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 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Prisionera de su pasado" )

 

directed by John Cromwell
USA 1951

 

The Company She Keeps might be viewed as John Cromwell's soft-hearted "sequel" to his great Caged of the same year (some of the same cast members reappear in small parts in both). Taking over the Eleanor Parker role -- the embittered parolee with a chip-on-the-shoulder attitude -- Jane Greer finally goes "freeside." Lizabeth Scott meets her at the train, not as a mentor into the world of vice but wasted as Greer's saintly parole officer. Greer makes it plain that she's none too happy with the constraints (a night-shift job, frumpy clothes, no drinking) imposed upon her, and promptly sets her hat for Scott's fiance Dennis O'Keefe, who tumbles right into it.

And this is where Ketti Frings' script loses whatever edge it had. The hard, manipulative Greer goes soft around the edges, conflicted and vacillating. Scott, meanwhile, magnanimously cedes O'Keefe to her rival and continues to advocate on her behalf with redoubled passion (an opposite change of heart would have furnished welcome friction).

Luckily, a few goblins still hover in the shadows, and, in a brief scene set in Los Angeles' municipal lockup, Cromwell manages to reprise some of the black magic of Caged. But the syrupy social messages and Frings' earnest kind-heartedness almost sink the movie, which nonetheless preserves one of Greer's rare appearances in the noir cycle, particularly savory at the movie's start and near its end. Just don't expect another Kathie Moffat from Out of the Past.

Excerpt of review from Bill McVicar for imdb.com located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: 27 January 1951 (New York)

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DVD Review: Vértice Cine (Filmoteca RKO) - Region 2 - NTSC

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for the Review!

DVD Box Cover

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Distribution

Vértice Cine

Region 2 - NTSC
Runtime 1:22:36 (4% PAL speedup)
Video

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 6.46 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 2.0 (English, Spanish Dub)
Subtitles Spanish (forced with English audio)
Features Release Information:
Studio: Vértice Cine

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
� 24-page booklet (in Spanish)

DVD Release Date: May 11th, 2011
Keep case inside a cardboard slipcase

Chapters 8

 

 

 

Comments

An RKO production starring Lizabeth Scott, Jane Greer and Dennis O'Keefe? With this cast, The Company She Keeps must have came down from film noir heaven, but despite some noir cenematography by Nicholas Musuraca (Out of the Past and many, many more) and competent direction by John Cromwell, sandwiched between his superior noir classics Caged and The Racket, the film never lives up to the expectations. As it stands, the film is a romantic melodrama with with some noir elements introduced in the last 20 minutes and Lizabeth Scott is totally wasted as a saintly parole officer.

The film is yet to see region 1 DVD release, but was released in region 2. This Spanish edition is fine for what it is until something better comes along - interlaced, with a few marks and specs, but totally watchable. The mono audio is fine, with a few pops, but they never become intrusive. The Spanish digital subtitles can't be removed on DVD/blu-ray player when English audio is selected, but removable on the computer. The lone extra is a 24-page booklet in Spanish. This is a decent melodrama, if you lower your expectations, and hopefully a better DVD edition is forthcoming from Warner Archive.

  - Gregory Meshman

 

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Jeff Bridges in his first film role

 
DVD Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

   

  
Distribution

Vértice Cine

Region 2 - NTSC

 



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