Dorothy Mackaill Pre-Code Double Feature

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Adventures in Africa" )

directed by Michael Curtiz
USA 1930

Once nearly forgotten, now dearly rediscovered, Dorothy Mackaill’s work is in the midst of a well deserved renaissance, and we are pleased to present a pair of films that will only add luster to her legend. Unforgettable film director Michael Curtiz puts Dorothy through her paces in Bright Lights (aka Adventures in Africa), the tale of a hoofer who hulas her way from sleazy dives to the Great White Way, only to end up facing murder charges when her past comes back to haunt her. Mackaill ably struts her ex-Ziegfeld stuff, singing and dancing alongside Noah Berry and Frank Fay. Dorothy’s The Office Wife co-star, blondacious Joan Blondell, once again slips into the role of younger sib, supporting her in this tale of stolen virtue. Shop model Margaret (Mackaill) catches the eye of wealthy, dapper young Allen (Walter Byron). Unfortunately the primrose path Margaret sees in her future is lined with the broken rocks of her virtue…

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Theatrical Release: 21 September 1930 (USA)

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DVD Review: Warner Home Video (Dorothy Mackaill Pre-Code Double Feature) - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Warner Home Video Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:08:21
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.37 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
Audio	Dolby Digital Mono (English)
Subtitles	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • 2 films on 1 disc DVD Release Date: February 28th, 2012 Keep Case Chapters 7

Comments

We already reviewed two features starring underrated Dorothy Mackaill - Safe in Hell and Love Affair from "Humphrey Bogart - The Columbia Pictures Collection". Both films featured a risqué and very natural performances by the star and it was astonishing her name is not as well known, maybe because she rarely appeared in films after 1934, when pre-code era ended. Thankfully Warner Home Video released two double features as part of their growing Warner Archive Collection.

Bright Lights (aka Adventures in Africa) is a very strange beast with some singing and dancing, laughs and a murder. All of these parts don't gel well, but the film is a bewildering experience. The Reckless Hour is a standard melodrama that doesn't shy away from an unwanted pregnancy and a possible miscarriage. Joan Blondell joins Mackaill again in The Reckless Hour as a wisecracking sister. Both unrestored films share a single progressive dual-layered disc. The mono soundtrack is limited for the limited technology of the early talkies, and the prints have plenty of marks, specs and extensive grain is some scenes. But considering the films' age and rarity we are recommending this release only for the stellar performances of one of stars of the pre-code era, even more so than the first double feature.

- Gregory Meshman

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