6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The Great Elmer and Company, two out-of-work magicians, help lovelorn Jerry Bronson adopt Spanky Milford, to distract him. When Bronson makes up and elopes, the pair are stuck with the little boy. But Spanky inherits a Kentucky fortune, so they head south to Banesville, where the Milfords and Wakefields are conducting a bitter feud.
Starring: Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Mary Carlisle, George 'Spanky' McFarland, Noah BeeryComedy | Insignificant |
Music | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Starring together in 21 films during an eight-year stretch in the 1920s and 1930s, the Vaudeville comedy duo of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey were a popular fixture in American cinema as the silent era came to a close. And while it's rarely ranked at or near the top of their shared filmography, George Stevens' Kentucky Kernels is still a lightweight and enjoyable comedy with a great supporting cast that's almost outshined by a very young George "Spanky" McFarland, best known for Our Gang AKA The Little Rascals. The plot is secondary -- this one's all about characters.
So yeah, it's kind of a convoluted (and occasionally grim) setup for what amounts to a feather-light and charming comedy, and one that absolutely zips by at just 75 minutes. Running gags abound, from the lead pair's penchant for one-liners and trickery to Spanky's abuse of anything glass-related, with slapstick frequently filling in narrative gaps left by a "warring families" romantic drama arc that probably wasn't even new or refreshing in 1934. Luckily, Kentucky Kernels survives any major speed bumps by way of reliably good performances all around and decent visual gags, and even a rather lengthy song break near the film's mid-point feels more like a fun detour rather than a sore thumb. The film's only objective drawback is the loose frivolity of it all: it won't leave a tremendously lasting impression on brand new viewers but most of its rapid-fire jokes land well enough, dated or not, and as a whole it still stands as an innocent enough crowd pleaser that supports the duo's well-established comedic strengths fairly well. (There's also the small matter of its release year: the then-new Hays Code means that Kentucky Kernels obviously isn't as sharp-toothed and risqué as earlier Wheeler & Woolsey work, but they still manage to sneak in some good material.)
So high art it ain't, but as usual Warner Archive treats Kentucky Kernels as well as any other film in its growing library. Technical merits
are superb as seen by its stunning 1080p transfer, solid lossless audio, and even a trio of era-specific cartoons that fill in for standard
behind-the-scenes fare or theatrical trailers. So while it's not exactly the most essential Archive title around, this one's still pretty fun and
obviously worth a look for new and established fans alike.
I've reviewed at least 100 Warner Archive releases over the years so I'm slowly running out of supportive adjectives, so let's just call this 1080p transfer "splendiferous" and be done with it. Released back in late 2020 -- which might as well be a lifetime ago, if I'm being honest -- it's as much a stunner as any recent release from the reliably purist-friendly boutique label, and sourced from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative to boot. Anyone equally familiar with Warner Archive should know this translates to catnip for videophiles, as the black-and-white cinematography has once again been brilliantly captured here with sparkling detail, texture, contrast, density, and of course natural film grain. Aside from a touch of posterization here and there, it's almost impossible to pin down any real amount of artifacts or compression issues such as banding and black crush, and Warner Archive's usual round of careful cleanup means that the image remains squeaky-clean from start to finish. As evidenced by the included 24 screenshots, it's yet another top-tier disc from the studio and easily stands as the definitive home video release from a visual standpoint.
Unsurprisingly, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix also passes with flying colors, serving up reasonably crisp dialogue and a supportive dynamic range that only occasionally sounds a little strained during high-volume music cues and other loud noises. Sonically, it's right in line with what might be considered a typical major-studio release from this decade, although some of the stronger accents -- including dialogue by Milford hired hand "Buckshot", played by noted actor Willie Best under the short-lived pseudonym "Sleep 'n Eat" -- might requite the use of optional subtitles.
Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, but not the extras. This is pretty annoying since the DVD edition that most of them were sourced from did in fact have optional subtitles available. It's perhaps my only ongoing hang-up regarding Warner Archive releases, and one that I hope is addressed at some point.
This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with poster-themed cover art and no inserts of any kind. A few vintage bonus features are included, but they're more pre-show entertainment than film-specific.
By most accounts, Kentucky Kernels was the most financially successful of the 21 comedy films starring popular duo Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey and, while then-new Hays Code restrictions inevitably stifle some of their trademark humor here, it's still a good time at the movies. As usual, Warner Archive's Blu-ray plays like a million bucks with very strong A/V merits; while none of the bonus features are film-specific, you can't go wrong with vintage cartoons either. It's been available for some time but still comes recommended to established fans and newcomers alike.
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