12. ROBINSON CRUSOE (1954) ^ Luis Buñuel’s first color film was this fairly straightforward adaptation of the Defoe classic. Irish actor Dan O’Herlihy received an Oscar nomination for his vigorous performance as the shipwrecked sailor and (in a dream sequence where he inexplicably bathes a pig) as Crusoe’s nagging father. Yet Buñuel fans expecting the biting social commentary and celebrated surrealism of the master director would be surprised how “Robinson Crusoe” plays like standard Hollywood fare — not a bad film, but not what one would expect of Buñuel. ^ WHY IS THIS FILM NOT ON VIDEO? Long entangled in one of the most protracted rights disputes imaginable, “Robinson Crusoe” is nowhere near being freed to enjoy a video release.
13. 1984 (1956) ^ George Orwell’s prophecy was actually first filmed as a BBC teleplay in 1954, which resulted in an unexpected controversy over the political nature of the program on the sedate and non-political British television network. The subject was brought before the movie cameras in 1956 and American stars Edmond O’Brien and Jan Sterling were imported to play the doomed lovers Winston and Julia, whose attempts to have an illicit relationship without Big Brother watching them results in a horrifying fate. ^ WHY IS THIS FILM NOT ON VIDEO? The rights to this version of “1984” have been in dispute for many years, which has kept the title out of circulation in home entertainment channels; bootleg versions available today are based on the 16mm print used for American television distribution in the 1960s, which was the last time this film was widely seen. Strangely, the second film version (made in 1984 and starring John Hurt and Richard Burton) was able to get a home video release.
Get the complete list in the next part of NEVER ON VIDEO II: THE NEXT TOP 20 “MISSING” MOVIES>>>
