Fraulein Doktor should've long been on video
25 November 2007
Two films of the 1960s I want to see in their entirety but as time goes by I don't think I ever will. Those films are Fraulein Doktor(1969) & Sands of the Kalahari(1965), both released by Paramount in the US. I have a reasonably good copy of Kalahari taped off of TV with the expected commercial cuts. But this is not the whole movie. I haven't seen nothing of Fraulein Doktor since I last saw it 25 to 30 years ago and as time goes by memory fades. I remember two scenes in Fraulein Doktor distinctly, the horseback poison gas scene & Suzy Kendall crying her eyes out in the back of a military vehicle after having committed once last deceit and afterward she wanted no more of espionage. Two memorable scenes. I agree with the other posters that the major studios will give a goofy modern joke of a film a wide video release but will completely ignore these gems. If I'm not mistaken neither Fraulein Doktor nor Sands of the Kalahari have had a home video release of any kind be it: Betamax, VHS, 8mm, Laserdisc or DVD. There!, ... five different formats from the last 30 years and these two movies cannot get a home video release of some sorts. There are other films from this era that also have never seen the light of the 'video' day. But time marches on, 40 years now, for the best print materials from films like FD & SotK. It would be a tragedy if we were to lose the best printing sources of these two films(at just 40 yrs) forever if they are not restored for present day audiences to enjoy. We're not talking about silent films, we're talking films that are as recent as 40 years ago. Another poster mentioned the Sicilian Clan(1968) which I saw for the first time a few weeks before 9/11/01. Excellent film and not on video yet either to my knowledge. But the other two films are wonderful and deserve to be on DVD.
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