Glorifying the American Girl Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Glorifying the American Girl Blu-ray Movie Review

An underrated classic with enormous spectacle

Glorifying the American Girl is an enormously entertaining classic spectacle with dance numbers and spirited music throughout the entire experience. Produced by Monta Bell (Young Man of Manhattan, Lights of Old Broadway), there is something undeniably charming about the entire experience. It is magical. This is a gem that must be seen for the terrific Ziegfeld dancing.

Exploring the rise to stardom of the drop-dead gorgeous Gloria Hughes (Mary Eaton), the talented girl rises into success seemingly out of nowhere. Picked out by a Ziegfeld agent looking for new talent, it isn't long before Gloria goes from being an ordinary clerk to becoming a popular showgirl sensation overnight. Signed up for a five-year contract with Ziegfeld, the dancing is in full-swing. The film showcases the girls beautiful determination to be her absolute best and to perform with all of her breadth of skill.

Glorifying the American Girl showcases both the beauty of the showbiz industry (with Gloria's rise to stardom) and some of the unfortunate pitfalls which are sometimes encountered. Gloria wants merely to dance on the stage (as a huge talent) but she faces the struggle of being approached with behind-the-scenes casting couch behavior from a producer. Despite such circumstances, Gloria is a determined girl who overcomes her obstacles and dances with grace. The film showcases a number of fantastic dance sequences and the story builds to an entertaining conclusion with the “Glorifying the American Girl” Ziegfeld show becoming a centerpiece of the entire film.

"Oh how glorified I am!"

As a musical, it delivers in spades. Featuring music by Irving Berlin (Holiday Inn) and several other Hollywood greats working together, Glorifying the American Girl is worth a watch just for the fine tunes and incredible dances. The film will have audiences tapping their toes right alongside these characters.

The film also showcases some early special optical effects that are truly outstanding. These scenes go hand in hand with the cinematography by George J. Folsey (Meet Me in St. Louis, Forbidden Planet). The black and white imagery is evocative and timeless.

The screenplay by Glorifying the American Girl director Millard Webb with co-screenwriter J.P. McEvoy (The Pursuit of Happiness, It's a Gift) is quite entertaining. The central storyline has impressive energy that carries the filmmaking into impressive directions that are unexpected. Throughout the film, the humor is outstanding and the central characters are fun to behold.

While the main arc surrounding the rise of Gloria is the main attraction of the script, my favorite scene is surprisingly one that could have been completely excised from the final cut without any impact to the main story. During the conclusion (as the stage production plays out on screen), there's a comical and somewhat-lengthy routine in which a man enters a fitting-shop looking for a brand new suit. As the tailors surround him, two overly-enthusiastic men are determined to get a sale no matter the cost. It charmed and entertained in spades. What a sequence. It should not be overlooked.

Millard Webb (The Happy Ending, The Love Thrill) crafted a true gem. For any fans of classic cinema looking to delve into a sure-fire hit with exceptional music, dance, and beautiful ladies this is a must-see film that succeeds at fulfilling the promise of the title. Oh, what a show!

Glorifying the American Girl Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray (for the first time) from distributor Kino Lorber, Glorifying the American Girl has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.20:1 (full frame). The release has received a reasonably impressive 2K transfer which was taken from the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The scan for the release utilized a 35mm source for the presentation. In delving into the presentation, the first thing to commend is that the transfer is quite sharp, striking, and detailed for much of the transfer.

The level of clarity on the Blu-ray presentation is often astonishing. The beautiful black and white cinematography is kept intact and looks downright splendid. There are a few sequences in color and which are of a considerably less crisp and detailed variety (and may be source-related). The black and white footage on the scan is much more refined looking than the brief color sequences ever appear. There are some small scratches on the print as well (which can sometimes distract) but no detrimental burns to the print or other anomalies to report. A worthwhile scan that will leave viewers feeling satisfied.

Glorifying the American Girl Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented with a lossless, uncompressed PCM mono audio track. The release is encoded in 16 bit depth. The release is unfortunately a bit underwhelming on the audio side. While the track is certainly acceptable given the age and quality of the elements available, the clarity on display doesn't match the level of restorative work seen on some classic film releases. The track is a bit muffled and fidelity is only average at best. The release also has a thin layer of hiss throughout the entire film presentation. It's a minor distraction and something of note but does not completely detract from experiencing this gem. Optional English SDH subtitles (for the deaf and hard of hearing) are also provided.

Please Note:

Blu-ray.com reader Murray Buchanan was kind to point out that he encountered sound only coming out of one of the stereo speakers (sound was only heard on the left side). Upon double-checking the Blu-ray disc, I have found this unfortunate issue to be correct when in stereo mode. Kino should offer a replacement disc program to those troubled by the issue. For viewers using receiver audio options to upmix sound, you might not encounter this issue and are encouraged to consider these options for the time being. The review will receive another update should Kino follow-up with a replacement program.

UPDATE:

A disc replacement program has been created. Please fill out the form if affected by the audio issue on this release. Kino will begin mailing replacements to those who request one beginning in February or March 2020.

Glorifying the American Girl Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Under the "audio setup" tab on the disc one can find an audio commentary track provided by Richard Barrios (author of A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film).

The disc also includes the following supplemental features:

La Cucaracha (HD, 20:30) is a beautiful technicolor short film directed by Lloyd Corrigan. The feature has a charming (and downright gorgeous) leading-lady and some spectacular dance. The film is a must see for anyone acquiring the release. An imaginative, engaging, and worthwhile short.

Hollywood – City of Celluloid (HD, 7:42) is a classic newsreel provided from the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The piece focuses on Hollywood stars and their beloved mansions. With the newsreel footage showcasing a tour-guide style approach, it's a charming piece worth a look for nostalgia alone.

Hearst Metrotone News (HD, 2:04) features some dance footage filmed behind-the-scenes for a production by Florenz Ziegfeld in development for the stage production for Broadway.

Glorifying the American Girl Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Glorifying the American Girl is an impressive Hollywood spectacle with gorgeous ladies, wonderful tunes, fantastic dances, and laugh-out-loud comedic sequences to keep audiences entertained. The film has a heart and a solid storyline as well. With an impressive lead performance by the great Mary Eaton, Glorifying the American Girl is undeniably classic cinema through-and-through.

12/16/2019 - UPDATE:

Kino Lorber has responded to concerns over audio issues on the release of Glorifying the American Girl. Some viewers will experience an issue with audio only output from the left speaker when the feature is played back in stereo mode. For those affected by the issue, Kino has created a disc-replacement program.

There is a form that owners can fill out to request a disc replacement, which will begin shipping in February or March of 2020. The replacement disc form can be accessed here.