The release is not in the “digi-book” format of both A Star is Born and Meet Me In St. Louis, but rather it’s a “bare bones” Blu-ray release. This should not diminish the quality or enjoyment of the release.
There is no word from Warner Home Video about any new restoration or HD transfer of the film for Blu-ray or if it’s the same SD transfer (as seen on the 2005 DVD) merely up-converted to Blu-ray. It’s being promoted as a “65th Anniversary Edition” so let’s hope that it is, indeed a new restoration on the same par as the Blu-ray releases of The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, and A Star Is Born.
Extras (no word if these are upgraded from SD to HD):
- Judy Garland: By Myself — The Emmy Award winning PBS American Masters documentary (114 min)
- On The Avenue, a new “Making of…” documentary with retrospective interviews and rare footage
- “Mr. Monotony”: Outtake musical number by Judy Garland
- “Mr. Monotony” dailies.
- Audio Commentary by Ava Astaire MacKenzie and John Fricke
- Theatrical Trailer
- Audio only: Fred Astaire interview with MGM’s Dick Simmons
- Audio only: Fred Astaire & Judy Garland’s Screen Guild radio version of Easter Parade from 1951
- No word whether the “Fred Astaire Trailer Gallery” that was included in the 2005 DVD release will be included here.
Easter Parade was previously released on March 15, 2005 in a special edition 2-disc DVD set. The set was also available that same date as part of the “Classic Musicals Collection – Broadway to Hollywood” boxed set. It was then re-released (single disc only) on May 5, 2009 as part of the “TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection – American Musicals” set. On February 8, 2012 as a one disc only (the first disc of the 2005 set) release.
Note: Also coming in Fall 2013 is the new 3D version (in theaters and on Blu-ray) of The Wizard of Oz.
