Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Gypsy Wildcat Blu-ray Movie Review

Gypsy Wildcat is a thrilling action-adventure romance with plenty of classic Hollywood spectacle. Starring Maria Montez, Jon Hall, Peter Coe, Nigel Bruce, Leo Carrillo, Gale Sondergaard, Douglass Dumbrille, Curt Bois, and Harry Cording, Gypsy Wildcat has an outstanding cast. Based on the story by James P. Hogan and Ralph Stock, Gypsy Wildcat is produced by George Waggner (Man Made Monster, The Wolf Man). Cineastes who appreciate classic adventures will enjoy this worthwhile and entertaining show.

Count Orso is no more. The count is discovered dead and word gets out that he may have been murdered. The leadership of an evil baron leads to a chase for the local gypsies, who the baron decides to imprison. The only eyewitness to the death of Count Orso is the beautiful gypsy Carla (Maria Montez).

As Carla attempts to survive the wrath of the baron, the gypsy finds protection from the dashing king’s messenger, Michael (Jon Hall). As the chase is on, unexpected romance stirs the wind. Can Carla find freedom from the wrath of the baron?

Maria Montez is a terrific leading lady. Montez is certainly one of my favorite classic Hollywood film stars and she does an outstanding job with the role. The performance is compelling and she has a natural charisma that makes the film more entertaining. Starring opposite Montez, Jon Hall also provides a worthwhile performance. The pair light up the screen.

The art direction by John B. Goodman (The Trouble with Harry, Shadow of a Doubt) and Martin Obzina (Stage to Blue River, Sky Liner) is another compelling aspect of the production. The production style impresses with sets and designs that deliver high spectacle. There is something refreshing when watching classic Hollywood spectacles like this one and seeing how well the production holds up. Remarkable efforts from all involved.

The costumes by Vera West (Madame Spy, The Wolf Man) are essential to the production as well. West is certainly amongst the most talented designers. There is something special about every production gifted with the costumes of Vera West – the designs are outstanding. Maria Montez has so many outstanding, beautiful, and noteworthy costumes. The rest of the cast are dressed well, too.

The cinematography by W. Howard Greene (When Worlds Collide, A Star Is Born) and George Robinson (Madame Spy, Son of Frankenstein) is certainly fantastic and one of the highlights of the production. Cinematographers Greene and Robinson bring the best out of the production. This is a visually compelling adventure. The Technicolor cinematography is stunning.

Edited by Russell F. Schoengarth (The Girl from Rio, My Man Godfrey), Gypsy Wildcat has a great and fun pace. The filmmaking never slows down and feels burdened by cumbersome scenes. The film flows with ease. A great effort.

The score composed by Edward Ward (Flying With Music, All I Desire) is enormously enjoyable and aids the adventure. The music certainly provided a compelling backdrop to the action. This is a fun score – certainly one with a good sense of what the genre requires.

The screenplay by James P. Hogan (Westbound Mail, Life Returns), Gene Lewis (Cobra Woman, I’ll Remember April), and James M. Cain (Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce) is delightful fun. This is refreshing. With so many writers involved on the production, one can’t be blamed for wondering if there might have been too many “cooks” in the kitchen. Yet the results are excellent and these are talented screenwriters. The script is fun, charming, and breezy.

Directed by Roy William Neill (Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, Black Angel), Gypsy Wildcat is a great classic gem. The filmmaking is enormous fun and there is a lot to appreciate about the sense of scale provided to the film. Neill brings forth great performances from the cast – and, naturally, the main attraction of the film is the star performers. An outstanding old-school adventure with a charming romance.

Gypsy Wildcat Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Gypsy Wildcat is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 full frame. The release features a brand-new remaster. The new 2K remaster looks exceptional and this is a wonderful, high-quality presentation. The Technicolor cinematography shines and the color reproduction looks excellent on the release. The print is in excellent condition overall and there are few issues with the scan. The quality encoding and restoration ensured a fantastic experience.

Gypsy Wildcat Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono sounds crisp and engaging on the release. Dialogue is well reproduced. The score is clear and dynamic sounding during the presentation. This is a quality audio track for a classic adventure film and the track never sounds too harsh. A quality audio master. The lossless encoding helps the experience as well.

Gypsy Wildcat Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary for Gypsy Wildcat by Film Historian David Del Valle

Gypsy Wildcat Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gypsy Wildcat is enormous fun and there is a lot to appreciate about these classic Hollywood adventure spectacles. The production design is impressive and the entire team assembled something that is quite special and worthwhile. Starring Maria Montez and Jon Hall, Gypsy Wildcat is an excellent showcase for these wonderful actors. The chemistry on screen is excellent as well. There is a good balance of action- adventure and romance.

The Blu-ray release features a brand new 2K remaster and the print quality on the release is enormously satisfying. This is a clean and crisp presentation and one that does a great job with reproducing the nice Technicolor visuals. The encoding is well done, too. I am in awe of classic film restorations when given this kind of treatment. Any fan of classic adventures should consider Gypsy Wildcat a must-see. Highly recommended.