Cinema/Movie/DVD: Review
By Mel Neuhaus
Midsummer offers up a pair of worthy DVDs, courtesy of our favorite home vid company du jour, Legend Films. Their first batch of reviewed titles did remarkably well – and we’re proud to state that the following duo, licensed from the hefty Paramount library is equally impressive (I had a short, informative discussion with Maria Mason, Legend’s Vice President of Marketing; the results can be found in the sidebar addendum to this piece)
The season itself suggests family outings, and I found two rare obscure items of note that both grown-ups and kids can enjoy for years to come.
MONEY FROM HOME (1953; Directed by George Marshall; 100 minutes. Color) Perhaps the hardest to see entry of the 16 Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedies that Paramount gleefully (and profitably) turned out during the late 1940s-mid 1950s, this adaptation of Damon Runyon’s famed story was a vehicle that comedy team lensed expressly for their legions of younger fans. It’s a small fry “guys and dolls,” horse racing tale loaded with sight gags, music and knockout Technicolor. The screenplay is by Hal Kantor, one of movie, radio and TV’s greatest comedy writers with credits covering high points in the careers of W.C. Fields, Bob Hope and Danny Kaye to name a few. He not only penned the script to this picture, but also co-wrote the treatment with James Allardice, the pundit who created all those wonderfully sardonic intros that Alfred Hitchcock delighted audiences with on his classic television series. Indeed, when not going totally slapstick (i.e. multiple horse riding gags, chases etc – a trademark of director Marshall, whose work with Laurel & Hardy alone justifies his presence in a Rabelaisian cinema pantheon), this show is very nearly two movies: the wacky Jerry Lewis stuff for the tykes and the snappy New York gangster repartee for the adults. Some choice verbal patter between Martin, Sheldon Leonard and Robert Strauss hits the Runyon mother lode and is a veritable textbook on precision comic timing. The movie has been particularly difficult to track down for two reasons: 1) apparently (up to now), the Runyon estate had a hold on the title (which explains why it was not included in the Martin & Lewis DVD box sets that Paramount had previously released; this also may be the reason that Universal’s IT |
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AIN’T HAY, based on Runyon’s “Princess O’Hara,” remains their only Abbott & Costello comedy not out in the format), and 2) the physical look of the picture itself. As one of the characters might say,“Allow me to elaborate…” MONEY FROM HOME was not only Martin & Lewis’ first movie in color, but, to capture the momentum of the industry, it was also shot in the then immensely popular gimmicky 3-D process. 1950s 3-D was shot on two separate strips of film -‘Left’ and ‘Right’ eye reels – which would then be projected simultaneously from synchronous projectors. Polarized viewers were handed out to audience members as they entered the theaters. This created an optical illusion of astounding depth; understandably most 3-D fare was relegated to outdoor action pictures and horror movies (watch M & L chasing a moth around the room in this DVD – and you’ll get a watered down idea of what vintage Third Dimension was like). The point is that to make the images discernable for projecting one piece of film on top of another, the scenes had to be incredibly over lit – nearly flooded with light. Once the 3-D craze ended, producers sent out either left or right prints to theaters and later TV stations. Of course, these prints appeared drastically overexposed with grainy hinky color (or bleached B&W). The one time I saw this movie, I was appalled by the garish orange flesh tones and bright blue night scenes (especially since this was one of only two 3-D movies shot in three strip Technicolor). Imagine my happy surprise when I put this DVD on my monitor and was blown away by the gorgeous rainbow imagery – showcasing the imbibition hues to their max effect. Believe me, someone went through A LOT of trouble to make MONEY FROM HOME look great – and they succeeded in spades. Legend Films – I bow to you! The mono soundtrack (possibly from originally mag track stereo) is crisp and full-bodied (Dino’s crooning sounds swell). Is this Dean and Jerry’s best flick? No, but 55 years after it’s debut, MONEY FROM HOME remains a bona fide Eisenhower era curio – and a pleasant diversionary one to boot. In short, M&L fans and 1950s movie buffs won’t be disappointed.
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| THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JAPLOPIES (1969; Directed by Ken Annakin. Color/Scope 16 x 9 anamorphic; includes original theatrical trailer) With the 1960s zooming 1000 miles a minute, cultural changes made this antique road race movie nearly anachronistic by the time of it’s release at the end of the decade. Director Annakin’s love for all vintage transportation mechanics had paid off handsomely for him with such gems as THE FAST LADY (1962) and the blockbuster THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES (1965); ditto JALOPIES’ star Tony Curtis shined in Blake Edwards’ THE GREAT RACE (also from ’65). The latter two seemed to sprout, in part, from the mammoth bonanza of IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD (1963), but, as the song goes, “the times they are a-changing,” and by 1969, what seemed like cinema gold tarnished quickly in the wake of THE WILD BUNCH and the scores of other movies which re-defined the tastes of the movie-going public. | |
Never mind - four decades after the fact we can now experience the considerable fun this epic slapstick live action cartoon – crammed with outrageous visuals that lavishly fill its beautifully composed Techncolored Panavision frame – has to offer. Enjoy the laughs, enjoy the all-star international cast (Curtis is always a hoot but Italy’s Lando Buzzanca and Germany’s Gert Frobe are pretty damn hilarious too…in a goofy sort of way. Main guffaw kudos must go to the British with the double whammy of Terry-Thomas and the droll comedy team of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore; the opulent production isn’t the only aspect that’s easy on the eyes. Gorgeous 1960s ladies Susan Hampshire and Nicoletta Machiavelli give the exquisite auto chassis a run for their money.). Most of all enjoy how splendid this widescreen DVD will look on your big screen system. The crystal clear colors pop with ebullience. The audio (albeit mono) thumps with downtown movie theater ambience – especially when it comes to the myriad of zany sound effects and Ron Goodwin’s jubilant score. Of historical interest is the fact that this movie was another nail in Paramount’s 1969 coffin – as horrible a year for their ulcer-ridden execs as it was – no doubt - a banner one for their analysts. This picture was merely one of a minefield of mega-budget flops, including ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST and PAINT YOUR WAGON. Only the remnants of the previous year’s ROSEMARY’S BABY and THE ODD COUPLE plus the only genuine hit the studio |
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had in ’69 – TRUE GRIT saved the company from going belly-up. By the time JALOPIES sputtered onto the screen, Paramount suits had such little faith in the product that they changed the original title, MONTE CARLO OR BUST to THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN….hoping to ride the bandwagon of Annakin’s earlier triumph; this proved a bit confusing to the few patrons who did turn out wondering why Jimmy Durante was singing his lungs out over the animated credits about Monte Carlo. Oh well. Anyway, thank God for DVD – allowing new generations of comedy aficionados to appreciate this likable all-but-forgotten farce whose only crime was being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
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BROOKLYN VOICE SIDEBAR MINI-INTERVIEW WITH LEGEND FILMS’ MARKETING VP MARIA MASON:
BV: How did the Paramount deal come about?
LF: Bob Pollack, President of Legend Films wanted to expand our expertise into other areas of the home entertainment business and licensing from the major studios was the next logical step.
BV: Did Legend re-master these titles and/or supervise the transfers, or had these already been done and simple laying-in-wait before Paramount’s decision to stop releasing catalogue title DVDs?
LF: Legend Films supervised the transfers.
BV:Whomever selected the first wave of titles seems to be a real movie buff – a real “one of us, one of us…” collector. Is the entire back catalogue from Paramount up for grabs, or are you restricted to certain titles?
LF: Legend Films selected these titles from a list provided by the studio. We can’t speak for the other titles.
BV: Can you tease us a bit and let us know what might be coming in the near future?
LF: We are hoping this is just the beginning, as we know there are numerous titles sitting in various studio vaults with no current plans for release.
BV: Is there any plan to Blu-Ray some of the epic and/or action titles?
LF: Not at this time, but we are certain that we will do so in the future.
BV: Have the early results (sales/feedback) proven thus far that you’re on the right track? If so, will there be a possibility of licensing catalogue product from other major studios?
LF: Early feedback has been very positive. As far as licensing from other studios, we are hopeful that this is just the beginning.
BV: Did you encounter any problems with deteriorating elements when preparing these movies for DVD?
LF: Very few.