New From Warner Home Video: “How The West Was Won” Three Bonus-Filled Editions: Ultimate Collectors, Two Disc-Special & Blu-ray™ Hi-Def Plus Ten More Movies Available In Two Collections: “Warner Home Video Western Classics Collection” And “Errol Flynn W
(April 28, 2008 – Burbank, CA) – The wondrous western historical saga “How the West Was Won” gallops onto home theatre screens September 9 in three new restored and remastered editions. One of only two narrative feature films produced in the original Cinerama® three-panel widescreen process, “How the West Was Won” is a stunning epic, following four generations of a courageous New England farm family as they travel to the fertile Ohio Valley during America’s early westward expansion.
M-G-M and Cinerama®, Inc. spared no expense to give this sprawling Western saga the huge vistas made possible with the original Cinerama® process. After its initial theatrical engagements in theaters equipped with three synchronized projectors for Cinerama® presentation, the film was subsequently presented on traditional theater screens with the three separate Cinerama® panels being optically joined to form a standard 35mm 2.35:1 widescreen image, leaving most subsequent viewers puzzled by the annoying ‘join lines.’
Following several years of careful development, the technicians at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging perfected a technology that could finally eliminate the ‘join lines,’ and unify the images into a superb viewing experience that captures the essence of the production’s initial road show exhibitions, with an aspect ratio of 2.89:1.
This ultimate western film gets the Ultimate treatment with “How the West Was Won Ultimate Collector’s Edition” ($59.92 SRP). The two disc Standard Definition “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” is loaded with collectible memorabilia including a 20-page theatrical press book reproduction, 10 behind-the-scenes photo cards and 10 postcards, and an exclusive movie poster offer. Streeting simultaneously will also be a glorious Blu-ray™ Hi-Def ($34.99 SRP) version. Exclusive to Blu-ray is the “SmileBox” version of the film which presents the image with a unique curvature that virtually recreates the true Cinerama® experience in a home theater. This Blu-ray™ Hi-Def Edition comes with a special Digi-book packaging featuring 32-pages of rare press materials and behind-the-scenes photos. The third new edition is a Two Disc-Special Edition in standard definition ($20.97 SRP).
Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Gregory Peck, Lee J. Cobb, Debbie Reynolds and Carroll Baker star in “How the West Was Won.” Set between 1839 and 1889 against the backgrounds of the Louisiana Purchase, the Civil War, buffalo hunters, the Pony Express and the first transcontinental railroad, the film consists of five segments, with direction by Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall, and written by James R. Webb and John Gay, suggested by a Life Magazine series of the same name. The film was the winner of 3 Academy Awards® (Best Screenplay, Best Sound and Best Editing) as well as being nominated for an additional five Oscars®, including Best Picture. In 1997, “How the West Was Won” was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the US National Film Registry.
“How the West Was Won” Special Features:
• Commentary by filmmaker David Strohmaier, Director of Cinerama, Inc. John Sittig, Film Historian Rudy Behlmer, Music Historian Jon Burlingame and Stuntman Loren James [A rousing roundtable discussion of the unique experiences making this newly restored, classic western shot in wondrous Cinerama.]
• Dave Strohmaier’s critically-acclaimed, feature-length documentary “Cinerama® Adventure”
• “The Making of How the West Was Won” (Archival featurette)
• Original Theatrical trailer “WARNER HOME VIDEO WESTERN CLASSICS COLLECTION” To further celebrate the western genre, Warner Home Video proudly announces the DVD debut of 6 long-awaited favorites, each newly remastered especially for this release. “Escape from Fort Bravo” (1954) Union officer William Holden contends with Confederate prisoners inside Fort Bravo … and fierce Indians outside. John Sturges (“The Great Escape,” “The Magnificent Seven”) directs. Special Features:
• Theatrical trailer “Many Rivers to Cross” (1955) First ever home-video release! Trapper and resolute bachelor Bushrod Gentry comes to Kentucky, where a marriage-minded lass is waiting. Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker team in a comedy/adventure. Special Features:
• Theatrical trailer “Cimarron” (1960 remake) Oklahoma is theirs … if they can tame it. Glenn Ford stars in the decades-spanning tale of the famed land rush and of settlers sinking deep roots. Anthony Mann (“Winchester ’73”) directs this two-time Oscar® winner. Special Features:
• Theatrical Trailer “The Law and Jake Wade” (1958) Lawman William Holden is sworn to uphold the law but destined for a showdown with his outlaw past when former partner Richard Widmark resurfaces. Directed by John Sturges. Special Features:
• Theatrical Trailer “Saddle the Wind” (1958) First ever home-video release! Blood for blood; brother against brother. An ex-gunslinger’s attempts to go straight meet a fury of violence ignited by his brother. Robert Taylor stars in Rod Serling’s taut tale. Special Features:
• Theatrical Trailer “The Stalking Moon” (1968) A suspenseful manhunt saga. A relentless foe tracks Army scout Gregory Peck as he attempts to lead a woman (Eva Marie Saint) once held captive by Apaches to safety. Special Features:
• Theatrical Trailer “ERROL FLYNN WESTERNS” Debuts August 26 Warner Home Video continues its year-long 85th anniversary celebration by saluting one of the studio’s very-own legendary greats – Errol Flynn. Despite his Tasmanian roots and elegant British diction, Flynn made an ideal all-American cowboy. With his steely gaze, lean frame and understated humor, he tamed the West in eight thrilling sagebrush sagas. WHV presents four of Flynn’s classic “oaters” making their DVD debuts and available exclusively as a collection. “Montana” (1950) The star heads for the wide-open spaces of Montana in this adventure saga about a bitter range war. Errol Flynn plays an Australian transplant looking to buy grazing land. But the cattle-raising locals won’t sell to interlopers, especially one they consider the most contemptible excuse for a human being ever to cross the Great Plains: a sheep rancher. Flynn’s “San Antonio” co-star Alexis Smith is a flame-haired beauty with an eye for the newcomer … until she learns his occupation. In time, she’ll put aside her disdain for the handsome stranger. Special Features: • Vintage Newsreel
• “Warner Night at the Movies 1950” Short Subjects Gallery
• Joe McDoakes Comedy Short: “So You Want a Raise”
• Classic Cartoon: “It’s Hummer Time”
• Trailers of “Montana” and 1950’s “Chain Lightning”
• Bonus Gallery of “Santa Fe Trail” Series Western Shorts: “Oklahoma Outlaws,” “Wagon Wheels West” and “Gun to Gun” “Rocky Mountain” (1950) Errol Flynn saddles up for his final Western starring as Confederate Captain Barstow in a brawny tale directed by William Keighley (co-director of Flynn’s “The Adventures of Robin Hood”) and filmed wholly in the rugged environs of Gallup, New Mexico. Co-star Patrice Wymore became Mrs. Flynn weeks before the film’s release. And drawling character actor Slim Pickens (“Blazing Saddles”) makes his debut as one of Captain Barstow’s men. Special Features: • Commentary by biographer Thomas McNulty [McNulty looks at Flynn’s career, his unique qualities as a Western hero and his romance with costar Patrice Wymore.]
• “Warner Night at the Movies 1950” Short Subjects Gallery
• Vintage Newsreel
• Trailers of “Rocky Mountain” and “The Breaking Point”
• Bonus Gallery of “Santa Fe Trail Series” Western Shorts: “Roaring Guns,” “Wells Fargo Days” and “Trial by Trigger”
• Classic Cartoon: “Two’s a Crowd”
• Joe McDoakes Comedy Short “So You Want to Move” “San Antonio” (1945) “San Antonio” features blazing action in Technicolor® (a rip snorting saloon gunfight), suspense (a tense showdown in the granddaddy of Texas monuments, the Alamo) and a beautiful girl (Alexis Smith as a sultry songbird) to add romantic luster to the heroics. Special Features: • “Warner Night at the Movies 1945” Short Subjects Gallery
• Vintage Newsreel
• Oscar®-Nominated* Vitaphone Varieties Short “Story of a Dog”
• Vintage Shorts: “Frontier Days” and “Peeks at Hollywood”
• Classic Cartoons: “A Tale of Two Mice and Wagon Heels”
• Trailers of “San Antonio” and “The Corn Is Green” “Virginia City” (1940) In his second Western, Errol Flynn again teams with “Dodge City” director Michael Curtiz to play an undercover Union officer determined to stop a gold-laden train rolling to Dixie. Randolph Scott is a Johnny Reb ramrodding the shipment, Miriam Hopkins is a beguiling spy, Humphrey Bogart is a pencil-mustached desperado, and pioneering stuntman Yakima Canutt pulls off a daring stagecoach feat. Special Features: • Commentary by historian Frank Thompson [Thompson discusses this all-star collaboration with Flynn, Humphrey Bogart, Randolph Scott and Miriam Hopkins, and the challenges faced by director Michael Curtiz throughout production.]
• “Warner Night at the Movies 1940” Short Subjects Gallery
• Vintage Newsreel
• Technicolor® Shorts: “Cinderella’s Feller” and “The Flag of Humanity”
• 1936 WB Short: “The Light Brigade Rides Again”
• Classic Cartoons: “Cross Country Detours” and “Confederate Honey”
• Trailers of “Virginia City” and “A Dispatch from Reuters”# # #
• Dave Strohmaier’s critically-acclaimed, feature-length documentary “Cinerama® Adventure”
• “The Making of How the West Was Won” (Archival featurette)
• Original Theatrical trailer “WARNER HOME VIDEO WESTERN CLASSICS COLLECTION” To further celebrate the western genre, Warner Home Video proudly announces the DVD debut of 6 long-awaited favorites, each newly remastered especially for this release. “Escape from Fort Bravo” (1954) Union officer William Holden contends with Confederate prisoners inside Fort Bravo … and fierce Indians outside. John Sturges (“The Great Escape,” “The Magnificent Seven”) directs. Special Features:
• Theatrical trailer “Many Rivers to Cross” (1955) First ever home-video release! Trapper and resolute bachelor Bushrod Gentry comes to Kentucky, where a marriage-minded lass is waiting. Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker team in a comedy/adventure. Special Features:
• Theatrical trailer “Cimarron” (1960 remake) Oklahoma is theirs … if they can tame it. Glenn Ford stars in the decades-spanning tale of the famed land rush and of settlers sinking deep roots. Anthony Mann (“Winchester ’73”) directs this two-time Oscar® winner. Special Features:
• Theatrical Trailer “The Law and Jake Wade” (1958) Lawman William Holden is sworn to uphold the law but destined for a showdown with his outlaw past when former partner Richard Widmark resurfaces. Directed by John Sturges. Special Features:
• Theatrical Trailer “Saddle the Wind” (1958) First ever home-video release! Blood for blood; brother against brother. An ex-gunslinger’s attempts to go straight meet a fury of violence ignited by his brother. Robert Taylor stars in Rod Serling’s taut tale. Special Features:
• Theatrical Trailer “The Stalking Moon” (1968) A suspenseful manhunt saga. A relentless foe tracks Army scout Gregory Peck as he attempts to lead a woman (Eva Marie Saint) once held captive by Apaches to safety. Special Features:
• Theatrical Trailer “ERROL FLYNN WESTERNS” Debuts August 26 Warner Home Video continues its year-long 85th anniversary celebration by saluting one of the studio’s very-own legendary greats – Errol Flynn. Despite his Tasmanian roots and elegant British diction, Flynn made an ideal all-American cowboy. With his steely gaze, lean frame and understated humor, he tamed the West in eight thrilling sagebrush sagas. WHV presents four of Flynn’s classic “oaters” making their DVD debuts and available exclusively as a collection. “Montana” (1950) The star heads for the wide-open spaces of Montana in this adventure saga about a bitter range war. Errol Flynn plays an Australian transplant looking to buy grazing land. But the cattle-raising locals won’t sell to interlopers, especially one they consider the most contemptible excuse for a human being ever to cross the Great Plains: a sheep rancher. Flynn’s “San Antonio” co-star Alexis Smith is a flame-haired beauty with an eye for the newcomer … until she learns his occupation. In time, she’ll put aside her disdain for the handsome stranger. Special Features: • Vintage Newsreel
• “Warner Night at the Movies 1950” Short Subjects Gallery
• Joe McDoakes Comedy Short: “So You Want a Raise”
• Classic Cartoon: “It’s Hummer Time”
• Trailers of “Montana” and 1950’s “Chain Lightning”
• Bonus Gallery of “Santa Fe Trail” Series Western Shorts: “Oklahoma Outlaws,” “Wagon Wheels West” and “Gun to Gun” “Rocky Mountain” (1950) Errol Flynn saddles up for his final Western starring as Confederate Captain Barstow in a brawny tale directed by William Keighley (co-director of Flynn’s “The Adventures of Robin Hood”) and filmed wholly in the rugged environs of Gallup, New Mexico. Co-star Patrice Wymore became Mrs. Flynn weeks before the film’s release. And drawling character actor Slim Pickens (“Blazing Saddles”) makes his debut as one of Captain Barstow’s men. Special Features: • Commentary by biographer Thomas McNulty [McNulty looks at Flynn’s career, his unique qualities as a Western hero and his romance with costar Patrice Wymore.]
• “Warner Night at the Movies 1950” Short Subjects Gallery
• Vintage Newsreel
• Trailers of “Rocky Mountain” and “The Breaking Point”
• Bonus Gallery of “Santa Fe Trail Series” Western Shorts: “Roaring Guns,” “Wells Fargo Days” and “Trial by Trigger”
• Classic Cartoon: “Two’s a Crowd”
• Joe McDoakes Comedy Short “So You Want to Move” “San Antonio” (1945) “San Antonio” features blazing action in Technicolor® (a rip snorting saloon gunfight), suspense (a tense showdown in the granddaddy of Texas monuments, the Alamo) and a beautiful girl (Alexis Smith as a sultry songbird) to add romantic luster to the heroics. Special Features: • “Warner Night at the Movies 1945” Short Subjects Gallery
• Vintage Newsreel
• Oscar®-Nominated* Vitaphone Varieties Short “Story of a Dog”
• Vintage Shorts: “Frontier Days” and “Peeks at Hollywood”
• Classic Cartoons: “A Tale of Two Mice and Wagon Heels”
• Trailers of “San Antonio” and “The Corn Is Green” “Virginia City” (1940) In his second Western, Errol Flynn again teams with “Dodge City” director Michael Curtiz to play an undercover Union officer determined to stop a gold-laden train rolling to Dixie. Randolph Scott is a Johnny Reb ramrodding the shipment, Miriam Hopkins is a beguiling spy, Humphrey Bogart is a pencil-mustached desperado, and pioneering stuntman Yakima Canutt pulls off a daring stagecoach feat. Special Features: • Commentary by historian Frank Thompson [Thompson discusses this all-star collaboration with Flynn, Humphrey Bogart, Randolph Scott and Miriam Hopkins, and the challenges faced by director Michael Curtiz throughout production.]
• “Warner Night at the Movies 1940” Short Subjects Gallery
• Vintage Newsreel
• Technicolor® Shorts: “Cinderella’s Feller” and “The Flag of Humanity”
• 1936 WB Short: “The Light Brigade Rides Again”
• Classic Cartoons: “Cross Country Detours” and “Confederate Honey”
• Trailers of “Virginia City” and “A Dispatch from Reuters”