Josh's Blind Buys: Watching The Unseen Collection (1 Viewer)

[Scott Merryfield]

#79 - Sunset In The West (1950)
Viewed on: April 19th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Kino)

When I saw that Kino had announced a Blu-ray release for this movie, I realized I had never seen a Roy Rogers movie, and decided this was the perfect opportunity to check one out. (However, I was very familiar with Roy Rogers' roast beef sandwiches and fried chicken before they disappeared from my neighborhood too long ago.) I eagerly pre-ordered it, and after getting two-damaged-in-shipping copies back to back from Amazon, the third time was the charm and I settled down to check out my first Roy Rogers western.

Charm is actually a good word to start with. Rogers has an easy, lighthearted charm to him that makes his performance seem effortless. At a town near the Mexican border, a series of train hijackings have occurred. But rather than stealing the cargo, they're dumping it - it turns out they're using the train cars to smuggle stolen guns into Mexico. When Roy (who goes by his own name in the film), his horse Trigger and his Purple Sage riders arrive in town, they find a sheriff powerless to stop the gang and offer their help. Simply told over 67 minutes, Sunset In The West didn't have the same high energy as the John Wayne Three Mesquiteers films, and in many ways played like a prototype for an early television series. But if the stakes never felt truly high and if it was never in doubt that Roy would beat the bad guys, it's still an enjoyable ride.

The transfer on the new Kino disc is something to behold. I've never seen a Trucolor film before, so I have no basis of comparison, but the new restoration is incredible and looks nearly pristine. The color is amazing has this unique look to it compared to other color films I've seen from the same period. The opening credits were slightly windowboxed, which would be my one minor nitpick on the transfer. Other than that (which shouldn't deter anyone's purchase or enjoyment), it's really a stunning looking disc. Subtitles are provided, and the disc also includes a commentary and trailers for other upcoming Kino releases.

I'm not sure that I'll be binge-watching Roy Rogers in the way I've watched John Wayne, but I was really happy to finally see one of his films. Rogers and the movie both had a pleasant quality that made it very easy to watch and enjoy. And for me, the stunning transfer was worth the price of admission in and of itself.

I'm not much for Roy Rogers, but my dad is a huge fan. I was looking for something else for his upcoming 83rd birthday, and this is something he'll really enjoy. There was also a DVD version of the Kino release available (my parents do not have a BD player), so it's on its way from Amazon. Thanks for the gift idea, Josh!

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Roy Rogers was a HUGE star at the boxoffice. And one of the nicest people in the business. He and Dale Evans faced several tragedies in their lives with children and this article is worth reading: http://stargazermercantile.com/enduring-love-roy-rogers-and-dale-evans/

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Just added to the webpage:

THE TRUCOLOR PROCESS

(Fleet, Roe (1948): The Trucolor Process. In: American Cinematographer, March, 1948, pp. 79 and 101.)


When the practicability of a 35mm color process is advanced, there are numerous vitally important factors to be taken into consideration. Of the hundreds of so-called color processes announced and projected during the past three decades with resultant losses of millions to public and private investors, only a handful have survived to provide commercially successful color film prints.

Processing of a color film method requires unlimited combined resources in capital, engineering and chemical research and direction, equipment, and trained technicians. The negative must be suitable exposed, but more important – the particular system must be capable of turning out uniform release prints without too great an expense in the laboratory and preventing excessive loss of stock in the printing procedure.

Consolidated Film Industries division of Republic Pictures Corporation has been processing a two color system for many years under the trade name of Magnacolor. By this method, which has generally been accepted for two-color systems, a double-coated positive film is exposed in either side through the appropriate component of a bi-pack negative, and developed to a low gamma in an ordinary black-and-white developing solution. This step is followed by fixation in a combined hardening and fixing bath. Next, the positive film is floated on an iodine solution so that the silver image in the emulsion facing downward is converted to transparent silver iodide.

After various washings and clearing baths, the entire film is submerged in a bath of basic dyes which have the property of mordanting to the silver iodide image only. Further prolonged washings and clearings follow, after which the film is submerged in an iron toning solution which converts the unchanged silver image into the well known blue tone. This type of process was decidedly complex, with great number of progressive steps required, and print uniformity a general problem.

Miller Develops New Procedure

With the technical and engineering experts of Consolidated cognizant of the limitations of the Magnacolor type of process, research was conducted on a more simplified procedure. Mr. Arthur J. Miller, now general manager of the Fort Lee, New Jersey, plant of Consolidated – about seven years ago – conceived the idea of a non-color-sensitive emulsion containing color couplers in place of the ordinary double-coated positive which required the applicating of subsequent coloring agents to black and white images.

Following a long series of experiments and research, the color-coupler emulsion system was developed to a point where it gained the enthusiastic approval and support of Herbert J. Yates, president of Republic Pictures, who authorized placing of an initial order for 12,000,000 feet of Trucolor raw stock with Eastman Kodak – the stock to be manufactured in accordance with detailed specifications furnished by Miller.

Resources Accentuate Development

The widespread financial, production and laboratory resources of Consolidated Film Industries and Republic Pictures were made available for the long process of testing and improving the Trucolor system. Without that combination of resources under the direct guidance and control of Yates, it is doubtful that the Trucolor process could have been brought to the point of production practicability in less than double the time actually consumed. Yates provided the huge amount of capital required to bring the process to the production line; the laboratory staff of engineers and chemical experts devised simplified procedure for printing and developing the color prints; and the production and technical resources of Republic studios were dovetailed into the proposition to provide suitable tests under actual production conditions.

Production Camera Technique

In photographing Trucolor, the regulation N. C. Mitchell camera – with a few minor adjustments to provide for the use of bi-pack negatives – is used. Lenses and other camera accessories are the same as for standard black-and-white shooting.

High intensity arces with Y1 filters, and incandescents with Macbeth filter at normal key or effect lighting; are utilized for interiors. Background projection can be used to the same extent at monotone.

For exteriors, the motion picture cameraman is not restricted to any particular type of natural lighting, but correct exposure and well-balanced negatives are necessary to insure good color rendition. From experience, it is stated that exteriors are handled practically the same as for black-and-white, and booster lights are used for lighting faces, with reflectors employed for back and background lighting.

Negative Development Simple

The exposed bi-pack negatives are immersed in a single developer bath which brings out the appropriate colors directly. A standard negative developing machine to specified time-gamma standards is used. The red dye of the front negative is removed in a sodium hydrosulphite bath as part of the same operation. Printer light tests of each negative provide preselection of proper printing exposure for each scene; and allow for 24 different printer lights.

Printing Machine

Trucolor printing machine consists essentially of a printing head for each of the bi-pack negatives with an individual printer lamp, relay rack, control strip, and stop-motion unit for the matte boxes. Trucolor positive film is printed with the red image on one surface and the blue image on the other. After leaving the red gate, the raw stock takes a half twist and proceeds through the blue gate, where the blue image is exposed on the opposite surface of the film. A tungsten filament lamp is used as light source for each head, and exposure value is controlled through a relay arrangement by the control strip.

The processing machine is a top drive unit with one sprocket per shaft. Two developing tanks, a hypo tank and wash tank are located in the dark room section of the processing unit; while bleach, wash, hypo and final wash tanks – together with the track treatment unit – are in the white light end of the machine. Trucolor prints remain in the wet section for 45 minutes, while later drying time totals about 20 minutes.

Taking advantage of various technical improvements available, Trucolor prints use non-inflammable stock; the Dubray-Howell perforation; and the Eastman protective coating on both sides of the finished prints for greater wearability and service in the theatres.

Trucolor Advantages

Important improvements of the Trucolor method in contrast to the double-coated prints of regulation bi-pack – as outlined by an official of Republic – include: simplicity and speed in processing; excellent luminosity on the screen; retention of negative image sharpness without loss; automatic print uniformity; and unimpaired sound reproduction.

Further, the color rendition is pleasing for the general theatre audience. However, being a two-component process, it is not possible to reproduce all of the colors faithfully, or to the extent that can be accomplished with a three-color method. Some colors – such as red, blue, brown, light greens, pink, and silver – reproduce almost perfectly; while others – such as yellow and purple – are distorted. But careful planning of sets and costumes can obtain the most value in color from the process with limited distortions. Flesh tones are particularly successful in the Trucolor system.

Production at Republic Studios

With both emulsions and the Trucolor method being constantly improved, and with specially trained technicians only available at Republic studios at this time, all productions made in Trucolor will have to be photographed at the Republic studios. However, although Republic will produce and release a number of its own features in the Trucolor system, the other producers will not necessarily have to use the distributing facilities of Republic. Cost of prints in Trucolor is competitive with other present color methods, but Republic executives point out that production negative costs can be materially lowered with Trucolor, and medium priced features can have the advantages of color photography which has been generally denied such pictures.

Release prints can be supplied rapidly, and on the same schedule as regulation black-and-white prints, just as soon as the master print is okayed by the producer. As the two-color Trucolor method progresses with continual improvements in quality of color values, the Consolidated and Republic engineers expect that the addition of the third color will eventuate.

 

[Mike2001]

Watched The Rounders with my 7 year old daughter yesterday. We both got a kick out of it.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I met up with my mom and stepdad last night and after we got back from dinner, I showed them The Rounders. Still fun the second time around!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

#80 - Mulan (1998)
Viewed on: April 20th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Disney)

I got Mulan for free from Disney Movie Rewards; I had purchased enough other Disney titles to redeem a free selection, and of the available options, this was one of the few I hadn't seen. I missed Mulan when it was originally in theaters. The Lion King was sort of the last hurrah of new Disney for my childhood. I was blown away by The Lion King in 1994, but getting to an age at that point where my young horizon was expanding beyond Disney. Pocahontas didn't interest me when it first came out, and new Disney movies fell off my radar not long after. (I remained a fan of the ones I had already fallen in love with, and of all the classic movies that Walt personally had a hand in, but I was done seeing new release titles from them for a while.) As an adult, my delight in Disney has been rekindled, and while I'm more passionate about the titles Walt worked on than the ones made after his passing, I'm still open to giving them a shot. So Mulan for free seemed like a good opportunity.

With a voice cast led by Ming-Na Wen as Mulan (and Lea Salonga providing Mulan's singing voice), the film also features contributions from actors like Eddie Murphy, BD Wong, Miguel Ferrer, Harvey Fierstein, Pat Morita and George Takei. The cast is a delight. The animation is general well done, and though I found the foreground animation to be a little bland, the background art is often quite stunning. But the film's script is underwhelming. The story involving a daughter who must pretend to be a son to join the army in a time when men were not yet welcome has been told so many times before. Even though the cast is naturally great, they're not given much to do. Eddie Murphy as the dragon sidekick is clearly in the Robin Williams Genie tradition, but the overall result isn't as inspired. The songs aren't bad, and the singers are quite good, but there's nothing that stuck with me past the film. It's not that Mulan is a bad film, and if I had seen it when I was very young, I might have even loved it. But as an adult, I can't help but feel that I've seen all of these ideas done before and in better films. Still, if the worst I can say is that inoffensively bland film with a positive message about female empowerment, the movie can't be that bad.

The transfer from Disney looked and sounded great. The film is presented in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio that is almost certainly not how it was originally shown in theaters, but probably represented the entire frame the animators were working with. The framing looks fine. Audio is lossless DTS-MA HD 5.1. Subtitles are provided. There are some featurettes and other bonus features included. The disc also includes the film's straight-to-video sequel "Mulan II", which I did not watch.

Mulan was one of the more forgettable Disney films I've seen, but is not completely without merit. The film's message of female empowerment and multicultural storytelling is to be commended, but I wish more effort had been placed into its story and songwriting. But I imagine for people seeing this at a young age it worked better than it did for me now, and I imagine for people who grew up with this movie, there's some worthwhile nostalgia to be found in revisiting it.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

#81 - International House (1933)
Viewed on: April 21st, 2017
Viewing Format: DVD (Universal)

I am a giant W.C. Fields fan, going back to around the age of thirteen or fourteen. One of my mom's friends introduced me to his films around that time, and they've stuck with me since. It's A Gift is one of my all-time favorite films, and for me, W.C. Fields ranks even higher than the Marx Brothers when it comes to classic comedy. When I was a teenager, finding a W.C. Fields title on VHS to rent or buy was no easy task, and I'd savor the films I was able to find. If I was lucky enough to find one at a local video store (or one within a driving range someone was willing to go on a wild goose chase for), I'd try to convince the story to sell it to me used, sight unseen, just on the probability that I'd like it and that I didn't want to have to try to find it a second time. I had It's A Gift, The Bank Dick, and Never Give A Sucker An Even Break on VHS. I saw My Little Chickadee in 35mm around that time as well. But as his films came out on DVD, I never really got my collection right. I have the Criterion DVD release of his short films. Five of his best known films were released in a five disc "W.C. Fields Comedy Collection" back in 2004, and a Volume II followed shortly afterall. I had the Volume 2, but not the Volume 1, and when I decided to complete the collection, they had gone out of print. Instead, I got a three disc, ten movie set that included the five movies I already had. I sold the five movie set and kept the ten one, which theoretically makes sense. But the ten movie set combined all of the features onto three discs (up to four movies per disc) and I just wasn't thrilled about that. But I kept hoping that the movies would make it to Blu-ray, and I'd figure out then. Sadly, there's been little sign of that, so I finally went out and got the original Comedy Collection Volumes 1 and 2, which ten of his best movies each on its own disc. And (here's where the "I'm a moron" part comes in) I also bought the recent 18 movie set, which included four titles I didn't have anywhere else. So I now have too many copies of a lot of the same movies, but all in the best quality that's out there at the moment. And for all of that, I've never seen International House. Only one of the ten in that set I hadn't.

Sometimes I get asked how I decide what to watch, and I never have a great answer to that question. Sometimes it's based around the calendar. If a certain movie is coming out on disc, I'll be looking forward to it in the days leading up to the street date, and try to get to it right away. If a new installment of a franchise I like is coming out, I'll rewatch the older movies in the series. But the rest of the time, it's really more whimsical than that, just trying to match what I've got on the shelf with whatever I'm feeling that night. Easier said than done sometimes. But there are some rare times where I'll have a larger feeling brewing, maybe the same itch people get about wanting to go on vacation somewhere, or craving a certain rare or seasonal food. Every few years that happens with me and W.C. Fields. It's usually not random. I might feel a certain frustration in my life, could be over something important, could be something trivial, but it'll be like an itch I can't scratch. I'm sure I can't be alone in that, just having a day or two where you feel annoyed, sometimes for a good reason, sometimes for no reason at all. And I find that when I start craving a W.C. Fields movie, that's the mindset I'm starting from. There's no one quite like Fields when it comes to dealing with a wealth of worldly injustices, from wives who don't understand you, children who don't love you and adults who don't respect you. There's no one quite like Fields when it comes to finding new ways to face the day. For me, when it comes to watching comedy, most of the time I want to be in a good mood first; if I'm cranky, I'm not gonna laugh. But for W.C. Fields, it's almost the opposite. It's perfectly funny when I'm in a good mood, but somehow even more hilarious when I'm not.

International House was an important film for Fields' career, but it's not actually a major entry into his filmography. It's more of a film with W.C. Fields rather than being a W.C. Fields film. The flimsy excuse of a plot is meant to allow a full range of stars to come in and perform in a scene or two before disappearing. At a Shanghai hotel, a Chinese inventor has gathered a group of prominent dignitaries and businessmen to show off his latest invention, an early television prototype. George Burns and Gracie Allen appear as a doctor and a nurse who provide care to the guests, and comedy to us. Bela Lugosi is the Russian general who wants to steal the invention. Baby Rose Marie and Cab Calloway are two of the acts we see during demonstrations of the invention. And W.C. Fields is a drunken pilot far off course who has accidentally landed in the hotel. He has no desire to see, purchase or steal the invention; he just wants a drink and a room, and while the first is easy enough, the latter is hard to come by. Whereas most of the stars appearing get just one or two scenes to do their act, Fields keeps popping up throughout the film's second half. He probably has more screen time than any other single performer in the film. His run-ins with the uptight hotel manager (played by Franklin Pangborn, who would go on to appear in several later Fields films) are highlights of the film.

The presentation of International House on the W.C. Fields Comedy Collection Volume 1 set is the best available. Unlike the later 10-movie and 18-movie collections that Universal would release this decade, the 2004 set has the film on its own disc. Though the element used doesn't appear to have been restored, it's mostly clean, and the audio is easy enough to understand. English subtitles are available. The disc also includes an hour-long documentary on Fields that originally aired as part of A&E's Biography series, which included insightful interviews with Fields' grandson, Ronald Fields.

(A quick word about the transfer qualities on the 10-movie and 18-movie Fields sets which are now in print. With most of the movies running only about an hour each, all in black and white, 4x3, and mono, they don't suffer too much even with three or four titles per disc in those sets. Those sets looked fine on my 50" television. It was only when playing the disc on my projection screen that it looked ever so slightly inferior to the single-title discs. So if you're interested in checking out W.C. Fields, even though I opted to rebuy these single-title discs, there's nothing wrong with the 10-movie and 18-movie sets. I actually now have an extra copy of the 10-movie set that I will probably list for sale on HTF at some point soon.)

International House wasn't a great film, but featured a great collection of performers doing some of their better routines. The thin plot does exactly what it needs to do, and gives just enough of an excuse to get everyone in the same film together. While Fields would get better chances to show off his skills not long after this, it's easy to see how his work here brought him the wider audience that his talents deserved.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

#82 - Spencer's Mountain (1963)
Viewed on: April 22nd, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Warner Archive)

Spencer's Mountain is a family drama with a little bit of a western flavor adapted and directed by Delmer Daves from the Earl Hamner Jr. novel which also inspired The Waltons. Since I've never seen any of the Waltons, the material was entirely fresh to me.

Henry Fonda stars as the Spencer family patriarch, Clay. He and his wife, played by Maureen O'Hara, are raising nine children. The oldest child, played by James MacArthur, is just graduating high school and wants to become the first member of the family to attend college, but Clay is far too poor to be able to afford the tuition. With the help of the town's new minister (an excellent Wally Cox), Fonda works out a tentative plan with the college's dean to get his son admitted. But the money will be nearly impossible to come by, and MacArthur has a lot to learn about life and women before he's ready to go away. Fonda and O'Hara will also be faced with hardship, as they're forced to reexamine their goals and find themselves questioning if they've made the right choices.

Though some might dismiss the film as being sentimental fluff filled with old timey values, I found a lot of pleasure in this look back. The film never definitively establishes a time period, but based on the cars shown and other signifiers, I'd guess it's supposed to be the 1940s. What's more important is seeing how the Spencer family is at a crossroads; the values and skills that helped Fonda through life, and his father (an excellent Donald Crisp), won't get MacArthur beyond a low wage job at the local quarry. O'Hara is forced to be the pragmatic voice of reason, almost afraid to dream for fear of disappointment. Fonda is outstanding in his role, expertly embodying a man who is too old and stuck in his ways to change for himself, but smart enough to understand that the game has changed for his son. His performance is a marvelous blend of rough charm, stubbornness and an overall decency that transcends the character's numerous shortcomings. Fonda's character in The Rounders was a guy I'd like to get drunk and hang out and be friends with; Fonda's character here is a guy I'd like to get drunk and hang out with and have as family. He makes it look easy.

The transfer from Warner Archive on this new Blu-ray is fantastic. The opticals show their age, which only serve to highlight just how good the actual film proper looks. Shot in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, the photography shows off the beautiful scenery, and the disc does a magnificent job presenting it. The audio is presented in lossless mono in a DTS-HD MA 2.0 track that my receiver decoded into the center speaker. English subtitles are available. The disc also included the film's trailer, a vintage featurette, and a vintage interview with Henry Fonda. This is a first rate presentation that served as a wonderful introduction to the film.

Spencer's Mountain was another great Delmer Daves picture. I've watched about half a dozen of his films over the past year or so, and no matter what genre he's working with, he always delivers an entertaining story filled with great characters brought to life with fantastic performances. I haven't been let down by him yet, and this was yet another successful blind buy from his filmography. Henry Fonda's performance was magnificent. After seeing him as a harder man in Fort Apache and as a more foolish one in The Rounders, as well as several over roles in other films, it was really a treat to see him playing such a warm character. Spencer's Mountain is a movie I know I'll revisit; it's the kind of movie I like to save for a gloomy day when I want to be reminded of the good in people. It's one of the more life-affirming films I've seen this year.

 

[Matt Hough]

W.C. Fields is also one of my very favorites. It's a Gift and The Bank Dick are among the greatest comedies ever made.

And to think at one time Paramount had the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, and Mae West all under contract.

 

[Mark McSherry]

Delmar Daves' THE HANGING TREE with Gary Cooper is a favorite. While some find the Marty Robbins theme song corny, I believe its melody and lyrics pay off when it kicks in at the final scene.

DVD Savant likes it too. "The film is bookended with a pop western ballad written by Jerry Livingston and Mack David, and sung by Marty Robbins. The song is anachronistic, rather corny, and absolutely right for the movie. Even the lyrics are a perfect fit, especially at the exultant conclusion. "

 

[David Weicker]

W.C. Fields is also one of my very favorites. It's a Gift and The Bank Dick are among the greatest comedies ever made.

And to think at one time Paramount had the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, and Mae West all under contract.

Plus Hope and Crosby.

It's interesting how each of the studios seem to fill a niche
MGM - musicals and literate
WB - gritty drama
Universal - monsters
Paramount - comedy.

As for Fields, I love his work as well. I just purchased the 18-film collection (and sold off the 5-disc Vol 1)

 

[Will Krupp]

#81 - International House (1933)
Viewed on: April 21st, 2017
Viewing Format: DVD (Universal)

Fun fact for you, Josh:

A famous and rather large earthquake (centered in Long Beach) hit while this was in production (on March 10, 1933) and is actually caught on camera in an outtake that has been preserved all these years!



Reportedly, at the Warner lot in Burbank, Busby Berkley was shooting the famous neon violins sequence from GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 at the exact same moment and, since the soundstage was already plunged into darkness for the neon effect, it caused pandemonium on set because the girls (plugged in to electrical outlets) didn't know where to run in the dark. That hasn't been preserved on film, though.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Plus Hope and Crosby.

It's interesting how each of the studios seem to fill a niche
MGM - musicals and literate
WB - gritty drama
Universal - monsters
Paramount - comedy.

As for Fields, I love his work as well. I just purchased the 18-film collection (and sold off the 5-disc Vol 1)

I think its much more accurate to say Abbott and Costello for Universal. While the monster films were money makers the studio was still near bankruptcy around 1940-1941. Abbott and Costello saved the studio with several huge hits every year during the first half of the 1940's. They remained in the top 5 box office draws for the 1940's. Their monster films never achieved that level of success.

 

[Robin9]

I think its much more accurate to say Abbott and Costello for Universal. While the monster films were money makers the studio was still near bankruptcy around 1940-1941. Abbott and Costello saved the studio with several huge hits every year during the first half of the 1940's. They remained in the top 5 box office draws for the 1940's. Their monster films never achieved that level of success.

In the 1940s, Universal also had Deanna Durbin and Maria Montez. Both made very popular films which contributed a lot to Universal's coffers.

 

[Mike2001]

I haven't seen all of the WC Fields movies, but of the ones I have, my favorite is Million Dollar Legs. Love the 1932 LA Olympics setting.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

What?? No love for "Mulan"?!

I *love* this movie -- as a musical!
"Reflections" is my favorite song from the movie and I think it perfectly captures the essence of the production. I first saw this flick with my (then) 7 year old daughter, so I'm sure the nostalgia factor is a contributor there for me as well.

I have to say, though, that of all the movies reviewed in this thread I only disagree with your opinions/viewpoints/observations on two: "Ben-Hur" and "Mulan". So that's still a heck of a good ratio!

Thanks again for a *great* thread!!

 

[RMajidi]

What?? No love for "Mulan"?!

I *love* this movie -- as a musical!
"Reflections" is my favorite song from the movie and I think it perfectly captures the essence of the production. I first saw this flick with my (then) 7 year old daughter, so I'm sure the nostalgia factor is a contributor there for me as well.

I have to say, though, that of all the movies reviewed in this thread I only disagree with your opinions/viewpoints/observations on two: "Ben-Hur" and "Mulan". So that's still a heck of a good ratio!

Thanks again for a *great* thread!!

Hmmm! I usually type comments into a text editor and then copy and paste into a post (a carry-over habit from the old website, where you would lose all you typed if you didn't press "Post" fast enough). Was about to paste the following comment, when I saw Joseph's uncannily similar post:


It's rare that I've disagreed with your movie review, Josh, but Mulan appears to be one.

I took my then eight year-old daughter to see it in its original run and we both fell in love with it. We loved its humour, music, animations and found the story very moving.

Perhaps give it another try once you become a proud father to a wonderful daughter to see if the change in perspective makes any difference.

Music-wise, I'll Make a Man Out of You is a stirring song, beautifully sung by Donny Osmond [the extras on my Blu also includes an excellent Mandarin rendition by Jackie Chan]. Reflection, sung by Lea Salonga in the movie is very moving, and also performed beautifully by Christina Aguilera as a single release. I found other songs in Mulan to also be delightful, but these two stand out for me.

 

[RMajidi]

#82 - Spencer's Mountain (1963)
Viewed on: April 22nd, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Warner Archive)

Spencer's Mountain is a family drama with a little bit of a western flavor adapted and directed by Delmer Daves from the Earl Hamner Jr. novel which also inspired The Waltons. Since I've never seen any of the Waltons, the material was entirely fresh to me.

Henry Fonda stars as the Spencer family patriarch, Clay. He and his wife, played by Maureen O'Hara, are raising nine children. The oldest child, played by James MacArthur, is just graduating high school and wants to become the first member of the family to attend college, but Clay is far too poor to be able to afford the tuition. With the help of the town's new minister (an excellent Wally Cox), Fonda works out a tentative plan with the college's dean to get his son admitted. But the money will be nearly impossible to come by, and MacArthur has a lot to learn about life and women before he's ready to go away. Fonda and O'Hara will also be faced with hardship, as they're forced to reexamine their goals and find themselves questioning if they've made the right choices.

Though some might dismiss the film as being sentimental fluff filled with old timey values, I found a lot of pleasure in this look back. The film never definitively establishes a time period, but based on the cars shown and other signifiers, I'd guess it's supposed to be the 1940s. What's more important is seeing how the Spencer family is at a crossroads; the values and skills that helped Fonda through life, and his father (an excellent Donald Crisp), won't get MacArthur beyond a low wage job at the local quarry. O'Hara is forced to be the pragmatic voice of reason, almost afraid to dream for fear of disappointment. Fonda is outstanding in his role, expertly embodying a man who is too old and stuck in his ways to change for himself, but smart enough to understand that the game has changed for his son. His performance is a marvelous blend of rough charm, stubbornness and an overall decency that transcends the character's numerous shortcomings. Fonda's character in The Rounders was a guy I'd like to get drunk and hang out and be friends with; Fonda's character here is a guy I'd like to get drunk and hang out with and have as family. He makes it look easy.

The transfer from Warner Archive on this new Blu-ray is fantastic. The opticals show their age, which only serve to highlight just how good the actual film proper looks. Shot in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, the photography shows off the beautiful scenery, and the disc does a magnificent job presenting it. The audio is presented in lossless mono in a DTS-HD MA 2.0 track that my receiver decoded into the center speaker. English subtitles are available. The disc also included the film's trailer, a vintage featurette, and a vintage interview with Henry Fonda. This is a first rate presentation that served as a wonderful introduction to the film.

Spencer's Mountain was another great Delmer Daves picture. I've watched about half a dozen of his films over the past year or so, and no matter what genre he's working with, he always delivers an entertaining story filled with great characters brought to life with fantastic performances. I haven't been let down by him yet, and this was yet another successful blind buy from his filmography. Henry Fonda's performance was magnificent. After seeing him as a harder man in Fort Apache and as a more foolish one in The Rounders, as well as several over roles in other films, it was really a treat to see him playing such a warm character. Spencer's Mountain is a movie I know I'll revisit; it's the kind of movie I like to save for a gloomy day when I want to be reminded of the good in people. It's one of the more life-affirming films I've seen this year.

Got the excellent DVD of Spencer's Mountain last year, and have every intention of upgrading to the Blu. Wonderful film, including a couple of my favourite actors.

I'm so glad you highlighted the performance by Wally Cox. I also think he was a delight. In my post above about Mulan, I mentioned my daughter. I'll do so again here, as last year she discovered Wally Cox in a YouTube segment from What's My Line, and was so taken by him that she explored his work and came up with his singular Mister Peepers. We both fell in love with this series, which also included another great portrayal by Marion Lorne, who a decade later became immortalised as the edible Aunt Clara in Bewitched. Wonderful turns by Tony Randall and Jack Warden too in Mister Peepers, but as usual I digress.

 

[Mike Frezon]

And since good things come in threes, I'm going to join Joseph and Ramin in their affection for Mulan.

And, in fact, specifically join Ramin in his love for Reflection and I'll Make a Man Out of You. And the entire score by Jerry Goldsmith doesn't get the love it deserves.

Lea Salonga is my absolute favorite all-time female singer...so I've got a little bias there. But I always include Mulan among all those films from 1989's Little Mermaid through 1999's Tarzan in which Disney could do little wrong.

But I guess we need to accept that Josh can't always be right!

The disc also includes the film's straight-to-video sequel "Mulan II", which I did not watch.

Now THAT'S a good call!

 

[Joel Arndt]

Josh, one of the most enjoyable aspects of your thread is reading about your discovery and great enjoyment of films that aren't really on anyone's radar screen as out and out classics such as The Rounders or Sunset in the West, but are solid, entertaining movies. That's one of the most fun things about this hobby of ours, finding a "new" old film we really enjoy.

This happened to me with a couple of movies recently, The Night is Young (1935) and Wake Up and Dream (1946). Neither one a "classic" by any stretch, but much more entertaining than I expected.

So, here's to finding more obscure treasures going forward...