Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 1 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 1 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 13, 2020

Sony's elegant 'Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 1' includes six of the studio's legendary films arriving on the UHD format for the first time in collectible packaging. At time of publication, this set is the only way to own any of these films on the UHD format. See below for links to individual titles and a description of the set's dimensions and vitals.

For full film reviews, please click through the following links; note that each points to the original Blu-ray releases:

• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• Lawrence of Arabia
• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
• Gandhi
• A League of Their Own
• Jerry Maguire

Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 1 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For full UHD video reviews, please click through the following links:

• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• Lawrence of Arabia
• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
• Gandhi
• A League of Their Own
• Jerry Maguire

Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 1 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For full UHD audio reviews, please click through the following links:

• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• Lawrence of Arabia
• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
• Gandhi
• A League of Their Own
• Jerry Maguire

Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 1 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: As I received the set there are missing supplements. Sony has sent this statement: "It has come to our attention that due to a technical error, the set includes an incorrect bonus materials disc for 'Lawrence of Arabia' with fewer pieces of content than intended. We are working with our operations team to determine a solution for consumers who are purchasing the collection, and will communicate that to you as soon as possible.

Please click here for more information. This review will be updated once the new disc arrives.

The elegant, black and gold dominant Columbia Classics Collection boxed set measures an impressive 11.25" long, 7" high, and 2.5" deep. It weighs in at a beefy three pounds, eight ounces. The box is clearly meant to be displayed facing forward. The box is essentially black but lightly visible Columbia logos of various types are faintly visible across it. Boldly in gold lettering on the left hand side, center, is the text "Columbia Classics" in large embossed lettering. Smaller below in the same color, and also embossed, appears "4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 1" (who else is excited to see which six films appear in Volume 2?). Beside the text on the right hand side is a gold embossed Columbia logo. Running down the far right-hand side is a golden film reel depicting color or black-and-white character images from each of the six films, appearing in chronological order from date of release, top to bottom: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Strangelove, Gandhi, A League of Their Own, and Jerry Maguire. Running across the bottom are the film titles, in the same order, from left to right in gold lettering.

The rear panel is essentially black and blank beyond those same faintly visible Columbia logos, ditto the top and bottom panels. For those with a very deep shelf and wish to display it side out, the left and right panels feature identical elements: the gold Columbia lady, the gold set title text, and a gold UltraHD logo at the bottom. The front and left panels swing open, right down the middle, revealing a beautiful full color Columbia logo in wide aspect glory, complete with "A Sony Company" text at the bottom. Each panel holds three films. On the left Smith, Lawrence, and Strangelove and Gandhi, League, and Jerry on the right. Inside the left panel is a single bonus DVD in a paper sleeve (more on that below). Within these panels is also the single sheet Movies Anywhere digital copy insert, which includes six codes, one for each film. Each panel interior includes 15 images, five for each film, in subtle black-and-white, running vertically. The movies inside ship in basic black UHD cases, each with a classy black-dominant slipcover with color imagery on the front and low contrast black-and-white images and gold praise texts on the rears.

One of the prizes within is a hardback book that slides into its home in the back of the set. It measures close to the larger box length and height but obviously measures much less in depth. The design is similar to the box with the lightly visible Columbia logos in the background and golden text and Columbia logo front-and-center. The spine is blank. Inside at the front and back are key quotes from a number of Columbia's finest films, some of which appear in this set, some of which do not, and some of which are already available on the UHD format, but it may offer some fun clues for what might appear in future volumes. The book proper is of extremely high quality. The pages are glossy and thick, the text is highly readable and sharp, and the images are clear and colorful (or sepia or black-and-white as the case may be). The book offers a two-page introduction to the set, to Columbia Pictures, and the films included in this package. It moves on to offer a dozen pages of text and photographs for each of the films included. Each begins with a full color image on the left, the year the film was released, and a filmmaker quote. A photo of the Sony lot entrance, epilogue text, a bibliography, a blurb about Author Julie Kirgo, credits, special thanks text, and theatrical poster artwork round out the book.

This set also includes a bonus DVD disc that houses two supplements as outlined below:

• Excerpts from the Columbia Pictures 50th Anniversary TV Special (480i, 44:45): Orson Welles hosts a truncated, though nevertheless thorough, exploration of the studio's first fifty years: key films, great actors, and award winners, complete with numerous clips from the classics. It aired in 1975.
• Mr. Attenborough & Mr. Gandhi Documentary (480i, 50:45): A wonderful 1983 feature exploring the making of the movie, the man who made it, and its subject in great detail.

For a breakdown of what on-disc extras are included, and where, please click through the following links:

• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• Lawrence of Arabia
• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
• Gandhi
• A League of Their Own
• Jerry Maguire

Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 1 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What a beautiful set. Hopefully the text description and photographs on this page do it justice. The UHD presentations of each film are practically above reproach. The Columbia Classics Collection earns my highest recommendation.