Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

40 Pounds of Trouble Blu-ray Movie Review

Directed by the great Norman Jewison (Moonstruck).

40 Pounds of Trouble is a comedy-drama based on the story “Little Miss Marker” by Damon Runyon. The feature- film is produced by Stan Margulies (Separate But Equal, Roots). The film stars Tony Curtis in the leading role. A family-friendly film that has plenty to offer audiences.

Steve McCluskey (Tony Curtis) is a successful hotel and casino manager having some trouble with the women in his life. After getting away from his ex-wife, Steve ends up getting asked a favor from the hotel owner. The favor? To go out with his gorgeous niece, Chris (Suzanne Pleshette).

Meanwhile, Steve finds Penny (Claire Wilcox), an abandoned child, whom Steve decides to help look after and make sure she is well taken care of. As the story unfolds, Steve goes out on an exciting adventure at Disneyland with Chris and Penny in tow. Can Disneyland help save the day?

40 Pounds of Trouble benefits from some impressive performances. Tony Curtis is surprisingly excellent in the leading role. The part seems well-suited to his demeanor and the part was a nice fit. Suzanne Pleshette similarly impresses and has some nice chemistry with Curtis. Lastly, Claire Wilcox delivers a strong performance for a child actor. The cast admirably performed together as an ensemble.

The score composed by Mort Lindsey (A Happening in Central Park, The Best Man) is another compelling production element. The score adds some charm to the filmmaking. The tone is well done and provides the filmmaking with a sense of charisma. A strong effort by Lindsey.

A charming family-friendly comedy-drama.

The cinematography by Joseph MacDonald (How to Marry a Millionaire, The Sand Pebbles) is also impressive. The visuals provide the filmmaking with a sense of charm. There are many unique and compelling visuals throughout.

There are other compelling production elements on display as well. The art direction by Robert Clatworthy (Psycho , Touch of Evil) and Alexander Golitzen (Cape Fear, Phantom of the Opera ) provides the film with some strong creative elements: including the Disneyland sequences – with wonder. The costumes by Rosemary Odell (City Beneath the Sea, To Kill a Mockingbird) also fit the characters well. A solid effort by Odell.

The screenplay by Marion Hargrove (The Music Man, The Magician) is at the heart of 40 Pounds of Trouble. The film has a nice storyline and the pacing is effective. The characters are compelling and the journey they go on is worthwhile. Hargrove wrote an excellent screenplay and imbued it with great style and originality. An exceptional effort.

Directed by Norman Jewison (Moonstruck, Jesus Christ Superstar), 40 Pounds of Trouble is a entertaining comedy-drama. The film has a number of impressive sequences – and Jewison provides the filmmaking with the right balance of heart and humor. Jewison also brought out great performances from the ensemble cast. 40 Pounds of Trouble is well worth checking out.

40 Pounds of Trouble Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, 40 Pounds of Trouble is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The presentation quality is generally solid throughout. The print is exceptionally clean and crisp. The transfer shows filmic grain. There are no examples of egregious DNR (digitial noise reduction) to report. The film simply impresses with a solid video- encode that doesn't suffer from glaring print damage, debris, or scratches. Colors may appear a little muted compared to modern productions (but are still reasonably good).

40 Pounds of Trouble Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio mono. The lossless audio sounds impressive throughout the feature-film presentation. Dialogue is crisp and clean. The track has exceptional fidelity and never struggles to present the audio-material. There are no issues with egregious hiss, crackle, warps, pops, clicks, and other-such audio-related detriments to report.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

40 Pounds of Trouble Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger and Mike McPadden

40 Pounds of Trouble Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:24)

40 Pounds of Trouble Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

40 Pounds of Trouble is an entertaining comedy-drama with a splendid heart. The film offers strong performances from the cast – including Hollywood icon Tony Curtis. The Blu-ray release features a impressive video-audio presentation. Fans of the film will be enormously pleased with the end results. Recommended.