss Grant" and "Fuller" would have been cheap enough to make that they would have turned at least some profit. I know the producer of both S. Sylvan Simon (not sure of name) had died, but unless the movies didn't do well I wouldn't think that would weight into it. She could certainly have done "Greatest Show" and come back to finish her third picture in the deal. She had no way of knowing at this point ILL would take off like it did...and wouldn't Columbia have been the winner in that scenario!!

Does anyone know a way to find out how much these movies made?

BTW, $85,000 translates with inflation to $760,000 today.

 

Lucy had a three picture deal at Columbia, had done two and wanted desperately to do Greatest Show On earth with the greatest director, Cecil B Demille. But could not be released from her Columbia contract unless she gave up the 85 thousand dollar salary, harry cohn made sure she was only offered crap to ensure her saying no and losing the salary. So, Lucy, never one to miss an opportunity to make money, and then be free to do Greatest Show with Demille said yes to this horrid contract breaker of a script for this trash called Magic Carpet, written by a professional writer who wrote junk to get a non from whatever actor was offered the role. Lucy said yes, even though her salary ate most of the budget, she knew it was a contract breaker but could not have cared less. Harry refused to loan her out to do Greatest show although he had done it before. The writer even offered to make the script better for her but not wanting to waste time, she did it AS IS and risked her rep although her waist kept expanding and the harem costumes had to be expanded every day as she gained weight from her being PREGNANT. If cohn had found out she could have been fired on the spot, that's what they did to you when you were a pregnant actress back then. So, she finished the picture in almost no time at all, and then told cohn she was preggars after she got her cheque. But then the zinger, she could no longer do Greatest Show as she was pregnant and this is where the maker of Bible movies Cecil B Demille said to her and especially Desi, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE THE ONLY MAN TO EVER F*** HIS WIFE, HARRY COHN AND COLUMBIA PICTURES, ME AND PARAMOUNT PICTURES ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

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The thing that's always been a mystery about this Columbia situation is: Why would Cohn want to get out of it so badly in the first place? I've never known the grosses vs. the costs, but you'd think "Miss Grant" and "Fuller" would have been cheap enough to make that they would have turned at least some profit. I know the producer of both S. Sylvan Simon (not sure of name) had died, but unless the movies didn't do well I wouldn't think that would weight into it. She could certainly have done "Greatest Show" and come back to finish her third picture in the deal. She had no way of knowing at this point ILL would take off like it did...and wouldn't Columbia have been the winner in that scenario!!

Does anyone know a way to find out how much these movies made?

BTW, $85,000 translates with inflation to $760,000 today.

Because he would not loan her out to Paramount for Greatest show and she couldn't do it for them while under contract for him i guess. Funny that harry's name came up again when he was a prospective buyer for RKO bidding against Desi and Lucy and they grabbed it before ge could. Funny part two is that SONY which had bought Columbia later on owned the Culver City lot bought by Desi when it was part of RKO.

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Because he would not loan her out to Paramount for Greatest show and she couldn't do it for them while under contract for him i guess. Funny that harry's name came up again when he was a prospective buyer for RKO bidding against Desi and Lucy and they grabbed it before ge could. Funny part two is that SONY which had bought Columbia later on owned the Culver City lot bought by Desi when it was part of RKO.

 

Wasn't she signed to make 3 Columbia Comedies?... And for some reason the 3rd comedy picture fell through.. and Cohn wanted her to break her contract for some reason.. that is why she recieved the script for "The Magic Carpet" and when she told Cohn that she'd love to do it, he damn near went into SHOCK! I may be in the minority.. but I FREAKIN LOVE ... "The Magic Carpet".. What a fun saturday matinee type movie.. I just love how cheesey this picture is. I can just see it on a double bill on a saturday matinee in a old tyme movie theatre when it was first released. I am so glad all of these pictures are coming to dvd, as a matter of fact.. they all seem to me to be matinee or double feature type films... but sometimes the corny and ridiculous are the most entertaining!!!! I have read that Cohn was basically despised by most every actor, writer, and producer in Hollywood... when he died, his funeral had a HUGE turnout.. prompting Red Skelton to quip: "It just goes to show.. give the people what they want and they'll turn out for it!"

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p.s - I have a question for everybody - If Lucy had NEVER done any TV series and just continued doing movies, do you think she would be popular today and would this Lucy Lounge exist? What are your thoughts?

 

Very interesting question.. my feeling is NO.. afterall, it took I Love Lucy to catapult her into the stardom stratusphere... She surpassed all her contemporaries through the new medium of television. I don't think her movie roles or radio roles or even stage roles allowed her the intimacy with the audience the way Lucy Ricardo did.. and let's go further with this topic.. Do you ever wonder if I Love Lucy wasn't made originally on film she would have attained such heights? I mean.. if it were kinescoped or live and not re-run fifty times a day would we have this love affair with this actress?? I truely like most all of Miss Ball's work (radio, tv, and film).. I just don't think I would be interested in exploring her other work if I didn't like I Love Lucy in the first place. And, I wonder if her contemporaries like Ginger Rodgers or Bette Davis or Joan Crawford or Barbara Stanwyck could have played Lucy Ricardo as effectively... (Debbie Reynolds is the only one I can think of who could pull it off..) I guess you can tell.. this is something I ponder often.. now if only I could use my powers on something constructive..hehe

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Very interesting question.. my feeling is NO.. afterall, it took I Love Lucy to catapult her into the stardom stratusphere... She surpassed all her contemporaries through the new medium of television. I don't think her movie roles or radio roles or even stage roles allowed her the intimacy with the audience the way Lucy Ricardo did.. and let's go further with this topic.. Do you ever wonder if I Love Lucy wasn't made originally on film she would have attained such heights? I mean.. if it were kinescoped or live and not re-run fifty times a day would we have this love affair with this actress?? I truely like most all of Miss Ball's work (radio, tv, and film).. I just don't think I would be interested in exploring her other work if I didn't like I Love Lucy in the first place. And, I wonder if her contemporaries like Ginger Rodgers or Bette Davis or Joan Crawford or Barbara Stanwyck could have played Lucy Ricardo as effectively... (Debbie Reynolds is the only one I can think of who could pull it off..) I guess you can tell.. this is something I ponder often.. now if only I could use my powers on something constructive..hehe

 

Good question! But, I think I Love Lucy is shown on TV "50 times a day" simply because it is a great show, no other reason. At the same time though, there are still lots of comedies back then that are still shown on TV now and I'm sure there are many other forums out there for those TV shows/leading stars etc.

 

Normally though, most original shows are always the best and the follow on shows never gain as much attention, so yes, I'm sure if I Love Lucy wasn't great or we didn't like it, then we would not have as much interest in Lucille Ball. No, I don't think any of the actresses you have listed could have played Lucy Ricardo as well, apart from Debbie Reynolds and I also would add Doris Day.

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Good question! But, I think I Love Lucy is shown on TV "50 times a day" simply because it is a great show, no other reason. At the same time though, there are still lots of comedies back then that are still shown on TV now and I'm sure there are many other forums out there for those TV shows/leading stars etc.

 

Normally though, most original shows are always the best and the follow on shows never gain as much attention, so yes, I'm sure if I Love Lucy wasn't great or we didn't like it, then we would not have as much interest in Lucille Ball. No, I don't think any of the actresses you have listed could have played Lucy Ricardo as well, apart from Debbie Reynolds and I also would add Doris Day.

Good gravy marie, not Debbie, nor the exquisite Doris could have done better than Lucy with the role. NOBODY in Hollywood could have had more success or had the talent required to turn out the masterpiece series that was ILL, she was the greatest in that role and nobody could touch her. I also think had she not done TV, she still would have made more movies and wound up on some other tv show eventually. She was a hard worker who loved nothing more than keep working in a town that ate it's major stars, but she would have persevered and endured anyway, she just happened to find the perfect role for her instead.

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p.s - I have a question for everybody - If Lucy had NEVER done any TV series and just continued doing movies, do you think she would be popular today and would this Lucy Lounge exist? What are your thoughts?

 

WOW........what a question!!!! JK

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:ill::ill::ill:

Good gravy marie, not Debbie, nor the exquisite Doris could have done better than Lucy with the role. NOBODY in Hollywood could have had more success or had the talent required to turn out the masterpiece series that was ILL, she was the greatest in that role and nobody could touch her. I also think had she not done TV, she still would have made more movies and wound up on some other tv show eventually. She was a hard worker who loved nothing more than keep working in a town that ate it's major stars, but she would have persevered and endured anyway, she just happened to find the perfect role for her instead.

Oh i absolutely agree with all that Claude and i'm sure we'd all be here honoring her anyway as anything she touched turned to GOLD and the only reason ILL turned out to be the greatest tv comedy of all time was because the greatest comedienne of all time was in it. :peachonthebeach::professor::lucydesi::ill:

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Sony will release four of Lucy's Columbia movies on July 5, 2011. These will be offered thru the studio's "Columbia Classics" MOD line (DVD-r format). "Columbia Classics" are available at Warner Brothers' Warner Archive online store, via a distribution partnership that began earlier this year; Warner Archive should have the Lucy titles available to purchase on July 5. Sony also distributes "Columbia Classics" thru catalogs (i.e., Critics Choice), and some other online sellers.

 

HER HUSBAND'S AFFAIRS (1947)

MISS GRANT TAKES RICHMOND (1949)

THE FULLER BRUSH GIRL (1950)

THE MAGIC CARPET (1951)

 

Fantastic news!!

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