Tonight's Movie: Manpower (1941) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

MANPOWER (1941), starring the powerhouse trio of Edward G. Robinson, George Raft, and Marlene Dietrich, was just released on Blu-ray last week by the Warner Archive Collection.

MANPOWER was previously released on DVD by the Warner Archive almost exactly 16 years ago, in early 2010. The new Blu-ray is a very good-looking print from a 1080p HD master of a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative.

Johnny Marshall (Raft) and Hank McHenry (Robinson) work together as part of a rowdy crew at a Los Angeles power company.

The men's close friendship is threatened when Hank falls for Fay (Dietrich), the daughter of a fellow crew member (Egon Brecher).

Fay has just been released from a year in prison and soon goes to work at a clip joint managed by Smiley (Barton MacLane).

The awkward Hank, who lacks Johnny's success with the ladies, falls for Fay and marries her despite knowing she doesn't love him.

Fay initially makes a good attempt to make Hank happy in return for him providing her with security, including a nice home, but when Johnny comes to stay with them while recovering from an injury, Fay realizes she loves Johnny, not Hank. Whoops...

This is a fairly entertaining 104-minute film thanks to a deep, deep cast and energetic direction by Raoul Walsh, but it could have been quite a bit better.

Raft is excellent, giving a nuanced, charismatic performance as a nice guy, but both Dietrich and Robinson are saddled playing unlikeable characters.

We know Robinson can do a good, believable job as a loving -- and loved -- husband thanks to a film like BLACKMAIL (1939), but here he's simply an oblivious, socially inept dope. I guess we can credit Robinson with good acting for being believable as a rather crass and unintelligent man. He's almost hard to watch at times, which is not how I typically think of Robinson.

Dietrich is similarly unpleasant. She's virtually always seen with a cigarette, even cooking and washing the dishes, and more importantly has a chip on her shoulder from the moment she shows up. Even when she falls for Raft's character, she doesn't really soften; instead, her treatment of Hank, who's provided for her generously, seems cruel.

Yes, Hank is kind of a dweeb and he knew she didn't love him when they married, but...

Beyond Robinson and Dietrich, Warner Bros. stalwarts Alan Hale (Sr.) and Frank McHugh are way over the top as immature, childlike crew members.

That said, the many other great faces in the cast make it a lot of fun, starting with Ward Bond, Eve Arden, Joseph Crehan, Walter Catlett, Joyce Compton, Barbara Pepper, and Nella Walker.

There are also bit roles played by Faye Emerson (as a nurse), William Hopper (as a power company phone operator), and Jane Randolph (as a hat check girl). It's great fun glimpsing them here early in their careers.

MANPOWER was written by Jerry Wald and Richard Macaulay. It was photographed in black and white by Ernie Haller.

The lone extras on this Blu-ray are two cartoons from the year MANPOWER was released, SNOWTIME FOR COMEDY (1941) and JOE GLOW, THE FIREFLY (1941).

In the end, despite my disappointments MANPOWER is entertaining enough to be worth seeing, especially given the cast and the beautiful presentation on this new Blu-ray.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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