Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Party Girl Blu-ray Movie Review

Babes and bullets.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 10, 2022

Nicholas Ray's Party Girl is a solid, entertaining little gangster flick saddled with a dumb title. It's not that lovely Cyd Charisse (Silk Stockings), as showgirl Vicki Gaye, isn't worth building a movie around: she's totally irresistible in the role, and just one part of of a well-cast drama that feels lightweight until the shit hits the fan. The main focus of this film is ultra-smooth mob lawyer Thomas Farrell (Robert Taylor, Ivanhoe), who works for local boss Rico Angelo (Lee J. Cobb, 12 Angry Men) and meets Vicki at one of Rico's parties; she gladly leaves on his arm after brushing off creepy Louis Canetto (John Ireland, Red River), who Thomas will reluctantly represent at his upcoming murder trial. Louis is one of many last straws that make Thomas want to finally go straight and, with Vicki's help, he might do it. But no one's ever quit Rico Angelo, who isn't above killing anyone-- or their girl -- who threatens his way of life.

Party Girl's plot isn't quite that open-and-shut... but really, it isn't a very complicated film and that's not a bad thing. There are a few through-lines and narrative side streets, from Thomas' persistent limp -- a childhood injury that he plays up in court to generate sympathy from jury members, which he finally attempts to correct after leaving Vicki's side for a year -- to her glitzy but demeaning job at Rico's Golden Rooster club, where Vicki jiggles around for paying customers (flanked by male dancers who, on every occasion, fail to convince that they're playing actual instruments) and quite literally beats at least one man off her with a hair brush. Once our two leads finally attempt to shed their former skin, it marks a minor but appreciated attempt at character growth. But the real charms of Party Girl are its script and performances: almost everyone's playing it fast and loose, which results in snappy conversations and more than a few unexpected moments that keep things interesting during its breezy 99-minute running time.

Then, there's the violence: it's no The Wild Bunch or even Bonnie and Clyde, but Party Girl is surprisingly bloody during a few stretches, especially for its age. From the savage but totally predictable beat-down of Rico's former employee Frankie Gasto (Aaron Saxon, uncredited) to a handful of machine gun sprays during an extended montage of revenge killings when Thomas finally snitches on his old boss, the sudden tonal changes will likely throw first-time viewers for a loop. (There's also the acidic finale that, while not exactly sound from a chemical perspective, is still pretty bonkers.) It's moments like these, combined with the film's colorful characters and workmanlike Metrocolor cinematography, that elevate Party Girl from a lightweight trifle to a borderline cult classic that holds up almost 65 years later.

This, of course, makes it a perfect addition to Warner Archive's ever-growing slate of terrific Blu-ray catalog titles, which is again highlighted by a meticulous restoration job and lossless audio. In keeping with the boutique label's standard practice though, no new extras have been created which basically makes this a movie-only disc. But at its current sale price of less than $14 (as of this review, at least), Party Girl makes an easy enough blind buy for fans of the cast and genre. Die-hard fans probably own it already... but if you don't, now's obviously the time.

Party Girl Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Filmed in Metrocolor, Party Girl frequently dazzles like a top-tier production and holds up nicely on Warner Bros.' new 1080p restoration. Colorful lighting schemes and flashy costumes, from the skimpy outfits on display at Rico's Golden Rooster club to a particularly tacky suit sported by mobsters like Cookie La Motte (Corey Allen, Rebel Without a Cause), are particularly well-represented, as are the simple but attractive set designs. Fine detail is respectable and textures are clearly visible in close-ups and background elements, a spell that's occasionally broken during scene transitions. Black levels get into trouble during the darkest moments; not necessarily due to any flaw in the restoration, but slight flickering intrudes where flat, deep blacks ought to be in a few night sequences. Despite its modest visual ambitions (after all, key stretches during Party Girl take place in offices, apartments and courtrooms), the film goes on a welcome field trip to Stockholm when Thomas finally decides to have that nagging limp corrected. (The exceptions to this are a few European stock footage establishing shots and a rather weak montage of our lovers on a road trip set against unconvincing rear projection.) No matter the location, Party Girl is a largely good-looking production; not exactly lavish, but certainly good, and this outstanding restoration serves it just about perfectly from start to finish.

Party Girl Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The simple and straightforward DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix likewise serves Party Girl's one-channel roots well, balancing crisp dialogue and background effects with more than enough room left over for the original score by Jeff Alexander, who contributed to productions as diverse as Singin' in the Rain and The Twilight Zone. There are trace amounts of clipping during the film's loudest moments -- that extended montage of revenge killings mentioned above, for example -- where the sudden bursts of gunfire sound especially harsh, but most everything else stays under control with a healthy, well-preserved dynamic range. If nothing else, it's a perfectly capable track that gets the job done well enough, with no blatant signs of hiss, popping, drop-outs, or obvious sync issues... aside from all of those dance club performance "instruments", which are so badly choreographed that they should've been removed entirely.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered during the main feature only.

Party Girl Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keep with drop-dead gorgeous poster-themed cover artwork (which either sold a lot of tickets or kept married men from seeing it) and includes no inserts. Extras are unfortunately minimal, although a few TCM Noir Alley bonus clips with Eddie Muller have been posted by a member in our official forum thread.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:46) - This saucy, fourth wall-breaking promotional piece isn't in pristine condition but is at least framed at 2.35:1 with lossless mono audio. A rougher 1.33:1 version can also be seen here.

Party Girl Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Nicholas Ray's Prohibition-era gangster film Party Girl isn't as well-known or well-made as Rebel Without a Cause or In a Lonely Place, but the film's colorful characters and performances -- led by Robert Taylor and Cyd Charisse, at or near the end of their MGM contracts -- are aided by a great script that elevate it to modest but very watchable heights that easily surpass MGM's ridiculously over-the-top original marketing campaign (which includes the title). It's definitely worth (re)discovering on Warner Archive's Blu-ray, which offers a great restoration that supports the workmanlike visuals and sound. At the current price point, it's even worth a blind buy for newcomers. Recommended.