6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
An American singing star in London tries to reclaim the son she gave up for adoption.
Starring: Judy Garland, Dirk Bogarde, Jack Klugman, Aline MacMahon, Gregory Phillips (I)Musical | 100% |
Drama | 16% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
1963 really should have been a banner year for Judy Garland. The much beloved entertainer had not one but two major feature films open within just a few weeks of each other, I Could Go on Singing and A Child Is Waiting, both of which offered the singing dynamo the chance to once again prove her dramatic acting chops. Later that year, Garland would also launch what was at the time one of the most highly anticipated weekly variety shows of the 1963-64 season, her eponymous hour which CBS was certain would finally knock Bonanza off of its ratings perch. Unfortunately, Garland was also (as she tended to be) up to her eyeballs in both personal and financial straits that year, and neither the films nor the television series really connected with the viewing public, despite all three having received at least sporadic acclaim. A Child is Waiting was probably the more maudlin enterprise of the two films starring Garland that appeared in 1963, but there’s little doubt that I Could Go On Singing also wants to tug (maybe rip) at the heartstrings as well, offering Judy as a not very thinly masked version of herself, a singing superstar named Jenny Bowman who has to come to terms with the fact that decisions she’s made throughout her life and career have now led to certain unavoidable consequences.
I Could Go On Singing is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. Culled from the MGM catalog, this boasts a generally above average looking presentation, though one that suffers from some curious color anomalies from time to time. Many folks tend to take Fox releases to task for a perceived "blue bias", and without getting into hackle raising debates, I'll simply point to Judy's skin tones in examples like the tenth screenshot and say that things look just slightly "off" at times. That said, the palette is rather nicely saturated, with elements like the nice green and blue ensemble Judy wears or her striking red dress in the "By Myself" sequence looking vivid and natural. Grain, while a trifle heavy at times (especially in what I assume was second unit work like the helicopter sequence above London), resolves naturally and encounters no compression issues. Detail is often quite striking in close-ups, and contrast is solid, helping to ameliorate some less than forceful blacks.
I Could Go On Singing features a nice sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track, one which offers suitable support for the film's long dialogue sequences as well as the interstitial musical elements. Judy's voice had seen (heard?) better days by the time of this film, but she's quite moving, especially in the softer ballads like Weill and Anderson's elegant "It Never Was You". She shreds through barnburners like "By Myself" with considerably more gusto, and if her actual vocal technique has a few wobbles and voice breaks, her dramatic impetus is so overwhelming that it hardly matters. Fidelity is excellent, and there are no problems of any kind to report.
- Lawrence Turman, Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman
- David Del Valle and Steven Peros
Both of Judy's 1963 feature films prove that, whatever her personal problems may have been, she was still capable of delivering really visceral dramatic performances. I Could Go on Singing ultimately doesn't quite have the courage of its convictions (one can easily imagine a kind of "well, we can have a happily ever after" accruing post-credits, despite the implications otherwise), but it's often quite moving, and Garland, Bogarde and (especially) Phillips are all excellent. Technical merits are generally very good to excellent, and I Could Go on Singing comes Recommended.
1976
1954
2014
Warner Archive Collection
1941
Warner Archive Collection
1949
1980
Warner Archive Collection
1936
2012
1980
1927
BD is Bonus Features
1964
1936
Limited Edition
1961
1956
2012
Fox Studio Classics
1954
Limited Edition to 3000
1953
1954
2005
Director's Cut
1977