6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A New York bank accountant goes to Hollywood to investigate a movie studio before his firm sells it at a loss. When he discovers chicanery, he learns the ways of Hollywood, finds romance, and tries to save a movie and the studio with some help.
Starring: Leslie Howard, Joan Blondell, Humphrey Bogart, Alan Mowbray, Marla SheltonRomance | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
When did Frank Capra become “Frank Capra” — you know, the acknowledged cinematic champion of the Ordinary Joe, the American Everyman who espoused the great noble sentiments of our way of life? Capra’s film directing career was long, spanning several decades, reaching back into the silent era and continuing on (with regard to feature films) through 1961’s Pocketful of Miracles, but it’s at least probably arguable that Capra’s “Capra-esque” reputation relies largely (if not solely) on only four films, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe (arguably the single best exemplar of some of the themes running through many of Capra’s films), and of course It's a Wonderful Life, which was famously dismissed by many at the time of its release but which has gone on to certified classic status courtesy of nonstop holiday broadcasts through the years. Taking this quartet of “Everyman” offerings as having helped to define the quality of being “Capra-esque”, it’s salient to note that only one of the four, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, preceded the 1937 release of Stand-In, a film which in its own way tends to ape, or perhaps presage, several ideas that Capra himself would address. Stand-In also utilizes a few elements that were also used in later films skewering the film industry, including such well known offerings as Sullivan's Travels and another, lesser remembered, farce from 1941, World Premiere. (For you trivia hounds, World Premiere co-starred Frances Farmer, in one of her last pre-institutionalization roles. Farmer was reportedly one of Preston Sturges’ first choices for the role Veronica Lake would ultimately play in Sullivan’s Travels.)
Stand-In is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of ClassicFlix with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. This presentation starts with an informational text card that offers the following information:
Stand-In was the first film scheduled for release after our label was established in 2016. However, shortly after performing some test scans, the project was permanently shelved due to severely deteriorated film elements.While the restoration gauntlet Stand-In was quite evidently put through was commendably extensive (as evidenced by the Restoration Demonstration included on this Blu-ray as a supplement), there are still some signs of age related wear and tear that crop up here, but other issues, like what looks like almost insane levels of wobble in the original element, have been massively ameliorated if not completely eliminated. There are definitely variances in clarity, detail levels and grain structure here, but, again when compared to what was worked on, the uptick in stability, contrast and gray scale representation is often quite remarkable. This is arguably not that well known or remembered of a film, and so any restoration is to be applauded, even if the source element offered so many hurdles that not all of them could be completely overcome.
That changed in late 2018 when we were able to locate materials at the British Film Institute that, while not optimal, were in good enough condition to warrant a major restoration of this rare comedic gem and present in this home video edition for all to enjoy.
Stand-In features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track that shows its own signs of age, mostly in a somewhat muffled high end that is probably most noticeable in the minimal music. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly enough, though there is some background hiss that is still discernable despite the high end sounding a little masked at times.
You can almost feel Stand-In aiming for but never quite reaching the giddy heights of the best screwball antics, something that could arguably have been improved with some sharper writing and perhaps even some other actors. Still, the film has some occasionally acerbic reactions to what were even back then the excesses of the film industry, and there are some fun supporting bits offered as almost throwaways. ClassicFlix has done a remarkable job with its restoration, though the source element looks like it was so fraught with issues that not all of them could be completely eliminated.
1937
The Vivien Leigh Anniversary Collection
1937
Remastered
1937
2016
2006
1934
1935
1934
Warner Archive Collection
1936
1964
1959
Collector's Edition
2022
2014
1961
1987
2019
Warner Archive Collection
1934
2010
2008
2013