Citizen Kane (DVD)

First off, I would like to say that you have written a fantastic review, John. It's always a pleasure reading your reviews and I was hoping that you could answer a question that's bothered me about this release. I still have a lot to learn about old Hollywood and particulary RKO Radio Pictures. But, I have always been confused as to what happened to the RKO company, I think I've heard something about bankruptcy, but I can't say for sure, which brings me to my question. Did Warner Bros. buy out RKO? I realize Warner Bros. have released RKO films in the past ('Out of the Past', 'King Kong', 'Murder, My Sweet', etc.). However, I also see an MGM release of RKO's 'The Best Years of Our Lives'. Also, is there hope for more RKO releases from Warner Bros. in the future? I, like many others I'm sure, would love to see the likes of 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'The Magnificent Ambersons' in the form of a slick and glorious Warner Bros. 2-Disc Special Edition.

Thanks,

Kurtis

Yes, Ted Turner long ago bought up most of RKO's backlog of pictures, which is why WB is now distributing them on DVD. Here's a link to an article about RKO Pictures from Wikopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RKO

Interestingly, and contrary to popular belief, RKO is still in business, but it's only a shadow its former self.

John

Warner owns the rights to distribute RKO's titles, but RKO still owns the rights to make re-makes and sequels (hence the made-for-TV version of "The Magnificent Ambersons" that was shown on cabler A&E).