The German branch of Sony Pictures has revealed that it plans to release on Blu-ray director Laslo Benedek's
The Wild One (1953), starring Marlon Brando, Mary Murphy, Lee Marvin, and Robert Keith. The preliminary release date set by the studio is June 13th.
Sony Pictures will also release on Blu-ray the following films: James Bridges's
The China Syndrome (1979), Carol Reed's
Oliver! (1968), Stanley Kramer's
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (1967), and Elia Kazan's
On the Waterfront (1954).
The Wild One
Classic biker movie, in which Marlon Brando famously responds to the question 'What are you rebelling against?' with the retort 'What d'ya got?'. A gang of motorcyclists, led by rebellious Johnny (Marlon Brando), ride into a small California town and terrorize the inhabitants. Johnny falls for the local cop's daughter (Mary Murphy), but a rival in his gang (Lee Marvin) and the hostility of the townspeople create too many tensions for anything but a violent climax. Based on the story 'The Cyclists' Raid' by Frank Rodney.
The China Syndrome
Struggling TV reporter Kimberly Wells (Jane Fonda) sees an opportunity to break into hard news after she and her cameraman (Michael Douglas) witness a near meltdown in a nuclear power station. But the network refuses to air their report, whilst the plant's bosses will stop at nothing to ensure information on the incident remains undisclosed. Plant engineer Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon) is determined to expose the cover-up, however, and persuades Kimberley to help him. Both Lemmon and Fonda earned Oscar nominations for their performances, in a film that saw reality overtaking it just weeks after its theatrical release - with the breakdown of the nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island.
Oliver!
Musical version of the classic Dickens tale. Young orphan Oliver (Mark Lester) suffers under a harsh regime at the workhouse run by Mr Bumble (Harry Secombe). He manages to escape, and, after meeting a friendly pickpocket known as the Artful Dodger (Jack Wild), joins a gang of street thieves operated by the disreputable Fagin (Ron Moody). Although happy with his new friends, Oliver takes a dislike to Fagin's violent and aggressive colleague, Bill Sykes (Oliver Reed). Winner of six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
Matt Drayton (Spencer Tracy, in his last film) and wife Christina (Katharine Hepburn) are lost for words when their daughter, Joey (Katharine Houghton), returns from her Hawaiian holiday with a fiancé in tow. What shocks them is not so much that Joey is to wed, but that her proposed husband - research scientist John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) - is black. The Draytons have always believed themselves to be broad-minded people, but find this put to the test when John says that the wedding will not go ahead without their whole-hearted approval. Writer William Rose and actress Katharine Hepburn won Oscars whilst the film was also nominated for a further six.
On the Waterfront
Elia Kazan directs this 1950s crime drama starring Marlon Brando. Ex-boxer Terry Malloy (Brando) becomes involved in corrupt dockside politics through his lawyer brother Charley (Rod Steiger), who works for gangster union boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). When Terry witnesses the murder of a union worker by Johnny's thugs, his conscience begins to trouble him. He meets the murder victim's sister (Eva Marie Saint), and learns from Father Barry (Karl Malden) that the dead man was about to expose Johnny's illegal activities. Father Barry then tries to convince Terry to provide the evidence required to put Johnny behind bars. The film won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Director and Actor.