What Price Glory James Cagney Ford at Fox

Directed by John Ford
USA 1952

Based on a Max Anderson play that had already been turned into a successful 1926 silent film by Ford's colleague Raoul Walsh, What Price Glory peeved everyone involved with it. Producer Daryl F. Zanuck intended it as a musical -- the DVD comes with a teaser trailer that promises "13 new songs" -- but Ford hated the songs and refused to shoot most of them. In addition, he wanted his usual cast, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, but Zanuck insisted on James Cagney and newcomer Corinne Calvet.

Set during World War I in a French village, the story centers on the bickering between Captain Flagg (Cagney) and Sergeant Quirt (Dan Dailey). Their rivalry grows when they each fall in love with a lovely French barmaid (Calvet).

For all this, What Price Glory still has some redeeming features. Cagney is at his energetic best and almost single-handedly keeps the thing moving. And though Ford didn't like her, Calvet is very charming as the barmaid. Ford's breezy pacing makes up for his heavy-handed handling of the comedy.

Excerpt from Jeffrey M. Anderson's review at Combustible Celluloid located HERE.

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Theatrical Release: August 22nd, 1952

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DVD Comparison:

BFI - Region 2 - PAL vs. 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC

(BFI - Region 2 - PAL LEFT vs. 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC RIGHT)

DVD Box Cover
Distribution	BFI Video - Region 2 - PAL	20th Century Fox - Region 1- NTSC
	The exact same Fox edition is also available in John Ford's American Comedies Collection with Steamboat Around the Bend / Judge Priest / Doctor Bull / When Willie Comes Marching Home / Up the River and What Price Glory.
	or *The complete Ford at Fox Collection* (DETAILS HERE)**
Runtime	1:45:28 (4% PAL speedup)	1:49:44
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.45 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.94 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: BFI
Bitrate: Fox
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)	English (mono), English (Dolby Digital 2.0), DUB: Spanish (mono)
Subtitles	English, None	English, Spanish, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: BFI Video Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • 6-page liner notes pamphlet with Philip Kemp essay DVD Release Date: September 26th, 2005 Transparent Keep Case Chapters: 14	Release Information: Studio: Fox Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • • Two theatrical trailers • Fox Flix • Crash Dive • The Hunters • Morituri DVD Release Date: May 25th, 2004 Keep Case Chapters: 20

Comments:

Firstly we can state that the Fox - Region 1 release from May 2004 is the exact same dual-layered disc as in the Ford at Fox Collection and of course the exact same Fox edition is also available in John Ford's American Comedies Collection with Steamboat Around the Bend / Judge Priest / Doctor Bull / When Willie Comes Marching Home / Up the River and What Price Glory.

In direct comparison to the single-layered BFI disc - the Fox edition shows far less digital artifacts and the colors don't bleed to the extent they do in the PAL edition. The Fox edition is somewhat sharper as well. I enjoyed the Kemp essay in the BFI but it is not enough to endorse this also-ran Ford film on the UK DVD over the US which offers some trailers and Fox Flix.

Gary W. Tooze

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(BFI - Region 2 - PAL LEFT vs. 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC RIGHT)

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