MovieChat Forums > MGM: When the Lion Roars (1992) Discussion > Fred Astaire is missing from the DVD!!

Fred Astaire is missing from the DVD!!

posted 15 years ago by movibuf1962
6 replies | jump to latest

There have been speculations about Fred Astaire material being withheld from public view for years, and I initially didn't believe it, but I recorded MGM:WTLR on tape several years ago when it aired on both PBS and TCM. In the 3rd part of the documentary where they highlight the era of the musicals, Astaire is shown quite a bit- most memorably in a vignette featuring Debbie Reynolds. As she reflects on how he gave her a pep-talk one day when she was crying from frustration about never getting the dance steps, he invited her to watch him rehearse as they ran footage of his gymnasium solo in 'Royal Wedding.' On the new DVD (which I purchased and just finished looking at), his footage has been replaced with large sections of the 'Good Morning' number from 'Singin' In The Rain' and 'Ziegfeld Follies' (the showgirls from 'Beauty' and more of Judy Garland's 'Interview').

Has anyone else noticed this? Is there some kind of legal hold or lawsuit going on with his estate regarding public display of his images?

[–] gerrythree 15 years ago

From another website where posters sent in their reviews. As you noted, Fred Astaire is cut from the DVD.
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Reviewed by Hisato Masuyama from LA, CA

Unfortunately, the revised version
Back when TNT aired this series in the early 90's, it was one of the best documentary series that was produced. However, almost immediately after its broadcast, Robin Astaire (Fred's wife) forbade the usage of any of his clips on ANY documentary, suggesting that his image in such capacity will ruin his integrity- or a facsimile there of. So, when issued on Laserdisc in the 90's, all the Astaire sequences were either cut or replaced- i.e., the clip from Ziegfeld Follies, the Babbit and the Bromide number with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly was replaced with Judy Garland's The Great Lady Has An interview. The version released on the DVD, unfortunately, is still that one. While TCM aired the series right before the DVD release, it was indeed the original version with Fred Astaire intact- you can either keep both, or just keep the TCM recording, since it would be more complete... such a pity for a great documentary.

[–] movibuf1962 15 years ago

Thank you so much for verifying this; I was beginning to think I was nuts. I guess I'm gonna have to dub my VHS tape over to DVD in order to get the true, uncensored content of the documentary. (Of course now, someone has borrowed it, but anywho...)

I spoke to an archivist/video historian over at UCLA Film & Video archive years ago who told me a similar thing currently goes on with all of Fred Astaire's television specials- all of which were recorded on high-quality color videotape (and could be remastered for DVD archive sales), but the rights are being held (for ransom, in a sense) by his widow. Don't understand that at all. Even he allowed (while he was alive) his first 1958 special to be aired on both PBS and Disney cable back in the 1980's. I could kick myself for not having thought to record it back then.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] d5ive 14 years ago

Man, I knew there was something wrong when I watched the DVD version of the segment. I should have recorded the series off the TV when it first came out. Argh.

[–] erslade1 11 years ago

Thats what you get when he married a young money grubbing vampire.

[–] juliemarkmarshall 8 years ago

So true. Family greed is depriving future generations from knowing and appreciating the great artistry of Fred Astaire. Ironically depriving access to previous works, simply makes an artist obsolete to future generations, therefore depleting the artists potential brand worth.