Joel Arndt
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Ed Wynn is great in Disney's That Darn Cat. One of the funniest films ever.
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Josh's Blind Buys: Watching The Unseen Collection (1 Viewer)
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Robin9
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Yes. I've just added a publicity shot to my post.
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Haven't seen that one, will keep an eye out!
I'll throw in another vote for That Darn Cat. I don't know that I'd call it "One of the funniest films ever" but it *is* a good late Walt era Disney non-animated effort and has a pretty good cast. If you enjoy the Walt-era live action comedy films you'll like this one too. It's the last film Hayley MIlls made for Disney. Unfortunately, like most films from early Disney, there's no Blu-ray release.
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#56 - To Be Or Not To Be (1942)
Viewed on: March 26th, 2017
Viewing Format: DVD (Warner)
Since you guys had been talking about this one and since I had it in the comedy set, I decided to give it a spin this evening. It was a great recommendation and I agree with everyone's insights into the film. I particularly agree with Mike's comment about how well the filmmakers handled the subject matter.
I probably don't need to give much of a summary, but suffice to say, Jack Benny and Carole Lombard are a husband-and-wife acting team in 1939 pre-war Poland, where a young pilot (Robert Stack) has fallen for Lombard after seeing her onstage repeatedly. When war breaks out, everyone is scattered, but they must reunite to sneak past the amusingly incompetent local Nazi commander (Sig Ruman). The movie makes a good impression immediately out of the gate and never lets up. It always manages to strike the right tone, as it shifts from backstage antics to wartime espionage to romantic slapstick. Benny is hilarious as the insufferably pompous actor, and Lombard is equally enjoyable as his wife. Sig Ruman steals every scene he's in, and the rest of the supporting cast is a delight. Ernst Lubitsch's direction is simply perfect, and the film's 99 minutes zip by.
The 2005 DVD from Warner sports a pretty good transfer that's never outstanding but very pleasing. It's a little dirty and worn around the reel changes but for the bulk of the running time is more or less clean and in good shape. There's nothing about the transfer to take away from enjoyment of the film itself. The audio is good, and English subtitles are also available. Bonus features include a Jack Benny short and a promo for wartime bonds.
To Be Or Not To Be was a delightful film and yet another great example of the famed Lubitsch touch. I'd probably still put The Shop Around The Corner as my favorite of his films, but this was a fantastic film worthy of being in the same discussion as that film and Ninotchka. I'm not sure that I'll watch the film enough to justify buying the Criterion, but if I didn't have it at all it I'm sure it would be a worthy purchase. I have the Mel Brooks version as part of a boxed set of his movies, but I've never seen that one either. I'll have to check it out at some point, but as good as Brooks is, I can't imagine topping the original.
Viewed on: March 26th, 2017
Viewing Format: DVD (Warner)
Since you guys had been talking about this one and since I had it in the comedy set, I decided to give it a spin this evening. It was a great recommendation and I agree with everyone's insights into the film. I particularly agree with Mike's comment about how well the filmmakers handled the subject matter.
I probably don't need to give much of a summary, but suffice to say, Jack Benny and Carole Lombard are a husband-and-wife acting team in 1939 pre-war Poland, where a young pilot (Robert Stack) has fallen for Lombard after seeing her onstage repeatedly. When war breaks out, everyone is scattered, but they must reunite to sneak past the amusingly incompetent local Nazi commander (Sig Ruman). The movie makes a good impression immediately out of the gate and never lets up. It always manages to strike the right tone, as it shifts from backstage antics to wartime espionage to romantic slapstick. Benny is hilarious as the insufferably pompous actor, and Lombard is equally enjoyable as his wife. Sig Ruman steals every scene he's in, and the rest of the supporting cast is a delight. Ernst Lubitsch's direction is simply perfect, and the film's 99 minutes zip by.
The 2005 DVD from Warner sports a pretty good transfer that's never outstanding but very pleasing. It's a little dirty and worn around the reel changes but for the bulk of the running time is more or less clean and in good shape. There's nothing about the transfer to take away from enjoyment of the film itself. The audio is good, and English subtitles are also available. Bonus features include a Jack Benny short and a promo for wartime bonds.
To Be Or Not To Be was a delightful film and yet another great example of the famed Lubitsch touch. I'd probably still put The Shop Around The Corner as my favorite of his films, but this was a fantastic film worthy of being in the same discussion as that film and Ninotchka. I'm not sure that I'll watch the film enough to justify buying the Criterion, but if I didn't have it at all it I'm sure it would be a worthy purchase. I have the Mel Brooks version as part of a boxed set of his movies, but I've never seen that one either. I'll have to check it out at some point, but as good as Brooks is, I can't imagine topping the original.
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#57 - American Buffalo (1996)
Viewed on: March 26th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Twilight Time)
I hate to admit it, but this one was a mistake. When Twilight Time announced that this was going out of print and they were selling off the remaining copies at $9.99 for a limited time, I figured that I had enjoyed some of the other David Mamet movies and plays enough that I had seen enough to give it a shot. It was one of those impulse buys where if I had stopped to consider it, I would have talked myself out of it ahead of time. The thing is, I like Mamet, but I seldom feel the need to revisit the work that I've seen. I've seen Glengarry Glen Ross onstage in Boston and on film, a play called November on Broadway, and House Of Games, The Spanish Prisoner, State And Main, and Spartan, and as disparate as those movies are, the one thing they have in common is that while I'm glad to have seen them, I'm good with the one viewing. So it's not that American Buffalo is bad, though it is less interesting than those other works; it's that I was probably never going to revisit it no matter how good it might have been. I sometimes forget it's easy to rent these things online, and I should have done that.
Dennis Franz is the lead, the owner of a junk shop in a bad neighborhood. Dustin Hoffman is a guy who hangs around the shop but does not actually work there, who seems to have a grudge against everyone, though one starts to suspect that most of these sleights are imagined. Sean Nelson is a younger boy who hangs around and yearns for Franz's approval. The film takes place over the course of a day, as Hoffman overhears a story from Nelson about a local man who collects rare coins and has perhaps left town for the night, and talks Franz into staging a heist. As the day unfolds, the men bicker and scheme, going back and forth as to whether or not to go through with their incredibly under-informed plan. The film plays out as a sort of Mamet version of Waiting For Godot, with low level crooks in the lead, though American Buffalo is no Waiting For Godot. Though the film is mostly dialogue driven, the direction from Michael Corrente keeps it from feeling too stagebound. But on the whole, while Franz is an agreeable presence onscreen, Hoffman's over-the-top antics and Nelson's desperate need for acceptance made me glad that the film clocked in at a mere 87 minutes.
The transfer on this Twilight Time disc is more of the same from MGM. The film is pretty clean and I have to think some of the dinginess is part of the intended style, but it's still not as sharp or as detailed as I'd like. It looks perfectly serviceable, but nothing more. The audio is good enough, but given how much of the film is dialogue, I wish it had been a little clearer. Fortunately, subtitles were provided. The disc includes a trailer, and in typical Twilight Time style, a commentary and isolated score track. The bonus material and enclosed booklet with a Julie Kirgo essay reflect that even when the studio doesn't put forth a lot of effort, Twilight Time does.
American Buffalo isn't one of the great Mamet works, and while I'm willing to accept that it might have worked better onstage, on film it's a fairly inert affair. I'm not sorry to have seen it, but I'm not likely to revisit it. I'll probably put it up for sale at some point, so if anyone happens to be interested (though after reading my review, I'm not exactly making the strongest sales pitch for it), let me know.
Viewed on: March 26th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Twilight Time)
I hate to admit it, but this one was a mistake. When Twilight Time announced that this was going out of print and they were selling off the remaining copies at $9.99 for a limited time, I figured that I had enjoyed some of the other David Mamet movies and plays enough that I had seen enough to give it a shot. It was one of those impulse buys where if I had stopped to consider it, I would have talked myself out of it ahead of time. The thing is, I like Mamet, but I seldom feel the need to revisit the work that I've seen. I've seen Glengarry Glen Ross onstage in Boston and on film, a play called November on Broadway, and House Of Games, The Spanish Prisoner, State And Main, and Spartan, and as disparate as those movies are, the one thing they have in common is that while I'm glad to have seen them, I'm good with the one viewing. So it's not that American Buffalo is bad, though it is less interesting than those other works; it's that I was probably never going to revisit it no matter how good it might have been. I sometimes forget it's easy to rent these things online, and I should have done that.
Dennis Franz is the lead, the owner of a junk shop in a bad neighborhood. Dustin Hoffman is a guy who hangs around the shop but does not actually work there, who seems to have a grudge against everyone, though one starts to suspect that most of these sleights are imagined. Sean Nelson is a younger boy who hangs around and yearns for Franz's approval. The film takes place over the course of a day, as Hoffman overhears a story from Nelson about a local man who collects rare coins and has perhaps left town for the night, and talks Franz into staging a heist. As the day unfolds, the men bicker and scheme, going back and forth as to whether or not to go through with their incredibly under-informed plan. The film plays out as a sort of Mamet version of Waiting For Godot, with low level crooks in the lead, though American Buffalo is no Waiting For Godot. Though the film is mostly dialogue driven, the direction from Michael Corrente keeps it from feeling too stagebound. But on the whole, while Franz is an agreeable presence onscreen, Hoffman's over-the-top antics and Nelson's desperate need for acceptance made me glad that the film clocked in at a mere 87 minutes.
The transfer on this Twilight Time disc is more of the same from MGM. The film is pretty clean and I have to think some of the dinginess is part of the intended style, but it's still not as sharp or as detailed as I'd like. It looks perfectly serviceable, but nothing more. The audio is good enough, but given how much of the film is dialogue, I wish it had been a little clearer. Fortunately, subtitles were provided. The disc includes a trailer, and in typical Twilight Time style, a commentary and isolated score track. The bonus material and enclosed booklet with a Julie Kirgo essay reflect that even when the studio doesn't put forth a lot of effort, Twilight Time does.
American Buffalo isn't one of the great Mamet works, and while I'm willing to accept that it might have worked better onstage, on film it's a fairly inert affair. I'm not sorry to have seen it, but I'm not likely to revisit it. I'll probably put it up for sale at some point, so if anyone happens to be interested (though after reading my review, I'm not exactly making the strongest sales pitch for it), let me know.
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#58 - Fort Apache (1948)
Viewed on: March 26th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Warner)
I can say right off the bat that I enjoyed John Ford's first entry in his cavalry trilogy, Fort Apache, far more than I remember liking She Wore A Yellow Ribbon. It was a great recommendation, and I'm now looking forward to Rio Grande with a lot more enthusiasm. I might even watch Yellow Ribbon again sometime soon. Ford really made a wonderful film here, something that captured the spirit of the old west just as Yellow Ribbon did, but with a bit more of the lively spirit of his earlier Drums Along The Mohawk.
With Henry Fonda anchoring an ensemble cast featuring strong performances from John Wayne, Ward Bond, John Agar, and Shirley Temple, Fort Apache is an engrossing tale of life on the frontier, mixing a series of episodic tales with an undercurrent of trouble brewing on the horizon. The trouble in question is mostly caused by the arrival of Fonda, a colonel sent to take command of Fort Apache, a job long thought to be going to the post's captain (Wayne). Whereas Wayne is firm but soft spoken, confident in his wisdom, Fonda is glory hungry and insecure, driven to react to everything unfamiliar with harsh instincts. When the film begins, there's a wonderful feeling of life on the frontier; though there's the potential for danger, the sense of community is strong, and it seems an exciting place and time to live. But as Fonda sweeps in, it's a little like Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny, where you just know that it's inevitable for something to go very wrong at some point. The movie has all of this great day-to-day fort life comedy and drama on the surface, but underneath there's always the tension that Fonda's character brings, whether or not the actor himself is onscreen. Wayne is excellent at conveying authority, wisdom, honor and decency in a smaller part. It makes for a fascinating study of contrasts that we see Wayne so little, and yet implicitly trust him from the start, whereas with Fonda, he doesn't immediately earn our trust, and despite many opportunities, is never able to completely win the sympathies of the audience or his fellow men and women, though they all do their best to respect and obey his command. I really enjoyed Victor McLaglen and Pedro Armendariz, each making a substantial impression onscreen in smaller roles.
I was very pleased with the transfer from Warner. While not quite up to the standard of She Wore A Yellow Ribbon or Warner Archive's latest black and white work, it's mostly very good. Other than windowboxed credits and the rare instances of scratches or dirt, it's mostly a very good transfer that's never quite outstanding. More than good enough to get the point across, but there were some moments when I saw the incredible photography that I just wished the disc looked a little better. The audio was pretty good, and subtitles were available. The disc also included a commentary I didn't get to and a featurette about Ford in standard definition.
Fort Apache was a very good film given a quality, though unexceptional, presentation from Warner. John Ford gets great performances out of his large cast, and is able to balance the character moments with the plot's building tension with great ease. The film's great pacing makes its 128 minute running time seem a bit shorter than that, and was enjoyable enough that I look forward to revisiting it one day.
Viewed on: March 26th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Warner)
I can say right off the bat that I enjoyed John Ford's first entry in his cavalry trilogy, Fort Apache, far more than I remember liking She Wore A Yellow Ribbon. It was a great recommendation, and I'm now looking forward to Rio Grande with a lot more enthusiasm. I might even watch Yellow Ribbon again sometime soon. Ford really made a wonderful film here, something that captured the spirit of the old west just as Yellow Ribbon did, but with a bit more of the lively spirit of his earlier Drums Along The Mohawk.
With Henry Fonda anchoring an ensemble cast featuring strong performances from John Wayne, Ward Bond, John Agar, and Shirley Temple, Fort Apache is an engrossing tale of life on the frontier, mixing a series of episodic tales with an undercurrent of trouble brewing on the horizon. The trouble in question is mostly caused by the arrival of Fonda, a colonel sent to take command of Fort Apache, a job long thought to be going to the post's captain (Wayne). Whereas Wayne is firm but soft spoken, confident in his wisdom, Fonda is glory hungry and insecure, driven to react to everything unfamiliar with harsh instincts. When the film begins, there's a wonderful feeling of life on the frontier; though there's the potential for danger, the sense of community is strong, and it seems an exciting place and time to live. But as Fonda sweeps in, it's a little like Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny, where you just know that it's inevitable for something to go very wrong at some point. The movie has all of this great day-to-day fort life comedy and drama on the surface, but underneath there's always the tension that Fonda's character brings, whether or not the actor himself is onscreen. Wayne is excellent at conveying authority, wisdom, honor and decency in a smaller part. It makes for a fascinating study of contrasts that we see Wayne so little, and yet implicitly trust him from the start, whereas with Fonda, he doesn't immediately earn our trust, and despite many opportunities, is never able to completely win the sympathies of the audience or his fellow men and women, though they all do their best to respect and obey his command. I really enjoyed Victor McLaglen and Pedro Armendariz, each making a substantial impression onscreen in smaller roles.
I was very pleased with the transfer from Warner. While not quite up to the standard of She Wore A Yellow Ribbon or Warner Archive's latest black and white work, it's mostly very good. Other than windowboxed credits and the rare instances of scratches or dirt, it's mostly a very good transfer that's never quite outstanding. More than good enough to get the point across, but there were some moments when I saw the incredible photography that I just wished the disc looked a little better. The audio was pretty good, and subtitles were available. The disc also included a commentary I didn't get to and a featurette about Ford in standard definition.
Fort Apache was a very good film given a quality, though unexceptional, presentation from Warner. John Ford gets great performances out of his large cast, and is able to balance the character moments with the plot's building tension with great ease. The film's great pacing makes its 128 minute running time seem a bit shorter than that, and was enjoyable enough that I look forward to revisiting it one day.
Remember that Fort Apache is an RKO picture which means the film elements that this Blu-ray is derived from aren't up to what the film elements are from studios like Warner, MGM or Sony. I'm very happy with this BD considering that circumstance and from my 60 or more prior viewings of it in other formats. I consider Fort Apache one of the most beautiful black and white films I'd ever seen. I would pay to see this film again in a movie theater. I'm glad you liked it! IMO, it's a far better film than She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, another RKO film.
One day in the near future, I'm going to sit down and devote one day to the Calvary Trilogy. I haven't done this since the DVD era.
One day in the near future, I'm going to sit down and devote one day to the Calvary Trilogy. I haven't done this since the DVD era.
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The Brooks version is good, and funny, but just can't top the Lubitsch. A few changes in characters were made but otherwise it's pretty much a direct remake. Wikipedia says it as well as I could:
All the talk caused me to pull out my copy of the Lubitsch to watch again last night. I'd watched the Brooks version a couple of months back after picking up the Mel Brooks Collection BR and it was interesting to have seen both in such a close time frame.
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Robert - I'd like to watch all three cavalry films together one day. I think next time I watched them. I enjoyed Rio Grande a lot (and will write it up soon) but I'd say that off the three, Fort Apache was my favorite. Go figure, it was the one I was looking forward to the least and I liked it the most.
The rest of the Wayne Mesquiteers films arrived today so I'll be watching them soon. I love that era of b-movies. I liked Overland Stage Raiders so much, I'm really looking forward to the rest.
Have World Without End coming up soon too!
The rest of the Wayne Mesquiteers films arrived today so I'll be watching them soon. I love that era of b-movies. I liked Overland Stage Raiders so much, I'm really looking forward to the rest.
Have World Without End coming up soon too!
To me, I think what makes Fort Apache stand out from the other two is how it showed the plight of the Apache and the time given to the supporting characters like the non-commission officers/sergeants.
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#59 - Rio Grande (1950)
Viewed on: March 27th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Olive)
Rio Grande, the third and final entry in John Ford's cavalry trilogy, is the first onscreen pairing of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Though Wayne's character has the same name in this film as in Fort Apache, they do not necessarily seem to be the same person, and the two films do not share any other direct story connections. Rio Grande explores some of the same ideas from the other cavalry trilogy stories, while also touching on some themes that would become important to Wayne's screen persona (and presumably his real life persona too) in future projects.
In Rio Grande, Wayne plays the commander of a fort near the Mexico border. Lately, he's been faced with attacks by Apaches, who then have been fleeing the border beyond where Wayne can chase them. Meanwhile, his son (Claude Jarman Jr.) arrives to the fort along with a bunch of other new recruits. Wayne hasn't seen his son in 15 years, and their reintroduction is marred by the son's failure at West Point which led to his enlistment. Victor McLaglen plays Wayne's right-hand-man on the base. Soon, Wayne's estranged wife (O'Hara) comes to the fort with the intention of buying their son's freedom from the services; however, their son has decided to stay in the army. As the Apache threat continues, Wayne is given an off-the-books assignment to cross the border into Mexico and stop them once and for all. Glory is the reward for success; court martial and/or death the penalty for failure.
That covers the plot, but like Fort Apache, Rio Grande is about more than what happens to who and when. Once again, director Ford excels at conveying the feeling of life on a fort and at the edge of the frontier. Though it's only a movie, what's portrayed onscreen feels real. There's an instant chemistry between Wayne and O'Hara that makes their scenes magic. McLaglen delivers another outstanding supporting performance; he's a great adversary for Wayne in The Quiet Man, but here, he's a great friend and it works just as well. The film involves several musical sequences, courtesy of the cavalry band, and they're all delightful. On a similar note, Victor Young's score is great. The scenery, as expected, is gorgeous. I enjoyed the relationship between Wayne and his son; the way they start off as strangers to each other, wary of what the other might ask or expect, but coming to love and respect each other as if they had never been apart. Father and son relationships are a recurring theme in Wayne's films, particularly as he aged, and the one on display here is another strong example of that.
The transfer from Olive was very pleasing. About the only nitpick I have on the visual quality is that the opening credits are windowboxed. Other than that, the transfer is very clean and on the whole looks very good. It appeared to be on par with the Fort Apache disc; not the very image of perfection but very satisfactory. Likewise, the audio on this release was very good, with dialogue easy to understand and the previously mentioned musical performances sounding great. Unfortunately, no subtitles were available. The disc also includes a vintage Leonard Maltin making-of featurette from the 1990s home video release and a trailer, both presented in standard definition.
I'm very glad to have seen Rio Grande. Last year, I had watched She Wore A Yellow Ribbon and was a bit underwhelmed by the movie. I didn't know what to expect with the other two cavalry movies, but to my surprise and delight, I enjoyed both tremendously. I would probably give a slight edge to Fort Apache as the better picture overall, but Rio Grande gives Wayne more to do, which might make it more enjoyable specifically to his fans. I am looking forward to one day revisiting the trilogy, perhaps even in the same day. Now that I've enjoyed the first and last parts so much, I feel I should probably revisit She Wore A Yellow Ribbon to see if my opinion has changed.
Viewed on: March 27th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Olive)
Rio Grande, the third and final entry in John Ford's cavalry trilogy, is the first onscreen pairing of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Though Wayne's character has the same name in this film as in Fort Apache, they do not necessarily seem to be the same person, and the two films do not share any other direct story connections. Rio Grande explores some of the same ideas from the other cavalry trilogy stories, while also touching on some themes that would become important to Wayne's screen persona (and presumably his real life persona too) in future projects.
In Rio Grande, Wayne plays the commander of a fort near the Mexico border. Lately, he's been faced with attacks by Apaches, who then have been fleeing the border beyond where Wayne can chase them. Meanwhile, his son (Claude Jarman Jr.) arrives to the fort along with a bunch of other new recruits. Wayne hasn't seen his son in 15 years, and their reintroduction is marred by the son's failure at West Point which led to his enlistment. Victor McLaglen plays Wayne's right-hand-man on the base. Soon, Wayne's estranged wife (O'Hara) comes to the fort with the intention of buying their son's freedom from the services; however, their son has decided to stay in the army. As the Apache threat continues, Wayne is given an off-the-books assignment to cross the border into Mexico and stop them once and for all. Glory is the reward for success; court martial and/or death the penalty for failure.
That covers the plot, but like Fort Apache, Rio Grande is about more than what happens to who and when. Once again, director Ford excels at conveying the feeling of life on a fort and at the edge of the frontier. Though it's only a movie, what's portrayed onscreen feels real. There's an instant chemistry between Wayne and O'Hara that makes their scenes magic. McLaglen delivers another outstanding supporting performance; he's a great adversary for Wayne in The Quiet Man, but here, he's a great friend and it works just as well. The film involves several musical sequences, courtesy of the cavalry band, and they're all delightful. On a similar note, Victor Young's score is great. The scenery, as expected, is gorgeous. I enjoyed the relationship between Wayne and his son; the way they start off as strangers to each other, wary of what the other might ask or expect, but coming to love and respect each other as if they had never been apart. Father and son relationships are a recurring theme in Wayne's films, particularly as he aged, and the one on display here is another strong example of that.
The transfer from Olive was very pleasing. About the only nitpick I have on the visual quality is that the opening credits are windowboxed. Other than that, the transfer is very clean and on the whole looks very good. It appeared to be on par with the Fort Apache disc; not the very image of perfection but very satisfactory. Likewise, the audio on this release was very good, with dialogue easy to understand and the previously mentioned musical performances sounding great. Unfortunately, no subtitles were available. The disc also includes a vintage Leonard Maltin making-of featurette from the 1990s home video release and a trailer, both presented in standard definition.
I'm very glad to have seen Rio Grande. Last year, I had watched She Wore A Yellow Ribbon and was a bit underwhelmed by the movie. I didn't know what to expect with the other two cavalry movies, but to my surprise and delight, I enjoyed both tremendously. I would probably give a slight edge to Fort Apache as the better picture overall, but Rio Grande gives Wayne more to do, which might make it more enjoyable specifically to his fans. I am looking forward to one day revisiting the trilogy, perhaps even in the same day. Now that I've enjoyed the first and last parts so much, I feel I should probably revisit She Wore A Yellow Ribbon to see if my opinion has changed.
bujaki
Senior HTF Member
I consider Fort Apache to be Ford's fictional take on Custer's Last Stand, and not a very flattering one at that. It's miles away from Walsh's They Died with Their Boots on.
bujaki
Senior HTF Member
On the subject of Lubitsch, both The Shop around the Corner and To Be or not to Be are indisputable masterpieces, and two of my favorite films. However, having seen (I believe) all of Lubitsch's extant output, silent and sound, I think the jewel in the crown is his Trouble in Paradise. Have you seen it?
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I haven't!
bujaki
Senior HTF Member
Criterion has a very old DVD. However, TCM shows it occasionally. MoMA may own it; that's where I saw it before you were born. I just can't remember whether it was part of the Paramount retro or part of the Films from the Archives series.
Scott Merryfield
Senior HTF Member
I have always enjoyed The Shop Around the Corner on TCM, but have never owned it. How is the DVD transfer? I see it's under $7 on Amazon. There does not appear to be a BD release.
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I'm satisfied with the DVD. Watched it last year. It also includes the radio play adaptation of the film, with the cast reprising their roles, so that's a fun bonus.
You might want to look into this set:
https://www.amazon.com/TCM-Greatest...=1490889480&sr=8-1&keywords=james+stewart+tcm
I got it last year - for $10, you get Shop Around The Corner, Spirit Of St. Louis (another favorite of mine), The FBI Story and The Stratton Story. It's a four disc set with each of the same discs used in the individual versions, same bonus features at all. At $2.50 a movie, that's even less than it costs to rent all of those titles once on Vudu or iTunes.
Scott Merryfield
Senior HTF Member
Thanks, Josh. I saw that set when I looked for The Shop Around the Corner, but wasn't sure if all four films were crammed onto one or two discs. Since they are separate discs, that set was way too attractive to pass up -- I just placed an order. I do not have any of those four films in my collection.
Nelson Au
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I'm not a big fan of the western genre, but I've seen a few of the classics. High Noon (Just added the new Olive blu-Ray to the collection) and because Deforest Kelley was in it, Gunfight at the OK Corral plus a few others. Including Eastwood's The Good The Bad and the Ugly. I've seen many John Wayne films growing up. I might have added Stagecoach to my Criterion collection pile. But I've never seen this Calvary trilogy before. This discussion has me curious to check them out.
Josh, wished I'd known about that 4 film Jimmy Stewart set. I had purchased The Spirit of St. Louis separately last year.
Josh, wished I'd known about that 4 film Jimmy Stewart set. I had purchased The Spirit of St. Louis separately last year.
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