Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Back Street Blu-ray Movie Review

Back Street is an old-fashioned Hollywood melodrama. The feature-film is based on the novel by Fannie Hurst. Produced by Ross Hunter (All That Heaven Allows, Pillow Talk), Back Street was nominated for Best Costume Design. The third production of the story following the 1932 and 1941 versions. Stars Susan Hayward and John Gavin are the forefront of the production – a complicated romantic drama.

Rae Smith (Susan Hayward) and Paul Saxon (John Gavin) fall in love and the whirlwind of emotions is unexpected and overwhelming between them both. As their circumstances prevent them from being able to marry one another, the pair begin an affair with each other and the illicit relationship continues on for the rest of their lives. One of them is unavailable and married to another person. Yet something even more tragic happens along the way – making things all the more complicated.

The film is carried by the lead performances. Without the emphasis on the cast, Back Street would be a difficult film as it so heavily emphasizes the performances and the chemistry between the two leading actors. Susan Hayward and John Gavin rise to the challenge. The actors must play two lovebirds who find themselves in an unexpected romance. One of the characters is already married – and did not expect another romance to bloom. The actors rely on one another to bring the tale to life.

The production is worthwhile and showcases some impressive elements. The art direction by Alexander Golitzen (Foreign Correspondent, Touch of Evil) has a nice artistic touch and this enhances the film in a compelling way. Though the production design is traditional in many respects, the effort is clearly an impressive aspect of the film.

The costumes by Jean Louis (From Here to Eternity, Gilda) are arguably the greatest strength of Back Street. The costuming is excellent throughout the production. This is a film that showcases remarkable costumes and there is plenty to appreciate about the effort given to this aspect of the production. Louis provided elegant and sophisticated costumes.

The score composed by Frank Skinner (The House of the Seven Gables, Arabian Nights) adds to the drama. The score helps provide a sense of passion to the storytelling. The effort is worthwhile – a compelling score that adds to the emotional turmoil of the tale.

The cinematography by Stanley Cortez (The Night of the Hunter, Since You Went Away) is one of the highlights of the film. The production relies a great deal on the cinematography by Cortez. This is a compelling element of the filmmaking.

The screenplay by Eleanore Griffin (Imitation of Life, Time Out for Romance) and William Ludwig (The Student Prince, The Great Caruso) is one of the elements of Back Street that could have used some improvement. The script is overly dramatic at times and a bit too melodramatic for its own good. Disappointing.

The screenplay tackles difficult subjects towards the end of the film – such as a suicide attempt. These elements are poorly handled in the script. The dialogue isn’t as impressive as it could be in the film, either. The actors have to push themselves even more to elevate the material.

Directed by David Miller (Flying Tigers, The Opposite Sex), Back Street is a decent production and one that is worth seeing but it nonetheless struggles to find a perfect voice. Though Back Street has some wonderful elements, the filmmaking struggles to be more than a decent enough melodrama. See it (mostly) for the performances.

Back Street Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Back Street is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The presentation is pleasing overall. The transfer is nicely filmic and the print appears clean and natural looking (with only the occasional speck to the presentation). The transfer showcases the cinematography well. The color reproduction is excellent. The encoding by Kino Lorber is solid.

Back Street Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track sounds excellent. The lossless encoding capably preserves the soundstage. The audio is crisp and clear sounding on the release. Dialogue is certainly well reproduced. There are no significant issues to report. The track is free from worrisome issues with hiss or crackle (and other distracting imperfections). The audio fidelity sounds better than expected.  

Back Street Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Del Valle, Moderated by Filmmaker David DeCoteau

Back Street – Trailer (HD, 2:25)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber:

Rawhide – Trailer (SD, 2:27)

I Want to Live! – Trailer (HD, 2:12)

Midnight Lace – Trailer (SD, 2:43)

Portrait in Black – Trailer (SD, 1:09)

Madame X – Trailer (SD, 2:27)

All I Desire – Trailer (SD, 1:05)

The Tarnished Angels – Trailer (SD, 2:41)

Back Street Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Back Street is a reasonably engaging melodrama exploring a whirlwind romance that becomes an illicit affair and ends up lasting a lifetime. One of the characters is already married and unavailable to the other in a complete way. The drama unfolds as a result of this romance. The performances by Susan Hayward and John Gavin are essential to the film. Though Back Street is a bit too melodramatic for my tastes, it is worth seeing for the performances.

The Blu-ray release includes a worthwhile high-definition presentation – a nice transfer of the film and solid lossless audio encoding. The release also includes an audio commentary track and a selection of vintage trailers. Recommended.