I got this year's first newsletter from Comet Video the other day. Tommy had a couple of interesting things to say.
Columbia/Sony has sent a Charles Starrett western to an L.A. processing lab for transfer to video. This is a test. If it sells well enough to suit the corporate big-wigs we could well see a lot of the missing Durango Kids appear in the future. Sounds like a good one to buy rather than sponge a copy off a friend.
Tommy also states that there are no "lost" serials. All the ones that we've thought were lost are in the hands of collectors who are waiting for the right time and money and then they'll appear. Let's hope that we and these collectors live long enough for it to happen.
Bruce
El Shaitan makes an interesting point but I have a question. Say Columbia/Sony produces 5,000 of the Starrett tapes and sell 1,000 and some of the 1,000 are bought by dealers from whom we all buy movies. The dealers then in turn copy that Starrett tape and sell it for a profit. That is taking money from Columbia/Sony. How is that different from me trading a copy to a buddy for a copy of another movie. The possibility could exist that there could wind up being 5,000 copies out there of which Columbia/Sony only sold 1,000. Please don't get me wrong I have bought a lot to tapes from various dealers over the years and will continue to do so. Does Columbia register that movie, thus taking it out of public domain, and then receive a royality each time a copy is made? Or, are they just out the money each time a non-Columbia tape is sold?
Another question. Do I understand that if the money is right these so-called "lost serials" would be "found" at some point. If this is the case what is the right amount of money? It's seems a sad commentary that a few people can pidgeon-hole much desired movies and deny a great many people enoyment from their youth.
Smiley
It's still the same answer. the more of us who buy the factory tapes or discs the better our chances of seeing more released. I'm sure some dealers, like Comet or Bob Carman, will handle the originals. Buying from them is fine too. Columbia/Sony gets their cut and the dealer makes a few bucks.
There are a number of factors involved here and I don't pretend to understand them. Universal tried to tap the cowboy market some years back with a handful of Buck Jones pictures. They were a sales failure. Primarily because Universal didn't understand their intended market. We can only hope Columbia/Sony has a better understanding and don't set unrealistic goals.
Tommy said the serials are out there, in the hands of collectors, not some film conglomerate or LOC film vault. Just exactly what the "right time and money" are I wouldn't know. Again, we can only hope that whoever possesses these films doesn't have unrealistic ideas about what they are worth.
Bruce
It is indeed confusing, and it points to the fact that all these studios that own the westerns/serials are all money hungry. A few of the "hold outs" on the "lost" serials who are waiting for the "right money" to come along may never see the "right amount of money", and we may not also. For some of these lost gems I personally would be willing to shell out as much as $70 or more IF the serial is in really good shape and intact, i.e. uncut. Two such examples are the LONE RANGER and DAREDEVILS OF THE WEST. Anyone want to take odds on how long it will be before we see either of these uncut, in English, in excellent quality? The "hold outs" on these serials and other "lost" gems should choke on their own spit.
Bruce mentioned the Universal Buck Jones entries of a few years ago. I still have the original 3 volumes they first released, with each volume containing a Jones western, and a chapter of his serial GORDON OF GHOST CITY (all of it mastered from the original film negatives and looking terrific). But because, as Bruce (El Shaitan) stated, Universal did NOT understand the market they were trying to reach; also, the corporate bigwigs probably had much higher expectations than what could be considered realistic. After our generation dies off, who will then be interested in any of these gems? I for one do hope that Columbia's experiment with the Starrett westerns is successful, but I'm not holding my breath. Remember Columbia's SERIAL COLLECTION? Same situation; high expectations, low results. I think Columbia said only a few hundred of the 3 volumes they released sold, of which I was again 1 of those several hundred. Sooner or later, maybe some of these companies, and private collectors will wake up and smell the roses. But by the time that should happen, most of us who remember and love these old westerns and serials will probably be long gone from this life. Republic Pictures, the "newer" crowd that released most of the old original Republic serials, had the right idea for marketing their serials, and they sold just enough to show a profit, and to keep issuing all they had in their vaults, or all they had a legal right to issue. Even though Republic is no longer in existence, someone should study and mimic their marketing plans. They just might then make a buck or two, and keep the rest of us "old timers" happy with some of those old great Starrett and Jones and whomever westerns and serials.