The Enid Blyton Society

Norman Wright struck a deal in 1993 with Rank, who then managed the Children's Film Foundation's film rights, to sell 500 copies (all since long gone).

I suspect Viv, that if you want to strike a similar deal re. DVDs then you might need to approach whoever now manages CFF rights.

Uh-oh. The new boy is starting to sound like an expert

Viking Star wrote:Norman has sold all copies of the 1957 Famous Five serial - I emailed him asking last week.

Thanks for the answer! I bought a copy back in 1994, but somebody asked me if it was still available and I said I didn't know - will pass on this information. I know that Norman still hadn't managed to sell all 500 copies of the video several years after he released it (which is why he told me there's no way he'll ever release 'Five Have a Mystery to Solve'!), so I thought there might be a small chance that he still has some left.

I didn't know that Norman has e-mail - has he ever posted on here?

I don't know the answer to your question Eljay - but I asked Tony Summerfield for Norman's contact details (and I know that several other EBS members have emailed him).

I suggest you look on Ebay for copies - they do turn up.

I was lucky to have been successful in bidding for a copy on Ebay about a week or so ago - having been previously unsuccessful in a couple of bids.

I have not yet watch it - need to check the quality but there is quite a lot on the telly in the evenings at the moment. What with the Football & Springwatch.

If you don't mind me asking Steve, how much would one expect to pay on ebay for the 50's FF?

Also, Eljay mentioned Five have a mystery to solve. Does that mean that in addition to the Treasure Island series there is another series which no one but Norman has?

I paid £11 for the video which I thought was very good value and I have to say I was surprised to get it so cheaply. The video originally cost about £18 when it was released - can not remember the exact cost and do not have access to the old journals (as answering this at work). I was not a member of the Society then. although I do now have the old journals and how I knew about the video.

Of the 2 other copies I have seen listed on Ebay both went for around the £20 mark and I had expected to pay that for this copy.

Norman does have a copy of the Five Have A Mystery to Solve film - Which I believe is Danish dubbed into English. Excerts were shown at this Enid Blyton Day - unfortunately I did not stay as I wanted to watch the 2nd half of the Cup Final.

I am sure if Norman reads this thread he will answer this. I have requested on another thread that - if he can - issue this to members as either a Video or DVD.

The Danish extracts we saw at the EB Day were from a Danish version of 'Five Go Adventuring Again', not the cinema version of 'Mystery to Solve'. I think there has been a slight mix up with the two titles!

In his book 'The Famous Five - Everything you ever wanted to know'(2000), Norman Wright lists 'Five Have a Mystery to Solve' as 'produced for the Children's Film Foundation. Six episodes, each running approximately 16 minutes.' It would have been in english, very much like the 1957 'Five on a Treasure Island'.

It's a great pity it will never be released on video or DVD. I would certainly get a copy.

I realise how lucky I am to own a copy of the '57 series now. I had no idea they were so sought- after!!

Rob

Viking Star wrote:If you don't mind me asking Steve, how much would one expect to pay on ebay for the 50's FF?

Also, Eljay mentioned Five have a mystery to solve. Does that mean that in addition to the Treasure Island series there is another series which no one but Norman has?

I didn't say that Norman has 'Five Have a Mystery to Solve' - although I assume he has viewed a copy in recent years.

In 1993 he privately released 'Five on a Treasure Island' on video. I asked him a few years later if he intended to release 'Five Have a Mystery to Solve' as well; he replied that the costs involved in releasing 'Five on a Treasure Island' (for example, he had to pay £900 just to get a compulsory 'U' certification from the British Board of Film Classification!), plus the fact that the 500 copies were not selling as fast as he had hoped (he still had a lot left, several years later), meant that he would not be releasing 'Five Have a Mystery to Solve'. So basically, his answer was 'no way'!

But that was then, when his only outlets for selling the video were 'Green Hedges Magazine/Enid Blyton Society Journal' and his own mail-order catalogue. Nowadays, with the internet, I'm sure he would have no trouble selling 500 copies in a matter of months. Also, DVD has now replaced video cassette as the format of choice - and, unlike video cassettes, DVDs are extremely cheap and easy to produce (any fool can do it on their computer, with professional results). So I'm sure the production costs would be much lower with DVD, and the distribution (via the internet) would certainly be much easier. The only real costs would be getting the rights and the BBFC certificate. So perhaps he could now be persuaded to release a double DVD set of 'Five on a Treasure Island' and 'Five Have a Mystery to Solve'? It's certainly worth asking him!

Thanks Steve. I'll look out for a copy on e-bay.

I love it when people talk about all the TV shows.

I love them just as much as I love searching for them.

The Danish Five go adventuring again has been released on dvd and so has Five get into Trouble. The only down side is that they are not in English and there are no subtitles, however I wanted a copy and the quality is super. I think you get the idea no matter what language it's in.

i have been searching for Five have a Mystery to solve and although I haven't found it yet, I'm still looking....one day (she dreams)

Jackie

I've heard people wonder about the two Danish Famous Five films, and
their availability. They are readily available on DVD from Denmark,
for example here:

http://www.laserdisken.dk/html/visvare. ... 2121453447" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is a package with both films, for 59 Danish kroner (approximately
7 pounds). A giveaway price! There are only Danish subtitles, but you
all know the stories well enough to be able to enjoy this. It is nice
to see how easily these stories translate, how universal they are. (I
doubt it would be a good idea to buy the German versions, I would guess
they are dubbed into German - this sort of ruins the film, which needs
to be watched in the original language.)

All other Famous Five series are now available on DVD, the 70s series
only from Germany for the time being, the 90s series from Germany, the
Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and maybe other countries. These all
include original language soundtracks. Both CFF serials are available
in England now, in excellent editions from the British Film Institute.

The New Zealand Adventure series is now readily available from Australia,
for example here:

http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/815723" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hopefully, they will also release the New Zealand Secrets series, as they
were produced by the same company (Cloud Nine):

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212493/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All that's missing now seems to be those two Adventures made in the
UK in 1982 and 1990:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417805/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369317/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Does anyone know if the former (Island) was a film or a serial? IMDB
isn't clear on this. The latter (Castle) was definitely a serial of eight
parts. It was also edited into a two-hour film and released on video
- which has been made available for download on YouTube, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkm7abNFB4c" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you have a program like YouTube Downloader (free), you can save
all 12 parts on your hard drive, and even convert the .flv format to
.wmv or a format of your choice.

Regards
Eysteinn

P.S. ---- Is it possible to do TABLES in this forum? I have some tabulated
info on the order of the stories in the two FF series, but it becomes
incomprehensible when I transport it to this window - I need to be able
to do columns ... E.

The Island of Adventure was a film. I have the tie-in annual that was released at the time and I remember it well. It was available on VHS for a short time but seems almost impossible to find now. A shame as I'd love to see it again - I can even remember the theme tune!

There were actually two videos of Island UK and USA, both difficult to find!

Split from another topic.

hi my names chantelle and I was wondering if u ever thought of turning series like malory towers, saint clares and the famous five into movies, films or episodes. I know id want to watch that, so would everyone else.

yous sincerely chantelle stone

Actually there are 2 different Famous Five series, one from the late 70s, one from the mid-90s. There are two BBC-serials of Five on a treasure island (1957) and Five have a mystery to solve (1963). There are two Danish Famous Five films, one based on Five get into trouble (1970), the other one bases on Five go adventuring again (1969).
There are 4 German Famous Five films recently produced, the first loosely based on Five on a tresaure island and Five on Kirrin island again, the second one on Five get into trouble, the third and fourth one are not based on any Famous Five book written by Enid Blyton.
I don't think there's any series done on Malory towers, but about St Clare's, there's a Japanese anime series, and three German Films, although the films have hardly anything to do with the original series done by Enid Blyton.

Edit: there's also a French film, " Le Club des Cinq en Randonnée" (Five on a hike together).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KAZIBjML1o