Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Rumble on the Docks Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 16, 2019

Note: This film is available as part of Noir Archive Volume 2: 1954-1956.

Kit Parker Films and Mill Creek Entertainment mined an interesting nonet of features for their Noir Archive Volume 1: 1944-1954, and now a second volume is forthcoming, with another nine outings that show what a reliable purveyor of noir or at least noir-ish films Columbia Studios continued to be through the mid-fifties. As the subtitle for the first volume made clear, that collection spanned a decade, from what was arguably the apex of noir in the mid-forties to the arguably somewhat less fertile era of Eisenhower. This second volume picks up in 1954 and continues forward two years, assembling a rather diverse collection of writers, directors and stars, some of whom at least many would probably consign to the so-called “B list”, though others, like Kim Novak, Jack Finney and even William Castle, certainly have claims to "A list" fame. One way or the other, though, there are some interesting titles in this second collection, and noir fans may well find this as appealing a set as the first outing.

One of the more interesting subgenres that emerged from the fifties was the so-called “juvenile delinquent” film, which enjoyed considerable popularity for a few years in what was otherwise (seemingly) the safe, staid world as exemplified by what I called above "the era of Eisenhower". Rumble on the Docks kind of melds elements from films exploiting unhappy teens in dysfunctional relationships with their parents (think Rebel Without a Cause) with the kind of unionizing activities that had been a focal element in On the Waterfront . It’s an uneasy combo platter at best, but the film has some unusually good performances, including James Darren in his first starring role as a kid named Jimmy who is both a gang member and the son of a guy who ran afoul of a union busting thug named Brindo* (Michael Granger). Rumble on the Docks can’t ever quite escape its lo-fi sensibilities, and probably works better on the interpersonal relationship side than it does as any kind of muckraking “sociopolitical” document, but the supporting cast features some standouts (including Robert Blake).

*Can it be mere coincidence that this surname bears an almost comical similarity to that of the star of On the Waterfront? For another none too subtle allusion to the famed Elia Kazan film, take a gander at screenshot 4 accompanying this review.

Rumble on the Docks Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Rumble on the Docks is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Kit Parker Films and Mill Creek Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. This is another generally satisfying looking presentation that nonetheless does show some noticeable variances in sharpness, clarity and detail levels between some of the location photography in and around the docks, some of which can look at least relatively soft, and the more obviously studio bound material, where detail levels are better defined. Contrast is a little wonky in some of the location shots as well, but the studio material features consistent blacks and nicely modulated gray scale, along with really nice accountings of elements like fabric patterns. Some of the rear projection shows its age, and there's a park scene toward the end that looks a bit degraded, with less fine detail and a noticeably heavier grain field, along with some flicker and other damage. A couple of interstitial shots of the Manhattan skyline at circa 55:20 and the following few seconds look considerably damaged, and I'm assuming they were culled from stock footage.

Rumble on the Docks Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rumble on the Docks features a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track that offers good support for dialogue, score (including a dance scene with some rockin' tunes), and some rather nicely designed sound effects. The opening sequence on the docks is a nice example of the care that was taken with sound design, with both background clatter courtesy of dockworkers, but the clear metallic sound of a little boy kicking a can through a dockyard nicely realized.

Rumble on the Docks Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

None of the three discs in this set feature any supplements.

Rumble on the Docks Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm not sure I ever totally bought "Moondoggie" as a vicious thug (or at least a wannabe vicious thug), but parts of Rumble on the Docks are intermittently effective, even if the entire enterprise kind of reminded me of a somewhat similar "golden age" television drama called Crime in the Streets which was part of VCI's release of Television's Lost Classics Volume One. There are some minor variances in video quality, but audio is fine, for those considering a purchase.