Musicals - 4 Movie Collection

The early 1950's marked a highpoint for Hollywood musicals. A new, satirical edge, greater overall realism, and several technological advances were some of the elements that distinguished films of this period from the more predictable, formulaic vehicles of the preceding decade. Composers, choreographers, directors and writers experimented with new techniques, themes and styles in an effort to invigorate a form that had already been popular for nearly 25 years. At their disposal was a coterie of the most gifted singing and dancing actors ever to grace the Silver Screen.

Warner Brothers has just released a new Musicals: 4-Movie Collection, a Blu-ray compendium of four classic, Technicolor musicals. Coincidentally, all the films were produced in roughly the same year, 1952-53 -- though, sadly, just prior to the introduction of widescreen photographic processes. Two are "plays within a play," concerning themselves with mounting a Broadway musical. The first, and arguably the best, is Vincente Minnelli's "The Band Wagon."

The somewhat true-to-life storyline has Fred Astaire as a fading star of Hollywood musicals seeking to resuscitate his career by appearing in an artsy Broadway production. When it fails, the cast and creative team regroup and, dispensing with the pretense, put together an all-out smash. Astaire's teaming with Cyd Charisse yields some classic dance sequences. Veteran, British song-and-dance man Jack Buchanan nearly steals the show as a flamboyant Broadway director. "Band Wagon" also boasts a snappy Comden/Green script, and a superlative Dietz/Schwartz score, including "That's Entertainment," a song out of which MGM certainly got sufficient mileage.

Though not outstanding, the Blu-ray quality here is quite respectable, an obvious improvement over the DVD version. Of all the Blu-rays in the collection, "The Band Wagon" includes the finest special features. There is an excellent documentary on the making of the film, including extensive interviews with cast-member Nanette Fabray, and Liza, who, as a child, was a guest on the film-set. There is also a fascinating, vintage television program in which Vincente Minnelli discusses his cinematic output.

One of Cole Porter's greatest Broadway successes, "Kiss Me Kate" concerns the production of a so-named, musical version of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew." The private lives of the characters are ingeniously mirrored in the play they are presenting. Porter outdid himself with an impressive group of irresistible songs. Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel were in peak form in the leads. Ann Miller dances her heart out -- flanked by the likes of Bob Fosse. As the film was originally shot in 3-D, the new Blu-ray offers both 2-D and 3-D versions. In spite of some vivid passages, the picture quality is only mediocre, diffuse and grainy throughout. The principal extra is a featurette on the making of the film hosted by the irrepressible Ann Miller.

In the musical Western "Calamity Jane," Doris Day butches it up in grand style as the sharpshooting heroine unusually partial to wearing men's clothing. Though Calamity never comes out of the closet, there is plenty of intriguing sexual ambiguity, including a hilarious drag routine in the opening of the film. Applying lipstick, Jane ends up hitched to buddy Wild Bill Hickok, played with requisite machismo by Howard Keel. Although the musical score is not on a par with the others, there are some memorable songs, including the Oscar-winning "Secret Love," one of Day's biggest recorded hits. The Blu-ray offers considerably better quality than prior DVD editions. The color is splendid, and the HD picture is crisp. The extras are trivial, including some newsreel clips and short subjects.

The most disappointing feature of the new compilation is the inclusion of "Singing in the Rain" as the fourth entry. The groundbreaking musical has been available on Blu-ray for over three years, and is doubtlessly already in the collection of several video-philes. It would have made more sense to re-master and include a terrific MGM musical of the period like "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," which has not yet been released on Blu-ray.

However, at a reasonable list price of $35,and currently retailing for significantly less, the new "Musicals: 4-Movie Collection" is an unbeatable deal, particularly for those who have not yet acquired "Singing in the Rain" on the eye-popping Blu-ray incarnation. Though Warners has released the other three musicals singly, the combined cost far exceeds that of this new collection.

Musicals: 4-Movie Collection
Blu-ray
$34.99
www.warnervideo.com