That can't be Preminger, but off the top of my head, I can't remember who did direct the thing. It's one of the titles I haven't seen, so might check it out (assuming it's for rent somewhere). Trouble with most of these flicks, and Fox films in general (ie, "Wilson"), is that they're rather dull. Of course, there are exceptions (film noir, Mankiewicz, Preminger, Ford), but most of those seem to be out already on DVD. Of all the titles listed, "Suez" is the one I'm most surprised didn't make it onto pressed DVD... unless they were holding it for another Tyrone Power box set that fell by the wayside. It's not a 'great' film, but certainly was a 'big' one for the studio, and could well have been included in their now discontinued Studio Classics collection.

While Alfred L. Werker is the officially credited director (he directed Basil Rathbone in ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES the next year), apparently Preminger did some uncredited direction of KIDNAPPED. If IMDb trivia can be trusted, Preminger was replaced by Werker after a spat with Darryl Zanuck over script deviations. I actually saw this film in grade school back in the early 70s and it wasn't bad (at least my 8-year-old self preferred it to schoolwork!).

The Fox covers are a mix of one-sheet style artwork and promotional photographs, both color and black & white. For some reason, "Suez" didn't rate color art, though it was certainly available:

Unbelievable: Many of the MOD Fox discs for 'Scope titles are Pan and Scan

I figured as much, it was one of the enormous surprises and delights of the WB archives that the widescreen films were anamorphic OAR.

I expect Fox will remedy this by finding letterboxed masters, I doubt they'll be making new anamorphic masters.

Warner can't make that claim because it's a blatant lie! Warner don't even care about their customers. I tried to contact them (politely) three times regarding several films I bought of theirs on DVD and I was totally ignored. First via their official website and twice by writing to them at their head offices in London! I wouldn't trust Warner any further than I could throw them: even if you are able to get a replacement for a duff DVD-R try taking it back in 10 years and I guarantee they won't want to know - and who keeps receipts that long?

All we do know is, this service is blatantly cheap and tacky. $19.99 for recordable media? You pay less for factory pressed discs! I wouldn't complain if they were charging $5 either but nearly $20, no way. It's insulting and I will never pay what they are asking. I can get DVD-R bootlegs on ioffer of all these movies for a fraction of their prices and the quality for the most part will be equal to what Warner is offering. It's a lazy attitude where they probably think "just stick it online and if anyone buys it then great. Let's not put any effort in for our customers though, they're morons who'll be any old sh*t"

Another thing, there are films on the Archive "label" that should'nt even be on there, and are too popular to be there. A good example would be 'Don't be afraid of the dark', which is one of the most popular TV movies of all time. Yet it's gone straight to DVD-R hell. It even had a remake last year, if that wasn't a good enough opportunity to get it out there, then I don't know what is. I know for a fact that they won't lose money on some of this title either, because I have ordered factory pressed discs from the pressing plant and I can tell you that the minimun order is a measly 500 copies! Some of their movies would easily surpass that. It makes me wonder who's making these decisions. They seriously need to think about licensing to a company like Code Red and Shout Factory, who are doing a wonderful job restoring old films that don't have a huge audience, but have a very devoted following.

This is proof that Warner are only interested in the big money and nothing more. If they can't make millions from something then why bother. That attitude sucks and they don't deserve to make money with it.

I wouldn't count on it. Many 'Scope films (including Three Brave Men) have run on FMC for over a decade in pan & scan, which suggests that Fox doesn't have even a 4:3 letterboxed tape master.

Another bad sign: even Turner Classic Movies has been forced to show pan & scan prints of Fox films. They just ran one of Fred Zinnemann's "A Hatful of Rain". Sad.

Though it at least previously aired on FMC in 'Scope, since my copy is thankfully intact. One of the most beautiful of the B+W 'Scope pix, what a travesty!

Hell, TCM still shows a dubbed, pan-and-scan version of Contempt!.

I thought so! I kept thinking I'd seen some of it in 'Scope, but couldn't remember exactly where. Thanks for the information -- looks like TCM slipped up here!

Any more news on this label? There's such an enormous amount of unreleased 1950's 20th Century Fox dramas & soaps that I would really, really love to see (in ther OAR of course), like Blue Denim, The View From Pompey's Head, and A Certain Smile. This label seems like a great opportunity for the company to distribute titles like the aforementioned with next-to-no commercial value (I mean, I would love a blu of A Certain Smile but I'm certainly dreaming!). That said, it's a bit shocking that they merely ported cropped 1.33:1 broadcast masters from 1990's FMC airings for some of the previous releases.