7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The Marx Brothers' last film as a team finds "ace" detective Groucho searching for stolen diamonds that theater pianist Chico inadvertently passed on to happy wanderer Harpo. Lighthearted musical-comedy also features Ilona Massey, Raymond Burr, and a memorable cameo by a young Marilyn Monroe.
Starring: Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Groucho Marx, Ilona Massey, Vera-EllenCrime | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Musical | 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 Mono
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
It’s never easy to see a legend in decline, a situation which is one of the odder anomalies that face film stars. Many actors become famous in their twenties, and the images of their youthful faces and vigorous demeanors end up getting imprinted on audiences in an almost subliminal way. This tendency was probably only exacerbated by television, which in decades past anyway tended to feature films from the mid- to late 20th century, offering viewers the chance to see actors who even by then had aged considerably, but who were preserved in all their youthful exuberance on celluloid. It can be almost shocking at, say, an Academy Awards telecast when they trot out a huge star from days of yore, and the audience is confronted with an aged, sometimes crippled and inarticulate, man or woman who seems to be happy to be there, but also sometimes palpably frail and even a bit confused. It probably shouldn’t come as any huge shock to any of us that movie stars age just like the rest of us, but film, despite its emphasis on “moving” pictures, is in some ways a static medium, in that it inherently captures performers at a particular moment in their lives, for better or worse. While there's a disconnect between seeing an old movie featuring some young star back in the day and then catching their current state of decrepitude, there's a different kind of sadness when there's an actual film featuring stars who may have seen better days, especially when that film can only hint at former greatness. That’s certainly the case with Love Happy, a kind of sad “comedy” that presented three of The Marx Brothers in their ostensibly last film “together” (more about that in a moment), but which probably only served to make audiences aware that times and tastes had changed and that yesterday’s blockbuster was today’s dud.
Love Happy is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. This is a very nice looking high definition transfer that sports consistent contrast offering good black levels and a generally very organic viewing experience. The elements have surprisingly little damage, to the point that, while perhaps not pristine, Love Happy is unexpectedly free of any real recurrent problems other than a bit of age related wear and tear. The film has several opticals and special effects that are relatively softer and grainier than the bulk of the footage, as should be expected. No overt digital tweaking appears to have been done on this transfer.
While perhaps just slightly tinny sounding at times, Love Happy's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono actually boasts a fuller than average sounding midrange, something that gives the big, brassy orchestrations some real punch in the musical sequences. Those luxe close harmonies of the vocal group also sound great. Dialogue comes through loudly and clearly, and aside from limitations that clearly reveal the age of the stems, there really aren't any major issues to worry about.
No supplements are offered on this Blu-ray disc.
I was actually more engaged by Love Happy when I rewatched it after not having seen it for several years, and despite its kind of tired ambience, there are passing pleasures to be had in the film, including some nice music and at least an occasional laugh or two. The problem is most people are going to have precious memories of earlier, greater Marx Brothers fare, and there's little doubt that Love Happy doesn't really penetrate into the top echelon of the siblings' filmography. This Olive release looks great and sound fine, and though it's certainly no classic, Love Happy comes Recommended.
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