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Classic
Reviews Roundup #19 - June 2005
Over the next little while, I'll be working towards trying to make
this column a more timely effort. The intent is eventually to have
it appear regularly on a two-weekly basis. Each installment will
survey the current classic releases with snapshot reviews and also
provide the latest new coming release announcements. As time
permits, the column will occasionally include a short essay on a
particular actor, genre, year, or other classic film topic - as some
past columns have done. Western releases will for now be
re-integrated with other classic releases as the recent experiment
of having a separate Western Round-up column seems to have generated
little interest, based on the minimal feedback that I received on
it.
For this outing, I have the latest announcements for you as well as
16 snapshot reviews. The latter include ten Warner Bros. releases (Dark
Victory, Mr. Skeffington,
Humoresque, Possessed,
The Damned Don't Cry, The
Star, East of Eden,
Rebel without a Cause, The
Cincinnati Kid, and Tom Horn),
two Fox releases (The Bravados
and Warlock), two Sony
releases (Gun Fury and The
Texican), and one each from MGM (Hour
of the Gun) and Paramount (Johnny
Reno). The
Classic
Coming Attractions Database has been updated to reflect
the new announcements. Note too that the
Film
Noir Listing, first made available last September in
conjunction with a column on film noir, has also been updated.
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Dark
Victory (1939)
Director:
Edmund Goulding
Theatrical Release: Warner
Bros
Cast: Bette Davis, George
Brent, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Humphrey Bogart
DVD Company and Release Date:
Warner Bros. - June 14, 2005
Video: 1.37:1 Full Frame,
B&W
Audio: DD English Mono,
English, French and Spanish subtitles
Supplements: Commentary by
film historian James Ursini and CNN film critic Paul Clinton,
1939: Tough Competition for Dark
Victory new featurette, theatrical trailer
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| Although
a popular film upon its release, Dark
Victory tended to get overlooked among the wealth of
great films that made 1939 arguably Hollywood's best year ever.
The passing years have raised the film's profile substantially,
mainly on the basis of Bette Davis's strong performance as a
young woman doomed to an early death due to a cancerous growth
on her brain. The Warner Bros. stock company is also put to good
use with fine performances from George Brent as the doctor Davis
consults and with whom she later falls in love, Ronald Reagan as
one of Davis's many suitors, and Humphrey Bogart as a horse
trainer (although saddled with an Irish brogue). In addition,
Geraldine Fitzgerald shines as Davis's sister, a Greek-chorus
sort of role. The film's direction is sensitively handled by
Edmund Goulding who contrives some truly memorable scenes,
particularly near the end when Davis's character starts to go
blind in the garden and the final scene in her bedroom. The film
was previously issued on DVD by MGM (with the same transfer then
reissued by Warners), but Warners has now delivered a new
transfer from restored elements. The improvement is substantial
with much of the original's damage corrected. The new image is
brighter and much better detailed, although black levels are not
as deep as the best transfers and there are still some
scratches. The mono sound is also improved in clarity and level
of hiss, providing a good platform for Max Steiner's restrained
music score. The supplements are highlighted by a detailed
commentary by James Ursini and Paul Clinton. Available as a
separate disc or as part of The Bette
Davis Collection. Recommended. |
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Mr.
Skeffington (1944)
Director:
Vincent Sherman
Theatrical Release: Warner
Bros
Cast: Bette Davis, Claude
Rains, Walter Abel, Richard Waring
DVD Company and Release Date:
Warner Bros. - June 14, 2005
Video: 1.37:1 Full Frame,
B&W
Audio: DD English Mono, DD
French Mono, English, French and Spanish subtitles
Supplements: Commentary by
director Vincent Sherman, Mr.
Skeffington: A Picture of Strength new featurette,
theatrical trailer
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| Yes,
Mr. Skeffington is a Bette
Davis film, but it's the presence of classy actor Claude Rains
in the title role that makes it really worth a second look. Of
course, Davis is good as Fanny Skeffington, the prettiest woman
in New York who eventually sees her looks ravaged by diphtheria,
but one is never really convinced of what it is that so many men
see in her. Rains on the other hand is the stoic husband whose
devotion despite all sorts of provocation gains our real
admiration. Rains, the quintessential supporting player,
elevated every film he was in and here he underplays judiciously
while benefiting from an excellent script by Philip and Julius
Epstein. Although not filmed in Technicolor as originally
envisaged, the film was a major Warner Bros. production of the
year 1944 and received considerable acclaim despite concern
about its long, for then, almost two and a half hour running
time. The DVD transfer is a very fine effort with a modest
amount of grain yielding a pleasing film-like appearance. The
image is generally crisp with good contrast and minimal print
damage. The mono sound is quite adequate, with only occasional
minor background hiss evident. The most impressive supplement is
99-year-old director Vincent Sherman's commentary. Although
there are some blank spots, Sherman's comments are to the point
and he provides some interesting background on working with
Bette Davis. What a pleasure to have his observations available
to us over 60 years after the film was made. Available as a
separate disc or as part of The Bette
Davis Collection. Recommended. |
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Humoresque
(1946)
Director:
Jean Negulesco
Theatrical Release: Warner
Bros
Cast: Joan Crawford, John
Garfield, Oscar Levant, J. Carrol Naish
DVD Company and Release Date:
Warner Bros. - June 14, 2005
Video: 1.37:1 Full Frame,
B&W
Audio: DD English Mono,
English, French and Spanish subtitles
Supplements: The
Music of Humoresque featurette, theatrical trailer
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| Humoresque
contains arguably Joan Crawford's best performance, in the role
of a rich socialite who becomes the patron of intense violinist
John Garfield. The two fall in love with tragic consequences.
Crawford capitalized on the confidence arising from her Oscar
win for Mildred Pierce the
previous year, while Garfield delivers a strong performance that
mixes anger with unhappiness. The film's music is intrinsic to
both plot mood and development. The violin playing is by Isaac
Stern, with fingering and bowmanship by other violinists
cleverly filmed to give the impression that Garfield is actually
playing. Strong Warner production values are evident throughout.
The DVD transfer is correctly framed and looks pretty good.
There's some speckling and strobe effects that combined with a
sometimes-soft image drop this disc below the best Warner B&W
efforts. The mono sound does pretty well by the film's music
score by Franz Waxman. The music is also the focus of a fine
featurette that along with the theatrical trailer comprise the
disc's supplements - a package that's a little slim given the
film's profile in the Crawford oevre and Warner's normal level
of effort on disc extras. Available as a separate disc or in
The Joan Crawford Collection
box set. Recommended. |
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Possessed
(1947)
Director:
Curtis Bernhardt
Theatrical Release: Warner
Bros
Cast: Joan Crawford, Van
Heflin, Raymond Massey, Geraldine Brooks
DVD Company and Release Date:
Warner Bros. - June 14, 2005
Video: 1.37:1 Full Frame,
B&W
Audio: DD English Mono,
English, French and Spanish subtitles
Supplements: Commentary by
film historian Drew Casper, Possessed:
The Quintessential Film Noir featurette, theatrical
trailer
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| Possessed
is a terrific film about a woman's obsession for a man who's not
really interested in her. Joan Crawford offers a bravura
performance that begins with a startling view of her unmade-up
face as she makes her way on the streets of Los Angeles. Van
Heflin offers excellent support as the man Joan wants, in what
is effectively a femme fatale role played by a male. The film
offers many of the film noir conventions, particularly the
dreamlike nature of the story and the disorienting camera
movements that characterize the film's opening sequences. The
DVD transfer is quite pleasing although marred by a couple of
short segments characterized by small spots of light. Otherwise
the film's noir look is well served. The mono sound is clear
although some minor background hiss is occasionally present.
Drew Casper's audio commentary is the main supplement and is
admirably thorough. As a consequence, a new featurette on Possessed's
film noir qualities is redundant, particularly as it's a rather
superficial piece anyway. Available as a separate disc or as
part of The Joan Crawford Collection.
Highly recommended. |
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The
Damned Don't Cry (1950)
Director:
Vincent Sherman
Theatrical Release: Warner
Bros
Cast: Joan Crawford, David
Brian, Steve Cochran, Kent Smith
DVD Company and Release Date:
Warner Bros. - June 14, 2005
Video: 1.37:1 Full Frame,
B&W
Audio: DD English Mono, DD
French Mono, English, French and Spanish subtitles
Supplements: Commentary by
director Vincent Sherman, The
Crawford Formula: Real and Reel featurette,
theatrical trailer
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| In
this 1950 film noir, Warners apparently culled the headlines as
it had so often in the 1930s - this time using the story of
Bugsy Siegel and Virginia Hill as its inspiration. Crawford
plays a woman who begins in lower-class drudgery, but rises to
wealth through sex, deceit, and toughness as she embraces the
criminal underworld. In typical Warner fashion, the story is
forcefully told and Crawford's character receives a brutal
comeuppance that caps the disillusionment that builds in her
character throughout. Vincent Sherman's direction captures the
character's drive very well. A trio of fine male supporting
performances - from Kent Smith, David Brian , and Steve Cochran
- is another of the film's strong points. Generally, watching
this movie is a fun experience. The DVD's transfer is quite
attractive with fine image detail and good contrast. A
reasonable amount of grain is evident. Some of the night scenes,
particularly early in the film, look rather noisy, however. The
mono sound is adequate. Vincent Sherman's commentary is not as
perceptive as one might hope especially in the early going. Some
of his later comments about Crawford are interesting, however. A
new making-of featurette is merely adequate. Available as a
separate disc or as part of The Joan
Crawford Collection. Recommended. |
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The
Star (1952)
Director:
Curtis Bernhardt
Theatrical Release: Fox
Cast: Bette Davis,
Sterling Hayden, Natalie Wood, Warner Anderson
DVD Company and Release Date:
Warner Bros. - June 14, 2005
Video: 1.37:1 Full Frame,
B&W
Audio: DD English Mono,
English, French and Spanish subtitles
Supplements: How
Real Is the Star? featurette, theatrical trailer
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| The
Star is about a former Hollywood star who has fallen
on hard times and hopes for one more role that will put her back
on top. Reportedly inspired by aspects of Joan Crawford's life,
Bette Davis jumped at the chance to play the lead role and
seemingly raise the ante in her long-time supposed feud with
Crawford. The film's most juicy sequence is the one in which
Davis auditions for the part of an older sullen sister by
playing her as a young flirt instead (something she recognized
as a typical Crawford move). The film's subject matter also
presages Davis's own situation a few years later when she had to
place an ad in the local trade papers seeking suitable acting
roles. Davis is pretty well the whole story in the film and she
gives a fine performance that yielded an Academy Award
nomination. Sterling Hayden plays the man who comes to her aid
and Natalie Wood appears as her daughter, but neither register
particularly strongly. The DVD transfer is very good, yielding a
crisp image with fine shadow detail. The mono sound is quite
adequate. A short making-of featurette elaborates on the reality
of the film. Suggested as a rental, except for Bette Davis
completists, of course. |
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Gun
Fury (1953)
Director:
Raoul Walsh
Theatrical Release:
Columbia
Cast: Rock Hudson, Donna
Reed, Phil Carey, Leo Gordon
DVD Company and Release Date:
Sony - May 31, 2005
Video: 1.37:1 Full Frame,
Colour
Audio: DD English Mono,
English, Japanese and Spanish subtitles
Supplements: Theatrical
trailers for Silverado and
The Professionals
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| In
Gun Fury, Rock Hudson
takes off after outlaw Phil Carey and his gang when they leave
Hudson for dead and kidnap his wife-to-be (Donna Reed) during a
stagecoach robbery. The story is an engaging one and all the
supporting roles are well handled, even the slightly overblown
histrionics of Philip Carey. The likes of Lee Marvin, Neville
Brand and Leo Gordon are all a pleasure to see in the film.
Raoul Walsh really keeps the story moving along as he normally
does with action films and maintains good suspense throughout.
The film was shot for projection in 3-D, as some of its effects
make obvious. What lets it all down is Rock Hudson's uninvolving
lead performance. Here, he plays at being a westerner, rather
than giving any sense of actually being one - something he never
really overcame in any of his later western roles either. The
film is a good time-passer, but nothing more. Sony's DVD
transfer is merely average. The image is crisp and colourful
enough, but seems a little soft and is characterized by a fair
degree of dirt and debris. The mono sound is quite adequate.
Western fans may enjoy the film enough to warrant a rental. |
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East
of Eden (1955)
Director:
Elia Kazan
Theatrical Release: Warner
Bros
Cast: James Dean, Julie
Harris, Raymond Massey, Jo Van Fleet
DVD Company and Release Date:
Warner Bros - May 31, 2005
Video: 2.55:1 Anamorphic,
Colour
Audio: DD 5.1 English
Surround, DD 2.0 French Stereo, English, French and Spanish
subtitles
Supplements: Commentary by
Richard Schickel, East of Eden: Art
in Search of Life new 50th anniversary documentary,
Forever James Dean vintage
documentary, additional scenes, screen tests, wardrobe, costume,
and production design tests, New York premiere footage,
theatrical trailer
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| The
last quarter of John Steinbeck's novel of the same title is used
as the focus of East of Eden,
the first of James Dean's three-film movie legacy. Playing a
Salinas Valley youth who struggles to gain his hardened father's
affection, Dean provides a mesmerizing portrait in this version
of the Cain and Abel story directed by Elia Kazan. Equally as
good is the almost ethereal performance of Julie Harris as the
young girl who gradually realizes she is in love with him. The
film, however, is Kazan's. He had essentially carte blanche from
Warners to make the movie and used it to sign the then-unknown
Dean and the unheralded Harris in the key roles. He also cast
Raymond Massey as Dean's father in the film and fostered the
real-life dislike the two had for each other on the set to the
benefit of the two characters' conflict in the film. The film
captured the spirit of Steinbeck's book very accurately and
remains a potent piece of film-making 50 years later, blending
melodrama with historical incident and drawing small-town life
and national and international events together through a
skillful blend of location and studio shooting. Kazan would
later look with bemusement at the Dean phenomenon - recognizing
his talent, but reacting with disdain to the cult of
unappreciated adolescents/insensitive parents that it bred. The
widescreen transfer is excellent with nicely saturated colour
and a generally crisp image. The sound has been upgraded to a
5.1 mix that is very pleasing, but typically offers little in
the surrounds. The supplements are highlighted by a good
commentary, two fine documentaries, and a wealth of other items
that demonstrate Warners' usual fine attention to detail and
value. Available as a 2-disc edition either separately or as
part of The Complete James Dean
Collection. Highly recommended. |
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