Turner Classic Movies and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Team Up on New TCM Vault Collection DVDs

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) are joining forces on a new line of DVDs to be made available as part of the TCM Vault Collection. The offerings will include first-time DVD releases of classic films from the Columbia Pictures library. Among the DVD sets on tap will be a four-film collection of comedies starring Jean Arthur and introduced by TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz; a five-film set starring Humphrey Bogart; a large selection of cartoons from the United Productions of America (UPA) Jolly Frolics series, which includes the debut of the one-and-only Mr. Magoo and a special introduction and audio commentaries by film historian Leonard Maltin; as well as an intriguing collection of film noir thrillers, presented in partnership with The Film Foundation.

Like all films in the TCM Vault Collection, the new sets from SPHE are digitally remastered and include extensive on-screen bonus materials, including photos, posters, lobby cards and more. TCM Vault Collection sets are presented in beautiful gatefold packaging and available exclusively through TCM’s online store at http://shop.tcm.com.

The following sets from TCM and SPE are coming soon to the TCM Vault Collection:

• Jean Arthur Comedy Collection – This four-disc set featuring the winsome leading lady includes the gems The Public Menace (1935), Adventure in Manhattan (1936), More Than a Secretary (1936) and The Impatient Years (1944). TCM weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz provides a special introduction. Street date: Oct. 17, 2011.
• Humphrey Bogart Columbia Pictures Collection – This spectacular set includes five Bogie classics, including the early Bogart rarity Love Affair (1932) and his final film, The Harder They Fall (1956), a powerful story about a cynical press agent. Also included are Tokyo Joe (1949), Knock on Any Door (1949) and Sirocco (1951). Street date: November 2011.
• Film Noir Classics III – This third volume of the popular film noir collection, a collaboration with The Film Foundation, presents a slate of Columbia Pictures’ titles never before available on DVD, available for the first time through the TCM Vault Collection. The set includes Nina Foch and George Macready in My Name is Julia Ross (1946), Mickey Rooney and Dianne Foster in Drive a Crooked Road (1955), Broderick Crawford in The Mob (1951) and Brian Keith and Ginger Rogers in Tight Spot (1955) and Dan Duryea and Jayne Mansfield in The Burglar (1957). Columbia Pictures’ previous two film noir collections are also available through TCM’s online store. Street date: early 2012.
• UPA Jolly Frolics – This amazing DVD set includes, for the first time ever, 38 cartoons created by United Productions of America (UPA) and originally distributed by Columbia Pictures. The Jolly Frolics series began in 1949 with Ragtime Bear, which introduced audiences to the hilariously myopic Mr. Magoo. Included in this set are the Academy Award®-winning cartoon Rooty Tooty Toot (1952) and the Oscar®-nominated Madeline (1952) and Christopher Crumpet (1953). This set includes an abundance of bonus features, including introductions and audio commentaries by film historian and critic Leonard Maltin, who has written extensively on the history of animation. Street date: early 2012.

About Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE)

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. SPE is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 140 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

About Turner Classic Movies (TCM)

Turner Classic Movies is a Peabody Award-winning network that presents great films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world. Currently seen in more than 85 million homes, TCM features the insights of veteran primetime host Robert Osborne and weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests. As the foremost authority in classic films, TCM offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, along with regular programming events that include The Essentials, 31 Days of Oscar and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also stages special events and screenings, such as the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood; produces a wide range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs; and hosts a wealth of materials at its Web site, http://tcm.com, TCM is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.