Edge of Darkness is finally being released on R1 DVD as part of the Errol Flynn Adventure set from Warner's, due August 3, 2010. The set also includes Flynn's other WWII films: Desperate Journey, Northern Pursuit, Uncertain Glory and the long-released Objective, Burma!. No other information at this time, but will post as more becomes known.
shareHas anythin else become known?
How shall the stars on the cheeks of this mandrill find a number?
Hiya, DF. Haven't gotten the set yet, but I know it has vintage cartoons and other filler from the period. Commentary, trailers, whatnot, no idea. The film's the thing.
shareYou must be a wealthy collector indeed. Is "The Sea Hawk" in collection? Watched it on TCM the other night and print was not what it ought to be especially since it is commonly considered the finest swashbuckler ever.
How shall the stars on the cheeks of this mandrill find a number?
The Sea Hawk is available both singly and as part of The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. I, which also includes Captain Blood, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, They Died with Their Boots On, Dodge City, plus the very good documentary The Adventures of Errol Flynn. All available individually.
The quality of The Sea Hawk's print is a bit substandard. I suppose it wasn't stored in a cool, dry place.
No, not wealthy, just pathologically acquisitive, deeveedeeologically speaking. Selling off the wife next to buy this set. Errol would've wanted it that way.
I was not yet ten years old in summer of 1943, when I first saw EDGE OF NIGHT. That's the way to make a propaganda movie; I loved it then and I loved it last night when I watched the version in this box set. Still, I was surprised and a bit disappointed that it did not include what had been the most memorable scene for me. The Nazis come into the schoolroom and the teacher has them rise and sing what I took to be the Norwegian national anthem, "Yes, we love our Norway." In this version the wise old teacher does make his courageous and noble, though pathetically ineffectual, gesture, but the schoolroom scene is omitted. Does anyone else remember that missing scene? Anyone have any explanation for its omission?
shareI must admit, I do not recall that scene, although I never saw this film until the 70s. I'm guessing, but perhaps you think you remember a scene that never actually existed, but which, after the passage of almost 70 years, seems to have been in the film in your memory. (I had a similar, recent experience with someone about the movie Forbidden Planet, who felt that a scene he swore he remembered from 1956 was missing, even though no such scene had ever existed.) To the best of my knowledge, the film on the DVD is precisely the same as was released in theaters in 1943. Certainly nothing has been edited from the version in circulation during the past 40 or more years, and I really can't imagine that anything was cut from the film after 1943, which would make no sense.
shareYou may be right; I could be misrembering. But I've had that song in my head for years, so just know I googled "Yes I/We love my/our Norway," and it came up as the English version of their national anthem. I agree that it's hard to imagine why or when the scene would be cut, but since the cut would not affect plot or characterization and would reduce running time, who knows what a money
grubbing corporation might do? Whatever. Thanks for your thoughtful reply.
It just occurred to me that you might be thinking of another wartime film set in Norway -- The Moon is Down (1942).
Unfortunately it's been decades since I've seen it and have little specific recollection of any of its scenes, so I couldn't say whether the scene you recall is in that movie to begin with. But it struck me that, given the similarity of the two films' plots -- Norwegian villagers resisting the Nazis -- and the fact that they were made only a year apart, the scene you remember might be in The Moon is Down. The movie was made by 20th Century Fox, but unhappily that studio has never released it on home video of any kind, nor has the film even run on the Fox Movie Channel. It seems to have simply fallen out of sight.
I do remember its memorable opening credits, showing a close-up of a map of Norway on a table, a clawing hand crawling over the map, forming a fist and pounding on it in a frenzy, with a screaming voice shouting in German, punctuated by shouts of "Norwegen! Norwegen!" -- obviously supposed to be Hitler. All this is accompanied by a heavy drumbeat of militaristic music. It was quite striking.
Anyway, perhaps this movie could account for the scene you remember.
You may be right! I saw The Moon Is Down maybe the summer before, but I would have sworn Paul Muni was the star. When I look it up on IMDb, I see he wasn't, another case of misremembering. But the discussion on it was illuminating. I had forgotten the novel was by Steinbeck, that it is often used in high schol English classes, and that a few people claim to have a pirated tape/DVD. I'm going to explore all that and read the book. Thanks again for more tips. Best,Alex.
shareAh, now -- the Paul Muni movie you're thinking of is The Commandos Strike at Dawn (also 1942), about Norwegian Muni aiding British commandos in a raid against the Nazis in Norway. (What was with Hollywood's fixation on Norway? Why not the Netherlands, or Denmark, or some other occupied country?!) That film is on DVD so you should be able to find it and see if perhaps it's the one you remember.
I read Steinbeck's book in high school too, and must have it around here someplace. (That was in the 60s.) But unsurprisingly I have no memory of whether anything akin to the scene you described was in the book, let alone the film. But please let me know if you solve the puzzle!
Best, hob.
At one time I would have sworn that Willis Bouchey played the president in Earth Versus The Flying Saucers, though I had not and still haven't seen the picture in years. I was perplexed IMDb didn't list it among his credits. Bouchey's strong resemblance to then President Eisenhower gave the sci-fi movie an extra boost of authenticity, I reckoned. I reckoned correctly, except I had the movie wrong. It was Them! in which Willis played the prez, I realized with a forehead slap, when I recently watched said movie for the first time in years.
He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good... St. Matthew 5:45