FOX DELIVERS "LETTER" WITH A GREAT BLU RAY
Anyone who had any doubts about whether to upgrade from the previous "Studio Classics" DVD that Fox released in 2005 can put all those doubts away. Released this week, "A Letter to Three Wives"(1949) looks nearly pristine on Blu-ray and once again credit should be given to the great restoration team at Fox. Filmed in black and white, "Letter" has never looked better than it does in this new Blu-ray from Fox. There is no print damage(vertical lines, specs, torn or missing frames, etc.) and some of the close-ups are stunning to say the least. Blacks, whites and grays are evenly balanced right down to the costumes, automobiles(I'd love to have that "Woody" that Jeanne Crain drives),household items and even the famous "letter" that the three wives receive in the beginning of the picture. My only complaint would be that some scenes seem to be overly bright but they are few and are not distracting and may have something to do with the print source rather than the restoration. Nearly...
Unexpected Blu-ray release for landmark Mankiewicz masterpiece
Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1949 character drama A LETTER TO THREE WIVES provides a tour-de-force showcase for three outstanding female stars, and illustrates a timeless dilemma that most every married woman must have considered at least once during her marriage...
On their way to chaperone a childrens' picnic, girlfriends Deborah Bishop (Jeanne Crain), Rita Phipps (Ann Sothern) and Lora Mae Hollingsway (Linda Darnell) receive a mysterious letter - addressed to all of them - in which local good-time gal Addie Ross reveals that she has left town, and taken one of their husbands with her! Too late to call off their involvement with the picnic and return home to uncover the truth, the ladies spend quiet moments to themselves, and try to recall incidents that might have caused rifts in their marriages...
Deborah remembers the night that husband Brad (Jeffrey Lynn) first introduced her to Rita, Lora Mae, and their close circle of friends. The insecure farmgirl originally...
A must-have; whether or not on Blu-Ray remains to be seen
Perhaps the best thing about the imminent Blu-Ray release of this undisputed classic is that now the regulation DVD is so much more affordable. The perpetual question when a Golden Age of Hollywood film is released to Blu-Ray--or whatever future home video formats come down the pike--is: is it worth getting the new version if you already have a copy you're reasonably satisfied with? Or even if you don't have one? (As I say, now you can get the standard DVD a lot cheaper.) In a perfect world, of course, every film about to presented in Blu-Ray would get the star treatment, so to speak, the new edition automatically being an optimum print. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Whenever a particular favorite film of mine--and A LETTER TO THREE WIVES is close to the top--comes out on Blu-Ray, I look forward to reading reviews which specify the advantages that justify the higher price or further investment, or whether to save my money and be content with what I have because any...
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