Murder in Greenwich Village Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Murder in Greenwich Village Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 28, 2020

With a title like “Murder in Greenwich Village,” there’s a certain expectation for elements of violence, deception, and general evil. The 1937 Albert S. Rogell picture actually offers very little suspense, moving forward as something of a screwball comedy, with the near-misses of love the star of the show, not sinister business with shady characters. Thankfully, there’s a cast here putting in their all to make the screenplay by Michael L. Simmons stand up and shout, delivering ideal finger-snap dialogue and thespian emphasis to generate a different sort of screen energy than what the title implies.

Kay (Fay Wray) is a woman caught in a bad situation when she’s spotted leaving an apartment by advertising artist, Steven (Richard Arlen). Initially offering her a place to settle down inside his office space, Steven soon learns that Kay is in the middle of a mess, suspected of murder, with her every move tracked by Detective Henderson (Gene Morgan). Needing help, Kay asks Steven to pose as her fiancée, with the opposites attracting as they avoid outside entanglements with the cops and the family of the victim.

“Murder in Greenwich Village” has definite speed, with banter the star of the show here, watching Wray and Arlen engage in heated battles of stubbornness and occasionally throw zingers at each other. The whole ensemble gets in on the fun, and the viewing experience is supported by the talent, who take the challenge of timing seriously, creating a theatrical event with “Murder in Greenwich Village,” not necessarily a cinematic one.

Murder in Greenwich Village Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.37:1 aspect ratio) presentation preserves cinematographic achievements, offering a pleasingly grainy but film-like viewing experience. Detail is good for a softer image, exploring Wray's ornate costuming and hairstyles, while the more woolen, ridged outfits on the male character remains fibrous. Sets are open for inspection, along with decoration, which includes numerous advertisement posters. Facial particulars are intact. Delineation is adequate with a few moments of solidification. Source is in good shape, with speckling, mild scratches, and a few hairs detected.

Murder in Greenwich Village Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA delivers a comfortable listening event, with emphasis on dialogue exchanges, protecting the rapid-fire conversations with passably clear voices. Select music is also acceptable, with modest instrumentation and volume. Hiss carries throughout the movie.

Murder in Greenwich Village Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Murder in Greenwich Village Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is a murder in the feature, with suspects and motives in the mix. However, "Murder in Greenwich Village" doesn't show much interest in the whodunit aspects of the writing, having more fun with wackier, playfully bickering characters. Perhaps entertainment value is there but, tonally, "Murder on Greenwich Village" is all over the place, trying to find a middle ground between the tale of a dead man and the beginning of a burgeoning romance.