.
. MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE ($20) is a genuine
delight of a movie and a personal favorite (of which there are many)
amongst those films starring the legendary Cary Grant. This comedy classic
tells the story of Madison Avenue advertising man Jim Blandings (Cary
Grant), who decides to move his wife Muriel (the lovely Myrna Loy) and
their two daughters out of their cramped midtown Manhattan apartment and
into a home in the country.
.
.
You know the old saying that the road to hell is paved with good
intentions, well, for the Blandings, it is paved with ever mounting bills,
as their lovely little home in country turns into a hellish money pit
(where do you think they got the idea for the Tom Hanks movie???) that
begins sucking them dry. Of course, the film’s oftentimes-hilarious
comedy stems from every unforeseen expense and complication associated
with Blandings’ crazy notion of building his dream house in a relatively
inexpensive fashion. The cast of MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE
also features Melvyn Douglas, Reginald Denny, Louise Beavers Ian Wolfe,
Nestor Paiva and Jason Robards Sr..
Warner
Home Video has made MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE available
on DVD in its proper 1.37:1 full screen aspect ratio. MR. BLANDINGS
BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE has been given a really terrific transfer that
shows off the beauty of James Wong Howe’s lovely black and white
cinematography. The image appears very crisp and rather finely detailed.
The blacks appear quite deep and velvety, while the whites are clean and
wholly stable. Grayscale is produced with great nuance, which brings a
nice dimensional quality to the image. The film elements are in great
shape for a movie well past its fiftieth anniversary, with minor blemishes
and scratches being the biggest sign of age. One will notice a grain
structure through most of the proceedings, but it isn’t distracting and
it gives the image a film like quality. Digital compression artifacts are
never a cause for concern.
.
. MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE comes with a Dolby
Digital monaural channel soundtrack that is quite respectable considering
the film’s age. Most signs of background hiss and noise have been
cleaned up in the mastering process, which leaves a generally smooth
sounding track. Fidelity has the expected limitations, but the music never
sounds harsh or reedy. Dialogue is always completely understandable and
the voices come across with a good sense of character. 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 some rather
choice extras. The 1949 Tex Avery animated short The House Of
Tomorrow makes for a rather amusing companion piece to the
feature. From the Audio Vault one will find a Lux Radio
Broadcast and a Screen Directors Playhouse Broadcast, both featuring Cary
Grant reprising his Jim Blandings role. Closing things out 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.
MR.
BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE is indeed a classic comedy and a
genuine delight starring cinema icon Cary Grant. Warner has done a truly
fine job with the DVD, providing an excellent transfer and some really
nice extras. If you are a movie buff, Cary Grant fan or even a fan of the
often overlooked, but wonderful and lovely Myrna Loy, you’ll want to add
MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE to your DVD library.
Recommended.
.
.
Warner
Home Video has made MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE available
on DVD in its proper 1.37:1 full screen aspect ratio. MR. BLANDINGS
BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE has been given a really terrific transfer that
shows off the beauty of James Wong Howe’s lovely black and white
cinematography. The image appears very crisp and rather finely detailed.
The blacks appear quite deep and velvety, while the whites are clean and
wholly stable. Grayscale is produced with great nuance, which brings a
nice dimensional quality to the image. The film elements are in great
shape for a movie well past its fiftieth anniversary, with minor blemishes
and scratches being the biggest sign of age. One will notice a grain
structure through most of the proceedings, but it isn’t distracting and
it gives the image a film like quality. Digital compression artifacts are
never a cause for concern.
.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as some rather
choice extras. The 1949 Tex Avery animated short The House Of
Tomorrow makes for a rather amusing companion piece to the
feature. From the Audio Vault one will find a Lux Radio
Broadcast and a Screen Directors Playhouse Broadcast, both featuring Cary
Grant reprising his Jim Blandings role. Closing things out 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.
MR.
BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE is indeed a classic comedy and a
genuine delight starring cinema icon Cary Grant. Warner has done a truly
fine job with the DVD, providing an excellent transfer and some really
nice extras. If you are a movie buff, Cary Grant fan or even a fan of the
often overlooked, but wonderful and lovely Myrna Loy, you’ll want to add
MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE to your DVD library.
Recommended.