Goin' to Town Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Goin' to Town Blu-ray Movie Review

An entertaining classic with a lot to offer cinema enthusiasts.

Goin' to Town is a classic Western comedy offering audiences a fun genre trip. The production is the first Western to star the iconic Mae West. Featuring a story penned by Marion Morgan and George B. Dowell, Goin' to Town is well worth checking out. Produced by William LeBaron (The General Died at Dawn, It's the Old Army Game), cinema enthusiasts will want to see it for the strong performances by Mae West and Monroe Owsley.

Cleo Borden (Mae West) becomes a wealthy inheritor after an unexpected shoot-out leads to a fatality. As Cleo now oversees a ranch and oil business, she goes up against the oil tycoon Edward Carrington (Paul Cavanagh) and the game is on. After exploring the world of horseracing, Cleo soon finds that suitor Fletcher Colton (Monroe Owsley) might be a perfect match (and an engagement follows). A romantic entanglement ensues and adventure unfolds.

Mae West delivers a strong performance in the leading role. The performance offered her plenty of opportunity to shine and the results are magnificent. The role was a great fit for the charming and sophisticated actress. West oozes with confidence and sensuality throughout the feature- film. A excellent effort.

The production has some outstanding merits. The art direction by Hans Dreier (Double Indemnity, Sunset Blvd.) and Robert Usher (The Jungle Princess, Hold Back the Dawn) is superb and it also provides the film with a nice sense of style. The artistic merits are strong here and make a big impression.

A star performance. Fans of Mae West won't want to miss it.

The music score composed by John Leipold (The Big Wheel), Stephan Pasternacki (Dancers in the Dark), and Tom Satterfield (Belle of the Nineties) is a nice backdrop to the production. As the score meshes well with the production, the filmmaking excels and finds a nice tonal balance. There is something charming about the effort and its breezy creativity.

The cinematography by Karl Struss (The Great Dictator, Sunrise) is a great element of the film. The visual component adds a sense of charm. The black-and-white cinematography fits the stlye of filmmaking. Scenes are well-lit and photographed, making the production more engaging to watch.

The screenplay by Mae West (Belle of the Nineties, Night After Night) is another strong effort by the gifted writer. West made so many strong artistic contributions as both an actress and writer over her career. Goin' to Town is a sure-fire hit for her and an example of her impressive creative scope.

Directed by Alexander Hall (The Great Lover, Here Comes Mr. Jordan), Goin' to Town is a fun and old-fashioned cinematic experience. The production is well mounted by Hall. The film is also well-edited by LeRoy Stone (Going My Way, Make Way for Tomorrow). Hall worked well with Mae West. The collaboration was certainly fruitful and cinema enthusiasts will enjoy the ride.

Goin' to Town Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Goin' to Town is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 full frame. The release of Goin' to Town features a strong encode and there were no significant issues to report in regards to the presentation. A satisfying transfer with nice black levels. There were no significant issues with scratches (and the like) to report.

Goin' to Town Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio mono. The lossless audio on the release is an enormously satisfying one. Dialogue was crisp and clear throughout the presentation. The audio track never struggled to preserve the sound design. There were no egregious issues with hiss, crackle, warps, pops, or clicks to report.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

Goin' to Town Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger

Goin' to Town Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:42)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: Night After Night (SD, 2:39), I'm No Angel (SD, 1:58), Belle of the Nineties (HD, 1:54), Every Day's a Holiday (HD, 2:27), and My Little Chickadee (SD, 1:36).

Goin' to Town Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Goin' to Town is an entertaining comedy classic. Written by and starring Hollywood legend Mae West, Goin' to Town is a fun charmer that audiences will enjoy enormously. There is a lot of fun to be had here and classic film enthusiasts will want to experience the show. The Blu-ray has a strong video and audio presentation. Highly recommended.