I did get Adam's widescreen copy but alas, it's fake widescreen. Untamed was filmed in Cinemascope and should be seen at the super-wide ratio of 2:55:1. The opening credits are in this ratio but once past the credits the person making the TV transfer zoomed in on the frame so it would fill a widescreen television set (aspect ratio of 1:78). That's not as bad as out and out pan and scan, which literally eliminates half the image, but it's still not good.

So I'm still waiting for the real thing and that probably means forever now that Fox and Warner Bros. except for their DVD-R Archive program have basically abandoned the release of classic films. That is, if you want to call Untamed "classic." ;) WB is re-re-re-re-releasing The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind in new packages on standard and Blu-Ray DVD but while I look forward to seeing those two in Blu-Ray, otherwise this is not exciting news. Maybe if the economy improves Fox and WB will eventually get back to classic DVD but for now it's not happening.

In my ignorance I had no idea of the limited aspect ration of Untames--thanks for the heads up Peachtree. As you say, though, it's better than nothing. I dunno, I'm holding out hope that FXM will air a full letterbox *eventually*.

Here's a dumb question, but what/where have you heard in regards to the fact that future vintage film releases will be limited? (Only if you have time, Peachtree :-)... )

From what I'm reading on Home Theater Forum and other places the future for classic DVDs is not good (with exceptions).

Warner Bros., which used to be the gold standard in releasing DVDs of older films, has basically abandoned them to the Warner Archive, i.e., DVD-Rs burned on demand from whatever element they have on the shelf -- no restoration/remastering will be performed. This means you might get something fairly decent or something pretty bad. Some of these apparently are transfers off old masters prepared years ago for television, back when your local TV station showed old movies. (Which they don't do anymore.)

WB is still releasing big ticket titles on DVD and even on Blu-Ray. Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz will both be released in new massive box sets, both standard and Blu-Ray. Of course these are the umpteenth time these two titles have been released though the first in Blu-Ray.

By some miracle, a second Esther Williams set is due out from WB in October.

Rumor has it that WB is working on a big Ben-Hur Blu-Ray set.

Fox's classic website went belly up some months ago and I don't even know what classics they've got in the pipeline, except for a Blu-Ray release of Miracle on 34th Street (another perennial that's been released at least twice that I know of on DVD) on October 6. The fans are dying for more Alice Faye, Betty Grable, Tyrone Power, Fox noir... we're going to be waiting a LONG time.

Universal is sitting on tons of old titles (including the pre-1948 Paramount catalog) and they release a set every now and then. They've got a Claudette Colbert set coming up in November. I love the pre-Code set they released not too long ago.

Right now the champions of studio classic film releases is... who woulda thunk it? Sony! Up until recently they were one of the worst for releasing old films. They recently started a Columbia Classics page (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/columbiaclassics/) and have done some fantastic releases. I'm really drooling over the upcoming Sam Fuller set. The main problem with their releases is the artwork really sucks. You should see the artwork for their two volumes of screwball comedies. Yikes! Looks like something you'd find on a crappy bootleg. But the films are tons of fun. :)

And of course Criterion continues to release lots of public domain, foreign and independent oldies as well as the occasional studio title. The latest news is they're negotiating to get the Chaplin library, which I consider VERY exciting news, as the Warner Bros. Chaplin DVDs were widely regarded as a failure due to whole host of transfer problems arising out of their using PAL masters to make NTSC DVDs.

DVD sales have been diminishing for a while and the bad economy has really hurt sales even more. The box stores like Best Buy are stocking classics less and less which means classics sell less, so Best Buy et al don't want to stock them... a viscious circle to say the least.

Does that answer the question? Which probably boils down to "no, no more Tyrone Power on the way for now." *sigh*

Have a look on the internet for "Caravana Hacia El Sur" or a Spanish R2 DVD release for Untamed. Copies are appearing on eBay. Looks official?

Great info. Peachtree, many thanks :-)!

I wonder what the heck is going on with diminishing sales of dvds?! Can't imagine that blue-ray is the culprit--perhaps it's the economy, who knows. If people are migrating to something else, I can't imagine what (don't think you can download films like you can music).

BTW, I took your suggestion, about giving away unwanted VHS, to an assisted living facility--and they were quite pleased to get them (and I was pleased to get rid of them :-)!) So, thanks :-)!