Tonight's Movie: Jet Pilot (1957) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Thanks to Kino Lorber I've caught up with several John Wayne films over the last couple of years, including THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS (1941), THE SPOILERS (1942), and PITTSBURGH (1942).

This week, again thanks to a Kino Lorber Blu-ray, I finally saw Wayne's JET PILOT (1957). JET PILOT was a Howard Hughes production which began filming in 1949 yet infamously wasn't released for a full eight years. Hughes was notorious for continuing to "tinker" with films, never satisfied that they were ready for release.

The movie's odd production history was covered well by John McElwee in a 2006 post at Greenbriar Picture Shows. Suffice it to say that someone going in only knowing of the late '50s release date would not be quite prepared to see the young, dewy-eyed, 22-year-old 1949 version of Janet Leigh or her 42-year-old costar Wayne, who was then at the height of his physical appeal.

It's fashionable for many critics and historians to make fun of JET PILOT, and indeed, on one level it's, well, a pretty nutty movie. But in a way the film was simply ahead of its time, inadvertently playing as one of those '60s mash-ups of romantic comedy and suspense, in the vein of the recently viewed ARABESQUE (1966). Cartoony bad guys, a great wardrobe for the leading lady (by Michael Woulfe), suggestive dialogue...it's all there.

Indeed, some of the double entendres traded between Wayne and Leigh were absolutely eye-popping for 1949 or '50, to the extent I can't believe they even dared film those scenes then -- yet those lines would have been perfectly at home uttered by Rock Hudson a couple decades later.

The movie simultaneously calls to mind films from a decade previously such as NINOTCHKA (1939) and COMRADE X (1940). All in all, it's a giddy mix.

So, is the plot incredibly silly? Yes. And you know what? I loved it.

Leigh improbably plays Anna Marladovna, a Soviet pilot who as the movie opens defects to the U.S. Col. Jim Shannon (Wayne) is assigned by the military to spend time with Anna and pump her for Communist military information.

Anna and Jim are highly attracted to one another and fall in love, but...well, going further plotwise might be saying too much, but let's just say they end up married and flying back to Communist Russia...just go with it.

The film is basically a 103-minute cat-and-mouse game between both Jim and Anna and their countries, trying to figure out who's on the level when. Can a pair of potential spies find true love?

Goofy it may be, but Wayne and Leigh give it their all and are mesmerizing from both physical and acting standpoints. I believe Leigh made this just after HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949), on loan from MGM to RKO for both pictures. If I've got the dates figured out correctly, Wayne shot this in between SANDS OF IWO JIMA (1949) and RIO GRANDE (1950).

The movie's opening credits say that the film stars Wayne, Leigh, and "the United States Air Force." Actual costars were Wayne's good friend Paul Fix, plus Jay C. Flippen, Hans Conreid, Joyce Compton, Roland Winters, and Ivan Triesault.

Costar Richard Rober, who plays an FBI man, was unfamiliar to me when I saw him earlier this week in DEPORTED (1950), yet a review of his credits shows I've seen him in several films. One of the many unusual things about JET PILOT is that due to the long passage of time between principal production and release, Rober had sadly been dead a full half a decade when JET PILOT finally made it into theaters.

It's also odd to consider that this movie was shot about two and a half years before THE NAKED SPUR (1953), which I watched Leigh in earlier this week, yet it wasn't released until four years later.

Hughes waited so long to release the movie that the Air Force uniforms and the jets even became outdated. It made me wonder if the movie set some kind of record for the longest time a film was deliberately held back from release.

The movie was originally filmed in 1:37:1, but when it finally hit theaters in the late '50s it was cropped to 1:85:1 for a widescreen release. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray includes both versions; I opted for the 1:37:1 fullscreen.

JET PILOT was written by Jules Furth and directed by Josef von Sternberg. It was filmed in Technicolor by the great Winton C. Hoch (SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON).

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray has a fine picture and a strong soundtrack.

The fairly minimal extras consist of the trailer and a nine-film trailer gallery for additional movies available from Kino Lorber.

Reviewer Glenn Erickson described the film a couple of years ago as "weird, crazy, but entertaining." Just so.

Perhaps a viewer has to approach this film with a certain frame of mind, but I had a thoroughly good time watching it and would happily watch it again.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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Notable Passings

A number of significant filmmakers and performers have passed away since my December 18th news roundup, so I thought I would pay tribute to them in a post separate from my new Around the Blogosphere This Week column.

...Beginning with one of the most recent first, Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier has passed away. He was 94 when he died on January 6th at his home in Los Angeles. Here are additional stories from the Los Angeles Times and Variety. A lovely TCM Remembers tribute video may be viewed here.

...Director and film historian Peter Bogdanovich also died in Los Angeles on the 6th. He was 82 and suffered from Parkinson's disease. My first awareness of Bogdanovich was his film WHAT'S UP DOC? (1972), which I saw as a child on its original release, and a little later his book on John Ford was one of the earliest books on Ford and Westerns in my library. Here's more from the Los Angeles Times, Toby Roan of 50 Westerns From the 50s, Scott Johnson of Power Line, and Leonard Maltin. A TCM Remembers video honoring Bogdanovich is here.

...Another John Ford historian, Michael Wilmington, has passed away at 75. Like Bogdanovich, he had Parkinson's. Wilmington's book JOHN FORD, cowritten with Joseph McBride, joined my library around the same time as the Bogdanovich book. (It was very special to have McBride sign it at UCLA a couple of years ago.) Wilmington served as a film critic for both the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune during his career.

...I was saddened to learn of the passing of Sally Ann Howes, a significant performer of my childhood for her role as Truly Scrumptious in CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (1968). I was fortunate to see her star in Los Angeles theatrical productions of THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1972) and THE KING AND I (1974), the latter with Ricardo Montalban. Her film career began as a child actress in 1943.

...Betty White passed away on New Year's Eve, days away from celebrating her centennial birthday on January 17th. I will always associate her with her role as Sue Ann Nivens on THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW in the '70s. (For anyone wondering why I don't mention her other best-known TV series, as far as I'm concerned the less said about it the better...) My mom recently told me a neat story, that her first memory of the television her parents bought in 1949 was seeing Betty White on the TV. Leonard Maltin shared a nice story about White's links to Buster Keaton.

...Jeanine Ann Roose, who played Gloria Grahame as a child in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946), has died at the age of 84. Little Violet was her only film role; Roose also did some work in radio and television. She later became a psychologist. Roose is seen in this still between Robert (Bobbie) Anderson and Jean Gale, who played young George and Mary.

...Broadway performer Harvey Evans, whose credits included the original productions of WEST SIDE STORY and HELLO, DOLLY!, has died at 80.

...THE YOUNG VICTORIA (2009) is one of my favorite films of the last couple decades, which I've seen multiple times. I was saddened to learn that the director, Jean-Marc Vallee, died unexpectedly on Christmas at the age of 58. His other work included the Reese Witherspoon-Nicole Kidman TV miniseries BIG LITTLE LIES (2017).

...Composer Marilyn Bergman died today, January 8th, at the age of 92. I most appreciate that she wrote the title song of my all-time favorite Frank Sinatra album, "Nice 'n' Easy." She was a three-time Oscar winner. She's survived by her husband and cowriter, Alan Bergman.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the internet...

...Happy New Year! Let's dive right in to some of the latest news. First up: There's a new book on Ruth Roman coming from Derek Sculthorpe for McFarland Books. Ruth Roman: A Career Portrait will be released sometime in 2022. Sculthorpe has also written books on Claire Trevor, Edmond O'Brien, and Brian Donlevy.

...The Sundance and Palm Springs film festivals have decided to cancel due to the Omicron variant. (The Sundance festival will instead take place online.) The Noir City Film Festival scheduled to take place in Oakland later this month has suspended ticket sales to keep the venue at 50% of capacity and has discussed a potential refund plan in the event of cancellation. Meanwhile, Noir City Seattle is currently scheduled to take place February 11-17. (January 11th Update: The Noir City Film Festival scheduled to take place in Oakland this month has now been postponed.)

...Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood has also temporarily closed again.

...Some of the interesting titles recently announced for Blu-ray releases from Kino Lorber:

*A Francis the Talking Mule 7-Film Collection from brand-new 2K masters, coming this year.

*NOW AND FOREVER (1934) starring Gary Cooper, Carole Lombard, and Shirley Temple will be released March 22nd.

*Two of Rock Hudson '60s comedies, MAN'S FAVORITE SPORT? (1964) with Paula Prentiss and STRANGE BEDFELLOWS (1965) with Gina Lollobrigida, will be released March 8th.

*A pair of Robert Siodmak's German films will be out in March; FAREWELL (1930) will be released on March 15th and THE DEVIL STRIKES AT NIGHT (1957) on March 29th. FAREWELL will have a commentary track by Anthony Slide and THE DEVIL STRIKES AT NIGHT by Imogen Sara Smith. The latter film is one of the only films I saw theatrically in 2020, thanks to the Noir City Film Festival.

*NEXT TIME WE LOVE (1938) starring Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, and Ray Milland, is "coming soon," with another new 2K master.

...Coming to Blu-ray in February from the Warner Archive Collection: GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 (1933) and THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1948).

...Since the date's almost here, a reminder of information I first shared last October: The Little Rascals: The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 4 will be released on January 18th.

...Here's Leonard Maltin's take on the new production of WEST SIDE STORY (1961).

...Bing Crosby's former home in Rancho Mirage is on sale for $4.5 million. People has a few photos.

...Hadley Meares has written an article for LAist on the recent gutting of Hollywood's historic Pig 'N Whistle restaurant. Having enjoyed eating there many times, I'm sad and rather incredulous about the whole thing. The last time I ate there was March 11, 2020, before a Noir City Hollywood screening of THE LONG HAUL (1957); later that night California shut down.

...Having seen several trailers for it in theaters last year, I was surprised that Disney has decided to pull Pixar's SEEING RED (2022) off its planned March 11th release date. It will instead be available at no extra charge on the Disney+ streaming service. The abrupt change so close to the scheduled theatrical release is a bit of a mystery, though I have to say that the trailers were not appealing.

...At Out of the Past Raquel Stecher has reviewed the new book HOLLYWOOD VICTORY: THE MOVIES, STARS, AND STORIES OF WORLD WAR II by Christian Blauvelt. I also plan to review that book here, hopefully in the fairly near future.

...There's a fabulous new series scheduled at MOMA in New York City from February 1st through 19th: Dames, Janes, Dolls and Canaries: Woman Stars of the Pre-Code Era. The films were selected by Farran Smith Nehme, who shared additional information on the series in a thread on Twitter. It's a wonderful lineup which includes the two-strip Technicolor film FOLLOW THRU (1930) which I was fortunate to see at UCLA in 2015. (As a side note, after seeing relatively few classic films onscreen over the last couple of years, I'm very glad that I pushed myself to drive up to Los Angeles for so many films in the preceding decade; I've really missed those screenings, especially at my favorite venue, UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater.)

...Here's a roundup of several interesting classic film reviews!  Jessica watched a favorite comedy, MIDNIGHT (1939), for her "Watching 1939" series at Comet Over Hollywood...At Watching Classic Movies KC reviewed the new Warner Archive Blu-ray releases of the pre-Codes MARY STEVENS, M.D. (1933) and DINNER AT EIGHT (1933)...At Trailers From Hell Glenn Erickson has reviewed another Warner Archive Blu-ray of a film from the same year, LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT (1933) with Barbara Stanwyck...and Colin has reviewed LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945) at Riding the High Country.

...I happened across an article from last summer which ran in the Oregon newspaper Willamette Week on a favorite film, CANYON PASSAGE (1946). The article includes an interview with Western historian Toby Roan...and speaking of Toby, here's the list he posted last month of the films which are just about definite to be in his upcoming book 50 WESTERNS FROM THE 50S.  Lots of great viewing listed there!

...A number of bloggers have shared some of their favorite viewing discoveries of the past year. At Journeys in Darkness and Light Andy Wolverton has written about both his Best Film Noir Discoveries and Best Western Discoveries; it was great to see he liked George O'Brien in ARIZONA LEGION (1939)...Kristina listed her favorite first-time watches at Speakeasy...Jessica also has a list at Comet Over Hollywood...What a delight to see the undersung Western ROUGHSHOD (1949) as one of the Top 5 new discoveries at Phyllis Loves Classic Movies...and there are lots of good titles on Rachel's list at Hamlette's Soliloquy. I'm going to have to finally check out KNIVES OUT (2019)!

...I liked this short but thoughtful article from The Guardian on how grief is handled in Marvel films and TV series, particularly in WANDAVISION (2021).  

...At The Hollywood Revue Angela has posted a detailed, interesting article, "Box Office Poison: Kay Francis."

...Please look for a separate Notable Passings post later this weekend.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my December 18th roundup.

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Quick Preview of TCM in February

Here's a preview of some of the interesting things coming next month on Turner Classic Movies!

Henry Fonda is the February Star of the Month. He was last a Star of the Month in 2007.

Over 20 films starring Fonda will be shown on Tuesday evenings throughout February.

The first three films in the Noir Alley lineup for February are THE TURNING POINT (1952), SIDE STREET (1950), and CAST A DARK SHADOW (1957). The fourth film of the month has not yet been announced.  (Update: There are only three Noir Alley films in February; February 19th and 20th will feature a memorial tribute to Sidney Poitier.)

The TCM Spotlight for February is "Breakup Classics," including titles such as THE DIVORCEE (1930), ADAM'S RIB (1949), and KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979).

Black History Month is a special theme. Additional February themes include sailing, ghosts, boxing, auto racing, RKO film noir, and films with "running"-themed titles. Valentine's Day will be celebrated with tragic romances including CAMILLE (1937) and WATERLOO BRIDGE (1940).

Filmmakers honored with multifilm tributes in February include Kathryn Grayson, Joan Leslie, Janet Leigh, Ann Sheridan, Desi Arnaz, Juliet Mills, David Niven, Gene Tierney, and Vincente Minnelli. (Update: The Juliet Mills films are no longer on the February schedule.)

There will also be a seven-film daytime memorial tribute to Arlene Dahl.

I'll have much more information on TCM's February schedule posted here around February 1st.

Update: For much more on TCM in February 2022, please visit TCM in February: Highlights.

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Tonight's Movie: Christmas Land (2015)

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, which makes it a perfect day for a new Hallmark Channel Christmas movie review!

CHRISTMAS LAND (2015) stars Hallmark regulars Nikki DeLoach (TRULY, MADLY, SWEETLY) and Luke Macfarlane (SENSE, SENSIBILITY & SNOWMEN).

DeLoach plays Jules Cooper, a New York City businesswoman who is surprised to learn she's inherited property from her grandmother.  Grandma Glinda is played by Maureen McCormick, Marcia of THE BRADY BUNCH fame, in the opening flashback scenes.

Jules goes to visit the property, which includes a seasonal attraction called Christmas Land which she visited frequently as a child. She also meets a handsome local attorney (Macfarlane). Experienced Hallmark viewers can see right away where this is all going...

Jules plans to sell the property, which also includes a three-story house and a Christmas tree farm, but wants the new owner to continue operating Christmas Land, which is important to the local community. Jules believes that her boyfriend (Jason-Shane Scott) has found such a buyer and signs the sale contract, only to later learn that the buyer (Richard Karn) plans to carve up the property into lots and eventually raze Christmas Land. Jules is horrified and wants to tear up the sale contract. Can Christmas Land be saved?

Truth to tell, there are a few problems with the script which made the film on the weak side, starting with Jules's boyfriend being such a demeaning jerk that their relationship is clearly not long for this world. The townspeople are similarly over the top cartoony at the outset, although they settle down a bit as the movie goes on.

One also wonders, since Jules's parents are living, why they wouldn't have contacted her many months previously when the estate attorney was first unable to reach her regarding her inheritance; and finally, a savvy businesswoman not doing her due diligence before putting her signature on a contract makes no sense. Perhaps it could be said that she was trusting her attorney boyfriend, but even so, it's not the strongest storyline.

Those issues aside, I still liked and enjoyed the film. DeLoach and Macfarlane are both personable and "real," and their characters have a nice bantering relationship which is fun to watch.

There's also a bit of a nostalgia factor, inasmuch as Christmas Land reminded me of Santa's Village near Lake Arrowhead, California, which opened in 1955 and which I visited as a young child in the '60s. The park was later closed for many years, and then new owners reopened the park in 2016.

CHRISTMAS LAND was filmed in Utah by Theo Angell, with Pioneer Village in Farmington standing in for Christmas Land.

The movie, which runs 84 minutes, was directed by Sam Irvin.

CHRISTMAS LAND does not appear to have had a DVD release, but it's shown from time to time on the Hallmark Channels.

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Disneyland: Merriest Nites Christmas Party

As the Christmas season draws to a close today on Epiphany, it's time for a few photos from Disneyland's Merriest Nites Christmas party last month.

This was Disneyland's first year to hold the Merriest Nites party, and we decided to splurge on tickets to celebrate being back at Disneyland at Christmastime after the park was closed by the state for the 2020 season.  

We had such a wonderful time, staying until the midnight closing, that we may well do it again in the future!

The guide for the evening's festivities:

Although I'd been to Disneyland at other times during this year's Christmas season -- links are at the bottom of the page -- it was still quite emotional walking in and seeing this gorgeous sight while the Dapper Dans sang "White Christmas" on the steps of the Main Street train station.  I Tweeted that night that it was "a perfect moment of Christmas joy."

Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle at the far end of Main Street, U.S.A.:

There were specially costumed characters on hand for the party, such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse dressed in their Cratchit costumes from MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL (1983):

One of the big highlights of the evening was the Main Street Omnibus being converted to a Muppets Christmas Caroling Coach, from which the Muppets sang and performed a short show while parked at the end of Main Street: 

There was also "snow" at the end of the show!

We were grateful that It's a Small World Holiday was up and running after an unexpected closure due to flood damage.

It was wonderful having a prime uncrowded viewing spot for the park's classic Christmas Fantasy Parade.

One of my favorite moments of the evening was this mariachi group performing a wistful "When  You Wish Upon a Star" from the balcony of the Golden Horseshoe.  It was absolutely magical.

There were lots of fun character photo ops and special menu items, and also a complimentary button for Magic Key holders...

...as well as special merchandise for sale:

It was a wonderful evening, and I hope to do it again.

Merry Christmas and happy Epiphany to all, and best wishes for a wonderful 2022!

Previously: Return to Disneyland: First Signs of Christmas (2021); Christmas at Disney California Adventure (2021); Christmastime at Disneyland: Thanksgiving Eve 2021; Christmas at Disneyland: Nighttime (2021); Christmas at Disneyland: The Grand Californian (2021).

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Tonight's Movie: Love Is Better Than Ever (1952) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Beautiful young Elizabeth Taylor is an innocent in the big city in LOVE IS BETTER THAN EVER (1952), available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

Taylor was 19 when she played Anastacia Macaboy, who runs a chldren's dancing school in Connecticut.

Anastacia goes to a dance teachers' convention in New York City solo after her mother (Josephine Hutchinson) is forced to stay home by a sprained ankle.

Anastacia meets much older agent Jud Parker (Larry Parks) and enjoys several dates with him, including a baseball game and the fights, then is devastated when she learns that his romantic overtures were never serious.

Anastacia's assistant (Elinor Donahue) and her mother (Ann Doran), who are also at the convention, are unkind gossips and think the worst of Anastacia's dates with Jud.

Back at home, the brokenhearted Anastacia is consoled by her loving father (the always-great Tom Tully). She and dear old dad conjure up a fix for both the gossip and Anastacia's failed romance which involves announcing Anastacia and Jud's "engagement" in the newspaper. Naturally that prompts an indignant Jud to show up in town...

This is a fast-paced little 81-minute movie written by Ruth Brooks Flippen and directed by Stanley Donen, whose other 1952 releases included SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.

The film is all about the starry-eyed young Taylor, lovingly filmed in black and white by Harold Rosson and gowned by Helen Rose; when Taylor's onscreen, which is most of the movie, all is well. In addition to her beauty, Taylor has an appealing, giddy charm in this role.

Unfortunately the casting of Parks as Taylor's leading man is hard to understand. In real life Parks was the beloved husband of an actress I always enjoy, Betty Garrett, but onscreen here, as in the earlier THE SWORDSMAN (1948), he's pretty much charisma free as a man not interested in Elizabeth Taylor being head over heels for him.

Parks' character is meant to be older than Taylor's, but Parks comes across as a very old "born in 1914" paired with Taylor's "born in 1932." The part of the reluctant suitor would have been a better match for someone more appealing, like Van Johnson (born 1916), or any number of other actors under contract to MGM.

The rest of the cast is quite enjoyable, and there's even a cameo by director Donen and his SINGIN' IN THE RAIN codirector Gene Kelly. Child actresses Donna Corcoran and Sandy Descher are among the supporting cast.

Particular kudos to the set decoration, with the Macaboys' warm home cluttered by a veritable explosion of photos of Anastacia at various ages; many of the photos are recognizable as Taylor's personal family photos, and I think I also spotted a publicity photo from A DATE WITH JUDY (1948).

This DVD print dates from 2009, the year the Warner Archive Collection began, when the focus was on getting unrestored prints of films into the hands of collectors. The picture is a perfectly acceptable viewing experience, with no major skips or jumps, but it definitely has minor speckles and flaws scattered throughout. Viewers should simply be aware this is not a pristine black and white print such as the Warner Archive has recently been releasing on Blu-ray.

The DVD soundtrack is relatively poor and what I think of as "mushy," with the dialogue not always completely distinct. At times the track was extremely soft, causing me to turn the TV volume to a much higher setting than normal; then a dance class scene would be extremely loud, forcing me to adjust the volume back down.

The lone extra is a trailer.

Coming in the future: Reviews of Taylor in brand-new Warner Archive Blu-ray releases of a pair of Technicolor classics, NATIONAL VELVET (1944) and IVANHOE (1952).

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive DVDs may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection Amazon Store or from any online retailers where DVDs are sold.

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Tonight's Movie: The Naked Spur (1953) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The classic James Stewart-Anthony Mann Western THE NAKED SPUR (1953) has been released on a beautiful Blu-ray by the Warner Archive.

THE NAKED SPUR was Stewart and Mann's third collaboration, and it's one of my favorites. In addition to great location filming and marvelous acting by five actors, the movie has a very well-paced, thoughtful 91-minute script, written by Sam Rolfe and Harold Jack Bloom.

Stewart plays Howard Kemp, who as the movie opens is on the trail of Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan). An old prospector (Millard Mitchell) and a recently discharged soldier (Ralph Meeker) who come across Kemp both initially believe he's a marshal, but it turns out he's a bounty hunter.

As Kemp attempts to take Vandergroat in for reward money, he must also contend with Lina (Janet Leigh), the daughter of Vandergroat's former partner, who wants to help him escape. Combined with the prospector and the soldier wanting part of the reward money, Kemp has his hands full.

As the characters make their perilous journey, Stewart's Kemp gradually reveals he's filled with rage and despair, while Ryan's initially genial bad guy eventually shows himself to be a very bad man indeed. One of the most fascinating things about the movie is the way the viewer's perceptions of each man shifts over the course of the film.

All of the characters are perfectly calibrated in terms of both performance and dialogue. I previously had a wonderful experience seeing the movie at UCLA in 2014 and would like to invite readers to briefly click over to that review for a deeper look at my thoughts on the performances, then return here for my impressions of the Blu-ray.

I remember the 35mm print shown at UCLA being quite beautiful, except for brief moments at reel changeovers, and I believe this Blu-ray print probably looks even better. The MGM Technicolor, filmed by William C. Mellor, is impressive. As a Westerns fan, watching this film in such great condition was a real joy.

The movie was beautifully filmed on location in Colorado. IMDb also lists Lone Pine as a location; nothing in the film jumped out at me as Lone Pine, but perhaps they went there for some exterior closeups? An initial search didn't turn up more information; if anyone knows more about that topic, I'd be very interested.

The Blu-ray sound quality is also excellent, with the sound of the rushing water in the final action sequence helping give it a "you are there" immediacy; such moments belie the fact that the movie was filmed 70 years ago this spring.

Extras on the Warner Archive Blu-ray consist of the trailer, the Pete Smith short THINGS WE CAN DO WITHOUT (1953), and the cartoon LITTLE JOHNNY JET (1952).

Fans of Westerns or the lead actors should make haste to acquire this Blu-ray. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection Amazon Store or from any online retailers where Blu-rays are sold.

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Tonight's Movie: Deported (1950) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Jeff Chandler fans have reason to celebrate, as Kino Lorber has recently released two of his hard-to-find films on Blu-ray.

BECAUSE OF YOU (1952), costarring Loretta Young, just came out in the Dark Side of Cinema V collection and will be reviewed here at a future date.

Kino Lorber has also released DEPORTED (1950), directed by one of the masters of film noir, Robert Siodmak. DEPORTED was filmed on location in Italy by William Daniels, who had recently won the Oscar for filming the crime procedural THE NAKED CITY (1948) in New York City.

Chandler plays Vic Smith, aka Vittorio Sparducci, who's deported from the U.S. to Italy after serving five years in Sing Sing for grand theft. The $100,000 he stole was never located.

Vic is embraced by his uncle (Silvio Minciotti) and aunt (Mimi Aguglia), who have no idea he was deported and believe he's a U.S. government employee. Vic is watched from a distance by a parole officer (Claude Dauphin) and seems to stay on the straight and narrow, particularly as he begins to fall for a lovely widowed countess (Marta Toren, ASSIGNMENT - PARIS).

The countess devotes herself to helping the local people, many of whom are struggling for survival in the postwar economy. Vic gets an idea regarding how he can claim the 100 grand he stashed, which involves buying food to donate to the townspeople, only to have it "hijacked" and sold on the black market, but his conscience begins to get the better of him...

The man with a past reformed by the love of a good woman is always a favorite plot device, in films such as ANGEL AND THE BADMAN (1947), BLOOD ON THE MOON (1948), and more, and the theme works equally well translated to postwar Italy.

While the overall concept is familiar, the setting is unique and compelling; in addition to the extensive location filming, the movie is elevated by Chandler's magnetic star power. I also found Toren to be a sweet, lovely leading lady who is believably angelic. I was saddened to learn that, like Chandler, Toren died far too young; Toren died in 1957 and Chandler in 1961.

The film also features a flashy performance by Marina Berti as the lover of Vic's former associate (Richard Rober), and Dauphin is genial as the lawman keeping tabs on Vic.

DEPORTED may not be a top-drawer film, but it's a solid middle-of-the-road drama which kept me absorbed for all of its 89 minutes despite the fact that the storytelling at times could have been more energetic.

The Kino Lorber Blu-ray is in fine shape. There were some very faint speckles early on, and I also noticed an odd but very quick jump at one point, but for the most part the print looked very good, with a fine soundtrack.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc consist of a commentary track by Eddy Von Mueller and half a dozen trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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