MovieChat Forums > The Boys in the Band (1970) Discussion > Mart Crowley!! A DVD Please!!! (Contin...

Mart Crowley!! A DVD Please!!! (Continue this! We may get it!)

posted 18 years ago by jhb-4
10 replies | jump to latest

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Please excuse if you've read this in another thread but I feel the subject is too important not to start a new one with it. So this is repeated to get the attention of those who might have missed it.

Hello from Joe B in New Orleans. I am JHB-4 on IMDB. I promise you that what I write is true and that I'm not looking for attention.

I am a native of Vicksburg, Ms., and a friend of Mart Crowley who is very much alive. (We went to the same grade and high school though Mart is 9 years older than I.) I haven't seen him for several years but can be in touch with him soon.

PLEASE CONTINUE THIS THREAD--- Mart needs to realize that a DVD of "Boys in the Band " is truly desired by both the Gay and Theatrical communities (knowing, of course, that they are in many ways the same.)

The end of 2007 will mark 40 years since the play was first produced in New York-- with the same cast that Mart insisted be in the film two years later.
ALL of the original off-Broadway cast are in the film.

I will do all I can to convince Mart to see to it that a DVD project gets on the way and to make him aware (if he isn't already!) of the desire for it.

YOU FOLKS---- CONTINUE THE THREAD!!!

And if you are of a mind that "Boys in the Band" is NOT still a relevant work-- then you don't know your history-- Gay or otherwise!!!

Joe

PS-- It is my intention to really push for a commentary by the still-living members of the cast with Mart and the director William Friedkin if possible.
I agree that it's a most important thing.
And besides-- it will make for a hell of a good time, that's for sure!!!

Please add your POSITIVE comments and encouragements below!! (And if you are not of the same mind, please post your comments on another thread. Thanks for that consideration.)
Joe

[–] CSull2005 18 years ago

Yes, this work seriously needs to be released on DVD and quite a lot of pepole agree. But Mart should not look here for the only evidence of that... he can go to "TLAvideo.com" and look at the requests there or "Amazon.com" etc.

I met Laurence Luckinbill and he signed an original poster for the film for me and we spoke briefly about The Boys in the Band and he was clearly quite proud of it and I'm sure woul dbe very receptive to doing a commentary on it.

In fact, Peter White with Laurence Luckinbill would be great.

I think Reuben Greene did a TV commercial for a car a few year sback but other than that, I have no idea of what he is up to - but certainly he would also be a evry welcome addition.

Mostly, I want footage that was cut, and there clearly is some to be had!

To my understanding, the film was shot in a studio now called "Chelsea TV" in NYC. How they ever got the set on the roof to look so real is beyond me, unless they shot it on the roof. I would love to know what the building was that was used for the exterior shot of Michael entering his apartment building as well.

I find it interesting that several of the actors here appeared on "Murder, She Wrote", not surprising as Angela Landsbury was a stage actress as well.

I think a DVD release with a bonus CD of the songs used in the film would be AWESOME! I have all of them from their seperate artists albums and burned them onto one disc and the it plays VERY, VERY nicely and gives the film a far more upbeat tone.

A collector's set could contain the original album version that had the cast perform Boys on stage with all of that additional dialogue.

Imagine:

"THE BOYS IN THE BAND - THE 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTORS EDITION" ...!

Containing:

- The original film on DVD (restored 35mm print!) with bonus interviews with Mart Crowley, William Friedkin, Laurence Luckinbill, Peter White, Reuben Greene and Dominick Dunne AND never before seen footage. (Any additional footage of interviews at the time, such as Kenneth Nelson on the Johnny Carso show etc. would be great!)

- The original stage production restored from its original vinyl release!

- A "BOYS IN THE BAND" sountrack featuring the full length version to all the songs in the film.

Now THAT would be a GREAT GIFT for the MANY, MANY, MANY fans of this truly classic film!

Chris Sullivan

[–] yozzer1966 18 years ago

Is there any chance you could list all of the the songs from the film?

Cheers

Steve

[–] CSull2005 18 years ago

Actually, a DUAL-DISC would be the perfect format.

SIDE A - Original film (35 mm restored version).

SIDE B - Bonus material (all the songs and interviews, cut footage etc).

You could get a very nice price for this and on one disc to boot!

Chris Sullivan

[–] vzerkna 18 years ago

Hi All!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I sent my own letter off to Fox today asking for them to rlease this movie as well. I have never seen this movie, excpet for bits and pieces of it. As I told them in my letter I was only 8 when this movie was rleased and no one I know ever had a copy of it. Would love to see it some time.

Tim in Boston

[–] youshallnotpass 18 years ago

I agree with everyone who has a POSITIVE comment about THE BOYS IN THE BAND film.
Here is my letter I sent to Fox today and I think EVERYONE should follow suit.

Send your request to [email protected]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to formally request for the release of the 1970 motion picture "The Boys In The Band" on DVD.

It has come to my attention that CBS FOX currently holds the rights for the film.

The DVD should be transferred from the newly restored 35mm print.
The DUAL LAYER DVD should also contain the following features:

Dolby Digital remastered soundtrack
16:9 enhanced
Commentary tracks by director William Friedkin and screenwriter Mart Crowley
Retrospective documentary featuring cast and crew interviews
Theatrical Trailer
Deleted Scenes

Furthermore, I find it extremely disappointing that this superb film has been overlooked for release on DVD. Therefore, I hereby implore the executives at FOX to release "The Boys In The Band"(1970) on DVD.

Yours sincerely

SJ Crotty

Adelaide, South Australia

Lets hope that this fantastic film gets the gold plated DVD release it deserves. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT THIS FILM HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED ON DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[–] jschuite 18 years ago

Yes please! I have been wanting a DVD version of this film for quite some time and I have several friend who want it too. This is a classic work as fresh and poignant as ever. Considering what has been put on DVD already I am dumfounded as to the absence of Boys In The Band. Does anyone know what the hold up is?

[–] tgrabon-1 18 years ago

All the crappy movies that are released on DVD every week and The Boys in the Band is still available on VHS? It saddens me.

[–] flyingdutchman-1 18 years ago

After a little research I feel compelled to advise that you may be barking up the wrong tree for a DVD release...

'Boys in the Band' was not originally a 20th Century Fox film. It was actually made by now-defunct "Cinema Center Films/National General Release".

Several other films that were produced by this company were previously released on VHS by 20th Century Fox several years ago, however, the DVD versions have been released by Paramount. (Little Big Man, Big Jake, Scrooge, A Boy Named Charlie Brown) It is possible that the rights to 'Boys in the Band' may no longer belong to Fox. It appears that the entire "Cinema Center Films/National General Release" catalog has changed ownership.

I have the Paramount DVD of 'A Boy Named Charlie Brown' and the audio and video are both pristine and there are even restored scenes that were apparently cut from the Fox VHS release, but there are no special features. The other films in the catalog seem to also be lacking in supplemental materials as well according to the information listed at amazon.com.

I have noticed from past purchases that Paramount is not the best when it comes to including supplemental materials with their DVDs (although they are getting better these days) so I don't know if the lack of special features is laziness or if perhaps there were no supplemental materials to be found in the vaults when the catalog of films were purchased.

So.... does anyone have an email address for Paramount Home Entertainment?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I'm scared to death that Jensy is going to drop her [fire] baton and fry like a Buddhist monk! - Wayne Wayne Wayne, Jr.

[–] flyingdutchman-1 18 years ago

I found the following address and phone number on Paramount's website... no email address was listed.

Paramount Studios
5555 Melrose Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90038

(323) 956-5000

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I'm scared to death that Jensy is going to drop her [fire] baton and fry like a Buddhist monk! - Wayne Wayne Wayne, Jr.

[–] SuperLeatherGay 17 years ago

We want to add it to our collections. This movie is a time capsule of gay life in the 60's. I hope they let us buy it on DVD someday.

Agnes,it's me Billy.