Barbara Stanwyck - The Signature Collection (Annie Oakley / East Side, West Side / My Reputation / Executive Suite / Jeopardy / To Please a Lady) DVD
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Rating:  -
This looks to be a great collection for Stanwyck fans. A couple of these films I've never seen before, and I've been waiting a long time to replace my old VHS copy of EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE. Praise to Warner for continuing their sterling series of Signature Collection DVD sets.
Looking to the future, how about sets featuring Lana Turner (GREEN DOLPHIN STREET, A LIFE OF HER OWN, DIANE, HOMECOMING, BY LOVE POSSESSED) or Jane Powell (TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE, NANCY GOES TO RIO, A DATE WITH JUDY, HOLIDAY IN MEXICO, THREE DARING DAUGHTERS) or Spencer Tracy (NORTHWEST PASSAGE, PLYMOUTH ADVENTURE, THE SEVENTH CROSS, CASS TIMBERLANE, EDISON THE MAN), just to name a few?
These are indeed golden times for classic film fans.
Rating: -
This collecton honors Barbara Stanwyck's 100th birthday with six titles not previously on DVD and under the control of Warner Home Video. Her screen persona was generally that of a tough-as-nails woman of the world, sometimes with nefarious motives, and this collection tends to give you a broader view of her talents showing fine performances in some well-known as well as lesser known films. All of these films are in the post-code era, and this is probably because Warner Home Video has plans for her pre-codes in their Forbidden Hollywood series. For example, WB has already announced that they have plans for Stanwyck's classic pre-code "Night Nurse" to be put on DVD. At any rate, here are the films and extras in this set:
Annie Oakley (1935)
The oldest film in the collection, great dramatic license is taken with Oakley's real life story. Stanwyck does a good job of portraying Oakley in this film, still making use of the tough reputation she had in parts in the pre-code era and translating it into a time when less could get past the censors. There's quite a bit of comedy in this western, and George Stevens does a good job of directing all involved.
Special Features:
Main Street Follies, vintage 1935 short starring Hal Le Roy
Into Your Dance, vintage 1935 cartoon
Subtitles in English and French
My Reputation (1946)
Next we jump ahead ten years with Stanwyck playing a woman who is grieving over the death of her husband. She not only has the timeless problem of being a single mother raising two teenage sons, she must also deal with the issue of her reputation - as dictated by society at that time and by her mother and friends specifically. She gets involved with an Army officer (George Brent) who is the love them and leave them type, and as a result has trouble from everyone she knows. Stanwyck is great as a woman who has to learn to go it alone and stand up for herself for the first time. Brent is less convincing as a bit of a cad - he usually plays such stand-up guys and even played opposite Rin-Tin-Tin early in his career! At any rate, it's a good display of Stanwyck's talents in a different and vulnerable kind of role for her. Not previously on VHS or DVD.
Special Features:
Jan Savitt and Band, vintage Warner Bros. musical short
Daffy Doodles, vintage Warner Bros. cartoon
Audio Only Bonuses: Vintage Radio Versions - Lux Radio Theater adaptation with Barbara Stanwyck (4/47) and Screen Guild Theater adaptation with Alexis Smith (7/47)
Theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English, French & Spanish (Feature film only)
East Side, West Side (1949)
This is a movie along the lines of a film noir and has Stanwyck playing a Manhattan woman who is devoted to her philandering husband (James Mason) who claims he loves her in spite of his weakness for serial affairs. One of his past flames, Ava Gardner, is back in town to try to take Mason away from Stanwyck permanently. This film also reunites Stanwyck with Van Heflin who both have great chemistry together. Great performances, a good plot, and an overall enjoyable film.
Special Features:
Counterfeit Cat, vintage MGM Tex Avery cartoon
Stuff for Stuff, vintage MGM short subject
Original theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English and French
To Please a Lady (1950)
This film pairs Clark Gable with Stanwyck. Gable plays a renegade racing driver whose driving tactics during a race cause the death of another driver. Stanwyck plays a no-nonsense newspaper reporter out to expose Gable's professional tactics and end his career. This might actually be more interesting to car racing fans than to Stanwyck fans because of the great footage of racing and behind the scenes footage of the sport as it existed in 1950. Stanwyck does the best she can with a somewhat thin script, and it is above average entertainment, but it is probably the weakest entry in the set.
Jeopardy (1953)
This film is a thriller that is rather hard to categorize - it is almost avante-garde in nature. It starts out calmly enough - the Stilwin family is vacationing on an isolated stretch of beach. However, while rescuing their son, Doug Stilwin (Barry Sullivan) gets his leg caught and is stuck in the water. He is fine now - at low tide. High tide will be another matter. His wife (Barbara Stanwyck) goes for help and instead picks up an escaped killer. He proposes an interesting trade to her in exchange for his help. This is a great suspenseful movie and I'm surprised it is not better known and not shown more on TV. Meeker is very good as the criminal. His onscreen persona is an interesting cross between Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando and he has good chemistry with Stanwyck in this one. Not previously on VHS or DVD.
To Please a Lady and Jeopardy are a double feature and have the following extras:
To Please A Lady original theatrical trailer
Jeopardy original theatrical trailer
Audio Only Bonus: Jeopardy 1954 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast with Stanwyck
Subtitles: English, French & Spanish (feature film only)
Executive Suite (1954)
Probably the best known of the six films in this set and probably the most awaited as far as DVD releases go. The funny thing is, Stanwyck isn't really the star in this movie - William Holden is. That's not to say Stanwyck fans won't get their money's worth though, particularly in her showdown scene with Holden and in the last scene where she outperforms everyone just by sitting in a chair and observing. This film is about the details of a power struggle when the founder of a large corporation suddenly dies. It basically boils down to two factions - the innovators and the bean counters. It's how these two groups dance around each other in their maneuvers for power that will hold your interest. The film is still relevant because big business is still about these two groups today. It is a common story of business - someone starts a company out of their love for building a superior product and somewhere along the way - often after the founder's death or retirement - the bean counters take over and regard only profits without remembering that the superior product is where those profits come from. Outstanding entertainment.
Special Features:
Feature commentary by Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone
Out for Fun, vintage MGM Pete Smith Short
Billy Boy, vintage MGM Tex Avery Cartoon
Original theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English & Spanish (feature film only)
My biggest disappointment in this set is a lack of biographical material on Stanwyck's career, which was a long and illustrious one. It does look like WB gave Executive Suite good treatment with the feature commentary, though.
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