DVD?

Since my last post above, over two years ago, Columbia has suddenly become very active in releasing its classic library. Although as of this date I haven't heard of any release of this film, it no longer seems as if a DVD is such a remote possiblity after all...perhaps as one of Sony's bizarrely-named "Martini Movies" series. We'll keep an eye out.

This was the only film produced by Tyrone Power's and Ted Richmond's own company, Copa Productions, that Ty starred in or lived to see. In 1952 Richmond had been a line producer at Universal and had acquired Power from Fox to star in The Mississippi Gambler (1953 -- which has never been on home video of any format), and thanks to the great financial deal he had arranged for the actor, the two became friends. Both decided to start their own company once Power was free of Fox, in 1954. They had planned to acquire several properties but never got beyond Abandon Ship!/Seven Waves Away. Copa had been brought in as the co-production company for Solomon and Sheba in 1958, an offer producer Edward Small made to sweeten the deal so he could get Power for both that film and the earlier Witness for the Prosecution (1957). Of course, Power collapsed and died while filming a dueling scene for Solomon, and as he had not completed enough of his role to allow the film to be released, was replaced by Yul Brynner, whom director King Vidor always said was a poor choice for the part and gave an inferior performance compared to Power. Ted Richmond was still listed as the film's producer when the film was finally released in 1959, and it made Copa a lot of money.