Four Classic Musicals/One Blu-ray Collection

Blu-ray collector communities are buzzing in anticipation of the March 3 release of this spectacular Blu-ray Musicals Collection. Warner Home Video salutes Hollywood’s golden era of musicals in the best home entertainment quality, something that fans of the genre have long been clamoring for.

This impressive set kicks off with Cole Porter’s 1953 hit, Kiss Me Kate, which is being released on Blu-ray for the first time, and also in both its original 3D format and 2D (for those not yet in the 3D TV market). As Jeff Baker, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Theatrical Catalog, points out the Kiss Me Kate 3D presentation is breaking new ground in the home entertainment universe, noting, “It once seemed impossible to recreate the true 3D experience for the home viewer. Rekindled interest sparked by contemporary 3D now makes it viable for vintage films that were actually shot in 3D—not converted—to be presented in the home in the same fashion. Warner has been a market leader in this area, and we’re delighted to have the opportunity to offer the highly requested Kiss Me Kate in Blu-ray 3D.”

Also included in the set are The Band Wagon and Calamity Jane, both making their own Blu-ray debuts, and the incomparable Singin’ in the Rain.

Kiss Me Kate, one of the jewels in the Warner library, joins Dial M For Murder and House of Wax as the third restoration by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) of films originally shot in 3D. The Band Wagon was also restored by MPI, using the renowned Ultra Resolution process. Ultra Resolution, nominated for a Scientific and Technical Academy Award^®, is Warner Bros.’s patented technology used to digitally realign and sharpen older film negatives shot with the Technicolor three-strip process. Warner Home Video previously used this on restorations of Gone With the Wind, Easter Parade, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Wizard of Oz and the previously mentioned Singin' in the Rain. For its high-def debut, MPI has also remastered Calamity Jane especially for this Blu-ray premiere release.

The three new-to-Blu-ray titles (Kiss Me Kate, The Band Wagon and Calamity Jane) are also available separately the same day (March 3). And to whet your appetite even more, we've gathered together the original theatrical trailers of these musical treasures for you to enjoy: