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Burbank Video

From Home 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
  • One of the first direct-to-video documentary programs released on Burbank Video.

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
  • The back of the cover incorrectly lists the runtime length as 53 minutes.
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
  • Reissue in a black box.
590 Road to Bali 1952 USA 91 min TBD NR Academy 1 N/A Color Late 1990
  • Reuses the mid-1980s Unicorn Video master for some reason, which in turn uses the Colex Enterprises print for the film itself.
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
  • This is missing the first half minute of the intro sequence, which is made quite obvious by the Palmolive soap announcement (albeit with the brand name cut off) playing over the still frame of the Colgate Comedy Hour logo with the yellow Abbott & Costello Enterprises copyright notice.

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
  • The warning screens and the Burbank Video logo with the Ruslan and Ludmila fanfare are inexplicably absent at the beginning of some known copies of this release. It is unknown whether those credentials are present on any copies.
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
  • The warning screens and the Burbank Video logo with the Ruslan and Ludmila fanfare are inexplicably absent at the beginning of some known copies of this release. It is unknown whether those credentials are present on any copies.
  • This release uses a custom print of the film, in which the film is severely cropped and the original opening credits sequence has been replaced with a computer-generated credits sequence, featuring stills from the film.
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
  • The back of the packaging claims that the film is in B&W and that it is 74 minutes. Until further notice, this is unconfirmed.
  • Retitled "Frankenstein's Island".
  • For some reason, the face label on silkscreen-inked copies is a modified version of the one intended for a 1989 release of the Yorkshire Television movie "Frankenstein" (Video Treasures), albeit with the Video Treasures logo and 1989 copyright notice erased.
TG1209 The Trapp Family Germany 1956 105 min 1961 English-dubbed version NR TBD 1 N/A Color Late 1991
  • The back of the sleeve erroneously claims that the film is in B&W.
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
  • The warning screens and the Burbank Video logo with the Ruslan and Ludmila fanfare are inexplicably absent at the beginning of some known copies of this release. It is unknown whether those credentials are present on any copies.
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]

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]

References[edit]