Wheeler & Woolsey Debut on Blu-ray
The Warner Archive Collection announced their September release schedule yesterday, and the slate included a very pleasant surprise for classic comedy fans. The Wheeler & Woolsey comedy Kentucky Kernels (1934) will receive a Blu-ray release on September 9th. Not only is this is the first time that the 1930s comedy team will receive a release on disc or digital in 1080p HD; this lesser known title has also received a new 4K scan from the original nitrate camera negative.
Fans of Our Gang (a.k.a. The Little Rascals) may be interested in this particular release, as it co-stars George “Spanky” McFarland. Plus, Warner Brothers has added a trio of vintage 1934 cartoons to the package.
While Kentucky Kernels is not my favorite of the team’s work (I’m a bigger fan of Hips, Hips, Hooray! and Cockeyed Cavaliers), it is still a very enjoyable little film. I’m greatly looking forward to getting my hands on this disc, and I hope this bodes well for future Wheeler & Woolsey HD releases.
Here’s the announcement from the Warner Archive Collection Facebook page:
NEW 2020 1080p master from 4K scan of original nitrate camera negative!
KENTUCKY KERNELS (1934)
Run Time: 75:00
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio Specs: DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 – English, MONO – English
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1, 4 X 3 FULL FRAME
Product Color: BLACK & WHITE
Disc Configuration: BD 25
BONUS CONTENT: Vintage 1934 cartoons BUDDY’S CIRCUS (HD), Popeye in THE DANCE CONTEST (HD), Popeye in SOCK-A-BYE BABY (HD)
Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey team up with Our Gang star “Spanky” McFarland in this riotous slapstick comedy, from director George Stevens. Out-of-work vaudevillians Willie (Wheeler) and Elmer (Woolsey) somehow become Spanky’s guardians and think they’ve come into a fortune when Spanky inherits a farm in Kentucky. What they don’t know is that the farm sits directly in the line of fire in a feud between the Milfords and the Wakefields. Now, as Willie falls in love with the beautiful Gloria Wakefield (Mary Carlisle) and the pair manage to arrange a truce, young Spanky reignites the war between the two families. It all adds up to “a good vehicle for the team with a great slapstick finale” (Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide).
