- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,272
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
H.C. Potter's 1947, The Farmer's Daughter is a quintessential Selznick production, released via RKO.
It's part of Kino Lorber's agreement with Disney to make available the Selznick productions, previously held by ABC, and is a nice step above some of the others in the series in terms of quality.
While I'll not get political, it is a film about politics, and how a (literal) farmer's daughter (Loretta Young) ends up running for congress, and in a turn that might have come from Mr. Capra, ends up facing a low-life politician who runs on his record of perfection, but in reality has no desire to share his country with those who might be of a different color, have different religious beliefs or for that matter, believes in an honest American political system.
The great Joseph Cotten is already in office, and ends up working for Young's cause.
It's a terrific little film, with a great cast - Ethel Barrymore, Charles Bickford et al.
Also make note of a young James Aurness (in his first role), a few years before he hit the big time as a human carrot.
The film is lushly photographed by Milton Krasner in black & white, and Kino Lorber's new disc is a quality representation of the film, with nice black levels, shadow detail, and velvety grain.
For discussion, I'll make note of something that comes to the fore, every time I see a Joseph Cotten performance, and that is the speech pattern and tonality that's a virtual match to Orson Welles.
How do you suppose that came about?
Image - 4.25
Audio - 4.5
Pass / Fail - Pass
Highly Recommended
RAH
It's part of Kino Lorber's agreement with Disney to make available the Selznick productions, previously held by ABC, and is a nice step above some of the others in the series in terms of quality.
While I'll not get political, it is a film about politics, and how a (literal) farmer's daughter (Loretta Young) ends up running for congress, and in a turn that might have come from Mr. Capra, ends up facing a low-life politician who runs on his record of perfection, but in reality has no desire to share his country with those who might be of a different color, have different religious beliefs or for that matter, believes in an honest American political system.
The great Joseph Cotten is already in office, and ends up working for Young's cause.
It's a terrific little film, with a great cast - Ethel Barrymore, Charles Bickford et al.
Also make note of a young James Aurness (in his first role), a few years before he hit the big time as a human carrot.
The film is lushly photographed by Milton Krasner in black & white, and Kino Lorber's new disc is a quality representation of the film, with nice black levels, shadow detail, and velvety grain.
For discussion, I'll make note of something that comes to the fore, every time I see a Joseph Cotten performance, and that is the speech pattern and tonality that's a virtual match to Orson Welles.
How do you suppose that came about?
Image - 4.25
Audio - 4.5
Pass / Fail - Pass
Highly Recommended
RAH