From: Kino on Video
Kino On Video To Release Three Early William Wyler Films, Plus A Documentary About His Career, On VHS and DVD In an unprecedented collaboration with Catherine Tyler and Universal Pictures, Kino on Video is proud to announce that on November 5th, 2002, it will release the William Wyler Collection – Early Films, on VHS and DVD. Never-before released on VHS and DVD, Kino International and Universal Pictures are finally making available to a wider audience William Wyler's The Love Trap (1929), Counsellor-At-Law (1933), starring John Barrymore and Bebe Daniels, and The Good Fairy (1935), written by Preston Sturges and starring Margaret Sullavan. These powerful, yet mostly unseen classic films, are three important and highly entertaining works from a director who would go on to win three Best Director Academy Awards–for Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946) and Ben Hur (1959). Also part of this series is the documentary portrait Directed By William Wyler (1986). Produced by daughter Catherine Wyler, this documentary brings interviews with some of the most important Hollywood screen legends,–Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand, Audrey Hepburn, John Huston, Gregory Peck–whose careers were catapulted by this masterful director. Known specially for getting the best performances from his actors, Wyler is the director responsible for both the most Oscar winning performances (14) and nominations (35). The William Wyler Collection comes with exclusive and previously unseen DVD features. The double feature DVD of Directed By William Wyler and The Love Trap comes with a trailer gallery featuring previews for 17 William Wyler films and the DVD for Counsellor-At-Law comes with a gallery of rare photographs from the William Wyler family. All three DVDs are priced at $29.95 and all four titles can be purchased on VHS (The Love Trap and Directed By William Wyler are issued separatedly on VHS) for $24.95. Counsellor-At-Law Starring screen legend John Barrymore (Grand Hotel, Dinner At Eight), Bebe Daniels (42nd Street) and Melvyn Douglas (Ninotchka), Counsellor-At-Law is considered Wyler's first critical hit and one of the finest lawyer films ever made. Written by Elmer Rice (Street Scene, The Adding Machine) and based upon his own play, this film centers on lawyer George Simon (John Barrymore), a Jewish man with a life of poverty behind him, now struggling with his upper-class, New York clients' crimes and scandals. Considered an example of the Pre-Code cinema of the early 1930s, Counsellor-At-Law is a fast-paced character piece, flavored with strong social commentary and wry humor. As Simon attempts to help working-class Jewish New Yorkers and continue his work with rich, non-Jewish clients, he falls victim to a political enemy who uncovers some of Simon's legal indiscretions. Abandoned by his wife and in danger of being publicly humiliated, Simon quickly realizes that only his legalistic wizardry can save both his reputation and the freedom of those who count on him for justice. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES: Includes a gallery of rare photographs surveying the career of director William Wyler. The Good Fairy Written by legendary screenwriter Preston Sturges (Sullivan's Travels) and starring Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan, Cesar Romero and Herbert Marshall, The Good Fairy is a "hilarious" (Leonard Maltin) romantic comedy about a naïve girl's–Luisa Ginglebusher, played by Sullavan–love for fairy tales. After leaving a Budapest orphanage to become a movie usherette, she is encouraged by her guardian (Beulah Bondi) to "spread her wings" and live the life of a "fairy tale angel". As the dreamy-eyed girl meets the idealistic and humble lawyer Dr. Max Sporum (Herbert Marshall) , she decides to fully play out her fairy-tale fantasies by both providing Max the money he deserves and allowing true love to enter her life. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES: Original Theatrical Trailer Gallery of rare personal photographs from the William Wyler Estate Directed By William Wyler The Love Trap Celebrating the career of one of Hollywood's most acclaimed directors (Winner of three Best Director Academy Awards), Directed By William Wyler is a perceptive look at the life and career of the man who forever changed the face of North-American cinema. Over his 45-year career, William Wyler was responsible for an unmatched number of classic films (Dead End, Wuthering Heights, Funny Girl, Roman Holiday, The Best Years Of Our Lives) and his work was responsible for propelling an unprecedented number of actors' careers to stardom. After Carl Laemmle (his mother's cousin and the head of Universal Studios) offered him a job in publicity, William Wyler decided to emigrate from France to America in 1920. From there, Wyler went on to direct his first silent Western at Universal, eventually becoming the man behind MGM's Ben Hur and earning a record fifteen Oscar nominations (12 as director and three as producer). As dramatic as his climb to success may seem, William Wyler's personal life and behind-the-scene stories are even more so. This affectionate documentary, produced by daughter Catherine Wyler and directed by Aviva Slesin, is based on an in-depth interview given by Wyler, who passed away three days after taping this interview in 1981. This film also brings original interviews with some of Hollywood's biggest stars (like Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Barbra Streisand, Audrey Hepburn, John Huston, Billy Wilder, Lillian Hellman, Laurence Olivier and others). Also featured on the same DVD (and available as a VHS) is Wyler's rare 1929 part-silent/part-talkie The Love Trap. This light comedy stars Laura La Plante (The Cat And The Canary) as a chorus girl who loses her job on the same day she is evicted from her apartment. As a wealthy businessman miraculously rescues her from depression, both fall in love and seem ready to live together for the rest of their lives. However, bad luck strikes back with full force when her husband's uncle finds out about her background and begins to actively sabotage his nephew's marriage. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES: Trailer gallery featuring theatrical previews for 17 William Wyler films A detailed filmography of films directed by William Wyler For more information, http://www.kino.com/