The Bootleg Files: Vinyl

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 810: “Vinyl” (Andy Warhol’s 1965 unofficial adaptation of “A Clockwork Orange”.

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Unauthorized use of Burgess’ book and several classic rock songs.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: There is no great call for this one.

Everyone is familiar with Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film version of the Anthony Burgess novel “A Clockwork Orange,” but some people might not realize there was an earlier screen adaptation – by, of all people, Andy Warhol.
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The Bootleg Files: Lambeth Walk – Nazi Style

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 809: “Lambeth Walk – Nazi Style” (1942 short that riffs on “Triumph of the Will” with a soundtrack featuring an instrumental version of “The Lambeth Walk”).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: In public domain anthologies.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Unauthorized use of Leni Riefenstahl’s film coupled with music clearance issues.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: It is out there, rights clearance be damned.

Some humor is timeless – think of Shakespeare’s comedies, Mark Twain’s novels and the Three Stooges’ knockabout. But with some humor, time is not an ally and it can difficult for later generations to appreciate what their predecessors were laughing about.
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The Bootleg Files: Sesame Street Episode 847

Posted on July 22, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 808: “Sesame Street Episode 847” (1976 offering of the TV classic with guest Margaret Hamilton).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Not yet.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It’s complicated.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Who knows?

In the 1970s, character actress Margaret Hamilton experienced a career upswing. She landed the part of Cora, the New England general store manager, in a long-running series of Maxwell House coffee television commercials. And she had a few opportunities to revisit her beloved film role as the Wicked Witch of the West from “The Wizard of Oz” in several television appearances, including a kindly visit without her green make-up on “Mister Rogers” and in a wacky and ribald riff (with her green hue) in Paul Lynde’s campy Halloween special.
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The Bootleg Files: Hatter

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 807: “Hatter” (2022 fan film short inspired by the Batman franchise).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Not yet.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A fan film that borrows copyright protected characters.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Who knows

Fan films are a hit or miss affair – they’re mostly miss, IMHO – but sometimes the genre produces a genuine surprise. In this case, there is a very happy surprise coming from a pair of creative artists who’ve turned up before in The Bootleg Files series.
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The Bootleg Files: Hokey Wolf

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 806: “Hokey Wolf” (a short series of Hanna-Barbera cartoons from 1960-1961).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Two episodes were included in a DVD release.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Probably not.

During the early 1960s, the Hanna-Barbera animation studio flooded television viewers with a surplus amount of cartoon mischief that quickly became incorporated into the popular culture. Creations including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, The Flintstones, Top Cat and The Jetsons gained instant iconic status.
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The Bootleg Files: Chagall

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 805: “Chagall” (1963 Oscar-winning documentary short narrated by Vincent Price).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Probably not.

If you’re the type of a movie fan who feels the need to see every film that won an Academy Award, you probably experienced a frustrated pursuit of “Chagall,” which won the 1963 Best Documentary Short Subject. For many years, the film was very difficult to locate – there has never been a home entertainment release and it was absent from YouTube until last August when an unauthorized posting based on a McGraw-Hill Films educational market video popped up.
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The Bootleg Files: Wacky Wigwams

Posted on June 10, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 804: “Wacky Wigwams” (1942 animated short).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Probably not.

Unless you are a die-hard animation aficionado, there’s an excellent chance that you are unfamiliar with the output of Columbia Pictures’ Screen Gems animation studio in the 1930s and 1940s. Truth be told, their films were never as invigorating or innovative as those from the major Hollywood animation studios of the time, and their obscurity was compounded by not being part of the television rerun culture that ensured cult status for the Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation.
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