An idea whose time has come again?

[Vdubdavid]

I've had this idea knocking around my brain for a long time, and I want to know what you think of it. It started when I was reading Joe Barbera's autobiography. He stated that when the MGM cartoon studio was shut down, it was because it was found that they could make more money reissuing an old short than paying for an all new one. In this day of overblown disaster flicks and gross-out comedy, I wonder what would happen if the major studios started regularly reissuing older films? Disney did it up until about 10 years ago. They had me thinking (at 5 years of age) that "101 Dalmatians" was a whole new movie! Here are vast libraries of films already bought and paid for, and all they can do is make more profit. I realize that perhaps with black and white pictures studios and the public might balk at black and white, but maybe studios could gradually test the waters with some of the more controversial films to hook moviegoers. Imagine a picture like "The Public Enemy" in your local movie house! I realize this must sound ridiculous, and I await those trained in business to tell me why it won't work, but as the cat in "The Hep Cat" said:
Well, I can dream, can't I?

[janiepooh34]

I say, yes! Dream! I would love to see more "old" movies out in the theaters again, but I won't hold my breath for something as bold as what you are suggesting.

I do have an independently owned and operated restored movie house in my area. They will show "older" movies from time to time, but mostly run the independent movies out nowadays. However, when they show the "oldies" I make it a point to go to the show.

[Billy]

I think it was the whole video/DVD issue that stopped the re-issuing. Remember, at the time it was still going on, a lot of Disney movies were simply not available to buy in the shops.

I also thought 101 Dalmatians was new when I saw it in the cinema in 1995 (about three times!), ditto The Aristocats the previous year. I remember being really surprised when I got this book and found they were several decades old.

[Vdubdavid]

The thing is, those Disney reissues were part of the buildup to a film's VHS debut. I don't think they did this for any live-action films, but it was definately what happened with "101 Dalmatians", "The Jungle Book", and "The Great Mouse Dectective". Disney apparently reissued "Cinderella" and "Lady and the Tramp" recently, but those were only in LA and maybe New York. Moving on, at the Oscars ceremony this year, some of the presenters talked about how movies should be viewed "the way they were meant to be seen". A great quote I remember is that "no director shoots a scene and says 'this will look great on the DVD!'" It seems to me that the theater and home video could work in tandem, with DVD and VHS serving to satisfy the sudden urge to watch a certain film, while studios via reissues could once again make seeing that film truly an event to be eagerly anticipated.

[Jon Cooke]

Does anyone know what the last Disney animated movie to get a wide re-release was? While it is hardly a Disney Classic, I recall OLIVER & COMPANY being reissued to theaters around 1996 or so.

[absolutpaul]

Wasn't "The Little Mermaid" reissued in the mid 90s?

[Thad]

Paul's correct. The Little Mermaid's last reissue was in 1998.

As for 'classics', the last reissues for these features were:

Snow White - 1993
Pinocchio - 1992
Fantasia - 1990
Bambi - 1988
Cinderella - 1987
Peter Pan - 1989
Lady & the Tramp - 1986
Sleeping Beauty - 1986
101 Dalmatians - 1991
Jungle Book - 1990

The only 'classics' not reissued often (for their age) were Dumbo and Alice due to their frequent presence on television and the home video market.

[Mark J]

I remember before video saturation in the mid 1980's many films would be re-issued to theatres, often as double features. I saw many of the Pink Panther films this way, also Mel Brooks, other comedies coupled by director or theme, often along with a cartoon, as late as 1980. This included Disney live action films - I saw the first Herbie movie in the mid 70's in a theatre, at least 5 years after initial release. The other Disney films were constantly coming and going - I saw Dumbo in the theatres at least 2 different times in the 70's, and Bambi was always in and out of theatres. Most Disney films were never shown on TV (the Wonderful World of Disney would show the same awful 60's Disney live action films over and over every Sunday - Kurt Russell was in constant rotation - and a few short cartoons), so this was the only way to see the features and many of the shorts.

[Billy]

Snow White - 1993
Pinocchio - 1992
Fantasia - 1990
Bambi - 1988
Cinderella - 1987
Peter Pan - 1989
Lady & the Tramp - 1986
Sleeping Beauty - 1986
101 Dalmatians - 1991
Jungle Book - 1990
Remember, though, this only applies to the US - it was often different in other continents, hence me mentioning 101 Dalmatians being reissued in 1995.

Snow White was definitely re-released in the UK in '93, though...apparently my Grandad took me to see it in that year, when I was about 4 (it was the first movie *he* saw when first released in the '30s), though I don't remember seeing it. My first memory of seeing a movie in the cinema was Aladdin later that year.