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Many of us who love movies have mixed feelings about the so-called "videotape revolution." Even as we sadly note the shutting down of theaters for "remodeling" that never happens, we exult over the unprecedented opportunity to have a home library of favorite pictures at a reasonable cost. But then, many pleasures carry some burden of guilt.
One of the interesting aspects of videotapes is the fact that some of the older movies can now be seen in more complete versions than were shown in the theaters. In a recent issue we mentioned Gunga Din. now available from RKO Video as well as VidAmerica in a longer version than the original release print. RKO's new tape of the original King Kong, with the later censor cuts restored, is the best looking Kong since the 1933 theatrical release, filled with sharp details that should be a revelation to anyone who has only seen the dark, mushy prints shown in recent years.
Admirers of the Alfred Hitchcock melodramas can be grateful that a number of his early productions, which were made in England prior to his emigration to the U.S. in 1939, are available on tape in longer versions than were previously...