New on DVD: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers collection
“Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collection”
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were a great dance team with wonderful chemistry. Most of their films were made in the 1930s and featured settings around the world. Their dazzling dancing numbers went along with the music of Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and George and Ira Gershwin. Astaire was a perfectionist. He not only choreographed the scenes, but he had input into how the camera followed them. Fans of the duo can now enjoy all 10 of their films, restored and remastered. There is a bonus DVD and an audio CD.
The special features include commentaries, comedy and musical shorts, classic cartoons, featurettes, theatrical trailers, documentaries, radio promos and more. The set retails for $69.98.
The films are: “Carefree,” “Flying Down to Rio,” “Follow the Fleet,” “Roberta,” “Shall We Dance,” “Swing Time,” “Top Hat,” “The Barkleys of Broadway,” “The Gay Divorcee” and “The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle.”
“Busby Berkeley 9-Film Collection”
Busby Berkeley was an innovative film choreographer and director who took the musical to new heights. He made the camera dance and is famous for his kaleidoscope dance sequences filmed from above. His dance sequences often appeared wild or whimsical.
The special features include featurettes, comedy and musical shorts, cartoons, trailers, radio promos and more. The bonus disc includes 21 amazing Busby Berkeley musical segments. The set retails $69.98.
The films are: “42nd Street,” “Dames,” “Footlight Parade,” “Gold Diggers in Paris,” “Gold Diggers of 1933,” “Gold Diggers of 1935,” “Gold Diggers of 1937,” “Hollywood Hotel” and “Varsity Show.”
“Smokey and the Bandit: the 7-Movie Outlaw Collection”
The original “Smokey and the Bandit” was a box-office hit. Burt Reynolds starred as the Bandit, along with Jerry Reed, Sally Field and Jackie Gleason who added humor to the chase scenes. The set retails for $26.98.
The four-disc set includes: “Smokey and the Bandit,” “Smokey and the Bandit II,” “Smokey and the Bandit 3,” “Bandit Goes Country,” “Bandit's Silver Angel,” “Beauty and the Bandit” and “Bandit Bandit.”
“NBC Western TV Legends”
Included are the first episodes of four of the longest-running television Westerns on NBC: “The Virginian,” “Laredo,” “Laramie” and “Wagon Train.”
Available Next Week
“American Music Legacy: Rock and Roll”
“American Music Legacy: Gospel”
“American Music Legacy: County & Western”
“Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy”
“Chaplin at Keystone: 34 Original Films”
“Pee Wee's Playhouse: Complete Collection”
“The Bionic Woman: Season One”
“Twentieth Century with Mike Wallace”
“Who is Harry Nilsson?”