The High and the Mighty
Picture: B+
Sound: B Extras: A- Film: B+
Ok, let me first begin by simply stating that John Wayne
is without any question one of the most overrated actors of all time. Now, before I get hate mail, let me also
state that despite this fact, he also happens to still be good actor, certainly
a memorable actor, and also has worked on some of the finest films in the
history of the medium. He has also
worked with other equal talents and without directors like John Ford, he probably
wouldn’t exist as he is known today.
One of the finer films that Wayne would do would be The High and the Mighty from 1954, which unless you saw it in the
theater, the chances of you seeing in since then are very slim, especially in
good condition. This film was NEVER
released on VHS or LaserDisc for that matter.
The film is directed by William Wellman, who worked with
Wayne a few years prior on the film Island
in the Sky, and that combination proved successful as well. That film also is now issued from Paramount
and is a contrast to this film because it was shot full-frame black &
white, whereas The High and the Mighty
is full-fledged color and is shot in CinemaScope. Wellman’s career dates back to the 1920’s and was a huge director
even until his later years. Both films
are worth a look, but most will be seeking after the film that remains the
subject of this review.
This would also be the last film for old school
cinematographer Archie Stout, who had worked with both Wayne and Wellman in the
past and was a very respectable cameraman for his career. His CinemaScope work here is certainly a
great film to go out on. Adding to the
big production is music by Dimitri Tiomkin, who also had some amazing
accomplishments during his career and had worked on Red River with Wayne prior to this along with several other
pictures like one of my all time favorites Giant,
some early film Noirs, Hitchcock’s Strangers
on a Train and Dial M for Murder,
and would add many more memorable scores to the list before his death. No doubt about it this film was always meant
to be seen big and heard big!
So thus far we have a good director, cameraman, composer,
and then comes the all-star lineup cast which includes of course John Wayne,
Robert Stack, Jan Sterling, Laraine Day, Claire Trevor, and a few other minor
cast members that would add a nice amount of weight to the film. There is no doubt that this film was a huge
production, but sadly the John Wayne estate has had this film locked up for
years. Warner originally released the
film, but Paramount has the DVD rights for distribution and they have done a
stellar job with this one, in fact if Warner still had the rights they probably
would have issued it in a cardboard snapper case!
OK, so they dropped those, but it took a while. Anyhow, I would like to go on record as
stating that this is probably one of the finest transfers that I have seen on
DVD for a film from this era and certainly one of the best CinemaScope films. I compared the film side by side to some
other films ranging from Alexander the
Great (1956) from MGM and reviewed on this site, 300 Spartans from Fox also reviewed on this site, even some of the
discs from Criterion like Written on the
Wind (also starring Robert Stack in a very memorable role) and other really
good transfers, but this one has sharpness that I have not seen on very many
DVD’s of this age. Not only detail, but
the color fidelity is sensational with very good balance and consistency that only
a fully restored version could do, which is the case here. The film rightly promotes that this is a
meticulously restored version, so I suppose that waiting this long for the film
has paid off big time.
Fans of the film are going to be floating when they see
just how awesome this print is, although fans of this film for the most part
are probably in their 70’s by now, so if they are still alive and have 20/20
vision, which is unlikely, anything would look good to them. This is a film that is definitely sought
after and has been for years. I can
remember when people would scour around looking for the film on VHS anyway that
they could. I am sure that bootleg
versions existed here and there, but now there is a reason to get a DVD player
if you are still holding out.
The sound has also been remixed for a really pleasing
Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which adds new depth to the film and you can hear how
the films origins as either a mono or stereo mix has been spread out for a
cleaner sound reproduction. The
original 2.0 Dolby mix is also present, which some may prefer depending on
taste. Sound effects travel better than
expected and dialogue is quite clear as well.
There is little to complain about here in both sound and picture
category. The film is accurately
transferred at the super widescreen ratio of 2.55 X 1 scope and is
anamorphically enhanced for this DVD edition.
As if having the film on DVD wasn’t enough, and having a
great restoration, Paramount has gone the extra few miles, but making this a
2-disc set which includes more extras than anyone could ever hope for. Leonard Maltin in all his infinite wisdom
begins this disc off, or shall we say movie, with an introduction that is
option to view prior to seeing the movie.
Most people will probably watch this once and then move on. There is also a commentary track by Maltin
as well, but at least he is joined by Wellman’s son William Jr. as well as
aviation expert Vincent Longo, Karen Sharpe, and Pedro Gonzales (vote for
Pedro, just kidding). The second disc
is loaded with featurettes ranging from the film itself to information about
William Wellman, composer Dimitri Tiomkin, and some really great stuff about
the restoration process. There is
premier footage and just a ton of things that will keep you busy for hours,
even from an aviators standpoint this stuff is insightful.
Let’s just say that this could quite easily be Paramount’s
best disc this year and certainly one of their best all time when you look at
all the categories from restoration, audio remix, extras, and just keeping the
consumer happy with the overall package.
This DVD edition can also be purchased inside a new John Wayne box set.
- Nate Goss
