The Best Years of Our Lives Teresa Wright Dana Andrews

U.S.A. 1946

Easily, my favorite English language film of all time. One of the first films ever selected to go into the Library of Congress for the National Film Registry. William Wyler's masterpiece 'The Best Years of Our Lives' is unusual in that it continues to improve with age. I am at about 10 showings now, and each time I find myself more endeared than the previous. The list of awards it has garnered speaks for itself, and the timing of the release, just after World War Two, was so fitting for the social and political climate but the film recounts a timeless message regardless. It was written for the screen by Robert E. Sherwood, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1936, '39, '41, and '49. The Cinematographer was Gregg Toland of 'Citizen Kane' fame who passed away only two years after "The Best Years...". William Wyler, the director, I still consider the most underrated in his profession never becoming a common household name like an Orson Welles or Billy Wilder. The cast is the final and perfect piece of the puzzle. Neo-realism with Harold Russell, a war veteran who really did lose his hands in WW2; Myrna Loy unselfishly playing Fredric March's dutiful wife; the consummate pretty, intelligent girl-next-door Teresa Wright; flaunting Virginia Mayo and strong male figure Dana Andrews fill the screen with mounting realism of small-town USA in the late 40's. If you have seen this film and enjoyed it, I urge you to partake again. For myself, it has made an everlasting impression that I desire to revisit every time I become over-cynical with life. This is one of the greatest films ever made. I can't recommend a film more. out of

Gary Tooze

Posters

Theatrical Release: November 21st, 1946

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DVD Comparison:

HBO ( 'Out of Print' ) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. MGM - Region 1 - NTSC

(HBO - R1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. MGM - SE - R1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	HBO Region 1 - NTSC	MGM Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	2:49:57	2:49:45
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.1 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.33;1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.48 NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: MGM Both sides
Bitrate: MGM
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 1.0), French (Dolby Digital 1.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 1.0), Soundtrack (Dolby Digital 1.0)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles	English, French, Spanish and none	Spanish, French and none
Features	Release Information: Studio: HBO Studios Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Original Aspect Ratio) - 1.33:1 Discographic Information: DVD Encoding: Region 1 Layers: Single (DVD 10) Edition Details: • Black & White, Dolby, Closed-captioned, Widescreen • Un-restored original theatrical trailer (1:47) • Musical score by Hugo Friedhofer' on a separate sound channel • English soundtrack remixed in stereo by Chace • Interview/Short film with Virginia Mayo and Teresa Wright (8:30) • Original Poster • Cast and Crew static screen bios • Restoration details (static screens) DVD Release Date: October 28, 1997 Snapper Case Chapters 34	Release Information: Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Original Aspect Ratio) - 1.33:1 Discographic Information: DVD Encoding: Region 1 Layers: Dual (DVD 9) Edition Details: • Un-restored original theatrical trailer (1:47) • Black & White DVD Release Date: December 18, 2001 Keep Case Chapters 36

Comments:

Firstly the HBO version is 'out of print' and a bit of a collectors item with good reason. Although it is a single layered disc (2 sides), it makes up for it with other advantages over the MGM version. It has better picture quality and better Extras.

As the film progresses the better contrast and sharper image appears more prevalent in the HBO version. Look at Fredric March's face in capture #3 and Dana Andrews face in capture #4. Both are more detailed with visible film grain in the older HBO version. Bother version show some artifacts at times in the film, but they are very negligible.

On the Extras front, the HBO version has included a wonderful featurette with Virginia Mayo and Teresa Wright. I was impressed that Virginia Mayo continued her character role of Marie from the film with selfish anecdotes. Teresa Wright was as touching as she was in the film bringing herself to tears describing the emotional effect one scene with Myrna Loy and Fredric March still has on her. You may also play the wonderful music score from the film isolated as an audio option. The MGM version has the same un-restored original trailer that the older HBO version does. I am lazy, but the flipping of the disc is not that big of an issue for me as it gives a intermission to a film that is longer than most others, so I say "get the HBO version' while you still can.

Gary W. Tooze

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(HBO)

DVD Menus

(MGM)

Screen Captures