Bus Riley's Back in Town Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Bus Riley's Back in Town Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 12, 2023

Harvey Hart's "Bus Riley's Back in Town: (1965) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critics Lee Pfeiffer and Paul Scrabo and new program with professor Lucy Bolton. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Get in the car, boy.

Several years after breaking up with the girl of his dreams and enlisting in the Navy to forget about her, Bus Riley (Michael Parks) returns home a new man. But after a predictably euphoric family reception, Bus discovers that nothing is as it once was -- his little sister has grown up and started dating, the great job he was promised no longer has the same description, the town which he used to know like the palm of his hand has picked up a new identity. Laurel (Ann-Margret), his beautiful ex-girlfriend, has married a much older, very wealthy businessman, too.

Barely able to hide the frustration that is eating him from within and suppress the anger that has started overwhelming it, Bus quickly evolves into a disillusioned cynic. At a local bar, while describing his misery, Bus attracts the attention of a prosperous, freelancing gigolo, who later offers to teach him the secrets of a profession that could make him rich quickly and allow him to remain independent for the rest of his life. At home, Bus tells his aging mother that he is considering a new career, not the car mechanic position she has been promoting to him, and without revealing what it might be, begins meeting some of the town’s loneliest housewives.

It is how Bus begins dating Laurel again -- only this time she arranges their dates while her husband is away and hands him cash when they part ways. Despite still having feelings for Laurel, initially, Bus remains professional and gives her what she demands, but the more she books him, the clearer it becomes to him that he is throwing away the best years of his life.

It is a great shame that Michael Parks permanently remained in the shadow of James Dean because Bus Riley’s Back in Town provides ample evidence proving that he was every bit as photogenic and talented. Parks simply needed a few lucky breaks, which could have materialized if he had a savvy industry mentor to properly build his cinematic image.

Directed by Harvey Hart in 1965, Bus Riley’s Back in Town demands to be compared to some of Douglas Sirk’s greatest melodramas, but it is impossible to think of it as an ambitious copycat. It is because it introduces unique characters that refuse to be glamorous pieces that must do everything right to make the melodrama as striking as possible. This is the biggest reason Bus Riley’s Back in Town looks to be at least a decade ahead of its time as well -- its cynicism and realism are almost perfectly balanced and very organic. (For reference, Sirk’s Written on the Wind enters the same area and deals with very similar themes but reveals an unmistakable desire to control its characters, which is why it frequently looks more glamorous than authentic).

But Bus Riley’s Back in Town is not an average looking film either. Indeed, it was lensed by the great cinematographer Russell Metty, who a couple of years earlier had won an Oscar statuette for his work with Stanley Kubrick on Spartacus, and rather predictably it produces plenty of breathtaking visuals. Interestingly, these visuals are quite diverse, too. For example, there are several sequences in which Ann-Margret works hard to reclaim Parks where she looks like Hollywood’s biggest sex symbol. (This is not an exaggeration. She looks as stunning as Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner, and Marylin Monroe did in their prime). Parks looks incredible, too. However, it is usually in sequences that without their lush colors would have been perfect in a ‘kitchen sink’ drama from the 1970s.

According to The New York Times, screenwriter William Inge demanded that his name is removed from the official credits because he disliked numerous changes that were made to alter Ann-Margret’s character. The character Inge had created was even meaner and forced the story to evolve differently. While the changes that were made are unfortunate, Bus Riley’s Back in Town is still rather remarkably bold for its time film.

Bus Riley's Back in Town 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, Bus Riley's Back in Town arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

The overall quality of the presentation is quite difficult to judge. On one hand, it is quite easy to declare that if properly restored the film will look healthier and far more attractive. On the other hand, the current master has pretty strong organic qualities and does not produce unbearably rough visuals. But overall the film has a dated appearance and this is why some areas are not as convincing as they could and should be. For example, there are several uneven transitions with noticeable density fluctuations. Grain exposure is not optimal either, though even on a very large screen I could not see any troubling anomalies. Color balance could be improved as well. Saturation levels need the most work, but there are some supporting nuances that can be tweaked a bit as well. (There is a tad too much green in some segments). However, it is worth pointing out that there are no digital anomalies, the color scheme is just dated. Some minor surface imperfections are visible too, so there is certainly room for meaningful cosmetic work. All in all, the current produces a good organic presentation of the film, but quite a few visuals have a dated appearance. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Bus Riley's Back in Town Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

The dialog is clear and always easy to follow. However, early into the film, I noticed a couple of areas with minor stability fluctuations. These are not the type of fluctuations that will affect your viewing experience, but they make it easy to conclude that the audio can use a remastering job. Dynamic intensity is very good for a film from the 1960s. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report in our review.

Bus Riley's Back in Town Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Lee Pfeiffer and Paul Scrabo. The commentators address the drama that flourished after some notable changes were made to the screenplay that William Inge delivered, the overall modest appearance of the film, the nature of the conflicts that are depicted in it and the public's perception(s) of them during the 1960s, etc. However, I just have to state that I absolutely disagree with the early suggestion that the film was obviously done "inexpensively", which implies that it was rushed and mismanaged. The fact that it turned out differently than initially planned does not mean that it was some sort of a giant and underwhelming compromise.

• Film Professor Lucy Bolton on Ann-Margret - in this new program, professor Lucy Bolton discusses Ann-Margret's cinematic personality and the power of her sex appeal. In English, not subtitled. There are plenty of observations about her character in Bus Riley's Back in Town as well. (29 min).

Bus Riley's Back in Town Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If Douglas Sirk was forced to direct cinematic interpretations of his dazzling melodramas emphasizing the classic qualities of a 'kitchen-sink' drama, his masterpiece most likely would have looked like Harvey Hart's Bus Riley's Back in Town. A lot has been said and written about how Bus Riley's Back in Town was modified and turned out differently, but I am not convinced that the unmade film would have been a superior film. Yes, an even meaner Ann-Margret would have been at the center of a much more polarizing drama that could have produced bigger ripple effects, but I like a lot how she handles herself in the current version of the film. As far as the complete profile of her character is concerned, there aren't any important gaps left to fill. I cannot say that this is the case with Michael Parks and his character, but he looks terrific. This recent release is sourced from a somewhat uneven yet very pleasing organic 2K master that was prepared at Universal Pictures. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.