A few words about…™ The Long, Long Trailer – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Vincente Minnelli's The Long, Long Trailer (1954), is an interesting oddity. For whatever reason, bringing together a beloved American actress who had been working in film since 1933, and a Cuban-born band leader in some sort of early rom-com actually seemed to work.

So much so, that they were brought together soon after for an interesting TV series, setting them up, once again, as a married couple.

Warner Archive's new Blu-ray offers the film in magnificent shape, with an image harvested from the original camera negative, and it's ultra-colorful Ansco film stock, used by M-G-M until their supply was down to last rolls, apparently used in the 1955 production of Lust for Life.

Everything about this release is perfect, possibly aside from the odd casting of the leads. Color, densities, black and white levels, stability, along with the proper 1.75 aspect ratio

A delightful comedy if you happen to like Lucy.

Image – 5

Audio – 4 (DTS-HD MA 2.0)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Works up-rezzed to 4k - Yes

Upgrade from DVD - Yes

Recommended

RAH


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[Will Krupp]

Wow! Image a FIVE?? I cannot wait!!

When this used to show on TV back in the dark ages, it always looked phenomenal, with that stunning early 50's production design in gorgeous color. The DVD was sorely underwhelming, so I couldn't be any happier to hear this.

Thank you, sir!

 

[Joel Arndt]

Fantastic news! My copy was delivered just moments ago, so I know what I'll be watching tonight...or sooner possibly.

 

[roxy1927]

A pleasant movie but the color on this probably makes it worth it. Though the scene with the trailer and Madge Blake and her roses is priceless.

 

[BobO'Link]

So much so, that they were brought together soon after for an interesting TV series, setting them up, once again, as a married couple.

They were already married and had been doing I Love Lucy for ~3 years when this was produced and released.

 

[DarkVader]

Aside from the odd casting of the leads?!?!

They were already married for one and second they were co-starring on a hit television sit-com. That comment is just....weird.

 

[lark144]

Aside from the odd casting of the leads?!?!

They were already married for one and second they were co-starring on a hit television sit-com. That comment is just....weird.

Weird, kind sir? Just a typical RAHIsm, which we look forward to with as much enthusiasm as his expert accounting of emulsions and printing anomalies. And while their pairing did reap box office bonanzas, they were a very odd couple, which is present in all of its sentiment as well as scariness, in Minnelli's film.

 

[Thomas T]

Mr. Harris, your naughty sense of humor seems to escape some of your readers!

 

[Garysb]

I wonder why the couple are playing newlyweds which in my opinion made the actors too old for their roles. I think the characters could have already been married at the start of the picture and decided to live in a trailer because of his job and it wouldn't have changed the story. If they must be newlyweds, make it that they were previously married to others who passed away as it was the 1950's and no one talked about divorce. Lucy was in her early 40's when the film was made.

Glad the film looks so good Wish more could be done to Ansco Color "7 Brides" to look better. I guess popularity plus the 70 MM blowup re release took their toll on the elements of that film.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Looks like RAH hooked a few again. You guys really think that RAH didn’t know when their TV series started.

 

[DarkVader]

Ah, ok. Sarcasm, got it.

You guys have been subjected to RAH's sarcasm longer than I have and sarcasm is very hard to decipher on an internet message board because the reader reading the message isn't reading it in the tone the writer intended.

I will keep this in mind when reading RAH's posts moving forward.

 

[Richard Kaufman]

Mr. Harris's humor is extraordinarily dry.

 

[benbess]

It was a very amusing surprise when I came across this movie on TV around 1976 or so, when I was about ten years old. We only had a black and white tv then, and it was shown pan-and-scan, and so it looked quite a bit like the tv show. It wasn't I Love Lucy, and yet it sort-of was at the same time. Haven't seen it since, but this review convinced me to get it so that I can give it a spin.

 

[Robert Harris]

Looks like RAH hooked a few again. You guys really think that RAH didn’t know when their TV series started.

For the record, I’m never trying to “take” anyone.

As someone once said:

”It’s my manner, sir…”

 

[Robert Crawford]

For the record, I’m never trying to “take” anyone.

As someone once said:

”It’s my manner, sir…”

Okaaay.

 

[Robert Harris]

It was a very amusing surprise when I came across this movie on TV around 1976 or so, when I was about ten years old. We only had a black and white tv then, and it was shown pan-and-scan, and so it looked quite a bit like the tv show. It wasn't I Love Lucy, and yet it sort-of was at the same time. Haven't seen it since, but this review convinced me to get it so that I can give it a spin.


View attachment 173284

Pan & scan, or possibly open matte? I have no idea.

 

[B-ROLL]

Mr. Harris's humor is extraordinarily dry.

... with an olive ... and shaken- not stirred- so as not to bruise then Gin !

 

[haineshisway]

Saw it on Saturday April 3, 1954, at the worst of our three neighborhood theaters, the Picfair. I've attached the listing. I have no memory of seeing it with Money from Home, but I absolutely remember scenes from The Long, Long Trailer and I have not seen it since that day.

 

[EricSchulz]

Ah, ok. Sarcasm, got it.

You guys have been subjected to RAH's sarcasm longer than I have and sarcasm is very hard to decipher on an internet message board because the reader reading the message isn't reading it in the tone the writer intended.

I will keep this in mind when reading RAH's posts moving forward.

Me, too! When I read his review of Violent Night calling it “a new holiday tradition for the whole family“ (I’m paraphrasing) I kinda figured, “oh, sarcasm!”

 

[Joel Arndt]

Watched this last night and the Archive has done it again. This looks magnificent! Kudos to WBMPI for another stellar job. Still one of my favorite comedies and it's fun to see Lucy and Desi in color during the height of I Love Lucy's popularity. Highly recommended!