Why it should happen... Frank Capra's WWII-era pacifist folk tale about a group of explorers who discover the mythical paradise of Shangri-La is most famous for what isn't there. During the war, films were heavily monitored by the United States Army, and Capra's avowed pacifism, which was embodied in this film, was seen as a threat to the war effort. As a result, many scenes were butchered to tone down the film's message. The DVD release fills in some of these blanks with recovered audio and production photos, but some of the footage is, seemingly, lost forever. ...but will it? The film has only been released on Blu-Ray once, in an out-of-print edition that goes for 40 bucks or more secondhand. For once, it's hard to hold it against the studio: you can't really blame non-hobbyists for not wanting to buy an incomplete movie. The dream scenario here is that the lost footage is miraculously recovered, but the studio still isn't interested enough to piece it back together. In a glorious move, they let Criterion have a go at it. However, since the lost footage is kind of a Holy Grail to film enthusiasts, it is possible that the studio would see enough incentive to do it themselves. After all, Capra is one of the few classic directors whose name is even familiar to younger audiences. Either way would be like winning the lottery if you're a movie geek.
