TCM Spotlight: Boris Karloff - Before he gained notoriety as “The Monster” in the Frankenstein movies, Boris Karloff appeared in more than 75 feature films and serials. Three of those early classics are now coming to DVD for the first time ever in Karloff Criminal Kind, a new exclusive collection from Turner Classic Movies (TCM).

The Karloff Criminal Kind collection will also feature an introduction by TCM host Robert Osborne. On-screen digital bonus materials include publicity stills, lobby cards, movie posters and more.  The set includes fully restored and re-mastered editions of The Criminal Code (1931), The Guilty Generation (1931) and Behind the Mask (1932).

• The Criminal Code (1931) – In this thriller directed by Howard Hawks, Boris Karloff plays a prisoner who is both a ruthless killer and a steadfast friend to other convicts – as long as they maintain the prisoners’ code of silence. Walter Huston stars as the tough-but-fair warden, with Phillips Holmes as the man who falls for the warden’s daughter. The adapted screenplay by Seton I. Miller and Fred Niblo Jr. earned an Oscar® nomination.
• The Guilty Generation (1931) – This Prohibition-era twist on Romeo & Juliet casts Karloff as a notorious bootlegger whose son falls in love with the daughter of his mortal enemy, played by Leo Carillo. Robert Young and Constance Cummings play the star-crossed lovers under the direction of Rowland V. Lee.
• Behind the Mask (1932) – Karloff is a small-time criminal who helps a federal agent (Jack Holt) bust a narcotics syndicate whose leader’s identity is not even known to his own henchman. Constance Cummings co-stars, with John Francis Dillon directing.

 
Available only through TCM’s online store, Karloff Criminal Kind will be released as part of the TCM Vault Collection on Monday, May 20.

Artwork and supplementary materials courtesy of © 2013 Turner Classic Movies. All rights reserved.

Glenn Ford Celebrated in New 5-Film DVD Collection

TCM Spotlight  is on one of Hollywood’s most versatile leading men - Glenn Ford, a particular talent for crime pictures and his ability to play on both sides of the law. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is bringing 5 of Ford’s most memorable performances to DVD for the first time in the Glenn Ford: Undercover Crimes DVD collection available only through the TCM online store. The collection will be released as part of TCM Vault Collection on Monday, March 18th 2013. The set will include fully-restored and re-mastered editions of The Lady In Question (1940), Framed (1947), The Undercover Man (1949), Mr. Soft Touch (1949) and Convicted (1950).

• The Lady in Question (1940) – Ford plays a young man whose father hires a woman acquitted of murder charges to wok in his bicycle shot. This offbeat comedy/drama casts Ford opposite Rita Hayworth in their first screen pairing and was helmed by Charles Vidor, who went on to direct the two stars in Gilda (1946).
  
• Convicted ()150) - Ford plays an inmate who is give a second chance at life by a sympathetic warden (Broderick Crawford) and a second chance at love by the warden’s daughter (Dorothy Malone). Henry Levin directed this taut drama adapted from the play The Criminal Code by Martin Flavin.
• Framed (1947) - Ford plays a willing participant in his own demise at the hands of a femme fatale in this critically praised B-movie photographed by Academy Award winner Burnett Guffey (Bonnie and Clyde). Janis Carter and Barry Sullivan co-star in the story of a truck driver drawn in to a criminal plot.  
• The Undercover Man (1949) - Ford is a treasury agent assigned to bring down a powerful mob boss. Nina Foch and James Whitmore co-star in this film noir from Gun Crazy director Joseph H. Lewis, based on a an autobiographical story by former federal agent Frank Wilson. 
• Mr. Soft Touch (1949) - Gordon Douglas and Henry Levin directed this drama in which Ford plays a veteran who returns from World War II only to find his San Francisco nightclub in the hands of mobsters. After falling for a social worker, played by Evelyn Keyes, he must decide between love and revenge.

The Glenn Ford: Undercover Collection will also feature extensive digital bonus materials including productions stills, behind the scenes images, lobby cards, movie posters and more.

TCM Vault Collection Glenn Ford: Undercover Crimes will be available on March 18th. Image, Film synopsis and descriptions courtesy of Turner Classic Movies (TCM). All rights reserved.

Turner Classic Movie spotlight is on actress Joan Crawford, who’s remarkable career took off after winning a Best Actress Oscar® for Mildred Pierce (1945) and her successful run lasted through the 1950s. In the month of November, TCM will pay homage to the actress by releasing Joan Crawford in the 1950s, a collection of four films on DVD–three of which have never been released in media format.

Joan Crawford in the 1950s will contain the following films: Harriet Craig (1950), a film about an obsessive housewife who infuriates her friends and ruins her marriage due to her desire of maintaining her perfect home; Queen Bee (1955), where the actress stars as a manipulative Southern socialite attempting to control those who surround her, leading towards a fatal conclusion; Autumn Leaves (1956), a dark romantic drama featuring Crawford as an old maid who falls in love with a young man with severe mental troubles; and The Story of Esther Costello (1957), the story of a wealthy divorcee who cares for a blind and deaf girl while protecting her from con artists who wish to exploit her.

Harriet Craig (1950) – Joan Crawford plays a materialistic housewife who ruins her marriage and alienates her friends through her obsession with maintaining the perfect home. Wendell Corey costars under the direction of Vincent Sherman.

Queen Bee (1955) – Crawford is a manipulative Southern socialite who tries to control the lives of those around her, resulting in dire consequences. Barry Sullivan costars. Charles Lang‘s cinematography and Jean Louis‘ costume designed earned Oscar® nominations.

Autumn Leaves (1956) – This dark romantic drama stars Joan Crawford as a lonely spinster who falls in love with a younger man with severe mental problems. Cliff Robertson, Vera Miles and Lorne Green costar. Robert Aldrich earned the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for his directing. The title song is performed by Nat King Cole.

The Story of Esther Costello (1957) – Crawford plays a wealthy divorcee who devotes herself to helping a deaf and blind girl while fending off charlatans who want to exploit the teenager. Rossano Brazzi and BAFTA winner and Golden Globe® nominee Heather Sears costar in this drama directed by David Miller.

The DVD collection will be available exclusively through the TCM shop and is a fascinating glimpse at the actress’ career during the time of her career post-Warner Bros. era. Her success was unique at the time due to her age, and despite the odds and criticism (and the previous brand “box office poison”) Crawford became a renowned actress starring in captivating and impacting roles while working for Columbia Pictures.

Fans of the Hollywood classics or Crawford’s work will absolutely enjoy the Joan Crawford film collection.

Source Turner Classic Movies