Q: Are the copies of TTU being sold on Ebay any good?
A: From what I have seen/read of the auctions, it is not a WB commercial version, but one that someone has put together with "box art". Not that that is a bad thing, but that means someone is producing it in their basement, etc. I'd say go for it if it's under $25.

7/7/03 Update
From Robb on his purchase: I've just reviewed a copy of TTU and.... it's flawless, the pristine copy eveyone has been after for many, many years. The sound is crisp and the image is sharp and finely etched. The color captures the full flavor of the landscape and especially the "lakebed" contours. I was very critical as I watched it, thinking it would an easy target to pan. But, try as I did, it was a pleasure to watch (even with Virginia Leith's attempt at acting). I will be watching it again soon, but on first viewing, it was like 1956 all over again.

The box art is the standard one of Holden attempting to get Gen. Banner out of the burning plane with, in the foreground, Holden in the arms of Virginia Leith. There is also a small circle of Leith and Lloyd Nolan in the upper left corner. The film is 115 minutes long. I've looked at it again and it has no shadows or distortions of any kind. The images are sharp and the color (or tone), is perfect. One of the best indications of true color is the terrain of Edwards, and it's "right on". If this particular version is not an original, I would be very surprised.

9/17/02 Update
From Don on his purchase: My copy of TTU finally arrive last Friday. This was purchased from Rob M. via e-Bay. The video tape is a copy-of-a-copy. The overall quality is poor, at best. It is out of focus due to copy/duplication multi-genertions. There are several tracking errors. The best part of the film is the audio which seem not to have suffered save for the background sound, which is absent/garbled. The tape cost ~$25.00 including shipping. Unless the seller can improve his product clairity, I would recommend other buyers shop elsewhere.

5/20/02 Update
From Doug G. on his purchase: I just received a VHS tape that I purchased on Ebay for $30. It was taped from a satellite station and the quality was average. The resolution wasn't real crisp and I thought some of the background detail was a bit fuzzy. However the audio and the tracking was flawless. I watched the tape on my parents big screen TV and it was awesome! Over all I was happy and very satisfied with the purchase. It sure beats nothing at all.

5/7/02 Update
From John G. on his purchase: I just received my copy purchased from a fellow in Canada. Total cost with shipping was about $30. I have just finished watching the first hour of it. It appears to me that the version he sells was taped off cable. There have been two "scan hiccups" in my copy so far, which didn't really detract too much from the film. The audio track was continuous, and did not skip. The tape itself appears to be a standard JVC 120 tape, with no label of any kind. The cassette case it comes in has the kind of fair to poor graphics one might do at one's computer, based on a scan of a movie poster or other original material. Parts of the photos look as if they have been colored with colored pencil, giving the graphics a kind of hadd tinted black and white photo look.

2/11/02 Update
I received an email from Paul M., and he was nice enough to let me know how his ebay purchase went. He payed $25 (which I would say is reasonable) and is happy with what he received.

If anyone has any details on this copy, please let me know so I can inform TTU fans.

Q: Where can I purchase Toward the Unknown?
A: Here's a list

2/18/01 Update
OK, so Robert's Hard to Find Videos feels that actually delivering products ordered isn't their business. Don't buy from them. They charged my credit card in December for a purchase in May - incompetence...