Seeing how popular the Warner Bros. Archive has been releasing the studio’s classic movies on demand either as DVD or download, Columbia Pictures is getting in on the act and has just launched their Columbia Classics site with previous unavailable  films now available on DVD on Demand.

Among the titles that caught my eye: The Buttercup Chain; the TV-movie Detour to Terror starring Fantasy Femme Chris Noel as a high class hooker, OJ Simpson as a heroic bus driver, and in a small role his future wife Nicole; The Love-Ins with Book’em Danno James MacArthur and Susan Oliver as college radicals; Jacqueline Susann’s tawdry trashy The Love Machine; and the beach party in the snow classic Winter a-Go-Go with William Wellman, Jr., James Stacy, Fantasy Femme Julie Parrish, Glamour Girl Linda Rogers, and Nancy Czar.

Below is a link to the site:

http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/columbiaclassics/the-films/

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhliOnW2-eI

In the interest in fair play, below is a clip of Carroll Baker as Jean Harlow in Joseph E. Levine’s Harlow for Paramount. With a budget of close to $4 million compared to $800,000 for the Electronovision Harlow with Carol Lynley, the sumptuousness of the sets and costumes really stand out.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4InFxoQ3DU

Just as I thought I was finished with my upcoming book Dueling Harlow’s: Race to the Silver Screen, actress BarBara Luna got me in contact prolific casting director  Marvin Paige who worked on the Electronovision Harlow.  He dialed up Carol Lynley for me and within an hour I was interviewing her on the phone about Harlow!  She was pleasant, witty, and open about her dislike of the movie.

Will be interviewing Mr. Paige soon who also has other contacts for me from both movies.  So much for thinking I am done!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3RbEtlJWlk

I have been waiting patiently for some record label to release the soundtracks from any of the AIP beach party movies for years.  Though AIP was shrewd in putting together some great artists to perform in the movies, they were never able to get it together regarding LP releases due to the musical performers’ various contracts with different record labels. Hence, Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello would re-record songs from the movies for their own LPs.  Donna Loren even re-recorded the entire Beach Blanket Bingo song score for an LP that is not too bad.

With that said, I was so excited to hear that La La Records was releasing the official Beach Blanket Bingo soundtrack (see link below).  However, it only includes composer Les Baxter instrumental music and the backing tracks for the vocals.  Seems the rights were too expensive to include the original songs from the movie. Very disappointing to have the title song (and others) without the vocals!

http://www.lalalandrecords.com/BeachBlanketBingo.html

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk3ZN3dSeDk