Motion Picture Masterpieces

Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection

David Copperfield (1935) Marie Antoinette (1938)

Pride and Prejudice (1940) A Tale of Two Cities (1935) Treasure Island (1934)

Titles

David Copperfield (aka The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, and Observation of David Copperfield, the Younger)
Stars Edna May Oliver, Elizabeth Allan, Jessie Ralph, Harry Beresford, Freddie Bartholomew
Directors: George Cukor
Theatrical Release Date: January 8th, 1935
Synopsis - When David's father dies, his mother remarries. His new stepfather Murdstone has a mean and cruel view on how to raise a child. When David's mother dies from grief, Murdstone sends David to London to work for a living. When David escapes to his aunt Betsey his life starts to get better.

Marie Antoinette
Stars Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power, John Barrymore, Robert Morley, Anita Louise
Directors: W.S. Van Dyke
Theatrical Release Date: August 26, 1938
This lavish drama (rococo sets and extravagant costumes) details the rise and fall of Marie Synopsis - Antoinette and her husband Louis XVI of France. Marie-Antoinette is a touching story of one woman on the verge of marriage, who comes to realize the power of her position as Queen of France. Her ideals become warped by power and she eventually becomes one of the many victims who lost their heads under the guillotine's active blade.

Pride and Prejudice
Stars Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Mary Boland, Edna May Oliver, Maureen O'Sullivan
Directors: Robert Z. Leonard
Theatrical Release Date: July 26, 1940
Synopsis - Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five unmarried daughters, and Mrs. Bennet is especially eager to find suitable husbands for them. When the rich single gentlemen Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy come to live nearby, the Bennets have high hopes. But pride, prejudice, and misunderstandings all combine to complicate their relationships and to make happiness difficult.

A Tale of Two Cities
Stars Ronald Colman, Elizabeth Allan, Edna May Oliver, Reginald Owen, Basil Rathbone
Directors: Jack Conway
Theatrical Release Date: December 25, 1935
Synopsis - An elaborate adaptation of Dickens' classic tale of the French Revolution. Dissipated lawyer Sydney Carton defends emigre Charles Darnay from charges of spying against England. He becomes enamored of Darnay's fiancée, Lucie Manette, and agrees to help her save Darnay from the guillotine when he is captured by Revolutionaries in Paris.

Treasure Island
Stars Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, Lionel Barrymore, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone
Directors: Victor Fleming
Theatrical Release Date: August 17, 1934
Synopsis - Young Jim Hawkins is caught up with the pirate Long John Silver in search of the buried treasure of the buccaneer Captain Flint, in this adaptation of the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Posters

Theatrical Releases: 1932 - 1939

DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Warner (5-disc) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Warner Home Video - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC
Runtime	2:09:56 + 2:37:00 + 1:57:36 + 2:05:52 + 1:42:40
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.2 + 5.56 + 6.5 + 6.43 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Disc 1 David Copperfield
Bitrate: Disc 2 Marie Antoinette
Bitrate: Disc 3 Pride and Prejudice
Bitrate: Disc 4 A Tale of Two Cities
Bitrate: Disc 5 Treasure Island
Audio	English (original) - NOTE: Treasure Island also offers has a French DUB
Subtitles	English (Hoh), Spanish, French, Portuguese, None NOTE: Treasure Island does not offer Portuguese
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: Marie Antoinette (1939) Vintage Short "Another Romance of Celluloid" Theatrical Trailer David Copperfield (1935) Vintage Technicolor Musical Shorts Classic MGM Cartoon "Poor Little Me" Theatrical Trailer Pride and Prejudice (1940) Oscar Nominated Short "Crime Doesn't Pay - Short Eyes of the Navy" Classic MGM Cartoon "The Fishing Bear Theatrical Trailer A Tale of Two Cities (1935) Oscar Nominated Short "Audioscopiks" 2 classic MGM Cartoons: "Hey, Hey Fever" and "Honeyland" Audio-only bonus: Lux Radio Theater radio show adaptation starring Ronald Colman Theatrical Trailer Treasure Island (1934) Vintage early 3-Strip Technicolor MGM Short "The Spectacle Maker" (1934) Oscar-nominated MGM Short "Strikes and Spares" Classic MGM Happy Harmonies cartoon "Tale of the Vienna Woods" Theatrical Trailer DVD Release Date: October 10th, 2006 5 Keep cases inside a cardboard box Chapters: various

Comments:

The 5 films are also sold individually on DVD, but there is a significant savings by purchasing in one package (currently $34.88 for the collection vs. $14.88 X 5 = $74.40 - a savings of almost $40.00... or better than double the price of the lone 5-pack).

NOTE: If we have time we will review the titles individually as well.

The 5 films are spread over 5 single-sided discs - all dual-layered and in their own keep cases. They are encoded in the NTSC standard for regions 1,2,3 and 4 (set to sell in South America and possibly some Asian countries). All are progressively transferred and have short featurettes of the period as extras. Each have original audio and optional English, Spanish, Portuguese or French, subtitles (except Treasure Island which does not offer Portuguese).

Minimal damage and flickering contrast are prevalent to varying degrees throughout all 5 editions, but they look far better than I have ever seen on television in the past 30 years. Some restoration and decent contrast help round out these transfers as well above-average (especially considering the age of the films - 3 are over 70 years old). A Tale of Two Cities might be the best and Treasure Island/David Copperfield the weakest, but I am not going to quibble too much as I am so appreciative that these classic are now available at such a reasonable price. Personally, this is one of the great benefits to the DVD medium - having great old classics and hard to see films available at any time I choose.

There are a lot of supplements but I would have traded them all for a decent commentary. Unfortunately, these films are all quite long and a complete commentary might be difficult to arrange. I was kind of enjoying some of these shorts, but overall I wouldn't rate them too highly - understandable filler from Warner's vault is certainly better than nothing. Some of the cartoons were very amusing - I do always enjoy them.

Overall, for fans of classic cinema - this package is a must-own. None of the films have been released before on DVD and seeing Freddie Bartholomew, Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power, John Barrymore, Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Maureen O'Sullivan, Ronald Colman, Basil Rathbone, Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper either in their primes or early in their careers makes this collection all the more desirable. We recommend - out of