Beyond "Vertigo"

[Guest alanm]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/movies/homevideo/15kehr.html

 

I share Times' writer Dave Kehr high regard for Hitchcock's "Vertigo," Hitch's direction and Jimmy Stewart's & Kim Novak's performances. So I tried the Kim Novak Collection reviewed above.

 

The remastered "Picnic" is a treat. But, the real gem is "Middle of the Night" with Frederic March, as a 56-year old widower, courting a 24-year old secretary/clerk (Novak) in his garment factory.

 

The movie was filmed partly in New York with a 6-week rehearsal schedule before shooting began -- it shows.

 

"Pal Joey" is also remastered, but is really Frank Sinatra's film. "Bell, Book and Candle" is not remastered (a shame), but still fun although Stewart and Novak do not approach the chemistry they have in "Vertigo." Finally, I suggest you skip "Jeanne Eagels," the one film in the collection that puts Novak front and center without a strong male costar.

 

Kim Novak is alive, well and living in Oregon with her second husband. Kim's passions are her art and animals. Novak provides limited commentary for each of the films, which I found very helpful for "Midddle of the Night" and "Jeanne Eagels," films I had not seen before. You see the 77-year old Novak in long shots only, usually painting.

 

Otherwise the commentary is her voice over various scenes from the films in this collection.

 

If you like "Vertigo" at all, give a few of the films a look especially the the enhanced color and sound version of "Picnic."

[orbital sander]

Vertigo is my favorite Hitchcock film, and one of my favorite movies. I would have loved to have seen San Francisco during this time, and it would have been great to see the film when originally released, but alas I was not around yet. Thanks for the link!