MUMBAI: Paramount Home Entertainment and Paramount's television distribution entities have signed an agreement with Batjac Productions, the company founded by John Wayne, for worldwide DVD and television distribution.

This agreement will see Paramount distributing a number of classic John Wayne movies, including certain hitherto unreleased flicks. Movies like The High and the Mighty (1954) and Island in the Sky (1953), which have never been released on VHS or DVD, will be restored to their glorious original 35mm film and presented in Stereo 5.1, states an official release.

Other movies like "Hondo" (1953) and "McLintock!" (1962), will also make their DVD debuts, and the DVDs will include bonus features, including commentaries with filmmakers and cast. Other features will include the making of the films, their subjects and their eras, and other memorabilia from the Wayne archives.

Paramount Pictures president Thomas Lesinski said, "Paramount has enjoyed a wonderful relationship with John Wayne and his family for more than half a century. With the addition of these timeless treasures to our existing John Wayne library, Paramount has truly become the home of John Wayne's films."
 
Apart from Wayne starrers, Paramount will also release five films for basic cable, international markets and DVD that were produced by Batjac in which John Wayne did not appear: Man in the Vault (1956), Plunder of the Sun (1953), Ring of Fear (1953), Seven Men from Now (1956) and Track of the Cat (1954).

Gretchen Wayne, president of Batjac and wife of the actor's late son, Michael, added, "In recent years there has been growing demand by fans of my late father-in-law to see these films released on DVD and on television. We are excited to have found the perfect partner in Paramount to accomplish this."