Burbank Video
Burbank Video was originally formed in 1984 as a special interest home video supplier. Some of its first titles were educational programs.
History[edit]
In 1972, James E. McGraw formed a music and video distribution company based in Burbank, California, called Viking Entertainment.
In 1981, a public domain video label based in Chicago, Illinois, called SRO Video, was formed. In 1984, a video label based in Los Angeles, California, called Video-SIG was formed; this label distributed both workout and public domain titles. Around 1982, SRO Video moved to Los Angeles, California and was renamed to Opening Night Productions. In 1984, Opening Night Productions was renamed again, to Curtain Call Video (also known as Curtain Call Productions). Around 1985, Viking Entertainment acquired Curtain Call Video. The label was later renamed to Viking Video Classics and its location was consolidated. In January 1988, Viking Entertainment became a subsidiary of Troy, Michigan-based Handleman Company. Later, by early 1988, Viking Video Classics was also known as Troy Gold. James E. McGraw would remain president of Viking Entertainment for a few years. Sometime in, Viking Entertainment acquired Burbank Video and Video-SIG. Viking Video Classics/Troy Gold and Video-SIG were later merged into the Burbank label.
In late 1990, Viking Entertainment picked up Active Home Video's pre-1989 licensing agreements. In early 1991, Viking Entertainment began trading under the name "Burbank Home Entertainment" and absorbed two video labels; Jenal Entertainment, a label that distributed obscure B-movies, and American Video, a division of Powersports Video. Jenal in turn absorbed another obscure B-movie supplier, Bingo Video, around 1990.
Since then, many of the titles previously available from the three above mentioned labels were re-issued on the Burbank Video label. In April 1991, Viking Entertainment presumably went under, in which its sales and marketing departments were merged with those of Video Treasures, while the distribution centers were merged with those of parent company Handleman. As a result, Burbank Video became a division of Video Treasures, with some of VT's library, mainly public domain material, being shifted to the Burbank label.
In 1993, The Avengers star Patrick Macnee and then-rightsholder Lumiere Pictures and Television filed lawsuits against several bargain home video labels, which he referred to as "The Pirates," over unauthorized home video releases of several The Avengers episodes, which, for a long time, were believed to have fallen into the public domain. Among those were not only Burbank Video, but also Hollywood Select Video, Shokus Video, EMG Video, Passport International Productions, Video Images and Showcase Productions. Macnee threatened to plank the companies in the ocean, and the companies were demanded to pay the heavy damages. Shortly after the lawsuits were settled, the legal copyright to the entire series would be re-confirmed. Burbank Video eventually launched a line dedicated to feature-length titles, "Hollywood Favorites", in the summer of 1993. Video Treasures later merged with Starmaker Entertainment, which Handleman acquired in mid-1994, to form Anchor Bay Entertainment in May 1995. By the end of 1995, the Burbank Video label was phased out.
In 1997, Magnum Video Distributors re-issued some of the early 1989 Troy Gold/Burbank Video PD cartoon compilation titles. These re-issues solely referred to CD Video Manufacturing and may or may not have been licensed by Anchor Bay Entertainment.
Under the SRO Video label (1981-1982)[edit]
Under the Opening Night Productions label (1982-1984)[edit]
Under the Curtain Call Video label (1984-1985)[edit]
Under the Viking Video Classics label (1985-1987)[edit]
Miscellaneous releases[edit]
Kartoon Klassics (1985-1986)[edit]
Sherlock Holmes (1985-1986)[edit]
Kartoon Bonanza (1986)[edit]
Kartoons Kartoons (1986)[edit]
Kartoons Kartoons was a video line of one hour color-toned public domain black-and-white cartoon compilations that ran from 1986 to 1987. The line consisted of black-and-white Warner Bros. cartoons from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series, from 1931 to 1943. Early in 1986, it was known as Kartoon Parade.
Under the Troy Gold label (1988-1989)[edit]
Under the Burbank Video label (1984-1995)[edit]
Original incarnation (1984-1988)[edit]
1985[edit]
Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BV 103 | Recognizing Drug and Alcohol Abuse | USA | 1985 | TBD | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | 1985 | |
BV 107 | Basic Aerobics | USA | 1985 | TBD | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | 1985 | |
BV 109 | Ballroom Dancing | USA | 1985 | TBD | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | 1985 |
After the merger (1989-1995)[edit]
1989[edit]
Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
530 | Batmania: From Comics to Screen A Conrad Sprout production |
USA | 1989 | 48 min | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | September 20, 1989 |
|
1990[edit]
Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
567 | The Story of Elvis Presley: A Documented Legend A Conrad Sprout production |
1990 | USA | 50 min | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color and B&W | April 18, 1990 |
|
567 | The Story of Elvis Presley: A Documented Legend A Conrad Sprout production |
1990 | USA | 50 min | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color and B&W | June 12, 1990 |
|
590 | Road to Bali | 1952 | USA | 91 min | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | Late 1990 |
|
591 | Abbott & Costello - Colgate Comedy Hour Vol. 2 | 1952 | USA | 60 min | TBD | NR | TBD | 1 | N/A | B&W | Late 1990 | |
592 | Abbott & Costello - Colgate Comedy Hour Vol. 3 | 195X | USA | 60 min | TBD | NR | TBD | 1 | N/A | B&W | Late 1990 | |
593 | Abbott & Costello - Colgate Comedy Hour Vol. 4 | 1954 | USA | 60 min | TBD | NR | TBD | 1 | N/A | B&W | Late 1990 | |
594 | Abbott & Costello - Colgate Comedy Hour Vol. 5 | 195X | USA | 60 min | TBD | NR | TBD | 1 | N/A | B&W | Late 1990 | |
596 | Abbott & Costello - Colgate Comedy Hour Vol. 1: Who's on First? | 1951 | USA | 60 min | TBD | NR | TBD | 1 | N/A | B&W | Late 1990 |
|
1991[edit]
Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
597 | Air Power and Missiles | USA | 1990 | 37 min | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | June 19, 1991 | |
TG674 | The Black Fist | USA | 1974 | 87 min | TBD | R | TBD | 1 | N/A | Color | Late 1991 |
|
TG681 | The Misadventures of Buster Keaton | USA | 1952 | 75 min | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | September 15, 1991 | |
TG684 | The Killer Shrews | USA | 1959 | 70 min | TBD | NR | TBD | 1 | N/A | Color | Late 1991 | |
TG685 | Abbott & Costello: Jack and the Beanstalk | USA | 1952 | 80 min | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | Late 1991 | |
TG686 | Journey to the Center of Time | USA | 1967 | 82 min | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | Late 1991 | |
TG688 | The Fickle Finger of Fate | USA | 1967 | 95 min | TBD | NR | TBD | 1 | N/A | B&W | Late 1991 |
|
TG1204 | Tunnel Vision | USA | 1976 | 67 min | TBD | R | TBD | 1 | N/A | TBD | Late 1991 | |
TG1206 | Frankenstein Island | USA | 1981 | TBD | TBD | NR | TBD | 1 | N/A | TBD | Late 1991 |
|
TG1209 | The Trapp Family | Germany | 1956 | 105 min | 1961 English-dubbed version | NR | TBD | 1 | N/A | Color | Late 1991 |
|
TG1214 | The Adventures of Robin Hood - The Legend Vol. I | UK | 195X-195X | TBD | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | September 15, 1991 | |
TG1215 | The Adventures of Robin Hood - The Legend Vol. II | UK | 195X-195X | TBD | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | September 15, 1991 | |
TG1237 | Never Wave at a Wac | USA | 1952 | TBD | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | Late 1991 |
|
TG1238 | Suicide Commandos | USA/Italy | 1968 | TBD | TBD | NR | TBD | 1 | N/A | Color | Late 1991 |
Holiday titles[edit]
Due to some of the contents of these titles being in the public domain, these titles may have been released way out of season.
Documentaries[edit]
Burbank Combat Classics (1990-1995)[edit]
Classic TV Series (1985-1995)[edit]
Classic All-Star Cartoons (1991-1995)[edit]
Hollywood Matinee Serials (1991-1995)[edit]
Hollywood Favorites (1993-1995)[edit]
Under the Video-SIG label (1984-1988)[edit]
Under the Jenal Entertainment label (1988-1991)[edit]
Under the American Video label (1986-1991)[edit]
Locations[edit]
- Chicago, Illinois (1981-1982) [SRO Video]
- Los Angeles, California (1982-198?) [Opening Night Productions/Curtain Call Productions] (ultimately consolidated into Viking Entertainment's Burbank location)
- Burbank, California (1972-1991) [Viking Entertainment] (ultimately consolidated into Video Treasures' locations)
- Batavia, Ohio (1991-1992) (ultimately consolidated into Handleman's Troy headquarters)
- Troy, Michigan (1992-1995)
- Ajax, Ontario (1989-1995) [Canadian operations through HGV Video Productions]
Duplicators[edit]
- Allied Digital Technologies, Clinton, TN (1995-1996)
- Allied Film & Video, Elk Grove Village, IL (1991-1992)
- ATI Mark V Products, Anaheim, CA (1985?-1987) [Viking Video Classics]
- Foto-Tronics Systems, Burbank, CA (1985?-1987) [Viking Video Classics]
- GTK Duplicating Co., Bayonne, NJ (1989-1996) [Canadian releases through HGV Video Productions]
- TBD (1984-1989) [Burbank Video]
- Technicolor Video Services, Livonia, MI (1992-1995)
- Video Cassette Duplicating Corp., Cincinatti, OH (1991-1992)
- VCA Pictures, Chatsworth, CA (1987-1992) [inherited from Viking Entertainment]
Trivia[edit]
- The label was notorious for modifying prints of certain public domain films or programs for 1989-1990 releases, particularly by ripping off the infamous Raymond Rohauer who, at this point, had already passed away (in other words, adding goofy so-called "enhanced" music and sound effects, and placing their own notices, usually the copyright ones, in the opening title cards to the films). Most such releases have the notice "THIS FILM IS COPYRIGHTED [year] BURBANK VIDEO AND CONTAINS ADDED MUSIC" on the back of the cover, usually at the far right-hand corner.
- Most 1990-1992 releases have the notice "This film is copyrighted © [year] BURBANK VIDEO" on the back of the cover, usually at the far right-hand corner.
- One exception is the above mentioned "Abbott & Costello - Colgate Comedy Hour" VHS releases, which instead have the notice "© 1990 BY ABBOTT & COSTELLO ENTERPRISES". This is potentially despite the fact that the entire Colgate Comedy Hour series (let alone the episodes featuring Abbott & Costello) has always been in the public domain, due to NBC and/or Colgate-Palmolive (formerly known as Colgate-Palmolive-Peet) never bothering to register copyrights to any of the episodes.
- So far, according to the U.S. Copyright Office's public catalog, this label attempted to register copyrights to the masters intended for more than 30 of its public domain releases.[1]