The Bootleg Files: Stevie

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 835: “Stevie” (1978 British film starring Glenda Jackson and Mona Washbourne).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On VHS video.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Hello, Criterion Collection?

The New York Times film critic Vincent Canby can be credited with writing the single most irresponsible and the single most beneficial movie reviews of all time. The irresponsible review was his November 1980 slam of “Heaven’s Gate” – the vitriolic fury that he hurled at Michael Cimino’s Western epic was the ultimate example of critical overkill, and his wrath was so powerful that it set off the chain reaction that brought down the film’s studio, United Artists.
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The Bootleg Files: Should Wives Work?

Posted on June 23, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 834: “Should Wives Work?” (1937 Oscar-nominated comedy short starring Leon Errol).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Maybe as part of an anthology of comedy shorts.

Unless you are too-serious student of film comedy, there is a good chance that you either never heard of Leon Errol or you may only know of him through a few supporting performances in other comics’ movies. But during the 1930s Errol became a prominent as the star in a series of comedy shorts made at RKO. These films are mostly forgotten today, although one of them – the 1937 “Should Wives Work?” – secured a niche in movie history through its Academy Award nomination for Best Short Subject (Two-Reel).
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The Bootleg Files: The Anita Bryant Florida Orange Juice Commercials

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 833: “The Anita Bryant Florida Orange Juice Commercials” (1969-80 television advertising campaign).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No one is going to touch this for an anthology.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Girl, are you kidding?

Here is a question for you: Which celebrity was the first victim of cancel culture? My choice for an answer will probably offend some people – especially since I am writing this during the month of June – but I will say it anyway: Anita Bryant.

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The Bootleg Files: Second Chorus

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 832: “Second Chorus” (1940 musical comedy with Fred Astaire, Paulette Goddard and Burgess Meredith).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On public domain labels.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A lapsed copyright.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely, although in theory there could be a rescue it from public domain hell.

In 1968, Fred Astaire returned to films after a six-year absence to star in the big-budget musical “Finian’s Rainbow.” In the media push for the film, Astaire was asked by a reporter which one of his film’s was his worst – the star stated without pause that the 1940 “Second Chorus” was the low point of his career.
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The Bootleg Files: Mondo Trasho

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 831: “Mondo Trasho” (1969 underground comedy directed by John Waters).

LAST SEEN: On Archive.org.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: As a VHS title.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Music rights clearance costs are too high.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

It is difficult to appreciate “Mondo Trasho” today because the 1969 work was the first attempt at feature-length filmmaking and it pales in comparison to the classic works that he would be churning out during the 1970s. Even Waters has been harsh on his film, claiming in interviews that it was overlong – “It’s got 20 minutes of good footage in it” he said about the 90-minute work – and complaining that his black-and-white cinematography was overexposed.

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The Bootleg Files: Tony and Lena

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 830: “Tony and Lena” (1973 TV special starring Tony Bennett and Lena Horne).

LAST SEEN: YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Music clearance costs.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

During the 1970s – also known as The Decade That Good Taste Forgot – most television specials were bizarre concoctions populated by dubious talents. Where else but in the 1970s would the phrase “Special Guest Star” and names such as John Davidson or Florence Henderson be united amid waves of canned applause?
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The Bootleg Files: Vom Bäumlein, Das Andere Blätter Hat Gewollt

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 829: “Vom Bäumlein, Das Andere Blätter Hat Gewollt” (1940 animated short made in Nazi Germany).

LAST SEEN: On the Internet Archive and on YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No sane U.S. label is going to put it into home entertainment release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nein.

The filmmakers of Nazi Germany were pathetically jealous of their counterparts in Hollywood. After all, the German cinema suffered a creative brain drain after Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, with the greatest talents leaving for other countries while significantly inferior pro-Nazi talents remained behind.
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