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Reader unable to find copies of films 'El Cid' and '55 Days at Peking'
By Rich Heldenfels
Published on Thursday, Oct 11, 2007
If it's Thursday, this must be the mailbag, and people are doing some shopping. . . .
Q: Do you know if DVDs of ''El Cid'' and ''55 Days at Peking'' are available anywhere? I have been unable to find them.
A: After years of being available only in imported versions, some of which could not be watched in U.S. DVD players, the two Charlton Heston movies you're asking for appear to be closer to DVD release.
In May, the Weinstein Co. announced it was setting up a new DVD label, the Miriam Collection (named for producer Bob and Harvey Weinstein's
mother). According to the trade publication Video Business, El Cid will be the company's first release and ''others in the Miriam pipeline are Fall of the Roman Empire with Sophia Loren, 55 Days at Peking with Heston and Circus World with John Wayne.'' But I have not seen release dates.
Q: In the late 1940s Victor Mature, Lizabeth Scott and Louie Calhern made a movie about pro football in which Victor played the quarterback, Lizabeth his wife and Louie as the wealthy financier bankrolling Lizabeth's character's business. What was the name of the movie, and is it available?
A: That would be 1949's Easy Living, based on an Irwin Shaw story, with Mature as an aging player facing retirement. It was released on VHS, and I have seen copies floating around. Amazon.com had some used ones for sale starting at about $25. I could not find an authorized release on DVD.
Q: Can you throw any light on a movie that came out sometime after the JFK assassination, titled ''Executive Action'' or ''Executive Decision,'' starring Burt Lancaster and Will Geer? It was supposed to be a movie of fiction based on the facts about the assassination of the president. Was it taken out of circulation?
A: That was Executive Action, from 1973. While it has some fans, Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide calls it an ''excruciatingly dull thriller (that) promised to clear the air about JFK's assassination but was more successful at clearing theaters.'' It is not out of circulation; it was released on VHS, and a DVD version hits stores on Oct. 23.
Q: Can you tell me where I might be able to get a copy of the movie made in England in 1967 of D.H. Lawrence's book ''Women In Love,'' starring Oliver Reed and Glenda Jackson?
A: The movie which actually came out a couple of years later than you remember is readily available on DVD, so you can see what won Glenda Jackson her first Oscar. Your local video retailer should have it in stock or be able to order it for you. If not, you can buy it online from sites such as Movies Unlimited (http://www.moviesunlimited.com).
Q: I am wondering if DVD or tapes are out on all the old ''Law and Order'' TV programs that were on TV years ago?
A: Not all of them. The first five seasons of Law & Order, as well as the 14th, are on DVD. The first five seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit have also been released, and the first three of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The entire series of Law & Order: Trial by Jury, which lasted a single season, is on DVD, as is Conviction, a short-lived series with L&O connections if not the brand name. As for why the original series skipped a bunch of seasons to release the 14th, the DVD distributor one time put out all three of what were then the most recent seasons of L&O, SVU and Criminal Intent.
Do you have a question or comment about movies, TV and other popular culture? Write torheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com or the Akron Beacon Journal, 44 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44309. Please mark the note for Mailbag and do not phone in questions.
Letters may be edited. Individual replies cannot be guaranteed.
Rich Heldenfels writes about popular culture for the Beacon Journal and in a blog at http://www.ohio.com.
If it's Thursday, this must be the mailbag, and people are doing some shopping. . . .
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