Fox Horror Classics Collection, Vol. 2

Dragonwyck / Chandu the Magician / Dr. Renault's Secret

Starring: Gene Tierney, Walter Huston, Vincent Price, Anne Revere, Spring Byington

20th Century Fox, 2008, DVD

Product Description

Disk 1: Chandu the Magician **Commentary by Author Gregory William Mank **Masters of Magic: The World of Chandu **Chandu the Magician Radio Serial Episode **Restoration Comparison **Trailer **Still Gallery

Disc 2: Dr. Renault's Secret **By The Book: Horror, Suspense, and Literary Inspiration **Restoration Comparison **Trailer **Interactive Pressbook **Still Gallery

Disc 3: Dragonwyck **A House of Secrets: Exploring Dragonwyck **Dragonwyck Radio Show Performed by Vincent Price and Gene **Tierney - October 7, 1946 **Restoration Comparison **Trailer **Interactive Pressbook **Still Gallery

Episode Description: Disc 1: Chandu the Magician (1932) Disc 2: Dr. Renault's Secret (1942) Disc 3: Dragonwyck (1946)

Although only one of the '40s-era movies from the Fox library contained in this set can be called a genuine horror film, all three pictures offer enough excitement and suspense — as well as the presence of genre stalwarts like Bela Lugosi, Vincent Price, George Zucco and J. Carroll Naish — to warrant viewings by classic movie fans and broad-minded horror aficionados alike. Dr. Renault's Secret, from 1942, is the real article in terms of horror, with Zucco as the title scientist and J. Carroll Naish as, well, his secret, a brutish handyman with a monstrous heritage. It's a breezy B-picture on par with similar efforts like The Ape Man, although with stronger production value. The fantasy-adventure Chandu the Magician (1931) stars Edmund Lowe as the eponymous yogi, who is dispatched to save his brother from the evil magician Roxor (Lugosi). Based on a popular radio series from the '30s, Chandu benefits greatly from atmospheric cinematography by James Wong Howe and production design by William Cameron Menzies, who pull off some genuinely impressive special effects, and from the marvelous florid performance by Lugosi (who would go on to play Chandu in a subsequent serial). Dragonwyck (1946) is the volume's ringer; with its story of class struggle and forbidden marriage between wealthy Vincent Price and his less fortunate and distant relation Gene Tierney, it offers only the hint of chills in whispers about a ghost. It's also probably the best of the set's three films in regard to production value and performances, with Price taking top honors as the cold-hearted lord of the manor and Walter Huston as Tierney's suspicious father. But that probably means little to horror fans, who will probably pass over the film in favor of Renault's more upfront scares; similarly, classic drama fans may not wish to invest in all three pictures in order to enjoy Dragonwyck. But hope springs eternal that curiosity will introduce both sides to the merits of the other features included here. As with its predecessor, the Fox Horror Classics Collection Volume 2 includes a wealth of fine extras that give historical perspective to the features they accompany. Chandu and Dragonwyck feature commentary tracks by Lugosi biographer Gregory William Mank and writer Stephen Haberman and filmmaker Constantine Nasr, respectively; all three films are discussed in detail by a host of experts (authors Kim Newman, Rudy Behlmer and Lucy Chase Williams, among others, as well as effects legend Ray Harryhausen and collector extraordinaire Bob Burns) in 15-minute featurettes. The Dragonwyck disc also includes two radio adaptations, both starring Price, as well as an isolated audio track for Alfred Newman's evocative score. Trailers for Renault and Dragonwyck and an informative booklet of liner notes round out this eclectic set. — Paul Gaita

Product Details

Title: Fox Horror Classics Collection, Vol. 2 (Dragonwyck / Chandu the Magician / Dr. Renault's Secret)
Sales Rank: 11222 in DVD
Actor: Gene Tierney, Walter Huston, Vincent Price, Anne Revere, Spring Byington
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Studio: 20th Century Fox, 2008-09-09
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Restored, NTSC, Acpect Ratio 1.33:1
Languages: English (Original Language)
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region Code: 1
Running Time: 232 minutes
Item Dimensions: 0.6 pounds
Package Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches, 0.62 pounds

Customer Reviews

Hardly horror but neat package: Fox seem to have a very creative marketing team because it is stretch of the imagination by any standards that this extraordinary package would be classified as a horror collection. True horror enthusiasts might be very disappointed.
First off is the 1932 "Changdu the Magician", a boys' own adventure which not surprisingly became a serial a few years later. The film has Bela… More reviews

Horrors? Volume 2: Around a year ago, I had the opportunity to watch the movies that comprised Fox Horror Classics Volume 1. They were enjoyable enough, but I wondered if they were truly horror films. Similarly, I enjoyed Fox Horror Classics, Volume 2, but still wondered if the trio of could really fit the definition of horror.
Chronologically, the first in the set is Chandu… More reviews

Nice set of excellent, rare old films!: The title of this attractive set of three DVDs might be a little misleading because none of the three movies could be described as horror by today's definition, but by 1930's and 1940's standards they do fit the bill. So the keyword here is "Classics" from the early Fox Studios, and some rare, unusual and charming ones they are indeed! Each one… More reviews

Classic horror fans need this collection!: I bought this for "Dr Renault's Secret", which has a remarkably subtle performance by J. Carroll Naish as a half-man, half-ape creature. This is such a cliche that it's hard to imagine someone doing a good job of it, but this is a remarkable film. This remake of the long-lost silent film "The Wizard" is highly recommended. The print is beautiful.
"Chandu The Magician" is a revelation… More reviews

Fox Horror Classics 2: A terrific example of classic movie making with Dragonwyck (a must see for any classic film buff) and complete camp from Chandu the Magician. Dr. Renault's Secret is a terrific example of some of the very best character actors of the making a terrific movie from an absurd script! I recommend this collection highly! More reviews