 Humphrey
Bogart The Signature Collection: Volume 2
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it for 41.78 (free shipping) - It's Swell
DVD Features
Films: The Maltese Falcon (Three-Disc Special Edition) which includes
the wonderful documentary, ”One Magnificent Bird”.
Across the Pacific, Action in the North Atlantic, All Through
the Night, and Passage to Marseille.
Plus interesting featurette accruements that compliment each film;
Call the Usual Suspects, The Free French, Hollywood Helps the
Cause, and Credit Where Credit is Due
Review: Bluntly
speaking? Bogart is probably the world’s most popular movie
star – still. His on-screen mixture of bad boy devil may
care that hides a soft heart had audiences glued. He commanded
every scene he walked into. And remains a true platinum
card carrying, U.S. Commemorative Stamp assigned, American Icon
when today, being a movie star is handed out like an Altoid mint
to a smirking disheveled half-talent neurotic that's been visually
pre-fabricated to a fit a People Magazine trend by a team of image
makers, and given a bag of cash and a short term lease to a Hollywood
Hills bungalow. Ultimately they will have a shelf life of about
two films and one scandal with culminating in a trip to a swanky
rehab. Bogart was, and is, above that; he was legit, and swell
in the acting department too - when he tried.
Though there's still a few Bogart film's out there that are "better"
than this collection, they had a point in this second thoughtful
set. The first signature collection had the Big Bogies. This set
has one major Bogie, The Maltese Falcon, as its rock
- er, diamond.
The Maltese
Falcon, more so then The of Treasure of the Sierra Madre,
is the most important film of Humphrey Bogart's career. Sure,
Treasure gave him a meaty role, but Falcon made him a star, and
gave him his eternal persona. But, the coolness of the set does’t
stop there. The studio added two previously released versions
of The Maltese Falcon that didn’t end up in cinema history.
One stars the ever wonderful Bette Davis as the infamous Ms. Wonderly
in Satan Met a Lady. The other is a pre-code version
also called The Maltese Falcon that is almost unwatchable.
But, thankfully, among the cinema le poo is
the crowning jewel of the set, the disc dedicated to the magic
of The Maltese Falcon we all know and covet, they have
included a feature documentary called, “One Magnificent
Bird.” Hollywood big shots and scholars talk about Huston’s
dynamic film, its often surprising residual effect on film, and
the careers of most of its stars. The special also enlightens
the viewer on author of the book which started it all, Dashiell
Hammett. This is one helluva documentary.
In the rest
of the "smaller" films, you'll see what a big star does
over the summer. The films are historically fun, if not the ones
Humphrey was probably most proud of . For example, there's a scene
in Passage to Marseille, where Free French beau Bogie,
gal in arms, glances over an obvious set painting of a French
valley and in his best New Yorkese states, "Dis is where
I grew up..." or some such brouhaha of bull. I still have
to pull over the car when I think of that scene. He made NO attempt
to "French it up." And he didn't have to, he was Bogart
- plus how silly would that have been? Of course, now the street
wise delivery is just precious. If he wasn't a huge star when
the film was made, I am sure the press would have served up a
hefty verbal lashing. But that small scene is also a microcosm
of the real Humphrey Bogart, honest and no bullcrap.
And, though
the films aren't award winners, as after-the-fact viewers will
relish in the familiar faces upon his screen. Costarring faces
you'll squeal at like Peter Lorre, Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet,
and peppered in the "background" are few of the Warner
Bros. stable of multi-talents like Barton McLane and Frank McHugh.
Which brings
me to another jewel in the set. They have four mini-docs of high
caliber included. One, an ode in the form of featurette to these
character actors of Warner Bros. (and film really) called, Call
in the Usual Suspects, reminds you how important these folks
are. The other featurettes look at the agenda behind each film’s
release. The Warner Bros. were very politically active and were
not opposed to creating biased films with their studio.
Warner Bros.
of today adds dollops of time capsule goodies in the form of cartoons,
and newsreels, plus loads of never-before-seen snippets and uber
detailed film geek heaven styled audio commentary. And the speakers
in the set are brilliant; if you don't usually listen to commentary,
you'll want to listen here. It's like film school lectures on
Bogart and early films of Warner!
DVDs by Warner
Home Video always seem absolutely jam packed with great film lover
extras. Bogart’s second set simply confirms their dedication
to making home viewing an event. This set (and most of their others)
are like a home film festival on their subject.
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