Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Bedtime Story Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 28, 2021

Ralph Levy's "Bedtime Story" (1964) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson as well as vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Remember this, Dad. It takes six men to carry a guy to his grave, it takes one woman to put him there.

Both are con artists but have different styles. Lawrence Jameson (David Niven) is older and more sophisticated, the type of gentleman that would usually impress a lady who has already tasted true love and is secretly longing to do it again. The French Riviera is his preferred hunting ground, but, if necessary, he could be just as comfortable working in snowy St. Moritz. Freddy Benson (Marlon Brando) is younger, more formal, and a lot more direct. He is the handsome guy that a girl would want to be seen with, bring home, and trust. He does not have a favorite playground. In fact, because he is currently a GI in Germany, he can’t have a favorite playground.

Soon after Lawrence uses his charm to get discharged from the Army, they meet on a train bound for the French Riviera. They start a conversation, and after Benson reveals the range of his skills, completely unaware that he has engaged a true master of the seduction game, Jameson decides to get rid of him using a sultry Italian assistant. At Beaumont-sur-Mer, the assistant appears, Benson immediately decides to pursue her, and Jameson gets off the train, convinced that he has discarded a potentially dangerous competitor for good.

But a few days later Benson reappears with Mrs. Larsson-Knudsen, the widow of the Swedish Match King, a much-anticipated future target for Jameson, and ready to play ball. With the invaluable assistance of the local police chief (Aram Stephan), Jameson then promptly gets Benson arrested for fraud, and shortly after arranges that he is released if he agrees to permanently leave Beaumont-sur-Mer. The appreciative Benson then quickly packs his bags and hops on the next plane to America, but fate introduces him to Fanny Eubank (Dody Goodman), one of his savior’s recent targets, who accidentally reveals that he isn’t the dignitary he has been pretending to be. Now fully aware that he has been played twice, Benson returns determined to challenge Jameson in a decisive duel that would determine who gets to rule wonderful Beaumont-sur-Mer. To pick the winner, the two con artists would have to conquer the heart and checkbook of The American Soap Queen, Ms. Janet Walker (Shirley Jones), who has just arrived in town.

Ralph Levy’s Bedtime Story is the type of charming and witty old-fashioned comedy that is quite simply impossible to dislike. To be clear, it does not get everything right, but it oozes that very special positive cinematic energy that negates anything and everything one could potentially be dissatisfied with.

Niven and Brando are fine competitors, but it has to be said that from time to time the latter struggles a bit to keep up with the former. Indeed, Niven looks a lot more natural and relaxed, capable of altering the emotions and body language of his character with a precision that makes everything he says and does entirely organic. Brando is very entertaining, especially after the duel is initiated, but it is always clear that he is fully aware of the camera’s presence.

The ladies look good too, but Jones is the one that leaves a lasting impression simply because she is required to do plenty more with her character. Goodman made her acting debut playing ‘Fanny of Omaha’, which is one of the funniest characters in the film.

In 1988, Frank Oz directed Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a terrific remake of Bedtime Story with Michael Caine and Steve Martin. These two legendary actors are so good together that it is quite easy to argue that the remake is a much better film.

Bedtime Story Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bedtime Story arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master that provides the film with a very healthy appearance. However, there are quite a few areas with obvious density fluctuations and some other minor image unevenness which reveal that the film would have greatly benefited from a proper restoration. This becomes particularly obvious if the film is viewed on a larger screen where limitations impacting delineation and depth are impossible to ignore. The color palette is convincing, but this is another area where some meaningful improvements can be made. The best news is that there are absolutely no traces of problematic digital corrections, which is why from start to finish the film maintains a very solid organic appearance. Again, if you have a big screen or project, this makes a tremendous difference. Image stability is very good. I did not notice any large cuts, debris, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Bedtime Story Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clear and stable. It is nicely balanced, too. I had the volume of my system turned up quite a bit and did not notice any anomalies in the upper register, where older films usually reveal weaknesses introduced by aging. Dynamic intensity is very good for a film from the early 1960s, but I think that there is room for some minor cosmetic adjustments that could even out some bits and expand some dynamic nuances.

Bedtime Story Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson.

• Promotional Materials -
  
  1. Trailer One
  2. Trailer Two
  3. Teaser

Bedtime Story Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is impossible to dislike Ralph Levy's Bedtime Story because its wit is timeless and charm quite simply irresistible. However, I think that Frank Oz's remake, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, is an even better film. David Niven and Marlon Brando are very entertaining together, but Michael Caine and Steve Martin move the competition between the two con artists to a completely different level. You don't have to agree with me. Both films are now available on Blu-ray, and both look really good too, so pick them up for your collection and decide for yourself whether it is so. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.