Millie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Millie Blu-ray Movie Review

A underrated gem which should not be overlooked

Millie is a 1931 film adaptation of the novel written by Donald Henderson Clarke. From producer Charles Rogers (My Man Godfrey, Three Smart Girls), the film is an early RKO Radio Pictures romantic-drama starring Helen Twelvetrees (Unashamed, A Bedtime Story) in the title role. Brimming with the energy of a pre-code romance, the feature is the best title included in the RKO Classic Romances collection from Kino.

As a young woman, Millie (Helen Twelvetrees) has an early romance and finds herself getting married to the wealthy Jack (James Hall). Though the couple initially has a swinging time together (and they produce a child) they find discourse and dissatisfaction in their marriage. It isn't too long before the frustrated and forlorn Millie decides to pack up her bags and divorce her husband. Deciding that she does not want to deprive their daughter, Connie (Anita Louise), of the kind of lifestyle Jack can offer she leaves her child in his care.

As the story unfolds further, Millie struggles with her romantic feelings towards a number of men. She goes from man to man starting and ending romances without finding herself a true companion. The struggle to find companionship tugs at her heart but she cannot shake off her bad marriage to Jack. Ignoring the advances of Jimmy Damier (John Halliday), Millie moves on in life all on her own (passing by Jimmy's socialite wealth and his infatuation with her beauty).

Millie's daughter begins to grow into a young woman. At this point in time, Jimmy encounters Millie's young daughter Connie. Now that Connie bears some resemblance to her mother, Jimmy decides that he should be with her (as he could never be with her mother). When Millie discovers that Jimmy has been trying to seduce her daughter shes goes out to his lodging to stop him and things quickly spiral into a mad frenzy.

One of the reasons the film works so well is the impeccable performance from Helen Twelvetrees. Throughout the film, Twelvetrees capably demonstrates her confidence and talent as an actress. In exploring this love-torn woman and her many relationships with men (both good and bad), this fine character-driven performance makes Millie a fascinating production which has stood the test of time. The emotion is palpable and compelling from beginning to end.

Are you watching the road or are we in a classic film? All I can tell is you keep spinning the wheel.

Millie features an impressive original score composed by Nacio Herb Brown (A Woman Commands) which manages to tug at the heart with its classical approach. The music composition matches the emotion generated from Twelvetrees. This is a melodic and beautiful sounding film which is also indisputably true to the era.

The cinematography by the brilliant Ernest Haller (Gone with the Wind, Mildred Pierce) is a lush black and white photographic success with great framing and detail for the characters. As the story becomes progressively darker and more bleak, the photography presents this emotion with exquisite detail. The style is evocative and it leaves a strong impression.

One of the reasons this film was so successful is the excellent screenplay written by Charles Kenyon (The Petrified Forest, The Still Alarm). The storyline itself is quite entertaining to watch unfold. The characters and their melodramatic relationships are interesting to see unfold into the labyrinth which forms by the films conclusion. Millie is a fully-formed character and much of this has to do with the character-development which is inherent in the screenplay.

John Francis Dillon (Kismet, The Girl of the Golden West) capably directs the first-rate script into a successful romantic-drama. The pace and tempo of the filmmaking feels exquisite. There is not a wasted frame. The film feels ahead of its time in many respects and delivers an exceptional, fun stylistic approach that demonstrates Dillon's talents as a filmmaker.

Millie is worth checking out and would make a great Sunday matinee for anyone looking for a fun classic romantic-drama. Don't miss it.

Millie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Millie is presented on Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (full frame). This is a rather decent looking presentation of the film. The transfer does have some wear to it and shows its age but its far from being a disappointment. The film print which was utilized is decent looking for its age. This is not one of the best restoration efforts from Lobster Films. Even so, the presentation gets the job done and is suitable given the elements that were used. Fine film grain is inherent in the source and is greatly appreciated.

Millie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio is presented in lossless uncompressed stereo. The release features DTS-HD Master Audio that sufficiently reproduces the film's dialogue and original score music. The audio is in reasonably good shape and is a good match in quality to the film's video presentation. Free from any serious source-related issues (such as excessive hiss or audio crackling), audiences will find this a satisfactory presentation.

Millie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are no supplemental features on this release.

Millie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Millie is my favorite of the features included in the RKO Classic Romances collection. The film is an immensely entertaining gem. The storyline is excellent and kept myself engaged throughout the many romantic detours and complications which unfold. It's highly melodramatic but highly entertaining as well. Featuring a great lead performance by Helen Twelvetrees, Millie is arguably enough of a reason to purchase the RKO Classic Romances set. It's that good.