Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Goin' to Town Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 16, 2022

Note: This version of this film is available on Blu-ray as part of Mae West in Hollywood.

For a star who was perceived to be such a voluptuous female sex symbol, Mae West had, well, swagger. Just look at the way she gallivants, even marauds, physically through her scenes, walking almost like a prize fighter observing some prey she's just devastated. She frequently has a masculine mien in her gait, hands on hips almost threateningly, and with a kind of pugnacious attitude that nonetheless never completely masks a rather unexpectedly sweet and kind aspect to many of her characters, even if those characters are just as apt to be tough as nails. Specifically in terms of West's memorable saunter, if none of her other unforgettable aspects, one of the commentaries included with this set calls West's distinctive stride a "shimmy" that West supposedly overtly stated was culled from watching black women, though some may jokingly wonder if West was also watching black men for a few pointers. What is kind of fascinating about West's ineluctable allure in terms of behaviors and mannerisms, though, is how she manages to be slyly seductive and ridiculously overheated almost simultaneously, but it's instructive to note that this layering of attitudes and demeanors, as well as "mere" physical presence, was part and parcel of West's own writing and character building acumen, since it seems only obvious that West was more than aware that she was putting on a show on any number of levels. West's proclivities as "another" kind of auteur, one who crafted a series of films that frequently were based on West's own ideas and/or writing, are rather prominently on display in this handsome new(ish) set from Powerhouse Films' Indicator imprint, which aggregates together ten features ranging from 1932 to 1943.

Goin' to Town once again revisits several elements which had found success in previous starring efforts on the part of West. She's once again a rather suggestive singer in the 19th century, in this case a "wild west" chanteuse named Cleo Borden. It looks like Cleo is headed into a more or less arranged (and/or won in a crap game) marriage to a man she doesn't like, let alone love, but fate intervenes, the guy (another sidebar character involved in some kind of criminal activity, per West movie tradition) is killed, and Cleo ends up inheriting his rather vast fortune, which includes a race horse. In what is kind of a riff on "culturing up" that was part and parcel of Night After Night (albeit with regard to the character played by George Raft in that film), Cleo finds that she may need to at least appear to be "classy" to blend in with the elites of Buenos Aires, where she's gone to partake in a horse race. There's a bit more of "class consciousness" in this film, which offers Cleo as a generally good hearted but perhaps naïve would be entrant into high society. As tends to be the case in a lot of West films from this period, there are criminal activities and other bad behaviors in the margins of the story, but of course goodness, or at least the West version of honor (since West famously proclaimed "goodness had nothing to do with it"), prevails in the long run.

Goin' to Town Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Goin to Town is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Powerhouse Films' Indicator imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.35:1. The back cover of this release states this is a "2018 restoration. . .from a 4K scan". As I've mentioned in several other reviews of films in the Mae West set, it's probably best to at least somewhat temper expectations that typically accompany the phrase "4K scan", since this is another element that shows definite signs of age related wear and tear, though usually in the form of relatively minor scratches. There's also a prevalent softness to the imagery quite a bit of the time, though detail levels on things like a lacy collar West wears can be quite inviting. Contrast and black levels are solid throughout the presentation. Grain can be pretty thick and even a tad "dirty" looking, but resolves a good deal more tightly than on some of the earlier films in this set.

Goin' to Town Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Goin' to Town features a decent sounding LPCM Mono track. Like many of the other audio presentations in this set, there's an undeniable boxiness, with some background hiss and not a ton of dynamic range, but both dialogue and music are supported well enough. There's no outright damage in the form of dropouts. Optional English subtitles are available.

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

Powerhouse Films has packaged this release with both Goin' to Town and Klondike Annie sharing a disc. The following is a complete listing of supplements on the disc:

• Klondike Annie Audio Commentary with Eloise Ross


• Downtown Girl (HD; 33:24) features Lucy Bolton offering her thoughts on Mae West.


• Goin' to Town Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:40)


• Goin' to Town Image Gallery (HD)


• Klondike Annie Image Gallery (HD)

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

Goin' to Town is probably a bit of a step up from Belle of the Nineties, but that may be damning with faint praise. West is a lot of fun, and there's some comedy here that finds its target. Technical merits are appealing within the context of an aged element, and the supplements are also enjoyable, for those who may be considering making a purchase.