. DESTINATION TOKYO ($20) is a solid WWII war drama set onboard a US
Navy submarine. Of course, since this Hollywood studio production was made
during the war years, DESTINATION TOKYO proves to be somewhat
typical in its need to serve the purposes of propaganda, in addition to
its main goal of entertaining the audiences back home. To this end, there
is a good deal of flag waving in the film, not to mention humor and
sentiment, which helps to balance things out.
Cary
Grant stars in DESTINATION TOKYO as Captain Cassidy, the commander
of a submarine undertaking a secret resonance mission to Tokyo- one which
will pave the way to an American air attack on the island of Japan. The
ship’s crew features a number of colorful characters, who have a
relatively short time to connect with the audience before the movie goes
into full action mode, with the submarine evading enemy ships during a
tense underwater sequence, where depth charges rain down on the sub. The
cast of DESTINATION TOKYO also features John Garfield, Alan Hale,
John Ridgely, Dane Clark, Warner Anderson, William Prince, Robert Hutton,
Tom Tully, Faye Emerson, Peter Whitney, Warren Douglas and John Forsythe.
Warner
Home Video has made DESTINATION TOKYO available on DVD in its
proper 1.37:1 full screen aspect ratio. For the most part, this is a very
good transfer of a vintage black and white film. The film elements
themselves do exhibit some problems, as they have not been digitally
rejuvenated on a frame-by-frame basis. Minor blemishes pop up with some
frequency, and while not particularly bothersome (except for a scratch or
two), a bit of digital cleaning would have been most welcome. Some of the
battle sequence stock footage is a little rough, but I’m sure it never
looked all that good to begin with. The image itself appears sharp and
provides good definition. Blacks are accurately rendered, as are the
whites, plus the picture feature a generally good grayscale and sense of
depth. Contrast is usually very good, although it can come up short in
shots containing rear screen projection. A grain structure is noticeable
from time to time, but is never excessive. Digital compression artifacts
maintain a low profile.
The
Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is just fine for a film that is over
sixty years old, as most instances of background hiss and surface noise
have been scrubbed away during the mastering process. As expected,
fidelity is a bit lacking, but the sound effects do manage to hold their
own, plus the film’s music is never harsh or distorted and average
listening levels. Dialogue is always completely understandable and the
voices come across effectively. No other language tracks are provided, but
English, French and Spanish subtitles have been included.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as a few extras. The
Gem Of The Ocean is a two reel musical short that seems to have
been included on this DVD because of its nautical theme. Filling out the
extras is a Cary Grant Theatrical Trailer Gallery featuring BRINGING UP
BABY, GUNGA DIN, MY FAVORITE WIFE, THE PHILADELPHIA
STORY, DESTINATION TOKYO, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, NIGHT
AND DAY, THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER, MR. BLANDINGS
BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE and NORTH BY NORTHWEST.
With
Cary Grant as its star, DESTINATION TOKYO is an enjoyable wartime
motion picture experience. Warner’s DVD offers a pretty solid
presentation of this vintage film that will give movie buffs little to
complain about. If you are a Cary Grant fan, you’ll definitely want to
check out DESTINATION TOKYO.
.
Cary
Grant stars in DESTINATION TOKYO as Captain Cassidy, the commander
of a submarine undertaking a secret resonance mission to Tokyo- one which
will pave the way to an American air attack on the island of Japan. The
ship’s crew features a number of colorful characters, who have a
relatively short time to connect with the audience before the movie goes
into full action mode, with the submarine evading enemy ships during a
tense underwater sequence, where depth charges rain down on the sub. The
cast of DESTINATION TOKYO also features John Garfield, Alan Hale,
John Ridgely, Dane Clark, Warner Anderson, William Prince, Robert Hutton,
Tom Tully, Faye Emerson, Peter Whitney, Warren Douglas and John Forsythe.
Warner
Home Video has made DESTINATION TOKYO available on DVD in its
proper 1.37:1 full screen aspect ratio. For the most part, this is a very
good transfer of a vintage black and white film. The film elements
themselves do exhibit some problems, as they have not been digitally
rejuvenated on a frame-by-frame basis. Minor blemishes pop up with some
frequency, and while not particularly bothersome (except for a scratch or
two), a bit of digital cleaning would have been most welcome. Some of the
battle sequence stock footage is a little rough, but I’m sure it never
looked all that good to begin with. The image itself appears sharp and
provides good definition. Blacks are accurately rendered, as are the
whites, plus the picture feature a generally good grayscale and sense of
depth. Contrast is usually very good, although it can come up short in
shots containing rear screen projection. A grain structure is noticeable
from time to time, but is never excessive. Digital compression artifacts
maintain a low profile.
The
Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is just fine for a film that is over
sixty years old, as most instances of background hiss and surface noise
have been scrubbed away during the mastering process. As expected,
fidelity is a bit lacking, but the sound effects do manage to hold their
own, plus the film’s music is never harsh or distorted and average
listening levels. Dialogue is always completely understandable and the
voices come across effectively. No other language tracks are provided, but
English, French and Spanish subtitles have been included.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as a few extras. The
Gem Of The Ocean is a two reel musical short that seems to have
been included on this DVD because of its nautical theme. Filling out the
extras is a Cary Grant Theatrical Trailer Gallery featuring BRINGING UP
BABY, GUNGA DIN, MY FAVORITE WIFE, THE PHILADELPHIA
STORY, DESTINATION TOKYO, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, NIGHT
AND DAY, THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER, MR. BLANDINGS
BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE and NORTH BY NORTHWEST.
With
Cary Grant as its star, DESTINATION TOKYO is an enjoyable wartime
motion picture experience. Warner’s DVD offers a pretty solid
presentation of this vintage film that will give movie buffs little to
complain about. If you are a Cary Grant fan, you’ll definitely want to
check out DESTINATION TOKYO.