6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Party Girl follows a bum-legged mouthpiece for the mob and a gorgeous, wised-up vamp who fall in love, try to go straight, and head straight for trouble.
Starring: Robert Taylor (I), Cyd Charisse, Lee J. Cobb, John Ireland (I), Kent Smith (I)Film-Noir | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo corrected (Dual 2.0 Mono - 48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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