Santa’s Little Helper: gifts for vintage film and TV buffs
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Looking for the perfect gift for the vintage film or TV series fanatic? Here are 10 suggestions that should warm the hearts of any entrenched couch potato. Prices can vary, so check out sites such as Kino.com, Criterion.com, Amazon.com and, of course, shop around.
‘Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh.’ Baby boomers who grew up in the 1960s watching the series “The Wonderful World of Color” hosted by Walt Disney himself will be in heaven with this two-disc set featuring the rousing 1964 three-part series about a Robin Hood-esque hero who operated in the south east coast of England. Patrick McGoohan of “Secret Agent” and “The Prisoner” fame stars.
‘The Mickey Mouse Club Presents Annette.’ Annette Funicello was the golden Mouseketeer on the legendary 1950s ABC daytime kids’ series. She appeared in several of the show’s serials including “Spin and Marty.” Then in 1958, she was given her own series about a country girl who comes to live in the big city with her cousin. The two-disc set features all 20 episodes of the charming, nostalgic show.
Budd Boetticher Box Set. Between 1956 and 1960, the filmmaker and veteran actor Randolph Scott collaborated on a series of complex, dark Westerns that have inspired such directors as Clint Eastwood and Taylor Hackford. This set features “Tall T,” “Decision before Sundown,” “Buchanan Rides Alone,” “Ride Lonesome” and “Comanche Station.”
“Douglas Fairbanks: A Modern Musketeer.’ Ambitious five-disc, 11-film set starring the legendary silent screen star. Among the highlights are his seminal 1920 swashbuckler “The Mark of Zorro,” which has been digitally mastered from an original 35mm print, and 1917’s “A Modern Musketeer,” which had long been considered a lost film.
The Earrings of Madam De.....: One of French director Max Ophuls’ best post-World War II films. This exquisite 1953 drama revolves around an aristocratic woman whose decision to sell her earrings to pay off her debts without her husband’s (Charles Boyer) knowledge has dire consequences.
‘The Last Laugh: Restored Deluxe Edition.’ F.W. Murnau’s haunting 1924 masterpiece of German Expressionism starring Emil Jannings as an aging doorman who is forced to work in the building’s lavatory. This is the definitive version of the film with a new orchestral recording of the original score.
‘Studio One Anthology.’ During the Golden Age of live television of 1950s, “Studio One” was one of the network top series. The show received 18 Emmy nominations and won five during its nine- year run on CBS. This new set features 17 restored ‘Studio One” dramas including the complete 1954 live version of ‘Twelve Angry Men.”
‘A Christmas Story--Ultimate Collector’s Edition.’ Included in this collector’s cookie tin is the cult 1983 holiday movie classic, a strand of leg-lamp lights, and a 48-page cookbook with recipes inspired by the movie.
Warner Bros.’ ‘Homefront Collection.’ This three-disc set features patriotic, all-star musicals Warner Bros. made during World War II including ‘This Is the Army,” “Thank Your Lucky Stars” and “Hollywood Canteen.”
‘Warner Bros. Classic Holiday Collection, Vol. 2.’ Get into the holidays spirit with this compilation of vintage yuletide movies: the 1941 drama “Blossoms in the Dust, the 1947 screwball comedy “It Happened on 5th Avenue,” the 1949 romantic comedy “Holiday Affair” and the 1957 tear-jerker “All Mine to Give.”
-- Susan King
