The Bootleg Files: Uncle Walt

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 927: “Uncle Walt” (1964 student film that was unavailable for many years).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube and Internet Archive.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A student film made without the clearance of the rights owners of the original classic.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nope.

One of the sad truths of locating films that are either lost or have been otherwise unavailable for decades is that the discovered titles are often far less interesting than the mystique that surrounded them during their absence from view.
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The Bootleg Files: Metropolis 2027

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 926: “Metropolis 2027” (Fritz Lang’s 1927 science fiction classic, updated with color and a dialogue track).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A fan film made without the clearance of the rights owners of the original classic.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nein.

The other day, I received an email from a person named Garrett Guynn, who reminded me that I wrote a Bootleg Files review in September 2019 of “MetropolisRemix,” which took Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent black-and-white classic and reimagined it as a color film with spoken dialogue. Mr. Guynn included a link to my review, which was helpful because I had no memory of his film. And when I reread my review, I could only vaguely recall the production.
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The Bootleg Files: A Salute to Stan Laurel

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 925: “A Salute to Stan Laurel” (1965 TV special with an all-star cast).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Not cleared for home entertainment release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Doesn’t seem likely at the moment.

You may be wondering why there is a photo of Fred Gwynne’s Herman Munster on top of an article about “A Salute to Stan Laurel.” After all, “The Munsters” share no common ground with Stan Laurel, either as a solo performer or in his teamwork with Oliver Hardy. However, the inclusion of Herman Munster – playing a violin, no less – in a celebration of Stan Laurel is typical of the incoherent nature of this bizarre production, which arguably deserves to be considered on any list of the worst television specials of all time.
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The Bootleg Files: Waiting for Godot

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 924: “Waiting for Godot” (2024 version of the Beckett classic).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Not cleared for home entertainment release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Doesn’t seem likely at the moment.

At the moment, one of the hottest tickets on Broadway is the revival of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. But if you can’t make it to Broadway or don’t have the money to afford tickets, fear not because an inventive, enchanting, and under-the-radar version of the Beckett classic can be seen for free on YouTube.
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The Bootleg Files: Hedda

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 923: “Hedda” (1975 film version of Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” starring Glenda Jackson and Patrick Stewart).

LAST SEEN: On the Russian OK.ru site.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On VHS video.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: There seems to be a rights clearance issue.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Damn, I hope so.

When the Academy Award nominations for 1975 were announced, Glenda Jackson was among the Best Actress nominees for her performance in “Hedda,” an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company under the direction of Trevor Nunn. The likelihood of Jackson winning the Oscar was nil, only because she already won two Best Actress Oscars within the previous five years – for “Women in Love” (1970) and “A Touch of Class” (1973) – and the Academy was not going to give her a third award in such a short period of time. Jackson was aware of that situation, which may explain why she was the only woman in that category who did not attend the Oscar ceremony.
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The Bootleg Files: No Indians Please!

Posted on November 14, 2025 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 922: “No Indians Please!” (1948 silent truncated version of Abbott and Costello’s “Ride ‘Em Cowboy”).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No perceived commercial value.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nope, sorry.

If you’ve been following this column, you may recall that I’ve been on a mini-Abbott and Costello kick. Two weeks ago, I reviewed the new AI-fueled parody “Abbott and Costello Meets the Exorcist” and last week I dug up a video record of a Texas theater company’s 1984 live stage production of “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.” I was going to put Bud and Lou back on the shelf until I saw a notice announcing that November is Native American Heritage Month – and that seemed like the perfect cue to unspool the team’s 1948 release of “No Indians Please!”
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The Bootleg Files: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (Full Show) 1984

Posted on November 7, 2025 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 921: “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (Full Show) 1984” (Texas-based stage production recorded on video).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A few problems with copyright infringement.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nope, sorry.

Last week, this column served up a new AI-fueled parody called “Abbott and Costello Meets the Exorcist.” But when I was watching that video on YouTube, I was alerted there was also a video titled “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (Full Show) 1984.” And my reaction to that was an incredulous “What???”
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