The Extras - Catching up with Filmmaker Gregory Orr

Episode Date: November 26, 2023

In this short bonus episode we're catching up with filmmaker Gregory Orr, who's back to share exciting news about the Blu-ray release of his updated documentary, Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul. Gregory is also making an appearance at the Warner Studios Tour on November 30th, so we get the full details.Listen to our previous podcast: THE LAST MOVIE MOGULPurchase JACK L. WARNER: THE LAST MOGUL on MoviezyngClick here for more info on the November 30th eventFollow Gregory Orr on Facebook MovieZyng Affiliate The BEST place to buy all of your Warner Archive and Boutique DVDs and Blu-raysDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.The Extras Facebook pageThe Extras Twitter Warner Archive & Warner Bros Catalog GroupOtaku Media produces podcasts, behind-the-scenes extras, and media that connect creatives with their fans and businesses with their consumers. Contact us today to see how we can work together to achieve your goals. www.otakumedia.tv

Hi, I'm film historian and author John Fricke. I've written books about Judy Garland and the Wizard of Oz movie, and you're listening to The Extras. So every once in a while we have updates to previous podcasts, and usually I just post those on Facebook. But I thought it would be fun this time to talk with filmmaker Gregory Orr about some of the updates he's had since our last discussion. Hi, Greg. Hi, Tim. Good to see you. Good to be back. Yeah, it's great to be chatting with you again. We had you on not too long ago. It was just August to talk about the DVD release of your updated documentary, Jack L. Warner, The Last Mogul.

And that was a great conversation that was basically dropped, I think, around the birthday of your step grandfather. But now you have another update to share with the listeners of The Extras. So I'm glad to have you back. So tell us a little bit about what this update is. Well, I'm excited to announce that we are releasing the Blu-ray edition. It's the 30th anniversary Blu-ray edition, is what it's called, of my film, Jack L. Warner, The Last Mogul. As I mentioned last time, the film had been completely updated, upgraded to high definition from 4K sources. So the footage really looked pristine, and we redid the soundtrack and rejiggered some of the storytelling and added

more visuals. The DVD is great too. I mean, it's clear, it's good. But for those who really want a pristine experience, I really recommend the Blu-ray because it gives a whole history of Jack Warner's life through this wonderful archival footage and the photographs and his home movies. So you really get a full trip there through Hollywood history, starting very early and includes great home movies that were shot in 35 millimeter by Harry Warner of the Warner family. And you have Jack at work, you have behind the scenes, you have his own home movies that were in color in the 1930s, both at home at the big estate he had in Beverly Hills and then in Hawaii. So there's a lot of stuff at the My Fair Lady premiere in London.

It's beautiful. That's 35 millimeter footage also. Yeah. It was shot by British Pathé. And I'll just, for those listening, I'll just have a link to the episode that we did previously so that people could listen to that in full. And we won't rehash it,

the episode that we did previously so that people could listen to that in full and we won't rehash it. But the quick recap of that is that you originally had come out in 93, right? With this documentary. So it was a 30 year update and, and all that footage that you added new footage, plus the, the up res to 4k so that the quality of the stills and so much of that footage was, was great. And you and I talked and you came out with the DVD first, because that is the biggest part of the audience. And even that was noteworthy. And that's why we had the discussion because this documentary on your step-grandfather, the, one of the four founding brothers of Warner brothers had actually never been released in the U.S., which I was surprised to hear back then. So it was a great opportunity for people to get the whole thing and to own it.

You're right. The story had never been told in its fullness. I'd made a 100-minute documentary, 104-minute documentary at the time, and PBS wanted to represent it, but they only wanted a 56-minute version, which they sold overseas. It was never sold in the US. Warner Brothers took the 56-minute version years ago when they re-released Casablanca in 2008, I believe. But that's it. So no one has really seen this full 100-minute now, we cut it down a bit, 100-minute film. And it was made originally in the old NTSC. That was fine up to a point, but it was an unfinished film as far as I was concerned. So in many ways, I think of this as the director's cut. And I think people will really enjoy seeing the various chapters in

Jack Warner's life told through this footage. Yeah. And I know that when the DVD came out, a few people were asking you probably about Blu-ray, like, oh, okay, if it was up-res to 4K, are you going to do a Blu-ray? And I think that's kind of what prompted you to go ahead and release this. But tell me a little bit about the timing of it and when it's coming out. That's true. Decided to pick a date that meant something to Warner Brothers and meant something to me personally, which was the 81st anniversary of Casablanca's New York premiere. And that would have been in November 26, 1942. And it then was released to the general public in January, late January 1943. But New York audiences got to see it first. And one reason I'm excited by it, it's a wonderful

movie, obviously. It's a classic Warner Brothers movie, but my mother's also in it. It was her first film role. So it just seemed to be a kind of time to release it that had some personal connection as well as Warner Brothers connection. Yeah. And that's coming right up. What is this? November 26th. Is that the actual date? It's a Sunday. So who's around on a Sunday? I don't know. And it's right after Thanksgiving. So as people are digesting it, you can go on and order it or it'll be available at the Warner Brothers Studio store. Tell me a little bit about that. You're coming out to L.A. and having a little event. Yes, people are definitely invited to that.

You don't have to take the tour to RSVP, but Warner Brothers Studio Tour has been very welcoming and they're hosting a small event for the Blu-ray release. That's going to be on November 30th, Thursday, November 30th in the afternoon. There's a two o'clock talk I'll be giving and showing some excerpts. George Feltenstein, the wonderful historian and home video maven and all around great guy is

going to do a little interview with me. I'll be signing Blu-rays and DVDs are also available around three o'clock. So if anyone wants to stop by Warner Brothers, you can RSVP to that through their studio tour website and just show up. As I say, you can RSVP to that through their studio tour website and just show up. You know, as I say, you don't have to take the tour. It's free to the general public. I'd love to see you there and hear your thoughts and hopefully sign a few discs. And I'll put the links to that event and the information for that event. And I plan to be there as well. And I'll also maybe set up a little event thing so that people who live in LA can go to that.

It's a lot of fun to meet up with other listeners of the extras and fans of Warner Brothers in general at these Warner Brothers events. So I'm looking forward to that. And I'm looking forward to seeing this in blue. I thought the DVD actually looks terrific. And I guess one other thing, we didn't really mention all of these extras that you added to this release. Tell us a little bit about that as well.

Again, these are in high definition. We took the original government footage of the HUAC hearings where Jack Warner appeared in 1947. This is sort of the unedited footage that was also in 35 millimeter and decided to take that eight minutes so you could hear more of how he is pressured. We cover it in the film in a cut down version, but this you really start to see the progression of how he's resisting what the government asks of him. And he really pushes back until he finally what the government asks of him. And he really pushes back until he finally caves in a way and turns on the industry itself about rooting out communists. So it's a fascinating eight minutes done through this original footage. Then we have an interview with me because I did not address in

the film what happened with the stock sale amongst the four brothers in 1956. And doing additional research, I pull a lot of news items of the time about what happened with the brothers, because it's understood now that, or at least it's believed now, that Jack cheated his brothers and stabbed them in the back. And the official record paints a different story. I like to say he fooled his brothers, record, paints a different story. I like to say he fooled his brothers, but he did not cheat them. And so I go into some length and cite various sources about that. And finally, there's a little clip we have of the launching of the SS Benjamin Warner. And Benjamin Warner was the Warner Brothers' father. And the last Liberty ship launched in California, in the San Francisco area,

was named the Benjamin Warner. And Jack and Harry are up there with their wives watching this ship roll off into the water to be the last Liberty ship from that shipyard. Yeah. So those, I mean, those are brand new, obviously on the DVD and the Blu-ray this year. So that's a great number of extras. And we talked a little bit previously about how the folks there at Warner Brothers

and the Warner Archive have been very helpful with you with both the archival photography and in other ways. So it's really fun. And it's kind of winding down on the 100th year in terms of actual events. As a matter of fact, this may be the last one that I can think of because we're kind of going into the holiday season and things kind of move in that direction. So it's kind of a fun way to kind of cap off the year. And I love the fact that it's,

around the Casablanca premiere date because of the tie-in with your mother. And that's just such a great, great story. So a great way to kind of cap off the 100th year celebration of Warner Brothers. Yeah, I hope so. And Warner Brothers has been great to me. And as I say, I got to go back to original sources for all these films and photographs and reshoot them or retransfer them into 4K. It's very pristine. Yeah. So this is terrific, this new Blu-ray. When will it be available and where can people actually purchase it? There are a couple of sites where you can pre-order it. Movie Zing is the website for Allied Vaughn that is actually creating the Blu-ray and

the DVD. So you can go to their site, moviezing.com and pre-order there. Amazon will be having it. I just don't know when they're putting it up on the site. And of course, if you're Warner Brothers, stop by the studio store and pick up a copy there or maybe an autograph copy. Oh, that'd be terrific. And I'll have links to Movie Zing. And then eventually when it pops up on Amazon, I'm sure you'll let me know. And I can put that on the Facebook page as well, or repost your post as well, Greg, so that people can, you know, wherever they prefer to order it. Also, is there a international release by any chance of this? It has been sold to a couple of countries as a streaming program.

Australia has it. New Zealand has it. Israel just bought it. I don't know if they'll be showing it during these troubled times. And is this Blu-ray an all region or is this just a U.S.? It should be an all region. I asked for one, so it should be. Okay, terrific.

So for those who are in the U.K. or Australia, Movies Inc. does ship around the world. And if it's an all region, then they can just order it right there and have it shipped to them. world. And if it's a region, then they can just sort it right there and have it shipped to them. So. Well, Greg, this was fun to kind of catch up with you and hear what you did for the new Blu-ray release of that documentary. And I'm looking forward to seeing it and seeing you on the 30th. Absolutely. I hope some of your listeners come out too. It'd be great to meet anyone who has an interest in Warner Brothers. Thank you, Tim.

You bet. The Extras is a production of Otaku Media, producers of podcasts, behind the scenes extras, and media that connects creatives with their fans and businesses with their consumers. Contact us today to see how we can work together to achieve your goals at www.otakumedia.tv or look for the link in the show notes.