“Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection Volume 4” From Warner Home Video
(May 26, 2007 – Burbank, CA) – Mobsters and molls are back in “Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection Volume 4,” debuting on DVD October 20 from Warner Home Video. This latest group of crime genre classics features five new to DVD gangster films: “The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse,” “The Little Giant,” “Larceny, Inc.,” “Invisible Stripes” and “Kid Galahad.” The films contain bonus features such as rarely-seen Warner Bros. shorts, vintage newsreels and classic cartoons, plus original theatrical trailers. Also included in the collection is an all-new Warner Home Video feature-length documentary, “Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film” which takes the viewer on an inside look of every aspect of the crime genre and how it came about. The six-disc collection will sell for $59.92. Order due date is August 19.
The gangster genre is a huge cornerstone in the legacy of Warner Bros., and the restoration and preservation of these films is carried out with much pride and care. Major Hollywood studios in the ‘30s and ‘40s were each known for their distinctive styles (M-G-M for musicals; Universal for horror films, etc.). Warner Bros. was best known for firmly establishing the genre of gangster films, which contained socially conscious themes and a simple visual look (low key lighting and sparse sets).
The Films
“The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse” (1938)
Dr. Clitterhouse (Edward G. Robinson) is fascinated by the study of the physical and mental states of lawbreakers, so he joins a gang of jewel thieves for a closer look in this often amusing crime drama. Claire Trevor co-stars as a savvy crime queen, and Humphrey Bogart plays Rocks Valentine, whom Dr. C. calls “a magnificent specimen of pure viciousness.” The movie also marks the start of one of film’s most noteworthy collaborations. John Huston, who was to later direct Bogart in “The Maltese Falcon,” “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” and “The African Queen,” co-wrote the screenplay of “The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse.”
Special Features:
• Commentary by Dr. Drew Casper and Richard Jewell
• “Racket Busters” theatrical trailer
• Vintage newsreel
• WB short: “Night Intruder”
• WB cartoons: “Cinderella Meets a Fella”
“Count Me Out” • 1941 Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater Broadcast (audio only)
• 1944 Gulf Screen Guild Theater Broadcast (audio only)
• Theatrical trailer “The Little Giant” (1933) The era of the bootlegger is past but liquor runner Bugs Ahearn (Edward G. Robinson) has a plan for what he’ll do now that Prohibition is history. He decides to head for California’s posh, polo-playing Santa Barbara to become part of the high society. What he finds there -- swindlers, gold diggers, great fun – makes first class entertainment in this pre-Code gem. Edward G. Robinson shows his comedic chops for the first time, paving the way for such subsequent films as “A Slight Case of Murder,” “Brother Orchid,” “Larceny, Inc.” and more persona-skewering frolics. Special Features: • Commentary by Daniel Bubbeo and John McCarty
• Vintage newsreel
• WB short: “Just Around the Corner”
• WB cartoon: “The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon”
• Theatrical trailer “Larceny, Inc.” (1942) Edward G. Robinson once more turns his gangster image on its head in a gleeful romp based on the Broadway farce penned by Laura Perelman and S.J. Perelman. Robinson plays Pressure Maxwell, who emerges from Sing Sing planning to run a dog track with cronies Jug (Broderick Crawford) and Weepy (Edward Brophy). But the plan needs funding, so the group (assisted by Jane Wyman) opens a luggage shop as a front while attempting to tunnel into the bank next door. Now add the store’s unexpected success, a gabby traveling valise salesman (Jack Carson) and the arrival of a sour con (Anthony Quinn) who wants in on the action, and the laughs are thick as thieves. Special Features: • Commentary by Haden Guest and Dana Polan
• Vintage newsreel
• “The Big Shot” theatrical trailer
• WB short: “Winning Your Wings”
• WB cartoons: “Porky’s Pastry Pirates”
“The Wabbit Who Came to Supper” • Theatrical trailer “Invisible Stripes” (1939) Parolee Chuck Martin is going straight when he gets out of jail – straight back to a life of crime. In lockup or out in the civilian world, he knows he’ll forever wear a con’s ‘Invisible Stripes.’ As Martin, Humphrey Bogart continues to battle and sneer his way to career stardom in this volatile social-conscience crime saga adapted from a book by warden Lewis E. Lawes. Top-billed George Raft plays Martin’s ex-Sing Sing yard mate Cliff Taylor, who vows to walk away from crime and be a role model for his kid brother (William Holden). But what awaits Taylor are suspicion, public disdain and joblessness. So he turns to a fellow con for help. Then, as now, he finds crime doesn’t pay. Special Features: • Commentary by Alain Silver and James Ursini
• “You Can’t Get Away with Murder” Theatrical trailer
• Vintage newsreel
• WB short “The Monroe Doctrine” and “Quiet, Please”
• WB cartoons: “Bars and Stripes Forever”
“Hare-um Scare-um” • Theatrical trailer “Kid Galahad” (1937) This influential ring saga dramatically links professional boxing to criminal gambling. Edward G. Robinson is racketeer/fight promoter Nick Donati and tightly coiled Humphrey Bogart is Turkey Morgan. They’re rival promoters who, like fighters flinging kidney punches, end up swapping close-range bullets. Bette Davis plays the moll who has a soft spot for the bellhop (Wayne Morris) that Nick is grooming for the heavyweight title. And prolific Michael Curtiz directs this first of his six collaborations with Bogart that would include the romantic masterwork “Casablanca” and the sly comedy “We’re No Angels.” Special Features: • Commentary by Art Simon and Robert Sklar
• “It’s Love I’m After” theatrical trailer
• Vintage newsreel
• WB Shorts: “Alibi Mark” and “Postal Union”
• WB Cartoons: “Egghead Rides Again”
“I Wanna Be a Sailor”
“Porky’s Super Service” • Theatrical trailer “Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film” -- Warner Home Video Documentary As popular as these films were in their heyday, seminal giants like “Little Caesar” and “Public Enemy” as well as post-war gems like “Key Largo” and “White Heat” still hold power over their audiences today. “Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film” will explore the invention and development of the crime genre; the rise of Warner stars like Cagney, Bogart and Robinson; as well as directors like Walsh, Wellman and Curtiz. It will cover the films themselves and the influence they had on filmmakers all over the world; and the artistic merit that these defining classic films still warrant. Finally, the documentary will celebrate the impact that Warner Bros. Studios had in establishing the iconic Hollywood Gangster, often imitated but never equaled. Special Features: • Four WB Cartoons: “I Like Mountain Music,” “She Was an Acrobat’s Daughter,” “Racketeer Rabbit” and “Bugs and Thugs” Warner Home Video classic gangster titles currently available: • “Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection Volume 1” (formerly “Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection”): “The Public Enemy,” “White Heat,” “Angels with Dirty Faces,” “Little Caesar,” “The Petrified Forest” and “The Roaring Twenties.” • “Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection Volume 2” (formerly “Warner Bros. Pictures Tough Guys Collection”): “Bullets or Ballots,” “Each Dawn I Die,” “‘G’ Men,” “San Quentin,” “A Slight Case of Murder” and “City for Conquest” • “Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection Volume 3”: “Picture Snatcher,” “Lady Killer,” “Smart Money,” “Black Legion,” “Mayor of Hell” and “Brother Orchid.” Note: All enhanced content listed above is subject to change. With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.# # #
• “Racket Busters” theatrical trailer
• Vintage newsreel
• WB short: “Night Intruder”
• WB cartoons: “Cinderella Meets a Fella”
“Count Me Out” • 1941 Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater Broadcast (audio only)
• 1944 Gulf Screen Guild Theater Broadcast (audio only)
• Theatrical trailer “The Little Giant” (1933) The era of the bootlegger is past but liquor runner Bugs Ahearn (Edward G. Robinson) has a plan for what he’ll do now that Prohibition is history. He decides to head for California’s posh, polo-playing Santa Barbara to become part of the high society. What he finds there -- swindlers, gold diggers, great fun – makes first class entertainment in this pre-Code gem. Edward G. Robinson shows his comedic chops for the first time, paving the way for such subsequent films as “A Slight Case of Murder,” “Brother Orchid,” “Larceny, Inc.” and more persona-skewering frolics. Special Features: • Commentary by Daniel Bubbeo and John McCarty
• Vintage newsreel
• WB short: “Just Around the Corner”
• WB cartoon: “The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon”
• Theatrical trailer “Larceny, Inc.” (1942) Edward G. Robinson once more turns his gangster image on its head in a gleeful romp based on the Broadway farce penned by Laura Perelman and S.J. Perelman. Robinson plays Pressure Maxwell, who emerges from Sing Sing planning to run a dog track with cronies Jug (Broderick Crawford) and Weepy (Edward Brophy). But the plan needs funding, so the group (assisted by Jane Wyman) opens a luggage shop as a front while attempting to tunnel into the bank next door. Now add the store’s unexpected success, a gabby traveling valise salesman (Jack Carson) and the arrival of a sour con (Anthony Quinn) who wants in on the action, and the laughs are thick as thieves. Special Features: • Commentary by Haden Guest and Dana Polan
• Vintage newsreel
• “The Big Shot” theatrical trailer
• WB short: “Winning Your Wings”
• WB cartoons: “Porky’s Pastry Pirates”
“The Wabbit Who Came to Supper” • Theatrical trailer “Invisible Stripes” (1939) Parolee Chuck Martin is going straight when he gets out of jail – straight back to a life of crime. In lockup or out in the civilian world, he knows he’ll forever wear a con’s ‘Invisible Stripes.’ As Martin, Humphrey Bogart continues to battle and sneer his way to career stardom in this volatile social-conscience crime saga adapted from a book by warden Lewis E. Lawes. Top-billed George Raft plays Martin’s ex-Sing Sing yard mate Cliff Taylor, who vows to walk away from crime and be a role model for his kid brother (William Holden). But what awaits Taylor are suspicion, public disdain and joblessness. So he turns to a fellow con for help. Then, as now, he finds crime doesn’t pay. Special Features: • Commentary by Alain Silver and James Ursini
• “You Can’t Get Away with Murder” Theatrical trailer
• Vintage newsreel
• WB short “The Monroe Doctrine” and “Quiet, Please”
• WB cartoons: “Bars and Stripes Forever”
“Hare-um Scare-um” • Theatrical trailer “Kid Galahad” (1937) This influential ring saga dramatically links professional boxing to criminal gambling. Edward G. Robinson is racketeer/fight promoter Nick Donati and tightly coiled Humphrey Bogart is Turkey Morgan. They’re rival promoters who, like fighters flinging kidney punches, end up swapping close-range bullets. Bette Davis plays the moll who has a soft spot for the bellhop (Wayne Morris) that Nick is grooming for the heavyweight title. And prolific Michael Curtiz directs this first of his six collaborations with Bogart that would include the romantic masterwork “Casablanca” and the sly comedy “We’re No Angels.” Special Features: • Commentary by Art Simon and Robert Sklar
• “It’s Love I’m After” theatrical trailer
• Vintage newsreel
• WB Shorts: “Alibi Mark” and “Postal Union”
• WB Cartoons: “Egghead Rides Again”
“I Wanna Be a Sailor”
“Porky’s Super Service” • Theatrical trailer “Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film” -- Warner Home Video Documentary As popular as these films were in their heyday, seminal giants like “Little Caesar” and “Public Enemy” as well as post-war gems like “Key Largo” and “White Heat” still hold power over their audiences today. “Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film” will explore the invention and development of the crime genre; the rise of Warner stars like Cagney, Bogart and Robinson; as well as directors like Walsh, Wellman and Curtiz. It will cover the films themselves and the influence they had on filmmakers all over the world; and the artistic merit that these defining classic films still warrant. Finally, the documentary will celebrate the impact that Warner Bros. Studios had in establishing the iconic Hollywood Gangster, often imitated but never equaled. Special Features: • Four WB Cartoons: “I Like Mountain Music,” “She Was an Acrobat’s Daughter,” “Racketeer Rabbit” and “Bugs and Thugs” Warner Home Video classic gangster titles currently available: • “Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection Volume 1” (formerly “Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection”): “The Public Enemy,” “White Heat,” “Angels with Dirty Faces,” “Little Caesar,” “The Petrified Forest” and “The Roaring Twenties.” • “Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection Volume 2” (formerly “Warner Bros. Pictures Tough Guys Collection”): “Bullets or Ballots,” “Each Dawn I Die,” “‘G’ Men,” “San Quentin,” “A Slight Case of Murder” and “City for Conquest” • “Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection Volume 3”: “Picture Snatcher,” “Lady Killer,” “Smart Money,” “Black Legion,” “Mayor of Hell” and “Brother Orchid.” Note: All enhanced content listed above is subject to change. With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.