Review: The "Barbara Stanwyck Collection" is a Must For Fans

During Barbara Stanwyck's illustrious and long-lived career, she almost always displayed a worldliness that really made her fit into whatever role she took on. For many of the movies she starred in, she was often the best part about them. Even in the 1930s, she had already mastered the craft of completely embodying her characters not just through dialogue, but through each glance and gesture. That fact is exemplified in Kino Lorber Studio Classics' new "Barbara Stanwyck Collection" – a Blu-ray collection of three films with great Stanywck performances from the late 30s into the mid-40s. While they may be minor works from the actress, they're nonetheless further proof that she could anchor even the most ham-fisted attempts at melodrama. Would highly recommend picking this set up if you're a fan of Stanwyck and want to view some of her minor work.

In the first film in the collection, Alfred Santell's "Internes Can't Take Money," Stanwyck plays the widow of a crook who's desperately looking for her daughter who was given up to an orphanage. She eventually has a run in with the very first screen incarnation of Dr. Kildare (Joel McCrea) and their relationship is a decently sturdy moral tale about breaking the rules to justify a greater means. Rather than focus in on Kildare, like many of the other adaptations of the character did, the onus is on Janet Haley and her journey to find her daughter. It's a character that would usually get pushed to the margins, so it's nice to see the focus of the film on her. Plus, with a good video transfer and clear audio, the film probably hasn't ever looked this good at home.

The best film in the collection is William Wellman's 1942 drama "The Great Man's Lady," in which a 109-year-old pioneer woman named Hannah Sempler (Stanwyck) recounts her life through flashbacks. After a statue of the late senator Ethan Hoyt (Joel McCrea) is erected in Hoyt City, journalists rush to Sempler's home to learn more about the senator. Why? Because of the secret marriage they had. Filled with action, humor and that trademark Wellman showmanship, this 90-minute work rises far above its script. Particularly, there's a great performance by Brian Donlevy as a big-time gambler with a strong kinship to Hannah. Donlevy is the kind of actor that frequently gets pinned to play slimy types, but there's a pain in his soul here that emboldens the story. The video transfer is sturdy, with light surface scratches, deep contrast and a dense film grain. Highly recommend you watch this one from the set immediately, although it is minor Wellman.

As for the last film in the set, Irving Pichel's 1946 drama "The Bride Wore Boots," Stanwyck tries her damnedest to anchor a film that's too cynical for its own good. The story concerns a rich and beautiful southern heiress named Sally Warren (Stanwyck) that's constantly at odds with her famous author husband, Jeff Warren (Robert Cummings). You see, Jeff is a city boy, hates horse-riding and is fed up with trying to fit into the mold that he thinks Sally is making him fit into. It's a film laden with slapstick, with nary a breath taken between gags. As we watch their marriage crumble, we're not really given insight into why it should have existed in the first place.

All in all, the new "Barbara Stanwyck Collection" from Kino Lorber Studio Classics still comes recommended for Stanwyck fans (stans?). As has grown custom with Kino Lorber releases, there are a couple of audio commentaries to enjoy as well. In particular, the commentary that Dr. Eloise Ross gives on "The Great Man's Lady" is full of information about the production. Other special features include:

� "Internes Can't Take Money" – audio commentary by Dr. Eloise Ross
� Trailers

"Barbara Stanwyck Collection"
Kino Lorber Blu-ray
$49.95
https://www.klstudioclassics.com/product/view/id/6928