6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A good-natured saddle tramp traveling with his sidekick, is mistaken for a ruthless outlaw with a price on his head.
Starring: Gary Cooper, Loretta Young, William Demarest, Dan Duryea, Frank SullyWestern | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Seeing an iconic actor known for one particular type of portrayal skewer that image can often lead to unexpectedly enjoyable results, as evidenced by the relatively recent Killing Gunther, a film which had undeniable problems but which generated some substantial laughs from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s gonzo take on the titular action adventure hitman character. Something perhaps even more extreme is on display in the engaging Along Came Jones, Gary Cooper’s sole producing credit (though he evidently had some sort of production input on Casanova Brown, also recently released by ClassicFlix) and a film where the laconic actor upends his image as a stalwart and stolid western hero. That very subterfuge begins with his character’s name, Melody Jones, one that makes him sound for all the world like one of those “singing cowboys” from days of yore (and indeed the film trumpets — no pun intended — that built in reference), but the disconnect between perceived image and “reality” continues when it turns out Melody can’t handle a gun, has more than a few problems getting the girl, and basically stumbles through a series of admittedly rote western escapades without much of a clue as to what’s actually going on.
Along Came Jones is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of ClassicFlix with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. Both the restoration comparison and the film itself begin with the (same) text cards alerting the viewer that "time has not been kind" to the elements utilized as source material, and the restoration demonstration in particular makes it clear that there were some pretty bad examples of age related wear and tear (one particularly bad example involving what looks like ripping and tearing on the left side of the frame in a scene involving Demarest is testament to the repair efforts that were made by ClassicFlix). This is another extremely commendable job by ClassicFlix, one that has obviously eliminated all sorts of damage, and helped to stabilize what was at times evidently a warped and decidedly unstable image. While this is largely a pristine looking presentation, some very small anomalies creep through (look at the tiny spot on Cooper's cheek in screenshot 1), and there are still signs of warped frames that couldn't be completely corrected. Contrast and black levels are markedly improved (judging by the restoration comparison), but as with a couple of other ClassicFlix titles I've reviewed, I personally found the overall look here arguably a bit on the dark side, something that tends to mask some detail levels in darker scenes. Detail levels are generally quite pleasing, especially in close-ups. The most ragged looking moments here are the (many) optical dissolves, several of which are fairly fuzzy looking (see screenshots 18 and 19).
Along Came Jones features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono mix which, like the video element, can't quite completely overcome some of the ravages of time. This is one of the more ubiquitously noisy tracks ClassicFlix has offered in terms of hiss and even occasional pops and cracks. There's one kind of interesting moment at circa 10:23 where a brief pop is followed by an obvious change in overall fidelity and dynamics, suggesting that perhaps this had to be cobbled together from more than one source, or that a single source had some significant damage. There's also at least a bit of noticeable distortion in louder amplitudes as in the gonging bells that announce the Independent Productions masthead. That said, dialogue makes it through the gauntlet fine, with nothing really falling by the wayside despite occasional blips in quality.
There are a couple of interesting if tangential things about Along Came Jones that may interest those who otherwise might not care one whit about a largely forgotten comedy western with two stars who are sadly perhaps also becoming forgotten. First of all, the film closes with a little vignette which may make some a bit uneasy in this #metoo environment that is sweeping the nation. Less "problematically", though, this film is a really interesting stylistic collaboration between director Stuart Heisler and cinematographer Milton R. Krasner, and in fact some of the uncharacteristic chiaroscuro lighting techniques in the second half of the film would have been more at home in a noir (there's a very interesting little B film from Heisler that anticipates several noir stylistic conceits, 1941's Among the Living, with Albert Dekker as twins, one of whom is crazed, Susan Hayward as a floozy who attracts the crazy one and Frances Farmer as the wife of the normal one). Along Came Jones is fitfully humorous, if rarely laugh out loud hilarious, and ClassicFlix has done another nice job in rescuing a lesser remembered film from the ash heap of history. Recommended.
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