The strange case of the UK Richard Jewell Blu-ray….

The strange case of the UK Richard Jewell Blu-ray….

I hold my hands up. It’s been a long while now, but I have to concede - I have absolutely no idea what is going on in regards to the UK Blu-ray release of Richard Jewell, or should I say the lack of it? I’ve hunted high and low for any information regarding this mystery as I’ve been patiently wanting to add the Blu-ray to my collection, as have many of Clint’s UK fans. 

After contacting Warner Brothers here in the UK, with a simple question - where is the Richard Jewell Blu-ray? It seems that my request has fallen upon deaf ears. My question is simply being ignored. It’s a little disheartening as I ask this question, not only for me, but on behalf of Clint’s fan base here in the UK. We’ve just been left in the dark. I thought Warner Brothers and even Clint himself would be appreciative that fans still want to buy Clint’s movies - the fans are both loyal and supportive and yet, we don’t even seem to be able to acquire the latest movie, because it is seemingly unavailable here in the UK? It seems incredible? 

As there seems to be no UK Blu-ray release I have finally resorted to importing a European copy, which certainly isn't ideal, but more of a necessity. I have opted for a Dutch edition, which should be Region B being part of Europe. Other editions such as Italian, German etc are available, and should all contain the original English language or there is of course the U.S. edition. Whilst most U.S. Warner Brothers releases tend to be Region Free, I would urge anyone just to double check before committing to buying. As I am aware - the Dutch edition contains bonus material such as The real story of Richard Jewell and a making of the movie. I have no idea of the duration for these featurettes as I am waiting for delivery. 

This is something that could have of course been avoided. I just don’t think it's good enough really. But there you have it. I can only wonder what is going to happen when it comes to the Cry Macho Blu-ray release. It would be nice if Warner Brothers could let us know, but I won’t hold my breath. I will naturally endeavour to let fans know, should I get any official word from Warner Brothers.

Clint Eastwood Photo Opportunity #23

Clint Eastwood Photo Opportunity #23

I thought I'd post this great shot today. It features from left to right, a young girl with American actors Mike Connors (1925 - 2017), Ron Ely (1938- ), Adam West (1928 - 2017) and Clint at a Benson & Hedges celebrity ski race in Bear Valley, California, USA, on the 5th March 1971. 

If that jacket looks familiar, it's looks to be the same one that Clint was wearing during Dirty Harry (1971), specifically when Harry was watching Scorpio 'on his own time'.

Hang ‘em high Rare U/A letter July, 1968

Hang ‘em high Rare U/A letter July, 1968

I was over the moon yesterday to receive this wonderful piece of original 1968 memorabilia. The letter from the East coast division of United Artists was to promote the release of Clint’s first American film, Hang ‘em High. These little pieces of documentation may not mean a lot to some people, but for me, they are very important pieces. They are, after all, a document of historical importance. One person who fully understands this is Eastwood author and Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer. I’ve known Lee for nearly two decades now, and have helped work with him on several Eastwood related projects. Lee very graciously sent me this piece over as a festive gift, so thank you, Sir. It is so very much appreciated. 

In fact, Lee’s gift provided me with the ideal opportunity of pulling a very similar piece (scanned here on the Archive for the first time). By strange coincidence, these were also entrusted to me by another long-time friend and Eastwood author, the late Patrick Agan. Many years ago Patrick kindly donated a lot of his original material to me, material that Patrick had collected for his book on Eastwood back in the mid-seventies. These also tie-in and compliment very nicely with Lee’s piece. Below are a lovely set of Advance production notes for Hang ‘em high. Patrick’s notes originated from the West coast division of United Artists and consist of 12 pages and supported by a separate 2 page synopsis. I have also now added these scans to the dedicated Hang ‘em high page (HERE).

On that page you will also find another wonderful example of some Hang ‘em high ephemera which also contained a great letter headed design. The dangling legs letter announcing Hang ‘em high’s release date also originates from the East coast, New York offices of United Artists, and is really striking. Unfortunately, I don’t own an original piece with that letter head design, but I certainly hope to add it to the collection one day.

My thanks to both Lee and Dave Worrall of Cinema Retro, both of whom remain great supporters of the Archive. 

Cinema Retro (HERE)   

 

Clint Eastwood Photo Opportunity #22

Clint Eastwood Photo Opportunity #22

I like to try and begin the New Year with a Clint Eastwood Photo Opportunity - besides, we haven’t had one since October last year. Not that we need much of a reason or excuse to post a great picture of Clint, it's just a little something to make us smile during these testing times.

So while we seem to have fallen into a bit of a mini Thunderbolt & Lightfoot binge, I thought I’d post this cracking photo of first time director Michael Cimino with Clint during a break in filming. Every time I look at this shot I wonder what Cimino might had been saying – with a finger planted in Clint’s chest, it looks on the surface to be quite ominous (although perhaps not to be recommended). 

Then again, perhaps it was a constructive conversation? Perhaps Cimino was trying to justify why he needed just one more take? Perhaps it was a discussion about power and stature within the industry?

Yes, we’ll go with that scenario. After all, Clint appears to be the only one laughing…        

Thunderbolt & Lightfoot Academy Screening Ad

Thunderbolt & Lightfoot Academy Screening Ad

Here’s a very rare advertisement inviting Academy members (and guest) along to a screening of Thunderbolt & Lightfoot. The advert appeared in The Hollywood Reporter on Monday, January 20th, 1975. The film was show on the 20th, 21st and 23rd at The Goldwyn Studios, screening Room A at 8.30pm. 

Thunderbolt & Lightfoot Rare FYC Jeff Bridges Oscar Ads

Thunderbolt & Lightfoot Rare FYC Jeff Bridges Oscar Ads

Here are a couple of very rare Academy Award FYC ads for Jeff Bridges as Best Supporting Actor in Thunderbolt & Lightfoot (1974). Back in 1975, it marked something of a departure for a Clint Eastwood movie to receive an Academy Award nod. There was no doubt about it; Jeff Bridges was certainly worthy of consideration. However, the company was incredibly tough that year with the likes of veteran star Fred Astaire for The Towering Inferno, Michael V. Gazzo, Lee Strasberg and finally Robert De Niro making up the trilogy of actors competing for The Godfather Part II. 

One could argue that the odds were a little stacked in Coppola’s favour that evening – and sure enough, on Tuesday, April 8th 1975, it was De Niro who walked away with the Oscar for his performance as the young Vito Corleone. Nevertheless, Bridges could walk away with his head held high. It was just a pity no prizes were awarded for the funkiest colour designed ads, I’d of certainly marked Thunderbolt & Lightfoot down as an overall favourite in that particular category. 

My kind thanks to our friend Richard Duval