COUP DE TORCH: At last, Sony has opened the floodgates to their library, and look what’s pouring out—all sorts of goodies for film fanatics. First and foremost are Icons Of Screwball Comedy, Vol. 1 and Icons Of Screwball Comedy, Vol. 2, two wonderful collections of wacky farces.

The first set spotlights the farcical skills of Jean Arthur and Rosalind Russell in a quartet of classics. If You Could Only Cook (1935) offers Herbert Marshall as an auto company tycoon that Arthur mistakes for a fellow member of the unemployed, and who strings along when she answers the want ad taken out by mobster Leo Carrillo for a pair of domestics. Infamous as the release that Columbia advertised abroad as a Frank Capra production (to the director’s outrage), the film was actually helmed by comedy vet William A. Seiter. Too Many Husbands (1940) stars Ms. Arthur as a woman who gets remarried to presumed-dead hubby Fred MacMurray’s business partner Melvyn Douglas. The ensuing complications when MacMurray turns up alive lead to hilarious moments.

The first screen adaptation of My Sister Eileen (1942) features Russell and Janet Blair as the small-town siblings who move to Greenwich Village to pursue their respective aspirations as journalist and actress, and get befriended by a group of oddball characters. You “soitenly” won’t want to miss the cameo at the fade-out. She Wouldn’t Say Yes (1945) bring us Roz as a psychiatrist who gets romantically involved with combat sketch artist Lee Bowman in the course of a fun-filled train ride.

The marquee on the second volume belongs to Irene Dunne and Loretta Young, commencing with Theodora Goes Wild (1936), Dunne’s first foray into comedy, as she plays a small town schoolteacher who gets a dose of big city living after she pens a scandalous best-seller. In Together Again (1944), she’s the mayor of a Vermont town, who finds unexpected romantic entanglement when she commissions sculptor Charles Boyer for a statue of her late husband.

A Night To Remember (1942) showcases Brian Aherne as a mystery writer who, at the request of wife Young, moves to a new apartment to pen romance novels—but finds the neighborhood more inspiring for thrillers; and The Doctor Takes A Wife (1940) offers quick-paced screwball fun with Loretta as a feminist novelist forced to act like she’s married to chauvinist sawbones Ray Milland.

These sets are mighty impressive, and a great sign of things to come from the lady with the torch. Promised down the line are collections of film noir, Toho sci-fi, Samuel Fuller films, Rita Hayworth gems, and “New Hollywood” films from the late 1960-early ‘70s.

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN: It was the only movie Humphrey Bogart won an Oscar for. It’s never been on DVD on our shores because of rights and quality problems. But now, John Huston’s classic 1951 adventure The African Queen will finally dock here. The African Queen (Paramount Centennial Collection) offers Bogey as the hard-drinking captain of a small, rickety boat who takes prim British missionary Katharine Hepburn through the straits of World War I-era East Africa. The film is well-known for the charismatic love-hate relationship of the two characters, the beautiful production, leeches, and, now, the gorgeously restored, print that includes some great extras.

Here’s some trivia on the film you may not have known:

*The movie was independently made by producer Sam Spiegel (Lawrence Of Arabia), which would explain why its rights have moved around from company to company.

*Real leeches were brought in to be used on Bogart, but, ultimately fake ones were used in the memorable scene.

*At various times, the film was to star Bette Davis and either David Niven or James Mason.

*This marked Kate Hepburn’s first film in color and Theodore Bikel’s screen debut.

HERE’S THE SCOOP, DOC: OK. Everyone wants to know the hubbub, doc. So, eh, here goes.

Movies Unlimited will be handling the Warner Archive Collection.

For the uninitiated, the Warner Archive Collection are DVD-Rs from Warner Home Video, which entails films produced by Warner Brothers, RKO, Allied Artists, many MGM films up through the 1980s and other sources. Warner released an extensive and varied initial batch of 150 titles, and has been adding 15 titles per month. We will offer the titles 90 days after they are initially announced.

Many of these titles have been much requested, but in most cases there are no extras on the releases—once in a while Warner has included a minor extra like a trailer. The first installment of titles is a varied lot, Doc, and here are some of the most interesting titles in the bunch:

Young Tom Edison (1940): Mickey Rooney plays the brilliant inventor in his formative years, when he began the experimenting which lead to his incredible electrical discoveries.

Al Capone (1959): Rod Steiger plays the real “Scarface” in this acclaimed gangster saga.

The Adventures Of Mark Twain (1944): Fredric March turns in a memorable portrayal of Samuel L. Clemens, whose adventures on the Mississippi and during the California Gold rush lead to his career as a writer and humorist.

Betrayed (1954): A top-notch WWII thriller with Clark Gable as an allied operative who recruits Nazi collaborator Lana Turner to spy on German forces.

The Big Circus (1959): Irwin Allen scripted this big top drama with Victor Mature as the owner of a struggling circus dealing with financial problems and an unknown enemy planning to sabotage the show. Rhonda Fleming, Peter Lorre and Vincent Price co-star.

Carbine Williams (1952): James Stewart plays David Marshall Williams, the inventor of the carbine automatic rifle used extensively during World War II.

Down the road, we’ll have news on other great Warner Brothers Archive titles.

So keep tuned in, Doc.

CAPTAIN KIRK: During the 1950s, Kirk Douglas journeyed overseas to make a few films. One of them was Ulysses, an exciting version of Homer’s Odyssey, in which Kirk plays the brave warrior who encounters incredible adventures while on his way home from the Trojan War. While Penelope (Silvana Mangano) awaits his return, she is pursued by the suitor Antinous (Anthony Quinn). During the course of his excursion, leader Ulysses and his men encounter the Cyclops, the Sirens and other unusual situations. The film is a Movies Unlimited favorite and Lionsgate has finally located a print worthy of a new DVD pressing.

FORD HAD A BETTER IDEA: The life and films of the great filmmaker John Ford are memorably chronicled in Directed By John Ford, a classic 1971 documentary by Peter Bogdanovich. Narrated by Orson Welles, the film delves into the Ford mystique and allows viewers to opportunity to see why he was such a master, thanks to insights from Clint Eastwood, Katharine Hepburn and courtesy of Bogdanovich’s 2006 extended cut, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Clips from his classic movies are plentiful as well.

Speaking of Ford’s finest movies, Wagon Master comes ridin’ onto DVD for the first time. While this 1950 oater isn’t as well-noted as The Searchers or Stagecoach or The Grapes Of Wrath, it’s still a classic: a gorgeously composed study of sixty Mormons’ journey by wagon train across the rugged west to Utah. Ward Bond, Ben Johnson and Harry Carey, Jr. star, while athlete Jim Thorpe has a small part.

CUT TO THE CHASE: The silent screen clown Charley Chase is featured in all of his slapstick glory in Becoming Charley Chase, a four-disc compendium of Chase’s work that features 40 rare shorts. The set includes his early films at Mack Sennett’s Keystone Studios, his directing efforts and his one-reel Jimmy Jump shorts. There is also a 40-minute retrospective of the comic’s career, new music by a number of groups and a collectible booklet.

KINO NOTES: Always to be counted on for putting out interesting foreign, indie and historic titles, Kino has some fascinating new releases for your interests. The John Barrymore Collection offers four titles that are also available separately. These films from the man known as “The Great Profile” include the never-on-video Sherlock Holmes (1922), which features early roles for William Powell and Roland Young; The Beloved Rogue (1927) with Conrad Veidt; Tempest (1928), a Russia-set romance set in the last days of the Tsar; and the previously available Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1920).

In addition, Kino is putting out Gaumont Treasures: 1897-1913, an amazing collection of 80 films from such pioneers of French cinema as Alice Guy, Louis Feuillade, and Leonce Perret. Experiments in early filmmaking involving editing, tinting, storytelling, camera movement and more make this impressive compendium a must-have for cinephiles that care about the history of the art form.

MUSIC NOTES: Fillmore: The Last Days (1971) hasn’t been available on DVD since the earliest days of VHS. It chronicles the final days of Bill Graham’s San Francisco rock palace and offers footage of Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead and Santana in concert, and also goes behind-the-scenes at the venue. This is a fascinating look at the psychedelic era…Paul Simon And Friends: The Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song offers “Rhymin’ Simon” and a host of friends in a gala May 2007 concert celebration from Washington, D.C. Alison Krauss and Shawn Colvin perform The Boxer, Lyle Lovett sings Sixty Ways To Leave Your Lover, and Stephen Marley, son of reggae great Bob Marley, turns in Mother And Child Reunion. Also appearing are James Taylor, Marc Anthony, Stevie Wonder, The Dixie Hummingbirds and Art Garfunkel…

Neil Young Archives, Vol. 1 (1963-1972) is the long-in-the-works collection from the folk rock icon. Included in this 10-disc set are live performances, studio footage, archival segments, 128 recordings and the full-length Journey Through The Past feature film, along with a 236-page book. This showcases Young’s career from his early days to the recording of the classic LP Harvest… And now for something completely different: Bing Crosby’s USO All-Star Christmas Show presents “Der Bingle” as master of ceremonies for such stars as Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Louis Armstrong, Danny Kaye, Jane Russell, Jimmy Stewart, and Martha Raye. It’s from 1958.

IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN: The latest word on the long-in-the-works film adaptation of The Green Hornet is that director Michel Gondry has been tapped to helm the Seth Rogen-Stephen Chow starrer for a summer 2010 release. Most people probably remember the Hornet as the crime-stopping dude with the green mask and coat played by Van Williams on the 1960s TV series. In fact, they probably better remember Kato, his Asian martial arts expert chauffeur, because he was played by Bruce Lee.

A different generation, however, recalls the Green Hornet serials from the 1940s, which are finally landing on DVD. Back then, Universal produced the serials The Green Hornet (1940) and The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1941). In the 13-epsiode The Green Hornet, Gordon Jones plays newspaper editor Britt Reid, the secret identity of the masked crimefighter who teams with inventor-sidekick Kato (Keye Luke) to halt the city’s racketeers. In The Green Hornet Strikes Again!, Warren Hull takes over the role, as the Hornet visits Hawaii and discovers a crime syndicate infiltrating all sort of businesses. Both sets offer original radio broadcasts of the Green Hornet show that ran in the 1930s, trailers, and commentaries by historians.

CULT CORNER: What do you get when you put late, great bizarre comic Andy Kaufman with loquacious wrestler “Classy” Freddie Blassie at a Los Angeles Sambo’s for breakfast? You get My Breakfast With Blassie, a sort of a working man’s variation on My Dinner With Andre. Here, the two unique personalities discuss issues such as personal hygiene, wrasslin’ against women and teeth filing. Oh, and that pencil neck geek Kaufman gets in a scrap with some women in the next booth….Just in time for the Werner Herzog / Nicolas Cage reboot Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans, Bad Lieutenant (Special Edition) offers everything you’d expect from Abel Ferrara’s NC-17 guttural yell from sleazy New York cop Harvey Keitel—and more. There are audio commentaries from rebel filmmaker Ferrara and cinematographer Ken Kelsch, plus an extensive documentary about the making of the controversial 1992 film…

As all of the cultists await the arrival of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds in theaters this August, we have films by the director of the 1977 original coming out for your perusal. Italy’s Enzo Castellari is the prolific filmmaker behind films in every genre. The new batch of Enzo entries include The Big Racket, in which Fabio Testi is a detective trying to halt a crime syndicate moving into his turf; The Heroin Busters offers Testi and David Hemmings trying to halt local lethal drug pushers; and Street Law is essentially Death Wish, Italian style, with Franco Nero plotting revenge against thugs who assaulted him and finding help from Barbara Bach.

CRITERION CORNER: The latest titles from the great Criterion Collection include several much-requested Blu-rays and other faves that have been talked about for a while.

In the Blu-ray stable, there’s Akira Kurosawa’s Kagemusha and Jacques Tati’s Playtime. In the DVD format, we have Whit Stillman’s long-unavailable The Last Days of Disco (1998), a look at publishing industry workers Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny’s experiences dancing and romancing the night away at a hip dance club in Manhattan; Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975), Chantal Akerman’s epic study of a French widow (Delphine Seyrig) and her daily routines which includes taking care of her children and turning tricks for cash; and Nikkatsu Noir, a five-disc collection of incredible action and gangster films from the famed Japanese studio.

KID’S CORNER: Welcome Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo and Master Splinter to the deluxe DVD fold with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition), which puts together all four films of the series with a comic book, autographed sketch, hat and collectible cards…Much-requested, Donald In Mathmagic Land is a 1959 short gem from Disney in which the irascible mallard learns about numbers and figures…The Tigger Movie (2-Disc 10th Anniversary Edition) has Winnie the Pooh and the rest of the crew helping pal Tigger find others of his species… Disney has two wildlife-based live-action films on the way to DVD: 1975’s Ride A Wild Pony and 1963’s Yellowstone Cubs…From the aforementioned Warner Archive Collection comes the 1939 version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, starring Mickey Rooney as the ever-adventurous Huck.

FROM THEATERS TO YOU—IN NO TIME FLAT: Here are the latest first-run titles that were just in theaters a second ago…

12 Rounds: WWE grappler John Cena gets a rematch with action-lead status as a New Orleans cop who finds his girlfriend kidnapped by a guy he sent to the slams, and must complete a dozen hazardous tasks to get her back in one piece. Renny Harlin directs.

17 Again: Body-switching bellylaughs abound as frustrated businessman Matthew Perry pines for the good times of his youth, and finds himself magically de-aged into Zac Efron. Leslie Mann, Michelle Trachtenberg, Thomas Lennon, Brian Doyle-Murray co-star.

Adventureland: Sly coming-of-age farce from Superbad helmer Greg Mottola starring Jesse Eisenberg as a kid forced to take a summer job, and cope with his co-workers, at a sleazy, third-rate Pittsburgh amusement park. Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig co-star.

Coraline: Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick delivers a striking animated take on Neil Gaiman’s dark kidlit favorite, as an unhappy young girl (voiced by Dakota Fanning) finds refuge from her detached parents via a tunnel into an alternate universe. Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Ian McShane co-star.

Dragonball: Evolution: The anime sensation gets a live-action interpretation, as novice warrior Goku (Justin Chatwin) finds himself in a race with the devious Piccolo (James Marsters) for the seven spheres of power. Chow Yun-Fat, Emmy Rossum, Ernie Hudson co-star.

Duplicity: Slick caper romance teams Julia Roberts and Clive Owen as warring corporate spies with a steamy history together who team on an opportunity to score big and stick it to their respective bosses. The follow-up effort for Michael Clayton writer-director Tony Gilroy co-stars Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti.

Fast & Furious: The high-torque, big-ticket action franchise gets back to basics, as Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez reteam. Diesel is back in the States after exile, and Walker is torn between cuffing him and helping him gain vengeance against a Mexican druglord.

Hannah Montana: The Movie: You’d think they charged by the Miley in this feature from the Disney Channel tween favorite, as Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) gets a swelled head from her alter ego’s superstardom, and dad Robby Ray (Billy Ray Cyrus) sends her home to Tennessee to get in touch with real values. Emily Osment, Lucas Till co-star.

The Haunting In Connecticut: Parents Virginia Madsen and Martin Donovan pull up stakes for an abode closer to their ill son’s chemo treatments, and find that their creepy new home came at a bargain rate for a reason. Elias Koteas co-stars.

I Love You, Man: Off-center buddy farce stars Paul Rudd as a guy who discovers he knows nobody well enough to make best man at his impending nuptials, and embarks on “man-dates” until he settles on Jason Segel—and then finds their budding camaraderie threatening fiancée Rashida Jones. Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons, Jane Curtin co-star.

Miss March: Another raunchy road farce follows a guy who lands into a four-year coma on his prom night, awakens to finds his high-school sweetie the latest Playboy centerfold, and heads with his best bud to Hef’s mansion to win her back. Writers/directors Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore star, with support from Craig Robinson, Cedric Yarbrough.

Observe And Report: Dark farce stars Seth Rogen as a bi-polar, delusional mall cop who sees his chance to impress bubbleheaded perfume salesgirl Anna Faris by barging in on the police investigation of the flasher who’s staking her. Ray Liotta, Celia Weston, Michael Pena co-star.

Obsessed: Surprise hit suspenser stars Beyonce Knowles as the spouse of an asset manager (Idris Elba) who’s got everything—including a hot and unbalanced temp assistant (Ali Larter) who’s determined to make him her carnal prey. Jerry O’Connell, Christine Lahti co-star.

The Pink Panther 2: Steve Martin’s back as Clouseau, who assembles an international squad of equally bumbling sleuths when a master thief targets the Pink Panther Diamond as his next iconic prize. John Cleese, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Aishwarya Rai co-star.

Race To Witch Mountain: Dwayne Johnson stars as a mob wheelman-turned-cabbie who has two mysterious teens (AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig) appear in his hack, seeking his help in escaping some desperate government types. Carla Gugino, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Everett Scott co-star in Disney’s reboot of its ‘70s family sci-fi adventure series.

State Of Play: Kevin Macdonald’s Americanization of the BBC political thriller miniseries stars Russell Crowe as the D.C. journalist ferreting out the seeming links between a string of bizarre deaths and a shadowy military contractor. Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright, Jeff Daniels co-star.

Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun Li: The arcade battle classic gets one more live-action go-round on the big screen, with Kristin Kreuk as the lethal lady out to avenge her family’s destruction at the hands of Bison (Neal McDonough). Chris Klein, Michael Clarke Duncan, Robin Shou co-star.

Sunshine Cleaning: Amiable if slightly dark farce teams Amy Adams and Emily Blunt as cash-strapped New Mexico sisters who seek a way out by hiring themselves out as scrubbers for crime scenes and biohazard sites. Steve Zahn, Alan Arkin, Jason Spevack co-star.

Watchmen: Zack Snyder’s epic take on the Alan Moore / Dave Gibbons deconstructionist superhero saga is set in a mid-‘80s America where a cadre of retired costumed crimefighters are faced with the murder of one of their own and a conspiracy that threatens to sway the world’s precarious nuclear standoff. Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Matthew Goode, Jeffrey Dean Morgan star.

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