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The Joan Crawford Collection
(5-disc)
Humoresque
Possessed
The Damned Don't Cry
The Women
Mildred Pierce
directed by Jean
Negulesco, Curtis Bernhardt, Vincent Sherman, George Cukor and Michael Curtiz
USA 19
NOTE: Criterion Blu-ray compared to the DVD of Mildred Pierce HERE.
NOTE: The Warner Archive Blu-ray of Possessed is compared to the DVD HERE.
The Joan Crawford Collection features classics from the star whose career spanned more than 40 years. "I never go out unless I look like Joan Crawford the movie star. If you want to see the girl next door, go next door." - Joan Crawford *** Originally Lucille Fay LeSueur, Joan Crawford had a string of successes playing a socialite or happy-go-lucky bachelorette's early in her career. Mildred Pierce (1945) was a defining role and won her a best actress Oscar. With more than seventy films behind her, she acquired the reputation of being a very demanding and difficult 'diva'. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) brought new careers to both Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, though future roles were infrequently offered as their age increased and looks matured. Horrified by a photo taken of her in 1974, she retired completely, devoting herself to Christian Science and abruptly ceased all drinking and smoking. Joan Crawford leaves a legacy of Hollywood-ism - a talented, demanding and aggressive actress, her popularity and box-office decline, being replaced by younger starlets, was both a cruel and factual fate of many stars of her era.
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Warner - Region 1, 2, 3, 4 - NTSC
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Distribution | Warner Studios - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC |
directed by Jean Negulesco
USA 1946
Glamorous socialite Helen Wright (Joan Crawford) takes what she wants clothes, alcohol, men uses them up and tosses them aside. Then she meets brilliant young violinist Paul Boray (John Garfield). But this is one toy she can't break. Instead, her love for Paul brings Helen to the breaking point. In this acclaimed and profound exploration of desire, Crawford makes Helen a rich, layered character torn between selfless love and selfish impulses. Garfield matches her as the driven genius. Humoresque's production values extend to the musical interludes, dubbed by Isaac Stern. Garfield's dazzling technique is thanks to two real violinists hidden behind him one to do the fingering and one the bow work. Bravo!... out of
Posters
Theatrical Release: December 25th, 1946
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Warner - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC
Cover and individual purchase links: |
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or buy the Entire Joan Crawford Collection with Humoresque, Possessed, The Damned Don't Cry, The Women and Mildred Pierce |
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Runtime | 2:04:20 | |
Video | 1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.54 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) | |
Subtitles | English, Spanish, French, None | |
Features |
Release Information: Edition Details:
• Featurette The Music of Humoresque |
Comments: |
This is a shade softer than you may have anticipated. It, by no means poor, but a little below standard for a usually pristine Warner Home DVD product. Still it has great contrast and shows some film grain. Original audio and it sounds very good - consistent and clear. Some may find the "Music of Humoresque" Featurette interesting - and include that with a trailer and those are the extras. I would have thought as a few of the other DVDs in the Boxset have commentaries that this great film would have rated one. Solid job by Warner out of ! |
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(aka 'The Secret')
directed by
Curtis Bernhardt
USA 1947
She loves him when he goes away for months. She loves him when he refuses to marry her. But when callow David Sutton chooses to marry someone else, Louise Howell's love for him takes a darker turn. Give her a gun and she'll love him to death. Joan Crawford reteams with producer Jerry Wald of her Academy Award winning Mildred Pierce and claims a 1947 Best Actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of tempestuous, mentally unstable Louise. "I love you" is such an inadequate way of saying I love you, Louise says. It doesn't quite describe how much it hurts sometimes. With Crawford at her film-noir-queen best, be assured it hurts so good...
Posters
Theatrical Release: July 26th, 1947
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Warner - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC
Cover and individual purchase links: |
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or buy the Entire Joan Crawford Collection with Humoresque, Possessed, The Damned Don't Cry, The Women and Mildred Pierce |
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Runtime | 1:48:00 | |
Video | 1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.73 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) | |
Subtitles | English, Spanish, French, None | |
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Release Information: Studio: Warner Studios Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details:
• Commentary by Film Historian Drew Casper |
Comments: |
NOTE: The Warner Archive Blu-ray of Possessed is compared to the DVD HERE. This DVD looks a little worse for wear in the first 10 minutes or so (dirt and excessively grainy), but soon shows a very sharp image after that. (NOTE: There is some very unusual damage at around the 48 minute mark - it looks like fireflies and lasts less than 1 minute. )Deep black levels and great shadow detail with some good film grain show-off a delightful image. Drew Casper's commentary is a big plus bonus and a featurette is also included Possessed: The Quintessential Film Noir. Original mono audio with no offered DUBs. Excellent subtitles too. Again Warner is showing themselves as the best large studio DVD production company. If not for the initial weak image this would be perfect, but we still give it out of |
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directed by
Vincent Sherman
USA 1950
The murder of gangster Nick Prenta touches off an investigation of mysterious socialite Lorna Hansen Forbes, who seems to have no past, and has now disappeared. In flashback, we see the woman's anonymous roots; her poor working-class marriage, which ends in tragedy and her determination to find "better things." Soon finding that sex appeal is her only salable commodity, she climbs from man to man toward the center of a nationwide crime syndicate...a very perilous position..
Poster
Theatrical Release: April 7th, 1950
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Warner - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC
Cover and individual purchase links: |
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or buy the Entire Joan Crawford Collection with Humoresque, Possessed, The Damned Don't Cry, The Women and Mildred Pierce |
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Runtime | 1:43:04 | |
Video | 1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.92 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0) | |
Subtitles | English, Spanish, French, None | |
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Release Information: Studio: Warner Studios Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details:
• Commentary by the film's Director Vincent Sherman |
Comments: |
This transfer is a little unique from the rest - the image is slightly sepia (or has some green it it) where all others are strong contrast blacks + whites. Actually, it is a pretty small flaw to the overall picture, but a noticeable one in certain sequences. Otherwise this has good sharpness, excellent subtitles and original mono audio with an optional French mono DUB (along with The Women the only DVD in the boxset that has an offered DUB). Extras include a rare director commentary (for such an old film) and another Featurette "The Crawford Formula: Real and Reel" along with a trailer. Good film and I'd like to know more about the sepia tint.out of |
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directed by
George Cukor
USA 1939
Be careful what you say in private. It could become a movie. Some gossip overheard by Clare Boothe Luce in a nightclub powder room inspired her Broadway hit that's wittily adapted for the screen in The Women. George Cukor directs an all-female cast in this catty tale of battling and bonding that paints its claws Jungle Red and shreds the excesses of pampered Park Avenue princesses. Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Joan Fontaine, Mary Boland and Paulette Goddard are among the array of husband snatchers, snitches and lovelorn ladies.
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Theatrical Release: September 1st, 1939
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Warner - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC
Cover and individual purchase links: | ||
or buy the Entire Joan Crawford Collection with Humoresque, Possessed, The Damned Don't Cry, The Women and Mildred Pierce |
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Runtime | 2:13:04 | |
Video | 1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.74 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0) | |
Subtitles | English (CC), Spanish, French, None | |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Warner Studios Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details:
• Romance of Celluliod Documentaries "From the Ends of the Earth" and
"Hollywood: Style Center of the World" |
Comments: |
For the most part pristine transfer, but there are some scratches showing through (debris prevalent). Aside from those minor blemishes it is an amazing image - a little good grain, excellent contrast and the color sequence is ravishing. The mono audio is clear and defined with no interferences noticeable. This is an excellent DVD package with all the extra features. Although Crawford is in a secondary role in the film it is a great addition to the Boxset Collection! out of P.S. Now in an Amaray Keep case instead of a snapper - otherwise same DVD as original. |
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directed by
Michael Curtiz
USA 1945
What Veda wants, her mother Mildred Pierce provides. Even if Mildred must end her middle-class marriage, climb atop the male-dominated business world and marry a wealthy man she doesn't love. "I'll do anything," Mildred says in explaining her love for her daughter. But does anything include murder? Just when you think you got this nominee for five other Oscars including Best Picture figured out, along comes a shocking twist ending!
Posters
Theatrical Release: September 24th, 1945
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Warner - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC
Cover and individual purchase links: | ||
or buy the Entire Joan Crawford Collection with Humoresque, Possessed, The Damned Don't Cry, The Women and Mildred Pierce |
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Runtime | 1:50:40 | |
Video | 1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.24 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate: |
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Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) | |
Subtitles | English (CC), Spanish, French, None | |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Warner Studios Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details:
• Acclaimed feature length documentary Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie
Star |
Comments: |
NOTE: Criterion Blu-ray compared to the DVD of Mildred Pierce HERE. Perhaps mildly saturated, this is still another excellent DVD from Warner. Like the original it still has the extras on the opposite side (Geez Warner - couldn't you have improved upon that!) and exactly the same image, audio etc. It is essentially the same disc in an amaray keep case instead of a Snapper. Arguably the best film of the boxset - Warner should have added something from the initial release - if not improving the already strong image then putting it on one dual layered DVD would have been a the way to go. out of |
DVD Menus
Extras on second side of original disc
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Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir by Foster Hirsch |
Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City by Nicholas Christopher |
Shades of Noir: A Reader by Joan Copjec |
The Art of Noir: The Posters and Graphics from the
Classic Era of Film Noir by Eddie Muller |
The Little Black and White Book of Film Noir:
Quotations from Films of the 40's and 50's by Peg Thompson, Saeko Usukawa |
Film Noir by Alain Silver |
Film Noir Guide: 745 Films of the Classic Era,
1940-1959 by Michael F. Keaney |
Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch |