6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
When Miss Vicki's father dies, she becomes the world's greatest philanthropist. Unfortunately, she is flat broke! Her loyal butler, Claude Fitzwilliam, leads the household staff to rob from various businesses by charging goods to various wealthy people and misdirecting the shipments, all to keep Miss Vicki's standard of living. After Fitzwilly's mother died Miss Vicki helped raise him and he loves her like a mother and would do anything for her. With Fitzwilly's encouragement, Miss Vicki writes a "Dictionary for Dopes" which contains all possible phonetic spellings of a word, and gives the reader the correct one, and for that she needs a secretary. Juliet is the one who is hired, soon she is caught up in the intrigue and falls in love with Fitzwilly. They agree to carry out one more caper before they get married, to keep Miss Vicki comfortable for the rest of her days.
Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Barbara Feldon, John McGiver, Edith Evans, John FiedlerCrime | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, C (B untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Delbert Mann's "Fitzwilly" (1967) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new audio commentary recorded by filmmaker/historian Michael Schlesinger and film archivist Stan Taffel as well as vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Excluding a few tiny details, it is an entirely legit operation.
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Fitzwilly arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
While the master that was used to produce this release is completely free of problematic digital corrections, it shows signs of ageing that are impossible to ignore. The main limitations are in the area of color reproduction where saturation and balance can be quite a bit better. Wider panoramic shots should reveal better nuances as well, particularly where natural light is in abundance. Darker areas look decent, but shadow definition should be superior. Depth ranges from good to very good, so on a larger screen the visuals are still quite attractive. Image stability is good. A few small specks and blemishes can be spotted, but there are no distracting large debris, cuts, warped or torn frames to report. (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).
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. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The audio is clear and stable. The upper register is healthy as well. Also, dynamic balance and intensity are very good. Can the audio be better if it it is fully remastered? Well, I think that when the current master was prepared the audio was properly transferred, so I am unsure if any significant improvements can be made. Some cosmetic upgrades can probably be introduced with modern digital tools, but I don't know if they will be easy to appreciate.
I would have preferred to see a greater emphasis on the con jobs, but I do understand why the comedy and romance are what ultimately give Fitzwilly its identity. The great chemistry between its stars is undeniable, and it is of the kind that feels perfect for that kind of a romantic comedy. I had a good time with Fitzwilly, and I do agree with Michael Schlesinger and Stan Taffel that it can be a great film to see come Christmas time. RECOMMENDED.
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