Don't order until it gets a proper release from WHV!

Like several MGM films of the late 40s - early 50s (TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY, ROYAL WEDDING, GO FOR BROKE, THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS and others), FATHER'S LITTLE DIVIDEND fell into public domain when MGM failed to renew its copyright, in 1979 in this case. That's why so many crummy copies (see the thread below re oldies.com) are on the market. However, just because a film's in p.d. doesn't prevent the original releasing company from issuing its own version, which would be from the pristine, original negative. In fact, back in VHS days, MGM/UA, which then released the old MGM titles, did release a clean copy of FLD, as they did for most of the other titles they'd let slip away from them. These titles are now under the control of Warner Home Video, which has been slow to release them on DVD. However, a few months ago WHV did release an excellent copy of TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY, and ROYAL WEDDING is coming out shortly, presumably of equal quality. There's no news about DIVIDEND as of this date (6/20/07), but I suspect that sooner or later WHV will release a superior copy struck from the original negative as was done for videotape and as they've done for those two musicals. In fact, a two-disc set with 1950's FATHER OF THE BRIDE would seem a logical release to make. Until then, don't waste your money on lousy p.d. rip-offs.

Are you listening, WHV?