Monday, September 23, 2019

The Criterion Collection Closes Out 2019 With Its Slate Of December Blu-ray And DVD Selections


DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
This past week the Criterion Collection announced its wrap for 2019 with the list of film restorations that will be ready for DVD and Blu-ray release during the month of December.

Kicking off the proceedings is the Dec. 3 arrival of a new restoration of director Stephen Roberts’ 1933 film adaptation of William Faulkner’s 1931 novel, “Sanctuary,” which was adapted for the screen by Oliver H.P. Garrett and released theatrically in May of 1933 as The Story of Temple Drake.

The officials over at the infamous Motion Picture Production Code (or “Hays Office;” “Hays Code”) initially sought to ban the book from being adapted to the screen, but settled on a ban of any reference to the book in the film’s advertising (hence the title change).  

This Pre-Code film (Joseph Breen’s administration of The Production Code didn’t kick in until mid-1934) went through a tortuous pre-production battle with the Hays Office over the script from Garrett (who delivered other Pre-Code films such as Night Nurse and The Vice Squad … plus films that included A Farewell to Arms, The Hurricane and Duel in the Sun). 

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph TribbeyParamount, which was studio responsible for the production, was finally issued a list (demands) of changes that included rewriting the provocative rape sequence from a “corn crib” to a barn and the admonishment that no references to “corncobs,” either visually or in the dialog, could be used. 

The film itself is making its “official” debut on either DVD or Blu-ray, although DVD versions (bootlegged) have been floating around for some time.

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
Miriam Hopkins (Oscar-nominee for her performance in Becky Sharp in 1935, plus such films as the original Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde opposite Fredric March, Design for Living, Barbary Coast, Virginia City, etc.) stars as the titled character, Temple Drake, a “free spirited” young woman from a “fine family,” who gets caught up in a nightmare on the evening of the annual town dance.   She goes out drinking (remember, it is the era of Prohibition) with her friend Toddy (William Collier Jr.) and ends up at speakeasy run by the notorious Lee Goodwin (Irving Pichel).   It is here that she runs afoul of “Trigger” (played by Jack La Rue) … rape, murder and innocent man on trial, with the man who loves her, Stephen Benbow (William Gargan), a competent defense attorney placed in an impossible position.

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph TribbeyBonus features include a newly prepared video session with cinematographer John Bailey (In the Line of Fire, Silverado, Groundhog Day, etc.) and the director of the Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Matt Severson.    There is also a discussion of the film and the performance of Miriam Hopkins by film critic Imogen Sara Smith (author of “In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City” and “Buster Keaton: the Persistence of Comedy”) and a video session featuring film critic Mick LaSalle about censorship and the Production Code.

Other films heading to both DVD and Blu-ray during the month of December from the Criterion Collection include a new 4K update for director Ronald Neames’ 1960 film release of Tunes of Glory (Dec. 3), the 4K film restoration of the epic “director’s cut” of filmmaker Wim Wenders’ Until the End of the World (the 287 minute version … Dec. 10) and writer/director Kelly Reichardt’s 2006 film festival favorite, Old Joy (also out on Dec. 10).


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