Not to reply to an four-month-old post, but ....
The quality is SUBSTANTIALLY better in the Criterion version. The restoration isn't perfect, of course, but Criterion generally works miracles of varying degrees depending on what they have to work with, and this one is astonishing considering it's a 70-year-old print. It's also a MUCH better transfer and encode than most of the "budget" discs you'll find (I owned two of those prior to picking up the Criterion edition). It looks especially nice with a good progressive-scan rig, although the added quality wouldn't be lost on a standard 480i television, either.
I wouldn't exactly say the outtakes add that much value, unless you receive a lot of enjoyment out of listening to Golden Age cinema actors swear a lot (and many do, mind you). The quality is poor, and there's really only about a minute of footage to be had.
One of the great gems on the Criterion disc is the inclusion of the COMPLETE Lux Radio adaptation of My Man Godfrey, starring many of the original cast including Powell and Lombard. It's not full of any great surprises having seen the film, but it's a charming hour-long radio play for radio nuts like me.
It's certainly understandable to balk at the inflated price of most Criterion releases, but for die-hard fans of the films they cover, they're usually well worth every cent. This one's no exception, and it really gets the treatment it deserves.
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willowz_girl
20 years ago
I wouldn't exactly say the outtakes add that much value, unless you receive a lot of enjoyment out of listening to Golden Age cinema actors swear a lot (and many do, mind you). The quality is poor, and there's really only about a minute of footage to be had.
Oh I definitely enjoyed hearing it, lol. Especially since Lombard's famouos for it, and I'm a huge fan. But you're right - it's very short and of poor quiality - I think I played that minute of footage like three times to get what she was saying.
I still haven't listened to the radio play though.
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