I can't believe (well, ok I can) that this isn't out on DVD yet. I agree that this is one of Sinatra's better movies (The Man with the Golden Arm, The Manchurian Candidate are the other two I would place up there).
I found a link to this movie in Amazon.
http://www.wings.to/rarevid/jiw.htm
They said they could find this in DVD
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It's a year and half since the first post on this topic, and this classic STILL isn't available on DVD (or VHS)! Criminal.
"The Man With the Golden Arm" and "The Manchurian Candidate" are without a doubt Sinatra's two finest acting performances, but only in "The Joker is Wild" do we actually have the privilege of seeing him play himself. ("I woke up at the crack of ice"; "To our greatest ally: Scotland.")
Also priceless is the interchange beteen Joe and Martha when she comes home and finds her house full of guys playing cards and waiting for the track results:
Martha: "This is my home, not a horse room."
Joe E.: "What's a home without a horse room?"
This one's a must. What in the world is holding it up?
It is being shown on TCM
shareWhereas it should be available through Netflix. C'mon, people -- I mean whoever got "Man With a Golden Arm" and "Manchurian Candidate" to Netflix land -- get "Joker" out there too! (At least get it available as a DVD to sell, for F's (heheh "Frank's") sake. "All the Way" is one of the best songs evah! And I love the scene where he's crawling on the floor with his throat cut. Day-um!
shareI am surprised to see so much interest in this film after so many years have passed since it was produced. George Jacobs (Sinatra's valet) states in his biography "Mr. S" that this film was a box-office flop. He didn't furnish a reason why.
This film has a lot of sentimental value to me since I remember that my Mother (a Sinatra fan) took me to see it with her in 1958 when I was 9 years old. I remember the whole Saturday afternoon matinee as if it were yesterday.
After so many years, I still watch it again and again whenever it is aired on cable. I honestly don't know how many times I have seen it, but it is indeed one of the most earnest performances that Sinatra ever turned in; given his absolute propensity for limiting scene shooting to just 1 take.
The supporting cast members were all wonderful too. Jackie Coogan, Eddie Albert, Mitzi Gaynor, and Berverly Garland were all first rate.
Just think. A film concerning a comedian's life where there isn't one single "F-word" or nudity and the story still comes across without leaving a bad taste in your mouth. Maybe Sinatra was a genius in this project after all.
I don't think it was a flop. The song won an Oscar as Best Song of the Year. And when Sinatra mentioned it in a concert a year later, the audience applauded.
shareThis wonderful movie certainly deserves to be on DVD! I was amazed at how fast 'Man with the Golden Arm' was put out on DVD...this movie is so much better than that one! I love the story and having Jeanne Crain in anything gets my vote- I don't think this was ever on VHS either, what a shame! We can only hope that the powers that be will finally realize these movies need to be available to the classic film lovers!
shareSo I was searching for a copy of this on DVD, I couldn't find it anywhere, but I stumbled across a site that claims to have it on DVD, I'm not sure if it's a legitimate site or not, but I thought I'd share it with you :D
http://www.scootermoviesshop.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=15482774130fdb7/shopdata/?main_url=go.shopscript%3Fa%3D0339
If anyone has any input on if this is legit or anything, let me know :D
"How many times have I told you to pick on somebody your size?" - "There ain't nobody my size!"
http://www.deep13movies.com/joker-is-wild-dvd
Legit USA DVD