A
KISS BEFORE DYING ($20) isn't your typical 1950's movie, and it
certainly isn't the type of movie you'd expect from squeaky-clean leading
man Robert Wagner. With the implication of premarital sex, the use of the
word "pregnant" and a rather shocking murder scene, A KISS
BEFORE DYING was a very adult film for the mid-1950s, a time when the
motion picture industry still was in the throes of censorship. As for
Robert Wagner, he made a very smart choice by accepting such a dark role
in this noir-ish thriller. Utilizing his squeaky-clean screen persona as a
cover, Wagner portrays a character whose outward appearance is that of the
all American boy, but who is in reality a cold, calculating schemer not
above committing brutal murder to get him everything he wants out of life.
Adapted
from the novelette by Ira Levin, A KISS BEFORE DYING tells the
story of the seemingly typical All American Boy Bud Corliss (Wagner), who
attends college on the GI Bill. Bud’s girlfriend Dorothy (Joanne
Woodward) comes from a wealthy family, but once her puritanical father
learns that she is pregnant; she will be cut off from her inheritance.
Although Bud had every intention of marrying Dorothy (for her money), the
proposition isn’t quite as appealing when he realizes she is going to be
penniless. Thus, Bud hatches a plot to murder Dorothy and make it look
like suicide. After the deed is done, Bud turns his attention to Ellen
(Virginia Leith), another wealthy heiress whom he sees as his ticket easy
street. However, Bud’s plans may come crashing down around him when the
police reopen the investigation into Dorothy’s death. The cast of A
KISS BEFORE DYING also features Jeffrey Hunter, Mary Astor, George
Macready and Robert Quarry.
MGM
Home Entertainment has made A KISS BEFORE DYING available on DVD in
a 2.35:1 wide screen presentation that has been enhanced for playback on
16:9 displays (a separate full screen version is available on the opposite
side of the disc for those with an interest in such things). This is
really a super looking wide screen presentation of this vintage
Cinemascope film. There are almost no blemishes on the film element to
give away the age of the movie. In general, the image is very crisp and
very nicely defined, doing full justice to Lucien Ballard's
cinematography. It is only the optical fades and other transitions that
look a bit dicey. Colors are fairly vivid and exceedingly well rendered
for a deLuxe movie from this period. There are no problems with chroma
noise or smearing, although there are some color inconsistencies during
the film’s opticals. Blacks appear solid, whites are clean and the image
has very smooth contrast. Digital compression artifacts are well
camouflaged throughout the presentation.
The
Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is in pretty good condition and
generally pleasant. There is a mild crackle on one or two brief spots on
the soundtrack, as well as a slight inconsistency in the volume level, but
otherwise the sound is fine. Dialogue is always completely understandable
and the actors’ voices come through rather nicely. The film’s score
has a nice jazzy quality that matches noir-ish quality quite well, and
despite the limited fidelity of these nearly half-century-old recordings,
the music actually sounds pretty darn good. French and Spanish language
tracks are also encoded onto the DVD, along with English, French and
Spanish subtitles. The basic interactive menus provide access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as a theatrical
trailer.
I
really like A KISS BEFORE DYING, and while some may find it to be
an overblown noir-ish potboiler, I think there is something rather unique
about this dark and cynical 50’s production. A KISS BEFORE DYING
also offered leading man Robert Wagner the most atypical role of his
career, which he carries off exceptionally well. MGM’s wide screen
presentation looks terrific, making this disc something that movie buffs
are going to want to own.
A
KISS BEFORE DYING ($20) isn't your typical 1950's movie, and it
certainly isn't the type of movie you'd expect from squeaky-clean leading
man Robert Wagner. With the implication of premarital sex, the use of the
word "pregnant" and a rather shocking murder scene, A KISS
BEFORE DYING was a very adult film for the mid-1950s, a time when the
motion picture industry still was in the throes of censorship. As for
Robert Wagner, he made a very smart choice by accepting such a dark role
in this noir-ish thriller. Utilizing his squeaky-clean screen persona as a
cover, Wagner portrays a character whose outward appearance is that of the
all American boy, but who is in reality a cold, calculating schemer not
above committing brutal murder to get him everything he wants out of life.
Adapted
from the novelette by Ira Levin, A KISS BEFORE DYING tells the
story of the seemingly typical All American Boy Bud Corliss (Wagner), who
attends college on the GI Bill. Bud’s girlfriend Dorothy (Joanne
Woodward) comes from a wealthy family, but once her puritanical father
learns that she is pregnant; she will be cut off from her inheritance.
Although Bud had every intention of marrying Dorothy (for her money), the
proposition isn’t quite as appealing when he realizes she is going to be
penniless. Thus, Bud hatches a plot to murder Dorothy and make it look
like suicide. After the deed is done, Bud turns his attention to Ellen
(Virginia Leith), another wealthy heiress whom he sees as his ticket easy
street. However, Bud’s plans may come crashing down around him when the
police reopen the investigation into Dorothy’s death. The cast of A
KISS BEFORE DYING also features Jeffrey Hunter, Mary Astor, George
Macready and Robert Quarry.
MGM
Home Entertainment has made A KISS BEFORE DYING available on DVD in
a 2.35:1 wide screen presentation that has been enhanced for playback on
16:9 displays (a separate full screen version is available on the opposite
side of the disc for those with an interest in such things). This is
really a super looking wide screen presentation of this vintage
Cinemascope film. There are almost no blemishes on the film element to
give away the age of the movie. In general, the image is very crisp and
very nicely defined, doing full justice to Lucien Ballard's
cinematography. It is only the optical fades and other transitions that
look a bit dicey. Colors are fairly vivid and exceedingly well rendered
for a deLuxe movie from this period. There are no problems with chroma
noise or smearing, although there are some color inconsistencies during
the film’s opticals. Blacks appear solid, whites are clean and the image
has very smooth contrast. Digital compression artifacts are well
camouflaged throughout the presentation.
The
Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is in pretty good condition and
generally pleasant. There is a mild crackle on one or two brief spots on
the soundtrack, as well as a slight inconsistency in the volume level, but
otherwise the sound is fine. Dialogue is always completely understandable
and the actors’ voices come through rather nicely. The film’s score
has a nice jazzy quality that matches noir-ish quality quite well, and
despite the limited fidelity of these nearly half-century-old recordings,
the music actually sounds pretty darn good. French and Spanish language
tracks are also encoded onto the DVD, along with English, French and
Spanish subtitles. The basic interactive menus provide access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as a theatrical
trailer.
I
really like A KISS BEFORE DYING, and while some may find it to be
an overblown noir-ish potboiler, I think there is something rather unique
about this dark and cynical 50’s production. A KISS BEFORE DYING
also offered leading man Robert Wagner the most atypical role of his
career, which he carries off exceptionally well. MGM’s wide screen
presentation looks terrific, making this disc something that movie buffs
are going to want to own.
