MGM/CBS Home Videography - 1980-81 · 10:17pm Jan 28th, 2017
(TV Tropes) - The home video division of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was established in 1975 as MGM Home Video. No cassettes were released under this name; instead, MGM Home Video formed a partnership with CBS Video Enterprises, called MGM/CBS Home Video, and the first releases under the name were released in October 1980. The first MGM/CBS releases were packaged in brown leather cases with gold lettering, but later printings of those tapes, as well as all future releases, were packaged in oversized gray cardboard cases that opened up like a book, similar to Warner Home Video.
In 1981, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer merged with the bankrupt United Artists and formed MGM/UA Entertainment Co., a move that so irritated CBS that in 1982, the company was renamed MGM/UA Home Video, as CBS joined 20th Century Fox Video, with whom it founded CBS/Fox Video. However, pre-1981 United Artists releases were licensed to CBS/Fox for a while due to a previous agreement between United Artists and Fox from back when the company was known as Magnetic Video.
In 1986, Ted Turner acquired the pre-1986 MGM library, and MGM/UA signed a deal with Turner Entertainment to continue releasing the library on video. In 1990, after MGM's purchase by Pathé, the company signed a distribution deal with Warner Home Video, a deal that ended in 2000 (it was originally to end in 2003). The company was renamed MGM Home Entertainment in 1998, which it is still called today, although the MGM/UA Home Video copyright screen continued to be seen at the beginning and end of tapes until they stopped releasing VHS tapes (the copyright screen began appearing in 1990 and featured the static MGM/UA Home Video logo). After MGM's purchase by Sony in 2005, their library was released through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. A year later, MGM struck a new deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, a deal that will expire in 2020.
MV/B60001: The Wizard of Oz (1939) Its CED counterpart got a period piece review that can be read here. Closing trailer reel includes spots for Fame and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
MV/MB60002: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) The main feature starts with an MPAA G card which first appeared on a 1974 theatrical reissue (the original release didn't carry an MPAA rating as the MPAA was still in the process of transitioning from the outdated Hays Code to the first incarnation of its rating system). Closing trailer reel includes spots for Fame and The Wizard of Oz.
MV/MB60003: Doctor Zhivago (1965) Presented over two videocassettes. Closing trailer reel includes spots for Fame, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Wizard of Oz. Produced in the United Kingdom.
MV/MB60004: Ben-Hur (1959) General release version, approx. 23 minutes shorter than the roadshow version. Presented over two 105-minute videocassettes. Closing trailer reel includes spots for Fame, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Wizard of Oz.
MV/MB60005: Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
MV/MB60006: An American in Paris (1951) Sped up by just over 11% for a runtime of 1h41m45s (as opposed to the original runtime of approximately 1h53m32s), to fit a 105-minute tape. Closing trailer reel includes spots for Fame and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
MV/MB60007: That's Entertainment! (1974) Closing trailer reel includes spots for Fame, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Wizard of Oz.
MV/MB60008: The Dirty Dozen (1967)
MV/MB60009: A Night at the Opera (1935)
MV/MB60010: Adam's Rib (1949)
MV/MB60011: Jailhouse Rock (1957) Closing trailer reel includes spots for Fame, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Wizard of Oz.
MV/MB60012: Network (1976) Produced in association with United Artists Corporation, which MGM would acquire a few years later, becoming MGM/UA. Sped up by just over 3% for a runtime of 1h57m41s (as opposed to the original runtime of approximately 2h1m20s), to fit a 120-minute tape. Closing trailer reel includes spots for Fame, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Wizard of Oz.
MV/MB60013: Coma (1978) Does not include a trailer reel at the end.
MV/MB60014: The Sunshine Boys (1975)
MV/MB60015: Blowup (1966) Produced in the United Kingdom.
MV/MB60016: Rio Lobo (1970) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Cinema Center Films. Some CBS/Fox Video pressings use the original MGM/CBS artwork and labels.
MV/MB60017: The Boys in the Band (1970) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Cinema Center Films. Some CBS/Fox Video pressings use the original MGM/CBS artwork and labels.
MV/MB60018: The Streetfighter (1974) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From New Line Cinema. A Toei Company, Ltd. production. Produced in Japan. Original New Line Cinema logo is retained on this release. R-rated version, approx. 16 minutes shorter than the X-rated version. Dubbed in English from the original Japanese. Closing trailer reel includes spots for Fame, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Wizard of Oz.
MV/MB60019: The Tom & Jerry Cartoon Festival, Vol. 1 (1980) Contains the cartoons The Flying Cat (1952), The Bodyguard (1944), The Little Orphan (1948), Jerry's Cousin (1951), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse (1947), Mice Follies (1954), The Cat and the Mermouse (1949) and The Cat Concerto (1946).
MV/MB60020: Oklahoma! (1955) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment.
MV/MB60021: Electric Light Orchestra Live at Wembley (1978) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. Produced in the United Kingdom. The audio quality is as subpar as on the original television broadcast. Closing trailer reel includes a spot for Fame.
MV/MB60022: Rude Boy (1980) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Atlantic Releasing Corporation.
MV/MB60023: James Taylor in Concert (1979) Released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60024: The Nutcracker (1977) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Lothar Bock Associates. Produced in the Soviet Union. Videotaped performance by the Bolshoi Ballet. Shortened NBC broadcast version, approx. 22 minutes shorter than the original Soviet broadcast version and without Betty Ford's host segments. Closing trailer reel includes spots for Fame and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
It's been suggested that at least part of the reason why Betty Ford's host segments were removed from these tapes is because she was under the influence at the time and made a slurred and unfocused delivery that ended up being a national embarrassment. Needless to say, this is cited as a reason, if not the reason, why she sought treatment for her alcoholism and why the Betty Ford Clinic exists in the first place.
The lead dancers in this production, husband-wife dance team Yekaterina Maximova and Vladimir Vasiliev, were replaced by Nadia Pavlova and Vyacheslav Gordeyev for the second act. Depending on who you believe, it was either because either Maximova or Vasiliev suffered an injury during or sometime after the first act, or because Maximova felt worn out by the time the first act was finished. Maximova and Vasiliev would reprise their roles for a later videotaped production, in which they managed to complete the show, a decade later. Some sources even claim that Maximova and Vasiliev would redo the second act in 1984 for future reissues of the 1977 performance.
MV/MB60025: Giselle (1974) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Lothar Bock Associates. Produced in the Soviet Union. Film version of a Bolshoi Ballet production. Closing trailer reel includes spots for Fame, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Wizard of Oz.
MV/MB60026: Being There (1979) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Lorimar Motion Pictures. Distributed by United Artists Corporation. Original 1975 United Artists Transamerica T logo is retained on this release.
MV/MB60027: Fame (1980)
MV/MB60028: Carny (1980) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Lorimar Motion Pictures. Distributed by United Artists Corporation. The original 1975 United Artists Transamerica T logo is absent on this release.
MV/MB60029: Cruising (1980) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Lorimar Motion Pictures. Distributed by United Artists Corporation. Original 1975 United Artists Transamerica T logo is retained on this release. Some CBS/Fox Video pressings use the original MGM/CBS artwork and labels.
MV/MB60030: Great Figures in History: John F. Kennedy (1981) Released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60031: Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
MV/MB60032: Treasure Island (1934) Not to be confused with Walt Disney's Treasure Island adaptation.
MV/MB60033: The Hostages: From Capture to Freedom (1981) Released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60034: The Champ (1979)
MV/MB60035: Cabaret (1972) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Allied Artists Pictures.
MV/MB60036: Benji (1973) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Mulberry Square Productions.
MV/MB60037: The Formula (1980)
MV/MB60038: My Fair Lady (1964) Released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60039: Guys and Dolls (1955) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment.
MV/MB60040: Brigadoon (1954)
MV/MB60041: Forbidden Planet (1956) Later reprinted by MGM/UA Home Video with the MGM/CBS artwork and labels intact.
MV/MB60042: Cousin Cousine (1976) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Libra Films. Produced in France. Presented in the original French with English subtitles.
One of the first cassettes to use the MGM/CBS logo which appears as the page image, depicting a silver slash being drawn and zooming out as MGM and CBS appear on opposite sides before HOME VIDEO zooms out in a thin green font, and a new matching, all-silver CBS Video logo. Both logos would use variations on the same theme, and the CBS Video logo's variation on the music would later be used for MGM's next home video logo.
MV/MB60043: Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
MV/MB60044: One Night Stand, released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60045: South Pacific (1958) Released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60046: Sherlock Holmes Double Feature, released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Allied Artists Pictures. Includes The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, originally produced by 20th Century-Fox, and Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror, originally produced by Universal Pictures.
MV/MB60047: Hide in Plain Sight (1980)
MV/MB60048: The Getting of Wisdom Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Atlantic Releasing Corporation. Produced in Australia.
MV/MB60049: Vietnam: Chronicle of a War (1981) Released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60050: Gigi (1958) Later reprinted by MGM/UA Home Video with the MGM/CBS artwork and labels intact.
MV/MB60051: Silk Stockings, later reprinted by MGM/UA Home Video with the MGM/CBS artwork and labels intact.
MV/MB60052: The Big Red One, released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Lorimar Motion Pictures. Distributed by United Artists Corporation.
MV/MB60053: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
MV/MB60054: Black Orpheus, released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Janus Films.
MV/MB60055: Mogambo
MV/MB60056: The American Dance Machine (1981) Released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60057: On the Town
MV/MB60058: Captains Courageous
MV/MB60059: The Philadelphia Story (1940)
MV/MB60060: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
MV/MB60061: REO Speedwagon: Live Infidelity, released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60062: Boston Bounces Back, released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60063: Bells Are Ringing
MV/MB60064: A Day at the Races (1937)
MV/MB60065: The Muse Concert: No Nukes (1980) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. Distributed by Warner Brothers.
MV/MB60066: Romeo and Juliet, released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Lothar Bock Associates. Produced in the Soviet Union.
MV/MB60067: The Great Caruso
MV/MB60068: Lolita
MV/MB60069: The Goodbye Girl (1977) Produced in association with Warner Brothers.
MV/MB60070: Soylent Green
MV/MB60071: Back Roads (1981) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From CBS Theatrical Films. Distributed by Warner Brothers.
MV/MB60072: The Sea Wolves (1980) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Lorimar Motion Pictures. Distributed by Paramount Pictures.
MV/MB60073: Helter Skelter, released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Lorimar Productions.
MV/MB60074: Clash of the Titans (1981)
MV/MB60075: That's Entertainment, Part 2 (1976)
MV/MB60076: Wifemistress, released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Quartet Films. CED exclusive.
MV/MB60077: The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Lorimar Motion Pictures. Distributed by Paramount Pictures.
MV/MB60078: A Tale of Two Cities
MV/MB60079: Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (1945) Referred to as Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Go to Hollywood on the artwork.
MV/MB60080: Night of the Iguana
MV/MB60081: The Horse That Played Center Field (1979) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From ABC Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60082: Logan's Run
MV/MB60083: Royal Wedding, public domain.
MV/MB60084: Little Women
MV/MB60085: The Marx Brothers Go West
MV/MB60086: The Creation of a Ballet, released by CBS Video Enterprises. From ABC Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60087: Purlie, released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60088: Man on the Moon (1981) Released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60089: Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure, released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60090: Papillon (1973) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Allied Artists Pictures.
MV/MB60091: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
MV/MB60092: Ivanhoe
MV/MB60093: Woman of the Year
MV/MB60094: Till The Clouds Roll By, public domain. Later reprinted by MGM/UA Home Video with the MGM/CBS artwork and labels intact.
MV/MB60095: The Billion Dollar Hobo, released by CBS Video Enterprises. From Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment.
MV/MB60096: Harry Chapin: The Final Concert (1981) Released by CBS Video Enterprises.
MV/MB60097: Westworld (1973)
MV/MB60098
MV/MB60099: Return of the Street Fighter (1975) Released by CBS Video Enterprises. From New Line Cinema. A Toei Company, Ltd. production. Produced in Japan. Original New Line Cinema logo is absent on this release. R-rated version. Dubbed in English from the original Japanese.
Awesome list. For some strange reason, this doesn’t show up on my HP laptop (running on Windows 11) but it shows up on my iPhone SE. Weird. The laptop is admittedly a clunker, but still weird.